“Bale?” He frowned.
It was my turn to shrug. “Yeah, I like it. Short, sweet, and—” I gave an exaggerated sigh “—my favorite actor’s last name. Christian Bale. So hot in Batman Begins. I mean, I’d jump his bones in a second, no introduction needed.”
“Fuck that,” Balen ground out.
I gave my most innocent expression. “Oh, I most definitely would. Did you see the movie? That man comes knocking on my door—”
I didn’t have the chance to finish as he grabbed the back of my neck. “I don’t like the name Bale and I don’t share.”
Shit, I loved how his fingers caressed my neck and weaved into my hair. It was a small movement that just felt . . . shit, it felt sweet and possessive. Suddenly, I was thinking about pulling over and doing it on the hood like he’d mentioned. I slid my hand onto his thigh and his fingers on my neck tensed. I slowly caressed downward between his legs.
“Baby.”
“Hmm.” I moved my hand to his cock and smiled when he groaned.
“Jesus.” The car swerved and the tires skidded on the shoulder. “Fuck.” He grabbed my hand and pulled it away. “You remember what I said about fucking you from behind. You do that again, we’re stopping this car. And I don’t give a shit whether anyone sees what I do to you on the side of the road.”
I bit my lower lip. “As hot as that sounds, we’re on the run, remember.”
“I know how to do quick and hard. You don’t have anything to be worried about.”
God, I wanted to suck his cock, and then have him take me from behind. Up against the hood of the car sounded like something I’d like—a lot, just not on the side of the highway. I shifted in my seat as I thought of his hands on my hips, his cock driving into me again and again.
Could he really read my thoughts? My gaze went to between his legs and, from the bulge, I knew he was still hard. “Are you using your telepathy?”
Balen glanced over at me. “Why the fuck are you looking at my cock like that?”
“Because it’s hard and I was thinking about what you said. So were you?”
“No. And I’m hard because I want to fuck you. Don’t need to read your thoughts to get hard.” He shrugged. “But it’s disrespectful to read others’ thoughts. We communicate through our minds, but try to refrain from taking on others’ thoughts for privacy reasons. You can learn to block others, but it takes time to learn that. To the ancients, it’s natural.”
“Are you an ancient?”
“Yes. Would you like to know how old I am?”
I scrunched my nose. Did I? “Will I be totally turned off? Because I never date men more than ten years older. It’s a rule.”
“I’m definitely over the ten year rule, but it’s too late for you. You’re already mine,” Balen replied.
I laughed. “Ha. I’m not yours. Now, tell me how old you are.”
“One hundred and ninety-six.”
“Holy shit.” I gaped at him. He was really immortal. That meant . . .”So when we do this thing, this transformation, will I stay looking like this for the rest of my life?”
“How old are you?” Balen asked.
“Twenty-seven.”
“We stop aging at thirty-two.” He pulled the car off a side street and turned down a dark dirt road.
“Sweet.” That was a woman’s fantasy come true. “No more anti-aging creams and worrying about varicose veins and sagging boobs.”
His eyes locked with mine and shivers trickled across my skin. “I’d still want you. I’ll always want you.”
I looked away. He spoke as if we’d be together forever, but the reality was, we barely knew one another and we were connected because of a spell. All this, what we felt, would disappear. “So, are we stopping soon?”
“Ryker’s place is just ahead. We’ll stay there until Waleron lets us know it’s safe to fly to Spain.”
I crossed my legs, shifting in my seat. “Can you be more specific on just ahead because I drank a lot of water and my bladder is bursting.”
Balen raised his brows. “Do you ever not say it like it is? No, don’t answer that. I think I already know.” He slowed the car. “I could pull over?”
I snorted. “You concentrate on finding me a washroom fast. One with four walls and a toilet.”
He put his foot back down on the gas and the car skidded forward. “How long?”
“Before what?”
“Before it bursts?” Balen smirked and it was cute, he could be cute and sweet and I didn’t want this to vanish.
I liked how comfortable it was talking to him. Usually, guys were taken back by my forwardness, but Balen adapted to my nature and it made me feel as if I’d known him for ages. “Maybe, five minutes.”
“Then I’ll get you there in two.”
Balen held my hand as we walked up to a massive, old, stone house that sat on top of a hill a half mile back from the road. It appeared desolate and cold, snow blanketing the bare limbs of trees scattered randomly across the expansive property.
He kept himself slightly in front of me as we approached the house. The door opened before we reached the stone steps and a man with shoulder-length, black hair, tall and muscled, blocked the doorway.
I hesitated and Balen squeezed my hand reassuringly.
The guy grinned, flashing perfect white teeth. “Balen.” He held out his hand and they shook and slapped one another on the back. “Good to see you.” Turning to me, he nodded politely. “A pleasure, Danielle. I’m Ryker.”