Killshot (Icarus Series Book 1) by Aria Michaels Read Free Book Online

own hair, in the process.
                  “Come here, before you hurt yourself,” Zander laughed, grabbing one of my hands and pulling me closer. “Hold still, Liv.”
                  The muscles in his chest flexed as he grabbed either side of the bulky headgear and carefully shifted it into position. He bit his bottom lip in concentration as he fastened the chinstrap. His face was unbearably close to mine, and I couldn’t help but stare. Zander’s eyes met mine as he slid his middle finger gently across my brow, tucking the loose hairs back into the helmet.
                  “Better?” he asked, brushing the pad of his thumb across my cheek.
                  Whoa.
    My heart jumped into my throat, rendering me speechless. I simply nodded and watched as he climbed gracefully onto the bike. He glanced over his shoulder and patted the seat behind him.
                  “Hop on, beautiful,” Zander smiled, and I gingerly slid in behind him.
                  Zander laughed softly as he pulled my arms around his waist, and told me to hold on tight. Again I nodded, smiling nervously as I settled into the warm leather seat behind him. The engine revved to life, rumbling beneath us, and I was suddenly very aware of my body.
                  My thighs rested snuggly against the outside of Zander’s hips. My chest was pressed firmly against his back. The tight muscles in his shoulders flexed against my face as he maneuvered us to the edge of the road. Before I could convince myself this was a bad idea, he lifted his feet off the ground and we took off.
                  My hair blew behind me, peeking from beneath the helmet and whipping against my bare back and around the straps of my backpack. The muscles in my arms tensed involuntarily as we surged forward. I felt Zander’s stomach shake with laughter.
                  He took it slowly at first, carefully gliding around corners, and sticking to the slower roads. After a while, my shoulders relaxed, and my arms felt more at ease around his waist. We stopped for a few minutes on the levee, marveling at the bright orange sky glowing off the water.
                  “You ever wonder what it’s like?” I asked as we watched a huge flock of ducks take off from the glassy surface of the water. “Flying, I mean.”
                  “Wanna find out?” He smiled mischievously over his shoulder at me, revved the throttle, and we took off.              

 
     
    Chapter 6
     
    A Moment of Peace
     
                   
                   
                   
                   “That...was... awesome! ” I shrieked.
                  I stumbled, clumsily, from the back of Zander’s bike and grabbed him in a quick hug. Zander wrapped his arm around my waist without hesitation and twirled me in a circle. His chest shook with laughter and he gently lowered me to my feet.
                  “Glad you liked it, Liv,” He said. “Anytime you want to go for a ride, you just say the word and I'm there.”
                  One hand still rested lightly against my hip, as the other brushed a stray hair from my face. Whoa. My pocket vibrated, and I stepped away from him like I had been caught committing a crime. I shook the wayward thoughts from my head and checked my phone. The screen blinked a few times, then shut down on its own.
                  “Stupid iPhone,” I muttered, holding the power button down until it finally flashed back to life. My inbox contained six increasingly-pissy text messages from Riley.
                  Love you. Don't be mad. It will be worth it, promise. (7:15 pm)
                  Can’t wait. This is gonna be epic! <3 Ry (7:18 pm)
                  Get here early if U can, and wear extra deodorant.