Page 100 of Lightning Angel

Tristan settled down and pulled her to sit between his legs. He drew her backward to lean on him, and Alexa closed her eyes as his arms enveloped her in an embrace. She felt his lips in her hair, and they watched the mesmerizing display of the star-studded sky in pleasantsilence.

It was true. She had never felt so at-home before.

In the tranquil of the night, a tiny part of her wondered if she was slowly falling in love with him. And she wouldn’t be surprised if she did. Bit by bit, day by day, in everything that he did and said, Tristan Knight was proving to be the boy of her dreams.

It terrified and thrilled her all the same, but the thrill won in the end. Perhaps risking her heart to explore these feelings with him was going to be worth it in the end.

* * *

Alexa heard a motorcycle halt outside her house. She peered through the peephole and saw the rider climbing off his bike. He didn’t have to take off his helmet for her to realize it was Tristan.

She yanked open the door and stepped out to the porch with a surprised smile. Tristan took off his helmet and smiled at her crookedly. He was dressed as a hot biker, and her eyes couldn’t help but take in him hungrily. She locked the door and crossed the lawn to him.

“My, my, don’t you look dashing hot in that?” she teased as she approached him.

“And don’t you look like the embodiment of sunshine itself?” He chuckled.

“Poetic, are we now?” Alexa shoved at his chest playfully and glanced at his black motorcycle. “You didn’t tell me we’re taking your majestic bike.”

“Majesticbike?” Tristan tilted his head at her. “Goodness, Alexa, you keep surprising me.”

“What?”

“My sisters call it all sorts ofuniqueinsults.” He shook his head, but despite his complaining tone, fondness filled his eyes like every other time he talked about his little cousins. “Running deathtrap, crawling coffin, death on wheels, monster motor, blah, blah, blah.” He laughed and patted the top of the motorcycle’s headlight like it was his pet. “But here you are, calling my insult-bearing motorcyclemajestic. The girl after my own heart.”

Alexa blushed and dropped her gaze. Tristan stepped close and kissed her hair, inhaling their fragrance before pulling away.

“Ready to ride on my monster motor?” He held the spare helmet to her.

She lifted her gaze to his smiling ones. “Ready to ride on yourroyal chariot,” she corrected him with a mischievous smile. “But, I’m afraid I don’t know how to putthison.”

“Good thing you’ve got a knight.” He put the helmet on her head with utmost care and clasped the strap under her chin. “There you go, Princess.”

“Oh, I didn’t know I was upgraded to royalty,SirTristan.” She touched a hand to her chest.

“You did,” Tristan said as he got on his bike, his eyes turning intense. “When the prince in disguise as a knight fell in love with you.” He put on his helmet.

Alexa’s heart flared to life and butterflies fluttered in her stomach. She grinned shyly and was relieved the helmet obscured most of her face so he couldn’t see the effect his words had on her.

When the bike roared to life, she got behind him. After Tristan made sure she was comfortable, they took off to the outskirts of the city where her mother worked at a news station.

* * *

Tristan parked his motorcycle in the bustling parking lot of the news station, the engine purring softly as he cut it off. The sleek black motorcycle drew attention, but Alexa got off nonchalantly, her gaze fixed on the entrance of the building. Tristan joined her side after hitching their helmets to the bike’s handle and placed his hand on the small of her back.

They approached the building after exchanging a smile. The automatic doors slid open, revealing the busy interior of the news station. The polished floors echoed with the hurried footsteps of reporters and journalists.

Alexa felt a mix of anxiety and anticipation. She had never visited her mother at work before, not even when her parents were still together. But she had been younger then.

She approached the reception desk with Tristan. The receptionist looked up with a polite smile from her laptop.

“Good afternoon. How may I help you?”

“We’re here to see Tiffany White. Is she available?” Tristan inquired, his voice steady.

The receptionist checked her schedule. “I’m afraid Mrs. White is in a meeting right now. Would you like towait, or shall I inform her of your visit?”

Alexa exchanged a glance with Tristan and nodded at the woman. “We can wait.”