Synching With the Devil's Son

Chapter 56

Bella's P.O.V.

Riding a motorcycle is more fun than I thought it was going to be. The freedom! Feeling the wind push and pull against my clothes as the road passes under us at a frantic pace. It's exhilarating! Not to mention the man I get to hold onto the whole time. I realize I have an opportunity here, and I start tracing the muscles of his back. Damn! His shoulders are so broad and encased in beautifully sculpted muscle. He can't do anything but drive, so I get even more brazen and bring my hands down the front of his shirt, purposefully passing over his zipper to trace the muscles of his thighs. They are rock hard under my hands, and I lick my lips as heat pools in my belly. I'm in so much trouble, so over my head in my ability to deal with all his masculinity, but by God if he isn't the perfect example of what a man should look and feel like. As I sit there gently touching him where ever I want (except where he wants me to touch I'm sure) Trish's words come back to me, 'He likes you but be careful.' I know he has the ability to crush me with just a dismissive glance, but somehow I know he won't do that. I think about how much has changed in the last forty eight hours. I almost didn't come on this trip because Lucien was going too, and now look at us. What was that saying about missed opportunities and how they could have changed your life if you only would have let them? I get it now. Lucien has made it clear he wants me in his life, longs for me to want him in mine. Why I was given an angel as a soul-mate I will probably never know, but I'm not going to let anybody stand between us, even Lucien's father.

My heart flutters a little at the thought of his father...the Devil. What do I really know about the Devil? It depends on what I believe, I suppose. Was Dante correct when he wrote about the nine circles of Hell? Probably not. What of the fantastical stories about original sin, debauchery, and losing your soul to Satan? He must have done something to get kicked out of Heaven, but I'm beginning to believe the real truth lies somewhere outside of all that nonsense. The Devil has a son whom he's attempting to raise to be caring and empathetic. Those are not adjectives associated with Satan. Besides, the man I have my arms wrapped around is not evil, so how could his father be? Still, I'm probably going to have to meet him, and that scares me. I have to invite the monster under my bed to tea and welcome him into my home. I'm not sure I have the internal fortitude to do that.

My reverie is interrupted when Lucien pulls off the road and into the Marble Slab Creamery parking lot. When he admits to not knowing where I live, a sense of foreboding falls over me. We are moving really fast, forging blindly ahead in this budding relationship when we don't understand how it's going to work. Then he asks if I want to go to my house or his. Should I get the inevitable meeting with his father over with? The darkening sky tells me I should get home and help corral all the animals before the storm hits, and I tell him this. When he offers to help me and my family, all the morose and dark thoughts I was having dissipate. Of course he's willing to help me, he's been my rock all weekend, and this will give me the opportunity to introduce him to my father and brother.

He buys me a medium sized mint ice cream that I put chocolate chips and fudge into. When I start eating it, I notice he didn't order anything, and when he says he'll just have some of mine, I decide to prevent him from having any. Of course he's too strong to avoid for long, and when he catches me, grabbing a mouthful of ice cream, I do the only thing any other irrational person would do. I drag my cone down the side of his face, smearing ice cream and fudge from his temple to his chin. 'Uh Oh,' I think, apologizing as I take off, running outside to put some distance between us. I see him come out of the store and deliberately walk slowly in my direction. Suddenly, the playful atmosphere turns dark and fear creeps into my subconscious...he's hunting me, I can feel it. I've got to hide, move, RUN! I backpedal, watching as he leaps over his motorcycle without breaking pace, continuing to stalk toward me. I back into the wall behind me while my heart begins to race...I'm trapped. God no! Please not again. My vision narrows, my throat closes off and my extremities lose feeling when I suddenly hear a muffled voice call my name through the blood pounding in my tears. Lucien - he's coming to my rescue again. He calls out to me once more and the fog that covered me like a blanket lifts, revealing Lucien standing in front of me with regret written all over his face. I'm so relieved and apologize for acting like such a ninny, but he apologizes longer and louder. He opens his arms and I scuttle into his embrace, grabbing at his shirt while I plant my face in his chest. I can hear a man murmuring something in the background, but all I hear is the steady beat of Lucien's heart.

Lucien apologizes again and kisses the top of my head. "It's okay," I tell him, "I just panic when something triggers me. It felt like you were hunting me, and logically I know you weren't, but I freaked out anyway. I'm sorry," I tell him sincerely. When I look up into his face, he brings his mouth to mine and kisses me gently. His lips caress immediately calms the misfiring neves in my body while awakening others, and when I groan into his mouth, his arms pull me tighter against him.

"Let me bring you home and help your family with the animals, then I will show you how much you mean to me and why you never have to be afraid of anything - ever again," he whispers in my ear when we finally break apart. I nod and give him my address, and soon we are back on his motorcycle, driving toward my childhood home.