Chapter Thirty
Emma
New Mexico is gorgeous dessert and rolling skies. It’s like you can see to the edge of the earth. I soak it all in, staring at the signs advertising saddle shops and Native American museums. Aiden is wearing his aviator sunglasses, and his thick dark hair is on the messy side. His spectacular beauty rivals the scenery. “Are we on Route Sixty-Six?”
Aiden nods. “What’s left of it.”
I am on the first expressway ever built. There is a sense of history and wonder with each passing mile. “Are we going to drive straight through?”
“Thought we’d drive to Dallas before we stop.” He turns to me and removes the sunglasses. “Why? You have something else in mind?”
I try to imitate the sexy smirk he is giving me, but I fail. “Well, possibly. I know you probably want to get this over with.”
“Yeah, I do, but I don’t. Cooper, I’m having a great time. This in-between is the nicest I’ve ever had.”
“Me too, Aiden.”
“You want to stop?”
I hold up the brochure crumpled in my pocket, the one I picked up at a rest stop. “Seriously, you want to stay there?”
“When else can you stay in a real teepee?”
“It’s not a real teepee. Just a motel that looks like one.”
“I know it’s kitschy, but it’s a pretty cool historical landmark, and it’s about twenty miles down the road, just off the exit.”
He strokes my wrist, which is driving me wild. “Well, you look so excited, how can I say no? I can do kitschy for you, Cooper.”
The motel is about a dozen individual stand-alone rooms that have been around since the sixties when Route 66 was hopping. Classic cars line the entrance. Aiden salivates over them. I’m happy there is something he’ll enjoy about this stay. Thank goodness, they have a vacancy. The room itself is all angled inside just like a teepee. It has a television and a king-size bed, but it also has a lot of character.
“Why don’t you hang out and check out the cars. I’ll go out and grab us dinner,” I offer.
“You sure? ’Cause we can go out?”
“Let’s just get a pizza tonight.”
“Sounds good to me.”
The wait at the pizza place takes forever, and everything smells so damn good, I thought I might jump behind the counter and steal a pepperoni. You wouldn’t expect New Mexico to have good pizza, but this is one of those Mom-and-Pop deals where they throw the dough in the air and make their own sauce.
I let myself back in the room. I can hear the shower going. The room isn’t small, but it’s cozy. There isn’t a desk or table. We’ll have to eat on the bed. Aiden comes out with a towel draped low on his hips, showing off the beautiful, cut lines that form a V right below his torso. A drop of water drips down his chest.
The pizza looks so damn good, but he looks even yummier. He’s fresh soap and damp hair and sleek muscle. He gifts me with a salacious smile.
“Hey, how was your shower?” I ask.
“I was going to wait for you, Cooper, so we could take one together, but that wasn’t possible.”
“Why?”
“Have you seen the bathroom?” He gestures toward it. I laugh my ass off at the tiny shower made even smaller by the sharp angles of the room. I don’t even think I will be comfortable in there. Aiden places his hand around my waist. “It’s not funny. I could only wash half my body at a time.”
“Well, you got the job done.”
He kisses my neck. My stomach grumbles, reminding me there is an extra-large pizza and two bottles of chilled Old Horseshoe root beer waiting for us. I pat his chest. “We need to eat. I need some serous nourishment. I’ve been looking forward to this pizza forever.”
“You just got it twenty minutes ago.”
“Yeah, well, my definition of forever is a little exaggerated, but the man at the front desk told me it was the very best. I believe him.”
“You make a point, and I’m starving, too.”
He changes into sweats and a faded, dark green T-shirt. I turn on the television and flip through channels to distract myself.
“Hey, they have Animal Planet here.”
“Cool, let’s watch.”
The pizza is one of those out-of-body food experiences I’ll be thinking about years later. The crust is buttery and crispy, the cheese has the perfect amount of gooeyness, and the sweet and spicy sauce tastes like someone went in their backyard and picked the tomatoes by hand.
“This is…” Aiden closes his eyes after the first bite. “Damn.”
“Right?”
Sitting across from each other with the box in the center of the bed, watching a program about the incredible honey badger, feels so normal. I need a little normal because everything has changed so fast. This is really nice. We finish the whole pizza. I wish I could say Aiden ate most of it, but I match him slice for slice. My only regret is that I didn’t get two extra-larges.
“Good pick, Cooper.”
“Thank you.”
“Never realized how badass the honey badger is.”
I throw out the pizza box and jump on the bed. “They are the best. If I could pick a spirit animal it would be the honey badger.”
“Are you fucking with me?”
“Nope. What spirit animal do you most aspire to be?”
“King of the jungle of course. The fearless lion.” He roars. It’s loud and primal and I’m so freaking turned on by it. “I’m sorry, lover, but I’ll be kicking your ass all over the jungle.”
I laugh, throwing my arms around him. “Ha, I’d make you my honey badger’s bitch.”
“You think so, huh?”
“Bees can sting them and they’re like, “thanks for the honey.” Porcupines can stick them, they don’t even care. They end up picking their teeth with the quills. They eat fucking king cobras. Smack the shit of crocodiles. Attack rhinos. And guess what, baby?” I run my hand down his chest. “They can devour a lion.”
“Is that a fact?” he asks, flipping us over.
“Oh yeah, they’re tenacious, fierce, and ferocious.” I growl to provide my point. “When a predator tries to attack them, they just twist their bodies, getting out of the grip.” I try to roll away but he keeps me in place.
“Well, you are definitely tenacious, fierce, and ferocious. But tonight, my little honey badger, you’re gonna concede the lion is the king of the jungle.” He bites my shoulder.
“Let the battle begin.”