Page 50 of Tempting the President

Girls surrounded him, chatting him up. I tried to use it to escape his notice and creep away, but I hadn’t even turned around when I heard him speak.

“Aria.”

I stilled.Busted.Again. I touched my chest, which was squeezing again, but not painfully this time. Just the kind that made it hard to breathe, the kind that made me wonder if I wasexcitedto see him.

I grimaced at the thought.Yuck.

Kellion was suddenly in front of me, a Greek god in a black leather jacket and jeans. A laugh escaped him when he caught sight of my grimace. The sound drew everyone’s attention towards us. The way everyone reacted to him made me grimaceeven more. It was like he truly no ordinary mortal, and every little thing he did was...groundbreaking.

Yuck.

Kellion suddenly pinched my cheeks, stretching them to force me to smile. “Stop looking at me like I disgust you.” But he sounded far from insulted. If it wasn’t so ridiculous, I would have thought he sounded...pleased.

Releasing my cheeks to hold my hand, he said, “Today’s a Friday.”

His grip felt so familiar. That was bad.

“Aria?”

I cocked my head to the side.So what if it’s Friday?

“You don’t have any classes tomorrow.” Kellion gestured to his bike. “Want to go somewhere?”

I didn’t have to think. I just shook my head.

His lips twitched. “Actually, forget I asked. I’m taking you with me anyway.”

No!If I could have blurted it out, I would have. If I could have pulled away from him, I would have. But he was too strong. Too beautiful. Too...everything that reminded me of a hero, the kind that I needed because people like him were capable of saving people like Ashton.

The girls who stood in our way looked like they were about to cry as Kellion walked past without looking at them even once. I hated it. Really, really hated this sneaky part of him, making me feel like I truly was the only girl who existed for him.

When we reached his bike, he stopped and turned to me with narrowed eyes. “Stay there. If you move, remember what I told you this morning?”

I did, and so I nodded quickly.

“Good.” He swung one leg over his bike. His beast roared to life at his command and when Kellion was settled, he offered me his hand.

Even knowing what could happen if I refused him, I hesitated.

As if sensing my inner turmoil, Kellion said quietly, “Don’t be scared. It’s okay.”

My breath caught at the words.

Those words – weren’t those the ones he said the day he saved the Deaf person? The day he saved me?

I took his hand, trembling, and my body shook harder as Kellion made me wrap my arms around his waist.

He covered my hand for a moment. “Ready?”

I nodded against his back.

And then we were flying.

Chapter Five

Dear Ashton,

I rode a bike for the first time in my life. Thankfully, I didn’t do it alone.