~ COLTON's POV ~
This was not part of the plan, but Colton was improvising. Somehow in his mind it made sense that he goes and ditch the party with Sierra. He figured Henri Ascott would always be there. He could always come back later and finish his mission. But in the meantime, his priority had shifted. Somehow it became important for him to help this girl avoid the guards and all the shitty guys in that second floor ballroom.
“You’re kind of crazy, you know that?” Sierra laughed at his offer.
“So I’m told,” he let out a smirk. “But I have a feeling that you are too,”
Suddenly, there was a glint in her eyes and she was looking at him with a look he couldn’t decipher. That look made him feel kind of nervous. Colton swallowed hard and hung for her answer.
She probably won’t do it, he thought to himself. I know her type. She’s too much of a goody-goody. She won’t have the guts.
“Miss Sierra! Where are you?!”
The guard’s voices were getting so louder. They were definitely nearby. Sierra looked back and quickly looked at him again.
“You know what? Let’s do it!” she exclaimed suddenly. “Let’s go cause some trouble!”
Colton was caught off guard. He didn’t think she’d actually take him up on that offer. He froze for a moment before finally coming to his senses.
“Let’s go!” he said finally, pulling Sierra by her hand, just seconds before the guards came around to them.
Colton and Sierra ran as fast as they could, slipping through the shadows of the garden until they made it out of the building. Luckily for them, Colton knew the ins and outs of this place. He scouted it before. He knew exactly where the guards would be posted.
“Over here!”
Colton led her towards the parking garage where there were rows of cars and a big motorcycle parked nearby. Without thinking about it, he jumped on that motorcycle and Sierra followed suit. She was having trouble trying to get on it with that dress, but somehow she made it. Meanwhile, Colton took out a pocket knife and he slashed some wires open.
“Is this your bike?” she gaped when she saw what he was doing.
“Nope,” he said simply. He managed to jumpstart the engine using the wires and the motorcycle roared to life.
“Colton!” Sierra scolded, but it was too late. Colton took off the brakes and the motorcycle blasted out of the basement within seconds.
“Hold on tight!” he ordered.
“Woah!” she squealed. She linked her arms around his stomach instantly. Otherwise, she’d have fallen to the ground.
The motorcycle roared out into the streets as Colton speeded through the city blocks. He felt her grip around his stomach tightening and it only made him drive faster. He liked the feeling of her arms around him and he wanted more of that.
“Oh my God, Colton! I can’t believe you just stole someone’s bike!” she shouted through the raging wind. Her hair was flying everywhere and her chest was flushed against his back.
“It’s not just a bike, princess,” he responded with a laugh and picked up the speed even more, causing her to squeal and scream. “It’s a magic carpet ride!”
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~ SIERRA's POV ~
What the hell have I gotten myself into?!
“Colton, slow down!” she pleaded with him, but Colton wasn’t listening. Sierra had no option but to keep her body and head close to him, for fear of falling off the motorcycle.
Oh my God, I’m gonna die out here!
Sierra held onto his body for dear life. The wind was blowing so hard on her face, it felt like she was diving headfirst into a storm. She buried her face to his shoulder as her nails dug into his suit. Sierra could feel his broad and rock-hard body and somehow she was blushing to herself. If she wasn’t afraid of dying on this motorcycle, this wouldn’t be so bad.
“Alright, we’re here!”
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Colton stopped the engine and the motorbike pulled up in front of a Chinese restaurant in the heart of Chinatown. Sierra looked up in confusion as she stared at the shop’s window.
“What is this place?”
“Why it’s only the best Chinese food in town,” he said as he got off the bike swiftly and gracefully. Then he lent out his hand to her. “You haven’t eaten anything all night. You must be starving,”
“How do you know I haven’t eaten…?” she asked as she took his hand and he helped her down.
Colton didn’t bother answering and he just went inside the shop. Sierra frowned and followed him inside.
“Laoban (Boss)! Ni hao,” Colton greeted the restaurant owner who was standing by the counter. The middle-aged Chinese man quickly beamed in excitement.
“Colton!” he chirped and proceeded to speak some Chinese words to him.
Colton answered him back in Chinese too and they seemed to be friendly. Sierra could only watch with a confused look. Moments later, the Chinese men withdrew into the kitchen, leaving Colton and Sierra at the entrance.
“You can speak Chinese?” she asked.
“Among other things,” he shrugged nonchalantly.
“What other languages do you speak?”
“French, Italian, a bit of Spanish and…”
“And?”
“The best language of all, body language,” he winked.
Sierra naturally blushed, but she rolled her eyes trying to hide it.
“Here you go,” The Chinese man suddenly returned with a white shopping bag filled with takeout boxes. Colton handed him a hundred dollar bill and he took the bag from him.
Wait, is Chinese food really that expensive nowadays?
“Xie xie, laoban,” Colton thanked the man and pulled Sierra out of the shop. “Let’s go,”
“Wait, we’re not eating here?” she asked.
“I promised you a magic carpet ride. You don't think it’s gonna be in Chinatown, do you?” he stifled a laugh.
Sierra was bewildered. Who was this man and how was he so… smooth?
“Come on,” he nudged her to get onto the bike again. Sierra had no option but to comply.
“So where are we going?” she asked as he was jumpstarting the wires again.
“You’ll see,” he said simply, and the engine roared to life again.
Sierra knew that she had to hold onto him quickly, so she did. She linked her arms tightly around his body and smiled as she buried her face onto his shoulders.
*
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- - - - - To be continued - - - - -
~ SIERRA's POV ~“Oh my God!” Sierra exclaimed. Her eyes were wide as saucers as she looked at the view before her.Colton had taken her to the Met Cloisters, a museum at Fort Tyron Park. It was a famous museum with a gothic-style building located on a steep hill. Sierra had been to this museum before, but she never knew there was a secret passageway that led to the rooftop of the castle. Once she got up there and saw the view, she was absolutely mesmerized. There was nobody else except the two of them there and with the dress she was wearing, she felt like she was transported to a French monastery in the 1900s.“This is pretty cool, right?” Colton was standing right behind her.“Pretty cool?” she gaped. “I can’t believe I’ve lived here all my life and I’ve never been here before!”“Yeah, not a lot of people know about this part of the museum,” he chuckled and grabbed something out of the white bag. “Beer?”Colton was holding onto a beer, offering it to her. Sierra paused for a moment
~ SIERRA ~Colton’s lips were pressed on hers, gently coaxing her into a kiss. His lips were soft and he tasted like beer. Sierra couldn’t do anything but stay completely still. Her heart was beating so fast, it felt like it was going to burst out of her chest.Colton’s hand then reached for her face and he deepened the kiss. For a split second, Sierra gave in to the temptation and closed her eyes. She had never kissed anyone before, she didn't know how it was supposed to feel. Kissing Colton felt kind of… nice. Her lips began moving instinctively, dancing with his, and somehow her stomach was twisting into knots. Wait, what’s happening!?Sierra’s eyes jerked open. She came to her senses and realized what was happening. She tried pulling away, but Colton’s hand was firm on her. He didn’t want to let her go, he only kissed her more. Sierra didn’t know what came into her, but all of a sudden, her hand reached up and flew across his face.* SMACK! *Colton froze like a statue. A red mar
~ COLTON ~“Colton!” Jackson yelled as soon as Colton entered the house. “Where the fuck have you been?”“We were waiting for hours!” Levi followed suit. “You never came out there!”It was past 1 AM by the time Colton arrived home. He just came back from dropping Sierra off back at the Plaza. By then, he realized that Jackson and Levi were nowhere to be found and he had about a hundred missed calls and messages from them.“Yeah, something came up, I had to leave the party,” Colton said simply. He was exhausted after a long night. Ignoring the confused look on Jackson and Levi’s faces, he shoved past the two guys and went up the stairs.“You left the party?!” Jackson gaped, quickly following him upstairs. “Did they figure you out?” Levi asked.“No,” Colton shook his head.“You couldn’t get a clear shot?”“No,”“Then what?”Jackson and Levi ran fast and blocked Colton’s way. They stood tall with their arms crossed and their faces waiting expectantly. Colton couldn’t get to the second f
~ SIERRA ~“So, how much trouble did you get for ditching the party?”Today was Saturday morning and Rosie decided to stop by for breakfast since Sierra was pretty much grounded all week long. Her dad wouldn’t let her go out anywhere, and tonight was her meeting with Raphael. “A ton,” Sierra sighed and put down her croissant. She didn’t feel like eating anymore. “I thought he wouldn’t notice I was gone. He was busy in meetings with his friends anyway. But apparently, he saw the CCTV footage that I left with a guy on a motorcycle, so he went ballistic,” “You did what?!” Rosie gaped in shock.“Woof?!” Winnie, who was sitting under the breakfast table, barked in shock too. Sierra only shrugged and smiled sheepishly. Thanks to her dad and the bodyguards, news about her leaving the party with some guy was cleanly swept under the rug. The CCTV footage was also destroyed. No one was supposed to know that the perfect princess ever did something like that.“Hey, you can’t just drop a bomb l
~ COLTON ~As promised, Colton stood waiting by the garden at the Plaza Hotel at 6 PM that evening. He was wearing a sleek black leather jacket and dark jeans. His jet-black hair was slicked to the side and his icy blue eyes were hidden behind those cool Ray-Bans. The sun was slowly setting over the city skyline and Colton glanced at his watch again. It was 6:02 PM.Colton wasn’t a new kid on the block when it comes to the dating scene, but there was something different about tonight that got him all worked up. He was looking forward to this day all week. He changed his shirt several times before settling with this one. And he even planned out the perfect evening, starting with a romantic dinner by the Brooklyn Bridge and ending with fireworks by the park. This date was bulletproof. Any girl would be swept off her feet, and he was hoping Sierra would too. Normally, he wouldn't put this much effort into a date, but since their first meeting was already so eventful, he felt the need to
~ SIERRA ~- - - - - ONE MONTH LATER - - - - -“Winnie, come on! I can’t be late for my first day of college!” Sierra was dashing around her room, pulling her sweater from the bed and a sock from the floor. Winnie was following her around, not wanting to go in her cage.“Woof!” he barked.“Come on, you gotta go inside. I’m gonna be late!” Winnie made a whining sound before slowly making his way into his little cage. Sierra haphazardly grabbed a scrunchie from her desk and tied her hair into a messy ponytail before closing Winnie’s cage shut. Even though he’s a good boy, he still couldn’t be trusted with the furniture around her room. Being in his cage was the safest place for him while she’s away. “Good boy, here you go,” Sierra cooed and threw some snacks into his cage. “I’ll see you, later, Winnie!”“Woof!”Rushing out of the room, Sierra raced down the stairs and to the door. Today was her first day of classes and she was too nervous about it, she couldn’t sleep last night. She
~ SIERRA ~Sierra was dumbfounded. First of all, why was Colton here in Columbia? And how was he a teaching assistant? He never mentioned anything about being in college. Sierra’s brain was racing sixty miles an hour putting the puzzle together. For the rest of the class, she couldn’t concentrate on anything Profesor Howell was saying. She just kept glancing over at Colton, wishing the earth would swallow her whole.What is he gonna do? Would he be mad at me for standing him up on that date...?Sierra could only wonder how Colton must’ve felt when she didn’t show up for their date and she sent Rosie in her spot instead. She told Rosie to be as apologetic as she could when breaking the news, but Rosie was never known as the apologetic type. Hopefully she handled it well, but Sierra never knew.How am I supposed to act around him now? Should I say hi? Should I be friendly?While she worried about how to act around Colton, Sierra didn’t realize Professor Howell had finished his lecture o
~ SIERRA ~“Hey, you made it!” Will was beaming with excitement as he opened the door and found Sierra standing in front of him. Behind him was the living room to the PG house, one of the oldest frat houses in Columbia. Sierra took a peek inside and noted the group of beautiful guys and girls standing around, talking, laughing, and dancing to the EDM music.“Yup, I made it,” she smiled back, shuffling rather awkwardly.“Come on in, let me show you around,” he gestured for her to come inside and she complied. Will even stretched out his arm to her waist, leading her inside, but Sierra reflexively stepped away. She wasn’t used to any kind of skin-touching and it really showed.“You okay there?” Will asked.“Yeah, I’m just… ticklish,” she smiled through the lie.“Oh, sorry,” Will muttered.“No worries,”Sierra didn’t mean any harm by lying, she was just a girl on a mission tonight. This was her first ever social event where her dad wasn’t in charge. Here, she could be anyone she wants an