Chapter Ten.

I shiver from the heat his palm radiates.

"Alex, go away." I mutter, keeping my eyes closed. I hear him suck in a breath, almost as if he isn't used to being spoken to like that, rejected.

"You think I'm the type of guy to leave a girl in tears? I'm not your douchebag boyfriend."

My head snaps up to meet his eyes, he's staring at me intensely, humour twinkling in his hazel pupils. I shake my head, feeling the sudden need to defend Justin. "He's not a douchebag."

I watch, holding my breath as he raises one perfectly arched brow at me, challenging my words.

"Get in the passenger seat, Hermosa."

Its my turn to raise my brow at him.

"No way, get away from my car." I shoot back, squaring up my shoulders defensively. I don't know what I'm doing, I definitely know I can't fight a guy like Alex. I watch as the corners of his lips twitch upwards into a smirk, finding amusement in my words.

"You're going to fight me?" He asks, his words strained as he struggles not to laugh. I nod my head confidently despite my insides screaming out in protest. No Ariana, don't be an idiot.

"Of course I'll fight you, if I have to." I respond, ignoring the little voice inside of my head. Never ignore the little voice inside your head, it never ends well. Alex lets out a low chuckle, his chest bouncing as his eyes drift to the floor before looking back up at me. He shakes his head, causing the dark strands of his thick hair to fall over into his eyes. I don't dare breathe as he leans in closer, invading my personal space. I can feel his breath against my skin, he smells like peppermint.

"Please do, I would kill to have your body pressed against mine," he whispers, his tone sending shivers running down my spine. I swallow my heart back down my throat, feeling it thump against my chest like an animal threatening to escape from its cage.

"D-don't say stuff like t-that," I stutter, amazed I still have the ability to form a clear sentence. Clear-ish.

"Sorry beautiful, just budge up a seat." He says, his tone back to his usual self. I don't think I could handle his sexy hushed whisper for much longer.

I'm a girl, that kind of language affects us all.

I nod, my head cloudy and disorientated. I push myself out of the drivers seat and land with an oomph on the seat beside me. Alex grins down at me, sending my heart somersaulting in my chest. I can't do anything but watch as he slides into my seat, re-adjusting it so that his long legs fit into the small space. Long legs wrapped around mi-

No. This is wrong.

"Alex, get out. I don't even know you! Oh god, what am I doing?" I panic, my hands finding their way to my hair. I tug in distress, my mouth dry as Alex starts up the car, reversing it out of the parking space. He turns to shoot me a heart stopping smile, the corner of his right lip slightly tugged higher than the left.

"Relax hermosa. As much as I want to kidnap you, I'm not going to do that. I thought I'd take you for a drive instead."

"A drive?"

"Yep, you sit inside the big metal box with wheels and drive around town aimlessly with good — "

"I know what a drive is Alex." I interrupt him, rolling my eyes. Despite my previous panicked feelings, I'm surprisingly beginning to calm down. The anger slowly began to melt and I couldn't decide whether it had something to do with Alex's intoxicating scent or not. I glance outside the windows as we drive through the dark streets, the only light coming from the dashboard and the street lamps outside. A comfortable silence falls upon us and I close my eyes, my body slumping from the night's events.

"You do realise you're in a car with me, right?"

"Yeah, I'm well aware." I respond quietly.

"And you're not scared?"

"No. Should I be?" I whisper, turning to face him. He's glancing at me with surprise in his eyes before it's quickly masked over with his usual charm. I can't help but notice how he drives so smoothly, barely paying attention to the road yet driving much better than anyone I know. His hand is loosely wrapped around the steering wheel, an expensive looking watch glistening in the light. His other hand is hovering near the gear stick, near my bare leg.

I suck in a breath and glance out of the window, pushing any thoughts of his hands out of my mind.

"Should I be?" I repeat, wanting to hear his response. There's a tense pause between us and I don't dare breathe as I wait for him to reply.

"Yes."

His words are quiet and I stare intently at him, afraid to blink. A shiver runs down my spine and I wrap my arms around myself, tucking my legs up to my chin. Alex's jaw locks tightly and he stares straight ahead, the car picking up speed suddenly. I can feel the vibrations underneath me, the roar of the engine as the speed begins to accelerate.

"Alex," I start, swallowing the stone in my throat. I open my mouth to tell him he's scaring me but decide to close it again because the truth is, he doesn't scare me.

"You don't scare me," I shoot back truthfully, my tone of voice calm and confident. I untangle my arms and legs and sit comfortably in the seat, any fear now dissolving straight away. A low chuckle comes from beside me and I can't resist but tremble from the sound of it. It's icy, dangerous.

"You're playing a dangerous game, hermosa," he says, his head never once turning to look at me. I shrug my shoulders, staring out of the window once again as we drive through the night.

"That's my choice to make."

Alex doesn't reply but I can see from the corner of my eye that he's grinning. He presses a button on the arm rest and my window rolls itself down, the cool air whipping me in the face. I turn to look at him, my hair going wild in the wind. He's not looking back at me but his grin is still set on his face, brown eyes twinkling in the light.

"Close your eyes," he commands me, a playful tone to his voice. I rest my head back and do as he says, my eyelids fluttering shut. Underneath me, I can feel the car suddenly jerk forward, speeding up. I let out a small gasp, my lips turning up into a wide grin. The wind is wrapping itself around me, the strands of my hair flying. I can't help but giggle, the adrenaline cursing through my blood. The car continues to pick up speed and now, Alex joins me with his laughter. I throw my head back, loving how free I feel.

"This is amazing!" I yell, my words drifting away with the wind. I turn to see if Alex heard me and I find him staring at me intently, his eyes sparkling brightly. I'm almost taken aback by his breath taking features and I have to remind myself to breathe.

"You like the danger?" He chuckles, his posture laid back and carefree. I nod my head, my hair continued to fly wildly around my face and shoulders. He continues to soar through the roads, his mouth set into a permanent grin. I don't know if it's my imagination or the wind changing his words but I swear I hear him say —

"Dios hermosa, you're stunning."