Note: This chapter may be considered slightly mature [PG-13].

Day Seven ∞ Thursday evening

"I CAN'T BELIEVE you actually did it—and all in one go! I love it! It's gonna look so cool when it's healed. The guys ain't gonna believe their eyes!" Toni said as she waited for her change and the kit to take care of Lora's follow-up treatment.

Lora was not hearing her; her focus was entirely on the tender, intensely tingling sensations on her back and waist that radiated out to her extremities. She felt different—like she was walking and breathing from within someone else's skin. Like she had just been reborn, supercharged and energized by cold fire.

She drew a deep trembling breath, closing her eyes as she stood there, acutely aware of every sensation in her body.

So this must be what a clean slate felt like.

Amazingly free.

Toni faced her with an excited grin. "You're gonna need some outfits to show it off... Girl, you gonna turn some heads!"

Lora's attention snapped back to the present; she looked confused. "What?"

Toni took her by the arm. "Don't you know that guys think tattoos are sexy?" she said in a confidential tone. "I know my brother already likes you. Did you do that hypnotizing thing on him?"

"Brother?"

"Yeah. Sleek. He's my brother."

"Oh." Lora thought for a moment. "Not Jagg?"

"No, not Jagg. You could say we grew up together, though—since our grandparents are Jamaican..." Toni noticed Lora's puzzled expression. "Yeah, well, I don't know Jamaica either—none of us do. He likes you too, by the way, though it's difficult to tell with him. He's always been a loner." She studied Lora with glittering eyes. "You... like anyone?"

Lora looked back at Toni, her lips curling in amusement, and shook her head once. She had no answer for that one.

"You know what I think? I think you—" Toni broke off when the tattoo artist returned with the change and a bag with the care kit.

"Are you going to help her with the aftercare, Toni?" he asked. "You know the routine. She'll need help to take proper care of her back tattoo."

"No worries—I'll take care of it. Lora, you should listen to this."

But Lora zoned them out while the man reminded Toni of the best procedure to prevent infection. She turned to the mirror as she carefully pulled on her jacket. Then she lifted the bottom of her blouse to expose the dressing that came from her back around her right side to encircle her navel. She smiled in satisfaction: this would be the mark of her transition.

"Let's go, Lora."

Lora paused at the top of the steps as the door to the tattoo parlor closed behind her, staring into the distance. She could not shake the feeling that she was inside someone else's skin. The tingling sensation was more intense with exposure to the warm evening air. She raised her head to the evening sky and smiled, taking a deep breath. Then she looked down to Toni and saw there were two motorcycles waiting for them.

"I asked Sleek to come along since Ram has the van," TJ said as she came down the steps to join them.

Lora met Sleek's gaze without turning her head. He wasn't trying to hide his admiration this time.

"You guys hungry?" TJ asked. "You've been in there so long, you must be starving. How 'bout we get a burger? It's just around the corner."

"That's a great idea," Toni said and climbed up behind him. She turned her head to look at Lora and pointed backward with lifted brows.

Lora took the hint and went to Sleek, mounting behind him.

"You okay?" he said over his shoulder.

She did not answer immediately. "Yes."

He nodded, started up his Kawasaki and followed TJ and Toni.

When they stepped into McDonald's, Toni pointed to the menu display. "What are you having?"

Lora looked up at the various menu options and shook her head. She was not familiar with those kinds of foods. "You choose."

Toni glanced at her thoughtfully and turned to TJ to give him her selections. Then she took Lora with her to a window booth and sat down next to her. She watched as Lora looked around the establishment, observing other patrons eating, then settling her gaze on the guys waiting next in line. She had an intense expression on her face.

"Lora?"

Lora's gaze shifted slowly to focus on Toni.

"You okay? You look like you're on edge... or something. You hurting a lot?"

"No... I feel different." Lora brought up her hand, looking at it as she flexed her fingers and straightened them again. "All the way out to my fingertips." She looked back at Toni who was smiling.

"Of course you've gotta feel different. Especially since it's your first time. You not going to take off your jacket?"

"No."

Toni noticed Lora shift her gaze back to the counter where the guys were waiting to be served. "You like both of them, don't you?"

Lora looked back at her again.

"Sleek and Jagg. It's okay to like both of them, but...," Toni tilted her head as she studied Lora, "you should really decide on who you're interested in. It's not cool to be leading them both on. If you do that and then hurt my brother, I'll kill you!"

Lora looked at Toni impassively. "It is not wise to threaten me."

Toni rolled her eyes. "Lora, I'm just kidding! But seriously, don't lead them both on. It's not fair to them, and it will cause trouble between them. And we don't want that now, do we?"

Lora studied Toni for a moment and relaxed as she saw and sensed no counterpart to her verbal threat. She shook her head once in acknowledgment, then looked up to watch TJ and Sleek as they came to join them at the table with two trays.

"Double cheeseburger meals for you two ladies," TJ said as he and Sleek sat down opposite them, took their servings and gave them the trays with the remaining portions.

Lora opened the box containing the burger and started eating immediately. She had already made note of how people here tackled this type of food. While her focus was on stilling her hunger, the radiating effect from her tattoo subdued, retracting to the areas covered by the dressing. She was aware that Sleek was looking at her frequently, and whenever she looked up and met his gaze, he would give her a small smile. When she finished the burger she sat carefully back into the upholstered seat and took her time with the French fries and soda, silently listening to Toni, Sleek, and TJ making random conversation.

"So, Lora, what tattoo did you get? Where are you hiding it?" Sleek said as she finished the last of her fries.

"She's not telling," Toni said, winking at Lora. "It's a surprise."

"Oh really?"

Lora's gaze glided slowly from Toni to TJ, to Sleek. Now that she had finished eating, the tingling sensations were spreading again. She tightened her jaw in an attempt to restrain herself, but she was not sure what she was restraining herself from.

"'Scuse, guys," TJ said, packing Toni's tray with his wrappers. "I wanna take a walk alone with my girl. See you guys outside here in an hour?"

"Sure. Just make sure you don't leave without us," Sleek said, looking at Lora. She was looking at Toni who was grinning with glittering eyes.

"See ya later," Toni said as she got up.

Lora followed them with her gaze as TJ disposed himself of the tray and put his arm around Toni before exiting through the door. Then she returned to Sleek.

"You don't talk much, do you?" he said, drinking the last of his soda, a corner of his mouth lifting. "Tattoo bothering you? You look like you wanna get it out of your system."

"Something else...," Lora responded, feeling the tension in her ratcheting up a few notches.

"Well then, let's get out of here." He took the tray and scooted out of the booth.

Lora slid to the end of the seat and rose to follow Sleek and exit through the door he held open for her. She halted a few steps away and closed her eyes; she needed to get the radiating energy focused on healing her tattoo instead. She flinched at feeling the pressure of Sleek's hand between her shoulders.

"Sorry!" he said, snatching back his hand. "Is that where you've got it?"

Lora exhaled as he came around to face her. "Yes," she breathed, staring straight ahead.

He lifted a brow. "Cool. Wanna walk?" He studied her. "Nah... You don't look like you need walking. You need a shot of adrenaline. Come." He led the way to his bike, mounted it and looked at her. "I've got no helmets with me, so you've gotta hang on good."

She stopped beside him and looked toward the road, flexing her fingers as he retrieved a pair of goggles and put them on his head. Then she shook herself back to the present, zipped up her jacket, and mounted behind him, gripping the seat strap.

"No. You gotta hold onto me."

Lora stretched her hands forward to Sleek's sides, and he held onto them, bringing them together around his waist, forcing her to lean into his back. Then he made her fingers interlace with each other and squeezed them tight.

"Your hands warm like you've got a fever. Are you okay?" he said over his shoulder.

"Yes."

"Hm." He gave her hands a feather-light stroke, sending a new wave of tingling up her arms. "Make sure to hold on tight." He pulled the goggles over his eyes and revved engine twice before taking off.

Lora looked over Sleek's shoulder as he drove at a moderate speed for a distance, crossing several intersections, weaving between traffic. The tingling from her hands was colliding with all that she already had going on inside of her, making her even tenser. At the same time, she felt a strange comfort in having a body so close to her on the other side of the jackets. She inhaled deeply as Sleek took a right, heading for the brightly lit highway. The next thing she knew, acceleration threatened to loosen her grip and she had to lock tighter onto Sleek.

The exhilaration was immediate. The roaring of the high-performance engine deafened her; she had to squint against the wind that whipped her hair; her heart pounded and she could barely catch her breath. Soon she had to close her tearing eyes, but she let her face take the beating as they covered nine miles in four minutes flat. At the next major exit, Sleek slowed down to make two turns and enter the highway on the other side for another neck-breaking run at over 200 kilometres per hour.

This time she pressed her numb cheek against his shoulder and let the thrill wash over her as she panted in an attempt to catch breaths from the air that raced past them.

Aye. This was freedom.

She smiled.

She was barely aware that they had slowed down and left the highway. It took a while before she sat up and looked ahead. Soon they approached a railway crossing and turned onto the leftmost track. It was a rough ride across the rail ties as several railway tracks merged into one, heading eastward. Then Sleek jumped them off the rails and halted the bike next to some trees below the railway track.

Lora's arms were still wrapped around Sleek's waist when he straightened himself and pulled off the goggles. Her chest heaved and her heart pounded against his back.

"How's that?" he asked over his shoulder, smiling.

She drew a long breath. Then she loosened her fingers, pulled back, and sat silently for a while, before dismounting. Sleek switched off the engine but left the headlight on; the resulting silence was full of the sound of rushing water. He got off the bike and turned toward Lora—and found her smiling.

She smiled, gazing at him. "Thank you." She unzipped her jacket and rolled her neck and shoulders—she felt a bit more relaxed now.

Sleek chuckled. "You're welcome." He studied her a while. She had her back turned to the light, but it reflected onto her from the trees—the gleam from her collar and eyes giving her a wild look. It added to her attraction, but he wasn't sure of whether he should act on it. "Over there, there's a river. You wanna go down to the river bank, or up above it on the bridge? Up on the bridge, you gotta watch your step—the rail's full of gaps."

Instead of answering, Lora started walking, just barely brushing her shoulder past him and headed downwards. It was a rough walk alongside the pillars that carried the rails into the air. She halted a couple of steps away from the bank, inhaling deeply. Sleek stopped close behind her right shoulder, watching her look along the river, then looking up to follow the bridge to the other side. The headlight from his bike had good range and managed to provide enough illumination to outline a little more than just the contours.

They stood like that in silence for a long time. The sound of the river was therapy to Lora's ears, and she absorbed its vibrations and the cooling atmosphere. She inhaled deeply, flexed and relaxed her fingers several times, then closed her eyes as she focused on gathering all she could into her. It would help with the healing.

She looked up again and turned to Sleek, lifting her face at an angle to study him, her eyes flashing golden as they roamed his face. She could feel that energy again, now that she focused on him. His pulse was faster than it should be, and there was a jump in his temperature. When she finally met his gaze, she became aware of her own heart pounding harder. As her breathing became shallower, a tingling heat spread out to her limbs.

"You—" she started, but was silenced by Sleek's hungry mouth on hers. She lost her breath completely as he worked her lips, holding her head to him, causing her to open her mouth wider and to allow him to play inside. His hands slid down to knead her shoulders—just missing a part of her tattoo—and she found herself responding: her hands reaching to his neck, her tongue probing inside his full lips. That sent a jolt through his body, and his hands went to her hips, pressing her against him.

So this was what that unfamiliar energy was about.

Her entire body was on fire, electrified with new life, and she had to pull back a moment to catch her breath. She hungrily met his lips again, allowing him in, matching his moves. Their chests were heaving in sync, and Sleek spread his fingers over her derrière, working her against him. A sudden awareness crept in: a change in the part of his body she was pressed against made her bring her hands down to ease him away from her. She reluctantly pulled away, meeting his gaze.

For a while, they stood gazing at each other, panting, the spike in passion subsiding. Sleek leaned forward and gently nibbled her lips, before taking a deep breath.

"I like you a lot," he said. "I've no idea what it is, but there's something different about you. You're different from any girl I've met before. Why is that?"

Lora felt a cold chill as she remembered Toni's words of advice. She had allowed herself to lead Sleek on—but she could not allow him to find out why she was different. No one else should know who or what she really was.

"I apologize," she said sadly. "I can not allow this to continue."

Sleek stared at her in disbelief. "Why not?" he demanded. "You, me, we could be good together! I know you feel it!"

He reached for her shoulders again, but this time she backed away from him.

"Don't tell me Jagg got to you too! That fucking bastard! He's always interfering in my business!"

She shook her head. "This has nothing to do with any one but my self. I must remember... that which I wish to forget. And... I can not allow any one else to know."

Sleek clamped his jaws. "Does he know?" he asked darkly. His hands balled into fists when she turned away and walked up the slope without answering.

He caught up with her in front of his motorbike and faced her. "Does Jagg know?" He could see now the troubled crease between her brows, her remorse. "What? Is he blackmailing you? 'Cause if he's blackmailing you—"

"Blackmailing?"

"Threatening you."

"No one threatens me."

He drew a deep breath. "'Cause if he threatens you, I'll kill him!"

"No one threatens me. Nor can he."

"So what then? You wanna be with him? Is that it?"

Lora took his fist in her hands, tracing the bones on the back of his hand. "I am sorry. I know not." She met his angry gaze. "I know only I can not let you..."

Sleek saw her eyes starting to glisten; he snatched his hand away, stepped to the nearest tree and threw a punch into the trunk. It hurt—badly. He remained standing there gritting his teeth with his head resting against the rough bark, rubbing his sore knuckles. "Do you – like – him?"

He could hear her step up behind him. "Yes...," she breathed.

He closed his eyes in resignation, shaking his head against the tree trunk. Damn his luck. Just when he thought he'd found a possible match, it had to be her. If there was one thing he knew—from experience—it was, he didn't have a chance against Jagg. He was sure, at least, that he was ahead of him this time. But that was but a small consolation.

"You know he's a player." He turned to face her. "It's only fair to warn you, you can't expect anything from him."

She drew a deep breath. "I expect nothing. And I... I must want – nothing."

He stared at her. Did she really mean that? To not want anything because of what no one must know about her? What the hell did that mean anyway? It wasn't going to change the attraction he felt for her.

"Lora," he said, not knowing what else to say. He lifted a corner of her jacket to expose her left shoulder: there was dressing partially covered by her sleeveless top. He couldn't tell what pattern was under it. She did not budge when he pushed the jacket further, causing it to slip down her arms to the ground. Her short-waisted top exposed some dressing at her waist as well.

He closed his eyes for a moment. He knew he had to give it up, no matter how much he hated it. He stepped closer to her anyway and let his hands slide lightly down her arms, causing her to shiver. 

"You can hypnotize." He met her gaze seriously. "Hypnotize me."

"What?" She looked surprised as he bent closer to her.

"Make me stop wanting you." She exhaled sharply as he ran his lips down the side of her face to her lips and kissed her. "Don't make me forget." He kissed her again, harder. "I don't wanna forget this." He kissed her forcefully. "Just make me stop wanting you—it's gonna drive me crazy if you don't. Can you do that?"

Lora opened her mouth to reply, but before she could get a word out, his lips and tongue took fierce possession of her as he worked her hips against him. The fiery rush was overwhelming; it was impossible for her to focus on what he had asked her to do. She let her hands slide under his jacket, lifting his T-shirt to find the bare skin of his back. He paused in relish when he felt her hands gliding up over a long scar to his shoulder blades. Then she dug her fingers into him and held him as close as she could, pressing her entire body against his, physically willing him to be still. They stood like that for some time, chests pounding and heaving against each other, eyes closed, parted lips barely touching. Eventually, Lora found she was able to gather her focus as she drew long, deep breaths.

It was not easy, what he had asked her to do. But she did what she could, then brushed her lips against his before reluctantly pulling away—and waited.

Sleek stared at Lora in amazement. As far as he could tell, she had succeeded. The powerful urge that drove him earlier had subsided and he could look at her without desire. "Lora," he said, clearing his throat. "How long will this last?"

She inhaled shakily. "I know not. I have not done this before."

He saw her eyes tearing in regret as she lifted her hand to touch his face. He grabbed onto it and pressed it against his lips. "You made your choice, Lora," he said gently. "You're gonna have to live with it. But I'll still be your friend, okay? I'll be your big brother. If Jagg hurts you, he'll have to answer to me."

∞

"Hey, guys!" Toni said as she walked in arm-in-arm with Lora. Ramiro, Jagg, and Pace turned their heads from the TV, and Ramiro lifted a hand in greeting.

"Hey!" Pace said. "What did ya get?"

Jagg was sitting with his arms spread out on the back of the couch. "You're late."

"Yeah, I know," Toni replied cheerfully. "It took so long, we were really starving so we went straight to McDonald's."

Jagg eyed Lora, noting her flushed face and the subdued glint in her eyes as she met his gaze for an instant. Then he looked over to Sleek as he stepped in through the door followed by TJ. Sleek looked pointedly back at him and parked himself against the wall. When Jagg got up, Sleek went back outside.

Jagg found Sleek next to the garage door, the nearest street light casting a rim light on his left side. "Well?" Jagg said, crossing his arms.

"I want you to know something," Sleek said calmly. "As far as we know, Lora's got no family, right?"

Jagg waited.

"Well, I want you to know that I'm her brother now."

Jagg lifted a brow and eyed him from top to toe and back again. "Brother, huh?"

"Yeah, brother."

"I thought you were into her."

Sleek shook his head. "Brother. You know what that means, right?"

Jagg studied him, a corner of his mouth lifting in amusement. "I'm not that callous. Besides, she knows how to protect herself."

"Doesn't matter." Sleek tightened his eyes on him. "If you – fucking – hurt her, you gonna have to answer to me."

Jagg threw out his hand. "I hear you, bro." Then he stepped into Sleek's face. "And I'll fucking flay you alive if you try threaten me again."

— ∞ —

Don't do what Sleek did, racing down the street without helmets! He was an accident waiting to happen and he would've taken Lora right along with him!

©2016 by kemorgan65

Credits:
*Banner image of Lora and background developed in DAZ, then Photoshopped.

*Music video: Roxette – The look https://youtu.be/LlVI7ZNiFlI