Leena sighed as she stepped out of the café, adjusting her dress slightly. John followed, a lazy smirk still playing on his lips.
"So, you really want to see the site now? We could get coffee first, make this a proper date," he teased, unlocking his motorcycle.
She rolled her eyes. "Work first, John. Now, are we going, or do I need to find someone else?"
John laughed, swinging a leg over his sleek black motorcycle. He patted the seat behind him. "Hop on, boss lady."
She hesitated for a second before straddling the bike, her hands resting lightly on his shoulders. "No funny business."
He chuckled. "I would never."
With a quick rev of the engine, they took off. The town blurred past them, and Leena found herself gripping his waist, the wind whipping through her hair.
John, of course, couldn't resist.
He applied the brakes just a little too often—not enough to throw them off balance, but enough to press her body tighter against his back. Every time she instinctively clutched him harder, he grinned.
"Nervous?" he called over the wind.
"Annoyed," she shot back. "Drive properly."
"Where's the fun in that?" he mused.
Leena sighed, choosing to ignore him as the road stretched ahead, leading them toward the dense forest where the construction site awaited. But as they approached, the trees seemed taller, darker—almost as if they were watching.
And for the first time, as the bike rumbled into silence, Leena felt something colder than the wind creeping down her spine.