The Coincidence of Callie and Kayden

the ticket guy slams the door shut and locks the cage from the outside. There are padded bars on the inside that push against my shoulders and secure me back into the seat. It’s a tight fit and Kayden’s leg is pressed against mine; scorching hot through my clothes.
     
    He angles forward, meeting my eyes and a slow smile spreads across his face. “It’s snug in here.”
     
    I nod my head and it bumps against the back of the seat. “Too snug. If it flings off the hinges, it’ll be crushed into a ball when it hits the ground and smash us right along with it.”
     
    “Stop psyching yourself out,” he says in a carefree tone, then jerks his shoulders forward and rocks the cage.
     
    “Don’t,” I beg, my fingers tightening around the bars. “Pretty please. Can’t we just stay stationary?”
     
    He shakes his head as the ride progresses forward and halts so the cage in front of us lines up with the ramp. “Now what would be the fun in that?”
     
    “It would be fun because I would be able to hold in all that candy corn I ate,” I say innocently.
     
    He stops rocking the cage. “Oh, come on, Callie. It won’t be fun if we don’t rock it. In fact, the more we rock it, the better it’ll feel.” His voice drops to a deep whisper. “We can rock it nice and slow or really, really fast.”
     
    His words make my cheeks flush, but luckily it’s dark. “And what if I get scared? Or my gag reflex gets a little too excited?”
     
    “I’ll tell you what.” He maneuvers his hand around the bar and squeezes my knee with his fingers, sending a shot of warmth between my legs. “If you feel like you’re going to throw up and you get freaked out of your mind, yell, Kayden is the sexiest man alive and I’ll stop.”
     
    The cage jerks backward and I grip the bars as we begin to ascend to the top. “That is seriously what you want me to yell?”
     
    “Absolutely.” He pauses as our cage reaches the highest point and the ride comes to a standstill, swaying in the breeze. “Do I have your permission to rock away and give you the ride of your life?”
     
    Why does it feel like he’s secretly talking dirty to me? “Yeah, go ahead, rock it nice and hard,” I say without thinking, then bite down on my lip as the dirty section of my brain catches up with me. Honestly, I didn’t even know that side existed.
     
    “Wow.” He releases a slow breath with wide eyes and then shakes his head. “Okay, are you ready?”
     
    I intensify my grip around the bars and press the tips of my shoes to the floor. “Yep… I think.”
     
    He flings his body forward as the ride takes off. Our cage starts to spin gradually at first, but the more weight he puts into his rocks the faster it goes. The lights from outside flash all around and the music picks up. I hear the roar of other rides; people laughing, screaming. The wind blows against my cheeks and the air smells like salt and cotton candy.
     
    The faster it goes, the more I lose sight of what’s up and what’s down as we go around and around. The hinges squeak and I hear Kayden laugh as I let out a little squeal. Surprisingly, I don’t freak out, nor does Kayden get a lap full of candy corn. I’m having fun, even though it feels like my face is being sucked back into my skull and my brain is rattling around.
     
    When the ride stops, we’re at the top and the breeze sneaks in between the holes in the door. 
     
    Kayden opens his eyes and a confused look rises on his face. “I thought you passed out or something with how quiet you were.”
     
    “I was just enjoying the ride,” I say breathlessly. “It was actually pretty fun.”
     
    “Well, I’m glad I’m that good,” he says, resting back in the seat.
     
    I turn my head away to hide the smile on my face, because he’s just having fun and I’m enjoying it way too much. He has a girlfriend. A very pretty girlfriend, who isn’t up to her neck in problems. One that he can touch and rock away with or whatever.
     
    We don’t speak until our cage reaches the ramp. When the ticket guy opens the door, Kayden hops out and I follow, stumbling over my own feet as the world sways from my dizziness. My shoulder slams into his broad chest. He laughs at me as his fingers grip my waist and he guides me closer to his side. Between the rush of adrenaline and the feel of his hands holding me, it seems like it’s going to be a good night.
     
    And I’ve been looking for one of those for a