It’s not a question, and as we leave the building and stand beside his Harley, excitement whips through me. Although he suggested taking me to the Hammer last night on the back of his bike, he wasn’t serious. In any case, I wasn’t going to turn up there looking windswept.
But there’s no point denying it—a part of me longs to wrap myself around him again and embrace the exhilarating freedom that only comes from riding.
He hands me his spare helmet and our gazes mesh. It’s not the same one I wore before, but it reminds me of when he went out and bought me my very own helmet.
I smile, bittersweet. “This takes me back.”
“Have you done much riding since you left?”
“No.” It comes out in a long sigh of regret.
“Good.”
I shake my head in mock disapproval before strapping the helmet on. “Where are we going?”
His daredevil smile steals the breath from my lungs. “Wait and see.”
…
I don’t care where he’s taking me as he weaves through the evening traffic and heads out of town. I wind my arms around him, just like I used to, loving how the old memories flood back, pure and untainted, of when we used to ride to the beach where nobody knew who we were and nobody cared.
When he pulls off the road and parks, I laugh, and he turns to grin at me, even though he can’t have the first idea why I’m laughing. “It’s like you read my mind.”
“I’ve not been to the beach in years.” He gets off the bike, secures the helmets, and we hold hands as we stroll down the path that leads to the sea. “Looks like there’s a party.”
“We can walk in the other direction.”
He gives a silent laugh and tugs me closer. “There’s a barbecue. Can’t you smell it?”
I sniff, and the faint aroma of charcoaled food drifts in the air, reminding me it’s been hours since I had lunch. “I’m starving.”
“Yeah, and I’m taking you out for dinner.”
His meaning drops like the proverbial penny, and I pull back. “What? No way, Ty. We’renotgate crashing.”
“Sure, we are. It’ll be like old times, remember?”
I give a disbelieving laugh, even though my feet totally disregard my brain and fall into step beside him. “We’re not crazy teenagers anymore.”
He brushes a kiss across my cheek. “What’s the worst that can happen?”
He’s laughing at me, the way he laughed at me years ago when I’d protest that we couldn’t just gate crash parties whenever he wanted to. Not that he took any notice. And God knows, wherever Ty led, I would always follow.
I’m not a gullible teen anymore, but the urge to follow him into that party right now is too damn strong.
I’m already following him.I don’t stop walking, though.
“Well, now.” I pretend to ponder his question, and he rolls his eyes and groans, which makes it hard not to laugh. “We could get arrested. Did that occur to you?”
“You’re an attorney. You could get us off.”
“Yes, I’m an attorney, and wouldn’t being arrested look good on my CV?”
He bumps my shoulder as we reach the sand. “So that’s a yes, then?”
“How can youpossiblythink I mean yes by that?”
“I can tell you’re thinking about it. You know I only ever take you to the best parties.”
