“Over to Rose Harbor.” I keep my eyes fixed on the road ahead, finding it hard not to get distracted by her presence. Even though she’s doused herself in scent blocking spray, I still catch a hint of her subtle, elegant smell underneath, and it’s driving me wild. “Have you heard of it? It’s about four hours from here.”
“I’ve never been, but I’ve heard of it. Sabs, one of my housemates, comes from Saltwave Bay. That’s the next town over, right?”
I grin. “That’s the one.”
“Rose Harbor is one of my favorite places on Earth,” I tell her. “It’s close enough to a big city to commute, but it feels like its own bubble. Where did you grow up?”
“We moved around a lot because of my father’s work.” She shifts to face me more. “He sent me away to boarding schools, so I spent time all over the globe at different international schools and summer camps. But Dad’s main base is New York, which I’m sure doesn’t come as a surprise.”
“You must find SVU a real change, then,” I surmise.
“I love it.” She sighs wistfully. “Everyone is always rushing in New York. They always have a place to be. It’s so much more laid-back here. I considered staying in the city to study, but I’m glad I changed my mind.”
I curse when my phone starts bleeping like crazy.
“Should you get that?”
“I’ll answer it when we take a break for some food.” Keeping my eyes on the road, I put my phone on silent. “In a car with four alphas, you’ll quickly learn that we make a lot of food stops. Work can wait.”
“Work?” When I gaze over to her, her lips are turned down in a frown. “Why are they bothering you now? Aren’t you off for the weekend?”
I haven’t been entirely honest with Kady about the nature of my work, but there’s plenty of time for that. When I’ve dated in the past, learning that I inherited a billion-dollar company changed how women acted around me. Kady has her own wealth, so I don’t think it would change her behavior, but I like that she doesn’t know. I want her to like me for me, and it’s nice to feel like a normal twenty-something who doesn’t have the weight of the world on his shoulders for a change.
“I’m sure it can.” I want to get off the subject, seizing my opportunity when I spy Ezra swiping Riven’s candy. “Ezra! Hands off!”
“They’re like a bunch of kids,” Kady grumbles, but there’s mirth behind her words.
She fits in and doesn’t look at us with judgment. It feels like she could really be part of us.
As the mountains get farther and farther behind us, we spend some time playing various car games, with Kady and Calder battling it out to be the ultimate winner. I like how she isn’t put off by his competitive spirit, embracing it instead.
“I win!” she cheers, making an L with her hand. “Loser.”
“You wait until we’re out of the car,” Calder murmurs.
“Or what?”
“You’ll see,” he threatens.
She laughs. I didn’t realize how tense I was until my shoulders sag, relieved to see that there’s an air of ease to her now, her head thrown back, carefree. We’re seeing a different side to Kady, and wanting that to continue, I vow to make sure we give her the best weekend ever.
But will we be enough for her? I have a few ideas and plans, but what do you give the girl who grew up with everything?
TWENTY-SEVEN
Kady
“We’re almost there,” Riven chirps as the truck wobbles from side to side along the uneven surface of the road.
I still don’t know how we managed to make it in one-piece. Clearly, Janice is a trooper.
As we drive along the side of a busy harbor, I see boats bobbing idyllically in the crystal-clear water, and a few people raise their hands as we pass.
“Small town, huh?” I say.
In New York, I could go days without speaking to anyone. Despite my father’s fame, it’s easy to get lost in a huge city and not attract attention. Here, I bet everyone knows each other.
“You get used to it.” Ezra laughs. “It’s a nice place.”
