‘That, and it’s easier to get through traffic.’
‘But you rented a car,’ she points out.
‘Easier from the airport. Plus harder to rent motorbikes in general. I take it from your disapproving expression,’ he continues after a beat, ‘that you don’t like motorbikes?’
‘I’m not disapproving,’ she says quickly, trying to even out her expression. Poker, she thinks, would not be her game. ‘Just easier to get into accidents, that’s all.’ And it is better, isn’t it, to play safe? Given how easily things can go wrong, how easy it is to get hurt.
He gives her a look that she can’t quite read.
‘So,’ she says, working up her bright tone. ‘Libraries.’
‘I like books,’ he says with a shrug. ‘And because I move around a bit, I don’t like to buy them. So – libraries.’
She nods, taking that in.
‘And you?’ She glances at him. ‘I mean, I know you have the whole medical encyclopedia thing going on, but what would be your second choice of quiz topics?’ He’s watching her with interest now. It makes her wonder if he offered the library intel just so he could ask her the same question in return.
‘Art,’ she says after a moment. ‘I like art.’ And thankfully they don’t have to drill too much more into the topic of herself, because according to the sat nav, they’ve arrived. ‘Where should I drop you?’
‘Anywhere on this road is fine,’ Ash says, already undoing his seat belt. She pulls over next to the kerb. It’s a very suburban area, all neatly mowed lawns with two-car driveways.
He turns to her before he gets out. Without the distraction of driving, she’s not quite sure where to look.
‘Thank you, Lissa,’ he says, his voice soft. ‘This was really kind of you.’
‘No problem.’ Her voice, in comparison, is the overly bright one she hates. ‘Like Mark said, I was in the area.’ It feels odd saying Mark’s name. Almost like she’d forgotten, if only for a second, that he’s the reason she’s here in the first place. Another great sign.
‘Well,’ Ash hedges, ‘I’ll see you?’
Her gaze darts to his, then away again. ‘Yep.’ She wonders if she will. Maybe, she reasons. For someone who said he’s not in Bath much, he does seem to be here a lot.
He reaches for the door handle, but still doesn’t open it. It’s like he’s not quite sure how to end this. They don’t know each other well enough to hug, do they? He makes the decision, reaching out and placing a hand on her arm instead. His hand is cool and it sends goosebumps up her warm arm. His mouth creases at the corners, and she thinks he looks just a little less tired than when she picked him up. ‘Bye, Lissa.’
And with that, he opens the door and steps out into the night, leaving behind the scent of sandalwood and grass. A scent, she feels sure, that will linger.
Chapter Nine
Lissa sits up straight in the car next to him, conscious not to slouch. His car smells faintly of woodsmoke and leather – not unpleasant at all. Above them, moonlight shines over the New York skyline as they drive towards Manhattan. She’s aware of the quiet between them – aware that he is just a stranger and that they are alone together – and clears her throat.
‘So you play in these parts often?’
He glances at her. ‘Just passing through.’
For how long? she wonders. It feels inappropriate to ask.
‘I’ve only been with the band for a few months,’ he elaborates. ‘I’m just filling in for their regular singer, but let’s see where it leads.’
‘You didn’t look like you were only filling in to me,’ she says.
He smiles. ‘Thank you. I’ll take that as a compliment.’
She wants to say more, about how the sound of his voice is that kind of captivating that doesn’t come around all that often, but she senses that might be overkill.
He eases the car to a stop outside her house – a narrow brownstone terrace. Behind the tall windows, the lace curtains are pulled shut and all looks dark. Which is good. She doesn’t want to deal with her parents.
‘Well,’ she says, one hand on the door handle. ‘Thanks again for the ride. You’re my hero.’
His lips quirk a little at the way she flutters her eyelids to accompany the words. Then he reaches out, his fingers gently enclosing her wrist. Where he touches, goosebumps rise.
