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Without waiting for my response, he twists the throttle and we’re off.

Squealing, I squeeze my eyes shut and clutch his waist in a death grip. I’m sure my nails will leave marks on his stomach.

I try to speak, but he doesn’t hear me, and it’s then I realize the roar of the engine, the rustling of the wind, and the honking and beeping of other vehicles speeding by are eclipsing my words.

I just have to trust him.

And I do.

He laces one hand with mine, giving it a squeeze like he knows I’m terrified, then he pats it as if to say everything will be okay. Slowly, I open my eyes, my pulse racing, my breathing sawing in and out of my lungs.

Rex tugs at my fingers, motioning to the surrounding scenery.

Be brave, Olivia. Be the new you. Embrace new things. Carpe diem.

Blowing out a few quick exhales, I slowly look to the side.

And my breath crystallizes in my throat.

We’re soaring down a winding cliffside road, and the views of Côte d’Azur, the French Riviera, are breathtaking. With the sun dipping on the horizon, spreading warm embers into the crisp blue of the skies, the ocean glitters like stars far below. Boats and yachts ebb and flow in the calm waters, small waves gently grazing the golden shores.

I marvel at the lemon trees in bloom, the ancient stone walls twisting around the path, the distinct fuchsia flowers, bougainvillea, draping over wrought iron balconies of estates half hidden by trees.

It’s stunning.

The faint scents of crushed wild thyme and salt are carried by the breeze, mixing with the intoxicating blend of Rex’s cologne, gasoline, and the aged leather on the bike.

My hair flutters to the wind, and in this moment, I want to do something the old me will think is dangerous and nuts.

Thighs clamped tightly around the bike, I let go of Rex and lift my arms, the breeze grazing my fingers.

My heart thunders in my ears, and my stomach swirls. I’ve never felt so alive as right now, at this moment, on the back of a speeding motorcycle in a foreign country with a man I have no business being with.

I laugh, though I can barely hear the sound above the ruckus.

“Wohooo!” I yell when the bike jostles from a bump on the road. Then more laughter spills out of me.

When was the last time I laughed like this, not caring if I looked like a freak to others, my mind not swirling with a never-ending list of things I should do?

I’m free.

Rex reaches back and pats my leg, and I swing my arms back around him again. Then he suddenly swerves and parks at a scenic overlook.

Before I can ask him why we’re stopping, he tugs off our helmets. With one hand gripping the nape of my neck, he smashes his lips with mine.

My heart somersaults, the earlier adrenaline now spiking with lust, love, and exhilaration. I fist his hair, kissing him back, telling him with my lips, teeth, and tongue everything I’m not saying, how I’m finally at home in my skin, how I’m looking at the world with my blindfold off.

It’s all because of him.

“This moment is my forever,” he murmurs against my lips, and my lungs squeeze at the anguish in his voice.

I pull back and trace the planes of his face with my fingertips, and his eyes flutter shut. The masculine brows, the tall, sharp nose, the hollows under his eyes I wish could go away, the masculine angle of his jaw.

I want to memorize him. The way he feels, the husky rasp of his voice, the spice of his scent and the safety it evokes in me even as we do things that are decidedly dangerous.

“Rex…” I swallow, watching as those startling irises look at me. “Thank you. Thank you for seeing me.”

His gaze roves over my face and for a moment, I can only hear cars speeding by or the distant squawking of the seagulls. Rex smiles, his soft lips curving so the wrinkles appear at the corners of his eyes.