Page 22 of The Princess and the SEAL

About twenty minutes later, we finally arrived at a meadow. Ryan helped me off the bike, and I took off my helmet.

“What did you think?”

“I loved it. I’ve never felt so free!”

His eyes twinkled. “Glad you liked it. I remember the first time I went on a motorcycle.”

“Oh, really? When was that?”

He looked away from me. “It was a long time ago, but I loved riding. I vowed to one day own my own bike. You should see mine back home—she’s a beauty.”

I pursed my lips. I had only known Ryan for less than twenty-four hours, but I was starting to notice a disturbing trend.

He hadn’t told me anything noteworthy about himself.

Sure, he’d told me that he was a Navy SEAL, that he lived in San Diego, and that he never wanted to get married. But he had mentioned nothing about his family. I was dying to find out what his story was, but I had no right to ask. Especially since, after today, we would never see each other again.

He leaned me against the motorcycle and kissed me, pressing his body into mine. This kiss differed from the previous ones we had shared. It was simple; it was sweet; it was the type of kiss I imagined a normal couple would share before going on a date. A couple who were dating because they both liked each other, not because they were being forced together.

“The innkeeper told me that there’s a waterfall about a half-mile from here. Are you game for some hiking?”

“Of course. A hike sounds fun. It’s so beautiful out here.” Fields of wildflowers surrounded us, and their bright pops of color plus the scent of the fresh air filled my heart with joy.

But after we began down the path, my jubilation was replaced by concern. We were in the middle of nowhere. There was nobody else around for miles. No one knew where I was. I didn’t even know where I was.

Yes, this was super romantic. A motorcycle ride out to a secluded location, complete with a picnic lunch and a waterfall. But I reminded myself again that I did not know Ryan, and he did not know me. For all I knew, he could be a psychopath. He could have lured me out here to rape me and leave me for dead.

Actually, the one thing I knew about him was that he had killed people. Nobody would ever know what had happened to me.

Oh my God! What was wrong with me? I was so paranoid—a complete mess. My chest heaved as my emotions and hormones took hold.

It was so difficult growing up the way I had. My entire life, I had been protected, sheltered, and controlled. Once my mom died, my father had become more protective than before. Now that I had this brief window with the freedom to do things on my own, I had zero confidence in my abilities to take care of myself or to discern if people were telling me the truth.

My steps became slower, and I tried to focus on the beautiful deer grazing in the brush ahead . . . but anxiety took hold of me again, and I broke.

Ryan’s head immediately snapped back, and he looked at me. “What’s wrong?”

“I’m just overwhelmed. That’s all. Can we just take a minute?”

Ryan studied my face. I didn’t want him to look at me to see what was inside, a weak mess.

He took my hand and motioned for me to sit down, then sat beside me. “Babe, it’s okay. I’m here. What’s wrong? You can tell me.”

I tried to gain control of my emotions, but I failed and began to cry.

Ryan just held me close to his chest as I sobbed. When I finally caught my breath, I looked up at him. He gently wiped away my tears.

What had I done to deserve this man? One of the few times I’d met Miguel, he was so annoyed by me when I’d been upset over how awkward we were toward each other. And Ryan, who owed me nothing, was just sitting here, being patient and kind to me for no reason at all.

“Sorry. It’s just I never do things like this, ever. I’m never alone. I don’t even know what it’s like to be alone. My father or my chaperone is always around me. I just panicked because . . . and please don’t take this the wrong way . . . but I don’t even know you, and we are in the middle of nowhere. I shouldn’t have come here; it was irresponsible. But I’m having a great time with you. Clearly, I can’t even trust my judgment.”

He rubbed my back. “I get it. You aren’t being irrational, and I understand you’re scared. I’m sorry I put you in this situation. We should’ve stayed in town around people, but I thought you’d like to do something different. I apologize. We can go back. I didn’t mean to make you feel uncomfortable, Giselle.”

Wow. He was so great. Still, a voice in my head whispered that he would drop me off at my hotel later today, and I would never see him again. Why would he want to hang out with me? I was a mess.

“Thanks for taking care of me. I feel so stupid. Everything you said about me yesterday was right. I can’t believe I traveled here without protection. And please don’t take any offense to this, but spending last night with you in a hotel was dumb as well. Coming here with you today to a secluded area where nobody knows where I am was also not the best idea. I don’t even have any identification on me. I mean, you could literally be a serial killer, and I could die out here, and no one would ever find me.”

Ryan put his arm around me, and I didn’t push it away. “I’m sorry you feel that way, babe. I thought this would be fun. I guess I wasn’t thinking about how you might get scared because I know me, and I know that you’re safer with me than you could be with anyone else. You’re right. You shouldn’t have come here with me, but you did, and I swear to you, I’m not going to hurt you. I don’t expect you to believe me. If you want, we can get back on the motorcycle right now, and I’ll take you wherever you want to go. Back to town and to your hotel, or anywhere else. Just name it.”