Page 11
“That’s a motorcycle!”
Levi follows my gaze to the Royal Enfield. His excited expression immediately shifts when he sees my face. Without hesitation, he steps away from the bike.
“You okay?”
“Look, I’m sorry, but no. I can’t get on that thing.”
“Then you won’t,” Levi says immediately. “We’ll take the Metro. You said you’re at the Capital Hilton. That’s which station?”
“Farragut North.” I look back at him. “You sure you don’t mind? Most motorcycle people are really excited about them.”
“Of course I don’t mind.” He puts a gentle hand on my arm. “When I was sixteen, my uncle Wayne shattered both femurs on his Harley. Scared the crap out of everybody. I understand.”
The knot in my stomach loosens. “I’m sorry,” I say, looking at the bike. My hands are clenched so tight my nails are digging into my palms.
“Listen. Baby boy. Come back to me. Look at me. Right here.” He puts his arms around my waist. “You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do today. If you say you don’t want to do this, that’s fine. We’ll take the Metro and I’ll come back for it tomorrow, okay?”
“Tomorrow? Goodness, you’re thinking ahead!” It’s an attempt at being funny, but I don’t feel like I’ve nailed it. “Also, baby boy? Seriously? That’s your nickname for me?”
He cringes. “I didn’t think it through. It just came naturally. Do you hate it?” He touches my hair lightly.
I sigh. By this time tomorrow I’ll be pulling up to my townhouse in the middle of nowhere, Virginia, and he’ll be a memory. I can afford to indulge him. I’ve never had a pet name before. “It’s fine. It took me by surprise. Because I can’t help but notice that I’m definitely older than you.”
“Oh, good. I like older men. And I’d like to keep surprising you.”
I take a deep breath and look back at the bike. “We won’t be going crazy fast, right? It’s city traffic. We’ll be at stoplights a lot.”
“I’ll check in with you, and if you need me to stop, you just squeeze twice. I promise you that I will take care of you. With my life, if I have to. This date will not go down in infamy.”
“Wow. That’s a lot.”
“No. This is me taking care of you.”
“Save it for the man who’s really husband material.” I smile at him. “But, thank you.”
He reels in mock affront. “But if I can’t practice on you, how will I know if I’m doing it right when it’s Mr. Future Husband on the line and only one date to prove to him that he’s The One?”
I tap him on the tip of his nose. “You won’t. You’ll be awkward and weird, and your future husband, poor guy, will think you’re adorable.”
“Wait, you don’t think I’m adorable?”
Shit. I kind of do. I mean, I really do. He’s funny and laser-focused, and I feel like my insides have been put into a warm bath and have gone all gooey. So, because I feel like giving him a problem, I wiggle my hand back and forth. “It’s iffy.”
He steps closer to me and wraps his arms around my lower back. I catch my breath and peer up at him through my lashes. “Let’s see how iffy this is.” He leans in and kisses me. It steals my breath away completely. I close my eyes and, holy fuck, it’s a full Canada Day fireworks display. Red and white behind my eyelids. I make noises and curl my hand into the back of his short blond hair.
He pulls back but doesn’t let me go, breathing heavily. He puts his forehead against mine. “How’m I doing?” he whispers.
“Oh, Canada!” I say before I can stop myself.
He pulls back and looks me over in amusement. “I’m not sure how to take that.”
“Please ignore. That was a really, really good kiss.”
He kisses the side of my lips, just a soft, spontaneous peck. “So, how are we getting there, baby boy?”
I look at the motorcycle. “I guess I’m about to get on my first motorcycle.”
“Then we do this right.” He pulls out a helmet and hands it over. “This goes on you. I’ve only got the one, so you’re wearing it.”
