Alright. That’s it.

Sadly, I could no longer wait. I picked up my tote bag from the kitchen and hurried out the front door, locking it behind me.

In no time I was in Theo’s driveway, walking past his red, silver, and black bike. My finger ran across the rubber handles, my other hand drifting across the smooth leather of the seat.

“Can you believe it’s still the same bike?” Theo’s deep voice sounded behind me. It was close, and when I turned, he was only a few feet away, smiling with a bag slugged over his shoulder.

“This is the same one?” My eyes broadened. “The one you were about to…” I cut my sentence short. I refused to bring up the night he almost destroyed this “toy” of his.

“Yep.” Grinning, he walked around me, placing his bag inside one of the leather saddlebags attached to the sides. “I like to keep up with my toys.”

“Wait.” I held my hands up, looking from him to the bike and then him again. “We’re taking Ol’ Charlie?”

“Hell yeah!” He swung his left leg over the seat and sat, the bottom of his boots landing on the concrete. He grabbed the helmets hooked on the handlebars and put his on before handing me a solid black one. When I accepted it, he steadied the bike and gripped the handles. Then he looked my way, saying, “Come on, Little Knight. Boat’s waiting.”

I stood, wide-eyed for a several seconds, as I held the helmet to my chest. Never had I ridden on Theo’s motorcycle. When Izzy and I were younger, he refused to take us on a ride until we were sixteen or older, but when we turned sixteen, we were no longer interested in taking a ride on his bike—well, let me rephrase that. Izzy was no longer interested in riding her dad’s bike, but I would have been willing and ready if the conversation of a bike ride with Theo Black ever arose.

Theo patted the spot behind him, his brown eyes warm and welcoming. Unable to prevent my toothy, child-like grin, I strapped on the helmet and hopped on.

I made sure my tote bag was secure between us, and then I snaked my arms around his solid waist. When I was settled, he brought the engine to life. At first I thought his body was vibrating from the rumble of the bike, but it turned out he was laughing, glancing over his shoulder as he reversed the bike down the driveway and the wheels touched the street.

“Ready?” he asked, peering over his shoulder.

“A little nervous,” I admitted.

“Don’t be. I’ve been doing this bike riding thing for years.” He caressed the back of my hand for a short second and then pulled away, gripping the handlebars again. I looked to my left, at my house.

Margie and Dad were walking out the front door. She assisted him, most likely telling him to be careful. Dad had no clue what was going on, following her lead.

Margie looked up, eyes averting from me to Theo in less than two seconds. Theo happened to look as well. “Caregiver?” he asked over the deep grumble of the engine.

“Yes. She’s nice. Don’t worry.”

“Hmm.” He smiled at her. She returned a wary one. I gave Margie an assuring grin, and when Theo asked if I was all good, I excitedly nodded my head, and he took off, leaving Primrose and Margie’s line of sight.

Something about that little stare of hers made my stomach churn. It was almost like this woman could read the future, but if she could only understand that this was just a temporary thing, she wouldn’t have been so worried.

I figured I knew what I was doing, and I knew Theo would be okay with me leaving once this was all over. I was riding it out, taking each day as it came. I wanted to talk with Margie more about this, but until then, I decided to forget about it.

I pressed my cheek to Theo’s back, the wind causing my flat-ironed hair to flap wildly. A wave of comfort washed through me as I felt his muscles tense and then relax when he made a turn or came to a stop.

Theo was a natural at this, owning this bike of many years. He rode through Bristle Wave casually, passing by cars, large trucks, and even pedestrians, some whom may have secretly envied us.

I could get used to this. I really could.

It took about fifteen minutes to reach the docks. Theo parked his bike in the lot a short distance away and then kicked the kick stand out. Once he helped me off, he opened the compartment and pulled out his bag. I stepped back, my legs like Jell-O, but the rest of my body completely relaxed.

“Liked the bike ride?” he asked, grabbing my hand and leading the way to the docks.

I looked up at him. “It was surprisingly fun.”

It didn’t take too long to get to his boat. We crossed two paths of wooden decks, and a white boat with black sails appeared. On the hull, in red print, were the words Dirty Black. Fitting.

“This is yours?” I asked, astonished as we stepped aboard. The boat swayed with the added weight.

Theo stepped onto the boat with poise, his cheek quirked up as he met my gaze. “All mine.”

I looked from him to the wooden two-top table in the corner. “You said it was something simple—something to get you from point A to B.”

“It is!” he laughed.

“No.” I shook my head. “This is a damn party boat.” And really, it was. It was massive. The polished wooden deck was ahead; I could spot it from a mile away. Big enough for a college crowd. There was a table and a cozy, cushioned bench in the corner, suitable to seat at least four.

“It’s a cruising boat. Got it for a steal from Old Dane.”

“Who used to work at Dane’s? Didn’t know you still kept up with him.”

“Yep.” His eyes lit up. “Wanna check out the inside?”

“Sure.”

Theo walked around his bag and led the way down four stairs in the center. When the soles of my sandals landed on polished wood, I was completely mesmerized. It was perfect.

A curved sofa, black leather with glossy wood grain trim, hugged the wall. Sunlight filtered in from a rectangular window above it. A brown table was in front of the sofa with a short booth in the near corner. Dirty Black even had a small kitchen behind the lounging area, equipped with a small black mini fridge, a microwave, and marble countertops. This thing had to have cost him an arm and a leg.

“Sound system is over there.” He pointed to my left. I spotted the glass case, a black music player in the cubby. “Used to have a TV, but it messed up.”

“What happened to it?”

He shrugged. “No clue. The screen just went blank while I was watching the World Cup a few weeks ago.”

“Damn. I bet that sucked.”

He walked towards me. “It was hell. It took me thirty minutes just to get back home. By the time I made it, the game was over.” He pressed his lips. “You win some, you lose some.”

“What exactly do you do on this boat?”

He looked around. “Chill and think.” He paused. “I spend a lot of quality time with myself here. Used to watch games but… well, you know.” He held his hands out, giving me one of his usual shit happens gestures.

“Is it always just… you on here?”

He blinked, confused by what I meant at first, but his expression changed when it registered. “Oh.” He scratched the scruff on his chin. “No. You’re the first woman to be on my boat—the first person really.” His forced out an uneasy laugh.

“Wow…” I was impressed. And pleased. But I couldn’t help wondering if Theo was lying just to keep me happy like all men did. Honestly, he had no reason to lie to me. He had no reason to keep me around when this was only temporary. And if he did lie, I couldn’t be upset about it. It’s not like we were going far anyway.

“Ready to get the hell out of here?” he asked as he walked in my direction, running his palm across my shoulder.

“Yeah. I’d love that.”

Theo’s head slanted downward, and for a second he watched my eyes. His gaze drifted down to my nose, going further down until he stopped at my lips. Then his mouth fully consumed mine. The kiss was sweet like candy; savory like a chocolate cupcake a girl on a diet finally had the chance to eat on cheat day. It was warm and only a little damp.