I smiled at how easy it was for him to make time for me and make me feel special. “What do you want to do today?”

“How about this? I’ll pick you up in half an hour and we’re going to do something exciting together to celebrate our birthdays.”

“What are we going to do?” I felt a surge of excitement as I wondered what he had in mind.

“I think it’ll be more fun if I surprise you.” I can hear the pleasure in his voice.

“I don’t know about that,” I said with hesitation.

He laughed. “Just trust me. I promise you, we’re going to have the best birthday you’ll remember to date.”

I made a face. “But I don’t remember any of my past birthdays to compare it to,” I reminded him.

“Exactly. So it’ll definitely be the best birthday you’ll remember.” He chuckled on the other end of the receiver. “I told you I’m a man of my word. Am I good or am I good?”

I couldn’t help but laugh at his playful personality. As much as I had resisted him before, it was clear to me now why I had never really written him off. There was something comforting and genuine about him. He was straightforward and uncomplicated, and I never had to question how he felt about things. Maybe he’s what I need right now.

I took a deep breath and smiled. “Okay. Pick me up in half an hour.”

CHAPTER EIGHT

When I walked out of the house to meet Ethan thirty minutes later, he was leaning up against his Harley, looking devilishly sexy in his worn leather jacket, simple white t-shirt, and dark-washed jeans. The sexual allure that made him seem so self-confident was almost palpable in the air around him.

His dark brown eyes lit up the moment he saw me, and my breath caught when I saw his eyes roam down my body as I approached him.

“Ready for some fun, birthday girl?” His warm, seductive smile was devastating, feeling more intimate than a kiss.

“Hi.” I nodded, finding it hard to speak.

He outstretched his arms and pulled me into his hard chest for a hug, and as I disappeared into his protective embrace, I inhaled his scent and relaxed in the comfort of his nearness.

He drew in a deep, audible breath. “You smell amazing.” My skin tingled as I felt his breath against my neck.

After a few moments, I started to feel self-conscious and pulled away from him. I cleared my throat before meeting his intent gaze.

“So what are we going to do today?”

“Well it’s not a surprise if I tell you, now is it?” He grinned.

I made an exaggerated frown. “So when exactly am I going to find out then?” I bite my lower lip and wondered if he could detect my nervousness.

“Hop on.” He motioned to the bike. “You’ll find out when we get there.”

Once I got on the bike, he grabbed the extra helmet and put it over my head. Then he paused and stared at me intently. There was something tender about the way he looked at me, as if he was trying to remember every detail of my face before it was too late.

“Ready?” I asked as I shifted in the seat, pretending to not notice his fixed gaze on me.

A warm smile spread across his face. “Do you know how cute you look on a bike?” He tucked the loose strands of hair behind my ears.

“Thanks.” My face grew hot and I forced a smile. I wasn’t sure why I felt so nervous, but I felt my eyes studying the way his lips moved when he spoke.

He got on the bike in front of me and leaned back to check on me one last time. “Ready?”

I nodded. “I think so.”

“Hold on tight. I won’t mind.”

I wrapped my arms around his torso, and my hands felt his powerful well-muscled body as the engine of the bike roared to life.

After about twenty minutes, we turned into a small rough gravel road that led into a wide open field.

I frowned, unsure of why we were here. But then I gasped and a wave of panic instantly paralyzed me when my eyes landed on the sign against the building at the end of the parking lot. Freefall Adventures Skydiving School.

“Surprise!” Ethan parked and got off the bike. He removed his helmet as he turned to look at me.

I stared at him blankly with wide eyes and then back at the sign. My face must have been ghostly pale because Ethan’s smile faded a little as he helped me remove my helmet.

“I know this is completely different from a day of apple picking at Melburn Orchards, but I thought it’d be something that’d be memorable and fun for you to do on your birthday.”

“So…we’re skydiving?” I asked him tentatively.

“Yeah, it’s a little crazy, but it’ll be fun!” He encouraged excitedly. “You can check it off from your bucket list.”

“My bucket list?” I was still dazed from the surprise.

He let out a warm laugh. “Yeah, skydiving’s usually on people’s bucket list of things they want to do before they die.”

Hearing him talk about death made me feel queasy. My chest heaved up and down as I tried to breathe. “I’m not sure, Ethan.” I look at him apologetically. “I don’t know if I can do it.”

He placed his hands on my shoulders and squeezed them gently. “Don’t worry, Liv,” he reassured me. “I would never pressure you to do anything you didn’t want to do. I just wanted to bring you here as an option. I thought it’d be something you’d really enjoy. I’ve done this a number of times here, and it’s completely safe and I trust the instructors here. You wouldn’t be skydiving on your own. It’d be a tandem jump and you’d be strapped onto an experienced diver, so nothing will go wrong. I’ll even personally prepare and check the parachutes you and your instructor will be using.”

“You will?” I met his tender gaze and tried to think through the paralyzing fear.

“You can trust me. I promise.” He gave a reassuring nod. “I’m a certified diver, and I’ve been coming to this place ever since I moved here five years ago.”

“I…” I felt slightly sick to my stomach at the thought of skydiving. I wanted to tell him that I wasn’t sure this was a good idea. It was too sudden, and I wasn’t as adventurous as he seemed to be. I wanted to tell him that I wasn’t ready for this.

But before I could say anything further, something overhead caught my attention.

Up in the clear blue sky, about a dozen tiny colorful specks seemed to move around in various directions. I gasped in awe as I realized that the specks were people that were slowly floating downward on colorful parachutes.

“It’s beautiful, huh?” Ethan followed my gaze with a smile. “There’s nothing like the exhilarating feeling of being up there. The rush. The adrenaline. It really makes you feel alive.”

I just nodded as I watched as the parachutes increased in size as they one by one descended to the wide open field. There was a sheer look of delight and wonder on the faces of the people as they landed on the ground and took off their goggles. Some laughed, some whooped and cheered, and some gave each other high-fives. There was a gleam in all their eyes, and they looked like they were on top of the world.

“So what do you think, Liv?” Ethan looked at me hopefully. “Live a little,” he added with a small, playful nudge.

What am I afraid of? I asked myself. I didn’t think I was afraid of heights. And there was something about Ethan that made me trust him. I knew he wouldn’t allow me to do anything that’d really put me in harm’s way. Then I thought back to the flashback of the roller coaster ride I was on when I was a kid. I remembered the feeling of exhilaration and joy I had on the ride. I remembered how addicting the rush of adrenaline had been, and how all-consuming it was to be in that moment where all my worries seemed to disappear. I remembered how free it had felt.

“Let’s do it,” I finally said as I met his gaze with a smile.

“Really?” His eyes brightened at my three little words, and I felt a warm glow inside knowing I had that effect on him.