“This is great,” I said.
“I’m glad I got it right this time.”
“You have to have one,” I said, holding mine up.
“I already did. Purely for scientific reasons – to make sure they were up to snuff,” he said with a smile.
In spite of my tension, I managed to wolf down two of the small sandwiches and several of the chocolates and strawberries. We chatted easily as Jared steered a course toward an island near the ocean, one of several rising from the water. As we neared, I could make out a large stone building in ruins near the far point, its walls and turrets jutting from the land like broken teeth.
I shuddered at the sight, and Jared frowned. “What’s wrong?”
“Oh, nothing. It’s just…it reminds me of something. A nightmare I had.”
“Last night?”
I shook my head. “More like for as long as I can remember.”
“The same dream?” he asked curiously.
“That one, yes. I mean, I have several – like everyone, I suppose. But that particular one comes back a lot.” My fingers unconsciously moved to my birthmark and I shivered again.
“Maybe it means something,” he said, turning the wheel slightly so we passed well south of the ruins.
“I doubt it. Just your typical scary dream,” I said, wanting to change the subject. “What about you? You ever have nightmares?”
He exhaled slowly. “No. I don’t remember any of my dreams.”
“That’s probably not so terrible,” I observed.
“Maybe not.”
We rounded the island in a slow orbit and Jared pointed the bow back at the shore, allowing the breeze to push us gently along, the boat cutting through the water in near silence. He indicated the basket and grinned. “You all done?”
“I ate too much.”
“You can take the rest back. It’ll just go to waste otherwise.” He paused. “You want to steer for a while?”
“You’re doing a good job.”
“Your turn.”
He stepped aside, and I took the wheel. He regarded me with those luminescent blue eyes, and I felt like I was floating until he looked away.
“So, no boyfriend?” he asked.
I forced a laugh. “Hardly. I’m concentrating on my grades. I have to if I’m going to keep my scholarship.”
“And back home?”
I hesitated. “That’s never really been my thing. School, trying to help my stepmom, and working to save money for college…doesn’t leave a lot besides sleeping and eating.” I didn’t say I secretly feared being abandoned or disappointed if I allowed anyone inside my defenses, so preferred to forego getting too close to anyone. I eyed him while I debated asking the question that was burning my tongue, and decided to forge ahead. “What about you?”
A flash of white teeth, and his eyes crinkled. “It’s not like most imagine it to be. Between rehearsals, songwriting, interviews and appearances, recording, concerts, and trying to get my lines right, I don’t have a lot of time for a social life. This is a dog-eat-dog business, and if you take your eye off the ball, you’re finished.”
“I sort of got the impression that Christina…”
Another laugh from Jared. “It’s not like that.”
“You never met anyone?” I pressed.
His grin vanished, and he didn’t answer. The silence grew uncomfortable, and when he finally spoke, his tone was flat. “A long time ago. Things didn’t work out.” The bitterness in his words came through, and I decided not to pursue it – my fear of ruining the moment had come true, judging by his sudden change in mood.
The marina materialized from the gloom, and Jared motioned for me to keep the helm as he lowered the sails. The wind abruptly died, and we drifted for a few minutes until he started the motor and took the wheel. Jared docked with the deftness he’d shown in everything else, and I was unsurprised when he sprang onto the dock and tied it off with a few quick, competent motions.
After we stepped from the boat, he took the basket in one hand and mine in his other, sending a rush of heat through my arm. I’d never been one to want or need a male to help me do anything, but with Jared it was different – it felt right. Maybe it was because he was more worldly than I, but it just seemed natural coming from him, like genuine good manners. Perhaps I could get used to a strapping Adonis guiding me over rough spots. I resolved not to overthink it. I’d have plenty of chances to do that back at the dorm.
He started the car, but this time left the top up because of the dropping temperature. The little dash clock said midnight, and I blinked to make sure I was seeing it clearly. It didn’t feel like anywhere near four hours had passed.
We were on the winding main road when a headlight appeared behind us. I looked in my side mirror and spotted a motorcycle rapidly approaching. Jared’s eyes narrowed from the glare, and he put his foot onto the gas. The Porsche pulled away from the bike, but then it sped up and resumed its approach. Jared downshifted and floored the pedal, and the engine revved effortlessly into the redline before he shifted again.
The motorcycle dropped back as Jared continued to accelerate, the Porsche’s wide tires protesting the speed as he took the bends at a breakneck pace. I dared a glance at the speedometer and gasped when I saw the needle hovering between 135 and 140 mph. Jared seemed unfazed by the dizzying speed, carving the curves while barely slowing and then urging the sports car to the limits on the straightaways.
Eventually the headlight vanished in the rearview mirror, and Jared grinned. “Guy wanted to dog someone, he picked the wrong car.”
I swallowed a walnut-sized lump in my throat and managed a nod.
Jared continued racing along the road until I recognized the stretch with Ridley on the left, and when he slowed to sixty, it felt like we were barely moving. He cut from the road and coasted to a stop by the
