I was right. We did eat before we had sex. Only Jamie didn’t fuck me like he originally implied.

We made love.

It was slow. It was sweet. It was unbelievably hot. It was a little sticky, on account of the syrup.

It was right.

It was perfect.

* * *

The wind was in my hair. The sun was beating down on my skin.

I had my arms circled around Jamie’s waist, hands locked together on his stomach. My eyes were pinched shut and my face was buried in his back.

You’d think I wasn’t enjoying my first ride on Jamie’s bike, but I was totally enjoying it.

I was too scared to open my eyes. I was terrified of the other cars around us. But this … felt … amazing.

And Jamie knew I was liking it. Even though I had a death grip on him and my body was rigid and showing signs of anxiety, my laughter and squeals every time he sped up were letting him know differently. Plus, every time we stopped, I hollered out, “This is awesome!” over the rumbling of the pipes.

It was awesome. I could totally get used to traveling like this and hopefully open my eyes eventually.

Last night Jamie asked me to move in and expressed his desire for everything a future could hold with me, then we made love and I fell asleep with one of the biggest smiles on my face, happier than I could remember ever being.

That happiness was possibly getting trumped today.

The sun was high in the sky, on account of it being close to noon. It was a beautiful day. Jamie was taking me to work and then picking me up after, and then?

Then we were starting the process of me moving in.

Pack. Discuss what was going with me and what I could either sell or get rid of. Talk to Jamie’s dad about eventually listing my house and all the details involved in that.

I wasn’t scared. Not anymore. Not one bit.

Clinging to Jamie as he whipped us down the highway with what felt like lightning speed, I was terrified. Enjoying it, but terrified.

But moving in with the man I wanted down the road with, nope. Not at all.

Bring. It. On.

The bike slowed down and I peeked an eye open, thinking we were coming to another red light but then seeing the side of Whitecaps, its worn white wood and boat-style windows, and realizing we’d arrived.

The parking lot was nearly full, meaning we were slammed already, and there were also groups of people walking up from the beach and others heading back down the sandy path that led to it with bags in their hands.

That was typical for a Saturday when it was still warm out. People either came in to eat to get a break from the sun or took their food to go.

Either way, Whitecaps was going to make a killing today by the looks of it.

The gravel popped under the tires as Jamie pulled us into the parking lot. I sat up tall, both eyes open now, and watched heads turn and gazes follow Jamie, especially the women who were outside.

Really couldn’t blame them. He looked exceptionally sexy on a bike.

All that hair blowing in the wind. Those tanned arms thick with muscle peeking out from his T-shirt. Sexy.

I released my arms from around him and maneuvered off after he pulled us into a space and cut the engine. Then, standing beside the bike, I threw my hands into the air and pumped my fists, yelling, “That was coolest ride of my life!”

Jamie smiled huge looking over at me. “You see any of it?” he asked, swinging his leg off, throwing the kickstand down, pivoting, and then leaning back against the bike.

“Not a thing!” I yelled, just as enthusiastically.

Arms pulled across his chest, Jamie threw his head back and laughed.

“Still. So. Freaking. Cool!” I unclipped my helmet, took it off, and handed it over. “I need to get one of these so you can wear yours,” I told Jamie after he took the helmet, then I went on to say as I fixed my ponytail, “I didn’t like you not wearing anything. Plus, I’m pretty sure the law says you need to.”

“Better you wearin’ it than me,” he said, twisting and letting his helmet hang off his handlebar, then turning back to me.

I tucked my overgrown bangs behind my ears and stepped forward, getting between his legs, circled my hands around his neck, and pressed my forehead to his. “Your head is just as precious as mine. I don’t want anything happening to it,” I said, not sounding enthusiastic anymore but meaning my words just as much.

Jamie’s hands curled around my back. He looked like he was feeling my meaning and let me know that when he agreed, stating, “We’ll get you one then.”

Sweet. I was getting a helmet. I smiled. “I want a pink one.”

He smiled back.

“Or leopard print,” I added, watching Jamie’s brows lift. “And I want it to cover everything. Not just the top of my head.”

“You really don’t wanna see shit, do you?” he asked through a chuckle.

“If I see anything, I might not ever get back on,” I replied, half-serious. I knew I’d eventually look.

“Come here,” Jamie mumbled, tipping his chin up while pulling me with his hands, not giving me much of a choice.

I stepped closer, bent down, and kissed him, with just a little tongue since there were people around. Then I drew my arms around his back and gave him a hug, ducking my head beside his.

“How many lessons do you have this afternoon?” I asked as we were hugging.

Jamie drew in a breath to answer, but that breath held and his words never came because his phone started ringing.

“Hold up,” he said, easing me back with his hand on my hip.

I stood between his legs, letting my arms drop to my sides.

Jamie kept his one hand on my hip and leaned so his other hand could fish the phone out of his pocket, then he hit Answer after checking the screen and brought the phone to his ear. “Yeah.”

Jamie listened. He didn’t speak for what had to be close to a minute. His brows drew together as his eyes stayed locked with mine. He was breathing slowly through his nose, looking like he was concentrating hard on each and every breath he was taking.

He looked tense, too, maybe. Or at least bothered by something. Jamie was no longer smiling about leopard print helmets, that was for sure.

“Yeah, I hear you,” he finally said. His voice was gruff. “Nah, I wouldn’t. Made your decision. What’s there to talk about?”

Who is it? I mouthed, but Jamie just shook his head and kept his focus on the call.

“Right. Yeah, I’ll do that,” he mumbled. “Yeah, you, too.” He pulled the phone away from his ear, hit End, then leaned to the side again and slid it back into his pocket.

“What’s going on?” I asked him.

Jamie slid his hand to my other hip again so he was holding me with both and tugged me closer, answering, “Nothin’,” as I went.

He was lying. Something was definitely going on.

“Not nothing,” I argued, gripping on to his shoulders and pushing back so I was leaning away. “Tell me. Who was that?”

“Don’t worry about it.”

His hands kept urging. I kept resisting.

“Tell me,” I insisted, putting pressure on his hands and his shoulders where I held. I wasn’t letting this go. “Jamie—”

“My major sponsor just dropped me,” he revealed, looking into my face, his hands no longer tugging me forward but just keeping hold.