“Is… is that your car?” I stammered. If I thought Cleo had been impressive, nothing could have prepared me for this fierce machine.

Riley strode to its side and opened the chiseled-cut passenger door for me. It took me a moment to make my legs work, but he waited without answering, only a patient smile on his face.

What would my parents have thought if they saw this parked so brazenly in our driveway? But something told me that Riley knew they would not be home. Either knew, or did not care. Because no measure of boldness was too much for him when it came to what he wanted.

And what he wanted right now, was me.

My heart skipped too many beats. Oh god, how was I still even alive at this rate?

I hesitated at the door and he laughed, pressing a hand against the small of my back to usher me in. I settled into the seat with chagrin. I felt like I was bringing the Blue Book value down just by touching it.

“Where did you get this?” I asked as he circled the glossy hood to his side.

“I bought it.”

I blinked. When? And how? It looked brand new. But I didn’t ask. Where did he keep it, I wondered. Didn’t he live in that labyrinthine underground lair of his? I didn’t exactly remember a garage down there. And it certainly hadn’t been in Neil’s garage. For that matter, where did Riley get the designer clothes he was always wearing? I never saw him in the same thing twice. As he slipped into the driver’s seat, I admired his slim-fit navy blue Hermès t-shirt and dark Armani jeans. I couldn’t exactly imagine him crawling the Portsmouth Galleria mall with the other teenagers. Maybe he did all his shopping online? But where did he have his packages delivered?

I burned with questions, but was too distracted by the way he ran his long slender fingers back through his still-damp hair to ask. I buckled my seatbelt obediently before he even had to mention it, and watched him flip on a pair of impenetrable sunglasses as he backed us out of my driveway. Oh god, how was it possible that he still looked so alluring even with his astonishing eyes completely covered?

I was grateful I’d had so much time to get used to his driving style over the past two days, as the power of the Beamer’s modern engine let him take his ferocity behind the wheel to the next level. I practiced my Zen breathing and respectfully kept my mouth shut, only lifting a hand to shield my eyes against the myriad light of the setting sun beyond the windshield. It was a wonderfully warm evening, but the strong breeze through the open top as we picked up speed made me shiver.