I grabbed the cheap shoes I’d picked up earlier today. I didn’t have any running shoes I wanted to ruin, and running barefoot the whole time wasn’t a good idea. It would probably end up that way, but I didn’t know for sure. This was all new to me.

“Don’t be late,” Avery said gently.

“We can’t have that.” I shoved my heel into the second shoe. “See you later?”

“Depends on how long you run.”

My breath picked up in my chest. He had a point. I didn’t know how long this would last.

“Okay. Well. I’m gonna go.”

“Good luck.” His tone told me I would need it.

I couldn’t believe I was doing this. At the same time, it was absolutely everything. It felt like my whole body was electrified.

Kade waited near the front door, and he looked me up and down when I approached. “Ready?”

“I think so.” I reached out for him, and he held me. His arms were comforting and warm around me. Later they wouldn’t be, and I loved the dichotomy. “I don’t really know what I’m doing.”

“I have a couple of questions and then I’ll tell you.”

All my attention zeroed in on his voice. “I’m listening.”

“How far do you want to go, baby? How rough? How deep are we going?”

Shaking my head, I looked up at him. “I’m not sure. Doesn’t mean I want to pull back, it just means I’ve never done it before and I don’t know. But I imagine you chasing me, ready to take what you want and I—” I swallowed and took a breath. “I like that.”

“Okay, first, I need you to pick a word. One you won’t forget in case you need to stop. And it can’t be ‘stop.’”

I thought about it. What did I want to stop most? For most of my life, it was the press. “Camera.”

A small growl, and he pulled me closer. “That makes sense. And now, baby, I’ll tell you what I have planned. If it’s too much, you tell me. This isn’t about scaring you. It’s supposed to be fun for both of us.”

“Okay.”

One hand behind my neck, he leaned down so his lips brushed the shell of my ear, raising goosebumps on my entire body. “When you’re ready, I’m going to blindfold you. And tie your hands behind your back. I’m going to carry you out of this house and put you in the trunk. You’re not going to know where you’re going. And when we get there, I’ll let you out. Free your hands and take the blindfold. Then I’m going to drive away.”