Kade got off the highway when we hit the Sonoma wine country, driving us down lonesome roads lined with vineyards and ranch houses. With the wind at my back and the sun heating my face, I felt my stress ease, and I started to enjoy the ride. I loved the feel of the bike and Kade's body so close to mine. I had never ever imagined that riding a motorcycle could be so hot, but it wasn't just the bike, it was the man who was driving it. With my arms wrapped around him, I could feel the muscles in his abs, the power in his body, and I felt not only safe but also charged up. I thought I could ride like this forever. I could forget about everything that we'd left behind us.

But as the afternoon shadows lengthened, Kade got back on the highway, and headed south toward the city. As we neared San Francisco, I felt tense again. I was dreading what I had to go back to, all the secrets I still had to unravel, the danger I had to avoid. So when Kade took the exit right before the Golden Gate Bridge, I was happy to put reality off for a few more minutes.

He drove up into the hills and parked the bike in a small lot. As I got off the motorcycle, I took off my helmet and shook out my hair. Kade did the same, giving me a questioning smile. "Fun?"

"More fun than I've had in a long time," I said. "I thought you were taking me back to the gallery."

"I am taking you back, but not yet. This is the best view of the city. Have you seen it from these headlands?"

I shook my head. "No."

"Come with me."

I didn't think I could ever not go with him. He was a magnet, and I was caught up in his pull. Or maybe I just wanted to be caught up, so I didn't have to choose to do something else, something that would be a lot less fun.

We walked down a sloping hill just above the bridge. Kade was right. The view was magnificent. The city was directly in front of us. Off to our right was the Pacific Ocean where a thick bank of fog was making its almost daily entrance into the bay. Off to our left was Alcatraz, the once famous prison, and Angel Island. In the distance was the Bay Bridge leading over to the East Bay.

"What do you think?" Kade asked.

"It's stunning." I shivered as the wind lifted my hair and the fog grew thicker as it blotted out the sun. "But this also feels like a metaphor for my life. Everything was so clear a minute ago, and now it's hazy. What I could see before is now disappearing into the mist."