Alex and Jenny looked up at the same second to see her pink-shirted date from the other night taking a hard look at the two of them together and apparently not liking what he was seeing.

“Linc,” Jenny said. “I… How are you?”

“Not as good as you are, apparently. Is this why you aren’t interested in seeing me again? Because you met him the night you were with me?”

“I knew him before I went out with you, not that it’s any of your business.”

“What kind of game are you playing, Jenny?”

“Wait a minute,” Alex said as his blood began to boil. If he thought he’d been jealous earlier with Paul, that paled in comparison to the rage he felt at Linc’s apparent sense of entitlement where she was concerned. “Am I confused? Does she owe you anything more than a thank-you and goodnight after a date?”

“I never said she did, but—”

“Here’s a big idea,” Alex said. “Don’t finish that thought. We met the day before she went out with you. It was no big deal then. It is now. Let it go, okay?”

“I’m sorry,” Jenny said softly, making Alex want to roar with outrage. What did she have to be sorry about?

“Yeah,” Linc said as he stepped aside to let them pass. “Me, too.”

Alex propelled them forward, more anxious than ever to get back to the bike and get the hell out of town. He desperately needed to be alone with her.

“Sorry about that,” Jenny said.

“Don’t you dare apologize to me.” His unusually harsh words had her stiffening under his arm. He made an effort to soften his tone when he added, “You didn’t do anything wrong.”

“Are you jealous?”

“What do you think?”

“Alex—”

“We’ll talk about it when we’re alone.” Annoyed by the other people on the sidewalk, the cars and mopeds that slowed them down at intersections and everything that stood in the way of what he wanted and needed, he quickened his pace.

“Slow down. I can’t keep up with you.”

“Sorry,” he muttered.

Back at the Surf, he had the helmet strapped on her so fast she didn’t have a chance to protest before he was helping her onto the back of the bike. He was hovering on the edge of control, and he knew it, so he focused all his thoughts on the safe operation of the bike as they headed out of town. Thankfully, it wasn’t far to the lighthouse, and they pulled onto the dirt lane about ten minutes later.

He was off the bike as soon as he parked it outside her door and practically lifted her off the back.

“You’re in a big rush,” she said when he’d removed her helmet.

He took hold of her hand. “You have no idea.”