“Lukas.” I mumble his name, but of course it’s lost into nothing but a hot breath in my helmet. I slap his stomach to get his attention, and his head turns to the right before he parks in a corner.

“Something wrong?” Lukas takes off his helmet and helps me with mine.

“Where are we going?” I glance toward the road ahead, nestled between trees.

“Hey.” His fingers drift back and forth over my cheek, urging me to look at him. “Nervous?”

“Um…yeah. There could be bears in the woods, you know.”

“Did you forget I told you I won’t let anything happen to you?”

“I’m serious,” I whisper.

“Me too. Serious as a…real heart attack, and not like your grandpop’s.”

I burst into laughter. “That’s such a bad thing to say.”

“It is, but I couldn’t help it.” Lukas grins back before cocking his head to the side. “I really want to take you up there. You know there’s a waterfall?”

I shake my head. His fingers haven’t left my face as they continue to run over my skin. “This is a real surprise.” I look around. “How do you even know about this place?”

“I’ve roamed these roads often,” he admits, and before I can comprehend that maybe Lukas wasn’t always as far away as I believed, he hands me my helmet. “Come on, wife. Let me amaze you some more.”

Wife.

This isn’t the first time he has called me that, and I can’t help the hitch that rises in my throat every time I hear it.

I slide behind him and hold him tighter than before.

Lukas takes us up, and I feel like Bella from Twilight, grabbing onto her Edward as he demonstrates his powers.

When he finally stops, I get down and look around but there’s no waterfall in sight.

He hangs our helmets on the bike’s handlebars and twines his fingers with mine. “We have to walk from here.”

By the time we finish the hike, my beanie is in my hand and the zipper of my parka is pulled down. I’m a little short of breath and sweaty, while Lukas looks fresh as a daisy.

“God, I’m so out of shape.”

“I’ll blame it on your commute to work. It’s zero steps.” He chuckles, but when I don’t smile, he adds, “You need a workout routine.”

“I can work out on you.” I grin.

“Oh, baby, you’ll regret you said that.”

“What do you mean?” God, how does he accelerate my heartbeat with just one look?

“You’ll know in time.” But before I can ask him more, he points toward the narrow pathway, urging me to lead.