I pulled her into the house and pushed her back against the closed door. I had no idea if we kissed for minutes or hours or days. If I could have spent eternity like this, I would. When she finally broke the kiss, we were both breathing heavily, and I could feel my heart racing in my chest. For once, it didn’t cause me any panic. I knew why it was beating so hard. It was because of her. It just wanted to be near her. I totally understood.

“Come on,” Annabelle said. She grabbed my hand with hers. “We have to go.”

“What?” I asked. “But I have dinner.”

“Is it already cooked?” she asked.

“No, just prepped,” I said.

“Good, then it can wait,” she said. “Come on.”

She grabbed my hand in hers and dragged me out the door.

“But where—”

“Trust me,” she said. She didn’t give me a chance to think it over. She pulled me through the door and into the night.

She walked beside me down the steps as if afraid I might collapse and fall at any moment and she’d be there to catch me. I glanced at her. She was on the tall side but she was not muscular. I would squash her like a bug. When we got to the bottom of the stairs, she stopped in front of a black Jeep. She opened the passenger door and said, “Sorry I was late. I was out picking this bad boy up. Get in.”

I balked. Leaving the safety of my house was not something I did lightly. “Where are we going?”

“It’s a surprise,” she said.

“I’m not really a surprise kind of guy,” I said. This was me, trying to be diplomatic. The truth is, I don’t like surprises; in fact, I hate them. “And I don’t go out in public anymore.”

“Trust me,” she said. She stood with the door open as if she had every confidence that I would just climb into the passenger seat like a damn sheep. So I climbed into the Jeep, natch. She ran around the front of the car to the driver’s side.

“Did you buy this today?” I asked.

“Borrowed it,” she said. “Hang on.”

I buckled up and grabbed the armrest on the door. The woman drove like she did everything else—at top speed, all in, giving it one hundred percent.

“Where are we—” I began but she interrupted.

“I’m not telling you,” she said. “But I am confident you’re going to like it.”