“Slade is picking me up.”

“Is that right?” She lifts a beautifully arched dark eyebrow.

“Yes.” I sigh. “What am I going to do?”

“You’re going to be careful. Enjoy yourself. And call me if you need me.”

Sometime later, I check the time on my phone. It’s almost seven thirty. It turns out that time flies when you’re working on something you care about. I pull out a brush and a small mirror from my bag, checking myself out and redoing my hair when Eve reenters my room.

“Don’t go back to LA,” she begs.

I drop the brush back into my purse before straightening out my desk. “Can we not mention it?”

“Yes. One day at a time. But you’ve been so helpful, and I love having you with me,” she exclaims before defensively raising her arms and adding, “Just saying.”

I roll my eyes, not unhappily.

“And you look beautiful,” Eve adds.

“Thank you.” I smile. “And I love working here, too. The circumstances that brought me here are terrible, but I’m glad it led me back to you.”

We hug before I leave the Center. With my eyes on my phone while I delete junk e-mails, I walk through the exit. Pausing at the curb, I raise my head. Slade is here, casually leaning against his huge motorcycle with a smirk meant just for me.

“Hey, you,” I call out, trying to stop myself from sprinting to him.

When I reach him, he presses a kiss on the top of my head before securing a black helmet beneath my chin. He gets on first and helps me on. I’m scared to death, but I trust he’ll get us to his home in one piece. Luckily, I’m wearing flat shoes. I make a mental note that pumps on a motorcycle would be a terrible idea.

We take off. The ride is exhilarating. The wind and the fresh air … oh, who am I kidding? Screw nature. I have Slade, the hottest man I’ve ever seen with a body to kill for, sitting in front of me. I’m squeezing his muscled midsection as the rumble of the bike shakes between my legs, and I have to do everything in my power not to moan out loud. He’s in an amazing mood and bringing me to his home, and I don’t have too much time left. I’m going to capitalize on the positive and ignore everything else.

We pull in front of his home. It’s small but freshly painted with a square yard in front and a driveway where his truck is parked. Helping me off the bike, we walk hand in hand inside, where I’m pleasantly surprised. Slade’s home is clean, tidy, and organized. It smells like a delicious dinner has been cooked. The living room has a nice, large gray couch in an L-shape with a big screen TV mounted on the wall. I poke my head into his kitchen on the left. At a quick glance, the appliances look brand-new.