Page 166 of One Wealthy Wedding

“I believe the U.S. Army has called it relatively safe,” he says cheerfully.

“A ringing endorsement.”

He snorts a laugh and moves to grab helmets from the shelf. “I’m not aware of any others that are in civilian hands. You should grab the bull by the horns. Take a ride with me, baby.” He wags his brows.

“You’re an idiot, and you’re going to get yourself killed,” I mutter, but my insides are swelling with happiness. Theo puts my helmet on, checks the straps, and presses a kiss to my mouth. I sway into him and chase his lips with my own while he laughs.

“Let’s go.” He buckles his own helmet on and helps me onto the bike. It’s not particularly comfortable, and I wiggle on the hard metal seat.

Theo climbs on in front of me and starts it up. The electric motor is completely silent. My stomach lurches as we lift off the garage floor, and I clutch at Theo.

“Weird, right?” he asks. “We’ll just go around the block. This is really illegal.”

“Really illegal. My favorite.”

“It’s on the list, at least. This is crossing off three items by my count.”

“Maybe we can even have sex on it. For efficiency,” I say. I’m smiling where my face is pressed to his back. I feel like a balloon filled to bursting.

Theo barks a laugh as we glide out of the garage, just a few feet above the ground.

He takes it slow as the bike dips and rolls. “You can see why it’s just a prototype,” he says. “It’s not totally stable, and it’s pretty hard to control.” He wrestles it around a curve, body taut with strain. “Want to go faster?”

“Just a little,” I say.

“I won’t let you fall, Cat. I promise.”

I lick my lips. “Okay. Sure, faster.”

“Let’s go, baby.” Theo twists the handlebar, and the bike leaps forward. Twenty, thirty, then forty miles an hour as we whip down the road, past the ocean. I clutch his waist as he laughs into the wind. The sensation is like nothing I’ve ever felt—totally weightless, but close to the ground. Like dreams I used to have about flying.

“This is crazy,” I say.

“I know,” he responds. “That feeling of weightlessness is wonderful. And terrifying.” He brings us to a stop back at the house. “I’m always grateful to put my feet back on the ground.” We set down gently, and he helps me off.

“Not too wild for you?” He smiles down at me, soft and pleased.

“Definitely not.” I smile back, my heart swelling. “How much more do we have on the list?”

“I want to add something.” He puts our helmets on the shelf. “What do you want most in the world, Cat?”

You, I think. It’s always been you.

But instead, I say, “Freedom. To be my own person, to blaze my own trail. It’s why I admire you so much.”

He nods, looking serious and thoughtful. “Okay. I can work on that. But in the meantime, I have a surprise.”

I follow him into the house, through the living room and the back hallway, the solarium and the dining room, until we reach the end of the house. We’re right on the edge of the cliff here. Theo pauses in front of a door. “It’s not freedom,” he says. “But I think it’s pretty close.”

He pushes it open, and I suck in a breath. The room is all windows and perched on the cliff in such a way that it’s surrounded by sky and sea on all sides. Light streams in. There are cushioned window seats lining the walls and another gas fireplace. A mug of coffee on the side table and books. Lots and lots of books.

My heart thrums with joy at all the books. Classics from my childhood, many much older.

“May I?” I ask. I’m nervous all of a sudden.

“Go ahead. It’s all yours.”

“Mine?” I stroke my fingers over the spines. Black Beauty is here, my favorite book from when I was little. The Babysitter’s Club. Pride and Prejudice. The classics I read for my English literature major in college. A series of romance novels Lane recommended to me that I’ve been devouring.

---