Page 81 of Just One Kiss

"You never know. You might hit the ice and want to come skate as often as you used to."

"I don't think I have time for that."

He dangled the skates in front of her. "Please take 'em."

"Fine," she said, not wanting to argue about it. "Thank you."

"You're welcome. I'll just grab my skates from upstairs. Want to come with me?"

Since she was somewhat curious to see his apartment, she gave a nod and followed him up the stairs.

As she entered his apartment, her first impression was that it was very masculine, from the hardwood floors and wood paneling to the brown leather couch and matching armchair. What surprised her most was the absence of a large TV, which in her mind was a staple in a single guy's apartment, but there was no television in the living room. There were, however, two floor-to-ceiling bookshelves that were filled with books.

She wandered over to those shelves, noting a mix of fiction and nonfiction on a wide range of subjects. "I like that you still read."

"I didn't see very many books at your house," he commented. "Why is that?"

"I've gone digital. I still have some print, but most everything is on my tablet. It's much easier to take to work and read on my break."

"So you're still reading?"

"Every chance I get." As she looked away from the books, she noticed a comfortable clutter in the room: a couple of coffee mugs scattered between the coffee table and the kitchen island, as well as a sweatshirt tossed over the back of a chair. There were also golf clubs in a corner of the room and a set of skis leaning against the wall. "This apartment feels like you." She gave him a smile.

"Messy and disorganized?" he joked.

"More like comfortable and unpretentious."

"I'll take that."

One of the framed pictures on the wall caught her eye. "That is an amazing photo," she said. The photographer had captured a ski jumper in mid-air on one of the steepest, most spectacular mountains she'd ever seen. "Where was this taken?"

"Norway. My form wasn't bad, so I decided to hang it."

"Wait a second, this is you?" she asked in surprise. "I thought it was just something you bought."

"Nope, it's me from years ago."

She looked back at the photo. The athleticism and fearlessness of the skier was unbelievable. "I can't believe you did this. You're literally flying. Weren't you terrified?"

"I was focused. I'd been training for that jump for several months."

"Several months? Seems like it would take years to really prepare. What drives you to do this kind of stuff, Jake?"

"It's an adrenaline rush, for one thing."

"It has to be deeper than that." She wished she could read his gaze a bit better. "What's behind the wanderlust, the thirst for death-defying adventures?"

"Why does it have to be deeper than just loving the thrill of danger?" he challenged.

"Because it does." She thought about what his motivation might be. "Does it have something to do with your estranged relationship with your father?"

"No." He let out a sigh. "I just like to test myself against the biggest odds. It makes me feel alive. It makes me feel like I'm not missing a moment that is meant to be lived."

His words took her in another direction. "It's about Paul. Your brother is so healthy now I sometimes forget how sick he was and how you used to dedicate your games to him. Did that continue when you started jumping off mountains?"

"Yes, it did. When Paul was first diagnosed with leukemia, he could barely get out of bed. When I'd come home from school, he was always eager to hear what I'd been doing. And it was my job to tell him a story that would take his mind off his pain. I needed adventures and experiences to share, so I went after them. When I left to go to college, I'd share my stories on the phone or in text. We always had something to talk about."

"And the adventures just got bigger and scarier. You kept pushing the boundaries."

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