Page 168 of My Ruthless Opponent

My eyes fly open and I shake my head vehemently. “Of course not. You deserved it.”

His brows are drawn together, worry clear in the depth of his baby blue eyes.

I wait for him to ask me about it. He doesn’t. Instead, he presses his lips to my forehead then pushes to his feet.

He sets me on the bed then heads to the closet. I frown when he begins rummaging through my clothes.

“Raleigh?”

“Hmm?” He takes out the only pair of cut-off jeans shorts I had brought and tosses it on the bed.

“What are you doing?”

“Taking you out.”

I sigh. “I don’t feel like going out.”

He turns then. “It’s our tradition, princess, or did you forget?” He feigns a gasp.

The corner of my mouth turns up. But my spirits are low.

“I am not in the mood to party.”

He grins, the smile making his large beautiful dimple appear. “Then good thing we’re going out.” He throws a crop top in my direction and I catch it.

“Out where?”

“Out. Just you and me.” he bends and lifts the bag he had dropped on the floor earlier.

“It's technically our last chance to explore this place. So hurry up and change.”

He hands me the bag and I peek inside. Inside is a black leather jacket. I look up at him in confusion.

He sighs and sits beside me. “I had this planned out a couple of days ago. And after what I walked in on, I guess you need this more than ever.”

Spending the whole day with Raleigh exploring Maui sounds wonderful. But…

“What about your team? Don’t you want to celebrate with them?”

“We can have a small get-together when we come back. Now come on, get ready.”

I palm his cheek and give him a grateful smile. He is my sun. Moments ago, I was surrounded by dark clouds. Just like the sun, he came piercing through them and brightened my day.

???

Our day out was everything I had imagined and more.

I needed this beautiful distraction.

Raleigh rented a Harley for a mini road trip. That’s right. Instead of renting a car or a jeep, he got a bike. And I was happy.

Riding on a bike keeps you alert.

In a car, it’s easier to get lost in your head.

When you are on a two-wheeler, you get hyper-aware of the wind. You feel closer to nature. It enhances the experience of your journey.

I had only ridden once with him before. But it was thrilling.

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