Page 17 of Taking The Virgin

“You’re quite accomplished yourself,” he says. “But I had to leave home when Idid.”

There’s a hint of bitterness in his voice, and as if he wants me to forget what he said, he forges on. “All of us have our plans. Ambitions. We only go about getting them in different ways. I felt the need to push myself to my limits.”

We pass a clump of kelp that’s stranded on the beach, and he rests a hand on my elbow, guiding me around it. I didn’t need his help to navigate, of course, but I shiver because he didit.

Maybe he does care a little, I think.

His voice takes on an earnest tone. “The truth is that I became obsessed with eliminating the causes and risks of infections in patients from bacteria in their environments. It’s important that I find ways to keep people safe from all the harmful things in the world.”

“Like bacteria.” I don’t want to think it, but does this have to do with how he acted last night and how he keeps himself and his house in such strict order?

Is he really that obsessed?

“Yes,” he says, “like bacteria. The devices my company makes keep these agents from attacking all the vulnerable patients I’m trying to save. That’s why I also travel around the world consulting.”

Then he presses his lips together, his shoulders going taut once again.

As everything sinks in, I realize that there’s truly much more to his preoccupation with health and cleanliness than meets the eye, but I’m not going to press him for more answers. He’s already shut down anyway, as if he senses that he said too much to a girl he hired only forsex.

We’re back at the spot where our limo dropped us off for the walk, but I notice that another town car has pulled up behind it. A driver and a man who looks as if he’s on a security detail wait near the second car, whereas there’s only a driver for the vehicle we tookhere.

He’s going his own way now, I think. I’m to be dropped off, and I doubt Owen wants to know where I live, much less how I’m living with a childhood friend while my family’s storm-damaged house waits for repairs.

Something in my chest contracts. This adventure isover.

Trying not to get emotional, even though he took my virginity and that’s at least something, I turn to him, sticking out myhand.

“It was very nice to meet you,” Isay.

He doesn’t shake my hand, and at first I think it’s because of germs. That’s ridiculous though, seeing as we exchanged plenty of those last night. But what comes next is even more stunning.

“I’ve been pondering something.” He folds his hands behind his back, so proper and above itall.

I drop my hand because I sense that something very big is coming. But knowing how predictably unpredictable Owen is, who knows if it’ll be good orbad…

“I’d like you to come back with me to New York for a period of one month,” he says, “and I’m willing to pay you two hundred and fifty-thousand more dollars if you accept.”

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