Page 6 of Riding with the Secret Billionaire

The sky outside the truck window has transformed from inky blackness to the soft lavender of pre-dawn by the time Jake announces we're crossing into Missouri.I blink awake, disoriented after dozing off somewhere in Illinois, my neck stiff from leaning against the window.

"Did I sleep through an entire state?" I mumble, straightening up and wincing as my spine protests.

"Two, actually," Jake replies, looking frustratingly fresh for someone who's been driving through the night."Ohio and Illinois."

"Why didn't you wake me for our scheduled stops?"

"You needed the rest." He hands me a travel mug that's still warm."Coffee. Black, one sugar."

I accept it gratefully, the caffeine hitting my system with welcome intensity."How are you not exhausted? Please tell me you didn't drive straight through."

"I pulled over at the rest stops.Took power naps." He looks over at me, one eyebrow raised."I don't need much sleep."

"Of course, you don't," I mutter, taking another sip."Let me guess, you've trained yourself to function on four hours like some kind of superhuman robot."

A hint of a smile crosses his face."Three, actually."

I roll my eyes, but my irritation is undermined by how touched I am that he let me sleep.I check my appearance in the visor mirror and grimace.My makeup has faded, my hair has partially escaped its updo, and there's a crease on my cheek from where it pressed against the window.

"We should reach Heartstone by early afternoon," Jake says, checking the GPS."We'll stop there for the night.Get proper meals, showers, actual beds."

"Thank God," I sigh, stretching as much as the confined space allows."No offense to your very comfortable truck, but I need to be horizontal on something that doesn't move for at least eight hours."

Jake's eyes flick to me briefly, something darkening in their depths before returning to the road."I've made reservations at the Nighty Night Bed and Breakfast.It's run by a couple named Jeremy and Dawn Lincoln.Highly rated, secure property."

"Of course you've researched the security of a bed and breakfast in a town I've never heard of," I laugh."Do you ever just... wing it?"

"No," he says simply.

"Not even once? Not even for something small and inconsequential?"

He considers this for a moment."I once ordered coffee without checking the Yelp reviews first."

I stare at him, then burst out laughing when I realize he's joking."Oh my God, was that actual humor from the robot?Alert the media."

That almost-smile appears again, transforming his face in a way that makes my stomach do a little flip."I have my moments."

"So what's in Heartstone?" I ask, curious about our first major stop."Besides this highly secure B&B you've vetted."

"Small town, about 2,000 residents.They have a local theater, a diner that's apparently something of an institution, and a classic car restoration shop.Route 14 runs right through it."

"Sounds like you've memorized the tourist brochure."

"I like knowing what to expect," he says, changing lanes to pass a slow-moving truck.

The morning continues with the miles rolling beneath us.As my body gradually adjusts to being awake, I become increasingly aware of the man beside me.In the soft morning light, Jake's profile is even more striking.

There's something about him that draws my attention in a way I can't explain.Maybe it's the contradiction between his controlled exterior and those rare moments of dry humor.Maybe it's the way he radiates competence and safety.Or maybe it's just that he fills out that black t-shirt in ways that should be illegal.

"You're staring," he says without looking at me.

Heat floods my cheeks. "Sorry.Just trying to figure you out."

"Any conclusions?"

"You're complicated," I admit."All these rigid rules and boundaries, but then you do something unexpectedly considerate, like letting me sleep or getting my coffee exactly right."

"Complicated isn't the word most people use," he says, a hint of curiosity in his voice.

---