Page 29 of Riding with the Secret Billionaire

"Jordyn's mentioned the wedding venue a few times, but she's been surprisingly tight-lipped about the details.Something about wanting me to be surprised."

This doesn't surprise me. From the security briefings I've received, the Kane-McCrae wedding is designed to be an exclusive affair, with several high-profile guests whose attendance hasn't been publicized.The media blackout is partly for privacy, partly for security, something I normally appreciate in my clients.

"The Heirloom Rose has multiple wedding venues," I inform her."But the main one is impressive.Floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the mountains, capacity for up to two hundred guests."

Trish tilts her head, studying me."You're really thorough with your security assessments, aren't you?"

"It's my job to know the layout of every venue I secure," I reply, perhaps a bit defensively."Entrances, exits, blind spots, staff access points, all of it matters."

"I wasn't criticizing," she says, her voice softening."It's impressive, actually. The attention to detail."

I glance at her, finding no mockery in her expression, just genuine interest."Thank you."

We fall into comfortable silence as the Nevada landscape unfolds around us.This part of Nevada offers a stark, open beauty with vast stretches of desert punctuated by rugged rock formations, all painted in shades of rust and gold by the setting sun.

"We'll stop in about an hour," I announce, checking the GPS."Small town called Sage Brush.Not much there, but there's a decent motel where we can spend the night."

"Our last night on the road," Trish observes, something in her tone I can't quite identify."Hard to believe."

I understand the sentiment. There's something about our time in the truck, contained in this bubble of privacy and proximity, that has allowed our connection to develop without the complications of the outside world.Tomorrow, that bubble bursts.We arrive at our destination, resume our separate roles and all the practicalities we've been avoiding become impossible to ignore.

The motel in Sage Brush is exactly what you'd expect from a small desert town, basic but clean, with a distinctly 1970s aesthetic that's either charmingly retro or woefully outdated,depending on your perspective.The woman at the front desk barely looks up from her romance novel as she hands over a single room key, clearly uninterested in our story or our relationship status.

Unlike Basic Plaines, there's no awkward negotiation over sleeping arrangements this time.We both know we'll share the queen bed, though what that entails remains unspoken as we settle into the room.

"I'm going to shower," Trish announces, grabbing her toiletry bag."Wash off the road dust."

I nod, watching as she disappears into the bathroom.When the water starts running, I sit heavily on the edge of the bed, running a hand over my face.

Tomorrow changes everything. Our carefully constructed bubble of intimacy bursts, exposing our fledgling relationship to real-world complications we've been able to ignore on the road.

And yet.

What we've built over these past days isn't easily dismissed or forgotten.The connection between us has grown roots, tenacious and persistent despite the rocky soil of our circumstances.I'm no longer capable of simply walking away from Trish, and I refuse to beat myself up about that fact.

The bathroom door opens in a cloud of steam, revealing Trish wrapped in a towel, her curls damp and clinging to her neck.My breath catches involuntarily at the sight.

"Your turn," she says, seemingly unaware of the effect she's having on me.

I grab my bag and head for the bathroom, needing the space and cool water to regain my composure.By the time I emerge, clean and changed into fresh clothes, Trish is sitting cross-legged on the bed in sleep shorts and a tank top, scrolling through her phone.

"Jordyn's been texting non-stop," she says without looking up."Apparently, there's some crisis with the floral arrangements that's thrown the entire wedding timeline into chaos.And she's dying to know exactly when we'll arrive tomorrow."

"We?" I raise an eyebrow.

"I might have mentioned I was getting a ride to Nevada," she admits."Though I kept your full name out of it, as requested."

"Thank you." I sit on the opposite side of the bed, maintaining a cautious distance."The fewer connections drawn between us initially, the better.From a security perspective."

She sets her phone aside, turning to face me fully."From a security perspective," she repeats, a question in her tone.

"Yes."

"And from a personal perspective?"

I meet her gaze directly. "From a personal perspective, I wish circumstances were different."

"Different how?" she presses.

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