Page 63 of Extended Bridge

Río leaps to his feet, his hips wiggling from side to side. “Hell, yes, I’m in!” Next to him, Coop joins in on his antics. Bennett’s next to stand, followed by Tristan and Pierce. The room buzzes with their new, united goal.

The rest of the evening rushes by. Once we finish desserts and coffees—teas for Bennett and me—we’re whisked to the stadium where the band shares an even more fantastic concert experiencewith their fans. After the meet and greet, Bennett tucks my hand in the crook of his elbow. “You’re coming with me.”

He doesn’t allow me to ask any questions, simply keeps me pressed against his side as we travel through the bowels of the stadium. He opens a door and we’re outside, an unseasonably warm breeze brushing my cheeks.

“Can I ask you now where we’re going?”

“Nope.” A black sports car pulls up in front of us and Jeb pops out. With a salute to Bennett, the roadie tosses a key fob to the mysterious man at my side, and disappears into the stadium.

Alone, Bennett leads me around the front of the car and opens the passenger door. He motions for me to enter. “After you.” I slip into the car, marveling at the supple black leather seats and dashboard that looks like it belongs in an airplane.

A second later, Bennett slams the driver’s door. “Are you ready for this?”

Excited yet confused, I ask, “What’s this?”

“A good fucking time.”

He presses a button and the car roars to life. He plugs an address into the GPS, and we take off down the side road blasting The Light Rail’s latest. My sexy driver joins their lead singer on the vocals. A crossover between the two bands flits through my mind, but disappears when we take a turn on what feels like two wheels.

Knuckles white on the roll bar, I exclaim, “Whoa!”

“Checking the suspension.” He makes a few more quick turns through empty streets. “Handling too.”

When the color returns to my hand, I relax into the seat. I haven’t seen Bennett this carefree in...forever. He knows the car’s limitations—plus his own. He’s babying his right thigh, probably even more than he needs to. My lips are sealed.

Following several more turns, during which I manage to remove my hand from the roll bar, the GPS announces we’re here. Bennett parks in a secluded spot near a couple of picnic benches, which, given the late hour, aren’t in use.

I blink into the dark woods in front of me. “Where are we?”

“You’re going to love it.” He unbuckles his seatbelt and presses the button to release mine. “Don’t move.”

He rushes around the front of the car and opens my door, offering me his hand to help me stand. All five of his rings kiss my fingers. Once I’m on my feet, he keeps my hand in his. With care, he guides me across the dark lot toward another set of picnic tables facing a ravine. “Have a seat.”

I drop down onto the bench, waiting for an explanation. When none is forthcoming, I say, “They don’t like streetlights around here, do they?”

“There’s a reason for that,” he chuckles. “They want to avoid light pollution.”

“I’ve only heard of light pollution hurting microbes in phosphorescent waters.” When his eyebrows raise, I clarify, “I saw a documentary about a bay in Puerto Rico that has an issue with light.”

“Oh. La Parguera, I presume?”

I squint. “I think that was the name.”

“Let me save you a trip. I enjoyed La Parguera, but the bioluminescent bay on the island of Vieques, off Puerto Rico, is truly enchanting.”

“I’ve forgotten you’re a world traveler.”

“Hazards of being a rock star.” He pulls me closer to his body. “Now, look up.”

We both raise our chins to the inky sky. A minute later, something shoots across. “Oh my God!” I point. “Did you see that?”

“Yup. There’s a meteor shower here tonight. I wanted to experience it with you.” Quiet ensues, as we watch the celestial dance.

“This is beautiful.” I kiss his cheek. “Thanks for bringing me here tonight.”

“I wanted to share this special evening with you.” He kisses my forehead.

I sit up. “The black sports car didn’t hurt either, huh?”

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