Page 82 of Bake You Mine
Once she was settled, she wrapped her arms around his waist. He slid a hand down to squeeze hers. “You ready to go?”
She startled at the sound of his voice in her helmet. “How did you do that?”
“Might’ve stolen your phone earlier to set up the Bluetooth connection.”
“You’re consistently impressing me with your craftiness. Let’s hit the road.”
The engine roared under them as he kicked off the curb. She didn’t miss the glances from passersby as they zoomed by.
Liam’s voice crackled across the line. “We’re cool as fuck, no wonder everyone’s looking at us.” He headed south on Ford’s Parkway, leading them out of town.
“No hints on our destination?”
“You didn’t go to Port Fortune High, right?” he asked.
“No, I finished high school in Japan.”
“Then you’ll find this much more impressive than my high school girlfriend did.”
She allowed the wind to whip past her. “You’re taking me to the town make-out point, aren’t you? You’re almost twenty years too late for me to be impressed by that.”
He laughed. “Don’t count me out just yet.”
They took a left off Ford’s Parkway about twenty minutes out of town and went up the hill overlooking the river. She’d been to Stone Grove Park before, on some scavenger hunt when Daphne was in elementary school. On the way up the hill, they passed several signs stating the park was closed after dark.
“You are a rebel, aren’t you?”
His laugh crackled in her helmet. “It’s a Monday night. I’d be surprised if there were anyone here. I’m armed, just in case.”
She draped her hands lower against his waist. “Hmm, it doesn’t feel like it to me.”
The sharp intake of his breath was somehow more intimate coming through her helmet comm.
“You’ve got to stop that. Otherwise, I’m gonna crash this bike.”
The park was lovely at sunset, with streetlamps illuminating a path with several spots to sightsee at the river and beyond. They had maybe fifteen minutes before it would be fully dark.
He flicked the lights off as he parked the bike in the gravel parking lot. There was no one else around. He slid off the bike before helping her off. After locking up, he led her onto the path.
“So, what did you call this place when you were in high school? Fingerbang Lane? BJ Way?”
He snorted. “I can’t remember now, probably because when I wasn’t up there making out, I was smoking pot.”
“So, you’re telling me I should make sure Daphne avoids this place when she gets into high school.”
They entered a loose copse of trees. No wonder the teens picked this area for nefarious activities. It was well hidden from the rest of the park.
“We both know Daph isn’t dumb enough to hang out with the stoners.” He came to a stop. “Here we are.”
Laid out in front of them was a picnic spread worthy of a magazine. Lanterns sat on either side of the blanket, with pillows pressed against trees.
“When did you have time to do this?”
“I didn’t. Sasha did, on her way out of town. She’s a romantic at heart.”
Aubrey took his hand, allowing him to help her onto the blanket. “She likes the city life, huh?”
Liam began to uncover the food Sasha had laid out. “Her school is forty-five minutes south of the city, but she does a lot of her clinicals at DC hospitals. It’s why she went to school up there in the first place. She wants to be a big city trauma nurse.”
