Page 37 of One Night in Paris

A newer steel coaster that twisted and turned at high speeds, Thunderbolt was one that made plenty of people sick or terrified. This time, I turned to Harper and asked, “Do you want to ride with me?”

With a broad smile, she answered, “Absolutely.”

Buckling into our seats, I could tell Harper was humming with excitement. Her smile was wide, her eyes darting around taking it all in. “You ready?”

Harper winked at me and, with a cheesy grin, replied, “I was born ready.”

The ride launched us up into the air, dropping us down over the other side. Already, we were both screaming in delight. Harper raised her hands up in the air, and I followed suit, feeling the wind rushing past my face as I went through loops and over steep drops.

When it was all over, Harper and I bounced out of the ride, laughing, and she put her arm around me. “That was amazing!”

“I totally agree,” I told her. Trevor and Kylee were laughing, too, as they walked behind us.

After that, we took a break from the coasters and went on the Wonder Wheel. The Ferris wheel featured both stationary and swinging cars, but of course, Trevor wanted one that swung back and forth so he could rock it the whole time. Sitting next to Harper, we held hands, looking out at the entire amusement park and the beach from the top of the wheel.

Our next ride, Parachute Jump, involved a drop tower that simulated the fall from an airplane. It reminded me of our upcoming skydiving trip. Both Harper and Kylee seemed to enjoy it, despite how intense the freefall was. It was nothing like the real thing but still fun.

Sitting on a bench next to Harper, both of us enjoying ice-cream cones while Trevor and Kylee munched on Nathan’s Famous hotdogs, I got a chance to talk to her.

“You know, I never would have guessed that you were such a thrill seeker,” I admitted to her, taking another lick of my pistachio ice cream.

With a grin, she turned to me. “Why do you say that?” It was a hot day, causing our ice cream to begin to melt. She licked up a drip of her chocolate treat just in time before it ran down her hand.

“I don’t know,” I said. “You just seem like the type of girl who would be more into the less intense rides.”

Holding my gaze for several seconds, Harper replied, “I’m full of surprises.”

Swallowing hard, I considered what she could mean by that. She’d definitely surprised me the night before in bed when she’d insisted on mounting me. A shiver shot down my spine. God, this woman was sexy.

“Hey, Logan!” Trevor shouted, bending around Kylee and Harper so he could see me. I ignored the smear of mustard on his cheek. He really was a full-grown child. “I know what we should do next!”

Something about the look in his eye had me leery of asking what he was talking about, but in front of Harper, I didn’t want to seem like a chicken. Besides, there was nothing in this park I was afraid of, despite his tone. “What’s that?”

“Well, on my way here, I passed a place I wanted to go back and check out.” His grin widened. “I think we should all get in my SUV and go give it a look-see.”

“Wh-what is it?” The quiver in my voice was unbecoming, but I knew Trevor well enough to know that he was about to say something I wouldn’t like.

“Bungee jumping.” His grin widened.

I was a brave soul. There was very little in this world I wasn’t keen on trying at least once. Trevor and I had talked about this a million times before. But I had told him more than a million times that I didn’t want to bungee jump.

My eyes went to Harper. Once again, her expression was unreadable. Was she also scared, or did she see this as an awesome opportunity to have more fun?

Looking at Trevor’s stupid grin, I found myself saying, “I don’t know, man. It just seems way too dangerous. You know what I’ve always said. When it comes to bungee jumping, you’re taking your life in your hands, counting on a thin piece of nylon to save your ass.”

“Dangerous? Are you kidding me? You’re not afraid of anything!” Trevor shook his head, finally finding the wayward mustard with a napkin.

Opening my mouth, I considered another argument, but then I saw Harper’s face. She was biting her lip, looking nervously between Trevor and me. When she spoke, she was looking into my eyes. “Please, Logan?” Resting a hand on my arm, she continued. “I really want to do this. And I’ll feel a lot better if you’re doing it with me.”

Oscillating between Harper to Trevor, I felt torn. Part of me wanted to refuse, never letting my feet leave the safety of solid ground, but another part of me didn’t want to let them down. Maybe they were right, and this would be an exhilarating experience that I would never forget.

With a deep breath, I found myself saying, “Okay. Let’s do it.”

Harper squealed, and we all got up to make our way toward the exit. Fear pulsed through me. This was the one thing I was too afraid to do. But when Harper slipped her fingers into mine, I felt like I could fly.

20

HARPER

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