Alarm

We zipped down the lane of cars, around other travelers hauling their luggage, and out of the parking garage. Aiden picked up speed as we merged onto the highway but stayed in the far right lane. I had the feeling he was going slower than he might have without me behind him, and I was glad for it. The ride was terrifying. Every time he shifted his weight, I moved with him awkwardly. I was sure I was going to cause us to fall.

We rode across a long bridge over the bay, and then turned north into slower traffic. I was glad we weren’t moving so fast and was also distracted by the sheer number of people and glimpses of the ocean to my right. I pressed the side of my helmet to Aiden’s back and held tightly to his torso, still keenly aware of his body where it pressed between my thighs.

We rode up Ocean Boulevard, passing towering condo high-rises and then smaller, single-family homes. We crossed another bridge, and an oceanside park appeared where I could see the sandy beach and crashing waves of the Atlantic. We passed another set of condos and then a few more homes before we pulled into a stone-lined driveway. Aiden pulled to a stop and put his feet down on the ground before killing the engine.

“Welcome to Golden Beach,” Aiden said.

The place was beautiful. In fact, the whole neighborhood was beautiful. There were tall green shrubs surrounding the palms around the stone-paved driveway where Aiden had parked the motorcycle. Pink flowering bushes bloomed in the bright sunlight and accented the white stucco house beyond.

“It’s not a huge place,” Aiden said, “but it is right on the beach, as promised.”

“It’s beautiful!” I exclaimed. “This must have cost a fortune!”

I was immediately embarrassed by my comment, but Aiden didn’t seem to mind.

“Not as bad as you might think,” he said. “I got a good deal on it. There isn’t a pool like most of the houses have around here, but I prefer the beach anyway.”

I wondered if all drug dealers lived in such nice places and figured they probably did. Why else do something illegal if you didn’t make a ton of money?

Am I really trying to rationalize this?

I shuddered a little at the thought as I dismounted the motorcycle and stretched my legs. Aiden dropped the kickstand and joined me in stretching.

“What did you think of the ride?” he asked.

“It was a little nerve-wracking,” I admitted. “Fun, though.”

“It’s a lot easier to get around in the traffic on a bike,” Aiden said as he led me to the front door.

The house was relatively small, not a lot bigger than my condo, but it was open and full of sunshine coming through the large windows in the back. The view of the patio and beach beyond was breathtaking.

There wasn’t a lot of furniture. In fact, there were more boxes lying around than anything else, including boxes lined up on the couch in the living room. It made me wonder just how long he’d lived here.

“As you can see, I haven’t really moved in yet,” Aiden said with a shrug. “If I had known I was going to have company so soon, I might have cleaned up a bit. Sorry about that.”

“You don’t need to apologize,” I said. “It’s fine—really.”

“Maybe you’ll be the incentive I need to get the rest of my things unpacked.” Aiden stood in the doorway and looked at me a moment. I didn’t understand his expression, and I looked at the floor, unsure of what I was supposed to say.

His phone bleeped, and he glanced down as he brought it out of his pocket. He took a moment to type out a text and then tossed the phone onto a table near the door.

“Sorry about that,” he said. “Work. I’m technically off until next Monday, but it kind of follows me.”

I nodded but didn’t ask for details. If I was going to make it through all this, I didn’t want to know the specifics.

“Where should I put my things?” I asked.

“Back here.” Aiden picked up his luggage and headed down a small hallway, past a bathroom, and into a bedroom. It was more put together than the rest of the house though there were still a couple of boxes stacked in the corner. The furniture was all dark wood in a contemporary style, and the huge bed was neatly made with pure white sheets and matching bedspread.

“There’s only the one real bedroom,” he said. “The other one is full of my gym equipment. I can take the couch if you want.”

“I can’t kick you out of your bed.” My heart beat faster. “I can take the couch.”

“Putting the guest on the couch wouldn’t be very hospitable of me,” Aiden said. “Besides, it’s a mess out there.”

“So, we um…we…” My voice trailed off. I couldn’t seem to bring myself to say the words.

“Sleep together?” Aiden walked a step closer to me and took my bag from my hand. He placed it on the floor before standing in front of me and taking my hands. “No pressure, Chloe.”