Page 16 of New in Town

Grey is supposed to be the one giving her a rush, but with her this close, he’s having a hard time ignoring the electric sensation buzzing through him.

“You hold on to me,” he replies with a glance over his shoulder. Her cheeks are flushed as she leans into him and wraps her arms around his torso. “Good?” he asks, looking into her eyes as to not be tempted to drop his gaze to her lips. Her full, pink painted lips that are now mere inches from his own.

“Good,” she replies.

Does she sound breathy? He focuses himself on his task instead, maneuvering them out onto the road. When he turns on the state route outside of town, a road finally with a speed limit faster than twenty-five, Maddie lets out a faint squeal of excitement.

Spurred on by the sound, he gains speed, opening the bike up as they wind through the mountain pass. Feeling her arms tighten around him, Grey is all too pleased with this turn of events. Or is she getting closer because she’s scared?

He slows for a moment and calls over his shoulder nervously, “Are you okay?”

“Yes! I love this so much!” she shouts back.

He chuckles at her response, warmth filling him, and speeds up again. He loses track of time out in the wilderness with Maddie holding him tight. The sun shines down on them and his mind is clear of everything but what he’s doing. He always loved to ride because of this feeling. Yet it’s even better this time, sharing this with her.

9

MADDIE

She could stay on the back of Grey’s motorcycle forever. The thrill and freedom she feels is unmatched, flying through the mountains without anything between them and the trees. But the best part is how safe she feels too.

She knows she wouldn’t have wanted to do this unless it was with Grey being the one in control. She gnaws on that thought as they ride, wondering how she can put such faith in a man she’s just met. But Grey has a steadfastness to him. It is like she knows intrinsically that he will keep her safe.

Leaning forward, she rests her cheek against his strong back and nestles between his shoulder blades. The guise of holding close to him on the ride is emboldening her, and she allows herself to inhale his woodsy and rich scent, with just a hint of sweet. She imagines curling up in Grey’s arms would be like getting a hug from her favorite fall candle—spice and vanilla and warmth.

About an hour into the ride, they come to a stop sign and he twists in her arms. He maneuvers himself as to not break her grasp on him, bringing his own hand to her side to stay balanced. “Are you having fun?” he asks, a spark of hope in his eyes.

“So much fun, I understand the appeal of these things now.”

“Do you want to keep going then? Or head back?”

“Let’s keep going,” she replies without hesitation.

A mischievous smile turns up the corner of his mouth. “As you wish,” he says, facing forward on the bike once again. Maddie quickly snuggles back into him, although she would be lying if she said she didn’t miss the feeling of his hand on her waist.

It’s early evening when they return to town, the farmer’s market long packed up and gone. Maddie isn’t disappointed they left early. But as her stomach growls, she’s sad to have not eaten more there. She dismounts, thinking about what she has to eat inside, which isn’t much.

“What are your thoughts on pizza?” he asks as if reading her mind. He throws his leg over the bike and comes to stand beside her.

“I’m a big fan,” she answers, hopeful that this means their date is going to continue.Fake date. The fake date is going to continue, her brain reminds her.

“I promised you time in the public eye, let me take you to Norma’s.”

Norma’s. She recognizes the name from Henry’s letter, her grandmother’s favorite restaurant. “That sounds perfect.”

Like most things in Sterling Ridge, they can reach the restaurant easily on foot from her apartment. And the hole-in-the-wall brick tavern they come to a stop in front of is nothing like she imagined. He holds the door open for her, and when they enter Norma’s, it becomes even further from her expectations.

Inside is a modern, industrial pizzeria and bar. The concrete floors are honed and in contrast to the shining black metal bar in the center of the room. Around the perimeter are wooden booths against brick walls. He guides her into one of the booths, specifically the one under a neon sign that reads WELCOME PIZZA LOVERS.

This was her grandmother’s favorite place in town? Maddie thinks about how much her and her grandmother would have gotten along, because she is loving this place so far. “Has Norma’s always been like this?” she asks Grey.

“It has. At least, for my whole life,” he replies with a shrug. “Not what you expected?”

“Not quite.”

Does she tell him about Henry? Was that too much for a first date?First fake date, she thinks. She has been putting everything on the table with Grey because it’s all an arrangement. Why not this too?

“My…dad, he told me about Norma’s.”

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