Page 202 of Romeo

I shook my head. “I trust you.”

Something changed in his face.

It was only there for a second, but I saw it before he looked away.

“You shouldn’t.”

The answer surprised me enough that I forgot about the view. “Why not?”

He didn’t answer. Instead, he climbed off the bike and held out his hand.

My legs protested the second my feet hit the ground. I stumbled, and Jasper caught me around the waist before I could embarrass myself by falling over in front of him.

“Easy, Cher.”

“My legs feel like jelly.”

“That happens the first time.”

He kept one hand at my waist until I was steady, then led me toward the overlook.

The mountains seemed to stretch forever beneath us, layers of dark green rolling into one another beneath the fading sky. Small pockets of light had started appearing in the valley where houses sat between the trees, and the last sunlight touched the highest ridges.

“It’s beautiful.”

“Fucking gorgeous.”

The sound of his voice had me turning toward him; only, he wasn’t looking at the mountains.

“Jasper.”

His hand rose, brushing a loose strand of hair away from my face. “I love the sound of my name on your lips, Cher.”

My breath caught. There were things Jasper said because flirting came naturally to him. I’d learned to recognize those by now.

That wasn’t one of them.

“I don’t⁠—”

“It’s getting dark,” he said gently. “We should head back.”

Before I could decide whether he’d interrupted because he didn’t want to hear the rest or because he was afraid of what he might say next, he turned toward the bike.

The ride back felt different.

He didn’t push the speed as much, and I held him tighter without needing to be told. Darkness settled over the mountains around us until the headlight carved out the only stretch of road I could see.

I thought about what he’d said at the overlook almost the entire way.

You shouldn’t.

Then the way he’d looked at me when I’d used his name.

By the time we turned into Granny’s driveway, the porch light was glowing warmly against the dark house. Jasper helped me off the motorcycle and removed my helmet, smoothing down a strand of hair that had caught beneath the strap.

“Thank you,” I said. “For the ride.”

“Anytime.”