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‘You know what you need, lady? You need to relax. And I know the way to get you unwound.’
She tossed him a sharp glance and he chuckled softly.
‘For shame,’ he murmured, taking her hand in his. ‘Whatever are you thinking?’
She tugged her hand free. ‘Look,’ she said wearily. ‘I’m exhausted. I don’t have the time or the energy for any verbal skirmishes. I’m going home to work on my role.’
‘That’s a mistake. You need to let go for a while.’
‘I know what I need, Cade. I should after all these years.’
‘Right. You’re the pro and I’m the novice. OK, maybe that’s true, but I’ve been performing more than half my life. I know something about stage fright.’
‘For God’s sake, I haven’t got stage fright! I just need to put in some more time with this script.’
‘Wrong, Padgett. You need time away from it. Trust me.’ He pushed open the door to the street and looked up at the sky as they stepped outside. ‘Look at that. You can almost see the sun in spite of the pollution. Wouldn’t you like to go somewhere, breathe fresh air, and forget about All Our Tomorrows for a while?’
‘Sure,’ she admitted with a sigh. ‘But I can’t. I have work to do. Goodbye, Cade. I’ll see you tomorrow.’
‘All right, all right, you win. I’ll ride you home and leave you to your work. Come on, don’t look at me like that. You know darned well I can deliver you to your doorstep in half the time it would take to get there any other way.’
Well, he had her there, she thought, eyeing the big motorcycle parked at the curb. The bike was fast and she knew Cade could maneuver it easily through the crowded streets, taking quick advantage of every hole in the traffic.
‘All right,’ she said finally. ‘I guess you’re right.’
‘I know I am,’ he said, handing her a helmet. ‘Just trust me, okay?. 1 know what I’m doing.’
******
‘Trust me, you said. I know what I’m doing, you said,’ Shannon slid from the Harley as it came to a stop. ‘Where in hell are we?’ she demanded. ‘Damn it, you...you kidnapped me! And why didn’t you stop when I told you to?’
Grinning lazily, Cade eased himself off the bike and pushed his visor up. ‘One question at a time, Padgett. . We’re at Jones Beach. Don’t tell me you’ve never been here before. It’s only thirty-something miles from the city.’
‘Spare me the geography lesson, please. Why didn’t you stop when I asked?’
‘I didn’t hear you,’ he said with wide-eyed innocence. ‘The engine noise must have drowned you out. Besides, you said you wanted to work, didn’t you? Well, this is the perfect place.’
‘Sure it is. Just you and me and the seagulls. Look, you’ve had your little joke. Take me back to the city, OK?’
‘Where’s your spirit of adventure, woman? Just smell that ocean breeze. And wait until you feel the sand between your toes.’
‘I want to feel my living-room carpet between my toes, Cade. And I want to smell the coffee brewing in my percolator.’
‘What a terrific idea,’ he said, taking her hand in his. ‘Coffee and cake... ’
‘Cade...’
‘And the world’s greatest chowder. Well, maybe not the greatest, but...’
‘Will you listen?’
‘You’ve got a choice, Padgett. Chowder and coffee and a walk on the beach and in an hour I’ll take you back to New York and deliver you, safe and sound, at your apartment.’
She looked at him warily. ‘Or?’
‘No chowder, no coffee, no walk and you can make it back to the city on your own. It’s only five miles or so to the main road. You can probably hitch a ride once you get there.’
‘Kidnapping and now blackmail,’ she said in tones as chilled as the salt-laden breeze blowing in from the ocean.
