“Yeah. That’s all I know about him.”
“That’s all?”
“Well…” A smile slipped across my face. “And he’s really hot.”
We both burst into laughter at the same time the front doorbell rang.
Juliana’s eyes went wide. “That’s probably him.”
I grabbed my purse. “How do I look?”
“Amazing.” She pushed me toward the door. “Tell me everything when you return.”
“I will.” I patted my fingers along the sides of my lips, looking for any smudged lipstick.
At the front door, I took a deep breath and flung it open. Rodrigo stood on the porch, looking amazing in tight jeans, a T-shirt, and a leather jacket.
He looked me up and down, and then—realizing what he was doing—returned his gaze to my face. I’d already clocked his expression though; he liked what he saw.
The red slip dress, I was happy to see, had been the right choice for the evening.
“Hi.” I congratulated myself on my ability to remain cool.
“Hi.” Rodrigo’s eyes danced. “You look wonderful.”
“So do you.”
He offered me his arm—something that had never happened before. Was this a Brazilian thing? Or a Rodrigo thing?
Either way, I accepted by wrapping my own arm around it. Rodrigo led us to the street, where a motorcycle waited.
Of course. Because why wouldn’t someone as suave as him drive a motorcycle?
“I hope you don’t mind.” He handed me a helmet.
“So long as you don’t crash.”
“I’m a very good driver.”
“That’s what everyone says.”
His gaze stayed on mine. “I’m not everyone.”
My heart somersaulted. No, he most certainly was not.
We climbed onto the motorcycle, and I wrapped my arms around his waist. Despite the fact that he was nearly a foot taller than me, we fit perfectly together. My heart started pounding, and I worried that he would feel it.
If he could, he gave no indication. We took off into the night, zipping down the street.
I waited for the panic to set in. I’d never been on a motorcycle before. Never put my life in the hands of someone I barely knew.
But the panic never came. Instead, I felt an elation as we weaved in and out of traffic. A thrill.
I could have stayed there forever, my arms around Rodrigo’s waist, the two of us flying through the sparkling city. In no time at all, though, the ride was over and we were arriving at a small restaurant.
“How was that for you?” He offered his hand to help me off the seat.
“Great.” I removed the helmet and fluffed my hair. “I wouldn’t mind just riding around all night long.”