by Trudi Jaye
Frowning, she shook her head emphatically. “I just had other things to think about. He… uh… didn’t say anything else, did he?”
“He didn’t seem too bothered by it, so I figured you probably didn’t date him, if that’s what you’re asking.”
She looked relieved but didn’t say anything. The silence stretched for a moment, and Zeph was about to turn and go when she nodded to the chair across from her. “You can sit there if you like. Just until you finish your drink.”
***
He sat down, close enough Missy could smell his cologne mixed with the scent of sweat and coffee. Something stirred inside, and she checked him out under her lashes. A long fringe partially hid his eyes, sexy stubble covered his chin, and his muscular frame was hidden under jeans and a crinkled black shirt. He’d ditched the leather jacket since he’d come inside. Missy swallowed over a suddenly dry throat.
He turned and caught her staring. She couldn’t look away—his electric-blue eyes caught and kept her attention, for some reason familiar yet alien to her. Tingles erupted in her stomach and she took a sip of her drink to cover her nerves.
“So what’s a nice girl like you doing in a joint like this?” he said with a sparkle in those already hypnotic eyes.
Missy’s breath caught in her chest. She was suddenly not sure she wanted interaction after all. What was she going to talk about? A sob story about how her parents had left her all alone? How she’d had to kill someone who’d pulled a knife on her during a performance? How she was part of a circus and did contortionist work?
That last one usually ensured a gleam in their eyes, as they imagined what she could do in bed.
Missy sighed. She just wasn’t up for it tonight; all she wanted to do was rant. She wished Garth wasn’t miles away. She wouldn’t be in this situation if he were here. But he and his girlfriend Maddy had gone to visit her parents. She didn’t envy Garth that experience. They sounded like they were going to disapprove of everything about the Carnival, including Garth.
“You from around here?” he asked, taking a sip of the ridiculous cocktail in his hands. She wondered how he’d ended up with it. The same way she had, probably.
She nodded, not looking in his direction. “You?”
“Nope. Just passing through.”
Missy’s interest rose a little at that. If he wasn’t from around here, then he couldn’t pass on her secrets to the rest of the nosy bastards. She wouldn’t have to look at him six months from now and wonder if she knew him from somewhere.
“What’s your name?”
“Missy.”
“Well, Missy, you look a little pissed off,” he said.
She rolled her eyes, unable to completely squash the anger spitting around inside her. “I’ve got a stupid boss who thinks she knows everything better than I do. Who doesn’t listen, even when I have a brilliant idea.” She took a breath. It felt better to get out even a small rant.
He smiled, showing a set of perfect teeth to match that handsome face. It was almost embarrassing how attractive he was. “That sounds like almost every boss I ever had.” He took a sip of his drink. “So what was this great idea you had?”
Glancing over at him, Missy considered what she should tell him. Not that she was a contortionist and high-wire act in a circus; that was certain. “I thought we should try something different, and my boss thinks we need to keep everything the same. Just because we’re not doing so well at the moment, she doesn’t want to rock the boat. But she doesn’t understand that doing my new… thing would mean we’d start doing better. It’d shake things up a little. Move with the times.” Missy took another breath. She shook her head. “Anyway, we just had a massive bust-up, and now I’m trying to figure out what to do.”
He nodded, his blue eyes melting with sympathy. “Sounds rough.”
A feeling of familiarity crept over Missy. Had she met this guy before? A panicked flutter escaped her stomach. “Have you ever been to Madison before?” she said.
He looked surprised, then shook his head. “Not since I was a little kid.”
Missy smiled. “Good.”
“Why so good? Do you have a reputation around here that I should be worried about?”
“What’s it matter to you if I have a reputation? You’re just some guy I’m talking to in a bar.” Missy scowled at him.
He nodded and grinned. “Point taken. But what if I want to buy you another cocktail? Will I get beaten up by your weight-lifter husband?”
Missy sputtered on the sip she’d just taken. “Dear God, no. I’m a troublemaker, not crazy.”
“Then how do you make trouble?”
Missy lifted a single eyebrow. “Every which way I can.” She grinned.
He laughed. “You sound like my kind of girl. So what’s it like living around here?” He glanced around the small bar, taking in the locals.
“It’s okay. Usual small town.”
He nodded. “I hear there’s a weird circus commune around here somewhere.” He made a silly face, but his eyes showed interest.
Missy’s heart skipped a beat, but then she remembered she didn’t have to be honest with this guy. He was just passing through. She’d never see him again. “Sure. On the forest side.”
“You ever see them?”
“They come into town every now and again. There are a few shops in town that cater to them. Costume design, high wire powder, that kind of thing.” Not exactly lying. She took a sip of her drink, determined to be normal for just one night. She cleared her throat, searching for something to say. “So what do you do?”
“I’m into motorbikes.”
“A mechanic?” Her childhood obsession made her ask, and she leaned forward a little.
He hesitated, as if he didn’t want to tell her too much about himself, and then nodded.
Missy smiled. He was perfect. Not too clingy, not interested in talking about himself, and he’d be gone tomorrow so she wouldn’t see him again. She decided she didn’t have to be herself for one night.
“Where do you live normally?” she asked.
“California. Outskirts of L.A.”
Missy nodded, almost to herself, and took another sip of her cocktail. She watched through her lashes as he started to tap one of his fingers on his glass in time to the music from the jukebox and glanced around the packed room.
His gaze swung abruptly back to hers. “You want to grab something to eat? Is there somewhere good around here?”
“One condition.”
He raised his eyebrows.
“You tell me your name,” said Missy.
He paused. “Zee. My name’s Zee.”
CHAPTER THREE
Zeph tried to remember when he’d had such a good time with a woman. The usual groupies on the extreme motorbike circuit were all the same; they just wanted a piece of the fame and fortune, or they wanted a kickback from the adrenaline that was floating so heavily in the air around the riders on tour. They would have been fawning all over him by now. And the two women who rode bikes on the tour were his buddies, both already married.
He looked at Missy as she sat across from him in the booth. She’d suggested they stay at the hotel but move to a booth in the restaurant section, and he’d agreed easily. He much preferred to stick close to his hotel.
Her long, dark hair framed her face while her hazel-flecked eyes watched him with a wariness he tried to decipher. Was it because she’d just met him? Or was she like this with everyone?
Mostly, he didn’t have to work that hard with women. They just fell into his bed. He was confident in his looks and abilities, and there were plenty of women who appreciated that. But Missy was different. He didn’t know what was going to happen. Would she follow him back to his room? Or would she smile and say good night? He had no idea, and it was a thrill.
“You folks order the nachos?” The waitress stood over them, holding a large plate of nachos in one hand.
“Yes, that’s us. Thank you.” He smiled at the w
aitress, and she immediately straightened out of her tired slouch.
“You let me know if you need anything else, honey.” She smiled back at Zeph and moved away.
“Wow, does that work on all the ladies?” Missy watched him with a fake impressed expression.
He shrugged one shoulder and smirked. “You gotta use what you got. Now she’ll look after us a little better.”
“So the answer is yes, it does work on the ladies. But it doesn’t mean anything to you.” Missy frowned for a moment, and he wondered if this was going to be it, the place where she decided she was going to run. He held his breath.
But then her face cleared and she stayed put. She reached out one hand and snagged a corn chip from the pile in front of her. A piece of stringy cheese attached itself to her chip, and she had to work at getting it to pull away from the rest of the meal.
He watched, fascinated, as if he’d never seen anyone eat before. There was something about her he couldn’t quite work out. She’d seemed so self-contained at first, elegant but with a few sharp edges thrown in to make things interesting. But now he couldn’t help feeling he could sense an air of vulnerability around her, like the face she presented to the world was just a very clever, tightly woven facade. He’d become slightly obsessed with breaking down that facade.
“So what do you do, Missy?”
Missy glanced up at him, her mouth full of cheese and her eyes panicked. “I’m… uh… a waitress,” she managed.
She was lying, and he wanted to be annoyed at her. But he’d let her think he was a mechanic named Zee, so he really didn’t have the moral high ground. He reminded himself he’d be gone tomorrow, as soon as he got his mother back.
“So what else do you like to do?”
Missy blinked again, and Zeph figured she was going to try to make up some hobbies as well. “Look, you don’t have to tell me anything if you don’t want to. Just don’t lie.”
She swallowed and then sighed. “I like to do things that involve being high off the ground,” she said.
“So you’re an adrenaline junkie?”
Missy nodded, crunching on another chip.
“Me too. Dirt bikes mostly.”
“Anything else?” Missy said, resting her chin on one hand.
“Sure. Anything that gets the heart pumping, I’m probably into.”
“So what’s the most hardcore thing you’ve ever done?” Missy asked.
“Take your pick. I’ve parachuted out over the jungle in South America. I’ve skied black diamond runs. I’ve done free jumping, abseiling, basically climbed and jumped from any number of high places.” He shrugged, trying to show it was no big deal, when sometimes he knew his obsession with adrenaline went too far. It was like he was daring himself to go to greater extremes without really understanding why.
Missy grinned. “That sounds cool. I’m into heights, but I’ve never done anything like that.”
Zeph paused, looking at the mixture of anticipation and envy on her face. “I’d offer to take you somewhere high up to jump off, but we’re probably never going to see each other again after tonight.” He rubbed his bad leg. He probably wouldn’t even be able to do anything like that at the moment.
Reaching out to take another cheesy nacho, Missy nodded. “You’re right. We’re not going to see each other again. But you’re wrong about not being able to go somewhere high.”
Zeph blinked and his hand stilled on his thigh. “I might not actually be able to do anything much at the moment.” He glanced down at his leg. The ache in his chest was like a rock. He didn’t want to be this guy, someone who couldn’t leap up and do whatever he wanted.
Missy glanced down toward his leg where it was hidden beneath the table, pity in her eyes. “If you’re not up for it, I’ll understand,” she said. “I didn’t mean to upset you.”
Zeph’s hand clenched. The pity in her eyes was more than he could stand at the moment. “Anything you can do, I can do,” he said abruptly. He’d never liked being told he shouldn’t or couldn’t do something.
She raised her eyebrows. “Is that so?”
“Yes. I’m so sure about this, I think we should bet on it.” He knew he was pushing it further than he should, but he couldn’t help himself.
“What kind of bet?” Missy didn’t look worried or intimidated. She looked intrigued.
Zeph smiled and waved a hand wide. “I don’t know where you’re taking me or what you have in mind, but I figure the one of us who does it better wins. And the person who wins gets a boon from the person who loses.”
“A boon? What the hell does that mean?”
“Like a favor, but it can be anything. The winner gets to order the loser to do whatever they want.”
“I’d question that, except I know I’m going to win, so you’ll be doing whatever I want rather than the other way around.” She gave him a smug smile over the corn chip she was about to put in her mouth.
“We’ll see about that.” Zeph grinned. This was turning out to be an interesting night.
CHAPTER FOUR
Missy led Zee outside, wondering if she’d lost her mind. This wasn’t what normal people did on a Friday night. Other people went out to dinner or went to a bar with friends or even spent the evening at home watching television. They didn’t leave a comfortable bar or restaurant to go to the local cliff face in the dark with no safety gear.
She grinned.
It had been her idea, and to be honest, she couldn’t think of anything else she’d rather be doing. The surge of excitement as she thought about it was enough to make her want to skip a little as they walked in the parking lot.
She led Zee to his vintage motorcycle. “Are you sure you’re okay to drive?”
Zee nodded. “All good. Only two drinks all evening, even if one of them was that awful cocktail.”
“Okay, then let’s go.”
He nodded, a hint of anticipation on his face. Zee handed her a helmet and she climbed into the sidecar.
“Just head out of town in that direction,” Missy pointed. “I’ll tap your leg when we need to turn onto Ridge Road. We’re going to Madison Ridge.” A zing of anticipation zipped along Missy’s veins. This was more like it—she should have known better than to try to drown her sorrows in the bar. A bit of action was all it took to make her feel better again. “It shouldn’t be too difficult for an adrenaline junkie like you.”
Zee revved up the engine. Missy held on to the side, and they were off in a roar of noise. She glanced up at Zee. He’d been reluctant at first, but Zee would be fine at Madison Ridge, even with his sore leg. They could both get an adrenaline rush without any hard climbing. And she could go farther out on the ledge if she wanted to. She was pretty certain she was going to win any kind of competition with him, especially given his leg, but she could make sure he had fun too.
She grinned into the wind smashing against her face. The full moon overhead made the landscape whipping past seem pale and mysterious. Zee was definitely a little bit crazy. She was used to all sorts of crazy, living with the Carnival, but this was something different, a kind of exuberance she hadn’t encountered before. A desire to experience life at a full sprint, to let nothing go by without an answer.
She loved it.
As they neared the turnoff, Missy tapped his leg. “Turn up ahead.”
Zee nodded, although Missy doubted he could hear over the noise of the engine and the wind whipping past them. But he slowed the bike and turned off at the correct place, which showed he’d been listening earlier.
The gravel road was bumpy going, but it didn’t last long and was almost entirely uphill through the forest that covered much of the surrounding landscape. She pointed toward the small clearing in the trees, near the path that would take them to the final part of their journey upward. In the moonlight, it seemed ethereal and otherworldly.
“We just have a short walk up there,” she said, gesturing toward the path. “I think your leg should be okay.” She glanced up at t
he walk and then back at Zee, wondering if she was overestimating his abilities.
“I’ll be fine,” he said, his voice almost a growl.
Missy shrugged and started walking up the path between the trees. It had been a while since she’d come up here—they used to make the trip as teenagers, when they felt the need to test themselves and their abilities. Funny how Zee brought that out in her.
She wasn’t even breathing hard when she broke out of the trees into the rocky outlook she’d been heading to. It was a rugged cliff top looking out over the surrounding forest, the drop made deeper by a large quarry at the base. At one side was a craggy old tree with massive roots clinging to the cliff top and some of its biggest branches unfurling out over the gaping pit below. Missy went and stood at the edge, holding on to a tree branch, and looked down. It was dizzying and breathtaking at the same time. It made her feel alive for the first time in a long while, and Missy took a deep breath, trying to remind herself of what was important.
“Wow, this is amazing.” Zee had come to stand beside her, taking in the moonlit view. His breath heaved in and out, but he was otherwise focused on the scene in front of them.
Missy looked out again and realized she was taking the midnight beauty of the valley for granted. For her, it was all about the height and the adrenaline, when actually, the view itself was pretty amazing. “Yeah, it is nice.”
“So this is it? Your challenge is to stand up here?” said Zee. He lifted one eyebrow at her.
Missy gazed at him silently for a moment, tempted to be really mean to him in return for that scorn. But she could see the climb up the hill had been hard on him, and he was trying to hide it. “What happened to your leg?” she asked instead.
He frowned, and for a moment, she thought he wasn’t going to answer her. “I was in an accident,” he said eventually. “It was pretty bad, multiple broken bones, punctured lung, scrapes, and internal bleeding, that kind of thing. I don’t think I was expected to live in the beginning, and then they thought I wouldn’t be able to walk again; I’d crushed my leg so badly.”