The Wrong Path - By Vivian Marie Aubin du Paris Page 0,53

and tell them to get back inside. They were safe.

They hurried to his car, Will unlocking her door and holding it open for her. As he shut it, she reached across his seat to his door and pushed it open.

He caught it and slid in, flashing a charming, mischievous grin at her. He slid the key in, and unlike normal when he gunned the engine and took off, he started it quietly and drove slowly down to the end of the road. Once there, he took off with lightning speed, the tires squealing with protest. Annabelle let out a shriek and he laughed, lowering the top on the convertible. She couldn’t resist laughing as her hair whipped around her face in the warm night air, the rush of wind freeing and exhilarating as they drove.

“Where are we going?” she finally asked, over the music.

He shrugged. “Where do you want to go?” he asked back, grinning.

They were such powerful words. It was like the whole world was laid out in front of them. They could go anywhere; do anything. Will’s mood, so full of life, was contagious, and she felt herself be drawn further into him.

“Where do you go when you sneak out at night?” she asked.

He laughed. “Despite what you may think, Belle, I usually only sneak out because someone got in trouble and needed a ride somewhere.” He looked over at her and winked. “I need my beauty rest, you know.”

She laughed out loud. It felt like every time she was with Will she learned more about him—another secret he never told anyone. It was addictive, and the more she learned, the more she wanted to know. “I won’t tell,” she assured him. “Wouldn’t want to ruin your rep or anything.”

“’preciate that,” he teased.

She grinned and looked around. “Well you seem to be the one with all sorts of secret fun spots. Are there any more that you haven’t shown me?”

He shot her a devilish smile. “There’s a few more.”

Another secret she could be privy to. She was almost giddy with excitement. “Well then take me to one of them,” she ordered.

“Bossy,” he shot out at her.

“Chauffer,” she shot back.

He glanced at her and grinned. She returned it with a brilliant smile of her own and settled back to see where he would take her.

***

“It’s so warm,” Annabelle gasped, slipping her fingers into the water.

Will laughed, even as he perched on the dock and pulled off his sneakers. “Did you think I’d take you swimming if it were freezing?” he countered.

“Maybe,” she returned, making a face at him. She looked around nervously at the secluded lake. “Are you sure this place is safe?” she asked.

He arched an eyebrow, then grinned devilishly. Barefoot, he walked over to her. “Afraid you’re going to be kidnapped and murdered out in the middle of nowhere?” he teased.

She felt a shred of terror go through her. “Well now that you mention it…” she drawled flatly.

He laughed and pulled on her hand, drawing her toward the dock. “This place is totally safe. Nothing’s going to happen to you.”

“You say that now,” she muttered. “Little late.” Still, she sat beside him on the dock and started pulling off her shoes and socks. She hesitated when she got to her jeans, wishing that she’d brought a swim suit.

Hands suddenly took her shoulders, turning her. She looked up, startled to see Will standing in front of her, his long-sleeved white button-down in his hands. He held up his hands, indicating she should put the shirt on.

“You’re going to run out of clothes pretty soon,” she couldn’t resist teasing, even as she slid her arms into the sleeves. She turned back to face him, buttoning up the shirt over her tank top.

Will grinned down at her. “My master plan is to leave you with all of my clothes so that I never have to do laundry again. I’ll just hop across the window to get dressed every morning. It’s genius.”

She laughed out loud, turning away to slide out of her tank top under Will’s shirt. She turned back, her breath catching in her throat as she saw Will discard his t-shirt beside his shoes. She could see each muscle in his chest and his arms, each one taunt and defined. She had never known, under his layers of clothes, that Will had worked out.

But then, she guessed, it made sense for him to be in shape… He spent enough time outdoors.

Embarrassed that she was staring, she quickly averted her