Page 59 of Perfection

He presented her with a heart-melting lopsided smile, waited for her to enter the spinner, and then climbed in beside her. While dictating destination instructions to the computer, he reached for her hand and gave it a squeeze. Without fuss or judgmental innuendos, he acknowledged her dilemma. He was no doubt aware that this unusual situation frightened her. She softened with his effort.

“Have you ever ridden in one of these?” he asked.

She swallowed. “No.”

“You’re in for a treat. It’s smooth, fast, and remarkably quiet. Unlike flying.” He lifted a brow.

She caught the reference to their wild ride to the morgue. “Good to know.”

The lights flared, and the thing began to hum. He released her hand as they sped into motion.

Her heart rate sped as the spinners took off. It was a smooth ride because the thing moved on air. Energy turned into light as it circled around them in a huge wheel, propelling them through a large tube. She’d known of the tunnels and spinners, had seen information about them on the news from time to time, and now she could say she had experienced one firsthand. She was encountering a lot of firsts since meeting York Richmond.

Five minutes later, they stopped at the docking station beneath her apartment building. “Wow. Not bad.” She laughed shakily upon exiting the craft. “That was a lot better than the bus.”

He shoved his hands in his pockets. “Thanks for giving it a try.”

She glanced up and down the tube, noting lights illuminated the areas where they were, but everything remained pitch-black beyond the docking station. Another spinner approached, discharging lights along the route. It whizzed past them on another track.

“Come on. I’ll walk you to the elevator,” he said.

She followed, thinking she’d like to do it again. She couldn’t believe she’d never considered taking the underground to work. It was just accepted that people like her didn’t use this mode of transportation.

The elevator arrived quickly. York moved in as if to escort her farther. She raised her hand to his arm, then thought better of it and clasped her fingers together. “Thank you. I’m fine going it alone.”

He shrugged one shoulder and stepped back. “Okay. See you in the morning.”

As the elevator doors closed, his eyes held hers, intense and unwavering. Then his hand shot out to stop the doors from closing. “Want me to pick you up on the way in?”

How was it that whenever he made some bold move, her heart beat a little faster? She didn’t even hesitate. “Yes, that would be nice.”

He gave a sharp nod. “Good.”

This time, when he stepped away, the doors shut silently. She had the urge to call him back, but he was gone.