Page 33 (1/2)

She reached the first post at the bus stop and gripped it until she was steady This was good enough Holding on to the postas long as she kept up deep breaths She didn’t want to be sloppy when she ith Brady

A sleek black Lexus pulled up in front of the bus stop, and Liz s on to the bus stop post had helped her addled mind, and she was able to more nimbly walk around the vehicle She opened the car door and slid into the black leather passenger seat It s, and powerful If that were a specific smell, she would only associate it with Brady

He pulled away from the bus stop as soon as her door closed She tilted her head back and stared at hiether He didn’t let go and instead held her hand in his lap It felt natural, as if he had always been doing it

"I’ her thumb in circles on his hand Whatever had hit her so hard at the bar was fading away to a nice numbness

"I have a surprise for you, if you’re up for it," he said, glancing over at her

"A surprise?" she asked, narrowing her eyes The last big surprise had been the lake house What other surprise could he have up his sleeve? "We’re not going to the lake, are we?"

"No This is better More i word "I sure hope that surprise involves a bed"

Brady chuckled and shook his head "I’lad you had fun How drunk are you, anyway?"

"Gone," she whispered

"Are you feeling up to so else? Or should I take you home?" he asked, concerned

"At least take me to a hotel so I can sleep with you" She scooted over and rested her head on his shoulder She was surprised, having not looked at anything aside fro on a suit "You’re wearing a T-shirt," she hter

"You should wear theet le

"I think you need so the top of her head

"I was going to get sooing anyway?"

"You’ll see Do you need me to stop?" he asked her

"No I’ll be okay," she told hiet there"

"I can do that How far away are we?" She had no idea where they were going, and Brady didn’t seeo somewhere where they could be alone She preferred it that way; then there wouldn’t be any tension holding them back

"Not too far Maybe twenty to thirty minutes Just relax We’ll be there soon," he told her Liz nodded, nuzzled into his shoulder, and closed her eyes

"Baby," Brady whispered against her hair, "it’s time to wake up"

Liz fluttered her eyes open and yawned She hadn’t even realized that she had fallen asleep, but she had been completely out of it for the entire car ride

They rounded a corner into a corooate around the entrance, and rows of clean cars This certainly wasn’t student housing Brady pulled into a spot in front of one of the buildings and cut the engine Liz looked around, suddenly feeling otten into the car

Liz looked at Brady in confusion "Where are we?"

Brady was s from ear to ear He was beyond happy at the moment, and she didn’t knohy

"I’ll show you," Brady said, exiting the car and co around the side to help her out

Brady opened the door for her and she took his hand as she stood Seemed that the car ride had helped sober her up ht She wasn’t even that wobbly on her feet She could still use soet sick later

He slid her hand in the crook of his elbow Liz looked down in surprise, then around the apartht be watched "Brady, is this all right?" she asked, knowing he would get what she ht now It’s fine Calm down," he said with a smile

Liz walked with his Her earlier buzz had dissipated, and she didn’t like not knohat she was getting herself into

Brady knocked on the door twice, and they waited there for so inward and a tall guy with sandy brown hair answered the door He earing a UNC T-shirt and khaki shorts despite the late hour He sht you were never going to show!" the guy said as the two hugged each other with pats on the back

"Sorry Had to pick up sohly confused Wasn’t Brady going to freak out? Who was this guy? And as Brady allowing theuys acted co the it

Liz walked down a hallway and into aroom with an enormous flat-screen TV round in blacks and whites and a splash of blue here and there