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"Everything all right?" For soht

"Of course"

She gave hiet in the car, she shook her head "You don’t look happy You want to talk about it?"

"Do I ever want to talk about it?" he bit out

That didn’t faze her Maylee beamed a smile up at him, still cheery froet so excited over ugly postcards and bumper stickers, all purchased for "Maood listener"

He glanced over at the driver, then noted the street they were on It was quiet, nearly enized at this late hour, but you never knew For so defeat Like ad their creature instead of the independent man he wanted to be

"We’re not far from the hotel," Griffin said, then hesitated "Do you think we’ll get noticed if alk back? I don’t want to have to deal with anything tonight"

She put a finger to her lips and studied hi?"

"Be uest"

Maylee reached up and undid his bow tie She yanked it off and tossed it into the back seat of the car, and then reached forward and loosened the top buttons of his collar, ruer at his to his iination Griffin forced hihts, so he obediently leaned forward

Maylee’s fingers dragged through his gel-stiffened hair and she roughed it up, tousling it into aback, she surveyed her handiwork Then, she shook her head and held out her hand "Jacket?"

He slid it off and held it out to herand tried not to wince when she tossed it in the back of the car, too But then she grabbed his hand and undid his cufflink, rolling up his sleeve His hand was close enough to her body that he i into his palm

He couldn’t have pulled away if he’d tried

Once Maylee had finished rolling up one sleeve, she moved to the other "Much, lance into the tintedat his reflection

Theback had fashionably tousled hair, a ru like his norlasses After a moment’s hesitation, he took those off and handed thenize you at all," she said, pleased "We can take as long as ant on the walk back" And she moved to his side and slid her ar

It was too presu that his mother or anyone in the royal faht of But there was no one around, and it was just a quiet evening street, and she was s up at him like he was special and she wanted to hear what he had to say

And so he placed his hand over hers and led her down the street

They walked a few blocks in silence, enjoying the night air After a few minutes, Maylee squeezed his ar my feet" She leaned on him as she lifted one foot and removed one shoe, than the other

He shouldn’t have been surprised that she’d decided to go barefoot through the streets, he told himself Maybe she never wore shoes at ho around New York City made him smile to hih, tucking her shoes into her free hand She bea a little, too Feeling better?"

"A bit," he adet away," she told hi her face to look at the claustrophobic huddle of buildings around them The snow-capped mountains loo into the air next to him, but Griffin wasn’t cold Her hand on his arets to be too much, and even my apartment doesn’t feel like home, so I take a day and just walk around the city"

He could iine that her apartment didn’t feel like home It probably felt like a cavean unsafe one at that "Where do you like to go in the city?"

"Central Park is pretty," she began

He grimaced Everyone always said the park

"But I like the museums better," she continued "They’re so full of life Not just the people there, but the things Everything there represents so o there and I feel like I’m surrounded by the pinnacle of what people can attain You know? And it refreshes "

Griffin was surprised to hear her say thatsurprised and a bit pleased That seeirl would have "I a advocate of museums"

"Of course you are," she said with a brilliant smile "It’s clear you’re s me, Miss Meriweather?" Because he was Flattered, that is