My first kiss turned out to be nothing like I’d expected. Then again, I wasn’t sure if it would count, considering it was under duress.

I touched a finger to my lips, glancing towards Owen as we made our way down the highway. The apartment complex was but a speck on the horizon, and I was struck by the reality of the situation. I had escaped. I was leaving my father’s supervision, pursuing a life of my own. No one could stop me; no one could hope to get in my way.

Owen remained silent in the driver’s seat. He seemed determined to keep his eyes focused on the road as I fidgeted beside him. There was so much I wanted to ask him, so much I wanted to learn about this mysterious mission he’d been sent on.

Perhaps foolishly, I considered him something of a savior. I knew there had to be much more to his presence than just getting me out of my boring old apartment complex.

It occurred to me belatedly that it probably had something to do with my father. Were they planning to try to get information out of me? More importantly, would I provide it? I couldn’t imagine betraying my father in that way, even though this stranger had essentially saved my life.

Perhaps that was an exaggeration, saying he had saved my life. It wasn’t as if I were in any danger. I suppose it was more of a matter of being saved from mediocrity, but that didn’t really seem to fit either. Being the daughter of a wanted criminal was probably one of the more exciting experiences in the world, though there was a price.

“Owen,” I began, focusing my attention on him in an attempt to tame my frenzied thoughts.

He seemed to be ignoring me, though I wasn’t sure why. Maybe he hadn’t heard me.

“Owen, what’s this all about?” I tried again, reaching out to touch his shoulder.

He chewed on the inside of his cheek, and it was obvious he wasn’t going to be forthcoming with his answers.

“You should try and get some rest while you can,” he mumbled, reaching out to switch on the radio.

I pouted, resigning myself to fiddling with the knob to change the station. I almost expected to be chastised, but he seemed intent upon playing it cool.

“I’m not tired. Is Owen even your real name?” I continued to press, still not entirely sure how I should feel about the situation. Though the man’s intervention had made my escape all the easier, I still felt strange about being taken from my apartment in the middle of the night. I wondered if I should be afraid, but he did say he was with the government.

Unless that was a lie…

“Are you really with the government? Are you going to take me to some sort of…sex cave and have your wicked way with me?” I demanded, ignoring the excitement that fluttered in my chest at the sheer thought of it.

He glanced at me from the corner of his eye, his lips curling up at the corners.

“Seems like you’ve read a lot of romance novels. Just how repressed are you, Emily?” he teased, and I felt my face heat up.

He seemed all too aware of the effect he was having on me, obviously enjoying himself a little too much.

I pouted, crossing my arms and staring out the window. I couldn’t decide if I liked this guy, or if he grated on my nerves.

At the very least, he was handsome. If I had to be kidnapped and possibly taken to a sex cave, I’d rather it be with someone like Owen than…well, I shuddered to think of the possible alternatives.

“You didn’t really give me an answer. Is there a brothel in my future?” I asked, though there was a teasing lilt to my voice this time.

He chuckled throatily, but didn’t even glance in my direction. It was like riding with a statue! I wasn’t used to being ignored, and I was sure I didn’t like the feeling.

“Come on. You can’t just ignore me the whole time,” I whined.

He sighed, switching the radio station while keeping one hand on the steering wheel.

“I was listening to that,” I huffed.

“No you weren’t. It was in Spanish,” he muttered, calling my bluff.

I frowned, crossing my arms petulantly.

“I might speak Spanish. You don’t know me all that well,” I argued, mostly just eager to keep the conversation going.

If he realized what I was doing, he seemed content enough to let me have my fun. He rolled his eyes, turning the radio up as some punk rock song blasted through the speakers.

“It’s not in your records. I would know. Listen to some teen angst anthems and enjoy your new streak of rebellion,” he said dismissively.

I frowned, though I couldn’t deny the song was catchy. It wasn’t as if I’d ever had the opportunity to enjoy a proper rebellious phase. 21 years old seemed a bit old for that, but you had to take the hand life dealt you.

“What would you know about being rebellious? You work for the government. That’s not very punk rock of you,” I said with a smirk.

That seemed to get to him, and he glared at me for a moment before turning his attention back to the road.

“Joining the military was my rebellious streak. My Dad wasn’t happy,” he huffed, turning the radio up.

I parted my lips to speak, but he kept increasing the volume until I was entirely drowned out. Taking the hint to be quiet, I settled unhappily in my seat and stared out the window. I could feel him glancing at me from time to time and made a point to sigh dramatically every time.

Several sighs later, he reached out to turn the radio down.

“Are you going to do that for the whole ride?” he inquired plaintively.

“Yes. You don’t want to talk to me, so I have to entertain myself somehow,” I said coolly.

“That’s not very punk rock of you,” he muttered, almost too quietly for me to hear him. He glanced towards me with a slight quirk of his lips as I began to giggle. “Well, it’s not,” he continued, reaching out to give my shoulder a slight shove.

I buried my face in my hands and tried to stifle my laughter, but it seemed to be a lost cause.

“You wouldn’t know punk rock if it bit you on the ass,” I teased.

Owen smirked to himself, keeping his eyes straight ahead.

“Are you offering?” he asked slyly.

I felt my face grow red, heat blooming in my cheeks. He chuckled at my obvious inexperience, but I was certain I could outdo him in this little battle of wits.

“Maybe. Depends on how nice you are to me. I can show you what rebellion really is.”

He laughed, a loud and uproarious sound that seemed to have no shame. I didn’t think what I’d said was all that funny, but he seemed to think it was the most hilarious thing he’d ever heard. I scowled at him, and he peeked at me before laughing even harder.

“You’d never even been kissed before tonight. Big words, don’t you think?” he teased.

My eyes widened, and I sputtered incoherently for a moment before turning up the radio volume to drown him out. He laughed loud enough to hear over the volume, but I found that I rather liked his laughter. I kept that thought to myself, however, as the radio blasted through the car and we made our way to some unknown destination.

Unknown to me, at least.

I found myself watching his expression as he drove the streets that seemed all too familiar to him even though I was certain he hadn’t been there before. I suppose if you drove one highway, you’ve driven them all. Still, I felt a certain tingle between my thighs every time he glanced over at me, his eyes alight with mirth. I liked the fact that I could be the source of that amusement, even if it was at my expense.

“You stole my first kiss, you know. I don’t know if it should count, considering,” I said, with no small amount of sass in my tone.

He frowned, pulling the car to the side of the road, much to my surprise. He came to a sudden stop, turning to face me head on.

“What, would you rather have a more romantic scenario?” he inquired huskily.

I stammered, feeling my cheeks grow warm.

“On a back street, alone, with only the stars and the moon to watch? Is that what you’d like, Miss Madden?” he continued to press, and I found my lips parting of their own accord.

“Something like that. I don’t suppose you’d be able to provide such a specific service? After all, it wouldn’t do well for your superiors to find out,” I purred.

He hesitated, looking as if he were considering my words. He leaned in slightly, and I made to close the distance between us.

Disappointingly, he simply kissed me on the cheek before pulling back out onto the road. I stared at him, mouth agape, as we continued down the highway. He paid me little mind, or at least pretended to.

“Oh, well, I’ll be sure to let any future suitors know about your requirements, just to avoid any missteps. I wouldn’t want your second kiss to be anything less than perfect,” he said calmly.

I gritted my teeth, internally cursing him while pleading for him to make some kind of move. I returned to my sulky staring out the window, crossing my arms and exhaling a dramatic sigh.

“Be sure that you do. I’d hate to lead a poor boy astray,” I drawled.

God, what had I gotten myself into?

I couldn’t wait to find out.