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perfectly natural she
should take a slight leap of faith.
    What was the worst thing that could
happen? Would it really matter if she discovered this infatuation
was superficial? That he wasn’t the type of guy she ever wanted to
see again?
    The opposite scenario—the one that
could have far greater consequences—never entered her mind because
love him or hate him, she’d be leaving in the morning.
    The thought of getting on
that plane and heading half way around the world almost made her
shudder. Why not throw reason to the wind
and have a good time while I can? Heaven knows there will be no
handsome, charming men to socialize with where I’m
going.
    “ Tell you what.” His deep
voice interrupted her thoughts. “If it helps any, we can lay some
ground rules.”
    She looked up at him curiously and
felt impaled by his steady gaze. “Like what?”
    “ Like, you don’t have to
feel obligated to tell me anything about yourself you don’t want
to.”
    Lauren’s heart skipped a beat. “And
vice versa, I suppose?”
    He grinned out of the side of his
mouth. “Of course.”
    She mulled it over a moment. “Okay.
Deal. Except I do have one question I’d like you to
answer.”
    He glanced at her
suspiciously.
    “ It’s just a yes or no
answer—nothing too revealing.”
    “ In that case,
okay.”
    Lauren studied him, her brows creased.
“You’re not an escaped convict, right?”
    Rad put his head back and laughed.
“No.” He held up his hands, palms out, to show his innocence. “No
criminal record. Scout’s honor.”
    His smile was so irresistible, Lauren
had to chuckle too. “That makes me feel a little
better.”
    “ It’s good to be cautious,
I guess.” Rad shook his head.
    “ Can’t blame a girl for
being careful.” Lauren hoped her cheeks weren’t as red as they
felt.
    “ No. I don’t.”
    His voice was soft, and the sincerity
in his gaze made her heart throb in her throat again. Taking a deep
breath to steady it, Lauren made her decision. With an attraction
she could not account for and feelings she could not control, it
seemed reasonable to ignore her usual suspicions and let down her
guard. “I guess I should let loose and just go with it,
right?”
    “ Yes, ma’am.” He smiled
and winked. “Let’s just go with it.”

Chapter 3

    Lauren relaxed a little as
she took in the old familiar sites of the Boardwalk that never
failed to flood her with happy memories. It was such a friendly,
happy atmosphere, she found it impossible to feel anything but a
sense of comfort and contentment.
    “ Here we are.”
    Lauren glanced up at the big red sign
of the Ripley museum when Rad interrupted her thoughts.
    “ Two, please.” He handed
the cashier his cash, but Lauren grabbed his arm. “I can pay for my
own.”
    “ No, it’s my
pleasure.”
    Lauren cocked her head as she gazed at
him. Something about how he said the words made them sound sensuous
and intimate, leaving her spellbound—but Rad didn’t notice. He
clasped her by the wrist and led her through the turnstiles. “Here
we go. Off to the Odditorium!”
    His high spirits and childlike
enthusiasm were contagious. For the first time in five years,
Lauren forgot about her duties, her problems, her
responsibilities—and even her upcoming trip as she followed Rad up
the stairs to the first landing of the museum.
    After pausing to read about the
different exhibits on the way, they both grew quiet and meditative
as they made it to the first floor and studied pieces of the Berlin
Wall in rapt silence. The huge 10-foot by 10-foot cement blocks lay
stacked to the ceiling in all their enormous severity.
    The sign board indicated the original
wall, built to separate East and West Berlin in 1961, was eleven to
thirteen feet high and stretched twenty-eight miles. More than one
hundred thousand people attempted to escape over it, but only a few
thousand were successful.
    Colorful graffiti still
adorned the blocks, and one section in particular caught