that far. He was just inappropriate and unnerving. Yes, he added to my anxiety issues, but my reaction to hands coming at my face was due to my mom. Another subject I didn’t want to get into.
I grabbed both of Adam ’s hands in mine. “It’s nothing like that. It’s just a reaction I have sometimes.”
“ Sometimes?”
“ Well, a lot of the time. Except with you.”
“ You trust me.” Once again, he wasn’t asking, he was affirming. But it was also impossible. I didn’t even let Brian or Megan near my face—not that they regularly attempted it. I had been thinking about this a lot, and the only thing I could come up with was that my sense dissolved when I was near Adam. Logical or not, the simple truth was that I reacted to Adam differently than I did to the rest of the world.
Why was that?
I didn’t have an answer.
“ Someone has hurt you, Katelyn. Who is it?”
“ I don’t want to talk about it.” Especially not with him.
His eyes took in the crowded room and he lowered his voice. “Maybe not here and not tonight, but we will talk, Katelyn. Because this—” He motioned between our bodies. “—is hitting me hard. And you feel it, too. Of course, you fight me more than I’d like,” he growled with amusement. Playful Adam was back and I was relieved.
“ Well, I do what I can.”
He gave me that look again, like he was in awe, like he had just seen his first sunrise or something. A girl could get used to that look.
Tim ’s voice rang out. He was telling a joke and everyone laughed. I didn’t want to be there, but I wanted to make sure Simon stayed asleep, because his nanny wouldn’t come until the morning. If he had another bad dream, he’d only have drunk parents to deal with. I’d give it a little more time, but I needed some space from the house.
“ I think I need some air.”
Adam nodded and we headed to the back deck. I leaned forward, resting my forearms on the rail, and looked out over the expanse of land.
B eside me, Adam mimicked my pose.
“ You know, I used to wonder how far I could run before it all just disappeared.”
“ Why don’t you try it now?”
I snorted. “I’m directionally challenged. I’d get myself lost in the dark.”
“ Not if I chased you.”
I looke d over at him. That word chase , he had made clear before, was something he never did.
“ It wouldn’t be wise for someone like you to follow me into the dark and unknown,” I said.
“ Someone like me?”
“ You’re a pretty important man. You might get lost, and then where would we be?”
“ You think I’m important?”
“ Yes, I do.”
His moved closer, his fingers skating down my spine. “I’m glad.”
Chapter Seven
Adam insisted on escorting me home and I was happy to oblige. After an hour had passed, Simon still hadn’t awakened, so I felt okay about leaving.
Adam drove instead of a chauffeur. His car was amazing. A sleek black McLaren, with heated leather seats.
I ’d never known watching a man shift a seven speed could be so hot. He handled the car like he’d been born with it. Every time the accelerator revved and his long legs flex and push the gears on the floorboard, a dose of lust coursed through my veins. His palm relaxed over the stick shift when he reached the speed he wanted and we glided back into the city limits.
I stole another glance at him. “Did you have fun tonight?”
“ I enjoyed your company,” he said.
F or once I kind of liked his cryptic responses. “This probably isn’t how you spend your typical Saturday night, huh?”
He looked at me. “I tend to go where I want to go. Tonight, it was that house, where you were.”
My pulse was beating in my ears. These small glimpses of Adam beneath that tough exterior made my heart do weird things.
“ Do you want to tell me now why you don’t like people touching your face?”
“ No,” I muttered before I could catch myself.
“ It’s a beautiful face.”
Heat rushed to my cheeks. He
I grabbed both of Adam ’s hands in mine. “It’s nothing like that. It’s just a reaction I have sometimes.”
“ Sometimes?”
“ Well, a lot of the time. Except with you.”
“ You trust me.” Once again, he wasn’t asking, he was affirming. But it was also impossible. I didn’t even let Brian or Megan near my face—not that they regularly attempted it. I had been thinking about this a lot, and the only thing I could come up with was that my sense dissolved when I was near Adam. Logical or not, the simple truth was that I reacted to Adam differently than I did to the rest of the world.
Why was that?
I didn’t have an answer.
“ Someone has hurt you, Katelyn. Who is it?”
“ I don’t want to talk about it.” Especially not with him.
His eyes took in the crowded room and he lowered his voice. “Maybe not here and not tonight, but we will talk, Katelyn. Because this—” He motioned between our bodies. “—is hitting me hard. And you feel it, too. Of course, you fight me more than I’d like,” he growled with amusement. Playful Adam was back and I was relieved.
“ Well, I do what I can.”
He gave me that look again, like he was in awe, like he had just seen his first sunrise or something. A girl could get used to that look.
Tim ’s voice rang out. He was telling a joke and everyone laughed. I didn’t want to be there, but I wanted to make sure Simon stayed asleep, because his nanny wouldn’t come until the morning. If he had another bad dream, he’d only have drunk parents to deal with. I’d give it a little more time, but I needed some space from the house.
“ I think I need some air.”
Adam nodded and we headed to the back deck. I leaned forward, resting my forearms on the rail, and looked out over the expanse of land.
B eside me, Adam mimicked my pose.
“ You know, I used to wonder how far I could run before it all just disappeared.”
“ Why don’t you try it now?”
I snorted. “I’m directionally challenged. I’d get myself lost in the dark.”
“ Not if I chased you.”
I looke d over at him. That word chase , he had made clear before, was something he never did.
“ It wouldn’t be wise for someone like you to follow me into the dark and unknown,” I said.
“ Someone like me?”
“ You’re a pretty important man. You might get lost, and then where would we be?”
“ You think I’m important?”
“ Yes, I do.”
His moved closer, his fingers skating down my spine. “I’m glad.”
Chapter Seven
Adam insisted on escorting me home and I was happy to oblige. After an hour had passed, Simon still hadn’t awakened, so I felt okay about leaving.
Adam drove instead of a chauffeur. His car was amazing. A sleek black McLaren, with heated leather seats.
I ’d never known watching a man shift a seven speed could be so hot. He handled the car like he’d been born with it. Every time the accelerator revved and his long legs flex and push the gears on the floorboard, a dose of lust coursed through my veins. His palm relaxed over the stick shift when he reached the speed he wanted and we glided back into the city limits.
I stole another glance at him. “Did you have fun tonight?”
“ I enjoyed your company,” he said.
F or once I kind of liked his cryptic responses. “This probably isn’t how you spend your typical Saturday night, huh?”
He looked at me. “I tend to go where I want to go. Tonight, it was that house, where you were.”
My pulse was beating in my ears. These small glimpses of Adam beneath that tough exterior made my heart do weird things.
“ Do you want to tell me now why you don’t like people touching your face?”
“ No,” I muttered before I could catch myself.
“ It’s a beautiful face.”
Heat rushed to my cheeks. He
Similar Books
