by Knight, Amie
I’d tried not to look at her tonight. To not care. Just to be there and get done what I had to get done, but I couldn’t help it. When I’d seen her on the sidewalk earlier in the day she’d barely looked at me. I’d wanted to engage her in more conversation, but she seemed anxious and on edge, and then she’d dashed away like she couldn’t stand to be near me. I’d gone by the old building to see about Boone to only have his mother tell me he’d been in jail for the last five years for armed robbery. Served his ass right. He was one less thing I had to worry about.
Tonight had been a true test of my patience. I couldn’t help but stare at her from across the room. God, she was all fucking woman now. In that dress that was meant to tempt me. I could feel it all the way down to my toes. That black dress screamed look at me and that seemed to be all I could do all night. I could only believe that dress was a deliberate choice on her part. For me. And goddamn if that didn’t piss me off.
I didn’t know how she managed to even get it on. But somehow, she was wearing it. And I knew for a fact, as I’d been studying it so hard throughout the night, that there wasn’t a damn pair of panties beneath. Not a decent pair, anyway. Her long tan legs were no longer those of a skinny and gangly teenager. No, her calves were round and brown and I’d thought about my mouth on them on more than one occasion this evening. It made me murderous.
But nothing compared to looking at her now. Her face. It was still the most gorgeous face I’d ever seen. It made my heart skip in my chest. It made me want to kiss her breathless. It made me want to rage.
“I’m not your boss, Liv. And you damn well know it.”
An eyebrow arched and her lips twisted. “Could have fooled me. You did buy the place I work in, did you not?”
The sass. I missed it, even if it pissed me off. I leaned closer to her, irrevocably drawn to her. It was a blessing. It was a curse. I placed my hands on the wall on either side of her gorgeous head. Her hair was shorter and styled. Her eyes were lined with makeup, her lips painted red. My Luna was a fucking woman. A beautiful one. And I’d missed it. It almost broke my heart all over again.
“You still report to Cat,” I said, my lips too near hers. I could already taste her.
“That’s semantics, Mister Nova,” she whispered back, her chest brushing mine with every breath. In that moment, her eyes reminded me of years ago—dreamy. It snapped me right back into the moment. We couldn’t afford to dream. I was here to get shit done. And I couldn’t let Liv get caught in the crosshairs.
“What did he want?” I asked quietly.
Her dreamy eyes fled the building, confusion filling them. “What did who want?”
“Braden,” I growled, the name sour in my mouth. The mere mention of him made me want to lose my shit.
She pushed off the wall, forcing me to back up. “I don’t think it’s any of your business what anyone wants with me, Adam.”
I looked at the ceiling of the planetarium, praying for patience, because God, I knew I was dealing with the most insufferably stubborn woman on the planet. I ran my hands through my hair and took a deep breath so I didn’t lose it.
“Now’s not the time for your shit.”
She squeaked and brought a finger to her chest. “My shit?” She took a step closer, her voice getting louder as she repeated, “My shit? Are you fucking kidding me right now?”
I winced at her use of the word fuck. I’d never liked it when she cussed, not ten years ago and not now. “Don’t cuss—”
“Oh no,” she cut me off. “Oh fucking no. If there is any time for my expert use of the word fuck, tonight is the night, Adam. You don’t get to come back here and boss me around and question me about things without so much as a fucking hello. Who do you think you are?”
I wanted to tell her I was the boy who loved her. The man who cared about her. That despite what my brain was telling me, my heart was all in. That I was the first and I should have been the last.
She must have seen the self-assuredness on my face because she didn’t even let me get a word in edgewise. “You think because you have money now, because you’re big shit, you can boss me around? Wrong, Mister Nova.” Her hand snapped around in that adorable way females did when they were being brassy and bold.
That hand waving around, that cheeky look in her eyes made my cock impossibly hard.
“You should know that your money and clout don’t mean a damn thing to me. You are not going to tell me whom I can talk to. Not after ten years. Ten fucking years with nothing. Not one word.”
I about blew a gasket. White, hot anger shot through me like an arrow right to the chest. “You should fucking talk!” I shouted.
She jumped at my voice, but my rage didn’t deter her own. “You have to be kidding me.” She rolled her eyes. “Unbelievable.”
It was unbelievable. The fact she’d never tried to contact me. Not a letter. Not a fucking phone call. Not a visit. For three long years, I waited on her to reach out, knowing that if I tried, I may never get out. I’d been sentenced to seven years for aggravated assault and breaking and entering, and I knew one slipup from me would have me serving my entire sentence. I had to be on my best behavior and I knew if Sheriff Rothchild found I’d contacted Liv, I’d never get out of that hellhole. I had my excuses, my reasons. She had nothing.
I decided right in that moment I wouldn’t let my old hurt feelings dictate her safety now. We couldn’t change the past. This conversation was about Braden. Not us. There wasn’t an us. There hadn’t been in a long time.
“I don’t want you talking to Braden. I don’t even want you in the same room with him.”
She let out a long, sarcastic chuckle that set my teeth on edge. Couldn’t she understand the importance of this?
“I don’t give a shit what you want, Adam. Not even a little bit.” She turned to walk out of the hallway and back to the Gala, but I grabbed her elbow, dragging her until her back hit my front.
Leaning down, I smelled the clean scent of her hair. “Why did you come back? After everything, why are you here?” It was a desperate whisper full of all the things I couldn’t say. It was a whisper that held years’ worth of heartache and longing.
She leaned back into me, almost laying her head back on my chest. She was quiet for so long I thought she wouldn’t answer until she pulled away from my embrace. Her heels clicked against the floor as she walked away from me. She pulled the door open and stopped but never turned around, never gave me those caramel eyes I’d dreamed about for years. Her voice was quiet when she said, “One could ask the same of you.”
She flew through the door and she was gone, like a ghost in the wind. And I stood there dumbfounded. What had happened? Why was she so angry? Because I didn’t want her to see Braden? It wasn’t like I hadn’t warned her against him years ago. Surely she understood after that night that I couldn’t bear for him to touch her, look at her, be in her presence.
I walked back into the Gala, my spirits grim. Well, that reunion had gone brilliantly. I rolled my eyes and ran a hand through my hair as I started to walk toward the bar. I needed a drink something bad.
“Well, you sure do know how to make a grand homecoming.”
I would’ve recognized her sarcastic voice anywhere. Raven was standing not two feet from the door Liv and I had just come out of, and she didn’t look happy at all.
I smiled despite my mood. She looked good. I’d missed her. I opened my mouth in greeting and started to walk toward her when her hand flew out, the palm in front of my face stopping me.
“Not now, asshole.”
She walked around me quickly and muscled her way through the crowd on speedy heels. My guess was she was headed after Liv. I was an asshole. I’d managed to piss off the only two people in this damn town I didn’t hate. My homecoming was off to a great start.
“OH MY GOD, CAN YOU believe he did that? Can you believe him?” I was pacing the living room of my apartment like a maniac. I couldn’t seem to sit still, like I’d drunk a whole
pot of coffee, but instead I was just unbelievably pissed.
“No, I couldn’t believe it forty-five minutes ago when it happened. I couldn’t believe it twenty minutes ago, the first time you asked me that question, and I still can’t fucking believe it.” Raven rolled her eyes from the couch.
Okay, so maybe I was going a little overboard. But how freaking dare he? “How dare he!”
“Yes, yes, how dare he? We’re all outraged. How about you have a seat? You’re making me dizzy as hell.”
I ignored Raven and continued to pace the room, Harry at my heels. He was getting quite the workout. At least he would sleep well tonight.
“I mean, who does he think he is? Not one word in ten years and then he comes back to town and all of a sudden he’s king of the fucking world?”
“Well, that’s a bit extreme,” Raven mumbled from the couch.
I heard her perfectly clear, but I needed my girl to come through for me right now and be as pissed as me. I needed support, so I paused my pacing and gave her an I-dare-you look as I asked, “What did you say?”
With raised eyebrows, she answered, “Who, me? Nothing. Absolutely nothing.” She took a long sip of wine.
Back to pacing. “I mean, no hello how are you. How have you been? Or you look really hot in that black dress. No. None of that. Just, you better stay away from Braden.” I used my deep, growly Adam being over the top condescending voice for effect.
“Well, duh, I’m staying away from Braden. What does he think I am? An idiot?” I stopped and looked over at Raven for confirmation that she didn’t think I was an idiot, but she only gave me big eyes. “I don’t even talk to anyone from the island. Ever. What an asshole.”
“Okay, okay, shall I play devil’s advocate?” Raven asked from the couch.
“No! You shall play devil’s opponent!” I said, flopping myself down onto the couch next to her with a sigh.
“Come on, Liv. Cut the guy some slack. Maybe he was worried about you?”
I moved my shoulder up and down dramatically. “Maybe, but he sure wasn’t concerned about me for all these years. Why the hell does he care now?”
I need to go away on vacation. Get away for a bit. When I was working in Georgia, I’d taken a weekend trip to this peach farm called Preston’s. They’d had the most adorable little bed and breakfast there. I’d heard they’d planned to convert it into a camp for underprivileged children. I’d gotten on so well with the owners, Everly and Cole. I wondered if I could make a trip to see them. We’d instantly clicked and the entire farm property was just beautiful. I wanted to go there. Now. I bet Everly wouldn’t play devil’s advocate. She was a sassy one. I had a feeling that cowboy Cole appreciated that sass. I needed to find someone who appreciated mine.
“Maybe he’s worried about you, Liv. Braden and that whole bunch on the island really did a number on him.”
And then the guilt that was so heavy it weighed me down almost all the time was back in full force. I’d forgotten about it in my anger, but that was short-lived.
My chest deflated and I sank back into the couch. Yes, Raven was right. The man was probably terrified. But if he was so scared, why was he back here? Why come back knowing these people were here? Unless he was up to something he shouldn’t be.
I was lost in my thoughts when I heard a knock at the door. My eyes flew to Raven’s. Holy fuck. No one came to our house. We were like two old spinster cat ladies without the cats. Only recently had Raven started dating Olivia “robot girl” Drake from the island. They’d met when little Miss Perfect had come in for a tattoo. But Raven had told me earlier in the week that she would be gone on a cruise for the week with her parents. I bit at my fingernail nervously.
There was only one person who could be behind that door and there was no way in hell I was ready to talk to him yet.
One of Raven’s very pointy, black eyebrows shot up. “Are you going to answer it?”
I shook my head. “Hell no.”
“Ugh.” She got off the couch and walked to the door slowly. The pounding on the door got louder and harder. “Hold your freaking horses!” she yelled.
She looked through the peephole and then back at me. “It’s Adam.”
I gave her a look that said duh.
She pulled the door open but left the chain latched. Good girl.
“Hey, Adam. What are you doing here?” she said through the crack all carefree and then looked back at me with big eyes. She was completely and utterly ridiculous and way too obvious. I almost laughed at her craziness, but I was horrified.
“I’d like to speak to Liv.” I heard his deep voice and bit my lip. God, even his voice was sexy. The man was sex on a stick even when I was pissed off at him. Even when he hadn’t contacted me in so long. I’d never stop wanting him.
“I’m sorry. Liv who?” Raven asked and I had to cover my mouth. I was about to die laughing.
“Come on, Raven. I know she lives here.” Adam’s voice sounded like he didn’t think she was a damn bit funny, but I sure did.
She turned and mouthed to me, “He’s mad.” At this point, I had doubled over on the couch and had both hands over my mouth. I was going to kill her once I stopped laughing.
“I hate to tell you, big boy, but I don’t think tonight is a good night to have a conversation with Liv.” That was my girl. I knew I could count on her.
“What I have to say will only take a minute.” He sounded desperate and I immediately sobered.
Raven looked back at me, raising her eyebrows, but I shook my head. There was no way, no how that I was letting Adam into my home right now. It was a bad idea.
“I’m sorry, Adam.” She said it softly like she meant it before turning on the most insane dramatics I’d ever witnessed, her Scarlet O’Hara Southern voice out in full effect. “But she couldn’t believe how you behaved tonight. She was outraged. You didn’t even say hello.”
Oh. My. God. She was not. My face got hot, even as panic shot through me. I waved my hands in the air, trying to get her attention, but she made sure to keep her face in the crack of the door.
“You didn’t even notice her sexy black dress. Do you think she’s an idiot or something?”
I covered my face with my hands and tried to bury myself between two couch cushions. Oh for fuck’s sake, she was embarrassing the shit out of me. I couldn’t believe her. I mean, I could. This was totally something she would do, but still, I wanted to kill her.
I heard Adam’s confused voice through the door. “I have no idea what’s happening right now.”
I almost started laughing again, but I was too mortified.
“I tell you what’s happening. I have to go now because I’m playing the devil’s opponent.” She tried to push the door closed, but Adam’s shiny shoe stopped it from closing.
“I don’t know what the hell you’re talking about, Raven, but I can see you aren’t going to let me in, so you can just let Liv know I’m sorry.”
The smile slipped from my face. He’d come to apologize. Damn it, why did he have to go and do that? Why was Adam always so damn perfect and I was so flawed? It wasn’t fair.
I could tell Raven was done with games too, when I heard her say, “Sure, Adam. I’ll let her know.”
“Great. Thanks. I really appreciate it.” He sounded so sincere. God, if I thought I wanted to bury myself in the couch cushions before, I was wrong because I really wanted to climb in there now. “I’d love to come by and talk to you sometime if that’s okay. You know, when Liv isn’t hiding from me,” he said to Raven and my heart melted for her. I knew how much she loved and missed him.
“Sounds good. Just text me.”
“Sure thing.”
“Bye, Adam.”
“Bye, Raven.”
And she closed the door. I immediately catapulted a couch pillow across the room at her. “Oh my God, woman. What in the ever-loving hell is wrong with you?”
She picked the cushion up off the floor where it had fallen at her feet. �
��What’s wrong with me? A handsome man came over to apologize and you were too busy being outraged to see him!” She threw the pillow back at me and nailed me in the head.
“He started it!” I sounded like I was ten, but I was grasping at straws.
She placed the back of one of her hands to her forehead and the palm of the other to her chest. “Frankly, my dear, I don’t give a damn.” She fell back onto the couch and I laughed again.
“You’re so dramatic.”
She side-eyed me and stuck her pointer finger to her chest. “Me? I’m dramatic?”
Harry grunted from the floor like he was pissed at our antics. I was pissed at me, too, and I also realized I was the dramatic one. “I know. I suck,” I said to Raven.
“Give him a break, Liv. He’s been through a lot.”
God, I knew that. And it had all come down to me and my choices. I’d wished so many times that I could go back and change the past, but I couldn’t and now I was terrified of the future.
I PARKED MY CAR IN the parking lot outside of the building I’d been dying to get to all day. After my confrontation two nights ago with Liv, I knew I had to take matters into my own hands when it came to Braden. She obviously wasn’t going to listen to me. Hell, she hadn’t even accepted my apology really. Although I knew she was in that room listening when I’d said it.
I’d had some work to do on LUNA and a few things at the planetarium to take care of this morning, but this moment right here had been on my mind all damn day. Since the Gala, Liv had done a damn good job of avoiding me, so I hadn’t seen her at all except through the glass of the rec room she used for her kids program. Stepping out of the car, I adjusted my tie and buttoned my coat. I was going to look like a fucking million dollars while I did this shit.
I glared at the glass door in the brick building in front of me. Coastal Protection Services was in white lettering across the glass. This had to be some kind of fucking joke. The only people I could see these fuckers protecting were themselves.