by Dorie Graham
“Now that you’ve gotten rid of Jeffries, maybe you should find a real man.” He released her.
Kamira leaned forward. “You could both be open to a serious relationship.”
Lauren stared at her, speechless. How could she say such a thing?
“Right.” Adam swatted away a mosquito. “We learned to swim, ride bikes and drive together. Why not learn about love together?”
He dropped his hand to Lauren’s knee. “You’ve worked so hard, Lauren. You deserve a little happiness.”
Her gaze swept from his hand to Kamira, who waved her spoon enthusiastically. “She sure does.”
Heat crept up Lauren’s neck and along her knee beneath his hand. He gave her leg a squeeze, then busied himself again with his dessert. What was wrong with her? He’d touched her a million times in the past and she’d never thought twice about it. Kamira’s wild speculations had her reading more into his friendly gestures than was there.
Of course Adam wasn’t her secret admirer.
“So, Adam…” Kamira licked a drip of chocolate off her spoon. “Tell us what kind of woman you’re looking for. Maybe we can help. I see a lot of women in the course of the day.”
He pushed his bowl away, then sat back, gazing into the distance. “I think for a substantial relationship, I want a substantial woman. Substantial in spirit and body, too. Not a big woman, necessarily, but one with a little more meat on her bones.”
Lauren raised her eyebrows. “You mean you’re done with all those ultrathin model types?”
He grinned. “Well, I wouldn’t object, as long as she didn’t mind getting pregnant.”
His head bobbed as he continued to stare into the night, as though the woman of his dreams might materialize if he looked hard enough. “I’ll want some kids along the way.”
“Hold on,” Lauren blurted. “I thought you were going to wait awhile before jumping into marriage. Now you’re talking babies?”
The thought sent a wave of shock through her. Adam with a wife was one thing, but with a baby? She couldn’t quite bend her mind around the idea.
“C’mon, you know I like kids.”
“No, I don’t. When have I ever seen you with kids? I can’t even picture it.”
He cocked his head and laughed. Though she’d heard that laugh countless times before, for some reason it wrapped around her and sent gooseflesh skittering up her arms.
“Come to think of it, I guess you haven’t.” He shrugged. “I liked us when we were kids. Don’t ask why, I just know I want kids, a bunch of them.”
“A bunch?” Lauren blinked at him. To think she’d thought she’d known him all these years.
“Well, we’ll start with a couple, then see.”
Frowning, she turned to Kamira, but her housemate grinned broadly. “I can see Adam as a dad.”
Lauren gaped at her, then rounded on him. “What do you know about caring for kids? They’re lots of work. You’ve got to feed them, and play with them, and…and feed them.”
“I’ll read up on it. Hopefully my wife will know a little about all that.”
“Read up on it? They don’t come with manuals, you know.” She folded her arms. “You can’t just decide all of a sudden that you want a wife and kids.”
“Why not? I told you I wanted more in life. And that’s what I want…eventually, anyway,” he said.
His smile faded and he shifted in his seat. “She’ll have to be the stay-at-home kind of mom, though. None of that palming the kids off on the neighbors.”
Lauren stared at him a moment, a mixture of surprise and compassion swirling through her. “Adam, your parents didn’t palm you off on us.”
“Sure they did.”
She straightened. His parents had traveled a lot. He’d probably spent more time at her house growing up than at his own, but she’d never known this had bothered him. Having Adam around had always been a way of life.
Needing to soothe him, she touched his arm. “Good thing for me they did, then. Who else would I have whomped all those times in Crazy Eights?”
“I was the Crazy Eights champ. Your memory’s flawed.” The corners of his mouth lifted in an easy grin.
“Well, maybe…” She again had that feeling of a shifting hologram. Adam the Dependable morphed into Adam the Sexy.
An unprecedented wave of desire rippled through her. She swallowed. As with his laugh, it was as if she’d never before experienced the charm of that grin. Sure he’d used it to cajole her into giving him his way hundreds of times before, but never had the mere curve of his mouth sent her pulse speeding.
Damn Kamira and her imagination. Damn this new Adam. His pupils dilated and he tilted his head. Did he feel it, too?
Lauren blinked, hoping the old Adam would slide back into view, but the new Adam remained, exuding sensuality. How had she not noticed before?
“I’ll get that.” Kamira stood, bowls in hand, her gaze intent on Lauren.
The wall phone in the kitchen pealed. By the look on her housemate’s face it wasn’t the first ring. “No. I’ll get it. I’m sure it’s Elliot. I’m supposed to have that marketing plan done.”
Without a backward glance she hurried inside.
ADAM PULLED INTO his driveway. His house loomed above him, dark against the blackness of the night. Why had he bought the monstrosity?
His footsteps rapped against the hardwood floor as he entered. He flicked on a light and the great room he’d once so admired stretched before him, still and devoid of life. He dropped into a leather chair set by the tiled fireplace.
“Honey, I’m home.” The words echoed through the structure.
He leaned back his head and closed his eyes. The silence pressed in all around him. He used to think he wanted peace and quiet.
He’d have stayed longer at Lauren’s, but she had her usual work she’d brought home. Besides, she’d seemed tense tonight. He could have sworn she’d breathed a sigh of relief when he’d hugged her goodbye. Sure, she’d come clean on the secret-admirer thing, but something else was bothering her.
She was keeping secrets.
Dinner had been enjoyable, as usual, in spite of his slip of the tongue. But something had changed when she’d come out on the deck. She had acted even more uncomfortable, or distressed somehow.
Moments from the evening drifted through his mind. Had he imagined it, or had she… Words escaped him. His stomach tightened. If he didn’t know better, he’d say she had reacted to his touch earlier. They’d danced together, even wrestled each other, but never before had there been…what? A feeling? An awareness?
And you think I’ve never thought of you in that way?
Was that what had rattled her? Surely she knew he’d never act on such passing instincts. Lauren was like a sister to him. Yet, the possibility tugged at the corner of his mind. Something new, something different had shone in her eyes when he had smiled at her earlier. The moment swept over him, her gaze soft, dreamy, the first rings of the phone going unheeded.
Could it be she wasn’t upset by his admission, that instead, she was intrigued?
“You’re losing it, Morely. Losing it.”
Even if Lauren was suddenly thinking of him in other than brotherly terms, she certainly wasn’t supporting his plans to settle down. She had sounded decidedly disappointed in his new scheme.
Couldn’t she understand he needed the warmth and energy that filled her house, made it a home? He missed all the evenings he’d spent with her there, playing poker, finishing some project she’d half started, knowing he’d pitch in to help, or just talking till the wee hours.
But that had been before she’d started the agency.
His gaze took in the oversize couch and matching chairs in warm plaids she’d helped him choose. She had a nice touch, had even managed to bring some of her essence into these rooms, though not enough to capture the same homey feeling of her town house. Furniture alone would not make this house a home.
People—warm bodies would help.
A wife and kids really weren’t a bad idea. He hadn’t actually thought much about having either, until today. Actually, he’d told Lauren he needed a wife more to get her attention, but the idea had sounded right even as he’d said it. The patter of little feet, the smells of dinner cooking and the warm greeting of a wife, happy to see him after a long day’s work, held an intoxicating appeal when faced with the emptiness of his house.
He drew a deep breath. He had to face facts. Without Lauren, he didn’t have much of a life. Though she’d been too busy to notice, it’d been months since he’d taken a woman on a date. He couldn’t work up the stomach for it. Lauren was right. Meaningless sex wasn’t all it used to be.
He had to make something more of his life.
Exhaling, he rose. He plodded to the sprawling master bedroom. It was a shame she was so wrapped up in her work that she couldn’t see that she, too, was missing out. Having her life revolve around her agency might sustain her at the moment, but once she got her business on an even keel and learned to work smart, not hard, she’d realize what he’d just begun to know over the past year.
Work did not make the world go round.
As a contractual landscaper, he’d found more work over the years than he could handle on his own. With a full crew at his disposal, he spent much of his time meeting with landscape architects, implementing construction plans on site and inspecting projects. Sure, his work fulfilled him to an extent, but it wasn’t enough.
He stripped down to his Skivvies, then stretched out on his king-size bed, made up in the green and maroon linens Lauren had handpicked for him. At least she’d squeezed time into her schedule to help him shop. He couldn’t have done it on his own.
She’d been invaluable in choosing this house, too. Perhaps it wasn’t such a monstrosity, after all. Not only did it offer the flexibility needed to accommodate his plans, its market value had already increased by a tidy sum. She knew how to pick them. Now, all he had to do was get her to turn her energies toward finding him a wife. No one knew him better than she did. If anyone could find the right woman for him, Lauren was the one.
Unless, of course, she had thoughts of filling the position herself.
LAUREN TURNED from her computer as Elliot breezed into her office the next morning. With a grand gesture, he deposited a thick stack of flyers on her desk. “For Bennett’s mass mailing.”
Stifling a yawn, she glanced over the stack. “Too bad we couldn’t afford to have them folded.”
“You need a hand?”
“No.” She waved him on. “Go appease that atrocious director. He’s called twice and wants nothing to do with me. If Bennett wasn’t so adamant about using him on the commercials, I’d tell him to take a hike.”
“Ah, but if Mr. Bennett wishes to pay for a special caterer to stroke said director’s ego, where’s the harm?”
A dry laugh worked its way up her throat. “You know the money comes out of our pocket first, Elliot.” She cocked her head. “We’re cutting it close on this one.”
He waved a dismissive hand. “You know I can’t clutter my brain with those worries. Aren’t we in the black?”
“Yes, we’re in the black. Just not as much as I’d like to see us, but we’ll survive.”
She sighed. Lately, their funds seemed to be going out faster than they’d been coming in, but with the two small jobs she’d picked up that morning, they’d survive until Bennett paid them. Thank goodness Bennett’s bend toward extravagance blended with Elliot’s elaborate campaign ideas. As long as she could keep them afloat in the interim, the Bennett account offered the hope of a tidy profit.
Elliot helped himself to coffee, while she stirred creamer into hers. “We picked up two new clients this morning, and Nancy with Magic Cleaners called to say she thought the ad was simply decadent. She’s cutting us a check today.”
“Good. That’s great.” He gestured toward the door. “I’m going to get on that caterer.”
Steam curled from her mug moments later as she sat, stretching in a wide yawn. She’d hardly slept last night. It was Adam’s fault. What made him think he qualified as husband material, not to mention father material? He’d never had a relationship that had lasted more than a few months. What was he thinking?
After a fortifying gulp of caffeine, she grabbed her phone and punched in his number. She drummed her fingers, waiting for him to answer.
“Top of the morning. Adam Morely here.”
“What’re you so chipper about?”
“Lauren, could you hold a sec? Let me finish this other call.”
“Sure.”
A short pause followed.
“Entice Advertising, they’re at 500 Sun View—”
“Adam? You’ve still got me. Who are you giving my address to?”
“Damn. Hold on.”
Curiosity filled her as silence hummed across the line. Who was he talking to? A florist? No. She shook her head. She couldn’t let Kamira’s wild imaginings get to her.
“Lauren?”
A slight shiver ran through her at the sound of his voice. She shook it off. “What was that about?”
“Um…it was nothing.”
She straightened. “Come on, Adam, you were giving out my address.”
“Oh…yeah, well, I wasn’t going to say anything in case it didn’t work out.”
Her heart thudded. “What didn’t work out?”
“Just a referral.”
“Referral?” A twinge of disappointment pierced her. “Oh.”
“I met this guy who has a carpet-cleaning service. He needs help getting the word out, so I gave him your name. No big deal. Just this one referral.”
She drew a deep breath. “Great. Thanks. As long as you’re not out trying to round up business for us when you should be working on your own stuff.”
“No, ma’am. I take care of my business, too, while I’m soaking up the sun.”
“Okay, like I said before, we’ll take all the business we can get then.”
“Sure. Hey, do yourself a favor and get outside today. It’s incredible out. The sun is shining, the breeze is light. Perfect for a walk on the greens.”
She stiffened. “Don’t tell me I’m sitting here with three hundred or so flyers to fold and you’re playing golf.”
“I’m networking, love.”
“Adam, watch this,” a feminine voice called in the background.
“Who’s that?” Lauren asked.
“Gloria. She’s practicing her swing.” He whistled softly. “That’s a beauty.”
Irritation grated through Lauren. What on earth had she been worried about? Adam hadn’t changed. “The swing, or the girl?”
“Both, actually.”
“I knew you couldn’t be serious about all that settling-down talk.”
“I am serious.”
“Shall we?” the woman called to him.
“Lauren, I’ll call you later. We’re getting ready to tee off. Maybe we can get together again for dinner tonight. I’ve got to go.”
“Wait—”
He hung up. She stared at the phone a moment, then blew out a breath. What was she upset about? He was the same old Adam. All was right in the world.
Relief flowed over her. She had just been imagining the glimmer of awareness between them last night. She should have known not to let her housemate’s crazy ideas get to her.
Lauren turned back to her computer and frowned. So why was she suddenly feeling…jealous?
“ELLIOT, CAN YOU SEE Adam with a wife and kids?”
Lauren leaned in the doorway of her partner’s office. She couldn’t get her mind off Adam’s comments. Why did the thought of him as a family man send trepidation racing through her?
Elliot peered up at her over his half-rim glasses. No doubt, she was interrupting a brainstorming session. A red feather boa taken from a rack of lingerie in the corner draped his shoulders.
“Adam? You mean your Adam?” he asked.
“He isn’t my—nev
er mind. Dumb question.” She turned to leave.
“What’s bothering you, doll?”
She pivoted back toward him, her arms wrapped tightly around her stomach. “Nothing. I’m fine.”
Elliot pursed his lips. “Adam wants to settle down, and you’re afraid you’re going to lose your best friend.”
With a sigh, she sank against the door frame. “Oh, God, it’s so stupid. I really do want him to be happy. I just feel so…disturbed.”
“Let me guess. He wants you to help him find this wife.”
She gave him a wry smile.
“And she’s supposed to be some upstanding citizen willing to sacrifice all for her husband and little bambinos.”
A small grin tugged at her lips. “That’s amazing. Do you read palms, too?”
“No, doll, I just see the obvious.”
“Obvious?” She stared at him. “How can it be obvious? I’ve known the man all my life, but never saw this coming.”
Elliot shrugged. “You don’t see the two of you together.”
She stared at him, eyebrows raised.
“I suspected this all along.”
“Suspected what?”
The desk chair creaked as he shifted back. He smoothed his hand down the row of red feathers. “C’mon, Lauren, surely you have some inkling?”
Exasperation rose in her. “Of what?”
“Seems to me you’re an upstanding citizen willing to sacrifice all for your cause.”
She stared at him in disbelief.
“First Kamira, now you. I am not in the market for a husband. And kids are out of the question!” She sliced her hand through the air to emphasize her point.
Elliot laughed. “For now, at least, but were you to put your mind to it…”
“My mind is on this agency. I don’t have time for anything else. You of all people know that.”
A loud buzzing announced a visitor’s arrival in their exterior office. Lauren turned as the mail carrier entered. She moved beside him as he set a stack of mail and a package on the desk they’d use for a receptionist, if they ever acquired one.