I laughed. “Can you say that again so I can record you? My cousin and agent think that all I do is complain. And I get so sick of hearing from people about how they or one of their friends were up and moving around days after rotator cuff surgery. Seriously, the next time someone online says something like that, I plan to hunt them down and punch them with my good arm, kick them with my strong legs I’ve worked five years to get, and if those fail to shut them up, I always have my bottle of pepper spray.”
“You’re a firecracker.” Adrian laughed as he wrapped his hands around my waist and easily lifted me into the cab, then hopped up on the running board. “Don’t mind your friends. It’s only because every shoulder injury is different; some are just partial tears. Out of all the injuries I deal with, most patients agree that rotator cuff surgery is the most painful and difficult to recover from, especially when they’re like yours, a full-thickness tear. Then, of course, you had adhesive capsulitis, which has a longer and more painful recovery time than the original injury.”
He ducked his head into the cab and kissed me without warning. It wasn’t a long kiss, just a short peck and then he hopped down. But it had felt so natural, so familiar.
I was toast!
“So where’re we going?” I asked, trying to play off how much the kiss had affected me.
“Originally, I thought about paddling out to Anclote Key, but the Gulf is a little rough today, so I figured Hillsborough River would be nice. Have you been there?”
A smile threatened to overtake my face, so I bit down on my lip to conceal at least half of it. “Actually, I haven’t. I’ve been meaning to, but I usually go with groups, and there hasn’t been one there yet.”
Adrian grinned back. “Are you afraid of alligators?”
“Not as long as they stay in the water, and I stay safely out of it. Why?”
“Hillsborough has an abundance of them — big ones. Since the river is so narrow in spots, I don’t even like to kayak it in April and May, mating season. I’ve come too close to a thirteen-footer on a bank only a few yards away. I swear it felt as though he were Little John, expecting I pay a toll to pass. I was pretty sure my hand would have been a sufficient payment.”
I cringed. “Did he snap at you?”
“Nah. I’ve never had one even come close; they’re rather docile. But his eyes followed my every stroke. And whereas smaller gators would have bailed, he remained planted on that small swath of beach.” Adrian shook his head. “You ever see a thirteen-foot gator in the wild?”
My heart raced. “No.”
“It’s not the same as seeing them at Busch Gardens, believe me. Considering he was as long as my kayak and almost twice as wide, it was downright scary.”
“I’ll bet. And that’s where you want to take me? I swear I’ll do all my stretches. You don’t have to punish me.”
Adrian patted my hand and winked. “I won’t let anything eat you, Jana.”
After watching Adrian do all the work to get the kayak out of the truck and carrying it to the launch point, I was glad that I’d begged Angela to get us lunch. I should have brought the dolly I used to get my kayak to the launch. That way he could have loaded the kayak with the life preservers, paddles, dry bag, and cooler instead of making two trips. Adrian hadn’t seemed to mind, though. He’d been chatting excitedly throughout the entire process, going on about rapids. In Florida! Florida didn’t have rapids.
Finally situated in the front of the kayak — another task he’d had to help me with — I peeked over my shoulder. “I don’t believe you.”
“Really. I’ll prove it. Florida has rapids.” Adrian quickly paddled on the right-hand side of the boat, turning us upstream. Based on the ripples hitting the front of the boat, the current was quite strong, but he managed to keep the kayak moving forward.
At first, just the gentle flowing sound of a babbling brook filled the air, but then the sound of rushing water hit my ears. I hadn’t been whitewater kayaking in more than a year. My heart rate spiked, immediately craving the rush.
Adrian made his way between two boulders as crystal-clear water rushed beneath the boat. His strokes were long and hard. Clearly, the current was strong, but he was tackling it. “It’s not what you’ve kayaked in North and South Carolina, but for Florida, it’s fun.”
At the top, he turned and allowed the boat to coast back the way we’d come, simply dipping his paddle in a few times to navigate.
The small rapids died down to the easy flowing current I was accustomed to in Florida. I gazed around at my surroundings. So peaceful. I missed this. And this man whom I’d disliked only yesterday was giving me the best drug I could ask for.
“What d’ya think?” Adrian asked.
“I don’t know if I’d constitute them as rapids, but it was still fun.”
“I know,” he said. “I wish it didn’t take ten hours to drive to the closest whitewater river. The closest thing I’ve ever found to whitewater kayaking here is to go out in the Gulf during a hurricane. Have you ever tried that?”
“No …” I laughed. Apparently, I was a novice compared to Adrian. “Have you?”
“Yeah, a few times when I was younger. At Fort DeSoto. You know where the mouth is, where the Gulf meets the Bay?”
“You’re kidding! I’ve only kayaked it when it was super calm. That area is rough even on a good day.”
“Tell me about it.” He made an adjustment to keep the boat in the center of the river. “The waves were about eight-foot high one time. Unusual for the West Coast. At one point, I was stroking, but all I got was air. I thought for sure I was gonna get trounced.”
“You’re crazy.”
“Yeah … That’s what a few surfers on the beach said, too. Last time I went out there. Hurricane Pass on Honeymoon Island is fun, though. When it’s not too rough. Maybe I could take you out there sometime …” His words trailed off, as though even though he’d meant what he’d suggested, he seemed nervous. Maybe he thought I wasn’t interested.
Attempting to assure him, I said, “That sounds like fun.”
I breathed in the scents surrounding us. Moist and earthy, but also sweet, which I assumed was emanating from thousands of tiny flowers that looked like miniature daisies. The petite faded pink flowers climbed up the Spanish moss that hung off oak and cypress trees. Bees and butterflies seemed to be enjoying their fragrant scent, too. Almost no signs of civilization existed along the top of the river, which was nice. So many of the Florida rivers I paddled were riddled with mansions.
“This is beautiful, Adrian. Thank you.”
“My pleasure, Jana. I can’t imagine being cooped up for months at a time, not being able to do the things that you love.”
The things I loved. I sighed internally. I missed doing the things I loved, the hobbies I’d taken up after I’d divorced Dick. Before my ex had screwed around on me, I hadn’t done anything for myself. He was always working, and I was always at home, especially after Eric could drive himself to all his activities. I hadn’t wanted to go do stuff on my own; I’d wanted to share my life with my husband. But even on his days off, he’d wanted to play golf. With the guys. Dick was the reason that after the divorce, I’d decided to take up hobbies on my own. Without a man. I never wanted to meet a man who didn’t enjoy the same things I liked again.
I shook my head to dispel my thoughts. This was an amazing place, so I’d be damned if I’d let the memory of my wasted years with Dick ruin my day. I’d gotten over that phase of my life years ago.
“You see him?” Adrian whispered, breaking through my thoughts, making me wonder if I’d spoken aloud.
“Umm … See whom?” I scanned the riverbank, which was considerably narrow. The trees provided a canopy above, so it was rather dim. But there he was, sprawling out on a sandy beach. All nine or ten feet of him. One of the largest alligators I’d ever seen in the wild. “Oh, my!” I murmured. “He’s a big boy.”
The mammoth black beast glistened beneath the rays that po
ked through the branches. And as Adrian had stated, he didn’t move a muscle. He simply watched as we coasted by him. I reached for my iPhone and snapped a quick pic. It’d be a great addition to my Pinterest board.
“Not worried?” Adrian asked.
“Nah … I have you. You’d wrestle a gator for me, wouldn’t you?”
“Indeed I would, Jana.”
My heart tapped out an excited rhythm. Not only was Adrian handsome as all get out, he was intelligent. He spoke completely normal and down-to-earth most of the time. But I couldn’t help but wonder if the way he’d said, “Indeed …” was for my benefit. As though he assumed I sat at home and read Harlequin romance novels all day.
The remainder of the trip was quiet other than the surrounding chirping of birds and an occasional yelp from me when a spider decided to plop down in the boat in front of me. I didn’t mind spiders, as long as they stayed away from me. But Adrian got a laugh out of my girlie squeal, teasing me about being prissy again. Strangely enough, his “prissy” comment didn’t insult me as it did the previous evening. I was pretty sure Adrian liked me, prissy and all.
Adrian pulled the boat up the ramp, then directed me to a bench where we would wait for the porter to pick us up. “Did you enjoy it?”
“I did. Thank you so much. It’s been a while.”
“It’s been a while for me too,” he said.
“Really?” I asked. “But you seem to love it.”
Adrian shrugged. “Work. Life. Gets in the way, you know?”
I nodded. I did know. Even when I was healthy, I found myself overwhelmed with tasks, the reason I’d wanted an agent so badly. Before I’d published my first book, I’d spent every minute of my time writing or thinking about writing, or doing something I could write about. I’d written four books in less than a year. After that, though, my time was monopolized by marketing. Many days I had to force myself to step away from the computer and experience life.
“I understand,” I offered. “You mentioned graphic design. What happened? Why didn’t you pursue that?”
Adrian inhaled a deep breath. “My father. He guilt-tripped me into taking over the business. He’s old-school in his thinking. From the old country, as my grandmother would say. It’s what you’re expected to do. Carry on the business so your parents can retire and still get along okay, and then you get the business when they pass.”
“That sounds rather morbid,” I said.
Adrian shrugged again. “It’s not. It’s what’s expected as the eldest son.”
“You have siblings?”
He nodded. “Yep. Two younger brothers.”
I laughed. “Your poor mother. Any sisters?”
“No. Just us three boys. Only the cat was female, and she wasn’t very friendly; she only liked me.”
Laughing again, I thought about the previous evening and this morning, how J’Austen had offered Adrian a cursory glance, then trotted off to my bedroom. “I understand that. You saw how stuck up J’Austen was. She doesn’t like anyone intruding on her space. Sometimes not even me. And your brothers? What do they do?” I pressed.
“The one two years younger than me is in insurance. Don’t ask me how that happened. And the youngest just graduated from Florida State with a business degree, but he doesn’t have a clue what he wants to do. He moved back home.”
I tilted my head in true curiosity. “So … your younger brothers can do anything they want, but you have to take over the family business?”
“Yes.”
“Well, what if you just told your father no?”
Adrian blew out a breath. “It doesn’t work that way, Jana. Not in my life anyway. My family hasn’t been in the States long. They migrated here shortly before I was born. As I said, they’re very old-school.”
“So you mentioned. But if you don’t like what you do —”
“I like what I do,” he said, a hint of irritation in his tone. “And I’m good at it.”
I touched his knee. “You’re the best, Adrian. I was just … Never mind.”
He covered my hand with his. “Thank you. I’m sorry if I sounded brusque. I just don’t want you to get the wrong idea. I like what I do. I’m just not happy that I was forced into it. I’ve always had a creative nature, so sometimes I do think about going back to school. Maybe at nights. It’d be nice if I could do both.”
“I think that’s a great idea, and I can certainly understand how you feel.” I stared down at his hand on mine. “I received a business degree from USF, but my ex never wanted me to work, so I spent the majority of my adult life using my business skills to help him further his career. After I took over his follow-up calls, thank-you cards, emails, and prospect mailers, he’d gone from being an average salesman to selling a steady stream of more than twenty vehicles a month. In no time, he caught the attention of upper management and was a shoe-in for promotions. Year after year, he climbed higher and higher. Then, he screwed around on me.”
Adrian lowered his head, staring me in the eyes. “He’s not very smart, is he?”
A tear had been threatening to form after my outburst, but his comment caused me to smile. “No, he really isn’t.”
“Lucky me.” Adrian touched his lips to mine before I could respond.
Chapter 22 – First Favorite?
The come-at-any-time Florida rain thankfully held off during our kayak run. Within seconds after the porter dropped us off, though, the clouds released their heavy load, drenching us.
I’d brought a change of clothes, but we’d already left the drop-in area and were halfway across the parking lot when the heavens decided to release their fury.
With a boost from Adrian, I helplessly crawled up inside his F-150 while he went back to load the kayak. Lightning struck within what seemed like feet from the vehicle, illuminating the outside of the truck like a negative of a picture. Sadly, even if I wanted to assist, my shoulder wouldn’t allow me. I’d be back under the knife again if I ripped open the tear.
Thankfully, I’d stuffed a towel in my dry bag. I wrapped the oversized beach blanket around me as I turned on the ignition, adjusting the heat to high.
A few minutes later, Adrian jumped up, shivering from head to toe. “I left my towel in the kayak, so it’s soaked,” he said through chattering teeth.
“Mine’s large enough for both of us.”
Adrian lifted the center console and scooted next to me. “Are you sure?”
I loved how he asked if I was sure. “Yes,” I said with a quick bob of my head. “I wanted to help you, but I’m pitiful. I can’t even lift an aluminum can.”
Even though he was soaking wet, his thigh felt hot against my bare leg. I draped the towel around his shoulders with my good arm, and he snuggled against me, adjusting all the vents so the hot air was aimed at our drenched bodies.
He moved his arm around my waist, pulling me against him. All of a sudden, I didn’t feel cold. In fact, fiery heat soared through my veins as he pressed his lips against my neck.
The rain pelted the parking lot around us, providing a natural curtain. Of course, the steamed-up windows were already taking care of shielding us against the outside world.
Slowly, he planted light kisses on my skin, traveling up my neck, along my jaw, finding my mouth.
I instantly parted my lips, allowing his tongue to touch mine. He gently probed, searched, found a door somewhere inside of me that instantly opened up to him. God, I wanted this man.
His other hand moved up my leg, and I moaned without warning.
Adrian stilled, his hand stopping inches short of where I longed for it to be.
“Are you okay?” he murmured. “Cold?”
“I’m not cold,” I pushed out through a shaky breath, which made me sound as though I were freezing.
He leaned back and smiled. “Let’s get you home.”
No, I wanted to scream. Take me here! I felt like a hormone-filled seventeen-year-old girl. But all I said was, “Okay.”
I had
to be smart. Twenty years ago, I’d ended up pregnant and married after a sex-crazed evening. It wasn’t good to go this long without sex. Mistakes happened when you were desperate.
Desperate? Since when was I desperate? I’d been fine without sex for five years. Then, one chance encounter with Dr. Kijek, and suddenly I’m ready to rip off my clothes — his clothes. It wasn’t as though I hadn’t dated in the last five years. I’d met plenty of men. Only, none of them had enticed me. None of them had tempted me into believing I could fall in love again.
Love?
Okay, I was losing my mind. Just because Adrian was hotter than hot, loved one of the things I loved, didn’t mean I was going to fall in love. Clearly, I was just horny.
The truck stayed silent after our mini make-out session. But once we got on the main highway, Adrian asked, “Are you hungry?”
“Yeah, but I’m soaking wet. How ’bout we just call in a pizza order and pick it up on the way to my house?”
“That sounds perfect.” A strange smile swept across Adrian’s face, and I immediately wanted to ask what I’d said. Why had he smiled like that? A smile that had instantly agreed with me, as though saying without words, That’s what I was thinking too.
An hour later, pizza in hand, Adrian pulled into my driveway.
The rain had finally stopped, and the sky was alive with shades of pink and mauve, purple, and blazing orange. I always loved sunsets after a rainstorm. They just seemed more colorful, as if a skilled painter had brushed actual watercolors across the horizon.
Adrian hopped down, then quickly made his way to my side of the truck. He set the pizza on the hood, then reached for me.
Without a thought, I slid into his arms. Other than the pizza, he hadn’t carried anything out of the truck. “Did you bring a change of clothes?”
“I did.”
“Wanna grab them? You can shower and change in the spare bath.”
“You sure?”
Some Lucky Woman Page 15