Valerie wrapped both arms around Adam’s waist and gave him a hug. She stayed that way, pressed against him, until the doors opened on the first floor. Then she let go and followed him out, her heart full to the brim with gratitude.
He turned back to her with a smile of triumph. “Congratulations! You did it!”
“Thanks to you.” Capturing his face in both hands, she pulled his head down and kissed him full on the mouth. She didn’t care if the other elevator passengers got an eyeful. They probably already thought she and Adam were strange, not to mention unaccommodating.
It wasn’t a long kiss, not like the one he’d given her, but she couldn’t think of a better way to reward him for being such a hero. After she released him, she moved back and took a deep breath. “That was awesome.”
“You actually liked the ride?”
“No. I hated the ride, but I loved the way you stood up to those guys who wanted to crowd in.” She gazed at him. “You protected me,” she said softly.
“Of course.”
Looking into his eyes, she felt her heart lurch. She still didn’t know how he saw their relationship, but for her, the jury was in. She’d fallen for him.
Six
Lunch went by so fast that Valerie was shocked when she glanced at her phone and discovered they’d been sitting there for more than an hour. Having something to talk about hadn’t been a problem. Without the horses to distract them, they found out how many things they had in common—books, movies, music, even food choices.
But Valerie had shared common interests with the other guys she’d dated, too. This first lunch didn’t seem like the occasion to ask the tough questions about whether Adam wanted kids and whether he ever intended to marry again. He might have decided against it, and his horses might have replaced any desire to have a family.
Until the fire, Valerie hadn’t thought kids mattered to her, either, but lately she’d changed her mind. A kid or two would be nice. She could live without having them, but she wouldn’t mind, if she found the right man—someone kind, nurturing, heroic. Someone like the guy sitting across the table from her at this cozy little café.
She’d been here before for lunch. It was close and reasonable, and she could usually get a table by the door. Yet today she hadn’t minded where they sat. The hostess had given them a table roughly in the middle of the café, and Valerie hadn’t once worried about the distance to the front door.
All her senses had been focused on Adam. Now every time she came in here she’d remember sharing a meal with him. Whether she’d meant to or not, she’d created memories with him that weren’t likely to go away anytime soon.
“I saw you check the time.” He put down his empty iced tea glass. “You should get back.”
“Probably. But it’s been fun.”
“Sure has.” His hat was tilted back and his smile was open and uncomplicated.
“You may not realize that it’s significant, but we’re sitting in the middle of the restaurant. I’m nowhere near the door.”
“Shoot, I didn’t think about that.”
“Neither did I! That’s what’s so wonderful about it.”
“I’m glad. I wish we didn’t have to leave, but it’s time for you to get back to work.” He picked up the check and pulled his wallet out of his hip pocket.
“And for you to head back to the ranch.”
“Actually, I’m not leaving until later.” He set some bills on top of the check and returned his wallet to his pocket. “As long as I’m here, I decided to take care of some business. And I’m meeting Will for a drink at the Golden Spurs & Stetson after his last appointment.”
“That’s nice.” She liked knowing he would be in town for a little longer, even if she wouldn’t be seeing him. They wouldn’t be separated by so many miles. Yeah, she was definitely developing a crush on Adam Templeton.
She really needed to get a bead on how he felt about her. She thought about the old days, when fathers collared the men who were dating their daughters and demanded to know their intentions. She could use a custom like that right now.
Except it was totally impractical in this day and age. When she’d been in high school, her father had been more than happy to interfere in her love life, but she’d lived on her own for many years and that dynamic had gone by the wayside. She couldn’t very well ask her dad to drive up from Houston and question Adam about his intentions.
She pushed back her chair. “Thank you for lunch. And give Will my best when you see him.”
“Are you walking out on me?” He said it with a teasing grin as he stood.
“I wouldn’t dream of it, but you said you have business to take care of, so I thought I’d get out of your hair.” After standing, she took her purse from the back of the chair.
“My business isn’t that urgent. I figured on walking you back and riding up the elevator with you, unless you don’t want me to.”
“Well, then, I’d love that.” She wouldn’t be seeing him again until Wednesday afternoon, so any added moments today would be a bonus. “I just didn’t want to monopolize your time with my elevator phobia.”
He paused. “It was a great excuse to see you, Valerie,” he said quietly.
“Oh.” Her cheeks warmed. “That’s good to hear.”
“Twice a week doesn’t seem often enough.”
Her breath caught. “It doesn’t?” She cautioned herself not to read too much into that statement. A guy could say that kind of heady thing and still only be interested in a no-strings affair.
“No. In fact . . . will you have dinner with me tonight? I know it’s short notice, but—”
“Yes.” Well, she certainly wasn’t playing hard to get, now was she? But she was impatient to find out if this flirtation would lead anywhere. She wanted him to be her knight in shining armor, but she didn’t know if he wanted the role or not.
“Great.” He smiled. “I’m meeting Will around five, but I’ll hustle him off to his wife by six. I can pick you up around six-thirty.”
“Okay.” Anticipation shot through her, making her tingle all over.
“It won’t be too fancy.” He waited until she’d started for the café’s front door, yet he somehow managed to get there in time to hold it open for her. “I didn’t come prepared with a dinner jacket.”
“I don’t care about fancy.” And the more she thought about it, the less she wanted to be waited on in a public place. And it had nothing to do with any concern that panic would set in. After today’s lunch, she wasn’t so worried about that.
But eating in a restaurant would mean more polite conversation about their likes and dislikes. Been there, done that. She was ready to take things to the next level. Until they did that, she couldn’t broach the subject near to her heart, namely, his motives for pursuing her. What she required was a bit more privacy.
She wasn’t a great cook, but she could manage spaghetti, and during their lunch conversation he’d already confirmed that he liked that. If she used one of the really good sauces in a jar and grated her own cheese, it should be decent. Add a bagged salad, a bottle of wine, and voilà!
They held hands on the way back to the office, and it seemed like the most natural thing in the world. In her heels, she was only a few inches shorter than he was. She wasn’t sure if he matched his stride to hers, but they walked well together. That meant something, right?
“How did the visit with Bubba’s owner go?” she asked as they approached her building.
“He worries me a little. That’s why I’m checking with my lawyers this afternoon to make sure the amended contract will hold up.”
She squeezed his hand. “You’ll be able to protect that little guy. I have faith in you.”
“Let’s hope you’re right.”
In the lobby of her building, an empty elevator stood open. “Come on!” She hurried toward
it. “We can make it.”
He laughed and lengthened his stride. They dashed through the doors, barely making it before they closed.
Catching her other hand in his, he faced her as the elevator started up. “You okay?”
“Yes. Yes!” She launched herself into his arms and whisked off his hat. “I feel great. Kiss me, Adam.”
With a groan he pulled her tight, and this time his mouth was more demanding. Gratifyingly so. The thrust of his tongue told her exactly what he was thinking, and he boldly cupped her bottom so that she could have no doubt about his immediate intentions.
Her plan for tonight was a very good idea. They’d get down to the nitty-gritty and then she’d know whether to dive into this relationship headfirst or pull back. As the heat of their kiss intensified, he backed her against the elevator wall and pressed his thigh between her legs. The elevator pinged to a stop, and he released her with a soft curse.
Straightening her clothes and taking a deep breath, she looked into his passion-glazed eyes. “Don’t make reservations for tonight. We’ll eat in. I’ll text you my address.”
His sharp intake of breath and the searing glance he gave her provided all the encouragement she needed to follow through with that plan. When she walked out of the elevator, she knew he’d watch her leave. She deliberately twitched her hips and smiled at his moan of frustration before the doors closed and the elevator started back down.
She was playing with fire, and she knew it. She’d pretty much promised him sex tonight, which raised the stakes for her but might be simply a fun romp for him. But having sex was the only way she’d find that out. She’d know by his behavior afterward where she stood.
As for her elevator phobia, thanks to Adam and his sexy kisses, she had it on the run, perhaps forever.
* * *
“I figured you might like a report on how your matchmaking efforts are progressing.” Adam studied his friend sitting across the small table.
“I wouldn’t call it matchmaking, exactly.” Will took a sip of his draft. “Sending her out to the Triple Bar was a logical move. I knew she was a good candidate for working with your horses.”
“And a good candidate to draw me out of my shell?”
“Maybe. Do you like her?”
“No.”
“I’m sorry. I thought you two would—”
“My feelings go way beyond like. She’s the sexiest, most interesting woman I’ve met in a long time.”
“See there?” Will sat back in his chair and smiled. “I had a feeling she’d appeal to you. And for what it’s worth, I’m very encouraged by her progress. How did the elevator ride go?”
“You knew about that?”
“She told me today was the day, and then this morning she called to say you were riding with her. She wondered if she was wimping out, but I urged her to go with whatever worked. She needed to get on that elevator.”
“Well, she rode it. Twice.” He didn’t dare think too much about that second time while he was sitting here with Will.
“That’s great.”
“After the first elevator ride, we went to lunch and sat at a table in the middle, fairly far away from the door. I didn’t even think about it until she mentioned passing another milestone.”
“Excellent.” Will took another swig of beer. “You two could be very good for each other.”
Adam nursed his beer. He was only allowing himself one, because he wanted to be completely sober when he arrived at Valerie’s apartment. “There might be an issue, though.”
“What’s that?”
“She seems to think I’m some kind of hero.”
Will laughed.
“Yeah, I know. Funny, isn’t it?”
“No, it’s not at all. I’m laughing at the way you said it, as if you couldn’t possibly be any woman’s hero.”
“Hell, you of all people know I’m not hero material.”
“Don’t sell yourself short, buddy.”
“Oh, come off it, Will. I should never have taken the CEO position and marrying Elise was a huge mistake. She had every right to kick me to the curb after I changed the rules of the game. Valerie’s put me on a pedestal and I don’t deserve to be there. I’m going to disappoint her, and then what?”
Will leaned forward. “Sure, you might disappoint her, but not in the ways that count. You’ve made mistakes, sure, but we all do when we’re trying to figure out where we fit in the world. You’re a good man, and that’s what she values in you. She might be the first woman who sees who you really are and likes what she sees.”
“I wish I believed that.”
“I wish you did, too. I’m sure it’s damned unfamiliar, unfortunately.”
“I don’t know, Will.” Adam sighed and picked up his glass. “I just have the awful feeling she’s built an image of me that I can never live up to.”
“Maybe you already have lived up to it.”
Adam shook his head. “Not a chance.” Then he changed the subject, because that one was too depressing. He and Will talked sports and politics, but his mind never strayed far from thoughts of Valerie.
He planned to go to her apartment for dinner because he couldn’t stay away. And he’d make love to her, because that was what she obviously intended, and he couldn’t resist her. If he had any sense at all, he would resist, but he kept seeing that little twitch in her hips as she’d walked away from the elevator. Yeah, he would go to her apartment tonight. He could hardly wait.
Will, who was as perceptive as most therapists, picked up on Adam’s underlying agitation. “Do you need to head back to the ranch? Is that why you’re fidgeting?”
“Uh, no.” He should have realized that meeting Will for a drink was a tactical error. The guy could read him better than any human on the planet. “Valerie invited me to her place for dinner.”
Will’s blond eyebrows lifted. “Did she, now?”
“She did, and I’ll thank you not to comment on that fact.”
“Wasn’t planning to say a word.”
“No, but you’re thinking plenty. Should I cancel?”
Will held up both hands, palms out. “I’m not about to make that call. But I’m glad to hear she invited you over. It’s a positive sign.”
“Will, I haven’t . . . I’ve been off the market for . . . well, you know.”
“I do, and I think this is also a positive sign for you.”
“You’re looking entirely too pleased with yourself, buddy.”
“All I did was put two people on the same path and let nature take its course.”
“And if it all blows up?”
Will shrugged. “Life is messy. But you’re both intelligent people with good hearts. I have faith that you’ll be able to work it out.”
“Just so you know, I told her I was having a drink with you tonight before I came over to her place.”
“Then tell her I said hi.”
“Will, what if tonight is a disaster and she refuses to come out to the Triple Bar anymore? How will that affect her progress?”
“First of all, I doubt tonight will be a disaster, and second of all, she’s doing well. If she never came out to your ranch again, she’d still have sessions with me, and I have every confidence she’ll recover. You can be proud of the help you’ve given her. She’s going to be just fine.”
“Good.” Adam polished off his beer in three gulps. “That’s very good.” He didn’t say that the idea of Valerie never coming out to the ranch again tied his stomach in knots. If going to her place tonight could ruin that, then he shouldn’t do it. He shouldn’t take that risk.
He pulled his phone out of his pocket. “I’m going to cancel. I can’t take a chance that something will go wrong tonight and she’ll give up on coming out to the ranch. She loves it there.”
“Don’t cancel.”<
br />
“Why not?” Adam paused, the phone in his hand. “Give me one good reason.”
“I could give you dozens, but I’ll settle for what you just said. Did you hear yourself?”
“I can’t take a chance on something going wrong.”
“Not that. The last part. You said she loves it there.”
“Yeah, she does. Her face lights up when she arrives, and she’s really bonded with Rocket Fuel and Saucy Lady. I’m afraid she’s attached to Bubba, too, but she understands about him. I’m hoping that soon I can get her up on Rocket Fuel and we can go for a ride. Not a long one, just a short little ride, to get her used to—”
“Adam, you’ve found a woman who loves your ranch. Why in God’s name are you going to cancel your evening with her?”
“She loves the ranch, William. But the rancher, who would be yours truly, could end up being a huge disappointment to her. If I avoid that by backing off, then she can continue to enjoy the ranch she loves. Do you see what I’m saying?”
Will shook his head. “It must be hell to be you. Listen, I hate to be the one to tell you this, but you’re screwed. If you cancel tonight, she’ll be pissed, and you’ll lose her. If you mess up tonight, she’ll be pissed, and you’ll lose her. So your best option is to head on over there and do your damnedest not to mess up.”
“You’re just a basket of rainbows and butterflies, Will.”
His buddy smiled. “That’s what they tell me. Now, get on your horse and ride over to Valerie’s place.”
“Right.” Adam threw some money down on the table because it was his turn to pay. “If this doesn’t work out, you owe me free counseling.”
“It’s always free, Adam.”
He left the bar and prayed that he wouldn’t end up sitting in Will’s office next week, pouring out his troubles.
Seven
What had she been thinking? Valerie had arrived back at her apartment at five-forty-five after a mad dash to the grocery store. Adam would be at her door in forty-five minutes. She was about to risk having a man in her apartment again. More than that, she’d given him plenty of reason to believe they’d have sex.
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