“Jeff how are you, mate,” his London accent seems much stronger than before and the sound is like music to my ears. I watch Adrian as he takes in what Jeff is saying. His forehead is wrinkling and there is stress in his eyes.
“I see, if that’s the case then sort it.” Adrian informs Jeff. I glance at him again and now I can see his stress levels are building. He rapidly runs his fingers through his hair as he responds to his business associate.
“That bloke is a time waster. Go with the other firm.” Adrian insists. Jeff agrees with what Adrian says and he quickly ends the call. Adrian places his phone back into his inside jacket pocket and he exhales rather loudly.
“Is everything okay?” I ask him softly. He again runs his fingers through his hair as he turns to face me.
“It is just business and it will bore you.” He smirks as he lets out his words. I reach over and take his hand.
“Try me,”
“Okay, before I left to come to you. I had a deal that I was supposed to confirm. With everything that happened, I lost sight of it all and I backed out. The company is now trying to establish the deal but the firm is not so eager.” My heart begins to race at his confession. I never thought that I would be to blame for his business deals going wrong.
“I am sorry.” I apologise. Adrian quickly turns fully around to me.
“Baby, what are you sorry for?” I swallow hard as I try to choke out my words.
“I am reason that you are here and not in London looking after your company.” He smirks at me.
“You are worth ten of the company and don’t ever think like that again.” I briefly smile at him but inside I still feel awful for keeping him from his work. He holds my hand as the car pulls up. Adrian quickly opens the door and jumps out of the car. He swiftly walks over to my side and he opens the door for me. I smile at him as I take his hand. He walks me to the sidewalk and softly says,
“Wait here a minute, I won’t be long.” I watch as he strides over to the driver and gives him a handful of money. He marches straight back over to me and he holds out his arm for me to take it.
“Come on, baby.” He says with a smirk. I simply take his arm as he leads me down the street. I glance around as I wonder where he is taking me. The street looks familiar and I know that I have been here before. I walk at ease with Adrian as he escorts me to the entrance of the Empire State Building. I look to him,
“Adrian I love it here but I think that they close early.” He opens the door and slightly pushes me in. I look at him and he does not respond. Adrian again takes my arm in his as we walk over to the elevator. The receptionist makes a welcoming nod towards Adrian and I soon think that this evening has been planned out. Adrian whisks me into the elevator and he glances at the man who shows us the way.
“I have it from here.” He says firmly to man and he soon backs away. The shiny doors close and I am alone with Adrian. The ride seems as if it is taking forever and I am not too good with small spaces. Adrian notices the despair on my face and he soon moves closer to me. He gently places his hand on my waist and the other on my cheek. He pulls me closer to him and he leans in and kisses me. He pulls back and says,
“Did that help?” I blush and I move closer to him. He grabs me firmer and kisses me again. We are stopped in our tracks as the door opens. Adrian strides out the elevator and I do the same. As soon as I do, I see what only can be described as the most romantic setting ever. The entire ground area is covered in red rose petals and there are soft light candles everywhere. A small round table is positioned in the middle of the ground and is overflowing with roses and a massive ice bucket, which has a bottle of Cristal poking out. I glare at Adrian and he smiles at me. He walks me over to the table and that is when I see a tall, blonde haired man. He is dressed in a black suit as he plays a soft tune on a violin. The man smiles at me as Adrian pulls out a chair for me. I quickly sit and I begin to take off my jacket.
“Alanna, it would be better if you kept your jacket on.” Adrian says as he raises his thick dark eyebrow. I briefly smile at him and I tighten my jacket once again. Adrian sits opposite me and he begins to pour me a glass of Champagne. I glare at him,
“Adrian, why don’t you drink,” he slides the glass over to me and he gently exhales.
“I don’t drink because I fear that if I did then I would not stop. Alice was an alcoholic and I am scared that I could be the same.” He looks down at the ground as his words choke from his lips. I lean over and I gently stroke his hand.
“You are nothing like her. You are a strong enough person to enjoy alcohol responsibly.” Adrian moves his hand from undermine and places it on the top of my hand. He gazes at me with those glowing green eyes.
“I can risk it, Alanna.” I nod in agreement and I glare at my surroundings. The night sky of New York is filled with soft light stars. The city is busy, the lights are flashing, and I feel that I can escape everything when I look at Adrian. I take a small sip of the champagne as Adrian stares at me. I let out a soft giggle and I say.
“Who knew that you were this romantic?” He smirks at me,
“I am full of surprises.” I nod in agreement and Adrian looks as if he may have something on his mind. I glance at him and I ask if he is okay.
“Yes I am fine. However there is something that I would like to talk to you about.” He says firmly. I lean back into my seat,
“Okay, go ahead.” He takes a deep breath and he diddles his finger on the table. He begins to say something but he pauses as he turns to the man that is playing the soft music.
“Can you leave us?” Adrian holds out his hand for the man to shake it and all the while, he hands him a stash of money. He quickly turns to face me again and this time he says.
“I want to talk to you about… my sister.” I clear my throat,
“Off course, talk,” He slightly coughs as he slides himself up in the chair.
“I want to meet her but I don’t know how to approach the situation. I was hoping that you could come with me?” I smile brightly at him and I am flattered that he wants me to come with him as he meets his sister for the first time.
“Absolutely, just say the time and I will be there.” He laughs at my response.
“How do you think that she will react to me?” I sigh and I remember Dr James. He told me that he loved her but could not be with her because of Maggie. I try to clear my mind, as I do not really want to share this information with Adrian just yet.
“It depends on the type of person that she is. I am sure that she is open to meeting you, have you tried to contact her?” I say. Adrian shakes his head and he clutches the bridge of his nose.
“I haven’t contacted her but I know where she lives. I just cannot pick up the courage to go and meet her.” I sense Adrian’s vulnerability as he strokes his forehead. I stare at him, I like this side to him, and Adrian seems as if he has changed in so many ways.
“Adrian I don’t want you to worry about this. Maggie is a wonderful women and I am sure that Emma is equally wonderful.” Adrian sighs at my words and he reaches over to me and takes my hand firmly.
“Alanna, I am a messed up broken person and I fear that Emma will reject me.”
I grip Adrian’s hand as I stare into his radiant green eyes.
“If she does then it’s her loss. Within the first five minutes of talking to you, I realised that you are the most special and interesting guy that I have ever met. If Emma doesn’t notice that then she is the unlucky one for not knowing you.”
Adrian loosens his grip on my hand as he slides his chair out. He stands straight up and reaches out his hand. I quickly take his hand and he escorts me over to the ledge of the building. Adrian gently nudges me forward and he takes my hands and places them onto the barrier. I feel the cold steel on my skin and a cold shiver runs up my back. I grip on tighter as I look down onto the streets of New York. The view is spectacular and what happens next dominates the amazing scenery. Adrian has placed himself right behind me and
he has both his arms wrapped tightly around my waist. He leans in as he gently rests his chin on the top of my head. He exhales deeply and then I feel a soft kiss on the back of my head. I try to turn around so that I can face him but Adrian holds me back. I immediately freeze and Adrian whispers.
“Stand still baby,” Adrian loosens one hand from my waist and he gently begins to run his fingers through my hair.
“Alanna may I ask you something?” I close my eyes gently as I bask in this moment. I exhale and I respond to Adrian.
“Yes, ask me anything?” He takes a deep breath and he is still caressing my hair.
“How do you feel about Michael?” My eyes immediately open and I wonder if this is a trick question? My mind franticly searches for a reply and I do not have one. Adrian nudges my back and whispers gently.
“I am waiting, baby.”
Why was Adrian pushing this? Was this evening all a ploy, did Adrian have an ulterior motive and was I being tested. I do not know how to respond to his question and I feel that the truth is the only way that I could respond.
“I care about Michael but you know that I love you.” I finally say. My words are shallow as they choke out. Adrian gently moves my hair and now his finger is tingling the back of my neck.
“I know how you feel about me but that is not what I asked. I want to know how you feel about him.” I feel my body temperature rise as his cool British accent rings in my ears. I feel pressure to answer his questions in a way that he would want them to be answered. Adrian is putting me on the spot and I am now glad that I am not facing him as I try to respond to his queries. I feel something for Michael, which I cannot explain to myself, let alone to Adrian. Michael is different in so many ways and I feel myself drawn to him. He opens up a side to me that I never knew I had. Although his behaviour is sometimes out of order, I somehow manage to look past all that when I am with him. I know that Adrian will not understand my feelings towards Michael and there is something about Adrian, which makes it impossible for me to lie to him.
“Adrian, I have a strange connection to Michael. I do not fully understand it myself and I do not expect you to. However, what I do know is that, I want Michael in my life. He is connected to me and I would not be the same person if he were not around. You have to understand that I love you and nothing will ever happen between me and Michael.”
Adrian firmly spins me around so that I am now facing him. He holds me tightly and I look up into his green eyes. He gently pushes my hair away with one soft movement and he places a long finger onto my chin.
“Baby, look my in the eyes and tell me that you don’t love him.”
My heart skips a beat and I glare into his almond shaped eyes. I lightly lift my hand, I place it onto his jaw, and he slightly twitches at the feeling.
“Adrian, I don’t love Michael.” I say smoothly.
Adrian has a blank stare on his face as he takes in my words. He quickly snaps out of his trance.
“Can I be one hundred per cent sure that you will never leave me?”
I respond instantly. “I will never ever leave you. You are my world and I was lost without you.”
Adrian rubs his forehead while he is in thought. My heart is racing and I do not know what his reaction will be.
“I want to believe you baby, but something in your eyes is stopping me.”
My heart sinks at his revelation and I cannot look at him. I gently push him away from me and I turn around so that I am again looking out at the city. I feel annoyed with him and I do not want to look at his beautiful face. Because I know that if I did then I could forgive anything that he says. I feel his hand placed on my shoulder but I do not flinch. I stand completely still and motionless as Adrian moves closer.
“Baby, are you mad at me?” He asks in a surprising tone. I take a deep breath and I turn instantly to face him. I look at his overwhelming face and I try my hardest to focus. I quickly remind myself that I am mad at him and I will not let him off with annoying me.
“Yes, I am mad at you.”
Adrian is now the one that looks annoyed. He moves his hand from my shoulder and places it into his deep coat pocket. He leans back from me and his eyes look angry.
“What did I do to make you so mad?” He has the nerve to ask.
“You just said that you don’t believe anything I say. You look into my eyes and you feel that I am lying to you. Did you think that I wouldn’t be mad at that comment?” I say in a very firm voice.
Adrian shifts around nervously and I can tell that he is not used to this sort of confrontation. He gazes at me and I almost feel guilty for questioning him. I quickly focus my mind again and I make myself believe that I have a right to be angry with him. I have been through so much since I met him with the shooting and the stalking issue. I feel that Adrian should be relieved that I stood by him in the way that I did. Most girls I know would have run a mile at the very thought of what happened. I am very insulted to hear that he does not believe my feelings for him are true.
“No baby, listen to me.”
He walks over to me and he gently lifts my hand and places onto his chest. I stare at him in amazement and I do not understand is actions.
“I am a control freak and I know that I am crazy.” Adrian whispers.
“No, you’re none of those things and this is not about your need to control everything. I understand where that comes from and I accept it. This is about, you not trusting me when I say that nothing will ever happen between Michael and me.” I try to slide my hand from his grasp but Adrian only intensifies his grip.
“I do trust you,” Adrian says with a light smirk on his face. I quickly pull my hand from him and my movement startles him. His grin soon fades and he moves away from me. Adrian strides over to the barrier and rests against it. He exhales as he stares out at the night sky.
“Alanna, I am sorry if I insulted you.” Adrian says in a soft tone. I walk over and stand next to him. I maintain my distance as I feel that I need to get my point across.
“You said that something in my eyes was telling you not to trust me. Was I correct in hearing that?” Adrian does not look at me when he says his next words.
“You did hear correctly but you need to understand something.” He says very firmly. I move a little closer to him and I catch a whiff of his strong cologne as the wind picks up its pace. My heart almost stops at scent but I focus my mind back to the conversation.
“Alanna, I am a very difficult person and I respect you for putting up with me. However, I am very insecure about how you feel about me.” I am stunned by his confession and I need to know more.
“I cannot understand why you would be insecure?” I say smugly.
“Alanna, this is difficult for me to talk about.” Adrian says and he finally turns to face me. His hair is more tousled than before and even in the darkness of our surroundings, I can still see that his eyes are glowing.
“Talk to me Adrian,” I say convincingly. Adrian moves a little closer to me and he reaches out his hand for me. I slowly rest my hand in his and I push a little smile from my lips.
“Sometimes I don’t believe you when you say that you love me. I cannot understand why a pure and innocent girl like you could ever feel anything for me. I never expected to meet anyone like you and I never thought that I would fall in love. I have surprised myself in the way that I feel about you. Baby, you bring the best out in me, I can let my guard down with you and I hunger for that feeling. I do have major trust issues and I am not a normal bloke, but I do love you and I would never do anything to hurt you.”
“Adrian, I want you to trust me when I say that I love you. You are the only guy I could ever be with and I don’t want you to feel as if you aren’t good enough.” I pause as I observe his reaction. His lips are tense and his eyes are beginning to bolt. He exhales deeply and he grips my hand tighter. I gently smile at him but he does not return my gesture. I feel as if this is a touchy subject with him and I feel awful that he feels the way that
he does. Adrian is amazing in every way possible and I wish that he could see that.
“What about Michael.” He insists.
“What about him? I have told you that he is a friend and nothing more. I need you to trust me when I say that nothing will ever happen between Michael and me.” I move closer to Adrian and I slide my hand along his chiselled jaw as I await his response. He surprises me when he pulls back and I gaze at him wondering why he is suddenly so shy.
“Michael is a brother to me, but that does not mean that I trust him around you. The relationship he has with your friend is just an act. He doesn’t feel anything for her.”
“Adrian, how do you know that he doesn’t care about her? I don’t think that he would waste his time and effort if he didn’t feel something for her.” I slowly fill the gap between us and Adrian catches my hand firmly in his. I look at him and I feel that his grip is a little too tight.
“Adrian, you are kind of hurting me.” I say smoothly. Adrian quickly loosens his grip and pulls back from me. He shakes his head as he runs his fingers through his tousled chocolate hair.
“You see, that’s why you should not trust me. I hurt people and I don’t even know that I am doing it.” I hear the remorse in his voice and I swiftly walk over to him. I reach out and try to take his hands in mine but he beats me away. I narrow my eyes at him and I insist on taking his hand.
“It’s fine you just need to learn to control yourself more and for the record, a tight grip now and again is not going to make me, trust you less.” I say firmly. Adrian briefly smiles but he soon straightens his face.
“I cannot control myself and I cannot say for sure that I wouldn’t hurt you.” His words sting and I do not know how to respond. I step back from him and I do not understand him. A few moments ago, he was telling me that he loved me and that he would never hurt me and now, he is saying that he could possibly hurt me.
Three Thousand Miles - Jealousy (book #2 of Three Thousand Miles Series) Page 12