And she’s gone.
“That girl is the master of avoidance,” Tessa mutters.
Jason laughs as he steps up behind her. “Hey, man, I didn’t know you were coming with Paige.”
I shrug and tuck my keys in my pocket. “Didn’t really give her much of a choice.”
“Excellent work, Adam,” Tessa says with a grin. She looks to where Paige disappeared, then steps closer to me and lowers her voice. “I know I told you to push with her, but I gotta ask…what do you think is going to happen here?”
“Here? Uh, I figured we’d play with Haley until you got back.” I shoot a glance between her and Jase and see matching curious looks on their faces. “I’m not going to fuck Paige in the hall outside Haley’s bedroom or anything, if that’s what you’re worried about. I think I have enough self restraint to keep it in my pants.”
Jase coughs out a laugh, and Tessa turns bright red before fumbling in her purse, refusing to look at me. I think Paige is rubbing off on me, because all my tact seems to have vanished.
“Thanks, man. Appreciate your restraint, because doing something like that would be just…awful,” Jase says with a smile, and Tessa reaches out to punch him in the stomach, glaring at him.
“What I meant,” she says, “is at the end of the summer. You know, with Paige…”
With those few words I’m reminded of what I’ve, thus far, managed to put out of my mind. I’m trying to spend this summer doing something I’ve never done before—live in the moment. I’m trying to not be so rigid in my plans and see where it gets me. But I can’t deny the thoughts have crept up, wondering how Paige and I could possibly make this last past September. Even though I know, without a doubt, she’d run screaming in the other direction if I even mentioned it.
“At the end of the summer, I go back to Colorado, Paige stays here, and we both keep living our lives.” I pointedly ignore the look Tessa gives me, as well as the worried glance she slides to Jason. “You guys have to be there at seven, right? Better get going.”
“Yeah,” she answers, hooking her purse over her shoulder and shooting me with another worried glance.
Jase rolls his eyes and slaps her ass. “Get a move on, baby. They’ll be fine.” He holds the door open for her to step out and says to me, “Don’t drink my booze and don’t fuck in my bed. See you in a couple hours.”
I laugh, shaking my head and shutting the door behind them, then follow the sound of Haley’s giggles to find her and Paige set up in Haley’s room, a huge-ass horse stable set up on the floor in between them.
“Adam!” Haley yells, then shoots up from her place on the floor and rushes toward me. It only took one unintended head butt to the junk for me to learn really damn quickly to always be ready for a full-on speed attack from the little gremlin. I crouch and catch her in a fireman’s hold like I have every other time since the ill-fated head butt. She laughs and grips the back of my shirt as I spin her around several times before setting her on the floor and watching her stumble with dizziness.
“Hey, shrimp. Whatcha playin’?”
“Ponies! And we saved you one. Auntie Paige said you’d like the pink one because pink’s your favorite color and even though pink is usually my favorite I said you could have it because Paige said you’d cry big fat crocodile tears if you couldn’t have it and then none of us would have any fun.”
“Is that right?” I look past Haley to see Paige sitting there, the picture of innocence. She shrugs and grins, mouthing, What? as I take a seat across from her. Picking up the pony Haley set aside for me, I say, “I don’t know about big fat crocodile tears, but I do enjoy pink. In fact, I love pink.” I lift my eyes to Paige and smile. “And Paige definitely knows exactly why.”
“Why, Auntie Paige? Why’s he love pink?” Haley grabs her pony and starts brushing the blue hair, her attention focused on Paige.
“Um…uh…” She glares at me when Haley’s attention is diverted to the ponies again, and I mouth, What? then grin.
Taking pity on her, I get Haley’s focus on something else, diverting her attention away from the line of questioning we definitely don’t need to traverse. She’s easily distracted, telling me about her summer with Miss Melinda before she starts kindergarten in the fall.
An hour later, she’s curled up between Paige and me on the couch, getting ready to watch a movie, the questioning in her bedroom long forgotten. I only hope she doesn’t mention it to Jase, because I’ll never hear the end of it.
“What’s on the docket tonight, shrimp?”
“Frozen!” she yells—seriously, this girl has one volume and it’s Drunk Frat Boy—as she bounces in her seat, working the remote to turn on the movie. “Have you seen it, Adam?”
“Can’t say I have.”
“You’re gonna love it. Jay pretends he doesn’t like to watch it, but I see him singing Let it Go every time it’s on. He’s such a fibber.”
I laugh. “You know what? You’re right. He told me he likes that one the best.” I point to one of the girls on the movie case.
“I knew it!”
It doesn’t take long for the movie to capture her attention. Which is always nice for some quiet, but that’s exactly what I don’t need right now. I glance over at them, seeing her and Paige with their heads pressed together, both focused intently on the TV.
As much as I try to watch the movie and ignore the niggling in my stomach, I can’t. It hasn’t gone away since Tessa asked me what I was going to do at the end of the summer. I’ve tried to put it out of my mind, to not think about it while I enjoy the time I have here with Paige, but sooner or later I’m going to have to. My time is coming to an end faster than I’d like, and that’s not changing. Whether Paige likes it or not, we’re going to have to have a talk about where we stand…about where we want to go.
And if she thinks she can stick around with me.
TWENTY-FOUR
paige
I leave the station with a scowl on my face. Like usual. That asshole Jared has made it his goal in life to piss me off. The last couple weeks, he’s been hanging around headquarters more and more, chatting up the other two worthless interns while tossing perfectly timed sneers in my direction. He’s trying to throw me off my game. Too bad it’s not going to work. I’ve got my in.
Detective Dodd has taken a liking to me. I don’t know if it’s because I’m a girl and there aren’t a whole lot of us around this place, or if it’s because of the snickerdoodles I keep her in supply with, or if it’s just because I know my shit and I work hard. Or, hell, maybe it’s a combination of all three. Whatever it is, she’s gone above and beyond to help me get a leg up for the full-time position available.
Today, she had me verifying the leads she received on a case she’s working while those other two jerk-offs stood around and BSed with half the department. And they look at me like I’m the one who didn’t actually work to get an internship here.
The whole thing pisses me off, and I stay pissed off the entire ride home. I pull into my spot and get out, huffing while I go and slamming my car door harder than I mean to, but it feels damn good.
“You look like I feel. Rough day?” Adam’s voice rings out in the otherwise deserted parking lot, and I startle.
Clutching a hand to my throat, I spin around and see him walking toward me, his messenger bag slung over his shoulder. “Jesus, you scared the shit out of me.”
“Sorry. You must’ve been lost in your fit of rage.”
That manages to pull a smile from me, and I answer his original question. “Yeah, you could say that. You too?”
“Yeah.” He tips his head in the direction of the apartment in silent question, and we walk in together, Adam holding the main door for me. When we get to the landing in front of our apartments, he says, “I know we’re supposed to go on some epic adventure tonight for our non-date date, but do you think we can…not?”
Disappointment flares in my stomach and spreads until it’s all I can feel. Trying to hide i
t, I tuck a strand of hair behind my ear and nod. “Oh, sure. Yeah. I’ve got stuff to do tonight, anyway, so—”
He reaches out and grips my shoulder, stopping me from turning toward my door. His thumb sweeps along my collarbone, and I force myself to stand still and not shiver under his touch. My restraint only goes so far, though, and goosebumps prickle all over my skin. From the curve of Adam’s lips, it’s obvious he sees them. “I meant just not go out. Not cancel all together. Maybe we can watch another horrible movie? Order some pizza?”
While I could really go for some physical activity to get some of this aggression out, I can’t deny how good it sounds to just veg on the couch with a stupid movie. I also can’t deny how relieved I am that he still wants to hang out, even if I’d never actually admit that. “Yeah, okay. My place?”
He nods and his eyes drop to my lips. “I’m gonna drop this stuff off, change, and take out my contacts. I’ll be over in five.”
Quirking my mouth up on the side, I say, “Do you want to kiss me, Adam?”
Breathing out a laugh, he steps closer. “I always want to kiss you, porkchop.”
“Good one,” I say as his body presses against mine.
“Thanks, I thought so, too.” His lips brush against mine with each word, and then he seals our mouths together, kissing me like he wants to forget everything about his shitty day but that. He slides his tongue against mine, his hand cupping my neck and tugging me closer to him, even though the only way I could possibly get any closer would be to climb up his body. When the hard length of his cock pushes against me, instead of pressing against me harder, he pulls away, brushing a couple brief kisses on my lips before taking a step back. He turns around and unlocks his door, glancing back over his shoulder, a smug smile on his face when he sees I’m still frozen in place.
That snaps me out of it, and I glare at him. “Oh, you think it’s cute when you dickmatize me, do you?”
“When I what?” he asks around a laugh.
“When you”—I wave a hand in the general direction of said dick—“you know, use your cock for evil.”
His lips curve up on one side. “Sugar britches, kissing you is never evil, and everything I do to you with my cock definitely isn’t evil.”
“Uh huh, likely story.” I spin around and unlock my door, then call out, “Just for that, I’m getting green peppers on the pizza.”
He groans as I shut my door and laugh all the way into my bedroom, tossing my bag and purse in the corner. I quickly change into a pair of yoga pants and a tank top, shucking my bra along with my work clothes. Walking into my living room, I pull my hair up in a messy ponytail, then grab my phone and find the number for the pizza place. I order a veggie with extra green peppers…on half, because I’m pitiful and cave. Damn him.
Last time we had pizza together, I didn’t know about his little aversion to the peppers, and watched, amused, as he took a bite not knowing they were on his slice…and then proceeded to gag from the taste. Literally gag.
I’m still laughing from the memory when Adam walks through my door a few minutes later.
“What’s so funny?”
“Just remembering the last time we had pizza. You know, when you were so manly about those green peppers.” I look at him over the back of the couch, a huge smile on my face, and I don’t have time to do anything when he vaults over the top of it like in some kind of freakin’ action movie—seriously, I didn’t even know that happened in real life—and plops down next to me before he attacks. Digging his fingers into my ribs, he’s relentless as he tickles me. I shriek, shoving him away with my hands and trying to get my legs up high enough to push him away with my feet.
“Adam, oh my God, stop! I’m going to pee!”
“Should’ve gone to the bathroom before.” He doesn’t let up, but instead seems to double his efforts. His fingers are everywhere—every single inch of my body that’s ticklish, he’s found. And exploited.
“What do you want?” I ask through gasping breaths. “I’ll give you whatever you want, just stop!”
“Nice try. I’m not falling for that.”
Through my laughs, I manage, “How about a BJ?”
Just like that, his fingers are gone, and he swoops down to give me a kiss. “Pleasure doing business with you, muffin. I’ll let you know when I want to collect.”
There’s a knock at the door, presumably the pizza, and Adam leaves me flat on my back, still catching my breath, while he answers the door. I blow the stray pieces of hair out of my face, exhausted from laughing so hard and struggling against him. I’ll have to remember a beej gets me out of trouble with him—that’s definitely good information to have.
While Adam takes care of the delivery guy, I head into the kitchen and grab plates and a couple beers from the fridge. When I get into the living room, he’s standing in front of the TV queueing up a movie.
“How’s Sharknado sound tonight?”
“Fucking awesome.” I set the unopened beers down on the coffee table and get a slice of pizza—non-green pepper—for Adam and set it on the plate in front of his seat, then grab a piece for myself. I curl up on the couch, plate in my lap, as he comes over and sits next to me, reaching over to twist the cap off my beer before doing the same for himself.
When he glances down at his pizza, he looks over at me with a smile, then slips his hand under the leg of my yoga pants and caresses my ankle. He doesn’t say anything, but he doesn’t have to. He’s smug as hell about me ordering the pizza how he likes it, and it’s written all over his face. Just for that, I’m going to have to slip a lone pepper onto one of his pieces when he goes into another room. And I’m also not going to tell him how hot he looks in his glasses right now. That’ll show him.
It doesn’t take us long to finish off the pizza—and I mean finish off the pizza. Cheese and carbs are no match for me. Leaning back on the couch, I groan, rubbing a hand over my belly. “Oh my God, I’m so full. Why’d you let me eat all that?”
“I like having use of both my hands, thanks.”
Laughing, I shove his thigh with my foot, then groan when the movement jostles my stomach. “Oh God…it hurts. It hurts so bad. I swear to God, it’s like Thanksgiving.”
“So you couldn’t eat anything else right now?”
“Are you high, dude? I’m dying over here. No, I can’t fucking eat anything else.”
“That’s too bad. I guess I’ll give that Chicago mix popcorn to someone else.”
“What?” I shriek as I fly to a sitting position.
Adam reaches down and grabs something from the side of the couch, and oh holy shit, he got me my beloved popcorn. I snatch the tin from him, tearing off the lid and peering inside. “Forget Thanksgiving; it’s like Christmas!”
Despite my protesting stomach, I grab a handful and go to town on the cheesy caramely goodness. I guess this means he’s forgiven for his smug face from earlier.
It isn’t until an hour later that I realize I never explicitly told Adam about my love for Chicago mix. Which means he’s paid attention to pretty much everything I say, reading between the lines and picking up on hints I’m probably not even aware I’m dropping. But even if I had mentioned it, that’s beside the point. Because he still thought ahead and went out of his way to order this online and have it shipped here for the sole purpose of making me happy.
A niggle of worry sets up camp in my stomach. Suddenly this whole thing with him is starting to feel like more than two people who go out on non-date dates. This is starting to feel a hell of a lot like a relationship.
One I never wanted.
TWENTY-FIVE
paige
I jolt awake in the middle of the night, heart racing, a heavy weight on my chest holding me in place. I struggle against it, shoving it off me, and then scramble out of bed and turn on the lamp on my side table.
Once the room is illuminated, I see Adam sprawled out on my yellow sheets, his gorgeous, muscled back on display as he lies on his stomach, one ar
m shoved under his pillow, the other reaching out over my side of the bed.
Jesus. I have a side of the bed. I used to sleep sprawled out in the middle, going wherever the fuck I wanted to, and now I have a side of the bed.
That thought only makes the panic unfurl faster, my heart pounding like a drum. I can’t back away fast enough, get away fast enough, but where can I go? This is my apartment.
Adam groans, shoving his face in the pillow, then peeks at me with one eye cracked open. “What the hell, pumpkin? It’s three in the morning. Come back to bed.”
Oh God, even when he’s half asleep he calls me those stupid, sappy, ridiculous nicknames that I secretly love. And he lets me lie with my head in his lap while we watch movies and never puts up a fight when I ask him to play with my hair. And he ships in my favorite popcorn just because he somehow became aware of the fact that it’s my favorite, and he likes to make me happy.
It’s all too much.
Talking to Tessa the other night on the phone…having Adam over to my parents’ home, regardless of the fact that they weren’t there, then hanging out with Haley, just the three of us crowded on the couch. And then tonight, staying in when we were supposed to go out and get all dirty and competitive and—
“We didn’t even have sex tonight!” I yell at him. I must look ridiculous, standing here in my panties and tank top, hair a mess on top of my head, pillow creases on my face, yelling about the lack of sex.
“Um…” Adam rubs a hand down his face. When he rolls over and sits up, the sheet pools around his waist. And I hate that I know the color and brand of his boxer briefs without even being able to see them. I hate that I pay attention to those details. “Do you want to have sex? I’m up for it whenever, but just for future reference, there are other, less shouty ways to suggest that.”
“No, I don’t want sex!” God, why can’t I stop this annoying screeching thing my voice is doing?
“Okay…” he draws out the word like he’s talking to a crazy person. And he is. God, I’ve lost my damn mind. “Do you want to sit down and tell me what you do want? Because I’m flying blind here, doodle bug.”
Paige in Progress (Reluctant Hearts #3) Page 18