She touched his face, her fingertips tracing the line of his jaw. A sound emerged from his throat, raw and guttural, and as her willing lips opened, he drove his tongue into her mouth. Her breath was coming fast—he could feel it, the rapid rise and fall of her breasts against his chest. His groin tightened, and he fought for control. He had to end the kiss. Had to step away. She turned his nerves into a crazed batch of male hormones. He swept his tongue into her soft hollows one more time, then mastered half a step back, breaking off the connection.
It was too much, too soon and crazy. She brought out his primal instincts. The jackhammering in his chest heated his blood. He held her in his arms, his forehead pressed to hers; then he brushed a kiss there. “Go out with me tomorrow night, Mia,” he whispered. There was raw urgency in his request. Did he sound desperate?
Her expression shifted from glazed-over passion to concentration. Her silence worried the hell out of him. “Okay,” she finally whispered back, her voice breathy and as tortured as his. “I’d better go now, Adam.”
He didn’t want her to leave. He couldn’t get enough of her, but he wasn’t going to press his luck. She wasn’t a one-night-stand type of woman, and he was glad about that. “I’ll see you out.” He took her hand, the strawberry pie forgotten, and walked her to the front door. Rubbing the back of his neck, he gazed into her eyes. “Thanks for the meal.”
“My pleasure.”
“It was delicious.” So was she. “I’ll need your address.”
“Six four, six four Atlantic. It’s easy. Apartment ten, first floor.”
He repeated her address, cementing it into his brain, and then opened the door for her. “I’ll walk you to your car.”
It was only a few steps, but he took her hand again, fitting it to his and she turned her leaf-green eyes his way. He melted a little inside. It would be a long twenty hours. “I’ll pick you up at seven?”
“That’s perfect.”
Breath released from his lungs. “See you then.”
He bent his head and placed a chaste kiss on her lips. Her sweet taste and softness seared him like a sizzling-hot branding iron.
He shut her car door. As she started the engine he gave her a smile, lifting his hand in a wave. Mia wiggled her fingers back and drove down his driveway, turning onto Pacific Coast Highway.
He stood rooted to the spot, breathless.
Mia D’Angelo had literally stumbled into his life.
What kind of fantastic dumb luck was that?
Four
“It’s gonna cost you, Mia.” She glanced in the ladies’ room mirror of the nightclub, frowning at the reflection staring back at her. She was going to tell Adam the truth, sometime tonight during their date. She couldn’t put it off any longer. Deep down in her heart, she knew Adam Chase was a decent man. She could feel it in her bones. She’d had a few boyfriends who’d been bad mistakes. Boyfriends who had cheated on her or given her a sob story every time they ran out of cash. How many times had she dipped into her own pocket to lend them a hand only to be taken advantage of again?
She wasn’t that naive woman any longer. She’d learned from her mistakes, especially after she’d been burned by a master, her dear old dad, who was a terrible father and an even worse husband. He’d cheated on her mom and done much worse. A drunk and a womanizer, he’d brought shame and heartbreak to the family. He’d taken a life, running down an innocent young girl while under the influence. Gin was his poison of choice, and he’d reeked of it when he’d been hauled off to jail.
But Adam Chase, swimmer, rescuer, talented architect, wasn’t a mistake. It was a feeling she got every time she was with him. Even though trying to delve into his past to learn more about him proved fruitless—the guy didn’t like talking about himself—Mia owed it to Rose and to Adam to reveal her secret.
It had been on the tip of her tongue to reveal the truth a couple of times tonight. Once, just as she was about to say something, the waiter had come by with their meal and she’d lost her nerve. And later, as she was about to speak up again, the band had kicked up, drowning out her thoughts. Adam had asked her to dance then, and she couldn’t refuse those expectant eyes gleaming at her. She’d taken his hand and danced close to him, losing herself in the music. Losing herself in him.
Now she had no excuse. She was going to march right out here, sit down next to him and ask for his patience and understanding. This was it. The time for stalling was over. This was going to be the hardest thing she’d ever had to do in her life. Tears stung her eyes and threatened to ruin her mascara. She dabbed at them with a tissue, took a breath and bucked up.
Her high heels clicked against the wood floors like a death march as she made her way back. The room was dark, the blues music in tune with her edgy mood. Keeping her eyes averted, unable to look Adam in the eye, she reached their table. Her mouth dropped open and she quickly clamped it shut. Sitting next to her date was none other than Dylan McKay.
Movie star. Sexiest man of the year. Box office gold. So much for her well-rehearsed confession. Her mind fuzzed over. She was looking at Hollywood royalty.
Both men instantly rose to their feet. “Mia D’Angelo,” Adam said. “I’d like you to meet my neighbor Dylan.”
“Hi, Mia.” He extended his hand.
“Hello.” She placed her hand in his and smiled casually as if she met megastars every day of the week. “Nice to meet you.”
“Same here. I have to say I’m impressed. Not too many people can get Adam out of the house. Lord knows, I’ve tried a hundred times.”
Adam shot him a glare. “Give it a rest, McKay.”
Dylan flashed a brilliant ultrawhite smile, mischief playing in his eyes. “Adam and I have been neighbors for a few years now. He keeps to himself, but he’s a good guy.” Dylan winked, and Adam seemed to suffer through it. It was hard not to smile, Dylan was a charmer. Gosh, she’d seen every one of his films. Dylan pulled out the seat for her before Adam could get to it. She caught him frowning.
“Thank you,” she said. She lowered herself down, and he scooted the chair in.
“Don’t you have to be going?” Adam remarked, giving Dylan McKay some sort of male signal with his eyes. Mia stifled a chuckle.
“Yes, actually. I have a hot date with an older woman. She loves jazz.”
Adam’s brows shot up. And then he seemed to catch on. “Your mom’s visiting?”
Dylan nodded. “She loves jazz. She brought my little sis with her this time. I’d bring them over, but I don’t want to bust in on your date.”
“The way you did?” Adam said drily, taking his seat.
Dylan didn’t take offense. “Hey, I didn’t want to be rude and not say hello.” Dylan bent over to Mia, and she peered directly into his clear blue eyes. “Are you Italian?”
She nodded. “My family’s from Tuscany.”
“It’s a beautiful country. I want to do another film there, just to absorb the culture and the food. Have you ever been?”
“No, it’s a dream of mine to go one day. My gram tells some great stories of the old country.”
“You’ll get there. Nice meeting you, Mia. Adam. Have a nice evening, you two.”
“Thanks.” Adam rose to shake his hand. They seemed to have an easy friendship.
As he took his seat, Adam said, “Well, now that Dylan gave me his seal of approval as a nice guy, will you dance with me again?”
He was already rising, taking her hand and piercing her with those sharp metallic eyes. A soft, sultry, bluesy tune whispered over the conversational hum of the nightclub. He tugged her to the middle of the dance floor and brought her in close, folding her hand in his and placing it on his chest. “Thank you for not going all fan-crush crazy for Dylan. His ego’s big enough.”
“He came across very down-to-earth.”
“He’s easy with people. That’s probably why he’s loved by the masses.”
Adam was the exact opposite of Dylan, quiet and closed off. For all she knew, the o
nly thing they had in common was that they both lived on Moonlight Beach, and were probably billionaires or close to it. “You like him.”
Adam gave a short nod. “He’s a good friend.” He tightened his grip on her and whispered, “Are you enjoying yourself tonight?”
“Very much.”
Adam brushed a soft kiss to her hair, and she melted into him. “So am I,” he whispered into her ear.
As they danced silently, his heartbeat echoed into her chest. Feeling the music, moving to the rhythms, the saxophone delivering gloriously soulful notes, she was floating on air. When the music stopped, Adam didn’t move. He pushed a strand of hair from her face, gazing at her as if she was made of something precious and fine. Then he touched his mouth to hers, a tender claiming of her lips that stole her breath. His hands roamed over her partially backless dress possessively; her skin tingled where his fingers touched her skin.
His breath hitched, a small guttural sound emanating from his throat, as he continued to kiss her. Luckily, they were still ensconced on the crowded dance floor with couples waiting for the next song to begin. When the music started up again, he tugged her off the floor and they returned to their table, but he didn’t sit down. Instead he took her face in his palms, gave her another wonderful kiss and gazed deeply into her eyes. “Mia, I have to get you home.”
Why? Would he turn into a pumpkin at the stroke of midnight? But then he inched closer. Restraint pulled his face tight, his eyes pleading, and she instantly understood why he needed to get out of the nightclub.
She nodded, a beam of hot tingling heat spreading through her body. “I’m ready.”
* * *
The courtyard near her apartment was dimly lit. Rays of moonlight reflected off a pond and flowed over the hibiscus bushes by her front door. “Thank you for a lovely evening,” she said, turning to Adam. He let go of the hand he held and mumbled something she didn’t quite hear. Her brain had scrambled during the limo ride home between bouts of sensual caresses and kisses that sent her soaring into the stratosphere.
She’d lost her nerve, once again. And she vowed, tomorrow, after all this heat and energy died down, she’d meet with him on neutral turf and tell him the truth.
“I’m sorry—what did you say?” she asked.
He braced his arms against the front door and trapped her into his body’s embrace. His scent, a hint of lime and musk emanating from his pores, did wild things to her. Her thoughts, her body, were keyed into him. Below her belly, she ached and tingled, the pressure building. Her breasts pressed the boundaries of decency and the pebbly tips jutted out, stretching the material of her dress.
“Invite me in, Mia.”
And then his lips were on hers again, taking her in another mind-numbing kiss. Her soul was seared, branded by a man she hardly knew. Yet it felt right. So very right. How could she be so attracted to the same man her sister had slept with? Conceived a baby with? This wasn’t going to happen. It couldn’t.
Her little plan was backfiring.
Because as much as the battle raged inside her head with all those thoughts, she couldn’t stop kissing Adam. She couldn’t stop wanting him. She hadn’t yet said yes or no, and his kisses kept coming, delving and probing her mouth, his lips teasing and tempting hers. She tingled and ached for him, and when he placed the flat of his palm across her chest, rubbing at the sensitive tip through her clothes, a flood of warmth pooled down below, and a strangled sound rose from her throat. “Adam.”
She was breathless, out of oxygen and falling fast.
He was an amazing kisser.
He was probably an amazing lover.
How long had it been since she’d been flipped inside out like this?
Maybe never.
She slipped a hand into her beaded purse, grabbed for her key and pressed it into his hand. “You’re invited in,” she said, her voice a raspy whisper.
“Thank God.” Adam blew out a relieved breath.
She moved slightly away from the wall, her body ragged and limp already, just from his kisses.
A thought scurried into her mind of the baby’s gear. Oh no! Was it all tucked away? Mentally picturing each room, she summed up that the coast was clear. For now, and that was all that mattered.
She didn’t want to think further than this moment. She couldn’t refuse Adam anything. In seconds, she was inside her apartment, deep in his embrace.
If she expected him to rip at her clothes, he didn’t. He took her hand in his and brushed a soft caress to her mouth. More deliberately now, he spoke over her lips. “This is crazy. I don’t want to rush you, Mia.”
Adam, always rational. She was beginning to understand that about him. Even in the heat of passion, he thought of her feelings. His eyes were hot embers, his body on fire, yet he slowed down enough to make sure he wasn’t taking advantage of her or the situation. “I don’t feel rushed, Adam.” Her voice softened as she confessed the truth.
He drew breath into his lungs as if he’d prayed for that answer and nodded.
She pushed his dinner jacket off his shoulders and he wiggled out of it. He wore no tie, but he unfastened the top buttons on his shirt. She took his hand and led him to the sofa. He sat first and tugged her down onto his lap. “You’re beautiful.” The heat in his eyes bored straight into her, and then his lips were on her again, his tongue mating with hers.
She gripped his shoulders, touched his hot sizzling skin from beneath his shirt. His strength rippled through her body and heightened her thrill. A low guttural growl rose up from his throat and touched something deep and tender in her heart. Nothing else existed in the world. It was all Adam. Adam. Adam.
He lowered her down slightly, holding her by one strong arm as the heat of his palm covered her breast. It swelled even more, aching for his touch. It was easy for him to slip down the one shoulder strap of her dress. The material and her strapless bra edged down; cool air hit her exposed chest. She arched for him, and he bent his head, taking her into his mouth.
She moaned as he suckled gently, his tongue moistening her extended nipples. Mia wiggled, and he held her arms firm, stroking her over and over, torturing her with swipes that left her breathless. The apex of her legs began to throb, a deep building of pressure that would soon need release.
His mouth left her breast then to reclaim her lips. The hem of her dress was pushed up and the rough planes of his hand cupped her leg, skimming the underside of her thigh, back and forth.
Her mind swam with delicious thoughts as pressure climbed. His fingertips came close to her sweet spot, and she ached for his touch.
“You want this, right?” he rasped, his fingers teasing closer.
“Yes,” she breathed, her pulse racing. “I want it.”
It wouldn’t take much to send her over the edge. She was almost there already. She’d never been so in tune with a man before. She’d never had this kind of immediate response. And she wasn’t ashamed that she was practically begging him to take her.
His fingers slipped beneath her bikini panties, and his touch brought a sudden sharp breath from her lips. “Easy, sweetheart. I won’t hurt you.”
She nodded, unable to utter a word.
As he moved over her, moisture coated his fingers, and, ever so slightly, her body began to rock and sway as he stroked her. Sensations swirled, and she gave herself up to the wondrous feeling. Adam’s mouth on hers, his tongue inside her and his fingers working magic—she was too far gone to hold back. She let go and moved with him now. He pressed her harder, faster and she climbed as high as she could go.
“Mia.” His voice tight, he seemed just as consumed as she was.
Her body gave way, releasing the strain, the heavy weight loosening up and shattering. Her eyes closed, she merely allowed herself to feel. And it felt mind-blowingly wonderful.
She opened her eyes to Adam’s stare. The hunger on his face told her he was ready for more.
He brought down the hem of her dress and replaced the strap over h
er shoulder. She was being lifted again, tucked into his arms. Kissing her throat, he whispered, “Where’s your bedroom, sweetheart?”
She pointed toward the darkened hallway. “The last door on the left.”
He began to move slowly, cradling her. “Are you okay?”
She gave a slow nod. “I’m perfect.” There was no shame. She couldn’t wait to be with him again, to have him inside her. She was just getting started. How many years had she gone without? Now, having Adam as a partner, her bones jumped to life.
“I agree. You are.”
The compliment seeped into her soul.
He walked past Rose’s bedroom. The door was shut, hiding her nursery, but a jolt of guilt-ridden pain singed her. She didn’t want to think about that right now. Things were getting complicated.
They neared her bedroom door.
And then she was nearly falling out of his arms.
He tripped, and she went down with him. The stumble brought him to his knees. He never let go of her, though—good lifeguarding skills—and he laughed in her ear. “I’ve still got you. Sorry for the stumble. I must’ve stepped on something.”
He set her down gently and searched the floor, picking up the mystery item that caused the fall.
Her eyes squeezed shut.
“What the hell is this?”
He groped at the stuffed snowman with the giant carrot nose. Olaf, the character from Frozen. She remembered Rose dropping it as she was getting ready to go to her grandmother’s house. She’d meant to grab it but had totally forgotten.
“It’s a toy I forgot to pick up.”
“Do you moonlight as a babysitter or something? Or do you have a thing for weird-looking snowmen?”
She sighed. Then stood up and flipped the light switch on.
Adam squinted and gazed at her through narrowed eyes. “Mia? I was just kidding. Why are you frowning?”
The Billionaire's Daddy Test Page 5