The Adventurous Bride

by Molly Liholm

  “A little, but not much lately.” His expression grew serious. “I haven’t been with a lot of women since Allison, and never without protection. I’m not a love ‘em and leave ’em kind of guy.”

  “I know. I can tell.” Suddenly she felt shy. “I’m a little rusty at this. It’s been awhile.”

  “Not since your runaway groom?”

  Meg felt her cheeks blush and knew it spread over her chest and breasts. “Not even with him. I think that was one of the mistakes Max and I made. We were going to wait until after we were married.”

  “Except you didn’t get married.”

  “No.” Meg couldn′t stand to see the sympathy on Adam’s face. Lord, he didn’t think she was a loser, did he? Suddenly she was unsure of herself.

  As if he knew what she was thinking, what she was afraid of, Adam touched her chin, raising her eyes to his. “Max must have been very stupid not to make love to you when he had the chance.”

  “Max was in love with someone else.”

  “Max didn’t know a good thing when he had one Luckily I do.” Adam brushed her lips with his while his wonderful hands cupped her bare breasts together, his thumbs rubbing over her nipples, sending shock waves clear down to her toes. The man had wonderful hands.

  “The first time I kissed you,” he whispered into her ear, sending shivers up and down her spine, “I imagined that you would flush from head to toe when you came.”

  “You did?”

  “Yes. Now I’m going to find out.”

  Then Meg lost track of how things happened. All she could do was experience. As Adam began to make love to her slowly, gently and seriously, more seriously than any man ever had before, Meg became a new person. She’d never known lovemaking could be so consuming. She’d never known it could be so complete. It felt like Adam was reaching her clear to her soul and she wanted to do the same to him.

  Adam kissed her; she kissed him. His hands began a desperate exploration of her body, touching and stroking. His mouth followed, distracted for some time by her breasts. First he skimmed his lips over the curve of them; they felt fuller and sexier than they’d ever felt before. His hands returned to cup the globes together, his tongue flicking from aureole to aureole.

  Meg moaned and shifted restlessly on the bed. Adam took the tip of one breast into his mouth while his hand curved around the fullness of her buttock, pulling her against him. Suddenly she was on top, his hands caressing her bottom, Meg feeling the heat of his erection pressed against her.

  She cupped his arousal and was glad at her own power over him. “My, you’re ready.”

  “I’ve been ready to make love to you since I walked into The Gateway on Saturday night. I almost wished I’d been the kind of man you thought I was, so I could.”

  “Humph. And all this time I thought you didn’t want me.”

  “I was fighting it.”

  “Despite the fact that your words aren’t very complimentary, I’m going to take them as a compliment. And next time don’t take so long,” Meg exclaimed as she went about discovering Adam’s body. He was finely muscled and nicely sensitive as she trailed her fingertips down his chest. Some of his chest hairs had turned gray, and she followed the dark hair as it arrowed down his flat abdomen and lower.

  Discovering Adam’s body was better than unwrapping a Christmas present.

  Finally, with a groan, Adam pulled up her head. “Now,” he said simply, his eyes glittering with passion.

  “Yes,” Meg agreed, and licked her lips. With a strangled sound, Adam captured her mouth, his tongue invading her mouth boldly. His hands encircled her waist. Meg opened her legs, welcoming Adam as he entered her.

  “Oh,” Meg managed to say as Adam penetrated her. She felt complete. It had never been like this before. Adam began to stroke within her, raising her temperature even further, pushing her closer and closer to the edge where she’d lose all control.

  She reached for the other side, clenching herself around Adam, wanting him with her. She cried as the explosion hit her, and then she heard Adam’s voice mix with hers as he also climaxed.

  Much later, she cherished the solid feel of Adam’s body on top of hers. He rolled, pulling her over with him, so that she was on top. “Mmm,” she muttered sleepily, more content and satisfied than she’d ever been in her life.

  “Tomorrow,” Adam said, “we’ll work on kisses one hundred through two hundred.”

  9

  MEG WOKE SLOWLY, enveloped by heat. She opened her eyes and realized that she was cradled in Adam’s arms. She blinked several times, but the sensation didn’t change. She was still in Adam’s arms. Hmm. Meg wondered if she dared pinch herself, but didn’t want to move in case her pleasant fantasy disappeared. This was one heck of a good dream, she decided. Way better than the one she had of being president of her father’s company and going home alone to her cat.

  “Are you holding your breath?” Adam asked, his voice a low growl. It sounded so sexy, Meg decided. If this was a fantasy, she didn’t want it to end.

  “Yes.” She spoke the word out loud, and wonder of wonders, Adam didn’t disappear.

  Instead, he shifted slightly, pulling her more closely against him.

  “Why?”

  “I didn’t want to disturb you in case you woke up, realized that we’d made love and decided to disappear.”

  “Before you could tie me down or something?”

  “Or something,” Meg agreed, sitting up to gaze at him. He positively bearned at her and then pulled her on top of himself. She raised herself slightly so she could look into his eyes. “How did you know I was holding my breath? Were you lying here, holding me in your arms, listening to me not breath, thinking how lucky you were?”

  ″Something like that.″

  Meg elbowed him. “Which part?”

  Adam kissed her. “All of it.″

  Meg felt hope wash through her, but she didn’t want to reveal too much of herself to Adam, so she stared at his naked chest—and promptly lost her ability to think. Opening her mouth, she said, “I don’t know what to say. I’m flummoxed.”

  Adam pushed a strand of hair out of her eyes. “Flummoxed. You have an interesting vocabulary for a kook first thing in the morning.”

  “You didn’t think I was so kooky last night.”

  “True.”

  Meg wished he’d say something else, like he cared about her, or they had had the best sex ever—which in her opinion was exactly what they’d shared. If she’d had sex like that before she’d have had it a lot more often. But at least he wasn’t pushing her away. She’d take what she could get right now and build on that. Plus, he had admitted he’d been listening to her breathe. That was kind of romantic.

  Because she didn’t want to scare him off, she asked, “What are you going to do today?”

  “Well, since Abby hasn’t returned, I suppose I’ll just do some more poking around town.”

  “Could I help?” Meg realized she was holding her breath again.

  “Don’t you have to work?”

  “Rachel comes into the shop today. She enjoys the store and that way I get a day off. I could ask her to cover for me tomorrow as well. We could investigate, hang out, maybe go on a picnic...” Meg let her words trail off, waiting for him to tell her he preferred to work alone.

  “That sounds nice, but shouldn’t we wait for Abby?”

  “Right, Abby.” The truth about Abby had been worrying her for some time. She should tell Adam, but as soon as he got in touch with Abby, he’d be gone. No, she was being selfish, Meg berated herself. Originally she could excuse her actions out of simple desperation, but no longer. “I need to tell you—”

  “No, you don’t need to tell me anything.”

  At the look of panic on Adam’s face, Meg was sorely tempted to hit him for real this time. He was scared to death that she was going to tell him she loved him. She opened her mouth, but Adam kissed her and rolled out of bed before she could catch her breath. “Adam,” she
called after his retreating back.

  He stopped at the door, one arm leaning against the frame, not turning to face her. “Don’t tell me anything I’m not ready to hear yet.”

  “You’re pretty sure of what I have to say,” she commented mildly.

  Now he turned to face her and she wished she didn’t notice how gorgeous he was. His arms were solid leading to those wonderful shoulders, and then there was the chest and the dark hair narrowing lower to that part of him she had spent such a long time loving last night. Meg pulled her attention back to his face.

  “Meg.” Adam frowned and brushed a hand through his hair. “Last night was great. Incredible. I’m not going to pretend that I don’t feel anything for you, but I have a mission to accomplish before I can think about any kind of—of...”

  “Relationship?” She offered the word he had so much difficulty saying.

  “Exactly.” He looked relieved. “I’m going to go take a shower, and then we should go.”

  “We?” Meg wished her voice hadn’t squeaked.

  “We,” he agreed, and left.

  We. She’d settle for working together. For now. It was Adam’s way of distracting her from what he was afraid she wanted to talk about—and since she was too chicken to tell him the real truth, she’d settle for it as well.

  A fine pair of heroes they made.

  “MEG, ADAM. I don’t have you listed for a tour.” Dana Andrews looked up from her computer screen, pushing back her dirty blond locks.

  Meg and Adam stopped inside the small, cramped office that housed operations for Greg’s four-wheel company. Meg smiled at Dana. “No, we just stopped by to say hello. I’m showing Adam why I love Sedona and its people so much.”

  Dana looked puzzled, but quirked her lips in the approximation of a smile. “Are you two getting back together?”

  Meg didn’t wait for Adam to answer. They’d been asked the question more than once today, and she had the reply down pat. “I’m still considering it. Adam is much more determined.”

  “Oh, that’s nice.” Dana surveyed Adam from head to toe, then turned to Meg. “You’re lucky to have a man pursuing you so forcefully,” she said wistfully.

  “Sometimes the fantasy sounds nicer than the reality. How is Greg?”

  Dana blushed. “He’s out with a group of tourists from Canada. He’ll be back this afternoon.”

  Meg got down to business—distracting Dana away from her computer. “Adam wanted to look at some of Greg’s maps, if that’s okay.”

  Dana brushed her hair off her face, looking worried. “I don’t know. Greg is pretty guarded about his stuff.”

  Meg smiled her most sincere, honest smile, the one she’d used when negotiating book deals with ruthless agents. “Maybe you could pull out some maps that he wouldn’t mind Adam studying. None with Greg’s best routes marked or anything.” Meg leaned in confidentially. “I don’t want you to think that Adam is trying to steal any of Greg’s secrets. He’s curious about the landscape and wants to go take some shots. He’s something of an amateur photographer, and if he decides to live with me here, well, he’ll need something to do.”

  “I guess that would be okay,” Dana answered. She looked back to her computer longingly, but then stood and walked with Meg to Greg’s little cubbyhole of an office. She riffled through the mess of papers on the desk and pulled out a map. “Greg has marked his route clearly and there are some good views of the outlooks as well as the desert.”

  “Thanks, Dana, this is very sweet of you. I really appreciate it. Adam needs to feel he’s doing something valuable. I want him to stay here in Sedona so that I can decide about us. But I find that a man needs to feel that he’s doing something important—even when he’s trying to woo you.”

  “Yes, well, I’m glad I could be of help.” Dana glanced back at the outer office.

  Blocking Dana’s view of Adam, Meg stepped a little closer to her as if to share girl talk. “How is Greg?”

  “Infatuated with a blond Canadian girl on the tour today,” Dana said flatly.

  “I’m surprised he hasn’t noticed what he has in front of him. You really should give him a little encouragement,” Meg suggested, glad she was able to broach the topic for once with Dana. Usually the girl was so lost in her own world that they had little conversation together. Meg wished Greg would see Dana for the caring and smart woman she was. He would have to look far and wide to find better than Dana.

  Plus, she needed a way to keep Dana occupied in the back office while Adam accessed Dana’s computer. Meg knew Dana spent many a late night burning the midnight oil in the office, working on her software programs. Since her computer was already on, Adam would be able to do a quick diagnostic of whatever programs Dana had on her computer. In a few minutes, he should be able to clear Dana or find proof of her involvement in criminal activities.

  “Have you ever thought of bangs?” Meg asked impulsively. When in doubt, makeovers always worked.

  “What?” Dana asked, pushing back strands of hair that had fallen over her face.

  “I don’t mean to be rude, or to suggest that men only notice appearances....”

  Dana looked down at the papers on the desk. “Greg certainly noticed the blonde today.”

  “Yes, well, I can’t help but notice that you’re always brushing your hair off your face. I once edited this book on hairstyles and face types, and you’d look great with bangs. Could I show you?”

  Dana nodded hesitantly and Meg picked up the mirror that Greg had in his office. A man as good-looking as Greg had to have a mirror. She gave the mirror to Dana, pulled a brush out of her purse. With a few quick strokes, then holding her palm over Dana’s forehead, she showed her what it could look like.

  “The bangs focus more attention on your beautiful eyes.”

  Dana took a pair of scissors off the desk. “Do it. Cut my hair.”

  “OKAY, WHO′S NEXT? We’ve been through Dana Andrews and Jason Stavropoulos.”

  “So far nothing incriminating,” Adam said, sounding tired.

  “Is this how you usually investigate?” Meg wondered about how he did his job. She’d read several of his articles, learning that he was a good reporter—fair in how he told the story and a talented writer.

  “Often. I get a lead, follow it wherever it takes me. Dig around. Maybe find something. Follow my instincts. Meet some interesting people—some innocent, some guilty.” He stopped in front of Sedona Retreat, the hotel owned by Michelle and Rachel. “I’d like to try this pair next.”

  “But they seem so friendly and innocent—although Rachel does love to gossip.” Meg sighed. “I guess you have to be suspicious of everyone.”

  “I have to check out everyone’s story. But sometimes my instincts will give me a lead. A sort of sixth sense.”

  Meg stared at him as he met her gaze, his dark eyes intent. “You mean, you just know?″

  “Yes,” he answered fatalistically. “I can look at a person and know that he or she is going to have the piece of the puzzle that is missing.”

  “But that’s amazing.”

  “It’s kooky, but true.”

  Meg didn’t need to say that was why he was so disturbed by her claim of knowing that he was the one for her. Instead she could only stare at him. She felt as if she and Adam were on the brink of something—if only she could think of the right thing to say—when the door to the hotel opened.

  Michelle frowned at the two of them. “I saw you standing outside. You might as well come in—I don’t have all day to wait for you to knock.”

  “After you.” Adam held the door for Meg, a rueful smile on his face.

  She entered, wishing she and Adam could have kept talking. He had really opened up to her for the first time, but the moment was gone.

  “Meg has been showing me around town and she’s been telling me about your excellent hotel.”

  “Fifty rooms. We get a lot of corporate business, including five of the top 500 companies as listed in Fortune Mag
azine last year.” Michelle dared Adam to contradict her.

  “Can I have a tour?”

  “I’m pretty busy.”

  “I’m thinking of writing a piece on the different businesses in Sedona.”

  “For your paper? The New York Times?″ Michelle couldn’t help the slight softening of her expression.

  Adam pressed his advantage. “I usually do more hardhitting stories for the Times, but I occasionally write for a couple of business magazines. Successful businesses combining tourism, small-business smarts and the use of the spiritual sense of Sedona would be a story several magazines would be interested in.”

  “I see.” Michelle considered his words, and they watched the struggle on her face. The businesswoman in her won out. “Come with me.” She walked across the lobby to the sitting room. “This is the common area. Notice the picture window with the view.”

  With her brisk efficiency, Michelle was off on the tour. At the end of half an hour, Adam had to admit Michelle owned and ran a beautiful little hotel. By the end of an hour he was impressed with the conference facilities and the various marketing techniques aimed at attracting new business. But Michelle hadn’t left them alone once, although Meg had tried several times to distract her so that he could disappear into her private office. No such luck. Instead he took notes, and Michelle talked faster and faster. Finally he asked her for some literature and her curriculum vitae. “You must have managed some big conference centers before moving to Sedona.”

  “Yes. Come into my office—I have my work history on the computer.”

  Adam salivated as Michelle printed out her bio, but he didn’t see any way to distract her and get access to the machine’s information. Meg shrugged at Adam, sharing his frustration, and picked up one of the pictures on Michelle’s desk. “Do you take photos of all your important clients?”

  “Some. Others I keep just because they remind me of a fun day when I’m stuck inside going through paperwork.” Michelle glanced over at the photo Meg held. “That was taken a couple of years ago at the Liberty L. Gloria had just begun her dude ranch and was asking me a lot of questions about how to entertain guests and basically run the operation.”