by Lucy Eden
“And don’t forget, you invited me to stay here. You kissed me. You said you wanted to keep going.”
I did open the door. I did kiss him. What did I think would happen if I made out with the Man-Whore in my bed? I wasn’t thinking. That was the problem. I let this situation get out of control. I went against my better judgment and I couldn’t let that happen again.
Yes, Kimberly. Keep your head on straight.
With a nod, I went into the bathroom, washed my face, brushed my teeth, and climbed into bed. I wrapped my hair in my scarf and relaxed into my pillow.
It smelled like Adam. It was a mixture of soap and cedar with spices, maybe vanilla. I should have tossed it to the other side of the room, but instead I hugged it, inhaled and drifted off to sleep.
My eyes opened hours before my alarm was scheduled to go off. Insomnia was also a fun part of anxiety disorder. No matter when I went to bed or no matter how exhausted I was, I usually woke up about five hours later. Sometimes, I could put myself back to sleep right away, but not usually. My nights were filled with lots of tea, lots of movies, lots of books and a lot of crossword puzzles.
It was morning and the sun hadn’t risen but I could tell the power had been restored. I crept out of my room hoping to make myself a cup of tea before Adam woke up. Something told me he wasn’t an early riser. As I passed the living room, heading toward the kitchen, something made my breath catch in my chest. There was a huge figure sprawled out on the couch. My first instinct was to scream for Adam, but I realized in the next instant that it was Adam. He’d slept on the couch outside my bedroom.
He looked so peaceful as he slept that I temporarily forgot that I was mad at him. Even more annoying, he didn’t seem to snore or drool in his sleep. The moonlight through the balcony doors illuminated his face, and his arms were covered with tiny little goosebumps from the air conditioning. I reached out to stroke the cool and tiny raised follicles before I could stop myself and he stirred.
“Princess,” he said softly, but never opened his eyes.
My first thought was to cover him with a blanket, but I didn’t want him to know that I’d seen him. Instead, I grabbed a mug and teabag from the kitchen, then turned the temperature on the thermostat up a few degrees to make it warmer before quietly returning to my room.
The water from the faucet in my bathroom turned out to be hot enough to make a decent cup of tea and I sat in my bed, sipping and trying to decide if I should attempt to go back to sleep or continue working on my presentation. My thoughts drifted to Adam, the slumbering giant, outside my room and it had a strange calming effect. I finished my tea, snuggled under the sheets and closed my eyes.
My alarm sounded at eight o’clock. With my earbuds in place, I hit the balcony to begin my morning routine. I rolled out my yoga mat and started my first sun salutation. Sucking in a deep breath, I pressed my palms together and exhaled as I spread my arms wide and dove forward, folding myself in half before pressing my palms flat against the mat. As I moved through the sequence of asanas, I felt myself becoming grounded and in control. My brain took a few detours because with every twist and stretch my body remembered how it felt to be molded against Adam’s well-toned torso, but I was able to maintain focus by remembering how pissed I was at him and myself.
A half hour of meditation was next, followed by skincare, oral hygiene, a shower, vitamins, making today’s to-do list and organizing my things before I was ready to start the day. I grabbed the empty tea mug and ventured out of my room.
Adam was no longer on the couch and the apartment was quiet. I couldn’t explain it, but I knew he wasn’t there. For a brief moment I was hit with a feeling of dread, thinking he’d changed his mind and moved out after all.
I washed and rinsed the mug before checking the cabinets and refrigerator for food and not finding much. I stepped onto the balcony outside of the living room. Unlike the small one attached to my room, this balcony had an oceanfront view and ran the entire length of the apartment. There was an octagonal shaped pool to the far left and to the far right, on the other side of a dining table and four large lounge chairs, were the glass doors leading to Adam’s bedroom—if it was still his bedroom.
I stared at the ocean for a while. The Sterling Beachfront Paradise was built on top of a cliff and from the balcony it looked like I was floating over the water. The rolling waves were soothing and there was no evidence of last night’s storm except for a few stray branches. The air was damp and had the heavy fragrance of earth that lingered after a rainstorm. My fingers danced through the tiny puddles of water clinging to the railing. With closed eyes, I let the island breeze caress my face before turning to go back inside. I reached for the handle to re-enter the living room and stopped.
His bedroom was less than thirty feet away. I could walk over and see if his stuff was still there, but what if he caught me? What would I say I was doing? He’d think I was crazy. I kicked him out of my room last night and then, the next morning, I’m peering in his windows like a creep. Why did I want to go look into his room anyway? I know what he looks like— and what he tastes like, and smells like, and sounds like, and feels like. I’ve also already seen the inside of his room. This man has turned me into a crazy person. I needed to take my distracted ass inside and work on this presentation.
I yanked the door open and rushed inside only to run into Adam. Meaning, I ran right into him. We crashed together with so much force that I lost my footing, but before I could fall backwards he wrapped his arms around me, pressing me to his chest. I tilted my face up to meet his and our lips were so close that if either one of us moved an inch we’d be reliving last night’s ill-fated kiss.
“Whoa,” he laughed. “I gotcha.” He grinned down at me. “You okay?”
I nodded, swallowing a lump in my throat. “I’m sorry,” I whispered. “I guess I didn’t see you.”
My palms were pressed against his pecs and his arms were wrapped around my waist, squeezing me into him and giving me an intense feeling of déjà vu. I recognized the familiar smell of cedar and spices, but it was mixed with the faint odor of musky sweat. If Diptyque made an Adam Price scented candle I’d go broke in a week.
“I’m pretty hard to miss, Princess,” he quipped. There he was, the arrogant, not-an-asshole who doesn’t have to work hard to get laid.
I pushed him away. “Maybe you shouldn’t go tip-toeing around the house like a ninja.” I walked to the kitchen. “Where did you go this early anyway, and why are you all sweaty?”
“Wouldn’t you like to know?” He grinned at me, raising an eyebrow. “And I wasn’t tip-toeing anywhere. You should watch where you’re going. And what were you daydreaming about anyway? It must’ve been good.”
“Wouldn’t you like to know?” I gave him a pointed look and narrowed my eyes, before opening the cabinet over the coffee maker. There were three boxes of various flavors of decaffeinated tea that definitely weren’t there earlier. “Where did this tea come from?”
“Well.” Adam was walking, no sauntering, towards the kitchen. “After I went to the gym and for a run, I stopped by the grocery store and picked up a few things.”
“I wasn’t aware you’re such a fan of decaf tea.”
“You know I’m not, Princess,” he said. “But they had the same flavor you ordered last night at dinner and I grabbed the other two.” His eyes met mine. “In case you wanted to try something new.”
I felt my cheeks and neck burn and every muscle between my thighs clenched. “Well, that was very considerate of you.” I tried to keep my tone as even as possible. “Thank you.”
His fleeting expression told me he knew the exact effect his words had on me, but thankfully he didn’t press the issue.
“So, what are your plans for today?” He took a seat at the marble counter top, laced his fingers together and leaned forward, watching me fill the kettle with water before setting it on the stove top.
“I have a list of things but mainly putting the finishing touches
on the presentation.”
He stifled a smirk and nodded.
“Well, what are your big plans for today, since mine are so amusing?”
“Well, I also have a list. First,” He held up one finger and tilted his head, clearly doing a poor imitation of me. “I’m gonna shower. Then,” another finger, “I’m going to get dressed.”
I rolled my eyes.
“Then I’m going to eat breakfast…”
“There’s nothing wrong with being organized.” I closed the cabinet door with just a little more force than I intended.
“Then,” He took my hand across the countertop and I tried to ignore the familiar sparks I felt. “I’m going to apologize to you for acting like an ass last night and hope that you’ll give me a chance to redeem myself. If we’re going to work together, we should at least get along.”
The kettle whistled at that moment and it was the perfect excuse to stall before responding to Adam’s invitation. I really needed distance from him, but he was right, we really needed to get on the same page before our meeting.
My teabag bobbed in the hot water as I considered all of the ways this could go wrong. My brain flashed back to my hands gripping his biceps at the airport, the things I did with the shower handle attachment and Adam sucking on my bottom lip as he carried me through my bedroom. Then, I considered the benefits for my career. The answer was obvious. I had to put on my big girl panties, and keep them on, while doing everything I could to make sure this pitch succeeded.
“I need to get some work done today, but I agree. We should definitely spend some time together.”
He shot me a look of surprise and the corner of his mouth curled into a sexy half smile.
“Working!” I said, nearly dropping my mug. “I actually have some questions about your site plans.”
“You’ve seen my site plans?” His eyes lit up again. I couldn’t resist smiling.
“Yes, I have.”
He leaned forward with his eyebrows raised. I knew he was waiting for my opinion. I took the opportunity to slowly add honey to my tea and made him suffer a little bit. “They’re amazing,” I finally said, grinning. His eyes lit up a little more, which I didn’t think was possible. “But you already knew that.”
“I like to hear you say it.”
I brought my mug to my lips to hide the smile spreading across my face but I’m sure my eyes gave it away.
“What’s your favorite part?”
“Well, I know I’m supposed to say the luxury suites, but what your team managed to accomplish with the economy suites… They’re breathtaking. Most of the design proposals I saw went heavy on the luxury aspect and the economy suites were almost like an afterthought. Guests who book luxury suites usually aren’t saving every penny for months and carefully rationing vacation days. Giving the rest of the guests something as close as possible to the luxury experience at a price point they can afford will really set the resort apart from the others. But you already knew that too, didn’t you?”
He didn’t say a word but his smile was answer enough. I tried to get my heart rate under control before I continued. “The budget is a little concerning, but I think your design has the best chance.” I took another sip. “That’s why I chose it.”
“You chose it?”
“Wolfe received proposals from all of the top architecture firms. I work for the woman who had to narrow them down to the best five to be presented this week. She let me see the finalists and when I saw the one from WP, I asked if I could work on the presentation. This is a really big opportunity for me. If it goes well, and your design is chosen, I could be promoted to the on-site project management team. At the very least, it could be a chance to impress my CEO.”
“I hope I don’t let you down.”
“I seriously doubt that. I did my research. You’re a great architect.”
And a great kisser.
“Just a great architect?”
A great architect, a great kisser and apparently a mind reader.
I took a sip of tea to buy time. “You’re more than a great architect, but I’m sure you know that too.”
He reached for my hand and I pulled it away.
“About last night…I…” I hesitated before continuing, “might have overreacted.”
He looked at me with his eyebrows raised and I couldn’t tell if he agreed or was just surprised. I definitely overreacted but I wasn’t going to say that. After some sleep and time to process, it was obviously a misunderstanding. Adam hadn’t given me any reason to believe he was anything other than a good guy, and I definitely could’ve been clearer when I said I wanted to keep going. But this is what I did. I had all of the reasons for Adam to be a Man-Whore, trying to get me into bed, locked and loaded. My anxiety loved to be proven right and was always ready for a fight. At least he got to see this side of me early before things got any more complicated.
Continuing, I said, “but last night was…last night. I can’t get distracted. Like I said, this is really important to me.”
“Maybe you need a distraction.”
I glared at him.
“I don’t mean sex, unless…” He raised an eyebrow and I narrowed my eyes at him. “I’m kidding. That was definitely too soon. I knew it when I said it.”
My lips twitched, fighting the urge to smile.
“What I meant was maybe you need a break from thinking about the presentation. Hang out with me for a few hours. You don’t have to think about work. I can show you I’m not a— what am I?” He looked at me expectantly, and I was so caught off guard by his question that I inhaled my tea instead of swallowing which sent me into a coughing fit.
Did he know about his awful nickname?
He jumped up, ran around the countertop and put his hand on my back. I pushed it off.
“I’m fine,” I said in between coughs. “It just went — down the wrong pipe.”
“Okay, Princess,” he said, when I’d finally regained my composure. “You don’t have to answer me now and I don’t want to pressure you. If you need me, I’ll be in my room.”
He got up from the counter and I watched him walk down the hall.
“Hey,” I called after him. He turned to face me. “How’s your toe?”
“It’s fine.” Then one corner of his mouth curled. “But if you’d like to do a follow-up exam after I get out of the shower, I wouldn’t stop you.”
I felt all of the blood rush to my face as I thought of Adam’s nude chiseled body in the shower, framed in steam with rivulets of water streaming over his pecs, abs and other places.
Keeping my head on straight was going to be harder than I thought.
Back in my room, I flopped down onto my bed and opened the proposal on my laptop. I scanned it for what felt like the fiftieth time looking for grammatical and technical mistakes. It was perfect. I emailed a copy to Cynthia for approval and moved on to my PowerPoint presentation. I was finally succeeding at shifting my focus away from Adam when I heard the doorbell.
I ignored it at first. This wasn’t my apartment and I certainly wasn’t expecting any visitors, but when it rang again, I got up and headed to front door. My fingers barely touched the handle when I saw Adam jogging down the corridor, barefoot and shirtless. His hair was still wet from the shower.
His body was insane. It was toned and chiseled in all the right places. My body remembered how firm his pecs felt when I was pressed into him. There were exactly six perfectly formed ab muscles cradled by a V shape that pointed to whatever was hiding in those low-slung pajama pants. Whatever it was, it was big. I felt it last night.
“Hey! My eyes are up here.”
I looked up to see Adam grinning at me. He’d watched me leer at him and was wearing a look of smug amusement. My eyes flicked to the ceiling.
“Why aren’t you wearing a shirt?”
“I just got out of the shower and I didn’t expect the food to get here so fast.” He was still grinning as he pushed past me. His fingertips brushed my
arm causing me to shiver.
Adam opened the door and two people came in pushing a cart stacked with dishes. He thanked the servers and signed the check. The muscles in his back rippled as he made his way to the door to let them out.
“Join me for breakfast.” He smiled, leaning against the door.
“Are you planning on getting dressed?” I crossed my arms and his eyes flickered to my chest. I shook my head.
“If you insist.”
“I insist.”
He returned to the table a few minutes later wearing a pair of board shorts and a t-shirt.
“Better?”
“Yes.”
No.
He was still as sexy as ever. “Thank you for ordering breakfast.”
“I wasn’t sure what you’d want so I ordered a little bit of everything.”
I smiled and began to fill my plate. A bit of everything was an understatement. He must have ordered one of everything from the breakfast menu.
“Kimberly,” he said, and I turned to look at him. “This is going to be a long week if we don’t talk about the elephant in the room.”
I took a bite of my eggs so I wouldn’t have to answer right away.
“Okay, I’ll talk about the elephant,” he said, smiling. The smile slowly slid from his face as he began to speak. “I’m sure during your research about me, you heard some personal stuff.” He exhaled a deep breath. “Most of it is probably true.”
I looked down at my plate. I didn’t like thinking about the fight we had last night or imagining Adam with other women, because it wasn’t any of my business what he did in his personal life.
He reached for me. My fingers betrayed me and involuntarily twitched in response. He took that as a sign to engulf my small hand with his large one. My entire body relaxed. It felt right.
“I just wanted to tell you that last night was really special for me.”