Sin City Lights (Sin City #1)

Chapter 18

Eve

“I’m going to kill him.”

Eve rubbed Adam’s back and pressed a soft kiss between his shoulder blades.

The fallout from Jannie’s big announcement had been difficult to witness. Eve knew well that they were all hiding their dismay and disapproval, but this family supported one another, and she watched them go to Jannie, one by one, to offer congratulations and words of encouragement.

No wonder Adam was the way he was. He had been raised with unconditional love.

Right now, however, that wasn’t evident. He burned with a rage that was almost frightening to see.

The rest of the afternoon had been spent by the pool, the parents and Jannie lounging, Erik and Ian in the hot tub, Adam trying to do his laps in something a quarter the size of what he used in Vegas. She’d followed his strokes as he moved smoothly through the water, his speed twice the normal pace. Angry swimming, she realized, but it hadn’t helped.

Even now, after everyone had gone to bed, he still hadn’t settled. She’d never seen him like this, controlled fury making his entire body tense.

She placed her hands on his shoulders, kneading. He stiffened, but she continued working him, putting to use every massage skill she’d ever learned. After a while, thankfully, she felt him begin to relax.

“Feels good,”

he said gruffly. “I’m still going to kill him.”

She tried to go the joke route. “You’ll have to find him first.”

“Oh, I know where he is. He’s here, in Orlando. Flies for Jet Blue.”

She found a knot and pressed on it, drawing a grunt from him. “I should have listened to my gut and never hired him.”

“He worked for you?”

“Two years. It’s how they met.”

Knowing him, Adam felt responsible. Probably the source of his rage.

She kissed his shoulder. “Let me guess. He left LarsAir for union protection.”

“He left LarsAir,”

he gritted, “because he moved to Florida to be with her. It started as a long-distance relationship. Went after her with everything he had. And when she fell for him and married him, he decided he didn’t want to put up with her quirks.”

She started on his legs. Having him naked with her hands all over him this way was turning her on, and she very much wanted to flip this massage to erotic, but she thought comfort was what he needed now.

“You think he may go back to her now that he has two babies on the way?”

“Doubtful. The bastard knocked her up, and now she’s going to have to raise two kids all by herself. And to think she almost quit med school for him.”

She took his left foot in her hands and started on his toes. “Adam…”

She hesitated.

“What?”

“She was there too, when it happened.”

Adam said nothing.

“She’s a grown woman,”

Eve continued. “She also doesn’t seem like the type who’d go in without weighing the consequences.”

“Are you telling me she did this on purpose?”

“She’s an OB-GYN.”

Eve paused, allowing her meaning to sink in. “Don’t you think she deserves to live her life as she sees fit?”

He grunted.

She started on his other foot. “One thing I’ve learned: you never know what people are hiding. You have no way of knowing everything that’s going on between the two of them. I’m sure there’s a lot more there than meets the eye. I say she’s smart enough to figure things out. I know she’s your little sister, but have some confidence in her.”

She pressed on his heel.

He took a deep breath and exhaled it. “When did you become so wise?”

She shrugged. “Years of having to deal with problems on my own.”

Adam was silent for a while.

“You know,”

he finally said in a low voice, “my glutes are kind of tight after all that swimming.”

Tingles immediately ricocheted through her. “Oh, are they?”

She slid her palms back up his calves, making her way up until her fingers dug into his muscular backside.

She began kneading, flattening her palms, her strokes becoming longer, turning to caresses. “Here?”

“Mm-hmm.”

She recognized that tone. Goose bumps ran up her arms. She straddled his legs then, her pulse beginning to hammer in her throat. She kneaded with a bit more pressure. “How’s this?”

“Good.”

She crossed her arms, peeling off her silk nightgown, then slowly leaned over to press her bare breasts to his back. “I’m told this helps a lot.”

He groaned.

Rising to her knees, she slipped out of her panties. “Turn around.”

He did, and sure enough, he was more than ready. He settled on his back, looking up at her with such a serious expression, absent the blatant desire she usually saw.

This was still about comfort, she realized. He stared at her intently as if he sought something in her eyes he couldn’t seem to find. Her throat closed then, and she didn’t know why, but she felt tears sting her eyes.

“You want me to take care of that?”

she asked quietly.

“Yes, please.”

It was a tender whisper, so different from the usual way he talked to her in bed. Leaning over him, she began trailing soft kisses over his chest. He reached down and gently threaded his fingers through her hair.

She rubbed her cheek back and forth along his taut abdomen, breathing in his essence, then gripped him and let her lips and hands and body tell him what her voice could not.

Adam

Leaning on the dock railing, Adam took another satisfying swallow of Blake’s twenty-five-year-old Dalwhinnie, watching the moonlight reflect over the black surface of the lake.

Sleep had evaded him, even with Eve’s tender ministrations. After she drifted off and he was sure she was asleep, he’d slipped out of bed and headed to a certain liquor cabinet. It hadn’t taken long to find the seven-hundred-dollar bottle he sought, which only had a little left. But it was enough. He’d grasped it by the neck, taken a lowball from the rack, and headed out into the night.

It was Blake he wished he had by the neck. Though he’d agreed with Eve’s wise words, he still wanted to grab the bastard by the throat. Jannie had not shared anything about the state of their relationship, which led him to believe things were not good.

He turned his thoughts to Eve and what she had told him tonight before giving herself to him unreservedly, as she always had, even from day one.

He felt like a liar and a hypocrite, even if the situation wasn’t entirely under his control. For years, he’d let the problem slide because he was content to spend his time with escorts and hadn’t needed freedom. The truth was, he hadn’t cared.

Now his apathy and procrastination had come to bite him in the ass.

A gentle hand on his back made him start. He looked over his shoulder to find his mother, a stemmed glass in her hand.

“I didn’t mean to startle you.”

Her voice, as always, was soothing.

“It’s OK.”

She gave him two gentle pats, then came to stand beside him.

She said nothing; she just took a sip of her drink. The breeze brought the scent of red wine to his nostrils. Interesting. Mom rarely drank.

Adam took another swallow of scotch. Part of him wished she hadn’t found him. Mom had a way of making him see and face things he wanted to avoid, and he sensed this would be one of those times.

“What are you drinking?”

she asked.

Adam lifted the bottle from where he’d balanced it on the railing.

She took one look and laughed. “Finishing off Blake’s stash?”

“Not the only thing of Blake’s I’d like to finish.”

“You don’t mean that.”

“Maybe I do.”

“First of all, I know your heart. Second, you know she loves him. And that’s why I know you don’t mean it.”

She had the most annoying way of being right.

“Everything will work out, Adam. Wait and see.”

He gave a noncommittal grunt and tried a change of subject. “Does Dad know you’re out here?”

She swirled the wine in her glass. “He sent me.”

Well, then. “Oh?”

She nodded. “I thought we should both come out and talk to you, but he said that would be too much.”

“Too much what?”

“Even when you were little, you needed to be alone sometimes.”

Adam looked to the sky, where a plane flew in the distance, red and green lights blinking.

“Always looking skyward,”

she murmured, “even as a baby.”

She was silent for a beat. “Your father thought it was time we apologized.”

The plane flew overhead. Small piston, Adam automatically recognized. He wished he were up there, flying it.

She was waiting for him to say something, he knew, but he couldn’t think of a response.

She sighed. “You know, parenting is the toughest job you’ll ever love. When I began having children, no one ever told me what it would be like to love them. The fear you have for their safety and well-being. The hope that they find happiness in life. The guilt you have for making bad decisions.

“You were our firstborn—the one who had to suffer from our inexperience and mistakes. When your father and I made that agreement with Ingrid’s parents, we thought it was the best thing we could do for both of you.”

Adam’s jaw clenched. Forget flying that plane. He wanted to throw himself into the lake.

“They, too, got married and had children early. We were happy and wanted you to be the same. We thought—”

“I know.”

Please let this be the end of the discussion.

But she was determined to be heard. “You know how we always drilled it into the four of you to take responsibility for your actions and to admit when you were wrong?”

Adam nodded. He uncorked the bottle, splashed the last of Blake’s birthday scotch into his glass, and took a big gulp, feeling it burn a fiery path from his throat to his stomach.

Mom took a deep breath. “We were wrong. And I cannot tell you how sorry we are for pushing you to marry Ingrid.”

“I was eighteen, Mom.”

“Seventeen.”

“OK, a few months short. But I was old enough to make that decision. No one put a gun to my head and dragged me to that altar.”

“You saw your father and me and wanted the same thing.”

He nodded.

“We also wanted that for you. How could we have known—”

“You couldn’t have. You know what they say about good intentions.”

“We put you on the road to hell.”

Her voice trembled a little.

Jesus. Good thing Mom never cried. He couldn’t have handled that too.

“I am so sorry, Adam. Your father and I wanted… We wanted you to know that we are sorry.”

He tossed back the last of the scotch.

“Can you forgive us?”

He cleared his throat. “Yeah, Mom. All good.”

He put his arm around her and gave her a squeeze.

She exhaled sharply. “Thank you. And now…”

She took a big mouthful of wine as if to fortify herself. “What are you going to do? Ian said you’ve finally started divorce proceedings.”

“Yes.”

“And then?”

“I don’t know.”

He could feel her stare, even in the dark. “Do you love this girl?”

Did he?

He gave her an honest answer. “I don’t think I know how.”

Her laugh was so familiar. “Oh, Adam, honey. I’ve always said you underestimate yourself.”

Eve

“There’s Goofy.”

The costumed person waved to the group of kids, nodding exaggeratedly while posing for pictures.

“How about a photo?”

Eve teased.

Adam shook his head. “Elvis was a freebie. Anything else, you’ll have to pay.”

She laughed, giving his hand a squeeze. “It might be worth it.”

They passed the bronze statue of Walt and Mickey, a riot of bright yellow petunias at its base. “Last time I was here, I believed all these characters were real.”

“Long time ago.”

She nodded. “It was the only time.”

Adam looked genuinely surprised. “Only once? A native Floridian?”

“It was expensive. Besides, I had no one to take me after Grandma passed away. But the one time was magical. So many good memories here. I think I rode Dumbo four times.”

Immaculate grounds, just as she remembered. Everywhere, there were flowers. So many flowers, most of them red. Visitors milled about, many pushing strollers, and each building they passed was of a different color. Light blue and white, pink and cream, with balconies, awnings, and columns, they seemed to come straight out of a vintage postcard.

A chestnut horse pulled a tram on tracks. Inside it, on yellow benches, delighted children with their parents sat, while Winnie the Pooh and Tigger stood, waving at the passersby.

Although she’d liked his family, it was good to have Adam all to herself. He’d been pensive in the morning, but how could he not be after yesterday’s revelation? So she’d suggested a visit to Disney World.

Before she knew it, three hours had passed. After riding four of the five roller coasters, one of them twice, Adam seemed in a much better mood.

“I should have known you’d be a coaster guy,”

she said after the second time riding Space Mountain.

“The only thing better than a coaster is an airplane. Are you thirsty?”

“Very.”

“Let’s get some water and find someplace to sit.”

They found a good spot in the shade, a wrought-iron bench surrounded by bright yellow pansies.

Adam downed his water in a few big gulps. “I can’t imagine doing this in the summer.”

“Neither can I, but so many people come here in July. It’s crazy.”

“Think you could live in Florida again?”

“Only if I were forced to. I never thought of coming back; there’s nothing for me here. I don’t think I could cope with the summer humidity anymore. Your sister seems to love it, though.”

He nodded. “She does. What did you think of the house?”

“Loved it. It’s gorgeous.”

His blue eyes sparkled. “I’ve been thinking…”

She took another gulp of water. “Thinking?”

“Been thinking for a while. I want to buy a house.”

“Are you serious? In Vegas?”

“Where else? My business is there.”

“But, what about the penthouse at the Lark?”

“What about it?”

“It’s perfect!”

“I agree. It’s perfect for what it is. But sometimes, I miss having a yard. We had one growing up, and every time I come here and see Jannie’s, I want to call an agent the minute I get back to Vegas. It would be nice. Some land. A couple of fruit trees. Somewhere off the strip, away from the chaos and the tourists.”

“What stopped you?”

He leaned close, his lips a hairbreadth from her ear. “What would I do in a huge house, all by myself? Such a big bed for only one…”

That brought up instant images of him, stark naked, in the sheets. She shuddered and had to gulp more water, feeling fire sweep across her skin.

“Oh. I can see how that would be a problem.”

“A big one.”

He gently stroked her forearm.

She slanted him a look. “What are you doing?”

“What do you think I’m doing?”

“Seducing me in the middle of Disney?”

“Is it working?”

He cuffed her wrist.

She drew a breath, feeling her pulse race under his fingers. “What, exactly, is your question?”

“The question is…”

He exhaled right into her ear. “Will you take more of me?”

She looked into his eyes and found them smoldering, but there was something else there, too, a touch of vulnerability that made her stomach plummet. For now, he was paying for a big block of time, with the option to extend it, but what about when that ended?

Most guys couldn’t handle being with a woman whose job was to entertain men. She’d seen only one successful relationship where the wife worked as an escort, but that couple was in an open marriage. Her husband would pour her a glass of wine at the end of the night, while she removed her garter belt and counted all the bills.

Adam could never be that guy; he had already voiced that he was having a problem with what she did. And, if she moved in with him and it didn’t work out, she’d be without him and without a job.

She couldn’t risk it.

As always, he read her thoughts. “How about just come look at some houses with me? Help me decide. No pressure.”

She breathed a sigh of relief. That, she could do.

“Sounds like fun.”

He smiled against her mouth. “OK. I’ll text my Realtor friend. We can go house hunting as soon as we get back.”

“Where were you thinking?”

“Henderson. Where Dave lives, I want to start there.”

He checked his watch. “We should get going. Jannie made dinner reservations.”

He held out his hand, and she took it, allowing him to help her up.

They headed toward the exit, threading their way through countless exhausted parents, many dealing with tantrums from equally exhausted kids.

“Have you looked online yet?”

Eve sidestepped a little boy who kicked his feet and screamed on the ground.

Adam gave the mom a sympathetic smile. “A house or two. One has a pool. I’ll show you when we get to my sister’s.”

“Eve! Eve Layton! Is that you?”

The voice came from behind her.

It was loud.

Adrenaline shot through her body even before her mind could process what she’d heard.

It couldn’t be. She had to be imagining it.

“Eve? Eve Layton!”

There it was again. Unmistakable.

That voice, long buried in her subconscious, poured over her like boiling oil.

Her heart began to pound, but it seemed as if it pounded harder, not faster. She felt it, heavy, in her throat and chest.

Adam said something, but it didn’t register.

Keep walking.

But Adam turned. Taking her with him.

Making her face the man who had destroyed her in another life.

“Hey!”

His grin was huge.

She couldn’t make a scene here. “Bart Danner.”

Except for a few more pounds, he hadn’t changed much—black hair, with eyes like glittering amber. Deceptively good looks hid all that lurked inside.

She eyed the little boy he held by the hand, the spitting image of his father.

“Who is this lady, Daddy?”

My God. The monster had a child.

“Well, I’ll be damned. I thought it was you! I can’t believe my eyes, but here you are!”

Her lips felt numb, but she was somehow able to respond. “Yes. Here I am.”

He smiled. “You’re back in Florida.”

“Yeah.”

She realized she was gripping Adam’s hand so hard, her nails were digging into his flesh.

His blue gaze moved from Bart to her, then back again. His jaw hardened, eyes narrowing. No way could he miss the tension that crackled in the humid air.

Bart’s amber eyes raked over her. “Aren’t you going to introduce me?”

He winked.

Her skin crawled. “No.”

Bart shuffled from one foot to the other. “Well…see you around, I hope.”

I hope you rot in hell.

Squaring her shoulders, Eve pivoted. Blue eyes steely, Adam nodded, then started forward swiftly, hand firmly grasping hers. Eve somehow managed to keep up on legs that felt like wood. Above the pounding in her ears, she thought she heard Bart’s chuckle.

Her stomach lurched. Sweat broke out on her face and throat, her mouth began to water, and she came close to vomiting.

They rounded the corner. “You OK?”

Adam glanced down at her.

She must’ve looked awful because he halted, his eyes filled with alarm.

“What happened back there? Who was that guy?”

She shook her head. “Please.”

She swallowed back the bitter bile. “Just get me out of here.”

?

Adam

Adam watched Eve make her way to the far end of the restaurant. Threading between tables, she wasn’t quite teetering on her high heels but getting there. Because of that, her hips shifted more than usual, earning her tightly encased backside appreciative stares from several patrons.

This was her third trip to the restroom.

Jannie’s brows furrowed. “Is she OK?”

“She says she is.”

Eve disappeared around the corner.

“I’ve got some great new meds for cramps if that’s the problem.”

“Thanks. I’ll let her know.”

It had to be that lowlife they’d run into. She’d looked as if she’d seen a demon.

She had been silent the whole drive to the house, answering his questions with monosyllabic words while staring out the window. He’d finally given up. Whatever it was, she would tell him in her own time.

He’d almost thought she’d bail on dinner; he even suggested they stay home, but she wouldn’t hear of it. Not that it surprised him. Of course she’d power through. That’s what Eve did.

But this was so unlike her that he worried, especially when she ordered a third mai tai.

He frowned and took a swallow of his old fashioned.

Mom placed a hand on his forearm. “So, tell me all about this house you want to buy.”

He grasped the cocktail pick and ate the cherry. “Nothing to tell. I have to find it first.”

“Ug’s going domestic.”

Ian chuckled, slicing a piece of tender Wagyu steak. “I need to bribe a neighbor to catch a video of him cutting grass.”

Jannie rolled her eyes. “Bribe not needed if the neighbor’s a woman.”

She arched a brow at two ladies who were openly gawking, their eyes shifting from Adam to Ian, and Erik laughed when they met Jannie’s stare and hastily turned back to their food.

“Ug and Buck do it again. Eye candy for the ladies!”

He scooped a forkful of paella. “Damn, this place is good.”

Ian slapped him on the back. “Eat up, Runt. You need the calories.”

“Have you at least scoped anything?”

Jannie sipped her Pellegrino, wistfully eyeing Eve’s half-full mai tai. “It’s gonna be a long six months,”

she muttered.

Mom patted her hand. “Entirely worth it.”

Jannie smiled at her. “I know.”

Adam nodded. “There are two homes in Henderson that look as if they fit the bill.”

Ian caught his gaze and held it. “Is this because of her?”

Adam stared right back at him. “What if it is?”

“What about Ingrid?”

Everyone swung around to look at Erik.

He froze, eyes wide, fork in midair. “What? What did I say?”

“Drop it, son.”

Dad speared him with The Look. He glanced over Adam’s head, concern in his eyes. “Eve’s coming back. She’s looking pale. I think you need to take her home.”

?

Eve

Somehow, she’d gotten through the dinner. The alcohol had helped, and so had Adam, her Viking protector, who’d been attentive and catered to her throughout.

At one point, he’d offered to take her home. She’d refused. This was the last dinner with his family, he wouldn’t see them again for months, and she was damned if she would let Bart ruin what was left of Adam’s time with them.

He’d already ruined enough.

She put the toothbrush down and capped the toothpaste, staring in the mirror. Her expression was soft, as she supposed it always was when she thought of Adam. Seeing the two men, only a few feet apart, had shaken her to her very foundation.

It was like light and dark. Good versus evil. Angel and devil. Bart had destroyed her. And Adam had come to the rescue, once again.

He moved to stand behind her and placed his warm hands on her shoulders, stroking gently, back and forth. “All packed?”

She nodded.

He kissed the top of her head. “Wheels up at eight tomorrow. We have to leave from here at seven.”

She studied their reflection in the mirror. Such striking differences between them, but they looked good together.

His worried blue eyes studied her intently. She turned, seeking the shelter of his arms. Immediately, he wrapped her in warmth and comfort. She inhaled deeply of his familiar scent, citrus and Adam and everything good in the world.

“You done in here?”

His deep voice soothed her.

She rubbed her cheek against the softness of his T-shirt. “Mm-hmm.”

“I won’t be long.”

She filled her senses with his scent once more, then forced herself to pull away.

She didn’t want light. She flicked the switch on the lamp cord. Sliding between the cool sheets, she took his pillow and hugged it to her chest.

Adam had opened the window, letting in the warm night air with the sounds of frogs and crickets. Moonlight streamed in, its peaceful glow calming her nerves.

She heard the bathroom door, and in a moment, he was there, lying beside her and pulling her against his solid frame in his favorite way to hold her, his front to her back. He settled his chin on top of her head.

She fully expected some sort of question, but Adam said nothing, and his silence was much more powerful than words.

He began to rock her gently, nuzzling her hair.

Crickets and frogs.

And moonlight.

And Adam, sheltering her from harm.

She took a deep breath, exhaling slowly. “I took your pillow.”

“It’s OK. I’m using yours.”

He kissed her hair.

She heard the question in his calm silence.

She’d never had a soul to share her burden. Could she share it with him? It required her to step into vulnerability, and it would allow him to see deeper inside her, but instinct told her he’d still be there after he knew.

It was a stunning realization.

“I told you about my scholarship at UF,”

she began.

He nodded.

She swallowed. “I put everything into getting that. I was so tired of drifting, not having anything, feeling like nothing, having no one. I thought if I worked hard enough, I’d get away from all that. Better my life, myself.”

Find someone to love and marry.

She paused. He nodded again. She tried to snuggle even closer, even though it was impossible.

“I was determined to graduate with honors, so all I did was study. Guys asked me out, and I said no. Just like in high school, straight A’s were more important. Sometimes, my roommates convinced me to go out, saying I’d burn out if I didn’t take a break once in a while. That’s how I met Bart.”

He stiffened a little. “Danner.”

“Yes.”

She wasn’t surprised that he’d retained the name she’d blurted. Adam’s memory was a veritable steel trap. “I was a sophomore. He wasn’t a student. I learned later that he pretended to be, just to pick up girls in college bars. He seemed nice. His father was a local lawyer who had a huge law firm. His dad’s billboards were everywhere. Everyone knew who he was. So I began to date him. Nothing serious, I didn’t have time for serious. Things seemed to go well, but then…”

He kissed her temple.

“He started pressuring me for sex. At first, he hinted, but then he got more insistent. I said no. One night, he got aggressive, but I stopped him. He said he respected me for that.”

As she had done a thousand times, she asked herself if there’d been any clue of Bart’s real character. Again, she couldn’t find a single one.

“That night, he picked me up to go to dinner. He said he forgot his wallet, so he turned around. I wanted to wait in the car, but he insisted I go inside to meet his parents.”

Under her breasts, she felt Adam’s arm muscles spasm. His breath came faster in her ear, but he said nothing, and she was grateful. If she heard pity in his voice, she would start crying, and she was determined not to. Bart wasn’t worth her tears.

“There were several nice cars in the driveway, and the house was huge, so I believed him when he said it was his.”

She swallowed hard. “It wasn’t. The house belonged to his friend, who was there, waiting with another guy.”

Her throat suddenly felt as if she’d swallowed sand.

She also felt their hands on her as they dragged her, screaming, to the bedroom. She felt the sweaty palm, stinking of cigarettes, across her mouth. She felt their bruising grip on her arms, the slap on her face, the rough hands opening her legs. She squeezed her eyes shut tightly, blocking out the rest.

She turned and buried her face in Adam’s neck. “It was my first time, Adam,”

she whispered.

“Christ.”

His arms were steel.

She opened her mouth on his throat, inhaling deeply.

He rubbed his cheek gently over her hair.

“After that, I was a wreck. I couldn’t sleep. I couldn’t eat. I couldn’t study. I lost my scholarship.”

“Did you go to the police?”

His voice was deep.

She gave a humorless laugh. “His father was the most powerful attorney in Florida. Who do you think they would believe, his son or me?”

She shook her head. “I had to leave school and go home. My mother… I told her everything. I thought she’d help me put the pieces back together.”

A bitter smile curved her lips.

He waited.

“She kicked me out. Told me that I was ruined, that no one would ever want me. She said I must have done something to make Bart do this. Called me a…whore.”

Adam’s entire body turned to granite.

“What did you do?”

“I called a friend. She’d moved to Vegas. She paid for my flight and took me in. She’d told me she was a showgirl, but it was a lie. She worked for Eleet. You know the rest.”

For a long time, the only sounds were those of the frogs and crickets.

Eve lay there, feeling like a heavy weight had finally been lifted.

Now, Adam knew. And, yes, he was still here.

She felt his jaw tighten, his teeth grinding. “I want to kill him, bring him back to life, and do it again.”

Of course he did, her warrior. “It could have been a lot worse. I could have gotten into alcohol or drugs. Instead, I decided to take back the power. It’s crazy, but this job put me in charge and helped me regain my self-esteem. And—”

She kissed his Adam’s apple. “It did lead me to you.”

She felt him clenching his teeth rhythmically, his body perfectly still but every muscle tense. An almost imperceptible tremor racked him, and she felt it as acutely as if it were a seism.

She slipped her arm along his side and let her fingers slide over his waist. She couldn’t seem to get close enough.

Adam began to rock her slowly. His solid chest rose and fell under her palms. His heart pounded, steady and strong, against her ear.

She felt his lips graze her temple. “I’m right here.”

His voice was gravelly. “Get some sleep.”

It was a long, long time before she did.

Adam

Ian: Documents drawn.

Adam: Good. Any news from the detective?

Ian: He gave up searching stateside. He thinks she may be living abroad.

Adam: Interesting. Keep me posted. There’s something else I want you to look into.

Ian: OK

Adam: See what you can dig up on a guy named Bart Danner. His dad is some big-shot lawyer in Florida.

Ian: I will get right on it

Adam knew Ian wanted more information, but that was all he would ever get. His brother figured it out quickly because no questions followed.

Ian: BTW, Jannie wants to deliver your babies.

Adam: Ha.