Chapter 25
Jo
Yes. Yes, I am.
I grinned at him in order to hide the “Pick me! Pick meeeee!” internal response. “Maybe I will. And in the meantime, I want you to consider that you’re doing so much for these friends and they all love you deeply.”
He raised his brows like, “Really?” but nodded. “Fine. I will. But it’s probably not going to change much.”
I shrugged right back, but more dramatically, prompting a little tug at one corner of his mouth. “Maybe not. But maybe you’ll find ways to channel all this worry—more hikes and such.”
“I like that idea. I’m actually working on some ways to incorporate more of my own interests into Saint. The transition from active duty to private security has been good… but hard.”
He launched into a more detailed explanation of his survival courses.
From there, we were interrupted by two people—Jane Saint out with her friends, and then Wilder and Sarah Saint. My cheeks had to be almost as red as my wine when Sarah hugged me and Wilder shook Adam’s hand, then turned and kissed me on my burning cheek.
“This guy treating you well?”
I nodded.
“You treating my baby sister well?” He glared at Adam.
My mouth dropped open before I sputtered. “Baby sister? I’m barely your adult stepsister.”
He cut me a dark look. “Doesn’t matter how you become a Saint. Once you do, you’re in, and that’s that. So?” He turned to Adam.
“I believe so and plan to continue,” Adam said, not appearing nearly as alarmed by Wilder’s big brother posturing as I was.
Honestly, what?
Satisfied, Sarah gave me a look, and we shared a “That was wild, right?” look, and then they left with a “See you tomorrow.”
“Is he serious? Baby sister like our parents haven’t been married for a whopping eighteen months at the ripe age of sixty-something.” I was honestly a little shocked.
Adam just smiled at me while he finished chewing a bite of his dinner. “He can be a protective big brother as long as it doesn’t interfere in your life or look like he’s trying to control you. If it bothers you, though, I’ll tell him to lay off.”
I blinked once. Verrrry slowly.
“Or, right. You could tell him to lay off.”
I pointed to him with my fork. “Exactly. I will. But also… point taken. It’s maybe a little misguided, but I get that he’s the kind of person—and in fact, the whole Saint family is this way—who once you’re their people, that’s it. You have them.”
Adam was already nodding in agreement. “Yes. That’s how he is about work, too. You join the ‘Saint family’ at Saint Security and you’re in. Granted, we haven’t had anyone leave, but they mean it when they say they’re going to take care of their people. They want to make our lives good, which means we’ll do great work for them, and that benefits all of us. I’m seeing it play out with Dorian and—and other people, and it makes me really proud to be a part of it.”
I loved that. Loved how he was happy there and loved knowing this growing business in my town was full of such good people trying to make their employees’ lives better. Even if it meant my new stepbrother was a little bit of an overstepper.
After recovering from Wilder’s big brotherness and chatting a while longer, dessert arrived—a molten chocolate cake with vanilla bean ice cream. The center oozed out lava-like chocolate, and the combination of the creamy vanilla and sharp, deep chocolate flavor had me shutting my eyes in a moment of ecstasy.
When I swallowed and opened them, Adam was staring, rapt.
“Sorry. It’s just so good.” I scooped up another bite.
“Never apologize for enjoying yourself.” His voice was a low rasp, and he definitely hadn’t even tried the dessert.
“Are you going to have any dessert?” I hoped he hadn’t gotten it just because I wanted it. Maybe he wasn’t a chocolate guy?
His gaze zeroed in on my lips as I closed my mouth around the spoon. “I think I might enjoy watching you eat it more than having any myself.”
I swallowed the cake before I choked on it. “Um, wow. Wow.”
He chuckled as I laughed, but his hooded expression hadn’t disappeared. “I admit that might’ve sounded creepy. I’m just… thinking…”
Would I be able to handle whatever was coming? TBD. But I wasn’t about to not ask. “What are you thinking?”
He leaned his forearms on the table and let his eyes sweep over me, lingering on my mouth again before finally rising to meet my eyes. “I’m just thinking about other ways to put that look on your face.”
My stomach swooped low and my cheeks instantly burned. “Oh. Well…” What does one say to a man this attractive and kind and intelligent and capable when he says something like that?
He grinned, stabbing me in the chest with his ridiculously gorgeous smile. “Sorry. Too much.”
“N-no. Not too much. Just… I mean, yes, a lot. But not in a bad way.” I laughed at myself. “You kind of scrambled my brain.”
With a shake of his head, he said, “I know the feeling.”
From the corner of my eye, I saw someone wave and then returned the gesture when I realized it was Winnie and Tristan. They didn’t come over—she only gave me two thumbs-up and wiggled her brows, then shuffled Tristan out the door. He wasn’t the kind of man who’d insist on interrupting a dinner, and they’d likely seen Wilder and Sarah stop by if they’d been sitting nearby. I hadn’t noticed them when we’d first come in, so maybe they’d just gotten takeout. Whatever the case, I knew I owed my friends a full report, and honestly, I couldn’t wait to tell them. It’d already been a great night.
“They’re good together,” Adam said, following my line of sight.
“They are. He loves her so well, and I think she’s good for him, too.”
Adam seemed pensive for a moment, nudging the chocolate cake without taking a bite. “He does. And she definitely is. They’re well matched.”
Something about his expression had darkened, and I tensed, wondering if he was thinking about his past, about the woman he hadn’t been well matched with. Or maybe, if he was wondering if we were as well matched.
Where is this going?
The thought streaked through my mind despite my very much not wanting to face the question. Could we have a future if he was still hung up on the things he’d done wrong in his past? If he was measuring every step of our time together against things that’d gone wrong before?
I didn’t know if he was doing that, but an ember of worry smoked in my belly.
“How are you feeling about the book?” he asked, his voice low enough no one would overhear, not that anyone close by was a Josie Wade reader. Well, that I knew of, anyway.
My thoughts veered away from the concern over what his previous comment might’ve meant, and I mentally caught up to his topic change. “Um, good. I’m ready for it to be out there. Thank you for all the help.”
A smile verging on a smirk pulled at his lips. “It’s safe to say I’ll help you any time. You just let me know.”
“I’ll start the next book in a month or so.”
Would we still be dating? Would we be more than that?
“Sign me up,” he said, eyes smoldering. “Who’s the main character in this one?”
I launched into my plan for the next book, and he asked really good questions, even acting impressed when I mentioned a plot twist I’d thought up. He paid the check, and though I offered to pay my half, he gave me a look enough to clarify we were not about to go Dutch.
“It’s funny, but I don’t think I’ve ever gotten to brainstorm with someone or even talk to them about my writing with the exception of you.”
He grabbed my hand and laced our fingers together as we left the restaurant. “Then I’d like to apologize for my shortcomings, but I hope that, with your expert guidance, I’ll have more to offer as I broaden my romance knowledge.”
I laughed, a lightness in my chest so ebullient I almost felt my feet leave the ground. Not only did he not mind me chattering away about my books, but he wanted to learn more so he could contribute more. Who is this man?
“It will be my honor to sponsor your romance education,” I joked, grinning over at him as he opened the door to my building for me.
We were quiet ascending the stairs, and my heart began to beat harder with each step we took toward my door. Would he come in? I didn’t want our night to end, but it was such a loaded thing to go inside at this point.
Wasn’t it?
Or was it?
And did I have to overthink every second of what might be our last few minutes together tonight?
On the landing in front of my door, we stopped. When our eyes met, my body lit up with more anticipation than I’d ever felt, a wave of longing and expectation so overwhelming, I swayed toward him.
Without a word, he moved, too. Taking me by the chin with gentle fingers and guiding my mouth right to his.
It was a relief when our lips met, and it was the reminder that despite eating a full meal and dessert, there existed a ravenous hunger in me for him. His soft exploration of my mouth deepened into something searching and demanding, giving and taking, and so completely consuming, I wouldn’t have managed to stay standing without his strong arms holding me to him.
He pulled back—too soon, though I suspected it would always be too soon for me—and brushed some hair out of my eyes.
“I think you’re sponsoring my romance education in more than one way, Josie.”
His blue eyes flickered back and forth between mine, almost like he was piecing something together, or hoping to, and if he just found the right thing there, he’d know an answer to a question he’d asked.
I hoped he’d find his answer.
“My absolute pleasure, Adam,” I said, keeping the formality of saying names just like he did.
A hazy smile crept into his eyes, and he shook his head. “Thank you for going out with me tonight.”
“Thank you for dinner.” Would you like to come in? Would you like to stay over? Would you like to be mine forever and we’ll start that right now?
With a pause, then a slow inhale, he nodded once. “My absolute pleasure.” With a quick peck, he released me. “See you tomorrow.”
So that’s it. This was right, of course. We shouldn’t go inside. I knew we shouldn’t, and he did, too, and so here we were, saying goodnight. I fumbled with my keys and unlocked my door.
“Night.”
And with that, I slipped inside, biting my tongue to keep from asking him to stay for a movie or just to talk. Commanding myself to go inside and let the night end, knowing I’d see him again tomorrow.
Knowing this was just the beginning.