Chapter 25
Adam
“OK, put it in.”
“I don’t think it can last much longer. It’s wilting.”
Eve tipped her head, eyes narrowed. “Twist it.”
Adam rubbed the back of his neck, the sun scorching his damp skin. He was sweaty and grimy and wanted a shower, but the fruit trees needed to be planted. They’d already planted four. Thank God this was the last of them.
He grasped the heavy plastic pot and turned it.
“A little to the left.”
He sighed. And he’d thought he was the perfectionist. Positioning the trees had taken far longer than he’d estimated.
“Little more to the right… There! Perfect!”
He picked up the utility knife, sliced the pot, then eased away the plastic, careful not to disturb the roots.
“Sorry I took so long.”
Eve picked up the shovel and scooped up the prepared soil mix. “This is the apple. It needed to be perfect.”
She had insisted on this Pink Lady sapling. He looked up at her, squinting against the bright morning sun. “I thought apples didn’t do well in southern Nevada.”
“This is one of the few that does.”
She tossed another shovelful of dirt into the hole. “Take your hands out. I don’t want you dirty.”
She leaned over to scoop another, and his gaze homed in on the open button of her V-neck tank top. Her skin was rosy, and he knew it was warm too. His fatigue seemed to dissolve as he took her in, her pinked cheeks, her bright eyes, her soft smile.
He’d love her for the rest of his life. He’d never been more sure of anything.
He reached out his index finger, lightly stroking her ankle. “I thought you liked me dirty.”
She started. “Behave, Mr. Larssen. This is your fruit tree fantasy we’re fulfilling.”
“So now it’s Mr. Larssen, is it? If you like my last name so much, I’ll share it.”
He blinked.
What had just spilled out of his mouth?
She paused for a beat, shovel hovering above the root ball. To his relief, she silently resumed filling the hole, leaving him to ponder what his subconscious had blurted.
Brow furrowing, he focused on her ankle, not ready to face whatever he might see in her expression.
Yes, he had gained his freedom. But had he obtained it to keep pursuing her or to free himself for something permanent?
He carefully patted the soil mound, making a well, then surged to his feet, hands pressing his stiff lower back.
Eve had insisted they plant the trees themselves.
The gym definitely hadn’t conditioned him for yard work, and he’d gained new respect for the landscapers who busily milled about, doing the rest of the planting.
She picked up the hose and aimed a gentle shower at the new tree.
He watched the droplets catch the sunlight and drip to the base, delivering life-giving water to the sapling.
In two years, it would flower and bear fruit.
At least, that’s what the guy at the garden center had told them.
What did he want in two years? He was happy now. Would marriage change their relationship? How?
His dad’s favorite John Maxwell quote came to mind: “The greatest mistake we make is living in constant fear that we will make one.”
His brow furrowed.
She shut off the water. “You OK?”
“Yeah.”
He raked a hand through his damp hair. “My back didn’t like this too much, but I’m good. I need a shower.”
He glanced toward the house, which now boasted a second story, his gaze landing on the crystal-blue water of the pool. “And then I think I’ll take my swim.”
She took his hand. “Who knew tree planting would be so grueling?”
“Nothing worthwhile comes easy.”
“Isn’t that the truth. When I made those suggestions for the upstairs, I didn’t expect what would be involved. Or that you’d do them all.”
“The house is better for it. Considerable increase in value for the money.”
“The sauna was overkill.”
“Yeah, but you use it every day.”
“It was a wish.”
He smiled. “Your wish is my command.”
She squeezed his hand. “Know what I wish?”
He glanced at her, then looked away. He needed more time to process before having some sort of profound discussion about their future.
“I wish Trevor were here.”
A slow smile curved his lips. “You miss him?”
She laughed. “I’m sure he misses you.”
He snorted.
“Seriously, though, I do miss him. It was like having a food and cleaning genie.”
He laughed. “That’s quite a visual. Harem pants and a turban. And when we’re done with him, he turns into a wisp of smoke and goes back in the bottle.”
“I miss those porn star martinis.”
He slanted her a glance. “I can do that for you.”
“Oh?”
“Sure. That’s what the Blendtec is for. All I need is frozen passion fruit. But it’ll cost you.”
Her pretty lips twitched. “Same price as always?”
“Yup. I’m boring.”
“That’s not the first word that comes to mind when I think of you.”
They’d reached the entry to the outdoor shower. Unable to suppress a smirk, he slowly peeled his T-shirt over his head, watching her in his peripheral vision.
Yup. There it was, that intense, hungry look in her brown eyes that always made him feel like Superstud.
He flipped the shower faucet handle and stepped inside, not bothering to remove his shorts. With one tug, he pulled her in with him.
“Adam!”
She gasped as the cold water hit her in the chest, making her nipples pebble beneath her tank top, the fabric quickly turning see-through.
He cupped her breasts, then hauled her to him, pressing into her belly and pinching her pert behind. He gripped the hem of her tank top.
She tried to slap his hands away. “The landscapers might see!”
He shrugged and slid the opaque glass door closed. “No one will see. And if they do, they’ll have something to look at.”
He bent to kiss her under the rush of water, delectably refreshing on his heated skin. “Tell me,”
he murmured, “what’s the first word that comes to mind when you think of me?”
She nuzzled his chin, then licked the water off his Adam’s apple. “Love.”
?
Eve
“That’s all, thank you, Trevor. Everything was perfect.”
Eve smiled over her porn star martini, barely containing her amusement as she watched Trevor fuss over Adam. As she had done many times over the past few months, she congratulated herself for stealing him from Lark.
“There’s crème br?lée,”
Trevor tempted.
Normally, Eve would have jumped right on that, except she’d been waiting impatiently for Adam to finish eating dinner. He’d been gone for an entire week again, and the only thing she wanted for dessert right now was him.
He looked at her in question. She shook her head. “I’ll pass.”
She shifted in her chair, watching a knowing little smirk kick up one corner of his mouth. He had a twinkle in his blue eyes, and it had been there, lighting them up throughout the entire dinner.
Trevor collected the plates and silverware, lingering far longer than was necessary, eyeing the top of Adam’s white robe, which gaped a bit, revealing a tantalizing V of muscular chest.
Eve drank in the sight of him. After showering, he hadn’t bothered dressing, throwing on that robe to stride directly out to the patio, where a meal and drinks awaited, along with fabulous views of the distant Sin City lights.
Trevor disappeared with the sound of clinking dishes, and then they were finally alone, the sunset turning the sky to shades of pink and lavender and gold.
“So,”
Adam said, turning to her.
Fireflies started circling in her belly. Just one syllable and the man had her firing on all cylinders.
She smiled at him. “So.”
The strap of her lavender sundress slipped off her shoulder, and Eve reached impatiently to shove it back up for what seemed like the tenth time.
“Leave it like that,”
Adam said, his voice low.
Slowly, he reached out and pulled down the other strap. Leaning over, he placed a kiss on her bare shoulder, then another, his lips warm and soft. “That has been driving me crazy all through dinner. I missed you.”
“I missed you too. Want to know what has been driving me crazy?”
He kissed her clavicle. “What?”
“You, in this robe, with nothing underneath.”
She slipped her hand inside the gaping toweling, letting her fingertips drift over his warm, delicious skin, then traced the outline of his pec. She parted the soft terry. One good look at him, and she gasped, eyes widening. “What—”
His chest was marred by scratches. They looked faded, but they were definitely there.
His deep chuckle rumbled under her fingertips. “Admiring your handiwork?”
“I did that?”
“Indeed, you did.”
“Oh…”
Lightly, she ran her fingertips over the lines.
“It’s fine. I carried your nail marks with me all week. I kind of liked it.”
His hand slipped to the bared skin of her thigh, below the hem of her dress. “What did I say I would do to you when I returned?”
His fingertips slid higher. “Ah, yes. Time to make good on that promise.”
The chair scraped as he pushed it back.
On the table, his phone lit up and buzzed, and Eve saw a text briefly appear. Adam glanced at it, and something flinty glinted in his eyes.
Her heart sank. If this was yet another flight he’d have to take…
“Don’t do it,”
she grumbled, glowering at his phone.
He snatched it up. “You’ll want to see this.”
“I only want to see you. Naked.”
“Trust me.”
He pulled her into his lap.
She heaved a sigh and ground into him mercilessly. “If I must.”
He countered her move but angled the phone so they could view the screen together, then kissed her temple. “Watch.”
The only thing she wanted to watch was him grimacing above her, but he seemed determined that she would see whatever it was, so she relaxed against him.
He opened the text, and she saw it was from Ian. It was a video clip from WESH2, the central Florida news station.
brEAKING NEWS: SON OF PROMINENT ATTORNEY RICH DANNER ARRESTED
Her heart kicked into high drive. Eyes wide, she sat up straight, leaning forward. “What’s this?”
His smile was uncharacteristically ruthless. “Watch.”
She turned her eyes back to the screen.
There was Bart Danner, handcuffed, with a brown belt around his waist, wearing a navy jumpsuit with ORANGE COUNTY CORRECTIONS written in white across the back. Two armed officers led him to a sheriff’s vehicle and slammed the door when he was seated.
“Oh my God,”
she whispered. “I can’t believe it.”
Adam nodded. “Believe it. That reprobate is going to prison.”
“Did you have anything to do with this?”
A muscle at his jaw ticked. “I couldn’t find the words to console you and had no way to change what happened in the past. What I did have, however, was Ian, his resources, and a desire to see Danner six feet under. This is the next best thing. All I can say is he’d better learn how to fight. I’m pretty sure he’s going to Union Correctional.”
That was where Ted Bundy had been housed and executed. Every Floridian knew that it was the state’s worst prison.
Eve shivered. “How did they finally get him?”
“With an investigation into child kidnapping. He took the kid from his mother, kept him from her, and threatened her to where she was terrified for her life. What they found when they dug deeper…”
He shook his head, his mouth twisting. “You do not want to know.”
But she could guess. She gazed up into his eyes, now steely, her chest swelling with adoration. “When did this investigation start?”
His jaw was taut. “The morning right after you told me.”
Emotions clashed inside her, nearly overwhelming in their intensity. He’d been so silent that night, not once mentioning it again. But he had never let it go.
Quietly and resolutely, her handsome prince had slayed her dragon.