Suddenly his expression darkened. “This doesn’t have anything to do with that asshole next door, does it? ’Cause if it does, I’ll make him so fucking sorry he ever came back to—”
“No, Adam, no.” I laced my fingers with his, squeezed. “This has nothing to do with Stowe.” He relaxed, and I added, “Please stop trying to guess.”
He stood and pulled me up with him. He wrapped his arms around me, and I buried my face in his chest. “No more guessing,” he said softly. “I’ll stop pushing. You can talk to me when you’re ready, okay?” I couldn’t believe he was relenting.
“I can’t be away from you anymore though,” I said, tilting my head back to look up at him. “I love you, Adam, I do. I only said those things that night in the wine cellar because I was afraid you’d stop me from moving. And I need to stay over here a little while longer. If you could just trust me on this one thing, try not to figure out what I’m doing, I promise you I’ll tell you everything as soon as possible. Can you do that, Adam, please? Just this one time.”
He nodded. “I’ll do it this once but only this once. You better finish up whatever you’re up to quickly, too. This agreement isn’t a long-term deal.”
“Okay, okay.” I swiped at a piece of hair that kept falling across my cheek. Adam smiled and tucked it behind my ear for me.
“Can you give me a couple more weeks?” I asked. “I think that might be enough.” Lord, I hoped it would.
“Two weeks, Maddy. No more.”
“Then I have to ask…” I cleared my throat, resolute. “During the next couple of weeks, can you promise me two things?”
Adam raised an eyebrow, and I continued, “One, you won’t have me followed. And two, you won’t try to find out what I’m doing.”
He stepped back, breaking our embrace. I knew he was conflicted. “Maddy, you’re asking a lot, and you’re not giving me a whole lot in return.”
“I can give you my love,” I whispered.
“How about the truth?”
“I told you I’d tell you everything as soon as I could. I promised.”
I knew it was killing Adam to relinquish this much control. But, to my surprise, he said, “I’ll do as you ask under one condition.”
“Anything,” I said, sniffling and wiping away a stray tear.
“If at any time you feel you’re in danger, I want you to come to me.” Adam made me look at him. “Maddy, I don’t want to end up finding you with a .38 to your head…like last time.”
I winced. Adam’s words were a harsh reminder of what sneaking around behind his back had gotten me into back in the fall. I promised to go to him if I found myself in any danger. And I would, I really would. I just wasn’t sure if my definition of danger was the same as his.
Chapter Eleven
Adam spent the night but had to leave the next morning before dawn. “Fuck,” I heard him say as he fumbled around in the dark and bumped into a cedar chest at the base of the bed.
“’Morning,” I said, my voice thick with sleep, as I propped myself up on my elbows.
Adam came around to the side of the bed, leaned down, and brushed his lips across mine. “I’m sorry I woke you.” His lips lingered. “I was trying to be quiet.”
I tugged him closer. He’d put on his jeans, but they were unbuttoned. And his chest was still bare. “Well, now that I’m up, too…” I trailed off.
I nipped at his lower lip, ran my hands over the smooth planes and hard muscles I’d missed so much. Adam groaned as our tongues met. One long, lingering passionate kiss later, he straightened and sighed. “As much as I’d love to stay, I really have to go.”
“Work?” I asked, sighing even louder.
“I’m afraid so.”
Adam pulled the beige Henley he’d been wearing last night over his head. “Is it casual Monday?” I teased, waving my hand at his wrinkled shirt and faded jeans.
“Luckily, I keep a change of clothes at the office. Several, actually.”
“Oh, you’ll be in town then?” I asked. I still had yet to see the office space Adam had leased in Harbour Falls back in December, when it had been snowing like crazy.
Adam was finished dressing, and he came back over to sit on the edge of the bed. “All week,” he said. “You should stop by later today if you need a break from writing.”
I’d told Adam I planned to spend the day working on the love story novel, and I did intend to do some writing at some point. But another visit to Willow Point was also on my agenda today. Since I couldn’t divulge that little tidbit, I just said, “Maybe I will stop by. We’ll see.” Adam then swept me up in another delicious kiss before leaving.
It was early but I was wide awake, so I got up and readied myself for the day. Visiting hours at Willow Point didn’t begin until eleven, so after downing a cup of strong coffee and a bagel, I sat down at the desk upstairs in the turret room and began to write.
Time flew by quickly. I was really in the zone now that things were improving with Adam. My agent was going to be thrilled I was finally making progress on my book, not to mention how happy my publisher would be. I pecked away at the keys, weaving together a story. But then something next door caught my eye.
Hmm, Stowe was returning from somewhere. I’d been at the desk for a couple of hours and hadn’t noticed anyone leaving. Had he left sometime during the
