Touch of Love (9 page)

‘T
hat’s okay.’ She shrugged it off as she struggled for composure. No man had the right to look so appealing while waking up at two in the morning.

‘Tomorrow will be a busy day,’ she added, only to realize her mistake, ‘
Well, today, really. We shouldn’t look as if we didn’t get any rest at all.’ She had to admit she’d stepped into that one with her eyes wide open as she saw him smile in response.

‘God forbid they think we were otherwise occupied
.’ His teasing was too friendly to be offensive, and she smiled back, unable to stop herself. He got to his feet and offered her his hand, which she accepted without hesitation. He felt warm and solid and real. In the silvery light of the moon and the moving shadows of the trees bent by a nightly breeze, the encounter felt disturbingly surreal, like a waking dream where boundaries blurred and the impossible was just within reach. Adam brought her back down to earth, even though she could tell he’d had a bit too much rum and had lost some of his very catlike grace. As they walked back into the kitchen, his foot caught on a stool. It would have fallen with a horrid ruckus if she hadn’t caught it.

‘
Yeah, definitely bedtime.’ Chagrined, he glanced at her. She wondered where he slept. It was his home, after all, even though he had led a rather nomadic lifestyle up till last year when he’d taken a senior position at his family’s business. Jake had mentioned that Adam owned a condo downtown and another house, halfway around the world in Kerala, where he went to recharge. Sun, lush tropical foliage, and ocean blue enough to rival lapis lazuli—she had never been to India but had seen enough photos to be able to imagine the place for herself.

‘How about I brew you
a cup of tea?’ she asked matter-of-factly, watching him sit down at the breakfast bar. She’d had enough experience with Brad, who didn’t really take to alcohol too well, to know that a cup of aromatic hot beverage could make the difference between waking up miserable and actually functioning before noon.

His nod was enough to get her going
, and she bustled around quietly, filling the kettle again and searching for a cup. As she waited for the water to boil, her hips leaning against the black marble counter, she found the switch for the counter light, and the harsh bright glow chased away the mellow darkness of the wee hours. It was a pity really. As long as they were wrapped in the velvety blanket of the warm star-studded night, she felt braver and safer. The light changed things. They were back to being two people who barely knew each other and yet were connected on a level she didn’t even know how to describe.

‘Here, this should do the trick
,’

He sniffed the brew appreciatively.
His lips against the rim of the mug were outrageously sensuous. A wave of heat rose in her face, and she rushed to turn off the light, hoping he wouldn’t notice. Was there anything about Adam that didn’t make her think about stuff she’d better forget for a while?

She wanted to leave him right
there and escape the invisible yet tangible web of attraction he was unknowingly spinning around her. With dark amusement, she surmised he would be really freaked out if he knew what kind of thoughts were traveling through her mind.

She was just opening her mouth to wish him a good night
, then disappear when a noise stopped her in her tracks, making her clamp her mouth shut instantly. A rich masculine laugh reverberated through the darkness.

Adam heard it
, too. His head jerked up. She could almost feel his muscles tensing, every cell of her body tightening in an involuntarily response. Someone laughed again. She could clearly hear a man say something, his laughter lingering in the semidarkness. The murmured response was too muffled to be properly understood. Whoever it was, they were heading this way.

Suddenly, Adam stood up.
‘I guess it’s time to go back to sleep.’ His deceiving smile barely masked the urgency in his voice. She could tell he wanted nothing more than to usher her out of the kitchen, and her puzzlement grew as he walked over to the other entrance.

‘We could take this shortcut
, too.’ The brilliant smile accompanying his words was little more than another attempt to get rid of her. Whatever the unexpected mess he was trying to cover up, he wasn’t in luck. She had just about had it with surprises, lies, and manipulation.

‘I’ll stay a bit
.’ She shrugged, tracing the uneven, bumpy pattern on the rim of her cup with her finger.

T
he lines around his mouth tightened as he watched her with a mix of exasperation and worry. Ten seconds later, she understood his reaction.

‘I’m starving!’ David’s unmistakable Scottish accent broke the silence. He was just about to enter into the kitchen, judging by how clearly she could hear him. ‘I feel like a naughty kid sneaking around in your parents’ house. You sure we won’t run into your aunt? I can’t even imagine what she’d say if she saw us together like that.’

What
is he talking about?
Who
is he talking to?
She didn’t have to wonder long. The familiar baritone that answered made her blink in surprise.

‘I wouldn’t worry about her. Once she goes to
sleep, she’s out till morning. The only time I’d compare her to a baby.’ Jake’s hand found the light switch, and suddenly, the kitchen was bathed in light again, the shadows shrinking and escaping into the deepest corners.

It was hard to tell who was
more surprised.
I probably won that contest,
she thought with self-deprecating humor as the two men stared at her.

Not that she
was able to utter a single word, either, not when she was confronted with them like that. Jake wore nothing but silk pajama bottoms clinging dangerously low to his hips. In mere seconds, she took it all in, from his broad, tanned chest to David’s black T-shirt and grey shorts, which were very short, leaving most of his muscular legs exposed.

‘Jake?’
She looked up at his face, her voice small and uncertain. She had no idea what to say as she watched him smile a nervous smile that looked light-years away from being cheerful. ‘What are you doing here at this hour?’

Great.
I sound brain damaged.
First of all, it was his house, so he could wander around whenever the fancy struck him. Secondly, she was there, as well, making her surprise unfair.

‘I got hungry…’
He wasn’t faring much better. They were having the most incoherent conversation she’d ever had. He swallowed hard, bringing her gaze to the smooth column of his neck. She didn’t understand why he was looking so guilty. And then David stepped closer, his shoulder grazing Jake’s arm as if he wanted to protect him. Finally, the gears in her brain clicked, and she understood. Everything.

‘You’re gay!’ she blurted, cringing at her own insensitivity the second her words
were out. ‘God, I am so sorry.’ But she was too late to fix it.

David grin
ned at her from under his long eyelashes, and Jake’s face relaxed into a semblance of a smile.

‘Don’t be
.’ The tension had disappeared from his voice, and he shook his head. ‘I’m certainly not,’ he said, turning her mistake into a joke. Always the gentleman, he obviously didn’t want to let her go down in shame.

‘I mean, I didn’t know…’ she tried agai
n, her eyes on his face. ‘You didn’t even drop a hint.’ She very much wanted to turn around and scratch Adam’s face.
Deeply and until she drew blood, preferably.
Because she was sure he had known. It would be impossible not to, given the circumstances, which was fine with her, for the most part. Letting her make an ass of herself earlier on was inexcusable, though. She recalled practically bragging about Jake being interested in her. Adam must have had a blast, listening to her delusional ideas.

‘I know
.’ Jake moved closer, his eyes apologetic. She hoped he was only regretting misleading his friend. She would have died if he knew how completely she’d misread his behavior. ‘I meant to tell you, but it was rather awkward. I mean, I could hardly start a conversation with an opening like that. I was never good with talking about feelings. I thought I’d tell you once we arrived here, but then things sped up quite a bit.’ He turned to David, his reproachful tone unable to hide his elation at having him there.

She realized the
tension she’d been picking up on before was nothing but his worry about David. He was happy to have him at his side, period.

‘I wasn’t supposed to crash the party
.’ David grinned, unrepentant. ‘At least that’s what we agreed on back in LA. But I got sick of waiting and decided to come. I’ll just be on my best behavior, giving the press nothing to write about.’ He ran a hand through his hair, betraying some of his frustration. Elly felt bad for him. To be around the man he loved and to have to act as if they were nothing but colleagues must have been tough.

‘You know it’s not like that
.’ Jake sighed, his eyes pleading.

‘Yeah, and the studio would kill
ya.’ David smiled, his white teeth glistening in the harsh kitchen light. ‘You’re supposed to be the ladies’ dream boy, aren’t you?’

They smiled
affectionately at each other, and suddenly, Elly felt as though she’d had enough—enough of seeing other people happily in love, while her own relationship lay in shambles. She was happy for them, but remaining another moment in their presence would lead to selfish tears, probably making them wonder what kind of hysterical person she really was.

‘Well, now that we are all on the same page, I am going to sleep,’ she announced nonchalantly, softening her words with a smile
. Both David and Jake grinned back, her friend’s blue eyes the most relaxed she’d seen them in the last twenty-four hours.

‘I’m ready to hit the hay
, too,’ Adam said, spoiling the pleasant moment. She glanced at his handsome face and hated the way he seemed pleased with the whole situation, as if he were secretly enjoying the fact that she had been so completely wrong about Jake. Maybe his failed engagement made him cherish the fact other people had screwed-up love lives, as well.

She managed to reign in her anger
that was simmering right under the thin veneer of politeness long enough to leave the two men blissfully unaware of the storm brewing inside her. But it couldn’t last. The moment she and Adam were alone, she turned to him, her eyes accusing. ‘Was it really necessary?’

H
e seemed taken aback by her assertive tone. His eyes were confused for just a split second.
He’s probably acting,
she decided instantly, too angry to make any allowances for this man who had allowed her to make a total fool of herself.

‘What do
you mean?’ He looked down at her, the daze of his earlier drunkenness gone completely, which she decided was a good thing, since she had a few things she wanted to get off her chest as soon as possible.

‘What do you think I mean?’ she hissed back, refusing to be intimidated by the fact they were alone in the dark, with the rest of the household sleeping peacefully behind closed doors.
Her room was just a few feet away, anyway. ‘You knew Jake was gay, didn’t you? Still, you let me think otherwise when all it would have taken was one simple sentence.’

‘I don’t talk about my family’s lives behind their backs,
Elly.’ He watched her calmly, his face bathed in the silvery moonlight pouring through the huge window at the end of the corridor. ‘It was up to Jake to fill you in, don’t you think? If for whatever reason he hadn’t, I would certainly not overstep my boundaries.’

‘But you knew!’ she repeated, desperation
coloring her voice. Deep down, she couldn’t help but agree with his decision. Still, she couldn’t let him know that. Instead, she lifted her chin and added, her voice acerbic, ‘Did you enjoy my naïvety today? Listening to me talk about Jake like we actually had a chance to be more than just friends? Did it make you feel good to see me act like an idiot?’

‘Not
particularly.’ He had the guts to smile. He shrugged, making her even madder.

‘Well, maybe your failed romance needed a little boost like that? Making sure you’re not the only idiot out there, right?’
She didn’t care if she hurt his feelings, not when she still felt the sting of rejection. Jake wasn’t interested in her one bit. And even though she wasn’t really looking for anything more than friendship, it still left a bitter taste in her mouth to know she wasn’t even a contestant for romance.

‘
Don’t try to drag my personal life into this mess, Elly.’ The few words sounded so menacing. He wasn’t even very loud, and the contrast between the softness of his voice and the naked fury in his eyes sent shivers down Elly’s spine. Maybe she had overstepped, but she still wasn’t ready to make amends.

‘But it’s all connected, I think.’ She had an uneasy feeling that she was
digging herself deeper and deeper into something she wasn’t capable of dealing with, but she couldn’t stop. All the stress, disappointments, and misery of the last couple of days finally broke the dam of her resilience, and she didn’t want to be reasonable any longer. Instead, she wanted to lash out and hurt someone, if only to make sure she was still alive. ‘I think that your silence about Jake has everything to do with you being dumped by your fiancée.’ Her back was against the door to one of the rooms, but she couldn’t recall how that had happened. ‘I think that you’re glad to see me suffer because it makes you forget your own misery. That maybe even though your own love life sucks, you’re glad to watch others fail.’

‘And I think that you need to stop this ridiculous Freudian analysis right now. Otherwise
, I can’t guarantee I’ll be civil much longer.’ Before she knew it, he had leaned closer, stopping her heart, and for one horrifying second, she thought he would hit her. Instead, he pushed open the door. Her dazed brain connected the dots as she practically fell into the darkness of the room, his hand on her shoulder the only lifeline preventing her from falling. It was his room. She remembered it vaguely, her mind retracing their steps when he and Jake had showed her around.

Was it really only hours ago? Fe
els more like a century…

‘
You need to get your facts straight.’ His fingers still on her shoulder, he guided her deeper into the space, where her feet drowned in one of the luxurious, oriental carpets that his family seemed to be particularly fond of. ‘The sooner, the better, it seems.’ He turned on the table lamp, whose simple white shade cast a shadow on the wallpapered powder-blue walls. He gestured to the armchair.

‘Sit down and listen.’

She didn’t have time to respond because he kept talking, his clipped tone light-years away from the easy banter they had shared before. If she wanted to get him mad, she got her wish. With sick fascination, her eyes were drawn to the tiny vein pulsating on the side of his neck. She could almost hear the wild staccato of his blood, the fast rhythm resonating in her own body and waking up some unknown, wild side of herself. Her heartbeat quickened in perfect harmony with each tiny movement under the smooth, tanned skin of his neck.

‘
Jake is very important to me.’ Adam seemed unaware of her thoughts as he sat down on his massive bed. And that was for the best. She hated the idea that he might know how impossibly attractive he looked, but her brain hijacked the last remnants of her common sense the moment she glanced over at the vast expanse of the crisp white coverlet.

‘He’
s like the brother I always wanted but never had,’ Adam continued, his dark eyebrows drawn together. ‘I hope he’ll be very happy with David—or any other man he chooses. That said, I won’t go behind his back and talk about his sexuality if he isn’t ready to do it himself. Not even to you, as attractive and desperate to be reaffirmed as a woman you might be.’

H
e made her sound as needy as hell. The red haze of sexual excitement that had started to descend upon her the moment his strong, lean fingers had made contact with her shoulder faded into nothing as the familiar sense of anger returned with renewed fury.

‘
I’m not even close to the pathetic wimp you’re describing.’ She almost spat the words, her whole body humming with energy. ‘And it wasn’t me who slept in the park, moping after being dumped. So there!’

‘I have warned you to let it go, haven’t I?’

A quiver of fear ran down her back as she watched his lips tighten, tensing the lines of his jaw. ‘I can only think of one thing that would make you bring it up over and over again.’ Suddenly, he was on his feet, closing the distance between them with two short steps. Strong hands came down to her arms, pulling her up in one, swift motion. He wasn’t hurting her, his firm grip just tight enough to make sure she didn’t step back.

‘I can’t help but think that you’re provoking me for a reason
.’ He was close enough for her to feel the heat of his body, the warmth seeping into her frozen skin and making it wonderfully alive—which was wrong. She should have fought him and freed herself right away, when she still had time to walk away with her head held high. She knew he wouldn’t really stop her if she did so. However mad he was at the moment, Adam was not a man who would use force to subdue a woman; Elly was sure of that.

She waited just a second too long.

‘I think that deep down, you knew Jake wasn’t the answer to your personal drama.’ Surprisingly gentle, his right hand left her arm, and long fingers stroked her cheek, achingly slow and tender. She could feel his fingertips, warm and firm, leaving a trail of fire against the already-heated skin. It was the hand of a lover, causing her heart to flutter like a trapped bird, yearning to be free.

‘You knew it the moment we kissed, didn’t you?’

She didn’t want to look into his face, not when she knew that he was absolutely right about the whole sorry mess she’d made of things up to that point. She shook her head, allowing a curtain of hair to hide her face from his searching gaze. He needed to sound angrier, she thought desperately. His resentment was sure to stoke her fire. But he didn’t.