Wickingham Way (A Harbour Falls Mystery #3) (5 page)

And so the days went by…

Adam and I played, maybe bickered a little, but mostly we fell deeper in love.

Frequent and heavy snowstorms pummeled the area throughout that first week of our stay, so we had little choice but to remain holed up in the cabin. We often found solace by relaxing in the great room, usually with a roaring fire—courtesy of Adam’s fine fire-making skills—crackling away in the background.

Since there was no cable, and thus no viewable TV, Adam and I read together quite a bit. We slowly began working our way through Adam’s vast collection of books. During those days, as I’d lay with my head on one end of the plushy sofa, with Adam stretched out across the opposite side, our legs intertwined, I couldn’t imagine life getting much better.

One afternoon, as especially fierce winds battered the covered windows—making them shake and rattle like nobody’s business—I plopped down on the sofa, a book of poetry in my hand. Adam, all comfortable at the other end, was perusing some title on military history.

How boring
, I thought.

I didn’t know for sure if his book was boring, but come on.

I must not have been too far off the mark, as Adam didn’t seem to mind at all the many times I interrupted him so I could share various passages of poetry that moved me.

After about the tenth interruption, Adam tossed his military history book to the coffee table and declared, “I give up.”

At first I thought I’d angered him, but then he smiled.

We ended up sitting, shoulders pressed together, with Adam reciting the passages I most adored back to me.

“I love you, Maddy,” he said after finishing one particularly stirring verse.

I murmured the sentiment in return, and then we kissed until our lips grew swollen.

When we finally resumed our respective readings, Adam decided it was time to share
his
book with
me
. Yep, the one outlining military history. I think he did it to get a laugh, or possibly to bore me to tears. Whatever his motivation, he opened the book and proceeded to point to a multitude of military weapons, giving me his take on each one.

My eyes glazed over as I tried to listen to his opinions on cannons used during the Civil War. When I could take no more, though, I stifled a yawn.

“Am I boring you?” Adam asked, his tone mock offended.

The man knew full well I had no interest in military weapons crap.

“No, no, not at all…” I waved my hand at some illustration of a cannon. “Do continue.”

My smartass response earned me a thorough tickling, and that, of course, led to more kissing. Adam pressed me down into the cushions, his hot mouth devouring mine. But this time we kept on going. Needless to say, poetry and military history were forgotten that day.

Though most days went smoothly, Adam and I did have some spats. One arose on a Friday afternoon. I was feeling especially restless as the first weekend alone drew near. A large storm had dumped yet another foot of snow on an already thickly blanketed landscape. Agent Lenehan still somehow made it out to the cabin, but she stayed only long enough to pick up the flash drive with the updated Wickingham Way files.

And then she was gone.

I stood at the front door after she’d driven away, making no attempt to close it. “I’m so sick of snow. Enough already,” I bitched to Adam, who was reclined on the sofa.

“Madeleine, close the door,” he chastised distractedly, barely looking up from his laptop. “You’re letting all the cold air in.”

“Sorry,” I muttered as I slammed the door, shutting us back into our own little world.

Most days I welcomed being locked away with Adam, but this day it irked me to no end.

“What’s wrong with you?” Adam asked as he set his laptop on the coffee table. He’d finally given up on his work.

Truthfully, I was itching for a fight, feeling stir crazy from having been housebound all damn week. “Nothing,” I mumbled as I made my way over to the sofa.

I perched on the edge, and Adam sat up straighter. “Quit acting like a child, Madeleine,” he sniped.

It seemed Adam was in a foul mood as well.

“Quit treating me like one,” I shot back.

A few choice words ensued on both our parts. But after Adam made a rather biting comment about how he’d rather be taking his chances in Harbour Falls than be stuck in the cabin another day with me, I choked back a sob.

Adam sighed and raked his fingers through dark hair that was in need of a trim. “I didn’t mean that,” he murmured.

But it was too late; his comment had already damaged. I stared down at my hands in my lap, at a loss for words.

In a soft voice, Adam said, “Come here, Maddy.” He patted the spot next to him and arched an eyebrow. “Please,” he added when I made no attempt to move.

I hesitantly slid down to the cushions.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered as he placed his hand on my knee. “I don’t want to fight with you, baby.”

I blew out a breath. “I know, and I don’t want to fight with you, either.” I didn’t—not anymore.

I curled up in Adam’s arms and he rested his chin against the top of my head. “Are you getting sick of me already?” he whispered into my hair.

“No, not at all,” I assured him.

When he didn’t reply, I sat up and met his deep blue eyes, so clear today, so serene. Even with the Wickingham Way project proceeding along—and Adam still marked for assassination—I’d never really seen him so at peace, despite our minor disagreement. I had to admit this time away was good for him.

Adam tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. “Well, I’m certainly glad you’re not sick of me, as I could see how it could happen—”

“Oh, stop.” I smacked his arm playfully, and he pulled me closer.

“I’m just kidding. I think this time away has actually been good for us.”

His arm was partway around my shoulder, and I placed a light kiss on the solid bicep that bulged through his long-sleeved shirt.

I nodded in agreement. “I actually think it has too. And I wasn’t really mad at you. All this snow just has me feeling a little stir crazy. And seeing Erin here, and then watching her leave… Just knowing
she’s
free to go anywhere.”

“I know, I know.” Adam drew me close and held me tightly. “We’ll take some walks or something as soon as these storms pass. Just to get away from these four walls.”

That sounded like heaven to me, and I told Adam as much. We sat awhile longer, just gathering comfort from relaxing in one another’s arms.

At one point, Adam wound a lock of my hair around his fingers and asked, “Do you think about the future, Maddy?” Clearing his throat, he added, “Like
our
future, down the road?”

I thought about my future with Adam—a lot—and there was no doubt in my mind that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with him. We’d spoken words of
forever
during the past few months—and it was kind of assumed we were in this for the long haul—but we’d never specifically discussed where our relationship was heading.

“I think about our future often,” I admitted. “And I want to be with you, Adam, only you, always. I love you.”

“Do you think about children?” he asked, his tone hesitant, like he was feeling the idea out, seeing where my thoughts were on the subject.

I drew in a sharp breath but for the best possible reason. There was no other man whose children I’d rather bear. Adam Ward was it for me, so I meant it completely when I whispered, “Yes. And I’d want those children to be yours.”

Adam straightened and turned to me so that we were facing one another. He held my gaze, his blue eyes…happy.

“I want all those things, too, Maddy. With you.” He took a deep breath. “Marriage…children…a future… I want to grow old with you.”

Tears welled in my eyes. I wanted those same things, so very, very much.

Adam said, “If we get through this—”

I quickly placed a finger across his soft, full lips, halting his words. “Not if, Adam, never if.
When
we get through this.” He smiled and kissed my finger, still on his lips, and then he lowered my hand to his side.

“
When
,” he said, stressing the word as I’d just done. “When we get through this, I want forever for us. But I want to do it right.”

My heart filled with joy, as it sounded as if he planned to do what I’d only dreamed would someday happen. Adam Ward was going to ask me to marry him.

*

The next few days were perfect. The winter storms subsided, and Adam and I—as he’d promised—took long walks in the melting snow. It was only late February, but a hint of spring could be felt in the air. Spring. And for me and Adam—a deeper love.

On one of our strolls through the surrounding wilderness, trudging hand in hand through the heavy snow, Adam halted abruptly. Before I could ask what was wrong, he tucked me under his arm and pulled me close to his body.

I started to speak, but Adam shushed me. “Quiet, Maddy,” he hissed.

When I glanced up, he nodded to a copse of pines several yards away. “Oh,” I breathed out.

Now I got it.

Standing beyond the pines was a moose. Growing up in Maine, I was well aware the large animals were around, but I’d never seen one this close in the wild. The animal was magnificent, but I knew they could be dangerous. I snuggled in closer to Adam and whispered, “Will we be all right? What should we do?”

There was really nowhere to go. We were in the middle of the woods.

“We just have to wait him out,” Adam whispered. “I don’t think he’s too concerned with us, as long as we stay back.”

That sounded like a plan to me. My heart beat wildly. I sensed Adam was nervous too. His grip on me was ironclad, his muscles tense.

We waited the animal out, and the moose eventually moved on.

Adam and I breathed out collective sighs of relief. We’d come out unscathed.

“He really was beautiful,” I said to Adam once we were sure we were in the clear.

Adam agreed, but added, “I think we should return to the cabin.”

I was fine with that.

The rest of the week rolled on, and another Friday arrived, which meant another visit from Agent Lenehan.

Oh, yay
, I thought sarcastically.

It wasn’t that I was still jealous of Erin—not like after I’d first met her. And I fully trusted Adam, even after my initial reactions to the agent’s overwhelming beauty. My issue now was that I just liked the days…and nights…with Adam all to myself.

But since I was working on overcoming my insecurities—coupled with the fact Erin had been (mostly) nothing but nice to me since we’d met—I decided to make an overture of friendship to the woman who was essentially Adam’s work partner. So, that Friday, I made enough food so Erin could stay for dinner.

While I worked on my signature eggplant parmesan, Adam prepared to go outside and chop some firewood.

“Mmm,” Adam murmured as he passed through the kitchen on his way to the back door, “smells good, already.” He paused at the stove and helped himself to a spoonful of simmering tomato sauce.

One spoonful turned to two, then three…

“Hey!” I playfully swatted his firm ass. “Stop eating all the sauce.”

“I can’t help it. It’s really good, Maddy,” Adam stated with a shrug, defending his actions.

Speaking of good, Adam looked mighty delicious himself. I stared at him, soaking in his fine profile, as he busied himself at the stove. He was now stirring the sauce instead of devouring it. He looked so sexy in his dark jeans and unzipped parka, his raven hair all messy and damp from a recent shower.

I suddenly wanted Adam, right there. Unfortunately, I knew our time alone was limited. Erin would be arriving soon.

Still, we had a few minutes. So, with no warning, I dropped to my knees in front of him and swiftly popped open the top button on his jeans.

“Maddy…what are you doing?” He set the spoon he’d been stirring with down with a clang.

“I think it’s pretty obvious,” I stated as I glanced up at Adam.

I hurriedly unzipped and lowered his jeans to just below his hips. Adam, of course, offered no resistance. He watched me in silence but let out a groan when I rubbed his rapidly hardening arousal through his boxer briefs. Soon, the gorgeous Mr. Ward was helping, particularly when I tugged his boxer briefs down. When his cock sprung free, I wasted no time. I took Adam in my mouth immediately, making him catch his breath.

I slid my lips along his shaft until his engorged head hit the back of my throat. “F-u-c-k,” he rasped.

I took my time with him, cupping his balls, licking up and down his length, and swirling my tongue around the head of his penis. Despite being engaged as I was, I heard the echo of a car door closing outside.

Erin was here. But the thought of her being so close while I sucked off my boyfriend made the whole situation so much more arousing. Fortunately, it seemed Adam felt the same way. His breathing picked up as his pace increased. He wrapped his fingers in my hair, encouraging me to keep up with his rapid plunges into my mouth. Happy to oblige, I did exactly as he wanted. And when Agent Lenehan knocked on the back door, Adam came…hard.

“Hold on,” Adam yelled over his shoulder as he caught his breath.

I stood up, and Adam tucked himself in and zipped back up. “Maddy, good thing all the windows are blacked out. You are bad, babe, very bad.”

He smirked, letting me know that what he was really saying was that
bad, very bad
was actually good, very good.

“I’ll have to be ‘bad, very bad’ more often,” I chimed back, bumping his leg with my hip.

“Most definitely,” he replied.

Adam stepped over to the door to let Erin in while I ran upstairs to brush my teeth and straighten my hair. When I returned to the kitchen, I got right back to work on finishing dinner. Adam and Erin had retired to the great room to talk Wickingham Way business. I peeked in at one point, and saw there were papers strewn all across the coffee table. Erin was pointing out various things, and Adam was seated on the sofa, leaning forward and nodding thoughtfully.

I wondered what they were talking about. And at dinner I found out. Well, surely not everything but enough.