“So, extremely dangerous activities in Arizona, check.” All dimples. “After that, where would you take me paddle boarding?”
I space out with the memory of Jason trying to paddle board when he came along on my family’s vacation to Oahu our senior year. He was so athletic, even before he buffed up in the Corps and became a surfing addict in San Diego. Those memories seem so far away, as if in a different life. It’s been over a year since I broke up with Jason, but the gaping hole of guilt and regret in my heart makes it feel like just days ago.
“Hawaii,” I answer quietly, squeezing my eyes shut.
“Are you sure you’re okay?”
“Yeah.” A cold breeze flips my blond curls into my face. Shivering, I rub at my prickly legs. “I’m one of those who’s prone to a coma once the booze stops flowing. Give me another hour and I’ll be out for the night.”
He leans away from the wall, his eyes worried. “You want to go somewhere else? I mean somewhere public? You look...cold.”
“As much as I’d love to blow this place, I came with a friend,” I say, motioning to the house. Kelly was totally hammered the last time I saw her. She’s most likely making out with one of the preppy guys who always seem to fall for her wild spirit and large, chocolate brown eyes. She’s like cat-nip for studs.
With his hands still in his pockets, Adam shrugs. It’s so reserved, just like all of his other mannerisms. I can see him hanging out in bed on a Saturday morning, his hair ruffled, no particular plans in mind. “Tell her you’ll come back to get her when she’s ready to go.”
Weighing the options in my head, I pull my phone from my pocket. Blowing Kelly off for a guy I’m majorly attracted to seems like a horrible idea. That side of me hasn’t reared its drunken head since Levi and I became a thing, whatever that “thing” may be.
Plus, I really should make sure Kelly isn’t so drunk that she’s doing something she’ll regret in the morning. If only she had looked out for me like that the night I met Levi.
I push off the wall. “I should probably go inside and make sure she’s okay.”
His eyebrows lift as he takes a few steps closer. “You want company? Just say the word and I’m all yours.”
I pull in a sharp, stuttering breath. There’s an undeniable force pulling me to him, unmatched to any draw I’ve ever felt before. I just can’t walk away and pretend we never met. I can’t ignore the tingle in my stomach, or the fluttering of my pulse. While I have no intention of giving my heart to another guy after what I did to Jason, it’s still impossible not to envision myself wrapped around this beautiful man.
He takes a step back. “If I’m making you uncomfortable—”
“You’re not,” I blurt, reaching out to touch his arm. When my fingers connect with his skin, dynamite shoots through me. “I mean, I’m kind of seeing someone.”
“You mentioned that.” The dimples reappear, giving him almost a boyish quality.
“Several times now.” When he gleams at me like that, it’s almost impossible not to smile back.
“Sorry.” I drop my hand from his arm to nervously slide my phone between my fingers. “I mean, it’s not like he’s got me bugged. It’s not even that serious.”
Adam seems to be standing much closer when he asks in a low voice, “It’s not?
Serious, I mean?”
The tingles I feel in this moment are so out of control, I consider leaping into his arms and taking him right on the freshly mowed lawn. “We haven’t even reached the ‘in a relationship’ status on Facebook.”
Adam shrugs. “So simply hanging out with me wouldn’t be considered cheating on this guy, right? Just because you’re seeing him doesn’t mean you’re exclusively committed to him for life. Especially if he isn’t smart enough to claim you as his girlfriend.”
The only sound aside from the muffled voices and music from inside are my ragged breaths. His lips are so close, so edible, all my thoughts become a jumbled mess. Levi isn’t here, and it’s not like I have plans to marry him one day. So—
I jump when my phone vibrates in my hands. A message from Kelly flashes across the screen.
Where r u?
I look up and sigh. “My friend’s looking for me. I should probably...yeah, I’m going to go.” After three steps I pause to look over my shoulder. “Are you coming, or are you set on holding that wall up for the rest of the night?”
Adam brightens in response. Although I really know nothing about him, I feel a thrill for what’s to come.