Though Eddie would only attempt to touch me, it was an instant reaction. But his hand didn’t meet my skin. I peeked and saw Adam’s fingers wrapped around Eddie’s wrist.
“Don’t touch her. Ever.” Adam’s voice was so calm and threatening it sent shivers down my spine. Eddie bared his teeth and made a weird noise before taking another swig of his drink and walking away, mumbling several choice words.
“What was that?” Adam barked, as though he was mad at me for Eddie’s approach.
“What was what?”
He slowly raised his hand, his eyes on mine. It looked like he was about to perform magic or something. He stood there for a moment, his finger hovering from my nose to my cheekbone.
I laughed. “Are you trying to hypnotize me?”
“You’re laughing?”
“I’d call it a light giggle.”
“You laugh at me, yet when your uncle approached you earlier, you tensed up. And then just now, when that man came near you, you flinched.”
My heart stopped and my attention turned toward the floor.
“But now…” He traced his finger from my ear to my neck. “And when I kissed you in the hallway, and before at the restaurant—my office—you didn’t feel threatened.” His eyes blazed with so much ferocity it scared me. “Did that asshole hurt you in the past? Has he touched you?”
My brows rose nearly into my hairline. I didn’t know which asshole he was referring to, but either way, I didn’t want to go into it. Eddie was a drunk and technically, Tim had never hurt me. I had shut him down before it got that far. He was just inappropriate and unnerving. Yes, he added to my anxiety issues, but my reaction to hands coming at my face was due to my mom. Another subject I didn’t want to get into.
I grabbed both of Adam’s hands in mine. “It’s nothing like that. It’s just a reaction I have sometimes.”
“Sometimes?”
“Well, a lot of the time. Except with you.”
“You trust me.” Once again, he wasn’t asking, he was affirming. But it was also impossible. I didn’t even let Brian or Megan near my face—not that they regularly attempted it. I had been thinking about this a lot, and the only thing I could come up with was that my sense dissolved when I was near Adam. Logical or not, the simple truth was that I reacted to Adam differently than I did to the rest of the world.
Why was that?
I didn’t have an answer.
“Someone has hurt you, Katelyn. Who is it?”
“I don’t want to talk about it.” Especially not with him.
His eyes took in the crowded room and he lowered his voice. “Maybe not here and not tonight, but we will talk, Katelyn. Because this—” He motioned between our bodies. “—is hitting me hard. And you feel it, too. Of course, you fight me more than I’d like,” he growled with amusement. Playful Adam was back and I was relieved.
“Well, I do what I can.”
He gave me that look again, like he was in awe, like he had just seen his first sunrise or something. A girl could get used to that look.
Tim’s voice rang out. He was telling a joke and everyone laughed. I didn’t want to be there, but I wanted to make sure Simon stayed asleep, because his nanny wouldn’t come until the morning. If he had another bad dream, he’d only have drunk parents to deal with. I’d give it a little more time, but I needed some space from the house.
“I think I need some air.”
Adam nodded and we headed to the back deck. I leaned forward, resting my forearms on the rail, and looked out over the expanse of land.
Beside me, Adam mimicked my pose.
“You know, I used to wonder how far I could run before it all just disappeared.”
“Why don’t you try it now?”
I snorted. “I’m directionally challenged. I’d get myself lost in the dark.”
“Not if I chased you.”
I looked over at him. That word chase, he had made clear before, was something he never did.
“It wouldn’t be wise for someone like you to follow me into the dark and unknown,” I said.
“Someone like me?”
“You’re a pretty important man. You might get lost, and then where would we be?”
“You think I’m important?”
“Yes, I do.”
His moved closer, his fingers skating down my spine. “I’m glad.”
Chapter Seven
Adam insisted on escorting me home and I was happy to oblige. After an hour had passed, Simon still hadn’t awakened, so I felt okay about leaving.
Adam drove instead of a chauffeur. His car was amazing. A sleek black McLaren, with heated leather seats.
I’d never known watching a man shift a seven speed could be so hot. He handled the car like he’d been born with it. Every time the accelerator revved and his long legs flex and push the gears on the floorboard, a dose of lust coursed through my veins. His palm relaxed over the stick shift when he reached the speed he wanted and we glided back into the city limits.