Taking On The Billionaire (Redhawk Reunion #1) - Robin Covington Page 0,40
went on high alert.
It had been over a week since they’d been together, her recuperation, work and his travel to Washington, DC, to vet some potential future business partners, putting up an insurmountable barrier to every need he had to taste her, touch her, make her sigh with her own pleasure around him. And now he had a bunch of family he’d not seen in fifteen years coming over and any private time reconnecting with Tess would have to wait.
“Jesus, Tess, thanks for coming over.” He ushered her inside with hands this close to shaking. Once the door was shut behind her he clenched them into tight, almost painful fists to resist the urge to reach out and touch her.
“Hey, Adam. Come here.” Tess took a step forward and suddenly her arms were around him and her lips were on his and the entire world stopped spinning at light speed. Her mouth was soft, lips parting under his, her breasts pressed against his chest, and he was surrounded by the sweet-sharp scent of her perfume. It was like the closest thing he had to coming home and immediately he was centered. Not calm but not ready to crawl out of his skin.
Too soon, way too soon, she broke the contact and smiled up at him, her grin sly enough to scare him but dirty enough to distract him from the nerves hanging out on the rough edge of his sanity. She was exactly what he needed.
“I’ve met both Sarina and Roan and I know they’re sitting somewhere right now freaking out too. You know that, right?” Tess reassured him. “This is going to be a rough night for all of you but you’ll be okay. Are you cooking?”
“Yes.”
“An omelet?”
He laughed, brushing a kiss across her lips. “No, steak. The only other thing I can cook.”
“It will be great.” She turned in his arms, gaze traveling around the interior of his home. “Nice place. Give me a tour?”
“Sure.” Adam slid his hand down her arm, enjoying the slide of their skin together and the intertwining of their fingers as he led her through his house.
Her bright dress and curls were a stark contrast to the various shades of gray and silver the designer had used all over the house and for the first time he understood why Justin said that it was cold. It was like the rest of his life, only a place to pass though in between work and more work. Tess’s presence made it all feel drab somehow.
The foyer spilled over into the great room, detours leading to a home office for him just off to the left, and three bedrooms upstairs. Tess peeked inside all the rooms but he didn’t let her linger, tugging her toward the back of the house and his favorite part. The main reason why he’d bought the house in the first place.
“You’ve got to see the best part.”
“Oh my God, Adam. This is incredible.” Tess let go of his hand, dropping her purse on the dining table as she sprinted over to the three-story, floor-to-ceiling windows that spanned the entire width of the house.
The El Sereno Open Space Preserve sprawled out in front of them in every possible direction. Rolling hills of green, dissected by nature trails, and flowers blooming everywhere was the view that had convinced him to buy this house. But the woman standing in front of the window eclipsed all of it.
“Can I go outside?” Tess was looking at him over her shoulder, her hand poised on the handle for the sliding glass door that led out to the wraparound deck.
“Of course.”
He laughed when she gave a little hop of excitement and pulled open the door. It wasn’t a typical Tess-like reaction but he had a feeling that he’d seen the “real” Tess in that moment. The one who was buried under her loss and pain and well-earned cynicism. And if this were a real relationship, he’d look forward to coaxing out more of those moments from this fascinating woman.
And more and more he wanted this to be a real relationship. There was a reason why he’d called Tess and it wasn’t because she owed him one.
Adam followed her out onto the deck, past the large table and the outdoor kitchen to the railing that edged the space. Past the overly large couch and the comfortable chairs. She smiled into the waning afternoon sun, her eyes darting everywhere as she soaked it all in.