on the back of her neck as they walked into the gala to benefit the children’s hospital. Held at the exquisite Nestledown Retreat, it was one of his favorite venues if he was forced to attend a five-thousand-dollar per plate dinner and endure hours of small talk with people who’d never made him feel like he belonged. Surrounded by magnificent redwoods and twinkle lights, it felt like they were walking across the starlit sky.
But nothing compared to how stunning Tess looked tonight.
“Of course you were right. Exactly what were you right about this time?” She stopped and turned into his arms, the brush of her fingers against his skin a brand of the sweetest fire. Damn, this woman.
But her touch wasn’t just flirtatious. She was nervous about something and looking to bolt. He contemplated trying to cajole it out of her but Tess was the keeper of secrets and she’d let him know what was going on when she was ready and not a minute sooner. He was sure it had something to do with the call he’d missed and the message she’d left with Estelle. When he’d tried to call her back, his calls had gone to voicemail. Getting here tonight had been a whirlwind to the extent that he’d had to send a car for her and meet her at the event. But now she was here and he was looking forward to the time when they could talk about whatever was on her mind. He tightened his grip on her and pulled her closer, dipping his head to make eye contact.
“You are the most beautiful one here tonight.”
And she was. He’d never be able to adequately describe her dress—computer chips and algorithms were his preferred language—but the deep purple of the fabric dipped low in the front and back and exposed mouth-wateringly tempting expanses of her pale skin. Adam couldn’t wait to take it off her later. Slowly, very slowly.
“Adam, you need to stop being so sweet,” she murmured, the shadows of the evening doing nothing to hide her blush. “I’ll get spoiled.”
“I think you deserve to be spoiled. Don’t you?”
That spooked her. Her eyes went wide and the nervous fidgeting was back. Hell, this whole situation had him waiting for the other shoe to drop so he didn’t stop her when she moved out of his arms. They’d moved from virtual strangers to lovers in the span of a few weeks and neither of them had been looking for anything close to a relationship. But they sure as hell were in the middle of one now and he suspected the one time he took this chance was going to break him.
He’d never done anything halfway in his life and he wasn’t going to start now.
Adam reached out, laced their fingers together and led her down one of the candlelit paths, deeper into the shelter of the redwoods and away from the burbling voices of rich people pretending to like each other. The time had come for honesty, for showing his cards and betting it all on Tess. On them.
They reached an alcove in the trees and he turned, cupping her face in his hands and kissing her. Slow and deep, pleading and demanding, ending on a whimper that erupted from somewhere deep inside of Tess. Adam leaned back, maintaining their physical contact, his heart kicking in his chest when she reached out and pulled him back in for a kiss. It was hotter, wetter, and he wondered if there was a back exit to this place. Forget talking, they communicated better when it was just skin on skin.
“Tess, come on.” Adam wasn’t clear what he was asking her. To leave this place right now or to finally let him in and share whatever secret she was carrying around and guarding like the Mona Lisa. She hesitated, biting her kiss-swollen lips in an effort to keep her own confidence. “Baby, tell me what’s going on. You’ve got me tied in knots. I can’t stop thinking about you. I haven’t felt this crazy over a woman since I was a kid and I tell you I don’t like it one bit. Throw me a bone. At least tell me I’m not the only fool here.”
“Adam, I didn’t want this.” Tess pressed her fingers to her mouth in a gesture meant to erase what she’d just said. He waited, giving her time. “I know you didn’t want this.”
“I wasn’t looking for it.”
She nodded. “No. Neither was I.”
“But we’re in