looked up and the ceiling was closing again, kind of like the Superdome. Adam’s gallery had a replacement floor. If he designed this, he was certainly an architectural and mechanical genius.
Score one more for Adam Chase.
Smooth as glass, they landed in a garage on the street level. More noises erupted, she imagined to secure the car elevator onto the ground floor. Inside the spacious garage, three other cars were parked. “Were these cars out of gas?” she asked.
A chuckle rumbled from his throat. “I thought this would be fastest and easier for you. And to be honest, it’s been a while since I’ve taken the Rolls out.”
She liked honesty, but surely he wasn’t trying to impress her? He’d already done that the second he’d strode out of the ocean and come to her aid.
A Jag, an all-terrain Jeep and a little sports car were outdone by the Rolls, yet she wouldn’t turn any one of them down if offered. “So, are you a car fanatic?”
He revved the engine and pressed the remote control. The garage door opened, and sunshine poured in. “So many questions, Mia. Just sit back, stretch out your leg and enjoy the ride.”
What choice did she have? Adam clearly didn’t like talking about himself. Anna’s dying words rang in her head and seized her heart. Clutching her sister’s hand, her plea had been weak but so determined. “Adam Chase, the baby’s real father. Architect. One night...that’s all I know. Find him.”
Anna had been more adventurous than Mia, but now she understood why she’d known little about the man who’d fathered her child. Anna had probably done most of the talking. It had been during the lowest part of her sister’s life, when she thought she’d lost Edward forever. Maybe neither one of them had done much talking.
She glanced at Adam’s profile as he put the car in gear, his wrist resting on the steering wheel. Chiseled cheekbones, thoughtful gray eyes, strong jaw. His hair, kissed by the sun, was cropped short and straight. No rings on his fingers. Again, she wondered if he had a girlfriend or three. Everything about him, his house, his cars, his good looks, screamed babe magnet, yet oddly, her gut was telling her something different, something she couldn’t put her finger on. And that’s why she had to find a way to delay her departure. She didn’t have enough to go on. She certainly couldn’t turn her sweet-cheeked baby Rose over to him. Not yet.
He might not even want her.
Perish the thought. Who wouldn’t want that beautiful baby?
“Are you sure you don’t want me to drive you home?” he asked. “You can have someone pick up your car later if you can’t drive comfortably.”
“Oh no. Please. Just drive me to my car. It’s not that far, and I’m sure I can drive.”
Adam took his eyes off the road and turned to her. “Okay, if you’re sure.” He didn’t seem convinced.
“My foot’s feeling better already. I’m sure.”
He nodded and sighed, turning his attention back to the road.
“How far?”
“I’m parked at lifeguard station number three.”
“Got it.”
It was less than a mile, and she kept her focus on the glossy waters of Moonlight Beach as he drove the rest of the way in silence. Too soon, they entered the parking lot. “There’s my car.” She pointed to her white Toyota Camry. He pulled up next to it. The Rolls looked out of place in a parking lot full of soccer-mom vans and family sedans. A mustard-yellow school bus was unloading a gaggle of giggling children.
“Hang on,” he said. “I’ll get your gear. Just show me where it is on the beach.”
Whoops. She’d lied about that. She didn’t have so much as a beach towel on the sand. Blinking, she stalled for time. “Oh, I guess I forgot. I must have put everything in my trunk before I took my walk.”
Adam didn’t seem fazed, and she sighed, relieved. He climbed out of the car, jaunted around the front end of the Rolls and stopped on the passenger side. She opened the car door, and he was there, ready to help her out.
His hands were on her again, lifting her, and a warm jolt catapulted down to her belly. She’d never felt anything quite like it before, this fuzzy don’t-stop-touching-me kind of sensation that rattled her brain and melted her insides.
He set her down, and she put weight on her foot. “I’m okay,” she said, gazing into eyes softened by concern.
“You’re sure?”
“If you can just help me to my car, I’ll be fine.”
He wrapped his arm around her waist, and there it was again—warm, gooey sensations swimming through her body. She half hopped, half walked as he carefully guided her to the driver’s side of the car.
“Your keys?” he asked.
She dug her hand into the front pocket of her shorts and came up with her car key. “Right here.”
He stared at her. “Well, then. You’re set.”
“Yes.”
Neither one of them moved. Not a muscle. Not a twitch.
Around them noises of an awakening beach pitched into the air, children’s laughter, babies crying, the roar of the waves hitting the shore, seagulls squawking, and still, it was as if they were alone. The beating of her heart pounded in her skull. Adam wasn’t going to say anything more, although some part of her believed he wanted to.
She rose up on tiptoes, lifted her eyes fully to his and planted a kiss on his cheek. “Thank you, Adam. You’ve been very sweet.”
His mouth wrenched up. “Welcome.”
“I’d love to repay you for your kindness by cooking you one of my grandmother’s favorite Tuscan dishes, but—”
“But?” His brows arched. He seemed interested, thank goodness.
“My stove is on the blink.” Not exactly a lie. Two burners were out and the oven was temperamental.
He shook his head. “There’s no need to repay me for anything.”
Her hopes plummeted, yet she kept a smile on her face.
“But I love Italian food, so how about cooking that meal at my place when you’re up to it?”
At his place? In that gorgeous state-of-the-art kitchen? Thank goodness for small miracles. “I’d love to. Saturday night around seven?” That would give her three days to heal.
“Sounds good.”
It was a date. Well, not a date.
She was on a mission and she couldn’t forget that.
Even if her mouth still tingled from the taste of his skin on her lips.
*
