Page 69 of Our Radiant Embers

“Isn’t it your birthday on Saturday?”

He looked shifty, like he’d hoped I wouldn’t mention it. “Yeah. How do you know?”

“I asked Gale.”

“Well, you’ll be doing me a favour by giving me a reason to get away. That’s assuming you’re not going to pressure me to finally get married and have kids?”

I snorted. “In general, or to and with me?”

“Either.” His lips curved up although it didn’t quite reach his eyes. “But seriously, I’d rather not be here for that.”

“Won’t it look weird, us going away together on your birthday?”

Benedict Harrington was many things—stupid wasn’t one of them. If his son chose a weekend trip to the sea with another guy over celebrating with his intended fiancée…Well. Doing the maths took no genius.

Adam pursed his mouth, gaze sliding away. “I guess so, yeah. But not if I claim it’s with Cassandra. She and Amit can book a spa weekend or something.”

I drew a knee up to my chest and let my head tip back against the wood beam that served as my support, watching Adam from underneath my lashes. Three days with him, just the two of us in some beach house…Knowing him, he’d happily parade around in nothing but his trunks just to taunt me.

“Can we really take a day off right when construction is starting?” I asked, partly to further delay a decision.

“We won’t start until next week,” Adam told me. “The ground needs time to settle.”

That made sense.

I gave myself a moment to study Adam—edged in golden light, dark hair curling around his ears and falling into his forehead, hazel eyes focused on me. Yeah, I wanted him. It went both ways, only I couldn’t be sure it wasn’t down to his lack of options.

I liked him, more than any of the guys I’d dated in uni. But it couldn’t amount to anything real.

If we spent an entire weekend together, I’d give in anyway.

Did I care?

“Okay.” My pulse was fluttering in my fingertips. “A trip sounds great. Tell me what I can do? Other than pack my own bag.”

“That’s all right—I’ve got it.”

“Any birthday wishes?”

Adam flashed me a cheesy smile. “Well, I assume you’ll be bringing yourself, so…”

I smiled back, couldn’t help it. “I see how it is.”

“Mhmm.” Then he sobered. “Hey, you know that’s not…I’m not expecting anything, right? That’s not the point of the trip.”

I’m stupid about you.

“I know.” If I’d wanted to discourage him, I could have said more. I didn’t. After a moment, he ducked his head, but not before I caught the tentative upwards tilt to his mouth.

“Good.”

A few seconds of silence stretched between us, thoughtful rather than uncomfortable. Then I picked up my plate and got to my feet, crossed over to also collect Adam’s empty plate that he held out to me with a, “Thank you. That was delicious.”

“You’re welcome.” Our hands brushed, and I allowed the contact to linger before I stepped back. “I hope that’s what you tell your cook at home too, by the way.”

He pursed his lips. “You know, I don’t. I should change that.”

“You should.” It came out treacherously fond. I turned away to deal with the plates, rinsing them off rather than putting them into the mostly empty dishwasher. When I glanced back at Adam, he’d stretched out on the air mattress, hands laced on his stomach.

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