Page 75 of Now or Never

“I’m sorry. I heard my name, and I listened, and it was private, and clearly an invasion, and I shouldn’t have done it, and I’m sorry.”

His shoulders slumped as he nodded his head.

She was the worst human on Earth.

“We can just forget about it, Adam. You didn’t say anything. I didn’t hear anything. Okay?” She turned and walked without waiting for an answer as her heart broke a little. It hurt, but it would be best if they forgot about it.

Moved on.

Her heels clicked away on the deck for a few steps before he caught up to her. They walked into the house, through a huge, beautifully appointed living room and down a hall before he spoke.

When he finally found his voice, it was soft, deep. Intimate, like that night in the hotel.

“I can’t forget it,” he said.

She stopped and looked at him, ready to apologize again, when he reached a hand up, untangled a lock of her hair from her crystal earring. Shivers raced along her neck, and all the thoughts tumbled from her head. He stared at her, his eyes moving back and forth between hers, then dropping her lips.

He tucked her hair gently behind her ear before a frown came over his face.

“I tried. I keep trying. I can’t stop myself from looking at you. And wanting to talk to you, and touch you, and see your smile. It’s only getting worse.”

She cleared the flutters occupying her heart, forced herself to steep her brain in reality. He was frowning, almost angry. It wasn’t a normal way to tell someone you liked or loved them. She was so put off by his inner torment that she shook off the intimate moment.

“You look really unhappy about your feelings for me,” she said. “That’s kind of fucked up.”

She started walking again, not really sure where she was going but needing to move. Once again, he caught up to her.

“I don’t want a relationship.”

She stopped dead in her tracks, twisted, stared at him. “You know you’re a terrible liar, right?”

Adam exhaled through his teeth and nodded. “Okay, I refuse to be in a relationship. Better?”

Chelsea rolled her eyes. “If bybetteryou mean you’re telling the truth, then yes. But I wouldn’t call thatbetter.”

She kept walking. “Would it help if I told you I don’t love you?” she asked.

“Yes!” he nearly shouted.

Chelsea rolled her eyes. It was on the tip of her tongue, but she hated to lie. So she just told him the truth. “Well, I can’t. My like for you is bordering on love.”

He fell silent beside her. His face was a mix of frustration and something else she couldn’t quite figure out. But mostly frustration.

She decided that since she’d come clean about listening, and they desperately needed a change of subject, she’d ask him something that had been bothering her since she’d heard that recording.

“What’s this tier system?”

Adam tipped his head up at the ceiling. “You heardthattoo?”

“Mm-hmm . . .”

“If I tell you, you’ll think I’m a dick.”

Chelsea stared at him. He looked tortured. More pieces were clicking into place. “I could never think that, Adam.”

Adam exhaled, resigned. “I rank women,” he said. “I do it to avoid the ones I’m most likely to fall in love with.”

Chelsea narrowed her eyes. “Like me?”

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