Page 57 of Not That Impossible

When I finished my miserable run and got back to the house, I smelled coffee and heard the whizz of my Nutribullet. Since only my parents and Adam had a key, and my parents had never once dropped by unannounced, it was safe to assume it was Adam.

I kicked off my wet trainers, slung my dripping anorak on a coat peg by the front door, and squelched in wet socks and running leggings into the kitchen.

Ten minutes later, I was still sitting there in my wet clothes, every now and then sipping at the protein shake Adam had made me, while Adam continued to relive the magical kiss he’d shared with Ray Underwood.

It was hard not to compare it to my magical kiss with Liam.

For me it, had been magical.

For Liam, it was ahook-up.

“Jasper?”

“Hmm? Oh. Right. Yay! You two were meant to be! I’m so happy for you! At long last, true love wins!” I raised my fists in the air.

Adam’s eyebrows slowly rose. “Thanks. But I stopped talking about Ray and how he shut me down after the kiss about five minutes ago. I asked if you were going to the gym today.”

“Oh. Yeah. I’ve got a couple of classes later this afternoon. No clients. I’ll probably go in after lunch.”

Adam surveyed me. “You okay?” The eyebrows lowered, and he sent a pointed look at my barely touched protein shake.

I grabbed it and downed it. “I’m great,” I said, and burped. “That’s the stuff.”

He narrowed his eyes. “Are you going to tell me what happened?”

I froze.

“I know something happened,” he said.

“I should go and get out of these wet things.” I pushed up. “I’d hate to catch a cold.”

“Okay,” he said mildly. “And then you can come back here and tell me what’s going on with you.”

“I’ll tell you right now and you can be on your way. Nothing! Everything’s wonderful.”

Adam’s eyes narrowed further.

Adam is tall and perfectly proportioned, with red-gold hair and the kind of hazel eyes that look like dark gold. Liam is also tall, but he’s rugged, his hair is a sandy blond, and his eyes are blue-grey. There isn’t really a family resemblance, other than their shared gingery-ness, and the way they can stare at you until you have to look away. Or explode. Or, possibly, come in your underwear.

I did my best to return his gaze with a nonchalant, nothing-to-see-here kind of smile. After five seconds of throbbing silence, I huffed and glanced down.

“I’m gonna go and shower,” I said.

“Yep. You go shower. Don’t bother trying to come up with a big fat lie or anything while you’re in there, either. I’ll get the truth out of you if I have to pin you down and twist your nips until you cave.”

I cupped my pecs protectively. I wassensitivethere and heknewit. “I’ll slap you in the balls if you try.”

He grinned at me. “Can’t slap me in the balls when you’re too busy squealing about your tits.”

I glared. “You’d have to pin me first, and if Liam can’t manage it unless Ilethim, then you don’t have a chance.”

Oh, shit.

“Liam, huh?” Adam sounded grimly unsurprised.

“Gotta go,” I said, and ran for the shower.

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