Page 157 of Distant Shores
Cole’s knee abruptly bent, sending him stumbling. Shouting in surprise, he reached for the doorframe, clinging to it for balance.
“Dude!” he yelled.
“Donothit on Liem.”
My breath hitched, butterflies waking up in my stomach and fluttering wildly just from hearing his voice.
“I’ve met his boyfriend, and man….” Adair’s hands came into view first, gripping handlebars. “You’re fit, but I’m pretty sure that guy would ruin you.”
“Maybe I need a good ruining,” Cole shot back with a wicked smirk, already recovered from the dead leg.
I shared a glance with Cody, smiling at the barely repressed mirth in his gaze.
Cole ambled into the room then, and I sidestepped him when he tried to ruffle my hair before introducing himself to Cody and Liem.
With him out of the way, Adair finally wheeled all the way in.
His gaze was almost shy as it met mine before both of our gazes flicked down to the knee scooter he was using.
But that wasn’t what held my attention.
“You got your cast off.”
He gave me his big smile. “I convinced them. Got a new boot too.”
I glanced at it, smiling at his bright purple sock.
After two weeks of only seeing him at the house, it felt like a whole new world to have him here, to see him here.
Conversation was carrying on behind me, but their words were meaningless to my ears as I watched Adair look me over.
I said nothing, did nothing, as I devoured him in return.
He’d shaved his face clean, the stubble that’d scraped against me when he kissed me the last time I’d seen him gone, leaving his little chin divot on full display. His black T-shirt was closer to form-fitting than any he’d ever worn, and his leg muscles flexed under the thin material of his sweatpants, which bunched up around his new boot.
When I made it back to his face, I gestured to his scooter. “Think you’ll be able to keep up with my board now?”
He raised his chin in mock pride, puffing out his chest as he patted the handlebars. “This baby is top of the line. All-terrain wheels, comfort grip bars, and a handy basket for personal items.” His large hand gestured to the little basket on the front, which cradled his phone.
“Where’d you get it?” I asked, running my finger over a faded, torn sticker on the side. “It doesn’t look new.”
His eyebrows drew down, and he gave me a serious look. “The mobility-aid black market.”
A laugh escaped me, and he stood even taller.
“So, Jillie showed you the storage room?”
Sequins and feathers took him from my sight as Delly pushed the garment rack between us, Cole on her heels. She said some combination of words that I took as a goodbye, and then Liem and Cody followed, a coy smile on Liem’s face and a definite twinkle in his eye as he looked between us.
I pointedly ignored it.
The second it was just us, Adair reached for my hand and tugged me to him, just like he had yesterday morning. I inhaled in surprise, but sank into his familiar touch, soothed by the smell of pine as I pressed my body into his.
His lips met mine in a sweet, breath-stealing kiss. It didn’t last long, and when he broke away, I smiled at the taste of the rosemary and lavender lip balm.
Tilting my head back, I met his hazel eyes, heart stuttering at his sudden intensity.
“I missed you last night.”
