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My stomach clenched at his possessive tone and at the contrasting softness of the fabric under my palm with the hardness of his skin. I curled my fingers into it, pulling him toward me.
“Well then... come here,” I said, feeling suddenly breathless. “Let’s make sure everyone here knows who I’m with.”
A low growl escaped his throat as our mouths met for a searing kiss. His hands went around me, possessive, claiming me, holding my head and my body like they belonged to him as he owned my mouth. Cat calls and whistles went off around us, but I didn’t care. At that moment, I did belong to him, and all I could think about was that the man under my hands was mine.
We pulled back, smiling, but his eyes went serious. I knew he was thinking of our earlier altercation and wondering where my head really was.
I shook my head slightly. “I trust you, Adam,” I said. He blinked, and something passed through his eyes I couldn’t read. “I was wrong not to. To assume the worst.”
“Thank you,” he said, his tone indicating he hadn’t expected that from me.
“We all have secrets,” I said. “If I keep lighting yours on fire, that just makes me a hypocrite.”
He pulled me back to him, dusting my lips with a light kiss. “Or in your case, an arsonist.”
I shrugged. “Perspective.”
The night wasa myriad of sensations. I met Adam’s coworkers, Andromeda and CJ, among a few of their other friends. Adam had said something about Andromeda instigating tonight’s get-together because she was nursing a heartbreak, but so far she seemed lively and fun. CJ seemed like the life of the party, loud and laughing a lot, buying people shots every time I turned around. I wondered if he was a bad influence for Adam, sending him on that sketchy run today, but—I knew I couldn’t think like that. Adam was a grown man, and he’d paid his penance. He was smart. And more than that, he was wise. I had to trust him.
I saw a couple of other people I knew from town, but I kept a healthy distance. After a while, though, I could feel the crowd in every cell of my body. I was acutely aware of how close people were to me, and suddenly everyone was suspect. Looking from face to face, I swallowed hard, pushing down the paranoia. My left hand went protectively to my side. Did someone here want me dead?
I shook it off as best I could, but I pretty much figured out that if a person wasn’t Adam Bishop, I didn’t want them touching me. We didn’t have to be attached at the hip—we mingled with others well enough—but I liked feeling his constant gaze on me. His protection. His eyes across the room, across a pool table, landing on me with a reassuring gaze when I stood talking to Andromeda and the two women from jiu jitsu who’d joined us.
“First,” a touchy-feely girl named Beth said, putting a hand on Andromeda’s arm. “I love your hair, and second...” She put her fingers in my hair and it was all I could do not to flinch. “Where the hell did yours go?”
I smiled and leaned my head away subtly. “In the garbage!” I winked at the other woman, who was always more reserved than her friend. “How’ve you been, Lisa?”
“We’re fine,” she said, touching my shoulder. I backed up a step and wiped my palms down my thighs. “But you’re the one who’s gone through the wringer. How are you?”
“And we miss you in class, girl!” Beth said, not waiting for me to answer. “When are you coming back?”
“What class is this?” Andromeda asked, watching the interchange with her arms loosely crossed, nursing a gin fizz.
“Jiu jitsu,” Beth said. “Nearest one is a half hour away, but it’s the best. Teaches you how to dominate your attacker using lock holds or...”
She stopped as Lisa elbowed her, and her eyes grew wide as she realized what she’d said.
As I realized what she’d said.
“Oh my God, Faith, I’m sorry,” Beth said. “I wasn’t thinking.”
“No, not at all,” I said, crossing my arms over my chest. The room felt swirly all of a sudden. “And you’re right. We learn how to turn a defense into aggression, and um—you know what? I’ll be right back.”
I rushed blindly toward the restrooms in the back hall. I suddenly needed fresh air, or at least different air.
I rounded the corner and slammed right into CJ, who sucked in a laughing breath and grasped my upper arms. “Whoa!” he cackled. “Where’s the fire?”
I backed out of his hold, mentally pushing away the repulsion of it. What was wrong with me? I was a hugger. All my life. Never had a problem with people touching me. Now, I was a twitching idiot every time I made contact with another human being.
“Where’s the fire... no pun intended,” he said, grinning down at me. “Get it?”
“Oh, I got it,” I said, plastering on a fake smile.
“Hey, it’s good to see you and the big guy hooking up,” he said. “Adam deserves a little honey in his life.”
A little... really?
He unwrapped a Jolly Rancher and popped it into his mouth, proceeding to talk around it. “I can tell he really likes you because he has never made out with anybody here like that.” He rolled his eyes. “Women climb on him like they’re in heat sometimes, and he just ignores it. But you...” He looked me up and down, and the sweet citrus candy aroma coming off his alcohol-laden breath made me want to vomit. “You must be special.”
