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CHAPTER THIRTEEN
"…and her amazing ability to catch all the elements. I don't think I was that advanced at her age."
Adrianna sat back and took another sip of her wine to hide the smile that had been threatening for a while now. The courting had begun and they had gone out to dinner at a restaurant in the city that touted the best wine collection on the Upper West Side. When they’d stepped through the doors, it’d taken Adrianna's breath away.
The dining room was not very large, about the size of Cam's family room, which was still pretty impressive. In the middle of the ceiling there was a rectangular skylight roof. Under it a vine of leaves and blooming flowers served as a canopy above the dining tables and down the walls. String lights intertwined with the vine, which, along with the skylight, provided sunlight and warmth, allowing the flowers to grow all year long, as the waiter explained to Adrianna. In the far end, there was a roaring fireplace, completing the exquisite and beautiful effect.
Adrianna fell in love with it instantly. She began to think of ways she could recreate a similar effect in her bistro. She did have a fireplace and she could emulate the skylight with a faux tray ceiling and 3D ceiling wallpaper. She could section that part off as an exclusive area for romantic dinners.
Cam's voice brought her out of her reverie.
On the way there and for the first thirty minutes, he had not stopped gushing about Bronwyn's talent, her maturity, and how kind she was.
"You're in love," she said.
His face reddened and he looked down into his wine glass.
Adrianna put her glass down and reached for his hand. " If anyone understands, it's me. I've been in love with her since my second trimester."
His wrapped his fingers around hers. "You've done an amazing job with her. You make it look easy but today was proof that it is not."
Adrianna laughed. For the first time, Cam had told Bronwyn no and she hadn’t taken it well. Still, she’d bet the bistro that Cam took it harder than Bron. "Did you honestly think she would be mad at you forever?"
He looked away, making her laugh even harder.
"She makes your angry face. It's very convincing." He looked back at her. "I just don't want to hurt her. After ten years of not being together, I don't want her to hate me."
Adrianna squeezed his hand tighter and reached to touch his face with her other hand.
"That girl could never hate you. She already loves you. When she came back in the room and didn't see you today, she was worried. I think she thought you left. It broke my heart a little—I already scheduled an appointment with Doctor Perkins when we get back—but we cannot be ‘yes parents’ because we're afraid of hurting her feelings. The harshest no in her life won't be the one she hears from you. When you say no, at least it will be for her own good."
He nodded, and they stayed silent for a while, still holding hands.
Then Cam smiled devilishly. "You just like saying no, Adrianna."
She arched an eyebrow. "I didn't say no to you, Cam. I just wanted to date before we jumped into bed." She paused and tasted her wine before continuing. "Of course, that was before you and our daughter decided to gang up on me and buy two dogs and a house."
"So, are we sleeping in separate rooms like we do now?"
"When was the last time we actually slept in separate rooms? Whenever we don't go to your room, you end up coming to ours. We are co-sleeping with a nine-year-old. Bad parenting on our part." She chastised both him and herself for it but there was no real regret in her words.
"I love sleeping with you both. I love her cuddling up to me but I would love to sleep with only you." His smile was so mischievous, his gaze— the penetrating eyes of the boy who marked her body and heart with his kisses and bites. Thousands of butterflies circled and dived in her tummy.
The candelabra’s accent over them was now dimmed. If you looked up the words “mood for a perfect date” on Google, you would get the image of this place. It was perfect all the way to them holding hands over the table.
They never got to do this the first time around. They’d loved each other in secret. He came over to her house when her mother left for work in the afternoons, or they would meet at the edge of the Blake property, and other times by the falls. Whenever they went to the fair or local hangouts, they hid who they were to each other, acting like they barely tolerated one another.
A tug at her hand had her blinking back to the present.
"Where did you go?" His voice was uncertain, and a frown adorned his forehead.
"I was just remembering us ten years ago." She pulled at his hand to bring him close to her and leaned in. She pressed her lips to his and let her hand slide up his arm and behind his neck.
Slow kisses followed one another and Adrianna took her time. She led, dragging them both until both were lost in the soft feel of their mouths, the strong taste of the wine, and the velvety caresses of tongues that flicked, teased, savored, and retreated. And came back again.
"Adrianna." He moaned against her mouth while his hand snuck to the back of her head to press her closer. "We need to get out of here."
She laughed softly. "You're still courting. I don’t put out on the first date."
