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Yeah, I’d advanced from holding hands to a full-on affair in my head pretty quickly. Only, what would happen when I drove home tomorrow? Or whenever my car got the part it needed. This whole weekend could end abruptly the way our relationship had. We’d be back to our own lives in days.
In the thick crowd, Adam lightly collided with me again. Still want to hold his hand. So much for my mental talking-to.
“Hey there, stranger.” A petite brunette with tanned white skin waved at Adam. “Luis told me you came by the bike shop.”
Adam stopped and responded to her, but his words sounded garbled like they surfaced from under water. I shook my head to clear my hearing. Now he was introducing me.
“Yeah, this is Jillian, visiting from downstate,” Adam told the brunette. The very attractive, sultry brunette.
“How fun—here for the fest!” Her voice sounded artificially cheery.
“I’ve been here before,” I blurted. Internally, I cringed. “It’s been long time, though.”
She flashed Adam a beauty queen smile—okay, I was totally being unfair and I knew it. She had a nice smile was all. I didn’t need to feel threatened by a smile.
She said something about a bar and a baseball game before Adam nodded and waved goodbye.
I refused to be jealous. Adam didn’t belong to me. Besides, I hated superficial competition between women. “Who was that?” I asked lightly.
“Caitlin. Didn’t you hear me introduce her?”
Darn it. Stupid jealousy drowned out my senses. “Sorry, I missed her name.”
“She’s one of Luis’s friends who does distance bike riding. If you’re still here, they’re getting together for drinks to watch the game in a couple days.”
He was inviting me? As a friend or like a date? “I haven’t thought ahead more than today.” I’d have to sooner rather than later.
I didn’t dare look at Adam. I knew as pure fact he could read me as easily as he read blueprints. Which I imagined he read well given he ran a construction company.
“Aye!” a voice boomed. Heading toward us, Vincent. He held his arms open wide wearing a Life’s a Beach T-shirt I’d seen in one of the shops. “It’s our favorite locals! Our weekend landlord and his lovely lady.”
Adam stifled a laugh beside me. “Hey, Vincent. How’s it going?”
He flipped his sunglasses onto his head. A faint outline of the shades marked the bridge of his nose and beneath his eyes. “Craig and the guys are on the boat. He knew a guy and we did a rental thing. You want to join us?”
“Probably not—”
“Yes,” I cut off Adam’s response. “Sounds super fun.” A perfect distraction. I shot Adam an apologetic look. “It’s only summer once, right?”
His brow furrowed. Of course it didn’t make sense what I said, but Vincent already summoned us to follow.
“We’re docked over here.” Vincent pointed, walking ahead.
“Are you sure you want to hang out with them?” Adam kept his voice low.
“Come on. It’s a pass around the lake.”
Adam didn’t speak for a beat. “You seemed uncomfortable around them earlier. Don’t feel obligated because they’re renting the place next door.”
“I don’t!” In the way any normal functioning adult who preferred books to people, I was simply avoiding dealing with the feelings I’d intentionally unearthed. I needed time to think. Or not think, more like.
Adam raised a questioning brow. Darn it. Now I liked him more for his skepticism.
“It will be fun,” I said as a last plea to validate my own hasty decision.
We stopped in front of a sporty motor boat. Perfect for a small party.
“Aye, it’s over here.” Vincent nodded toward a boat farther along. A sleek, white luxury yacht.
