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Adam’s gaze darted back and forth among the patrons who wandered around them. He worked his jaw before suddenly grasping her upper arm and tugging her to the side out of the path of anyone who might overhear their conversation.
“What are you talking about?” he hissed. “That’s not what this is about at all.”
12
Adam
Adam pulled Faye into the shadow of the building, his heart pounding more erratically than it should. He stared down into Faye’s unassuming gaze, hating the way understanding not only washed over him but also how it must be making her feel.
How could she assume he didn’t want to spend time with her? Hadn’t he just said he was available to meet tomorrow? Racking his brain, he couldn’t find where he’d given her any indication that would support her accusation.
“What are you talking about?” he repeated.
Faye looked down where his hand grasped her arm. His attention dipped there then he released her as if she were a hot iron. She scowled at him, folding her arms. “If you don’t want to continue our arrangement, you can tell me. You don’t have to speed it up so—”
He shook his head and let out a heavy sigh. “That’s the most ridiculous thing you’ve said all day.”
Her mouth dropped open, but at least she wasn’t spewing those absurd words.
Adam ducked his face lower, closer to hers. “When I said I wanted to see you tomorrow, it wasn’t to speed up our arrangement.” He let his statement settle in. His jaw ached from the amount of pressure he put on it. She didn’t verbally ask him to clarify, but her eyes did. Faye didn’t move even though he was close enough that he could smell her perfume. At any moment she could have stepped back. She could have pushed him away. But she didn’t.
He didn’t know if that fact was the thing that drove him forward or if it was something else entirely. “I offered to work on your mom’s truck tomorrow because I want to see you again.”
A bark of laughter burst from Faye’s lips, causing him to jump back. “You’re kidding.”
“I assure you, I’m dead serious.”
“Like I said, you can tell me the truth. I can handle it.”
Adam arched a single brow, moving closer to her again. “Your reaction when you thought I didn’t want to spend time with you proves otherwise.” This time he folded his arms and tilted his head. “How about you explainthat. Why is it that you would be unhappy if we were to cut our arrangement short?”
She snapped her mouth shut, sobering. This time she did back away. In a swift movement, she turned away from him and strode down the sidewalk. She wove between groups of people, her hands forming little balls.
For a second he was caught off guard. Was she actually storming away from him? Adam lurched forward, following in her wake. “Faye!” he called after her. “Faye, where are you going?” When he caught up to her, he didn’t bother touching her or forcing her to stop. Something about the way she was holding herself was different.
Her guard was up. She didn’t want to talk. Well, that was how most of the evening had gone. Adam couldn’t recall the last time he’d had such a strange encounter with a woman. “You know, when a guy takes a girl on a date, he doesn’t expect it to go quite like this.”
Faye stopped suddenly and faced him. “This wasn’t a date.”
“It wasn’t? Because I brought you here. I paid for your food, and I—”
She poked him in the chest a little harder than was necessary.
He grunted and rubbed the sore spot with his fingers.
“You have a girlfriend.”
“What? No, I don’t.”
“Well, you have a girl you like.”
His mouth opened then he shut it just as quickly. At the rate of this crazy conversation, he wasn’t so sure he wanted to see just how much further she might take this. Faye was different. And he wasn’t entirely turned off by her. Adam cleared his throat and nodded. “Sure. I like Dahlia.”
“Exactly. You like her so much you were willing to do free labor on my truck that had a ton of work that needed to be done.”
“You’re right again.”
“So this isn’t a date.”
