Tease: Volume 1 Read online

  “Not a problem. Have a good night Adam. It was good to see you.” Mitch grabbed the cash and slid it into his apron pocket before moving a few feet away to help another customer.

  Adam stuffed his phone and wallet back into his pocket and gulped down the last of his beer before turning to meet my gaze. “It was very nice having dinner with you, Elizabeth. Will you be here tomorrow night?”

  His eyes were locked onto mine so intently I could feel him everywhere and my entire body heated again. If all it took was a look from Adam for me to respond like that, I’d spend another evening at the bar. “I usually am.”

  “I hope you are. Have a good night,” he murmured as he left.

  “Good night,” I replied with the last of my breath. Adam had taken the rest.

  “You enjoyed your scallops?” Mitch asked with a goofy grin on his face.

  I nodded as he took my empty plate, “Mitch, who was that guy?”

  He laughed, “Hey, I told you to find someone to hang out with. I just didn’t think you were going to settle on the first person who sat down next to you.” He leaned in and spoke lightly under his breath, “You could do a lot worse than Adam. He’s a good guy.”

  And that was what hurt. That right there. Adam was a good guy. He was probably looking for a date or two. Maybe he was just up for some fun, but it was also just as possible he was the kind of guy who wanted more. The kind of guy who asked insightful questions, held open doors, and cared about the woman he was kissing. “Perhaps you should warn your friend about me then.”

  Mitch paused, staring right back at me before sighing, “Lizzy, you really shouldn’t be so hard on yourself.”

  I raised a speculative brow, “I’m not kidding, Mitch. I think the one you should be worried about is him.”

  He simply shook his head, his good-natured smile returning but not quite reaching his eyes. “I’m not going to say a word to him. He can handle himself.”

  I pushed my wine glass around in a circle, studying the grain of the wood beneath it. “What does he do in Germany?” Maybe Adam’s life was so tied up on the other side of the world he was too busy for more than a fun night or two.

  Mitch set down the bottle he was holding and leaned in. “He’s got the coolest job I’ve ever heard of. He designs those crazy futuristic prototype cars for Mercedes. You know? The ones you see in magazines and stuff?”

  “I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone who actually did that…”

  “I know, right? He was always building stuff when we were in high school. He built his first car all by himself. I’m not really surprised that Mercedes snatched him up.”

  It sounded like Adam was pretty set up in Germany. He had a life and a cutting edge career—family or not, he wasn’t going to be spending much time in Calhoun Beach. “Thanks Mitch. See ya tomorrow night.”

  “Thanks Lizzy. Have a good night,” he called after me.

  I threaded my way back through the busy restaurant to the door that led upstairs to my apartment. My feelings were divided between an intense desire to have Adam any way I could get him, and a need to keep this guy, and his questions, as far away from me as possible.

  Chapter 2

  Monday evening

  I pushed the last student out of my last lecture and locked the door. The entire day had been shit. Complete, utter shit. I could tell by the glazed looks in my student’s eyes. I usually tried to keep my classes interesting with debates and questions, but today…I’d droned.

  It was all Adam’s fault.

  All I could think about were his eyes and the way they’d locked on to me. Like he could see me naked. I was turned on and the need was growing, not shrinking. Seeing him tonight would only make things worse.

  So the question was: did I want to take a chance? Satisfy some needs that clearly needed some satisfying, or steer clear of potential complications?

  Based on the little flutter of heat between my legs, my body wanted to take a chance. Unfortunately, my brain wasn’t completely on board. Adam and I had clicked. This wasn’t just a physical attraction—it was also mental and emotional. Adam was the kind of guy I could have a conversation with.

  But I didn’t want that kind of guy. I wanted the kind that would fuck me senseless and leave me satisfied for days. No questions, no complications.

  The walk from campus back to my apartment was a short ten minutes and I was so deep in thought I almost jumped off the sidewalk when my phone rang.

  “Hey.”

  “Hey!” my sister replied. “You sound out of breath.”

  “My phone scared me.”

  She laughed. “Sorry to terrorize you. Howya doing?”

  “Good. Headed to dinner. How’s school?” I could picture her smiling face with her perfect blonde ponytail and brilliant blue eyes. She was a classic beauty from her nearly six-foot frame to her athletic, but slender, body. She always had a camera-ready smile and equally friendly personality. The beautiful girl you could never quite bring yourself to hate because she was so damn nice.

  “Good. I’m all settled in.” I was nine years older than Lily and more her mother than her sister until the last couple of years. Protecting her from our parents meant that I usually took the brunt of their poor choices while Lily remained blissfully unaware of how bad things could be. This was why she was still speaking to our parents and I avoided them like the plague.

  “Having fun?”

  “Always. Look,” the sudden change in her voice stopped me in my tracks. Lily was calling about them. I could feel it. “Mom and Dad are supposed to drop in on me tomorrow before he heads out on his new lecture tour thingy.”

  “Tell Cybil and Roger I said hello.”

  Lily sighed. “Do you really want me to?”

  “No. It just seemed like something I ought to say.” The last thing I wanted was for Lily to mention my name in their presence. The less they thought about me the better.

  “Mom just did a round of promos for her new season. You should watch an interview or two for information’s sake if nothing else.”

  I rolled my eyes and wished I could scream, but instead took a deep breath. It was impossible to miss the news that another season of reality television had hit the air waves. I saw my mother’s face staring back at me while I checked out at the grocery store and in every other online ad. “Just email me the links. I’ll watch them if you ask me to, but I’m not tracking them down.” I had absolutely zero intention of watching a second of my mother acting like an idiot in front of the camera for a living.

  “I already sent you two. Knowing your enemy is the best form of defense,” she gently reminded me.

  So was moving as far away from them—and their three-ring circus—as I could imagine. Calhoun Beach wasn’t the other side of the world, but it was the exact opposite of Hollywood in every other way.

  “Good luck with them tomorrow. Better you than me.”

  “Good night Lizzy,” she sighed.

  I slid my phone back into the pocket of my bag and tried to erase Cybil and Roger from my thoughts. Just thinking about them sent a shiver up my spine. They were the reason I never let anyone into my life.

  I’d built a new life that had nothing to do with my childhood. Instead of paparazzi chasing me, it was students. Instead of long hours at parties, I read studies and wrote papers. I lived a quiet life in a quiet town. It kept me sane, but it was also keeping me stuck.

  After we settled into our apartment in Calhoun Beach, Allison started in on the suggestions. She wanted me to build a life here. A real life. She said it was ‘time to stop running’.

  Only I didn’t know if I knew how. That was why I was stuck on Adam. I wanted to see him again but he was so much more than my usual fuck buddies.

  I was getting close to my building. All I had to do was walk past the restaurant and up to my apartment—grilled cheese for dinner was as good as anything. But my legs weren’t listening to my head and, before I knew it, I was stepping inside Seychelles instead of t
he door to my apartment.

  My heart was thudding in my chest like a drum, making my cheeks flush and skin burn like I was out for a run. I wanted this. It scared the crap out of me, but my attraction was so strong that it wasn’t worth fighting.

  I stopped at the window and checked my reflection, smoothing down my dark hair and unbuttoning an extra button on my blouse to expose some cleavage. But then I turned toward the bar and realized it was empty and I was an idiot. Adam wasn’t there.

  Of course he wasn’t there. What was I thinking? It wasn’t a sure thing and yet…I was positive Adam would be there, waiting for me with a wicked grin.

  “Elizabeth?” It was Hannah, the hostess, approaching me from her podium.

  “Hey, sorry. I thought I was going to grab dinner real quick, but I’m not feeling great. I think I’ll just make a sandwich and go to bed.”

  She cocked her head and the corner of her lips turned up a little. “Actually, I was coming over here because someone wants to see you.”

  I froze somewhere between mortification and anticipation. “Who?”

  “Adam Callaway. He asked me to show you to his table when you arrived. Unless—”

  I held up my hand. “No, it’s fine.” Now I really was an idiot. Hannah had probably seen all my primping.

  Her smile turned into a full-blown grin. “Right this way.”

  I followed her through the restaurant, weaving through a smattering of tables filled with quiet couples grabbing a quick dinner after work, and into the darkest corner. Adam was looking down at his phone and I got a chance to study him for a moment. His dark hair was brushed back, but loose and a little messy. He wore a light blue button-up and grey slacks. He looked like he’d just come from a meeting and not at all like he was enjoying a vacation.

  The moment he saw us approaching he pushed back his chair and rose to his feet, a dazzling smile playing on his lips—not quite the wicked one I was imagining, but close. He was just as sexy as I remembered him.

  Actually, that was a lie. He was even sexier. His broad shoulders pulled at the seams of his perfectly tailored shirt and suddenly I was wondering what they’d look like straining as he moved inside me.

  “I’m glad you came.”

  “I’m glad I came, too,” I replied with a smile. The kind that usually gave guys the idea I wasn’t using that word lightly.

  Adam chuckled, catching my hint. He kissed me lightly on the cheek before we each sat. Hannah was gone by the time I looked up, but I could hear her giggle from across the restaurant.

  Subtle was not the word of the night.

  “I hope you don’t mind, but I thought a table would make conversation easier.”

  “Who said I wanted to talk?” I was going for the obvious. It would be better for both of us if I made my intentions clear from the beginning.

  Adam coughed a little. Perhaps my forwardness was a bit much. I tried to dial it back a little.

  “Well I guess I don’t have to ask if this is a friendly dinner or not.”

  I grinned. “I’m glad you brought that up. Can we lay all our cards on the table?”

  “Can I drink first?” he asked, picking up the glass of red wine in front of him.

  “Absolutely. Mind if I share?”

  “Not at all, that’s why I got the bottle.” He picked up the Wente Cabernet Sauvignon I’d been drinking the night before, and filled my glass half way. “Now, what did you have in mind?”

  It was make or break time. I needed my terms to be clear or I’d have to walk away. I was ridiculously attracted to Adam, but I couldn’t risk this being anything other than sex. “If I understood our conversation last night, you are only in town for a short visit?”

  He nodded slowly, his eyes locked on to mine. I couldn’t tell if he liked what I was saying or not.

  “Good. I’m not looking for a relationship, just some fun.”

  He swirled the red liquid in his glass studying me, then it, before he took another sip and set it down carefully on the white table cloth. “Does that mean I can’t enjoy dinner with you?”

  My nerves fluttered. Something in the cadence of his words told me Adam was pushing me again. In a weird way it was like he already had my personality—and my desire to stay out of relationships—pegged. But that couldn’t possibly be true, this was only our second conversation. “I’m sure we could have a meal or two, but I want to be clear: I’m not looking for anything.”

  “We can’t be friends and fuck buddies?”

  “No,” I snorted. I could only imagine the fifteen different ways that would implode on me.

  But instead of throwing Adam off, he took it as a challenge. “Really? Now, that seems wrong. If I can fuck you, I can certainly enjoy hearing about your day over a glass of wine.”

  My breath caught in my throat. I wasn’t expecting that response and I found it far too attractive. “You see,” I leaned forward on the table and clasped my hands under my chin, “that kind of thinking tends to lead to caring and feelings. I don’t have time for either of those.”

  “But you do have time for sex.”

  “Priorities,” I replied with a smile, just as I felt something brush against my leg.

  “Sounds to me like you might need to revisit those. I think I can make you scream my name and bring you coffee without ruining your life.” His foot moved up my leg and pushed my knees apart.

  I swallowed. The contact of his body against mine was electric. Even with distance and clothing separating us, it turned me on. “I wouldn’t want to take that risk.” My words were softer, breathier, than they had been a moment earlier.

  “I don’t see where the risk is. I’m only here for two weeks. How can you lose? If you don’t like me, I’m gone. If you do like me, I’m still gone.”

  Adam leaned back lazily in his seat which gave him a better angle to move his foot up my thigh. That was when I realized he wasn’t wearing a shoe. Just a sock. It was soft and supple against the sensitive skin that led from my thigh to the hot, throbbing taking place between my legs.

  If he just pushed, the pressure would feel so good.

  But he didn’t. Instead, he pulled back, tracing a trail down my thigh and calf, and then left me alone.

  The loss of his touch was shockingly overwhelming. Almost as overwhelming as having his foot so close to my core. Adam had a gift, and he knew how to play me.

  I should run.

  “Two weeks, Elizabeth. Think of how much fun we can have.”

  “Two weeks?” I asked. It was like I was under his spell. He’d given me a taste of what having him in bed would feel like, but only a taste. It left me unsatisfied and ready to combust. How could I possibly think straight when all I wanted was to drag him upstairs and rip off his pants?

  “Two weeks. I won’t butt into your life unless you ask me to. I just can’t stand the idea of fucking you without getting to know you. We had a good conversation last night.” He huffed under his breath and sat back up. “It isn’t very often I meet someone I actually enjoy talking to.”

  And that was what did it. I’d said the same thing to Mitch. I hadn’t wanted to go looking for new friends because it was so hard to find any I liked. I liked Adam. He was smart and funny. He listened as much as he spoke.

  I wanted to keep talking to him.

  And just like that, I let go of my first line of defense. “Let’s see what dinner holds and go from there.”

  Adam held my gaze. He looked confused and intrigued. I’d done this before—caught the passing interest of a good guy with my cold distance. The one comfort I still had was knowing that all I had to do was show Adam my real life and he’d be gone in a heartbeat. The curiosity was only there because of the mystery. Once my secrets were out, there was nothing left to hold them.

  So this would be ok.

  “We should order,” I offered, opening my menu.

  “I figured you had that thing memorized by now.”

  I glanced over the familiar curving fonts and
snapped the heavy binder shut. He was right, again. I didn’t need to look, I was using it as a distraction. I wanted to escape from the reality that I was making a massive mistake.

  The waiter took our order and the next thing I knew, Adam was leaning back in his chair, smiling and drinking. “So, Elizabeth. How was your day?”

  The bastard. The sex had better be earth-shattering. “Surprisingly boring compared to last night.”

  “Same here. It’s amazing how ‘relaxing’ seems boring when you’d rather be doing someone else.”

  It was my turn to cough. I took a swig of wine to tamp down the urge to skip dinner and move straight to sex. “Well, at least we’re clear on how you feel.”

  After that, conversation was actually pretty easy. Adam steered clear of any questions about my past or personal life, sticking with sports and my job instead. He told me about his work and how much he enjoyed living in Germany.

  One thing was clear: Adam was passionate about cars. Once I got him started he barely stopped to breathe. “I’ve been building them since I was five. My granddad helped me build my first go-kart during a summer trip to Calhoun Beach.”

  “You visited often?” Why did I ask that? I didn’t need to know stuff like that.

  He nodded. “Every summer for a month and every Christmas. Granddad eventually gave me my own space for a workshop. We’d wander the junkyards looking for rare and unique parts.” He shook his head, his eyes unfocused with memories. “I was done for after that. I became obsessed. One of my teachers had a friend who was an engineering professor. He hooked me up with some tutoring on the side. I learned all the ins and outs of modeling, software, design…Mercedes drafted me right out of college and I’ve been on the concept team ever since.”

  Adam was fascinating to listen to. Maybe it was his passion or his excitement. Not many people were so enthusiastic about work. Whatever it was, it had my attention and it wasn’t until our waiter quietly placed our bill on the table that I realized we were the last customers in the restaurant. “What time is it?”