Chapter Four – Adam

As soon as Julius arrived to take over at the hotel, Adam went to his private suite to shower and change into jeans and a T-shirt. He wanted Frankie to see he wasn’t a stuffy man in a suit, which was how half the hotel staff saw him. Up until now, Adam had no problem with that. Now, he wanted to be something different.

Going down to the ground floor, he saw Julius talking to Emily and turned right, heading out of the back door, rather than crossing the hotel lobby. He wasn’t ready to face all the questions that would come his way once Julius found out he had a mate. Not yet.

He needed time to get to know Frankie first. Then he’d have an idea of where his path led. From what he could recall from conversations he’d half heard, she was a traveler. There was something about an online blog that stuck in his mind, too.

As he got in his car, a sleek black Mercedes, he experienced a twinge of unease. What would such a woman see in him?

Adam had moved to Bear Bluff to bury himself in work, to try to forget the cruel blow fate had landed him. Meeting Frankie had thrown everything into the air and he wasn’t sure how it would all land.

The drive to Bear Creek was short in time, but torturous in length since it was compounded by the hours of working at the hotel since she left. Normally he enjoyed meeting people and making sure their visit to the hotel was perfect, from the moment they entered the lobby to the time they checked out. But this afternoon, the only person he wanted the world to be perfect for was Frankie.

Adam pulled onto her road and crawled along, looking for the correct number. There it was. The light was on upstairs, and his head instantly conjured up images of her waiting for him, on the bed, surrounded by red rose petals.

And that was the kind of romantic sentiment a part of his subconscious pulled into his head. Which reminded him…dammit…he should have bought her flowers. What man turns up on the doorstep without flowers?

The curtains in the upstairs window parted and she peered out, looking down at him. She knew he was here. There was no way he could drive away now. Flowers would have to wait.

His bear chuckled in his head. He often found Adam’s behavior… Quaint, his bear filled in the word, and walked away, his shoulders moving as he laughed at the human side of Adam. You used to be so different. Buying flowers would never have entered your head.

Adam ignored his bear, even though he was right. It was as if they had experienced a personality transplant at times. The man Adam had once been had gone. He no longer acted like the brash young man he once was. He was cautious, more calculated, less spontaneous. The kind of man a modern woman might find boring.

His bear guffawed. Great, even his inner animal thought he was amusing.

Quaint, his bear reminded him.

The light in the bedroom went out. Frankie was coming downstairs, coming to open the door and let him in. Adam wiped the palm of his hands on his jeans and took a deep breath. He could do this. He had to do this, they were meant to be together.

Striding up to the front door, he exuded borrowed confidence. Confidence his bear had in large quantities since his bear had never changed, always the fun one. Maybe you should handle this instead? Adam joked to his bear.

I think you have it covered, his bear replied as the door opened and Frankie stood before them, her hair damp, her face scrubbed clean. She was beautiful, she didn’t need cosmetics to shine.

“Hello.” He stood nervously before her, scared he might blow it. “I should have bought you flowers.”

Great, admit your flaws, his bear said.

“That’s okay,” Frankie reached out for him and pulled him inside. “I don’t have a vase.” She pecked his cheek, and his heart rate galloped along like a runaway stallion. “I appreciate the thought.”

“How are you feeling?” His cheek burned where her lips had pressed against his skin.

If you say you’re never going to wash your cheek again, I’ll disown you, his bear informed him curtly.

“Better. It was a shock.” Frankie lifted her hand and placed it above her left breast.

“You gave us all a fright at the hotel.” Adam rolled his eyes. “Sorry. I’m not well practiced at this.”

“That’s all right, we have to get to know each other.” She took his hand and led him to the kitchen. “I have wine or beer. Or coffee.”

“Tea?” Adam asked.

She stifled a smile. “Sure, I have tea.” Frankie busied herself by putting the water on to boil and setting out teacups. “Ruth gave these to me. I should make use of them.”

“A mug will be fine.” Adam looked uncomfortable. “I should have asked for beer.”

“Why?” Frankie watched him as she stirred the tea.

“Isn’t that what men usually drink?” He gave a short laugh. “Not that I’m not a man.”

“Hey.” She reached out for his hand. “It’s okay to be nervous.”

He sat down at the kitchen table and she placed the cup in front of him. “This all came as a shock.”

“Why? Why was it such a shock?” Frankie sat down opposite him, and he took a moment to gather his thoughts.

“Frankie, I’ve lived the last few years thinking my mate had died.” Perhaps he should have broken the news to her more gently. If there was a more gentle way.

“I see.” She concentrated on her teacup, not meeting his eyes.

“I was wrong. Because here you are.” He reached out and took hold of her hand, feeling the connection between them, “And this bond is real.”

Frankie pressed her lips together as she tried to figure out how to respond. She must think he was crazy. He probably was crazy.

“What if I told you…” She hesitated, and he gave her time and space to gather her thoughts. “What if I told you, you might be right?”

“I don’t understand, we can both feel this.” He stroked her hand, feeling the static electricity spark between them. “This is real. I’ve never felt this way about anyone before.”

“Not even the woman you thought was your mate?”

“I never…” He thrust his fingers into his hair. Someone had told her, and now he felt stupid, as if he was denying their bond. “Damn, this is going to sound stupid.”

“Try me,” she urged.

“A few years ago, I was in a store, buying milk. There was a woman who I felt this instant attraction to. But she didn’t even acknowledge me, so I guess she wasn’t a shifter.” Adam conjured up the image of her. Soft blonde curls, eyes of pale blue. “She left the store, and I paid for my milk and followed her out. She got into a car with another man who drove her out of my life, before I had a chance to speak to her, or ask her for her name or number.”

“And you never saw her again?” Frankie asked, trying to understand what this had to do with their mating bond.

“I did. Not in real life, but in a newspaper article. The car she was traveling in crashed. The woman and the driver both died instantly.” Her hand tightened around his as the words unraveled. “I thought my mate had died. I was so sure that was her. Even when I saw the photograph.”

“But here we are.” Frankie’s voice was a whisper, her sadness tangible.

He took a deep breath and let it out in a gasp. “Here were are. I was wrong.”

“Were you?” Frankie asked gently.

“Yes. I was lost to a dream, a woman I passed in a store, who never so much as looked at me. Compared to what we have, what I feel for you…” He brushed her cheek with the back of his hand. “This is real, and so much stronger.”

“But what if the woman was your mate? What if a part of her is a part of me?” Frankie’s bottom lip trembled as she snatched her hand away from his. With her eyes fixed firmly on Adam’s, she unbuttoned her shirt, pulling it open to reveal a scar running between her breasts. “What if she lives on in me?”

Adams’s hand trembled as he reached out and ran his fingertips along the length of the scar. “What happened?”

“When I was younger, I caught a virus that weakened my heart. I would have died, but the doctors found a heart for me.” Under his fingertips her heart beat strong, powerful, giving her life. “What if this is your mate’s heart?”

Adam shook his head. “What difference does it make?” He cupped her face with his hand and leaned forward, his breath caressing her skin. “Fate brought us together. Me and you, as we are now. What if this is our second chance at love?”

“And what if there’s another man out there who is my mate? What if in some crazy way I’m your mate and his mate?” Frankie broke away from him and got up from the table to look out of the window. “It’s crazy, I know.”

Adam pushed his chair back and stood up. “Do you want me to leave?”

He could not imagine the kind of torture she was going through. Caught between what was and what might be. Could she be right? Was there a chance there might be another man out there, waiting for his mate?

“No.” Frankie turned around abruptly, taking two steps toward him. “I want you to stay. I want to know you, I can’t deny how I feel.”

“Are you certain?” Why keep asking when this was what he wanted? Because he didn’t want to cause her pain. Not now, not ever.

“Yes.” Frankie closed the space between them and cupped his face in her hands. “I want you. I just don’t want to hurt anyone.”

“Me either.” His eyes searched her face, looking for the truth in her eyes. When he saw it, he let out a sigh of relief, and bent his head and kissed her lips.

Frankie wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her body against his. He nipped her bottom lip, their kiss deepening as his arousal increased. His hard length pressed against her hip, and she moved, rubbing against him. Adam slid his arm around her waist and then moved his hand lower to cup her bottom, pulling her closer.

“I don’t ever want to let you go.”

“Then don’t,” she replied. “I can’t tell what’s real and what’s not. But I know how I feel about you.”

“I’m real.” He kissed her again, vowing he would never let her go. Nothing could part them now that they were together.

Not even death, his bear added.