Chapter Three
Adam fumbled with the delicate china teacup and glanced over the gardens that surrounded the flagstone patio. September was rewarding them with perfect late summer weather. Surrounded by flowers that were still lovingly cared for, Adam relaxed, as he always did when he was here. It was just after eleven in the morning, he’d already coached his pee-wee football team to their first win of the season, and he had an interesting afternoon planned. If he left by 12:30, he would make his lunch date with Ben and Mia without a problem.
His hostess, easily one of the people he loved the most in the world, fussed over a piece of pastry. She always wanted everything to be perfect for him.
“Grandma, it’s fine. I don’t need chocolate. I’ll have jam.”
His eighty-two-year-old grandmother, Anna Miller, frowned. She treasured their Sunday morning visits and always made sure she had all his favorite foods. Except coffee. He could never persuade her to brew him a nice strong cup of coffee to go along with all the cookies, cakes, and pastries she made available, so he learned to make do with tea.
The house in Jennings Cove was the same as ever. Infused with his grandmother’s spirit, the gardens bloomed with life. There was an energy surrounding the grounds that he could only attribute to the generations of Millers who’d lived here. This place was about family, about the connections he’d avoided for years. Visiting her did more than make her happy, it allowed Adam to reconnect with the part of himself he lost when his celebrity began to matter more than people.
“I’m sorry about that, dear.”
“It’s fine.”
“But you like the chocolate croissants. I asked for them, specifically.”
“Don’t worry about it.” He took the plate from his grandmother’s hand and smiled.
“So, how was your first game yesterday?” she asked.
He grimaced. “We lost, but not as badly as I thought we would.”
“You’ll bring those boys along. Be patient with them.” She dropped a lump of sugar in her tea and stirred gently.
“I’m trying.” He thought about how their pathetic play in the first half yesterday would have tried the patience of a saint. He broke off a small piece of the croissant, spread some jam, and popped it in his mouth before fishing for information. His grandmother was a very active member of the library board of trustees, and he knew she’d met Mia. “How are things at the Library?”
“Oh, wonderful. The fundraiser for the music collection is going well and the new librarian is settling in nicely.” Grandma stopped stirring, and placed the spoon gently on the saucer.
That was the opening he was waiting for.
Of course, when Mia popped into his head, his body responded. Damn.
He was with his grandmother, for God’s sake—this was not okay. His groin tightened and Adam drew a deep breath as he tried to rein in his lust, tried to get her out of his head. The last three nights she’d been part of some very hot dreams. He hated his lack of control, but since he wanted to prep for his date, this was the perfect opportunity to fish for some information.
“You know,” he said casually, “I met her a few days ago.” Grandma looked over and asked him the wordless question—her eyes were that intent. Adam was hoping she’d say something, give him some little bit of information, but all he got was the stare he remembered getting when he was a kid, the one that told him to spill his guts before she had to start asking questions. “Her nephew got lost over near the practice field. He hung out with me while he waited for her to come and get him. Nice kid.”
“Really? Well it’s a good thing he found you.” She leveled her gaze at him. “What did you think of Mia?”
Adam sat back in his chair. What didn’t he think about Mia? “I don’t know. Nice enough. It’s too soon to form an opinion.” Liar.
Now his grandmother’s look became intense. Her eyes narrowed and she grinned. “Don’t hold out on your old granny, Adam. Tell me what you thought of her.”
He chuckled. “She’s serious, a little shy, but I’d like to get to know her better.” In bed. I’d like to get to know her better in bed.
His grandma smiled, and he knew she’d like the rest of his answer. “In fact, I’m taking her and her nephew to lunch today, and then we’re going shopping for a bicycle for him.”
Gram brought her hands together in approval. “That’s my boy. You remember what I taught you.”
Adam remembered. She had schooled him in all the social graces. He knew how to treat a lady, not that he always treated his women like ladies. But he’d pull out all the stops for Mia. Grandma always told him that the little things were what mattered. His grandfather, James Miller, made a point of doing the little things that kept his grandmother happy for the fifty-four years they were married. His father and mother were the same way. When his grandfather died, part of his grandmother died, too. She’d lost her best friend. Adam was still waiting to meet a woman like that, a woman who would appreciate the little things.
“From what I understand, she’s had some difficult times.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, Fiona Gallagher told me Mia hasn’t had it easy. Apparently, her nephew’s mother, Mia’s sister, died when he was a baby, and Mia’s parents were in a terrible accident two years ago that left Mia the responsibility of raising him on her own.”
Adam was stunned. “Ben is ten and Mia doesn’t look like she’s even thirty.”
“She isn’t. She’s technically been the boy’s guardian since she was twenty-one. She left college in New York to finish near her home in Maryland.”
“Wow.” That was sobering. When he was twenty-one, Adam was shotgunning beers, playing football, and screwing around. Mia was being a mom. No wonder she was so serious.
“You be extra nice to her, Adam. She’s a good girl, not one of your floozies.”
Adam leaned over and kissed his grandmother’s cheek. “I’ll be nice, Grandma. Just like you taught me.”
*
Mia checked herself in the mirror one last time, singing along with the Barry Manilow her grandmother had playing in kitchen. Why she was so worried about this afternoon, she didn’t know.
Her hair swept softly over her shoulders and a pair of silver hoop earrings peeked out when it moved. Her floaty, pale blue skirt and fitted white top were stylish and neat without being fussy. She’d pushed up the sleeves and then surveyed the neckline. Too much cleavage. Damn. Even with the weight she’d lost, the boobs and the butt just wouldn’t get smaller. She’d be like a size eight if those two parts were proportional to the rest of her. Instead, she was nowhere near what her mother considered “ideal”. And no matter what she did, she had to worry that “the girls” would make a showing every time she wore a low-cut shirt.
“That’s a lovely outfit,” Nana said, leaning against the wall near Mia. “And take it from a skinny, flat-chested woman—you fill out the top beautifully.”
“I’m presentable.” Mia tugged at her shirt again.
“Oh, dear God. Mia, you’re a knockout. Women spend thousands of dollars to have boobs like those.”
“Shhhhh,” Mia hissed. “Ben’s right outside.”
“Oh stop. If I were twenty years younger, I’d go buy myself a pair.” Nana pulled her t-shirt away from her body and looked at her profile in the mirror. “How would I look?”
“Mom would tell you to get a breast reduction.”
“Your mother would kill to be shaped like you. Is she still giving you a hard time?”
Considering her mother asked her at the beginning of every phone call if she’d lost any more weight, Mia would say, yes, Mom was giving her a hard time. You’d think a near death experience would soften a person. Not her mother. Mia adjusted her shirt again.
Squeezing her eyes shut, Mia fought back the familiar feeling that she wasn’t good enough. When she opened her eyes, Nana looked at her in the reflection. “Just be yourself.”
She nodded and drew a deep breath.
Throwing a light sweater around her shoulders, she hoped it wouldn’t get too warm and slipped her feet into some pretty sandals to finish the outfit, even though Adam would tower over her. There was no denying that she found him attractive. He was handsome, built like a god, and could use words with more than two syllables. But there was more. Something in the way he shook her hand, and looked at her—the way he spoke to her on the phone—whatever it was, it made her stupid.
And Finn was right, it scared her. To death.
“You know,” Nana said, “You never told me your friend’s name.”
“He’s not my friend,” she shot out, but the disappointed look on her grandmother’s face made her tone down the attitude. “Adam Miller.”
There was silence. Total. Silence.
To say Nana was stunned would have been an understatement. She was speechless.
“What’s wrong?”
Her grandmother grinned. It was a knowing smile, and something about it put Mia on high alert. “Nothing,” Nana said. “I’m going to make myself scarce. Have a good time.”
“Wait…” But Nana had scooted away at light speed. Mia was on her own.
Just then, Ben came banging in the front door. He’d been shooting baskets in the driveway for the last twenty minutes, trying to be nonchalant about the afternoon, but Mia knew he was bursting. “He’s here. Are you ready?”
“Yes, I’m ready.” She glanced over at Ben and down and noticed his foot was bouncing. Sometimes he could contain the hyper, other times he couldn’t. “It’s very nice of Coach Miller to do this, so be on your best behavior.”
He nodded nervously. “I know. I will.”
She ran her hands over his shoulders and once again was reminded of how tall he was getting. But he was still a boy. Young, naïve, scared. “Remember, manners matter. We’ll probably have lunch first, so you know what I expect.”
“Okay, okay.”
She heard Adam’s footfalls on the stoop and looked up to see his smiling face at the screen door.
“Hi,” she said. Reaching for the door handle, Mia noticed how his black truck dwarfed her little compact in the driveway. “Come in.”
“Thanks. Hey, Ben.”
“Hi.” Ben held the front door. “Cool truck.”
“It gets me around. Here.” He handed Ben the keys. “Go have a look. Just don’t drive off, okay?”
Ben laughed and ran outside, leaving Mia alone with a very sexy Adam. Being close to him was exhilarating and terrifying, and Mia couldn’t ever remember being so tuned into every sense, every feeling.
He was wearing tan shorts and a marine blue polo that spanned his broad shoulders and chest. A wisp of hair peeked out near the collar. His arms and face were tanned, and even though he was clean shaven, she could see the faintest shadow of a beard. What got her was the smell of him. It was a musky, fresh scent—like standing on the beach after a storm. Mia had to fight the urge to lean in and inhale.
“You changed your hair,” he said. “Pretty.”
“Oh, ah…” She smoothed her hand over her hair and felt her cheeks flush. “Thank you,” she said quietly.
God, he was handsome. Not pretty, like a waxed and oiled-up male model, but in a more rugged sense. His face was strong, angular; his body was big and muscular. This man oozed testosterone, and this type of attraction, this strong physical pull, was new for her. After a few seconds of staring at him like an idiot, Mia saw him glance away, and when he looked at her again, he smiled. And she died.
“Are you ready?” he asked.
Mia snapped back to reality, regaining her power of speech and willing her knees not to buckle. “Oh, yes, let me get my bag.”
Note to self, she thought. Don’t let your mouth hang open. Don’t stare. He’s going to think you’re a lunatic.
Walking out to the car, Mia was deep in her own head. She was a grown woman. She could handle this. She could handle him.
Of course, on the ride to town, she barely said anything. Being with Adam apparently turned her brain to jelly. Ben, on the other hand, sat in the back seat, pushing buttons and chattering.
“Does he ever stop?” Adam asked, his eyes wide.
“Sometimes. But he’s very excited. He hasn’t stopped talking about you since Thursday,” Mia said with a chuckle.
Adam laughed. “Got it.”
“Where are we going to eat?” Ben asked.
“There’s a nice place near the water. It’s casual, has great food.”
“Awesome,” Ben said, finding another gadget to interest him.
“Is that okay with you, Mia?” he asked. Adam certainly wasn’t living up to his reputation. He was the perfect gentleman. He opened doors, asked if she was comfortable, if she liked the radio station, if she was agreeable to his choice of restaurant. No man she’d ever met, including her own father, was this consistently considerate.
“Mia? Dock’s End, do you know it?”
Perfect—she’d zoned out again. “I don’t, but that sounds fine.”
His mouth turned up at the corner, making her heart speed up. Not since high school, when her crushes were unrequited and her dreams of romance were unfulfilled, had anyone had this effect on her.
Watching Adam made Mia feel like the sixteen-year-old nerdy girl all over again.
*
Adam swung into the parking space and made the quick move around the hood of the truck to open the door before Mia had the chance. She graciously accepted each and every courtesy, smiling and making him feel like a clumsy teenager. His grandmother was right about her. She wasn’t like any of the women he’d dated in the past fifteen years, which meant he was totally out of his element.
But he made the extra effort because she seemed to genuinely appreciate it. She smiled bashfully when he opened her door, and let him help her out of the truck. When he took her hand, her fingers curled around his and he warmed immediately. Her hands were slender, her fingers long and tapered, and Adam imagined what those hands could do.
Ben shot ahead, and Mia called him back. It was at least ten seconds before they realized they’d started walking toward the dock and their hands were still joined. She looked at him and bit her lower lip, sending his system into shock. Goddamn. When she wiggled her fingers out of his grasp, he missed her.
What the hell was going on? He was a hand on the ass kind of guy, not a hand holder.
Mia locked eyes with him again and his heart twitched in a way it had never done before. Generally cautious, knowing the difference between a causal relationship and something more serious, Adam had kept things casual with women for years. But with Mia, it wasn’t the same. This woman had power, and it scared the crap out of him.
Adam watched as she surveyed the block, the marina, everything in the immediate area, as they found a table on the deck. He enjoyed the way she drew things in and took time to process her surroundings. “It’s so pretty here. I’ve always loved the way everything in Compass Cove is centered around the water.”
“I know what you mean. It was my life growing up.” He pulled out her chair, then sat next to her under the large umbrella that sheltered their table. He pointed to his left and drew her attention to the marina. “I spent three summers piloting tenders at Roosevelt’s.”
She smiled. “Really? My grandmother used to take my sister and me to the Italian ice stand that was right there.”
“Vinnie’s? Great place. His grandson runs it now.”
She looked up from the menu and turned to him. “Did Vinnie finally retire?”
“No,” he said softly. “He passed away.”
“Oh. Oh, that’s sad.” Her mouth twisted a little and her eyes glanced in the direction of the stand. She was genuinely sorry he was gone. “Did you know him well?”
“I went to school with one of his grandsons, so yeah. Compass Cove is that kind of place. You tend to know everyone.”
She nodded. “That’s why I jumped at the chance to move here.”
“You have family here? Right?”
“Just my nana. My parents grew up here, but Dad and my mother didn’t come back too often. Dad was in the navy, and Mom never liked it here. According to her, ‘The place smothers you.’”
As obnoxious as that sounded, he could almost relate to her mother’s feelings. “There’s some truth to that. I hesitated coming home when my career ended.”
“Why?” At this point, Mia folded her arms on the table and leaned forward, revealing even more cleavage. Adam’s eyes were drawn right to her glorious chest, which was now offered up like a meal. Shit. He needed to focus on the woman, not the package.
“I’d lived in cities for a long time.” Adam set his gaze on a boat in the harbor. “It was fun, always something to do, and I could be somewhat anonymous.”
“I’ve been anonymous my whole life. I’m done with it.” Mia said. As she did, she leaned back, and Adam wondered how many more of his brain cells she was going to fry today. “And the city isn’t that far.”
“I’m still getting used to being back in a place where everyone knows what I’m doing all the time.” Where the scrutiny made it harder to hide screw ups.
Mia looked off into the distance, maybe looking at the same boat he’d been staring at a few seconds before. When she returned her gaze to his face, Adam felt like he was going down for the third time. He wasn’t sure what it was, but her eyes said there was a story she wasn’t telling. “I guess that could be a problem, but it’s better than no one caring about you at all.”
Yeah, definitely a story there, and maybe some baggage. A long silence gave both of them a chance to regroup, and let the tension between them ease… but Adam was curious.
Ben was fidgeting with the place setting, typical ten-year-old behavior. But watching the kid, Adam could see what was motivating Mia. He was a good kid, and based on what he knew so far, he guessed Ben’s very pretty aunt was at the heart of it. “So,” he said to Ben. “What do you think you’re going to eat?”
Ben shrugged and looked at the choices.
“Hungry?” Adam asked.
“Starved,” Ben said. “Why couldn’t you come at twelve-thirty?”
“Ben,” Mia’s voice was quiet, but firm. “Remember what I said about manners.”
She had a look on her face that reminded Adam of the thousands of “don’t-screw-with-me” looks his mother had given him. “I was with my grandmother. I wasn’t sure if I would be ready by twelve-thirty.”
“Oh. Is she sick or something?”
“No,” Adam said. “I go to see her every week when I’m in town.”
“My grandma moved to South Carolina, after Grandpa died,” he grumbled.
There was a long pause as Adam processed the information. “That stinks. Do you miss her?” The boy shrugged again, and right then a waitress came by to take their drink orders and rattle off the specials.
It took him a second to notice Mia was staring at him. The corners of her mouth were turned up ever so slightly. “You visit her every Sunday?”
“When I’m around. She still lives in the family house in Jennings Bay.”
“She lives there alone?”
“There’s staff, and my mother lives in a cottage on the grounds.” Adam wondered if he should say something and then just gave in to the impulse. “Grandma sends her regards, by the way.”
“Excuse me?” she said. “Her regards? Do I know your grandmother?”
Adam laughed. He’d surprised her a little, and that was always a good thing. “Yes, you do.”
Mia looked away for a second and then back at him. It didn’t take long; she figured it out. “Your grandmother was at my first interview.”
“Give the lady a prize.”
The waitress returned with water for Adam, iced tea for Mia, and a glass of chocolate milk for Ben. Once they ordered their food, Ben went back to the puzzle he found on the menu, and Adam and Mia settled back into their conversation.
“So, how did I come up while you were with your grandmother?”
“She’s a very active member of the library board. I was asking her about her week and she mentioned that the new librarian was settling in.”
“That’s when you mentioned to her that you knew me?”
“Not initially.” He took a drink of his water and leaned in. “Although she did mention that you are a lovely young lady.” Mia blushed, looked down into her glass, and started to play with her spoon. Adam liked that he could fluster her, but then watching her chew on those gorgeous lips flustered him pretty good too. Damn. “When I told her I was seeing you today, she was happy, and reminded me to mind my manners.”
Mia took a breath—it almost sounded like a sigh—before meeting his gaze head on. Her eyes were so dark it was like looking into the night sky, and it took Adam a little while to breathe.
“Please tell her I said ‘hello’,” she said.
He felt himself smile. “I’ll do that.”
*
Adam couldn’t deny he was having a good time, even though he had no idea why. It was the antithesis of every date he’d been on over the past fifteen years. And if he wasn’t misreading her, Mia was enjoying the afternoon, too.
One thing he had to say about the woman, she had her priorities straight. And at the top of the list was her nephew.
Ben should have been enough reason for Adam to run from Mia DeAngelis. But, for some odd reason, the part of her that was a mother was one of the things Adam found most appealing. He didn’t want to like her or be attracted to her. Quite honestly, she represented a lot of work.
But when he looked at her, his fight or flight reflex kicked in, and instead of giving in to the urge to bolt, Adam wanted to fight.
For her.
Talk about a wake-up call. It shocked him to think that at his age he might actually be growing up. It had taken long enough.
After lunch, they went to the bike shop, where he watched Mia help Ben decide between a blue mountain bike or a silver one. She asked him questions and let him make the evaluation himself. She was good at helping him feel independent. After they chose the bike, and Ben was beaming, they picked out some accessories—a light, a small saddlebag with a tool kit, a lock, and a helmet.
Aunt Mia had done her homework.
Adam loaded the bike in the truck and secured it, all while Ben watched. “You’re sure it won’t fall out?”
“Positive,” said Adam. “I’ll take it slow on the way to your house if it will make you feel better.” Ben nodded and Adam grinned at Mia as Ben climbed into the cab of the truck.
“He’s excited,” Mia said quietly.
Adam nodded. “I know exactly how he feels.”
At Mia’s house, Adam watched from the living room window as Ben showed off his new bike to the kids on the block. There was nothing like a new toy to make a kid part of the group. Ben would have to stay there on his own, but a really cool bike was a way in.
Mia was in the kitchen getting them something to drink. No matter how uncomfortable she was around him, she wouldn’t let him go without making the offer. She was all about making other people comfortable.
Her new home was in the hamlet of North Harbor, which used to be a place where people from Brooklyn and Queens could buy little summer bungalows just a short walk to the beach. Now, it was occupied year-round. The classic Victorian where Nana lived was one of the bigger homes in the area, with a large, wrap-around front porch and a decent backyard. Looking out the front window, Adam could see clear across to where he lived in Gull’s Point.
The living room was what his grandmother would call cozy—filled with large, comfortable furniture in soft greens and blues. The tables were also oversized and functional, having loads of storage, and around the room shelves filled with books took over the wall space. There were fresh and dried flowers all around, and framed pictures on the walls and tables. Knowing this was her grandmother’s house, Adam was able to get a sense of the family history.
Many of the pictures were of Ben. There were photos of people who could have been Mia’s parents and a series of pictures of two girls together from the time they were small children until they were young adults. One, the older of the two girls, was a striking blonde who looked like a thousand other striking blondes he knew. The other girl was chubby, awkward, barely looking at the camera, and definitely overshadowed by the blonde.
He looked again.
No.
But there it was. No doubt about it, the hair color, the shape of the face… yup. It was Mia.
Adam couldn’t believe it. Talk about a transformation. The shrinking violet had bloomed.
The girl with Mia in all those pictures must be Ben’s mother. When he looked closer, he could see the resemblance right away. He wondered how she’d died.
Moving toward the kitchen, he passed a piano that held more pictures. Her grandma sure loved her family.
Stopping in the kitchen doorway, his eyes found Mia immediately. She was standing at the counter, singing softly to the Stevie Wonder song playing in the background while stirring a pitcher of fresh lemonade. Her hair tumbled down her back in soft curls and her feet were bare. Adam could have watched her forever if Mia hadn’t noticed him and jumped.
“Oh!” She drew a hand to her chest. “You startled me.”
“Sorry.” He stepped into the room and walked toward her. “Can I help you with anything?”
“No… I think… I…” She stammered like a schoolgirl and Adam found he was charmed. Charmed? Since when did he get charmed? Since Mia, he thought. He leaned his hip into the counter and watched, enjoying the fact that he made her nervous and trying not to think about how she affected him. And she affected him plenty.
“There are a lot of pictures out there. Big family?”
“Not really. Sara was my only sibling. My mom has a brother who’s married with two sons, and a sister who never married. My dad was an only child.” She was still stirring as she talked, but glancing at him from the corner of her eye. “My uncle and his family live in Massachusetts, so we rarely saw them, but they come to see my grandmother, or she goes there, every other month. Aunt Regina is my uncle’s twin. She taught at Virginia Tech for years and just retired, she doesn’t live too far from my mom. I like her. She’s fun, but I don’t see her much. I’m sure the pictures helped Nana feel closer to everyone since we were all so far away.”
Something caught the sunlight; he reached out and took a small brass compass from the shelf directly in front of her. He grinned because even though it was something he might expect to find in any home in town, somehow finding one here made sense. Never had anyone fit Compass Cove like Mia. Her family obviously had a lot to do with that.
“That’s my nana’s compass. Grandpa gave it to her when he proposed. She loves the story of Lucy and Caleb. Told it to me over and over when I was little.”
Adam placed the compass back on the shelf. “Don’t forget the ghost,” he said, referencing the legend.
“She never forgot the ghost.” Angling her body toward him, her chocolate colored eyes warmed as she continued. “I met Liam Jennings yesterday. I had no idea the shop still had the original compass.”
“Yeah. People say it does all kinds of weird things. I don’t know if I buy all the stuff about it helping you find your soul mate, though.
Mia stirred the lemonade dreamily. “Finding your true north.”
“Ah,” Adam said. “You’re a romantic.”
Mia’s eyes turned up to his and she squinted. “I’m a girl. Of course I’m a romantic.”
He laughed and nodded. He didn’t believe that stuff for a second, but he loved how she did. Mia had had such a rough time, but she still had enough optimism to dream about the happy ever after. “Tell me about your Nana.”
“Ah, okay.” Mia placed the spoon on the counter and faced him. “What do you want to know?”
“Where was she from? How did your grandparents meet?”
“Well, she grew up on the Upper East Side. Her family was very wealthy.” Adam watched her drift into the tale. “Her father was a builder, and the one thing he wanted was for all his children to be well educated, even the girls. My grandmother enrolled at Barnard when she was sixteen.”
“Wow, that’s young.”
“Yeah, she’s brilliant. Majored in History, Classics and Ancient Studies.” Mia examined her fingers. “She met my grandfather, whose family was from Queens, during her senior year. She was just nineteen; he was a twenty-three-year-old former Navy pilot, and a student at Columbia.”
He nodded and started to wonder about the brains in Mia’s pretty head. Obviously she was smart… she was a college librarian, but she came from some serious academic stock. She paused to take two glasses from the cupboard and continued. Adam found himself soothed by her sweet voice. It was soft, musical—almost like a caress.
“Nana was engaged to the son of some equally wealthy family friends, but once my grandfather set his sights on her, it was all over. He pursued her relentlessly, and she fell for him. The family was scandalized when she broke the engagement, and my great-grandmother didn’t speak to her for two years. She and my grandfather married the day after she graduated from Barnard and my mother was born nine months later. Nana never regretted her decision.”
He folded his arms and smiled at the way she told the story. “Your grandfather sounds like he was a man with a mission.”
“That he was.” Unexpectedly, Mia’s hand took a small frame from the same shelf as the compass.
“Is that him?” he asked.
“Uh-huh. He used to take us fishing.” The gentleman in the photo was standing in a Boston Whaler, clutching two smiling little girls close to him. The picture captured a perfect moment, and Adam watched as Mia ran her hand over the image. “I miss him. I miss both of them.”
Adam wondered what it must be like to feel so intensely. He was only now learning to let his guard down with his family, but she seemed to give everything she had to whatever she did.
“When did your grandparents move here?”
“Nineteen-fifty-seven. My grandfather got a job with a small bank. He became president eventually. They were married for fifty-one years, and I think he loved her more every day.” He watched as she put the frame down and braced her hands behind her. “I’m sure that’s more than you ever wanted to know about my family.”
“Not at all. You learn a lot about a person from their family. My grandparents sound similar to yours. They had a great relationship. I was close with both of them.”
“Was?”
“My grandfather died about eight years ago. It was very tough on my grandmother. On all of us.”
“My grandfather, too. It wasn’t too long after we lost Sara. Nana keeps busy though. She still works and goes to exercise classes and book groups. She likes to travel. I hope I have her energy at seventy-nine.”
“My grandmother is eighty-two and does more in a day than I do in a week.” He stepped toward her and pulled a lock of her hair between two fingers. “It’s nice that we have that in common.”
She nodded, her breathing picked up, warmth came off her skin, and Adam planned. There was quiet now, and the only thing he heard was the gentle sound of the beach in the distance. As he inched closer, Mia’s eyes locked on his, and he looked deep into them—soft brown with a darker rim—like a bowl of rich chocolate frosting. Her hair still floated between his fingers and a blush rose in her cheeks.
“I hope you like the lemonade,” she said. “I tasted it, but I always worry that I make it too sweet.”
He cradled her face in his hands and let his thumbs brush her cheeks. “I’m sure it’s fine.” Adam could only smile as he nuzzled her hair and took in the smell of her, a mix of flowers, the sea, and the sky. God help him.
“It seemed okay to me,” she said, her breath catching and her voice so soft it was like a puff of air.
What was it about this woman? What made her this irresistible? She was so nervous she was trembling, and Adam had to admit, something about Mia made his own insides a little jittery. “You have the most beautiful hair. And your eyes, the way you look at me…”
“What are you doing?” she asked, barely able to get the words out.
Adam was done teasing, and talking was way overrated. He looked straight into her eyes when he answered. “Research.”
He lowered his head and their lips touched. From that day on, any time Adam smelled or tasted lemons, he would think of Mia. Her lips held the sweet and tart taste of the lemonade and something that was uniquely hers, something that made him want to kiss her forever. Adam took little sips of her lips, then coaxed her mouth to play with his. When her hands settled on his waist, he knew she wasn’t going to pull away. At least not yet.
A little hum came from her throat, something that sounded like a cat’s purr, and that urged him on. Sliding his hands down her sides and around that beautiful behind, he lifted her up and sat her on the counter facing him. He kissed her again, this time more deeply, enveloping her completely in his arms as he continued to taste that gorgeous mouth. She smelled like heaven and felt like a cloud wrapped up in silk. Pressed against him, her body was a complete contrast to his—she was soft and supple, and Adam found he was losing himself in the feel of her. At one point Mia pulled back, hesitated, looked into his eyes, then gazed at his mouth. She studied it, and when she ran one finger over his bottom lip, Adam didn’t know how he held himself together. It was sexy, it was innocent, and inside he felt a tightening in his gut that scared the crap out of him.
He leaned in and kissed her again, holding her so close he could feel her heart beating. She inhaled, stealing his breath, and then she whispered his name. Hearing that was unexpected, intimate, and Adam felt like he’d been given a gift. A very dangerous gift. This woman and her sweet kisses should come with a warning label. She was addictive, and he would never, ever have enough. He tried to clear his head, but rational thought was gone—all that was left was Mia.
The front door slammed and Adam pulled back quickly at the sound of overlapping voices. He could pick Ben out of the mix, but there was a woman, too. Her grandmother, no doubt. Mia looked at him and took a deep breath before easing herself from the counter. He felt completely disconnected, standing there when he wanted to make love to her right on the kitchen floor. Leaning against the refrigerator, he watched Ben charge into the room, followed by Mia’s Nana. She was small and slender, with long, thick salt and pepper hair pulled into a tight pony tail… holy shit. The sight of the older woman twisted Adam’s stomach in a knot; he should have realized.
Adam straightened himself. This was the curse of small towns. He knew Mia’s grandmother. And she knew him.
Ho-ly shit.