Falling Star (15 page)

She touched his face, stroked his cheek, traced his lips. She angled up on her tiptoes to kiss him.

Adam growled, and met her lips eagerly. Yes, this was Adam. How silly to think he had changed. He was the same man she'd made love to hours earlier. Just because he was a—

"Why?" She pulled away from him abruptly, and her heart went right back to pounding, but now she was pissed.

"Jade—"

"No. Don't touch me." She put a hand on his sternum and stiff-armed him away. "Why didn't you tell me who you were?"

"I wanted you to know me before learning about what I do." His voice was calm and soothing. He'd been expecting this talk, hadn't he?

She could barely see him through the red haze of fury. Her lips were almost numb, as tight as she held them between her teeth.

"Please Jade."

"At first I thought you were unemployed, or you had some job you were embarrassed about." She shook her head. "But this…this is kind of a big deal."

"I know." He ran a hand through his hair. "Please, can we sit down and talk? If you just try to understand."

She released a nervous laugh, but it came out as a rush of air. "I can't…talk to you right now. Just leave me…alone for a few minutes. Let me…I just need some time." She stammered, but she didn't care. She backed out of his reach again, and fumbled for the cabin door.

* * * *

Adam drained the last of the wine, drinking directly from the bottle. The sun had gone down, but he didn't bother turning on the exterior lighting. He actually hadn't bothered to get up from his deck chair, where he threw himself over two hours ago.

She asked for time, and that's what he'd give her. She didn't make a sound from inside. That had to be a good sign; at least she wasn't throwing things, or even crying.

He didn't know what he was so upset about; it had gone just as he expected. Half of him waited for her to emerge from behind that door and demand he take her home, the other half held on to the hope she'd come out and crawl onto his lap. He was too afraid of the former to push for the latter, so he sat, alternating between staring at the door she'd all but closed in his face, to staring at her empty chair.

Damn it, he was out of wine. There was a fully stocked bar inside, but the thought of drinking into a stupor didn't even appeal to him anymore. The only thing he wanted to get drunk on was somewhere behind that door.

He stood, stretched his cramped muscles, and took a long walk around the deck. He should have told her from the beginning.

No. If he told her from the beginning, she probably wouldn't be here with him now. If he'd identified himself when he bought Carley's lilies that day, she would have asked for an autograph, maybe a picture or two to prove she'd met Adam Nash, and he would have left Earth Scents, never to return.

Maybe. Maybe not. Something about Jade Graham intrigued him from that point on, and only part of it had to do with her not knowing who he was.

Her smile. When she crinkled her nose and flashed those teeth, Adam had to catch his breath. Her wit…she made him laugh, and she put him at ease with her teasing sense of humor on more than one occasion. She was smart. Brilliant maybe. The work she'd done in South America was way beyond him, even though she tried to explain things in plain English.

Damn it, if he wasn't careful, he could end up falling hard for this woman. He was already halfway down that path.

He shook his head and cursed himself. "You won't have to worry about that, Nash. You can't fall for a woman who won't speak to you." Adam leaned over the rail, and stared into the inky water below. The rhythmic slapping sound against the hull calmed him.

Two months ago, Adam would have balked at spending more than one night with a woman, and now here he was, thinking about a forever. He gripped his scalp with both hands, trying to screw his head on straight.

And then there was the sex. Good God, the sex was great. When he remembered the way her mouth closed around his cock, he immediately hardened. The sexy way she held his gaze while engulfing him in her mouth, and tickling the back of her throat with the head of his erection.

Jesus, Adam. Don't think about it.
But he had to. Memories might be all he had to. He might never get the chance to touch her again, let alone come in her mouth. Damn.

After circling the deck twice, he ended up outside the door, warring with himself. When he'd called himself a pussy enough times, he had the courage to open it, but not without a discreet knock.

"Jade?"

He
was
a pussy, he decided, peering around the door as if she might blow up at the sight of him. She had turned on one lamp by the easy chair. The warm glow spotlighted her, where she lay fast asleep on the couch.

His heart dropped when he realized it wasn't an accident. She'd found sheets and a spare blanket, and made herself a bed for the night.

Fuck, there's your answer asshole.
Plain as day, she couldn't have said it better with words. He stared at her for a long time. The waves of her strawberry-blond hair curled over her ear, and cascaded down her graceful neck. Her lips were parted, her face peaceful in sleep. Before he knew what he was doing, he found himself standing in front of her, and his hand poised to touch her.

Leave her alone, Adam.

He went to bed, dragging his feet like a damn little boy. He fucked up. God only knew how he could fix it.

* * * *

Jade woke up, and it took a minute to remember where she was. It was dark, but the digital controls from the kitchen appliances gave off enough green light to remember the previous evening.

Adam must have shut off the lamp.

Adam. Adam Nash. Her lover.

Somehow, it didn't sound as outlandish as it did before she fell asleep. For some reason, the two people, Adam Herlihey and Adam Nash, had now merged in her mind, and he was simply Adam. The man who made her smile, whose arms held such promise of security and strength. The same man who brought her to tears with sweet music, and brought her to completion with sweet kisses.

Her anger was spent. Could she really blame him for keeping his identity secret? Through the long hours alone, she couldn't think of one occasion where he lied to her. She probably would have done the same thing in his position.

She rolled off the couch, tiptoed down through the kitchen, and peeked into the stateroom. Sure enough, Adam was in bed, lying on his side, much like he had been when she was spooned up against him the night before. The sheet was tangled around his waist, both bare feet stuck out from beneath.

God, he looked sexy. With his chest bare and his blond hair mussed.

Her heart lurched with love.

Love? Get real, Jade. You barely know this man
. Her heart lurched with something, something good, because it made her smile.

She crawled in beside him, and snuggled under his arm. When he pulled her closer, she sighed. Yes, this was right. Adam was real and right and good.

"Jade?"

"I'm sorry, Adam."

He sucked a huge amount of air into his lungs. "Oh, God baby. Don't be sorry. It's me…I'm sorry. I should have told you from the beginning. I hated keeping it from you—"

She stopped him with a kiss. "I understand now. I don't blame you. Just hold me. Let me feel you all around me. I don't feel right without you near me."

"My pleasure." He tangled their legs, crossed his arms over her back, and tucked her head under his chin.

She had never felt so surrounded by a man as she did right now, and yet there wasn't a hint of suffocation.

"Pinch me."

"Hmm?"

"Pinch me. I don't want to wake up and find you on that couch. You don't know how much I hated seeing you there."

She found the perfect place to pinch. First though, she teased his nipple into a point.

"Oh yeah baby. I'm not dreaming am I?"

"No more than I am. I still think this is some strange fantasy I've built. You know I love your music, Mr. Nash."

"You do?"

"I do. My favorite so far is—"

"'Strawberries and Sunshine'."

She thought back over their conversations. Did she mention that at some point? "How did you know that?" She continued teasing his nipple and the taut skin around it.

"Dean told me."

"Oh. I'm going to have to kick his ass."

Adam laughed, and somehow brought her even closer. "He told me that too."

"That I'd kick his ass?"

"Mm hm. And mine."

She sighed, breathing in the warm scent of his spicy musky cologne. "I just want to hold you right now. I'll kick your ass tomorrow."

"No problem." He kissed the top of her head. "Good night Jade."

"Good morning Jade."

"Mm, breakfast?" She really didn't want to open her eyes, but she smelled toast and coffee, so she lifted one lid.

Adam was on all fours, staring down at her where she lay caged beneath him. "Well…kinda."

"Kinda?"

"Yeah. I'm not much of a cook, but I tried to do what you did yesterday, and I…um…burned the rest of the eggs."

She laughed. God, he was adorable. "I suppose you have a cook at home, and you never have to get your hands dirty."

"Yeah I do. Her name is Elaine. She's gonna love you."

Jade's smile disappeared. She hadn't thought of meeting anyone in Adam Nash's…entourage.

"What is it?" He pulled her upright, and sat her facing him in his lap.

"Just thinking."

He brushed a strand of hair over her shoulder. "You know, I wouldn't blame you for walking off this boat today, and never looking back." He kissed the tip of her nose. "I'd hate it, but I wouldn't blame you."

"Really?"

"Really. If you stay with me, you're practically giving up your private life. At least, that's how it feels most of the time. I'll go on tour, and they'll follow you around trying to catch you talking to a man, then it hits the tabloids that we broke up. You wear something loose fitting, and the talk shows will be wondering if it's a 'baby bump'."

"Oh."

"And the same with me. They'll try to find any dirt, and when they can't they'll just make shit up. In the past year, I've had five or six illegitimate children, countless one night stands, my mother joined a gypsy tribe, my father has a secret family in the Alps, and my sister is really my mother."

"You're kidding." It sounded funny, but really it wasn't.

"I wish I was. Remember how you said you avoid the supermarket tabloids?" He waited for her nod. "I do the same thing. If I got worked up over every erroneous story, I'd never get anything done."

Jade curled her arms and legs around him, and laid her head on his chest. "I guess I have a lot to think about."

"Yes you do. But not on an empty stomach. I…uh…scraped off the burned parts of the toast."

She shook her head in mock disappointment. "Pathetic."

"I admit it." He lifted her out of his lap, as if she weighed nothing. "And then according to the weather guru, we're in for some rain this afternoon, so if you don't want to test your sea-legs, we'd better head back to land after lunch."

They had coffee on deck and watched the sea lions that had ventured out to investigate the
Aquadesiac
. Then he sat her down on the chair she'd stormed out of last night, and played her favorite song. Although "Strawberries and Sunshine" wasn't a love song, Jade couldn't help but drag him out of the chair and out of his shorts for a late morning session of hot sex below deck.

"This is the last condom," Adam grinned. She took it from him and put it on using only her mouth.

They put their last meal in the oven for a late lunch, but didn't eat much between the steamy stares and constant touches.

He held her against him in the cockpit. He used the pretense of helping her learn to drive, but he spent more time kissing her neck and touching every inch of her that wasn't covered by her bikini. When they were close enough to count individual boats, Adam sent her down below, and he slapped his ball cap on. "Get your things packed up. I'll come down for you when it's safe."

"Safe?"

"We'll take this slow, all right?" His warm arms were reassuring. "Let's just keep you hidden for the time being. I don't think I'm ready to share you with the public just yet."

She waited on the couch, her duffle bag beside her. When the boat slowed, she heard a different-sounding motor, and the boat angled and turned, she assumed he was docking. She heard Adam shouting to another man, telling him to secure the dock lines, and other chatter she didn't understand.

"Where's the car?" Adam's footsteps crossed the deck.

"In the parking lot, where did you think?" The deep voice answered.

"Come on, I want you to meet Jade."

"Oh I get to meet her? Do I need to sign some statement of confidentiality first?"