Second Look (A New Beginning Book 3) (17 page)

“You doubted me?”

Jennifer looked up at him, teasing. They were standing very close, close enough Adam was tempted to lean down and give her a kiss. He held back, unsure what she’d do.

“Nah, I figured as much.” Adam turned towards Amber and said, “Do you want a tour of the house first, or would you rather just go right down to the water?”

It was heartwarming to see Adam interact with her daughter. She could tell he was a little nervous, but his effort melted her heart.

“Down to the water!”

“I thought so. Okay, let’s go! There’s a really nice beach down there with sand. I picked up some sand toys for you to play with and your very own chair. I hope you like them.”

Amber jumped up and down and then gave Adam a quick hug on his leg.

“To get down to the water, we go down these stairs. But first, I have a couple rules, okay?”

Amber nodded and then stopped and listened intently to Adam.

“First, you can’t go down to the water without your mom or I down there. Okay?”

“Got it.”

Adam laughed at her response. “Second, when you’re on the dock, you have to wear a life jacket.”

“No problem.”

“Third, you have to wear sunscreen.”

Amber looked very serious. “Oh yes, I know that one. My mommy always makes me wear it in the sun.”

“Well, your mommy’s a smart woman.”

“Yeah, I know. She’s a nurse.”

Adam chuckled but nodded in agreement.

“Last, and this is a very important one, you
must
have fun!”

Amber gave a toothless smile and said, “That one’s a piece of cake. Now can we go down to the water?”

Adam nodded his head and held out his hand towards Amber. She took it willingly, and off they went down the stairs, leaving Jennifer in their dust.

*****

Jennifer wasn’t sure if it was the sun, swimming, eating or tubing, but whatever it was knocked Amber out cold in the late afternoon.

They went inside to eat an early dinner and afterward, Amber crawled onto the couch and she was out like a light.

It gave Jennifer a chance to talk to Adam a little more about the paternity test.

“So, I found a company where we can just order a test online. They send it to us, you and Amber do the swabs and then we send it in. Results are sent back in the mail.”

“It’s that easy, huh? Why didn’t we do it that way the first time?”

“I don’t know. Back then I guess I figured we’d be better off doing it at my clinic. I figured it would be most accurate that way.” She rolled her eyes. “I guess I was wrong. It seems a little weird to be able to do it by mail, but from what I can tell it’s pretty reliable.”

“Okay. So did you order it?”

Jennifer shook her head. “Not yet. I wanted to check with you first.”

“Alright. I trust your judgment.”

Jennifer smiled and looked around Adam’s lower level to avoid his eyes.

“So, how about that tour of your house?”

Adam didn’t answer, but got up off the couch and held out his hand to pull her up.

As soon as she was standing, he gently yanked her towards him and she gave a little shriek. She definitely wasn’t anticipating that move.

He looked into her eyes, and then down at her mouth before looking back up again.

Holy shit. Is he going to kiss me?

She didn’t pull away. Instead, she blinked in surprise, not prepared for the thrill that shot down her spine.

Adam kept one arm around her waist, and the other he gently cupped the back of her neck. It felt…heavenly…like it did back when they were dating so many years ago.

He slowly lowered his head, slow enough that if she wanted to she could have turned away.

She didn’t want to.

His lips met hers in the softest kiss imaginable, but she felt it all the way to her toes.

Yep.
The spark is definitely still there.

Adam was smiling as he backed away to look at her, his brown eyes melting her insides.

“Madam, right this way for your guided tour.”

Jennifer gave him a shy smile and followed him, her tummy dropping at the kiss they shared.

As they began the tour, she got lost in her own thoughts.

There were many traits of the man she fell in love with, but there was also something different. He was more grown up, like he knew what he wanted in life and wasn’t afraid to go after it.

He finally broke the silence.

“Right over here we have the weight room. It’s small but it works.”

“Jeez, Adam, you have free weights, a weight machine, elliptical, treadmill and stationary bike. Oh, and let’s not forget the sound system and the giant flat-screen TV on the wall. Pfft, small.”

“What?” Adam shrugged his shoulders at her and she rolled her eyes. “I work out a lot and this way it saves me time and money.”

“Right. So what’s behind door number two?”

“That’s one of the spare bedrooms.” He opened the door and let her see the very large room. She also saw the bathroom, which had a door from the bathroom as well as from the hallway for access either way.

“Where’s your bedroom?” She immediately regretted the question once she saw his eyebrow rise. “I mean, is it down here or on the main floor? I just wondered how many bedrooms you have in this little dump.”

Great, now he probably thinks I want to hop right into bed.

“There are four bedrooms in the house; three are upstairs, including mine,” Adam looked at her and paused, “And then the one down here for visitors.”

“Very nice.”

“Over here we have the laundry room.” Adam quickly opened the door, let her peek in and then shut it again. All of the rooms were kept very clean, even the laundry room. “Not much to see in there.”

“What’s that door?” Jennifer pointed to the last door.

“That’s just a little storage closet.” Adam opened it and Jennifer’s eyes bulged.

“
Little
storage closet? Holy crap, Adam, this is like a walk-in pantry and wine cellar all in one!” Jennifer walked into the closet and stared at the rows and rows of wine. Some were brands she knew well like Coppola and Chateau St. Michelle, and others with no label.

Adam shrugged his shoulders at her. “What? I like wine.”

She pointed to one of the bottles with no label. “What are these ones?”

“I made them.”

This time it was Jennifer’s turn to raise her eyebrow at Adam. “You did? What kind is it?”

“Several, actually.” He pointed to each bottle as he named them, saying “Riesling, Merlot, Cabernet and Shiraz.”

“Is it hard to make?”

“Not really. Do you like wine? I know you loved fruity drinks back in college.”

“No,” she answered, and his smile fell. “I
love
it. Mainly red.”

His smile reappeared. “You’ll love my wine.”

“I’d love to try some when I don’t have to drive Amber home.”

And now I’ve basically asked to spend the night. Smooth.

They were still standing in the walk-in pantry / wine cellar. The door closed slowly so Jennifer didn’t really notice the gradual darkening of the room. She could feel Adam’s hands land on her hips and her body was gently pulled towards his rock hard chest.

“Hi.” His voice was a low, masculine whisper.

She was glad the darkness hid her smile. “Hello.”

“Is it ok if I kiss you again?”

She could feel his breath on her lips. She nodded her head, and then realized he wouldn’t be able to see.

She whispered, “Yes.”

His lips landed on hers and she melted into his embrace.

This time, his kiss wasn’t soft and sweet. Instead, he slanted his head and kissed her deeply. She was unable to stop a soft moan from escaping.

Adam finally broke their kiss. “We better stop. Otherwise I won’t be able to.”

Nooooooooo!
“Good idea.”

Adam opened the door, and the bright light hurt Jennifer’s eyes after their stolen moments in the dark.

When her eyes adjusted, she looked at Adam shyly. It had been several long years since the last time they kissed and it was better than she remembered, if that was even possible.

She walked over to where Amber was still asleep on the couch and reached down to touch her angelic face.

“I should probably wake her up. She’ll have a hard time going to bed tonight if I let her sleep much longer.”

“Just give her a couple more minutes while we finish the house tour. I don’t think she’ll mind, will she?”

“You’re right. I think she cared most about the water.”

Jennifer chuckled, thinking how much fun her daughter had on the beach. What an amazing place to live.

“Okay, let’s go upstairs and we’ll be back down in just a few minutes.”

Jennifer watched as Adam went over to the patio door and locked both it and the upper latch, high up so Amber wouldn’t be able to reach.

“Just in case she wakes up, I don’t want her to go out there on her own.”

Jennifer nodded. “That’s a nice feature.”

“The previous owners had kids.”

They made their way upstairs, where Adam showed off his kitchen. It was her first time seeing it since he wouldn’t let her lift a finger and he grilled their food down on the patio outside.

Next was the guest bathroom and bedrooms, the four-season porch and the living room. Adam finally led her down the hall, where he opened the last door.

“You wanted to see my room. It’s a little messy, I have to warn you.”

Jennifer smirked. No one’s room could be as messy as hers, considering she tore it apart trying to find her most flattering swimsuit.

Adam opened the door and pulled her inside. Jennifer looked around the room. The only thing out of place was the chair, which had a pair of workout pants and shirt hanging over the end of it, along with tennis shoes on the floor. Otherwise, his bed was made, the carpeted floors immaculate and the huge room with no sign of any clutter whatsoever. He sure wasn’t this clean when he lived in the college dorms.

“This is messy? I think you’re the king of exaggeration. Have you turned into a neat freak since college?”

“Not really. I just like to try to keep it clean. Plus, I figured you may want a tour.”

“I don’t think you’d be able to handle the messes Amber can make.”

Adam frowned. “It wouldn’t bother me, Jenn. I just wanted you to see my house looking nice.”

“I’m only teasing. It’s an amazing house.” She laughed. “And very clean.”

Adam’s smile returned and he pulled her close. He grabbed the back of her head and covered her mouth with his again. He walked her backwards and they almost fell down onto his king-sized bed when they heard Amber’s sleepy little voice call out to Jennifer.

“Mommy?”

Jennifer could hear the yawn in Amber’s voice as she came up the stairs.

“We’re back here baby.” Jennifer took one last longing look at Adam and then left his room. He followed closely behind, talking while they walked.

“So…any chance of taking an afternoon off work?”

“Probably not, since I just started.”

Jennifer gave Amber a hug and turned back around to continue her conversation.

“Oh,” he said, sticking his lip out in an extreme pout, which made her laugh.

“But…I have Thursdays off,” she informed him, her lips turning up into a smile. “Why do you ask?”

His gorgeous smile returned. “Well, I was thinking maybe we could spend a day together. I could even try for this Thursday, if that would work for you.”

Is it a good idea to move this fast?

She was excited that he wanted to spend time with her, but it also scared the hell out of her.

“I think that would work. Amber has preschool in the afternoon. I could get together while she’s there if you want?”

“That works. Where’s the preschool?”

“Elk River.”

“Perfect. I could go with to drop her off and then we could have lunch. Boondox makes the best Cuban sandwiches and they have a claw machine with lobsters.”

“Wait, what? Like, one of those machines full of toys where you try to grab a toy, but you never win anything?”

“Yeah! Except, it’s with live lobsters and pretty easy to win. I won a lobster last time I was there and they cooked it for me.”

Adam was smiling so wide she could see his dimples.

Is he pulling my leg?

Jennifer raised her eyebrow at him. “Ah, I guess that place then. I have to see it to believe it.”

Adam gave her an incredulous laugh. “You don’t believe me, do you?”

She shook her head and shrugged her shoulders. “Not really. Preschool starts at 1:00.”

“Okay. I’ll pick you and Amber up at 12:30. Sound good?”

Jennifer simply nodded at him, still thinking about that lobster claw machine.

*****

“Holy buckets, you weren’t kidding.”

Jennifer’s eyes bulged and she couldn’t keep her surprise hidden as she looked at the huge tank full of lobsters.

The tank had a sign that read “Limit One Lobster Per Visit.”

“You really doubted me.” He faked a hurt look. “Here, try. I’ll put a couple dollars in.”

She watched Adam put two dollars into the machine and he placed her in front of the controls.

Jennifer shook her head. “What? You want me to do it?”

“Yes! And hurry up! It’ll drop in 15 seconds wherever it is.”

Jennifer bit her lip and grabbed the controls. She expertly moved it so the claw was just above one of the lobsters. Then, the claw dropped.

She watched as the claw picked up the largest lobster in the tank, brought it over to the drop hole. She heard a clunk as the lobster landed.

Adam started laughing. “You got one! Beginners luck.”

He reached down and opened the trap door, which contained a huge lobster, sitting in a bowl lined with a folded towel.

Her eyes were wide. “I can’t believe that just happened.”

A waitress came over to them, smiling and clapping her hands. “You got one! Congratulations!”

“Uh, thanks. I can’t believe I just won a lobster.”

“Would you like us to cook it up for your lunch?”

Jennifer nodded, still dumbfounded. “Yes, please! That sounds amazing.”

“Would you like the lobster alone, or do you want to add steak for $4.99?”