Sweet Sins (30 page)

             
Adam’s steely blue eyes were upon her as she grimaced.

             
“Arianna, I have to talk to you.”

             
“Go ahead, Arianna, I’ve got this place to close up. Let me know if you still want to go to breakfast.”

             
“Adam, I can’t talk right now. Scott and I are going over some business and we plan to go out.”

             
“Your just working with him, aren’t you? You’re not together or anything.”

             
“Yes, we’re working together but we also have gone out to dinner. Nothing really to it, but I do like him.”

             
“Please come with me instead. I want us to talk again.”

             
“I don’t know, Adam. I just don’t know anymore.”

             
“I think I’m just going to leave.”

             
She said good-bye to both of them and went home alone. Scott was dismayed that once again she had dismissed his advances and broke contact with him as soon as Adam arrived. He phoned her and they both agreed they should keep it professional for now, that their current relationship was too valuable and they should not complicate it. She was on the precipice of eradicating Adam’s hold over her, but still she would look into his eyes and feel powerless.

             
The agency was blossoming and she had her red corvette in the driveway. Ashton had secured a lucrative contract with a swimwear outfit for magazines and TV commercials and had accepted an engagement ring from Charlie. In the end, she realized no one would ever come close to his devotion to her. Chloe had drifted away from the agency and married the band leader from Clearwater. His band
Tantalize
had just cut a record and she wanted to be more involved with the band’s promotion.

             
Stan was going back on forth from Tampa and Miami after getting a gig to do commercials for a surfboard company.

             
She had hired additional photographers as Adam became less and less of a fixture at the agency now that he had his motorcycle shop to run. His mother had loaned him some money to finance the shop and he was genuinely grounded. He spent most of his time there now and Arianna was happy for him.

             
It was Saturday night and Arianna was addicted to looking for more business. Things were going so well that it was getting easier to solicit potential models at the clubs now that she had name recognition and the proof that maybe you could get some gigs. She had things to offer to prove it was possible to make it. Stan and Ashton were good examples of this. She dressed in her baby pink dress that barely covered her hips and wore white leather ankle boots. Long dangling earrings and a white leather cuff bracelet gave the look its extra sparkle. She felt good pulling up in her corvette, proud of what she had accomplished and ready to
style and profile
.

             
She entered into
Castaway’s Gold
in Treasure Island feeling on top of the world, ready to start over. She had almost begun a relationship with Scott, but in the end, had decided their professional endeavors might suffer and she was reluctant to sacrifice that. She was confident again and felt in charge of her destiny.

             
“Hi there, beautiful.”

             
She stopped, mesmerized by his outstanding features. Where had this gorgeous hunk of man been hiding out? She constantly perused the club circuit and never saw anyone like this. She guessed he was probably a little over 6ft, his chiseled features, perfect smile and deep green eyes entranced her. He had white sun streaks in his ash brown hair. He didn’t dress like he was from around here. Sleek, tailored grey pinstripe pants and white muscle shirt that showed his cut body, were just part of the attraction. She thought this guy would give Adam a run for his money. If both were in the same room, girls wouldn’t stand a chance. The black haired beauty beside him was not shabby either.

             
“Hi, handsome,” she replied.

             
“Can I get you a drink?”

             
“Thank you, yes. Bacardi and Coke, twist of lime—I’m Arianna and you two are definitely not from around here right?”

             
“I’m Derek and this is my brother Joey. Joey lives in St. Pete., I’m from Minnesota. I just finished a military stint with the USS Enterprise. I’ve got my mustering out pay and I came to see my family. I haven’t seen them for two years. I must have picked a lucky time to run into you.”

             
“I’m Joey and you stand a better chance with me. I’m local. Don’t mess with my brother, I’m the one you want,” he said laughingly.

             
Flattered to be receiving such attention from two studs, she smiled and enjoyed their flirtations. She was attracted to them both, but Derek drew her in because he couldn’t keep his eyes off of her and she liked that. Joey watched every pretty girl that walked by and they were in abundance.

             
After a couple of Bacardi’s and a salty Margarita, she was gently leaning against Derek and his arm was around her waist.

             
“Arianna, I’m only here for the weekend but I’d like to spend it with you. Name the place, I’ve got some cash in my pocket and I’d let to spend it on you. Would you like to take a drive to Miami or perhaps go to Pleasure Island?”

             
“I thought you came to visit with your family?”

             
“I did but I didn’t count on meeting you, besides I can always come back or extend my stay. I drove here so I can change my plans if I need to. I really want this, come on. Please say “yes”.

             
“How about…maybe? Let’s see how the rest of the night goes, but I am definitely considering your offer. You have so many stories about all your travels on the Enterprise. I’d like to hear more about that and you say you’ve been studying photography and want to open up a studio in Minneapolis. That’s just crazy karma because I have great interest in that because of my own modeling agency.”

             
“Hey, what you’ve told me about your agency sounds like you’ve got something good going on. I would love to see your office and your boys. I’m great with kids and I can help out with that tree house you say you’re building. I don’t come from a long line of Norwegian carpenters for nothing. I can build any kind of fine furniture. I’d be happy to help you out with that.”

             
“That’s an irresistible offer. I accept. Would you really help with the tree house? I would be so grateful. But you’ve just met me.”

             
“Like I said, I’ve traveled a great deal while I was in the Navy and I’ve met a lot of women and I can tell you that you right now, looking at you, I don’t even remember them.”

             
She blushed at his glowing praise of her and after so much misery; those playful words warmed her heart. She knew it was just bar room jargon but she didn’t care.

             
Gratefully the DJ played a slow song and Derek pulled her onto the dance floor. She accepted his embrace and returned it. He was aggressive, his hands caressed her back and he bent down to kiss her neck. She wished the song would go on and on. He tilted her face up to his to kiss him and then without warning an arm tugged on hers and she was face to face with Adam.

             
“I don’t think so. Not with my wife. Look buddy, that’s my wife you were about to kiss and that’s not going to happen. I’ve done a lot of foolish things but I’m not letting you go, never.”

             
Adam lifted her off the floor and carried her in his arms like a bouquet of roses, gently lifting her and pulling her across his chest.

             
“Adam, what are you doing?”

             
“I’ve been here a while but you didn’t notice me. I tried to get your attention and walked by you several times but all you saw was him. I wrestled with the thought that maybe I should leave you alone and let you go with this guy but then my heart wouldn’t let me let me do it. There’s no way—you’re my wife. We’re going to make it girl, I promise. I love you, the kind of love that doesn’t go away, it might get pulled apart and dropped or punched but it’s the kind that lasts. You’re my woman.”

             
He motioned for her to jump on the back of the cycle.

             
“What about my car?”

             
“Leave it. We’ll pick it up tomorrow. Come on and grab on. We’re going home, girl, to start our lives again together the way it should be.”

             
He reached around him and pulled her up close to him with that familiar hugging, tucking her closer to him.

             
“Yes, Adam, yes…I love you. I’ll love you forever.”

             
She looked back to see Derek staring at her, a look of dismay across his face. So close, a kiss away from her falling into another man’s life. She didn’t think it was possible but Derek had stirred something in her and in that moment Adam had appeared like some strange destiny had called his name. Once again, she was his.

             
She wrapped her arms around Adam’s chest and leaned forward against broad back. That familiar feeling of home came over her. The scent of him, the slight falling hair across his forehead, his beautiful eyes, that  smile and all the delicious sweet sins of the relationship that was theirs—she was back where she belonged, in her baby’s arms. Would this be the time it finally worked out, she did not know, but she wanted to try and get her forever back. She wondered if she would ever see Derek again. She had the eerie feeling as she glanced back at him that this was not good-bye.

             
“Yes, home, Adam, let’s go home.”

The End

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