Page 45 of Harmless Scandals

“Just like that?”

She nodded. “And I have no desire to move away.”

The light changed and he pushed aside the need to ask more questions. He wanted to know everything. What had caused her to walk away from her life, what horrors did she deal with? He knew they were lurking there behind the happy smile. He didn't think she was hiding anything from them, or that she was unstable. Far from it. It seemed that she had battled her demons and walked away victorious.

Of course, no one walked away without scars. That kind of stuff lurked. There were quiet moments that something would pass over her expression. He knew it wasn't his right to ask. Not yet. Doing so would probably have her shutting them out, which was not acceptable.

That thought gave him pause. Just like Mick had said, the only other lover he had felt so possessive of had been Mick. Until now.

“Do you mind going out to Ko’ Olina?” She asked, breaking into his thoughts. “I want to get some pics of the tidal pools.”

“Sure,” he said.

She gave him that sunny smile and just like when she chuckled, his blood sang. He needed to be the strong one to make sure they didn't rush her. Mick would always be full steam ahead, but Adam had to ensure they did this right.

“And we can eat over there,” Mick said.

“Good lord. You need to eat again?” she asked.

“I'm always hungry for all kinds of things.”

Adam still couldn't see her eyes, but he had an idea she rolled her eyes.

She leaned closer to Adam. “How do you put up with him?”

“I'm just using him for sex.”

She threw back her head and laughed. The glorious sound danced on the air around him. And for right now, that was enough.

fourteen

Aweek after their first night together, Adam drove over to Jillian and Conner’s. Mick had a job and Serenity had some kind of meeting with a vendor in Honolulu. He wasn’t sure about what, but it sounded like someone wanted to sell her pictures, to tourists of course. A huge number of photographers made money that way, but from what Serenity had said, she did better than most. So, he decided to head on over to their old stomping grounds.

Adam watched Jillian as she watched her son play in the sand. She was leaning back against her beach chair, sunglasses on, a big straw hat, and wearing a white sundress. Her hand rested on her massive pregnant belly. Every now and then she would rub it.

“I hate this weather.”

He chuckled. “You hate everything right now.”

She gave him a dirty look, then turned her attention to the waves. It was the slow time of year and since the rain the other night, it had turned unbearably humid. He could understand that she was uncomfortable.

“So, you’re going with my husband over to Maui. Any shenanigans planned?”

He snorted. “Like that man will do anything without you knowing. And, it’s a short trip.”

She sniffed in annoyance. It didn't matter what he said. He always annoyed her these days. It was like this last time, so he was ready for it.

“Why are you out here bugging me and not having fun with Serenity?”

It didn't surprise him that Jillian had picked up on their relationship. It wasn't like they tried to hide it from her, but she hadn't seen the three of them together. They had been lost in their own little world, just the three of them. It seemed that they had an unspoken agreement to keep it to themselves for right now. It wasn’t that they were ashamed. Right now, he had a feeling they all wanted to keep their relationship safe, guarded. Each of them were trying to figure out where things were going. Pressure from people outside of the threesome would put more stress on them.

He glanced out at the waves and then back to Jillian. Her gaze had moved back to her son. Her observance came from two different areas. One, their friendship. Two, it was the writer in her. Many people didn't realize how much she observed in their behavior. Especially when it came to romance.

“She had a meeting in Honolulu with a vendor. Plus, she's busy working on a book.”

“She's writing?”

He shook his head and looked out at a surfer on the waves. It was still surreal that he lived in Hawaii. As humid as it was paradise. They had their issues but it was still beautiful every day. And now, things seemed settled…almost like they were completed with Serenity in their lives.

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