Page 35 of Hot to Trot

Worse, he'd screwed up and got caught doing something unethical on video tape. That little tidbit hadn't crossed his mind until he'd left Scarlet eating pizza and escaped to the outer office. The minute he'd opened the door, his gaze landed on the computer. He'd broken out in a cold sweat. He and Scarlet had been kissing right in front of the damn video camera which meant that his indiscretion had had to be removed. So now there was a hole in the footage.

He'd felt about as stupid as a cow for forgetting himself.

He wiped away the sweat dripping in his eyes and stared out the open overhead door at the darkening Texas sky. Brilliant pink laced the deep blue that pressed upon the earth. It was a nice sky as far as skies go. And the sun was a flaming orb sitting on the horizon.

"Got one of those for me?" his friend Rick Mendez said, strolling into the garage.

"You don't drink beer."

Rick shrugged. "I'll settle for water."

Adam opened the fridge, grabbed a bottle of water, and tossed it Rick's way.

Rick caught the beverage with one hand. "Wanna come out to the center and rid yourself of whatever demon’s riding your ass?”

"Who says I have a demon?"

His friend propped himself against the metal slide of the roll-up door and smirked. "We all got demons, man. Or vampire queens.”

Adam snorted.

Rick knew his story. He was the only person in Oak Stand who did. Adam had known from the very beginning he and the former gang member would hit it off. Most would have thought differently. Rick had gang ink spiraling onto his neck and an almost permanent scowl etched on his broad face. Adam was the antithesis. One of the girls on his swim team had once declared he looked like her Ken doll. Give him a pair of seersucker pants, a sweater tied round his neck, and he became as country club as Skipper Doyle, his father's golf partner.

But, yeah, Adam had demons.

And a persistent one had just attached itself to him.

Desire... for the absolute wrong kind of girl. "Not this evening. I've sweated enough beating out all the frustrations of the day."

“Summer?”

"Yeah, she's going to be a problem." Adam took the last two swallows of the beer and tossed the empty bottle toward the recycling bin.

"Huh?"

"She's gonna-"

"Oh, you mean Scarlet. Or Summer. The actress. I meant the heat, but, yeah, that one's trouble. I told Kate to not meddle, calling the judge and all. But that's like telling a nun not to pray."

Adam straightened. "The community service was Kate's idea?"

"She's always trying to bring new things to the guys. She hates the boxing ring. We needcultureshe says. She forgets my guys think culture is drinking Hennesey at a strip club."

He tamped down the aggravation. Kate meant well, but having Scarlet teach acting classes at Phoenix, the gang-rehabilitation center that Rick operated, was a disaster waiting to happen. Mostly because if Scarlet showed up wearing a halter top without a bra around guys who hadn't seen any action in months, an all-out riot could occur. Plus, gang members studying Shakespeare? Acting out emotions? Not going to work. And when he showed up to check up on her? Suffice it to say Adam wasn't a crowd favorite at the center.

"It would be easier if she had to pick up trash on the highway." He sighed.

"Not if you don't want a pileup. She’s going to fill out an orange jumpsuit just fine.”

Like Adam didn't know that. “You're married."

“True, but not blind."

Adam gave a bark of laughter. “Scarlet is a problem, no matter which way you look at her."

"Yeah, but at least she's something to look at.”

Adam opened his mouth, but Rick held up a hand. "I know, I know, I'm married. But Kate's driving me nuts. I'm on an ice-cream run. Rocky Road. Not the store brand. But Ben & Jerry's. And I can't forget a bag of pretzels. She crushes those and sprinkles them on top."

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