Page 46 of Yearn

“Yes.”

He sucked in his breath and lowered his head again.

The elevator dinged and the doors swished open.

Chapter Twenty-One

Landon

Listen to I Put a Spell on You

by Annie Lennox

Somehow, through the dazed fog of arousal, my subconscious kicked into gear at the sound of the elevator doors opening.

Adam dropped me and I stumbled back from the lashing heat of his body, immediately leaning over as I pretended to pick up my beach bag and rummage through the contents. I heard Adam’s sharp intake of breath, as if he was trying to get his shit together, and I kept my head lowered to allow the flush in my cheeks to settle. Those precious seconds probably saved both of us.

“Hey, what’s up? Everyone’s waiting downstairs for you, Landon.” Gabriella’s voice filled the air and my heart sped up. Dear God, what was I thinking? What had I done? It could have been Max coming off the elevator! I drew on all of my skills toglance up with casual surprise, as if we’d just been exchanging pleasantries and I was waiting for the elevator.

“Hey, Gabby. Sorry—I forgot my sunscreen and then my bag spilled everywhere and Adam was helping me pick it up.” I refused to meet his eyes, but felt the scorch of his gaze drill into me, probably pissed I managed to switch off so fast. I forced a smile and stepped forward to jab the button for the elevator, praying it got there ASAP. I held my body in a forceful grip to keep from shaking. “Did you hit a lot of traffic? We did.”

Guess I reverted to the traffic report when I was freaking out.

Gabby rolled her eyes. “Yeah, it sucked. I’m going to get changed and meet you at the beach. Adam, what about you?”

His voice grated sharp and edgy. “No, I have to do some writing. I’ll be there for dinner.”

“Okay, but then you’re cut off. We’re here to party, not work for Landon’s birthday. Right?”

I gave a fake laugh as she tried to loop me into this awful conversation. “Absolutely.” I hit the button again a little violently, and there was a strange pause between the three of us. A frown creased Gabby’s brow as she seemed to suddenly realize the tension in the hallway was volcanic, but thank God the elevator dinged and the doors swooshed open and I stumbled in.

“Meet you at the beach! See you later!” I practically shouted with glee.

The doors slid shut.

I slumped over and pressed my shaky hands to my face. I’d kissed Adam in the hotel while Max was waiting downstairs for me.

I’d officially lost my fucking mind.

A moan escaped my lips and guilt washed over me. It was as if my brain had imploded and my body was in charge the moment I got close to Adam. We had a sick, sexual pull to each other that had been fueled by a year of intense dislikeand ignored tension. Somehow, the emotions spilled over in a dangerous combustion and I felt helpless to fight it.

But that was bullshit. That was excuses. How could I possibly be accusing Max of being unfaithful when I was kissing his best friend? I was a horrible person. I hated myself and my awful weakness.

And what about Gabriella? Had she caught on that something had happened between us? Hopefully, she believed we were fighting again like everyone else always did. I’d have to be extra happy and at ease tonight so she’d forget about it. We’d been getting a bit closer and I didn’t want to ruin things, especially since the group’s dynamics were shifting to make room for her and Adam as a couple.

The thought made my throat tighten. I wished I could be happy they were together and he was taken. I wished I’d never known the feel of his lips or taste of his tongue or the heat of his skin against mine.

The bell for the lobby dinged. I straightened up and smothered my guilt. I couldn’t think about Adam or the kiss. I’d go crazy. I was here for my birthday. I was moving in with Max because I loved him. And I would not let that one weak moment with Adam rip my life apart.

Max was walking toward me with a frown. “Babe, where have you been? They left to meet us because you were taking forever.”

“Sorry, I couldn’t find my glasses and then I dropped my bag and ran into Adam.”

“Yeah, I saw Gabriella here, she was going up. They going to meet us?”

“Gabby is—Adam’s working till dinner.”

His face reflected annoyance. “God, why did he even bother coming if he’s gonna work? I hope this band thing doesn’t change Adam. Would hate to lose a cool guy to some fame whore.”

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