Page 34 of Unravel Me

He waits, elbow leaning on the window frame, cheek resting in his hand, and he even pumps his damn brows. “Yes, Rosie?”

“You’re insufferable.” I grab the center console, but before I can pull myself up, Adam grips my waist and lifts me effortlessly into the seat. He leans over me, clicking my seat belt into place.

“There ya go. That wasn’t so hard.” He taps the handle above my head. “For future reference, if you grab hold of this and plant your foot on the step, you can swing yourself right up. Or I can keep lifting you in.” He shrugs. “I personally prefer option two, ’cause then I get to check out your ass.” Before he shuts the door, he winks, and when he climbs into the truck, he simply asks for my address like he didn’t just say that.

The drive across Vancouver is peaceful. So peaceful, in fact, that when I wake with Adam’s hand on my knee and his soft voice in my ear and find we’re parked out front of my apartment building, I gasp.

“I fell asleep? That’s so embarrassing.” My face heats. “I’m almost never awake this late unless I’m studying for a test.” I frown at the map display on his dash, which seems to be stuck rerouting. “Why does it say rerouting?”

“I might’ve gone around the block a couple times so I didn’t have to wake you.”

“How many times is a couple?”

He scratches his nose and looks away. “Eight.”

“Adam.”

“Okay, let’s go!” He’s at my door before I can count to three.

“You don’t have to take me in.” Hecan’tcome in, and the thought of me having to make excuses sends my pulse racing in my ears.

“I won’t ask to come in. Just wanna walk you to your door, that’s all.”

With his hand on my lower back, he follows me through the lobby and into the elevator. It climbs slowly, my nerves climbing with it. By the time we reach the twelfth floor, I’m an anxious mess.

Is he going to kiss me? Do I kiss him? Do I offer him a handshake? No, I can’t do that again. What if—

“Which one?”

My head snaps up. “Huh. Oh. Yeah. Here.” I scramble down the hall. “I’m down here, at the end.” I stick my key in the lock, pausing to listen for any sign of life, holding in a sigh of a relief at the silence. I turn back to Adam. “So I guess I’ll, uh…” I shove my hand between us.

Goddammit, Rosie.

I squeeze my eyes shut and shake my head, pulling my hand back. Then I snap my fingers. “Oh! Your sweater!” I reach for the hem, but Adam stops me with his hand on mine.

“Keep it. For next time.”

“Next time? Like, a…second date?”

“A second date. With wine and ice cream and all your secrets.” He steps into me, and when my back hits the door, he chuckles. His face dips, and my heart leaps to my throat as he hesitates, his lips inches from mine, so close I cantaste him.

He smiles, just there in the right-hand corner, a tiny quirk of his beautiful mouth, before he brushes his soft lips across my cheek.

“Good night, trouble.”

My eyes stay locked on his as I disappear backward into my apartment. I watch through the peephole as he stands there, hands tucked in his pockets. His hand comes up, running through his curls, and with one last glance at my door and a grin that keeps growing, Adam turns and walks away.

I ditch my shoes in the hallway and drown my excitement with a glass of water before I head through the dark living room. I make it three steps before I trip over something fluffy that starts giggling.

“Elmo loves to laugh!”

“For fuck’s sake, Elmo.” I grab the toy off the floor and throw it toward the basket in the corner. It lands with a thud and laughs at me again, a taunting, satanic sound I hate with a passion.

I pause at my bedroom door, listening with my ear pressed against it. Nothing but white noise trickles out, so I push the door open as quietly as possible. Rustling sounds, and a tiny body rushes to standing, popping up from the crib in the corner of my room. The dim glow of the stars shining on the ceiling from Connor’s favorite light illuminates the most magnificent, sleepy green eyes, and my favorite man smiles up at me as I step inside.

Connor shifts on his feet, reaching his tiny hands into the air, grabbing for me.

“Mama!”

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