Page 29 of Catalyst

“It has its perks, but it isn’t always glamorous. I hate being watched all the time. It feels like they’re just waiting for the moment I screw up, and then they’ll pounce.”

“Probably because that’s exactly what they’re doing. The drama is always going to be a reporter’s go-to story. They don’t want you to be a good guy. They want you to have skeletons in your closet.”

Adam nods his head in agreement when a voice crackles over the intercom.

“Good afternoon, Mr. Ellis and Ms. Lancaster! We’ve been cleared for takeoff. Please ensure your seat belts are fastened, and we’ll be on our way to New Orleans shortly,” the pilot says. Another perk of flying private: You can actually hear and understand what they say over the speaker.

When we get up in the air, Adam grabs his laptop to work. I follow suit, feeling like I should take advantage of the time we have to get ahead.

“You don’t need to work right now. We’re going to be busy enough when we land. You might as well take the time to relax.”

“In that case, I think I’m going to draw. I’d like to have a few extra designs together for Linda.”

“I’ve been meaning to ask you to put together some ideas for a new logo. The drawings you’ve created are the perfect direction I want to take the company. I’d like our branding to match.”

My eyebrows raise in surprise. “I would be happy to put some ideas together.”

“Thanks.” Adam turns back to his laptop and gets lost in his work. The man’s focus is unparalleled. Whatever he works on gets his full and undivided attention every time. I don’t know how he gets so much done every day.

I open my drawing app and pull up an image of the current logo for Sidelines. It’s so perfectly outdoorsy while encompassing the full gamut of the company’s offerings. My imagination starts to swirl as I think about the new ad campaign and how I could match our branding to the feelings it evokes.

My pencil slides across the screen, the stark black lines sketching my initial thoughts. Once I have the basic shape, I can add some color to bring the drawing to life.

I lose myself in the art. My brain shuts down, allowing me to just be for a minute. The constant push of emotions that are always present in my mind quiets, giving me a moment of pure, unadulterated silence. It’s the reason drawing is my passion.

“Ellie.” Adam’s soft voice startles me out of my focus. The haze of concentration fades as I get my bearings back.

“What?”

“Would you like something to eat? We may not have time when we land to grab something.” An indulgent smile tips up the corners of Adam’s mouth. He seems amused by my confusion.

“Oh, yes, please. What are my options?” It’s then I notice the flight attendant standing next to the table. He starts going through my options: pastries, breakfast burritos, smoothies. I’m overwhelmed by the selection and pause in my decision.

“Let’s get an assortment of pastries and fruit first, then if we need something else, I’ll let you know,” Adam suggests.

I smile at him gratefully. “So fancy.”

Adam chuckles. “Yes, it’s over the top, but you won’t see me complaining. The apple turnovers are quite excellent.”

“A coffee would be great, too, when he comes back.”

“Already ordered.”

“You’re on top of things today.”

Adam tucks a piece of my hair behind my ear as he studies my face. His sole focus is on me, and it’s every bit as overwhelming as I imagined it would be. When you’re used to being ignored unless you did something wrong, it’s hard to accept the attention.

“The more time I spend with you, the more I realize I didn’t stand a chance at staying away.”

“I’m really glad you didn’t.”

Adam leans in to kiss me, his soft lips dragging across mine in a gentle tease. This man has the power to ruin me. I already know if things go south between us, my heart won’t be able to take it. And I have no desire to do anything about it.

CHAPTER14

Adam

Taylor setsthe pastries down on the table in front of us, forcing me to pull away from Ellie’s mouth. It’s taken a sheer force of will for me to control myself around her these past couple of days. With every kiss we share, I want her more than I did before. It’s exhausting and thrilling at the same time.

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