Need You Now (Martha's Way Series Book 2) (10 page)

“Adam,” Minka called after him.

He stopped midstride and turned to face
the woman who had become a friend. Her face was nearly buried underneath a mass
of spiral curls. He impatiently
brushed back a mane
of hair to expose her pretty features. She flashed him an apologetic smile. In
spite of all the tension inside him, he smiled back at her.

“Give her time,” she said gently.

“She wants out.”

Minka flinched. “Oh.”

“What do you know,
Minka? Tell me. She doesn’t look well.”

The two women shared a connection. They
were best friends. He could tell by the way Minka was chewing on her lower lip,
she knew what the hell was going on. He also knew no way in hell she was going
to betray her fri
end.

“I can’t,” she said as he expected. “I’m
sorry, Adam, but it’s her story to tell. Not mine.”

He understood the loyalty between the
two friends. Hell, he had his own with Jason, Forrest, Blake, and Claire. “I’ll
see you tomorrow.” He walked past Minka
out of the
house and hopped into the black Maserati GranTurismo convertible, put it in
reverse and sped out of the driveway.

The convertible was Adam’s latest
addition to his collection of sleek, fast cars. Speed was his rush. He shifted
gear, pressed on t
he pedal and the engine yielded to
his command and accelerated. Good girl.
His new baby.
Dynamic and elegant, the
perfect blend of freedom and passion, with enough practicality that his mother
only frowned once when she saw the car. His argument
—
it comfort
ably sat four.
Although,
so far only Forrest had enough balls to join him for a test drive.
Jason didn’t part from his
Jeep and Blake practically had two wives, his Mercedes SUV and Keely, Minka’s
fraternal twin.

But it was Lily he fantasized about,
stripp
ed naked and riding him with the top down under
the moonlight somewhere. Only she no longer wanted to play. And she wouldn’t
tell him why. Adam swore under his breath. Something was up and since it wasn’t
another man, he vowed to get to the bottom of it. H
ell,
as Jason said he would go back to his corner and get ready for round two,
because they weren’t done. Not by a long shot. But right now he needed an
adrenaline rush to release the tension burning of him. Reaching for his phone
he pressed
Forrest’s
numb
er and connected the phone to the car.

“What are you wearing today?
Scrubs or farmer’s shoes?”
Adam asked when Forrest
answered his phone.

“Which one do you like best?” His friend
asked on speaker. “I hear wind. That means you’re still not getting any so y
ou took your baby for a ride?”

“You must be in scrubs. You’re in doctor
mode.”

Forrest was the island’s most eligible
doctor. When he wasn’t running his clinic, he was usually on his parents’ farm
working or catching waves with the boys, the reason for Ada
m’s call. He checked the neon numbers indicating the late
morning. The strong waves were long gone.

“Paddle boarding?”

“Can’t.
Two jerks came up with this
idea of a wine tasting, food festival and every year, it gets bigger and
crazier.” Forrest complained with feigned frustration. “I’m closing shop in two
hours and heading to the farm since we have to supply food to a certain re
staurant in Menemsha and a bar downtown.”

The restaurant belonged to Adam. Vapor
was a partnership venture between Adam and Jason.

“How about tomorrow?”
Forrest proposed.
“First thing in the morning before the
madness starts.
We’re supposed to get some str
ong waves.”

Just what Adam
needed,
a fight with the ocean. The waves would
be stubborn and try to take him down. He was ready for the battle. “It’s a
date.”

Forrest chuckled. “I don’t put out
though.”

“You’re not my type. Apparently, I
prefer willowy wome
n with short hair.”

Forrest laughed a little harder.
“First Blake, then Jason, and now you.
All the greats have fallen.”

Adam snorted. “Don’t confuse lust for the other L word.”

“First sign is denial. You can’t even say the word.”

“Love,” he muttered to sp
ite his
friend.
“Happy, asshole?”

“And stubborn as hell.”
Forrest laughed again. “Yeah, you’re a
dead man.
Gotta go.
See you first thing tomorrow.”

Adam disconnected the call and steered
the car along the rolling hills of the island, passing sheep farms, w
inding country roads lined with vegetable stands and
colorful harbors bustling with boats. He belonged in two worlds. All his life
he balanced it well. In Italy, he kept a condo in the city and loved the fast
life but Chilmark was home.
His
serenity.

He st
eered the
car along the wooded area to his house and maneuvered the vehicle with ease
along the roughness of the unpaved road. Once inside, he kicked off his shoes
and welcomed the coolness of the wooden floor against his feet, and made his
way to the laun
dry room to locate a pair of swim
trunks before going to the shed house for his board. He hoisted it under his
arm and walked down the hilly path onto the beach. Ahead of him, the calm,
peaceful sea stretched out as far as he could see.

One of the perks of
living on two and a half acres of land, and in a town with
a population of less than a thousand
people,
was privacy. On most days he had the
water to himself, like today. In Italy and the world of racing, he was
considered famous, but on the island, excep
t for an
occasional tourist approaching him, he was left alone. He was a local.

He placed the board on the water and
jumped in.
Since he’d left his wetsuit behind, the icy
water stung his skin, a welcome reprieve from the racing in his mind.
Adam jumped on
the board, adjusted his weight for balance, pushed off and
began paddling, floating smoothly on the light waves.

And then there was nothing but the sound
of his board skimming through the water, the occasional sight of birds landing
smoothly on the sea, b
ut soon returned to the sky,
the splash of enthusiastic fish, and the freedom cry of seagulls filling the
scene.

Peace.

He found that in three places, racing,
the water, and buried deep between Lily’s legs. He groaned. The taste of her
sweet lips still lin
gered on his mouth like the smell
of summer rain. He ached to kiss her deeper, to lose himself in her and feel
her heartbeat against his.

Shit. Never in his life had a woman
possessed so much power over his body. He inhaled and slowly released as the
wind
whipped his face. Keeping his breath steady,
Adam paddled faster, and pushed harder until his shoulders burned. He felt his
whole body working, his leg muscles warmed, cold air bit his lungs, and blood
flowed into his limbs.

His muscles burned, then ached,
then went numb. But he continued on, unhesitating.
Catching wave after wave, relentlessly seeking the oblivion
of physical exhaustion.
Finally, he lay spent on the sand.
Board by his side, he stared up at the crystalline sky and tried to appease his
need
for oxygen.

Chapter
Nine

“My only nightmare is waking
up in a world where you’re not mine.”

Unknown

Adam’s eyes moved
rapidly back and forth behind his eyelids.
There was something, someone there, but he couldn’t see it
or move fast enough. His body
felt heavy, as if he
were
dragging a ship’s anchor behind him. He recognized his
whereabouts; small puddles of water welled in corners and seeped from walls,
creating a strong presence of mold. The building was most dilapidated, beyond
repair.

His eyes
ca
ught sight of the weathered door. Scratches etched
their way along the bottom half of it and the edges were uneven and cracked.
The door knob hung loose, waiting eagerly for him to step inside. It smelled
horrid, and if you squinted hard enough, you could
see
tiny black bugs crawling in between the jagged scratches.

The door
may be battered, but it was his freedom. He hurried his steps, but the door
seemed further away with each step he took. As he reached for the doorknob, the
hot breath of his tormentor b
urned the back of his
neck.

There was
pain, and a splattering of red. A chill washed over his body when a cold,
metallic object pressed against his head. He was going to die. The room
darkened slowly, and the sunset cast an orange glow through the window e
mbellishing the grim scene. Accepting his fate, he squeezed
his eyelids together.

The trigger released with a snap, and he
jerked, sitting up suddenly in the dark quiet room, his heart hammering, cold
sweat beading on his skin.

“Fuck!” he breathed shakily,
sick to his stomach.

He remained still, looking around the
room, reorienting himself from the dream. Then he dropped his weight back on
the bed, allowing a second or two to settle his racing heart. After a few
seconds, he rubbed his eyes, turned on the be
dside
lamp, and reached for the Panerai watch on the nightstand.

Five a.m. Perfect time to
awaken from a nightmare.
Forrest would be arriving soon for
their early morning surf. Rubbing the back of his neck, he walked into the
bathroom and splashed cold wat
er on his face, and
brushed his teeth before sliding into his a fitted black wet-suit.

He stepped outside. Patches of mist
swirled above the colorful trees. He pulled the black skully down to his ears
and inhaled the cool, crisp air. He just needed to brea
the to rid himself from the dark thoughts in his head. He was in the
process of fitting his board in the back of his car when Forrest’s orange Jeep
pulled next to him. Unlike Adam, who felt like shit, his friend looked
completely at ease blasting
What I Go
t
by Sublime from the stereo.

“Hop in,” Forrest hollered.

Adam shook his head. “Let’s take my
car.”

“It’s enough I’m going to freeze my
balls early in the morning to help you relieve some stress. I want to at least
be comfortable driving there, so get in.”

Adam recognized a good argument when he
heard one and dumped his board
in
the back of the Jeep.

“Gay Head or South Beach?”
Forrest asked as Adam slid
into the passenger seat.

Gay Head was located in Aquinnah and at
this time of the morning the waves would
be strong
there. “Let’s go to Aquinnah.
Closer
and better waves.”

Forrest nodded and shifted gear to start
the Jeep. “And further away from Lily.”

“You’re a fucking genius,” he grunted.
Jason’s house was less than one mile away from the popular South Beac
h. The temptation to go there instead and demand an
explanation from Lily would be too tempting. His friends knew him well. Resting
his head against the cushion of the seat, he closed his eyes and enjoyed the
fresh morning air.

“Has it occurred to you she
just doesn’t want to do this anymore?”

“She still wants me,” he answered
without opening his eyes.

Forrest snorted. “I mean, has it
occurred to you she might want more? You
know,
a meaningful relationship with love,
stability, and a real car?”

“Then she sh
ould
say so.”

“Except you don’t want those
things.”

Adam slid his friend a sideways look.
“What’s your point?”

“What if she wants to take your
relationship to the next level? Would you give it to her?”

He pondered Forrest’s question. The
possibility that
she might want something more
between them had not crossed his mind. When they started whatever it was they
were doing, both had made it clear nothing serious was their only option.

“I don’t do
marriage,” he muttered, “and neither does she.”

“Who said anyt
hing
about marriage?”

“We both
decided what this was. If she wants to change the rules she should tell me.”

“But you probably wouldn’t want to
continue playing.”

“Is this the part
where
I point out that she’s the one who doesn’t want to play
anymore?”

“No,
this is
the part you acknowledge that I’m brilliant.”

“Or maybe a pain in my ass.
By the way, Claire is
coming to town. Are you guys going to give in to the tension and start
fucking?” He purposefully turned the spotlight on Forrest, giving his friend a
t
aste of his own medicine.

Forrest grunted and killed the ignition.
“You look like shit.”

“Thanks. Tell me something I don’t know.”

“The bags under your eyes are quite a delectable shade of
purple. What brand is that?”

“Insomnia.”

“Nice.
Gotta
try that some
time.
Tough night?”

Adam shrugged. “I’ll eventually sleep again.”

“I can
…
”

“No drugs.”

“Actually, I was going to say have you
thought about facing your demons?” When Adam didn’t answer, Forrest slapped his
shoulder. “Come on, big boy, let’s go release som
e
frustration.”

* * * *

Adam’s legs were shredded from two hours
battling strong ocean waves. For two days, he had pushed himself and his body
paid the price. But instead of feeling tired, the achiness energized him,
a good thing too because he
had a bus
y week ahead with the Food and Wine
Festival.

He
took slow easy strides down the path leading to the back
of the restaurant he opened five years ago. The Wharf’s Side was ideally
situated half a mile from the port of Menemsha, and a short walk to the public
beach. He took pride in hiring the best chef f
or this
venture and partnering with Forrest’s parents for a farm to table approach,
allowing the restaurant to always serve the freshest produce in season. The
move turned out to be a success. The Wharf’s Side was now well established as
one of the
must
pl
aces to eat
when on the island.

He walked over to the edge of the dock, rubbed his hands
together for warmth. The distinct crispness of the air sparked interest in
lighting a fire and watching the sun set over the yellow, orange and red trees
with Lily. Th
ey had done exactly that a year ago. The
night had ended perfectly with her riding him until he exploded. The memory
made him shiver with need. An empty feeling settled in his stomach. He wasn’t
shocked by how much he wanted her; he’d accepted that fact a
long time ago. Still, he shook his head at the memory and
brushed any thought of her aside.

His phone vibrated in his pocket. His
first thought directed to Lily. He extracted the phone quickly and glanced at
the international number flashing on the screen.
He
dismissed the pang of disappointment and smiled.

“How’s my favorite son?” His mother
asked on the other end of the phone. Her voice filled with warmth.

“I’m your only son,” he responded just
as good-naturedly. That was the ongoing greeting between them
and Adam would never grow tired of it.

“You made the news again here.”

“Who am I marrying this week?” Both his
parents took great pleasure over the Italian’s media obsession with his love
life. For the last year, every woman he was spotted with was the
flavor of the week.

His mother cackled in laughter. “Ella.”

Adam shook his head and laughed at the
news. “She’s family.” And on top of that Ella was happily married to Guillermo.
his
chef at The Wharf’s Side.
His interest in opening a restaurant on the isl
and
spurred upon meeting Guillermo and discovering his brilliant culinary skills.
The couple split their time between Brazil and the Vineyard. As it happened she
was in Italy the last time he was there and they met for lunch.

“I just wanted to let you know
you’re engaged to be married.”

“Well, I love you even more for that.
How’s Dad?” he asked, picturing his dad chuckling in the background over the
conversation.

“He’s here laughing and pretending he’s
reading a book.”

“Well, give him my love and thanks for
making me aware of my engagement.”

“The least I can do. How’s that
girlfriend of yours?

For no apparent reason, one morning
during breakfast, he found himself casually telling his parents about Lily.
They had asked the questions most curious parents inter
ested in their only child’s happiness would ask.

Who was she? How did they meet?

A teacher.
Minka’s best friend.

Was he in love?

It wasn’t that kind of relationship.

After that they had not pushed. But from
time to time he talked to them about her.

“I don’
t have a girlfriend,” he
replied, but Adam couldn’t help but think of Forrest’s words from earlier. What
if she wanted more? “Liliana and I have an understanding,” he said for his own
self-assurance.

“Darling, I don’t care how hurt she has been; a woman ca
n’t spend a year sleeping with a man and not become
emotionally invested.”

There were times he hated the frankness of his relationship
with his parents. Right now was a perfect example. “So I’ve been told.” He
grunted.

“Will we get to meet her when we come
for the wedding?”

Deep down, Adam was dreading that day. Not because he
didn’t want to introduce Lily to his parents
,
but he could already see their brains working, plotting to
tie him down. “She’s Minka’s best friend. She’s here. I will introduce you at
the wedding.”

“Not before?”

“It’s not necessary.” His parents knew him well enough to
understand the discussion was final.

“Well, we love you very much. Call and let us know how the
festival is going.”

“
Ti amo
, and will do.”

Adam hung up
and stood staring
at the blank screen of his phone. A
cool autumn breeze pulled him out of his daze, tickling the barren trees where
they cut across the sky. He looked down, noticing for the first time the piles
of freshly fallen leaves raked into piles in front of him.
It
was still early in the day but already the place bustled with activity
and excitement. He spotted the Herring Creek Farm truck making the day’s
delivery for their farm to table menu at the restaurant. Forrest’s parents
waved at him. He waved back and start
ed to make his
way
over
when two black labs came
chasing around barking in delight, scattering golden leaves everywhere before
jumping on him for their usual greeting.
Chuckling, he reached in his pocket, lowered his weight to
his knees, gave the dogs thei
r daily treat, scratched
behind their ears and patted their backs. They nuzzled closer.