“See you in the morning, Care,” Sawyer said as he opened the front door and headed out. Adam went too, but he paused for a moment, resting his hand on the screen and turning to me.
“Good night, Caroline,” he said in that soft, longing way that made the distance we’d been forced to keep tonight even harder.
“See you in the morning,” I replied quietly. He smiled at me once more and then stepped outside, closing the door behind him. I stood there a moment, watching the door and missing him already. I was about to turn and head upstairs when I heard Adam’s muffled voice from outside.
“I forgot my phone. I’ll catch up!”
I knew he was talking to my brother and my heart picked up speed when I saw the knob turn and the door push open. He walked in quickly, coming towards me, not saying a word as he threaded his fingers through my hair and pulled me close. His lips were on mine a second later. I closed my eyes and gave into the kiss, realizing just how raw the space between us tonight had been now that we were together. I was aching for more when he pulled away and by his unsteady breaths, I knew he felt the same way.
“I couldn’t leave tonight without a kiss from you. Now I’ll be able to sleep,” he said softly as he traced my jawline with his thumb. “I’ll see you in the morning.” He smiled and then kissed me again before opening the door.
I folded my arms and waved a timid wave as I tried to collect myself. The kiss may help him sleep tonight, but not me. All it had done was plant all kinds of ideas into my head about Adam and our weekend alone that would do anything but let me sleep. I smiled to myself, shaking my head as I locked the door and then headed upstairs to get ready for bed.
Nineteen
My brother’s car kicked up a cloud of dirt as he drove away from the house. Adam and I stood side by side, watching until he disappeared. Neither of us said anything for a few moments as we realized for the first time, we were alone without the possibilities of being interrupted or discovered. I could already feel the anticipation in my stomach and then I turned to Adam, who was still looking ahead at the fading dust.
“I don’t think he trusts us,” Adam finally said and I had to laugh as I thought back to the lecture Sawyer had given us before he left. We’d done our best to reassure him we had everything under control, but he was still apprehensive as he climbed into his SUV and eventually started down the driveway.
“I don’t think he does either,” I agreed.
“We’ve got this though, right?” Adam asked and I nodded.
“Yes. We’ve got this,” I said and then took his hand, leading him back to the barn so we could get started on the morning routine.
We started working and I had to admit, it was hard to keep my mind on the work when Adam was so close to me with no fear of being caught.
“I wanna take you out,” Adam said after we’d been working for a little while.
I stopped what I was doing to see him leaning against the trough, arms folded with a confident grin on his face.
“You wanna take me out?” I asked, raising an eyebrow at him.
“Yes. On a date. A real date.”
“Why do you want to do that?”
“Because you deserve it,” he said, smiling in a way that caused me to blush.
“You don’t like our little covert operation we’ve got going on?”
“I love what we’ve got going on, but I want to take you out, like a real boyfriend.”
“So, you’re my boyfriend then?” I asked with a smirk and he walked over, sliding his hands around my waist, leaning down and kissing me softly.
“If that’s okay with you,” he said slyly.
“It’s definitely okay with me,” I answered, stretching up on my toes to kiss him again.
“How about dinner around seven then? We’ll drive into Burlington.”
“And you’re not afraid to be seen?”
“I’m not going to hideout forever. I want to take you to dinner. If I have to sign a few autographs, so be it. It’ll be worth spending the night with you.”
“Alright,” I said softly, smiling up at him. “It’s a date then.”
“It’s a date,” he repeated, kissing me once more before letting go. “Now, we’d better get our chores done so we can go out and play tonight.”
I started laughing and he smacked me playfully on the ass as I walked away.
~~~
I looked at myself in the mirror. I don’t know why I was so nervous, but I was. Adam and I were together, but this was our first date and first dates hadn’t gone so well for me lately. I knew tonight would be different though because it was Adam, unless he had something up his sleeve that would top Dr. Dylan’s nude extravaganza.
I’d chosen a cute dress. It was comfortable and casual with a black and purple pattern and I thought the fitted denim jacket was a perfect compliment. I’d paired it with some black leggings and a pair of boots and curled my hair into messy beach waves, and finished it off with a little bit of make-up. I took a deep breath and was ready to go.
I heard a knock from downstairs and I didn’t know why Adam hadn’t simply walked in. I kind of liked it though. It made it feel more like a real first date that way.
I opened the door and was instantly taken with the man standing before me. I don’t think I’d ever seen Adam look so good. He’d chosen a pair of tailored jeans and a gray button down shirt with the top few buttons undone. His hair was styled, but a little messy how I liked it. He held out a small bouquet of flowers to me and I took them with a smile.
“Thank you. You didn’t have to do this,” I said, looking down at the mix of wildflowers and then making my way into the kitchen.
“Of course I did,” he said, following me as I pulled out a vase for the flowers. “You look amazing, by the way.”
I looked over to him as I filled the vase with water and saw his eyes traveling over my body, once again causing my imagination to kick into overdrive. Someday it wouldn’t be just in my mind anymore and I couldn’t wait till it became reality.
“Thank you. So do you,” I said.
“I do clean up nice, don’t I?” He tugged at his collar and showed me a cocky grin.
I put the flowers in the vase and then walked over to him, grabbing him by the scruff of the neck and pulling him to me.
“That’s an understatement,” I said, kissing him quickly and then letting go.
“I like when you’re aggressive like that. It doesn’t seem fitting of my Sweet Caroline,” he said with a laugh.
“It’s just another side of me you’re getting to know,” I said, raising an eyebrow at him.
“Is this aggressive side indicative of other places you like to take charge?” He was flirting shamelessly, so I gave it right back.
“I guess you’ll have to wait and see,” I said, meeting his eyes and I could’ve sworn I saw him swallow hard. I was getting to him and I loved that.
He eased himself off the counter and walked slowly to me, sliding his arms around my waist. I was taken back to when he’d lifted me up and set me on this very counter, my inner thoughts screaming for him to make love to me.
“You know how to torture a man, Caroline Hale,” he whispered in my ear before taking the lobe in his mouth and sucking it for a moment, causing all kinds of feelings to stir in places they shouldn’t when we were about to leave for our first date. When his mouth moved to mine, his tongue making its way deep inside as he pushed me up against the counter, I was afraid our first date wasn’t going to happen because if this kept up, I wasn’t going to leave this spot unless it was to go upstairs to my bed. “We should go,” he whispered through unsteady breaths a few moments later when he’d pulled away from me. I was trying to catch my breath and by the way he looked down at me, he knew the affect he’d had on me. He knew he could’ve had me at that moment. He knew I would’ve been putty in his hands, but he’d stopped and I couldn’t wait until we could start up again.
“Yeah,” I whispered breathlessly. “We s
hould go.”
He didn’t say anything more, but he smiled at me with the perfect mix of boyish charm and irresistible man, and took my hand as he led me outside.
~~~
I wasn’t surprised to see downtown Burlington was packed. That was typical for a Friday night and I couldn’t help but think back to the club and Robert only a few weeks before. It wasn’t far from where Adam was pulling his truck into a parking place. It would be just my luck that I’d run into Robert and as Adam turned off the ignition I prayed that wouldn’t be the case.
Adam got out and just as I was opening my door, he appeared, opening it for me and offering me his hand. I took it and climbed out.
“So, where are we going?” I asked and he pointed ahead of us.
“Just up there. I hope hibachi is okay,” he said and I nodded.
“Definitely okay.”
He squeezed my hand and a few moments later we were walking into the Japanese restaurant.
Adam spoke to the hostess, who thankfully didn’t appear to recognize him, and she led us over to a table that was already partially full.
Adam pulled my chair out for me and then the hostess handed us each a menu. I started flipping through it, but then I noticed one of the couples whispering to each other. They were trying to be discreet, but I saw their eyes drifting over to Adam. I knew they recognized him. As much as I liked hibachi, I didn’t know why he would’ve chosen a restaurant like this, where privacy was limited.
I put my hand on Adam’s knee under the table and he looked over to me. I gestured to the couple with my eyes and when he looked at them, their eyes quickly darted away.
“I’m Adam and this is Caroline,” he said, offering the couple a smile and I knew they were taken aback by his openness. I commended him and thought he was probably right in not trying to hide who he was. It was better to be open with it, that way the awkwardness could go away and we could simply eat dinner.
“I’m Kevin and this is Amanda,” the guy said and then hesitated, looking at his girlfriend for a moment. My eyes moved to the other couple at the table who’d yet to say anything. I didn’t know if they were with Kevin and Amanda, but they were watching the exchange curiously. “Um…I don’t mean to bother you,” Kevin began and I looked over to Adam who seemed to know exactly what would be coming next. “Are you…are you Adam DeLain? The Red Sox pitcher?”
“I am,” he answered.
“We’re…we’re big fans,” Amanda chimed in and Adam looked over to her.
“And you’d like a picture?” Adam smiled coolly over to them and I could see the red splash Amanda’s cheeks.
“No…no, that’s okay. We don’t want to interrupt your dinner,” she stammered.
“You’re not and it’s fine, if you want one.”
Amanda looked over to Kevin and smiled.
“If you don’t mind,” Kevin said and Adam stood up, walking over to the couple. Amanda took out her phone and then I stood up, offering to take the picture. I had a feeling if I was going to be with Adam, I’d have to get used to being his personal photographer. I really didn’t mind though. As I looked at the screen of Adam and these strangers, I suddenly saw him in a different light. I’d taken pictures for him that night we got ice cream, but it was different now. We were together. He’d called himself my boyfriend. You couldn’t get any more official than that, except for the fact that our relationship was a secret to everyone besides ourselves and my cousin. That was in our little bubble on the farm though, where he was simply Adam. Out here, away from that sheltered existence, he was Adam DeLain.
As I clicked the button and the flash went off, I couldn’t help the doubt that started to creep in. Why out of anyone, out of the women I’d seen him with, why did he want me? Maybe in the safety of Silver Falls I was what he wanted, but I couldn’t help but wonder if that would change once he got back to Boston and back to baseball and back to the life he’d left us behind for.
“All set?” I asked, shaking off the feeling and smiling over to Adam and his new buddies. Amanda looked giddy as she took the camera back and then Adam shook both hers and Kevin’s hands.
“I promise you, that’s the last we’ll bother you tonight,” Kevin said and Adam just laughed, seemingly completely at ease with having lost his anonymity. I don’t think I ever could if I was him.
“It’s no trouble,” Adam said as we settled back into our seats and continued looking at the menu.
“Do you ever get tired of it?” I whispered to him and he turned to look at me.
“I’m used to it by now. I don’t mind,” he said, reaching under the table and squeezing my knee gently. “Do you mind?” His voice was soft as we were hidden by our menus.
“No,” I said, trying to ignore the doubt that had worked its way into my head from the simple act of taking a picture. I tried focusing on the menu, but I could feel him watching me and when I turned to look at him, I knew he could tell there was something on my mind. I already knew I couldn’t hide things from Adam.
“Are you okay?” he asked softly and I nodded, smiling to him. He leaned over and kissed me on the temple just as the server came over to take our orders.
For the rest of dinner, I tried to focus on Adam and the fact we were here together, not on how it happened or what would happen later, but that in this moment, I was beside him. I was just Caroline and he was simply Adam, and for right now, that was all that mattered.
~~~
“Where are we going?” I asked Adam as he headed back to Silver Falls, but missed the turn.
We’d finished dinner. I’d hoped the initial encounter with Kevin and Amanda would be our only disruption, but it wasn’t. I knew the other diners had noticed Adam and not just because he’d be hard to miss even if he wasn’t a member of the Red Sox. At nearly six foot four and his solid build, along with his dark hair and blue eyes, Adam DeLain was someone to take notice of. Only a few asked for autographs and pictures though and each time Adam was kind and accommodating. He was used to it. I was not and I was glad when we were finally done and he led me out to the truck.
“Just a spot I used to go to,” he said, reaching over the console and taking my hand.
It was almost eight o’clock, but because it was summer, the sun was just starting to set, painting the sky a mixture of orange and yellow.
“What spot?” I asked curiously as he turned off the highway.
“Just a spot I used to come to in high school. I haven’t been there in years. I thought tonight would be a good time to go back.”
“This was one of your party spots then?” I raised an eyebrow then and he laughed quietly. I remembered the high school Adam all too well. I may have been younger, but I recalled him and Sawyer sneaking in the house well after curfew. I’d even caught them totally wasted one night with a couple of girls in the living room while my parents were out of town and Sawyer was supposed to be watching me.
“No. I never partied up here,” he said and I turned so my back was resting against the door and I could see his profile, which was staring intently at the road.
“Then why are we coming up here?” I asked.
“For privacy,” he said, kissing the back of my hand and keeping his focus on the road until a few minutes later when he was easing the truck to a stop.
We were deep in the forest at the base of the mountains and I hesitated before I unbuckled my seat belt, meeting Adam at the front of the truck before he could get the door for me.
“C’mon,” he said quietly, threading his fingers with mine and leading me into the trees.
“Where are we going?” I asked as we made our way through the thick foliage. I wished I’d worn my sneakers and jeans instead of my boots and dress as we crawled over fallen logs and boulders. I could hear a trickling somewhere in the distance and even though I’d lived in the area my whole life, I had no clue where we were.
“I told you. A spot I used to come to,” he said, looking back and smiling at me. “Try and keep up, Carol
ine. I don’t want you getting eaten my Bigfoot or something.”
“I didn’t know we had a Bigfoot problem in Vermont,” I said and he laughed.
“There’s all kinds of weird shit out here,” he said and it was my turn to laugh.
The mountain was getting steeper and I hoped we’d get to wherever it was he was taking me soon. He wasn’t even using a trail so I knew wherever we were going was probably not going to be easy to get to.
“You could’ve told me hiking was on the schedule. I would’ve dressed for the occasion then,” I said as I stepped over a mess of vines on the ground.
“Sorry. Spur of the moment idea,” he said as his shirt snagged a branch.
It felt as if we climbed forever and just as I’d predicted, it was not an easy trek, but finally, he let go of my hand and we made one final step.
“And we’re here,” he said.
We were standing in a clearing, but we weren’t on the ground. We were on a large piece of granite and when I looked down, I was surprised how high up we were. I could see quick moving water a few feet from us and I realized it was a waterfall. It was different than Silver Falls, smaller, but beautiful in its own right. I tore my eyes from it and saw the lights of Burlington twinkling in the setting sun on the right and then when I looked to the left, far off in the distance, I could see a much smaller cluster of lights and I knew it was Silver Falls. It was a view of my hometown I’d never seen before and I found myself mesmerized by it.
“It’s beautiful up here, Adam,” I said quietly, continuing to gaze out at our little town below.
“Yeah, it is.”
“How’d you find it?”
“By accident. I was out hiking with my dad and we came across this place. I don’t know if anyone else knows about it. I’ve never seen anyone.”
“You came out here a lot then?”
“Not a lot. Sometimes,” he said.
“Why’d you come out here? I mean, it’s kind of dangerous to be out here alone. One wrong step and you could kill yourself,” I said and he laughed lightly again.
Catching Caroline (Silver Falls Book 1) Page 18
