Her face fell, then she perked back up. “I can’t share a room with you. I barely know you.”
“Nice try with that one; we’ll figure something out,” he said.
She was quiet for a long time, clearly trying to think of another reason, but finally said, “Fine, but you have to promise to stay out of my way.”
He shook his head. “No way. I already made one promise I don’t want to keep.”
Vivian stared at him a minute, then turned back to the window and crossed her arms over her chest. She didn’t speak to him for the rest of the trip, but when the plane touched down in Miami, she turned to him.
“What are we going to tell people? I’m supposed to be coming to this thing alone.”
Adam had been thinking about that, turning over the possibilities in his mind, and came up with the only logical conclusion. “We’ll just tell them that I’m your boyfriend,” he said, grinning when her mouth fell open.
“But that’s...I don’t think...we can pull it off,” she finally managed to say, her face turning pink.
“Oh, I don’t think that’s going to be a problem,” he said, a wicked grin on his face. “I bet everyone back at the airport would believe it.”
Vivian’s face turned a darker shade of red, and he was tempted once again to kiss her, but the seatbelt sign came on, and they started their descent into Miami. What had started out to be a normal vacation, had suddenly turned interesting, and although he was worried about Vivian, the thought of spending time with her was tantalizing.
There was a car waiting for them when they came out of baggage claim, and before long, they were flying along the highway. The ocean, blue and sparkling, was to their left, the coastline to their right, and he remembered why he loved Florida so much.
But it wasn’t long before they pulled off the main road and started following a narrow road that took them closer to the shore. Soon, the thick Florida vegetation obscured the view of the ocean, and it felt like they were miles from civilization. But then they rounded a curve, and suddenly the mansion was looming before them, a huge monstrosity that looked very out of place.
He and Vivian both stared at the massive building as the car approached, then she said, “I’ve been to a lot of fancy houses in my life, but I’ve never seen anything like this.”
“It’s a castle,” he said, stating the obvious but too shocked by the sight to say anything else.
Vivian nodded. “It looks more like something you’d find in Europe. Darren warned me, but I had no idea. There must be a hundred bedrooms in that place.”
“I’d say more,” Adam said, wondering what else Lucas did here besides host charity weekends and if he might be able to do a little digging of his own.
Polluter or not, Lucas Davenport had a lot more going on, and this might be the perfect opportunity to find out what else their enemy was up to. He wasn’t worried that Lucas would figure out who he was, and he planned to avoid the man as much as possible, which, looking at the castle, shouldn’t be a problem.
Once again, he wished that he hadn’t promised Vivian that he wouldn’t tell anyone where they were. Daniel and the council would have loved to have known, probably would have been able to give him some idea what to look for, but he was on his own thanks to his promise. But that didn’t mean he couldn’t find out something valuable to take home with him.
***Vivian***
Vivian felt her stomach clench with nerves as they climbed the long flight of stone steps; this was going to be the tricky part, and she was a little nervous about bluffing her way through. When they got to the top, they both took a second to take in the view of the ocean, which seemed even bluer here.
“May I have your invitation?” a man asked, forcing her to drag her eyes away from the water.
She handed over the sheet of paper, her heart pounding in her chest as she watched him enter something into the tablet he was carrying. It was several long moments before he said, “I’m sorry, but I’m not sure this is right; this invitation is for Vince Briceson, and there’s not a guest listed.”
Vivian hesitated, the mixed-up name story she was going to use suddenly feeling inadequate. But then Adam stepped up behind her. “I’m Vince. Is there a problem?”
“Oh, well, sir, Mr. Davenport was very clear that all guests had to be listed on the invitations. Security, you see,” he said, clearing his throat nervously when Adam’s face darkened.
“I see, and does Mr. Davenport want it to get out that he’s afraid of a little woman like this one?” Adam asked, the threat clear in his voice.
The man looked uncomfortable, glanced over his shoulder a couple of times, then said, “I don’t suppose it would hurt to bend the rules this once. I’ll just add her name now.”
Adam nodded as if he’d known that would be the answer. “Very good,” he said.
When they were finally alone in the room they’d be sharing for the weekend, Vivian sighed with relief. “That wasn’t so bad,” she said, going to the closet and beginning to searching the shelves.
Adam snorted. “What were you planning to tell them?” he asked, putting his hands on his hips. “Let me guess; you were going to use the mixed-up name excuse.”
Vivian poked her head out of the closet. “It would have worked; you just didn’t give me a chance to use it,” she said, then disappeared back into the closet.
Adam snorted so loud she could hear it from inside the closet. “It would have,” she said again, coming out of the closet and looking around the room.
She walked over to the bedside table and pulled the drawers out one by one and turned them over, disappointed when she didn’t find anything. When she got over to one of the two large dressers and pulled on the top drawer, it slid out too fast and crashed to the floor.
Vivian grimaced, then bent to pick it up, but Adam got there first. “What exactly are you doing?”
“I’m looking for something,” she said, sliding the drawer back in after checking the bottom.
“Would you care to share with me what it is you’re looking for?” Adam asked sarcastically.
Vivian slid the drawer she’d just checked back into the dresser then turned and looked at him, “No,” she said, then turned back to the dresser.
Adam reached out, grabbed her arm, and spun her around to look at him. “Do you think I cancelled my plans just because this sounded like more fun? Lucas Davenport is a dangerous man, and you’re in way over your head,” he said, then paused, hoping what he’d said would sink in. “You need my help, Vivian, stop being so stubborn and take it,” he finished.
As much as she hated to admit it, she had needed his help, but she wasn’t going to tell him that. “Fine,” she said, with a sigh, “I’m looking for an envelope that my contact was supposed to leave here someplace.”
Adam thought about that for a second, then walked over to the bed and threw back the covers. “Could this be it?” he asked, a triumphant look on his face.
Vivian walked over and snatched up the envelope. “Thank you,” she said, then headed for the bathroom, quietly shut the door, and locked it.
She scanned the contents of the envelope and smiled; this was going to be easier than she thought. The only problem would be figuring out a way to sneak away from Adam later tonight, since there no way he would approve of what she was planning to do.
Pulling the map she’d need out of the envelope, she stuffed it into one of the folded towels and left the bathroom. When Adam opened his mouth, she handed him the envelope. “I’m sure you’re going to ask for this,” she said.
He looked at her suspiciously, then took the envelope over to the empty fireplace and sat down in a chair. When he was finished, he looked over at her. “There’s no way we’ll be able to get into his study; he’ll probably have guards posted,” he said.
Vivian shrugged. “We’ll have to find a way,” she said. “I’m going to go take a shower.”
Vivian was proud of herself for not giving away the map, but she�
�d known that if she stayed in the room with Adam too long, she might. So, she jumped in the shower, knowing it was probably too early to get ready for dinner but needing some space.
It wasn’t until she was standing naked in the shower that it hit her that there was only one bed; they’d have to share, or she’d have to make Adam sleep on the floor. Neither choice appealed to her, although there was a little part of her that was thrilled with the idea of sleeping next to Adam in the bed.
Visions of them cuddled up in the big bed came to her mind, and before she knew it, her thoughts had gone places that made desire come to life with a tingle deep inside her. The kiss they’d shared sprang to life in her memory, the feel of Adam’s lips on hers, the gentle probing of his tongue, his strong arms around her.
Shivering as desire raced through her, she wondered how long it would be before she gave in to the incredible attraction she felt for him. Sleeping in the same room wasn’t going to make it any easier, but she was a grown woman with an important job to do; desire would just have to take a back seat. At least that’s what she kept telling herself over and over as she got ready for dinner.
Chapter Five
***Adam***
Adam watched Vivian stomping down the hallway and felt a little guilty that he’d been acting like a jerk all night. The tedious dinner combined with the desire he’d had to fight constantly had taken their toll, and by the time dessert was served in the parlor, he’d had enough.
It was bad enough that he’d wanted to touch her all night but watching one man after another flirt with her had driven him over the edge. He’d finally put his arm around her, and whispered, “Have you forgotten that I’m supposed to be your boyfriend?”
“No,” she said, looking up at him, clearly surprised by the tone of his voice.
“Well, then maybe you should start acting like it,” he responded through clenched teeth. “People are going to start talking about us if you keep acting like this.”
“Acting like what?” she asked. “All I’m doing is talking to people.”
“Yeah, and all those people happen to be men,” he countered.
Her eyes got big and then she said, “You're jealous.”
“I’m not jealous,” he said, then added, “If you don’t stop acting like an idiot, we’re going to get caught.”
Her mouth popped open in shock, then she closed it and stared at him for a second. “Well, pardon me for being an idiot, but you never know what you might discover talking to people. But since you seem to know more than I do, I’ll just let you handle it,” she said. “In fact, I think I’m ready to go back to the room. You stay here and see if you can find a way into the study.”
Then she pulled out of his arms and stalked away. Now he was following her down the hallway, knowing that he’d screwed up, feeling bad about that and wishing he didn’t. Jealousy was never a pretty emotion, and he had a bad case of it.
When they got into the room, she walked over to the closet and pulled out two extra pillows and a blanket. He was prepared for her to tell him to sleep on the floor, but instead, she took the pillows and made a barrier down the middle of the bed.
“You sleep on that side on top of the covers, and I’ll sleep on this side under them,” she said, pointing to the bed, then grabbed her pajamas and disappeared into the bathroom.
He wasn’t sure if it was a relief or not that he wasn’t sleeping on the floor; it wasn’t going to be easy being that close to her all night, pillow barrier or not. Quickly changing into his pajamas, glad that he’d packed some, he got into bed and covered up with the blanket she’d thrown out of the closet.
When she came out of the bathroom a long time later, he pretended to be asleep, deciding that was the best course of action. But he was hyperaware of her moving around the room, turning off the lights, and when he felt her weight on the bed, his heart rate went crazy.
Feeling like an idiot, he tried to go to sleep, but his brain had other ideas, and soon Vivian was all he could think about. Just the sound of her breathing softly next to him made his body go haywire, and he doubted that sleep would ever come; when it did, his dreams were full of Vivian.
He woke the next morning to find the pillows between them gone and Vivian snuggled in his arms. It was a bit of a shock at first, but then he realized how wonderful it felt and just laid there for a long time, listening to her sleep.
But when she began to stir, he slipped out of bed, afraid of what she might think if she woke up in his arms. He’d messed up the night before and had no intention of making the same mistakes today, although why it mattered, he wasn’t sure.
That was when he realized that he was beginning to care about Vivian, that what had started as a purely physical attraction was quickly turning into something more. As annoying as it was since he was only trying to keep her safe, he still had to admire her stubborn refusal to back down and her independence.
That she was beautiful, there was no doubt, but she hardly seemed to notice her own beauty and certainly didn’t seem like one of those women who spent hours each day perfecting it. Women like that held no interest for him; he wanted a woman who cared about more than just her looks or how much money he had.
Sighing because he realized that he’d finally found a woman he could love, but also knew that anything between them was impossible, he got dressed and left the room. The situation between their two families was already strange enough, and he couldn’t let himself forget that Vivian was completely clueless about dragon shifters and The Opal Society.
One thing he knew for certain: a real and lasting relationship had to be based on trust, and there were too many secrets between them, too many lies. He’d never be able to live life that way; the woman he loved would have to know the truth about him, would probably have to be a dragon shifter.
Suddenly feeling the weight of his life, he grabbed some clothes from his bag and went into the bathroom to get dressed. He never should have insisted on coming with Vivian; he should have just called Daniel and ratted her out. It would have been better for both of them.
By the time he got downstairs, he’d all but decided to call Daniel, but he’d promised Vivian, and he never broke a promise. Right now, she wasn’t really in any danger, hadn’t done anything that would alert Lucas Davenport to what she was up to. He’d just have to stick close to her and hope he could stop whatever was happening between them.
***Vivian***
Vivian woke groggily and tried to sit up, but she was tangled in her blankets and Adam’s. The pillows that had separated them were shoved to the floor at the bottom of the bed, and a vague memory of being in Adam’s arms surfaced. Telling herself it had only been a dream, she untangled herself and sat up in bed.
She wondered where Adam had gone and reached for her phone to check the time, but then he came through the door with a tray in his hands. “Glad to see you’re finally awake. I thought you were going to sleep all morning,” he said, putting the tray down on the table next to the bed. “I brought you breakfast.”
Vivian looked at the tray, then back at Adam, and a warmth spread through her. “That was sweet, thank you,” she said, feeling her cheeks pinken.
He handed her the steaming cup of coffee, then said, “I’m sorry I acted like such a jerk last night. I had no right.”
Vivian smiled at him, liking him just a little bit more for being able to apologize. “That’s okay; you were right. I should have toned it down a little,” she said. “I guess I need to remember that I’m supposed to be your girlfriend.”
Just saying the words made her heart beat a little faster and she suddenly wished she hadn’t said it. But Adam smiled. “It’s a little new to me too,” he said. “We’ll do better today.”
She smiled back at him, wishing her heart wouldn’t do those little flip flops it always did when he smiled at her that way. “Everyone is supposed to go down to the beach for the morning today, and then a late lunch on the terrace before getting ready for the party tonight.
I was thinking that we might be able to get into the study this morning. Lucas should be with his guests,” she said to distract herself from what she was feeling.
Adam shook his head. “No way. There are two guards outside the doors, so we’re not getting in that way. Maybe your contact can help you get in, slip you in as a maid or something,” he suggested.
Vivian felt bad that she hadn’t shared the map with Adam, knew that all this talk about finding a way in was unneeded, but she wasn’t ready to share. “We have a place arranged where I can leave him a note. I’ll write one right away, and we can drop it off on our way downstairs.”
“Then it looks like we’re off to the beach for the morning,” he said.
When they got down to the beach, Vivian realized it wasn’t going to be hard to forget for a few hours why they were there. Adam took two lounge chairs and an umbrella a little way down the beach and set them up, giving them some privacy.
It was a beautiful day, not a cloud in the sky, and the water so blue, it reminded her of Adam’s eyes. The waves were lapping at the shore in a lazy way, and when she let it lap around her feet, it was warm. It wasn’t long before they were in the water, splashing each other like children and laughing until their stomachs hurt.
They finally climbed out of the water when the sun began to become too hot and took refuge under the umbrella, both out of breath but still laughing. “I haven’t played in the water like that since I was a kid,” Vivian said, grinning at him.
“I remember the time we all went to the beach together,” Adam said. “You spent the whole time trying to dunk me.”
“And I succeeded every time I tried,” she said, grinning at him.
“But I got even,” he said, grinning back.
Vivian laughed, then fell silent, realizing that this was the first time Adam had said anything about the time they’d spent together as kids. “This whole thing with Daniel and Scott must be as strange to you as it is to me,” she said, wondering for the first time how he felt.
Dragon’s Forbidden Mate (Dragons Secret Society Book 2) Page 3
