Page 52

But, unlike before, there was only one provider he wanted and only one woman he wished to request.
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Eve
Eve headed to the kitchen to heat a mug of milk. She couldn’t drink her evening cup now without thinking of lying under the island moonlight, safe in the shelter of Adam’s arms.
She hadn’t heard from him in two weeks.
A part of her expected that. She hadn’t given him what he wanted.
Another part of her had sunk into a funk she couldn’t seem to shake. She needed comfort food. Where was that pizza she had ordered?
Dinner would be pizza Margherita from Grimaldi’s, followed by strawberry Häagen-Dazs spooned right from the tub while watchingGone with the Wind. Calories be damned. Tonight, she didn’t care.
The door buzzer sounded.
“Just a minute!”
She grabbed her wallet, extracting bills for a tip. Running a hand through her disheveled hair, she hurried, barefoot, to the door, not bothering with the peephole.
She pulled it open.
Adam stood there, a black duffel bag in one hand, a multistemmed white orchid in the other.
“Eve.”
“Adam!”
The sight of him made her go all weak-kneed. He wore black Nikes, sweatpants, and a fitted black T-shirt with six round airplane instruments printed on the chest. Above them, in white all-caps, she read,THE ONLY 6-PACK I’LL EVER NEED.
Eve couldn’t help it: she laughed. Never in a million years would she have seen Adam as the silly T-shirt type.
“Nice shirt,” she said, stepping aside to let him enter.
He dropped the duffel by the door.“Another gag gift from my sister. It’s comfortable for working out.”
“How did you get into the building?”
His smile was devastating. “Through the front door.”
She shook her head. That smile of his undoubtedly opened many locked doors.
He handed her the orchid.“For you.”
“Thank you.” His fingertips brushed hers as she took the potted plant, the slight contact sparking electric current.
The orchid looked exactly like the one in their suite at the Ritz.
Was that a coincidence?
Smiling, she placed it on the high countertop adjacent to the kitchen so she could see it no matter where she was in the apartment. A vision of him backing her up to that same counter not too long ago flashed in her mind.
She turned to face him and jumped. He was now right behind her.
Again.
Eve swallowed.“What can I do for you?”