Page 33 of The Love Hoax

Evie

Iopen my eyes, confused. Where am I?

The open-concept living space is filling with morning light, highlighting the luxurious finishes and carefully curated decor.

Adam’s place.

The night had been the most fun I’ve had in . . . forever.

Adam and I stayed up, exchanging tidbits from our lives from where we grew up to what we ate for breakfast.

Given my current location, it seems I fell asleep, never making it to the guest room. I must have fallen asleep before he could tell me about his past love life. Bummer.

I stretch, yawn, and get off the sofa, smiling at my odd attire. Adam’s clothes.

I walk to the glass doors, sliding them open. In the growing daylight, what I couldn’t see clearly last night is perfectly visible now.

The house is perched high on a ridge. Rays of sun filter through the glistening dew-laden trees, casting a warm glow over the valley below. Barefoot, I step outside, the concrete cold on my toes. The pool is surrounded by expertly designed landscaping of tall grasses and colorful columbine.

The air is crisp and clean, with a hint of pine and wildflowers carried on a gentle breeze. A stunning panorama of rugged peaks and rolling hills stretches out as far as the eye can see. It’s the perfect morning and I feel blessed to be alive to witness it. Blessed to have made it to the half-century mark.

“Good morning,” a gruff sounding voice comes from behind me.

I turn to see Adam, his hair adorably standing on end. My heart skips a beat and a smile creeps onto my lips. I can’t deny the attraction I feel towards him, but I remind myself this is nothing more than a fun way to pay a debt to a man I nearly killed.

A hot-as-hell man.

I offer a friendly wave. “It’s so beautiful here,” I say.

He comes closer. “It’s my favorite place on the planet.”

I get it. In an alternate universe, I’d live here and never leave.

We stand side-by-side in silence, deeply present in a world coming alive.

“Coffee?” Adam asks, breaking the quietude.

“Definitely, but I should probably get cleaned up first.”

“You look beautiful.”

His eyes are shining at me and my face heats up.

Adam is a conundrum. He’s bold but not in the way I’m used to. Not in the Big City dog-eat-dog way. More like he oozes a chilled-out confidence, laced with a touch of vulnerability. There’s something about Adam that’s undeniably charming.

All of which I find incredibly alluring. His mere presence beside me is an intoxicating elixir.

I clear my throat, trying to break the spell I seem to be under. “Sorry about sleeping the whole night on your sofa.”

“No problem. You were exhausted. I didn’t want to wake you.”

A dog barks in the distance, giving me a chance to regroup.

Adam says, “You’ll find all the toiletries you need in the hallway bathroom.”

I excuse myself and head to the guestroom where I wash up, donning my freshly laundered clothes. I find Adam in the kitchen. The house smells of fresh ground coffee. “Hey,” I say.

“Hey, back.”