"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 h.e.l.l was going on. He also knew no way in h.e.l.l she was going to betray her friend.

"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. h.e.l.l, 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 the pedal and the engine yielded to his command and accelerated. Good girl. His new baby. Dynamic and elegant, the perfect blend of freedom and pa.s.sion, with enough practicality that his mother only frowned once when she saw the car. His argument-it comfortably sat four. Although, so far only Forrest had enough b.a.l.l.s 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, stripped 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.e.l.l, 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 number 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 you 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 Adam'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 restaurant 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 strong 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 women 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 l.u.s.t for the other L word."

"First sign is denial. You can't even say the word."

"Love," he muttered to spite his friend. "Happy, a.s.shole?"

"And stubborn as h.e.l.l." 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, pa.s.sing sheep farms, winding 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 steered 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 laundry 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, except 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, but 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 lingered 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.

s.h.i.t. 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 caught sight of the weathered door. Scratches etched their way along the bottom half of it and the edges were uneven and cracked. The door k.n.o.b 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 doork.n.o.b, the hot breath of his tormentor burned 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 embellishing 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.

"f.u.c.k!" 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 bedside 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 water 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 breathe 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 s.h.i.t, his friend looked completely at ease blasting What I Got 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 b.a.l.l.s 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 pa.s.senger 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 f.u.c.king genius," he grunted. Jason's house was less than one mile away from the popular South Beach. 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 should 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 anything 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 a.s.s. By the way, Claire is coming to town. Are you guys going to give in to the tension and start f.u.c.king?" He purposefully turned the spotlight on Forrest, giving his friend a taste of his own medicine.

Forrest grunted and killed the ignition. "You look like s.h.i.t."

"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 some 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 busy 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 for 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 places 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. They 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 island 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 interested 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-a.s.surance.