"Darling, I don't care how hurt she has been; a woman can't spend a year sleeping with a man and not become emotionally invested."

There were times he hated the frankness of his relationship with his parents. Right now was a perfect example. "So I've been told." He grunted.

"Will we get to meet her when we come for the wedding?"

Deep down, Adam was dreading that day. Not because he didn't want to introduce Lily to his parents, but he could already see their brains working, plotting to tie him down. "She's Minka's best friend. She's here. I will introduce you at the wedding."

"Not before?"

"It's not necessary." His parents knew him well enough to understand the discussion was final.

"Well, we love you very much. Call and let us know how the festival is going."

"Ti amo, and will do."

Adam hung up and stood staring at the blank screen of his phone. A cool autumn breeze pulled him out of his daze, tickling the barren trees where they cut across the sky. He looked down, noticing for the first time the piles of freshly fallen leaves raked into piles in front of him. It was still early in the day but already the place bustled with activity and excitement. He spotted the Herring Creek Farm truck making the day's delivery for their farm to table menu at the restaurant. Forrest's parents waved at him. He waved back and started to make his way over when two black labs came chasing around barking in delight, scattering golden leaves everywhere before jumping on him for their usual greeting. Chuckling, he reached in his pocket, lowered his weight to his knees, gave the dogs their daily treat, scratched behind their ears and patted their backs. They nuzzled closer.

"We have to head to Martha's Way," Luc called out to him from the truck.

"You're not wearing your seatbelt," Adam pointed out, knowing that was a constant debate between Forrest and his father.

"You sound like my son. We'll see you later." Luc whistled and the dogs jumped inside the truck.

From the backyard, the ocean air was brisk and he pulled the hood of his sweatshirt over his head. His thumb scrolled to Lily's number and pressed TALK. To his surprise, she answered right away.

"Adam," she greeted in a neutral tone.

The reception sent ice through his gut. "How are you feeling?"

"Better. I was going to text you but..."

"No more texting," he interjected in a rougher tone than he intended. "You're here on the Vineyard with me. From now on we talk, face to face. Got it?"

"Yes."

Her voice ripped through him. Adam squeezed his eyes shut as an awkward silence fell between them. He opened his eyes and focused his attention on the moving ocean. "I miss you and I want you. What is the American expression? Blue b.a.l.l.s? Well, I think you can officially find my face right next to the term."

She laughed softly in his ear and he smiled. "I want to believe you're in as much agony."

"I am," she confessed. "But..."

"No buts, Liliana."

She let out a deep sigh. An awkward silence fell between them.

"Have the rules changed?" he asked, breaking the stillness.

His question was met by a gaping silence.

"What is it that you want, Liliana?"

"We have to talk," she acknowledged.

"Come to Vapor tonight. I'll be there." He needed immediate action and get to the bottom of whatever was going on. He'd suggest now, but he had commitments for the food festival.

"Don't you have an event there tonight?"

"We can still talk."

He knew her well enough to know she was shaking her head stubbornly at him. So he pushed. "I'm going to be busy all week with the festival, but I asked you to come here a week early to be with me, not to be at my f.u.c.king best friend's house. So we will talk and you will tell me what you want."

"What if I don't want anything? What if I want to stop sleeping with you?"

There was an uncertainty in her voice. Every muscle in Adam's body tightened. "Then grow some b.a.l.l.s, face me, and tell me exactly that and why. You need to tell me why."

After a short silence, she let out a deep sigh. "Okay," she said softly. "I'll see you tonight." Her voice shook on the words.

"See you tonight, Liliana."

After he disconnected the call, he was about to head inside the restaurant when Guillermo appeared with two rakes in hand. Adam grabbed the offered rake and patted the older man on his back. Guillermo was a handsome man in his early fifties with tanned olive skin similar to Adam's and jet black hair sprinkled with a hint of grey. He was a brilliant chef and someone Adam considered a friend.

"Do they always have to cause chaos whenever they come here?" he asked, referring to Luc and Marjorie's two energetic Labradors.

Guillermo chuckled. "I think they love watching you squirm."

"They're not the only one."

"Problem in paradise?"

Adam shrugged. His relationship with Lily wasn't a secret. Everyone in his circle knew they were sleeping together. "Does Ella always tell you what she wants?"

The chef chuckled, clearly amused by the question. "After twenty years of marriage, I can tell you I still don't know what she's thinking. The only thing I do know is when she says everything is fine, I'm in really big s.h.i.t."

Adam swallowed his laughter, let the tension flush out of his body and started raking the leaves into a pile. Guillermo joined him.

"I think I'm in deep s.h.i.t."

"Over you being engaged to my wife, who happens to be your cousin." Guillermo waved a dismissive hand in the air. "Tell Lily the truth. Ella is my wife."

"You're my cousin."

Guillermo shrugged. "Same thing. Family is family."

Adam nodded. Good point. "I don't think this is about another woman."

Guillermo stopped and rested his chin on the rake. "Then you need to beg and accept that you royally screwed things up."

"Jesus, what is it about begging and accepting fault?"

"Do you want to have s.e.x again? With Lily, that is."

Adam let out a deep sigh. "At this point, I just want to have s.e.x."

"Then go have s.e.x. You have women tapping their fingers waiting for you to take them home."

"I don't want them."

"You only want Lily."

Adam curled his lips in disgust and grunted. "It will bring you great satisfaction to hear me admit to that."

Guillermo nodded with a smile.

"Fine. I want to have s.e.x with Liliana, only her."

"So beg and accept that you royally screwed up. Now, let's talk about today's menu."

Adam nodded and switched to Portuguese as the two men discussed their dinner options for the night; all the while, his mind stayed on Lily. The need to touch her and the fact he still had about nine hours to go before they came face to face for round two made him feel edgy. This time, he had no intention of walking away empty-handed.

Chapter Ten.

"Once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been, and there you will always long to return."

Leonardo Da Vinci In Lily's world there was one universal truth when it came to her relationship with Adam, it was easy for them to take off their clothes and have s.e.x. h.e.l.l, people did it all the time. Only a year ago, she had shamelessly encouraged Minka to jump in the hay with Jason. But opening up your soul to someone, letting them into your spirit, thoughts, fears, future, hopes, dreams, now that was being naked. Adam and Lily had never been that exposed.

At no time had they shared childhood stories. Whatever intimate details she gathered of him had been a fluke. During a night out with their circle of friends, she'd learned his father was Christiano Aquilani, a famous retired Italian soccer player, who could easily rival Paolo Rossi or Baggio. Once off roading with the group, it was casually mentioned; his mother was Sophia Kensington, a former Miss America.

Adam didn't share anything personal. Not that she blamed him; she was as guarded and shared very little. Allowing herself zero chance to develop any sort of attachment. She even stayed away whenever his parents were on the island. Something, they did at least four times a year. Adam always casually announced when they were visiting, and Lily was smart enough to get the hint and stayed away. For all she knew, they didn't know of her existence, and that suited her just fine. Well, kind of.

There was that little pang each time she discovered a bit of personal information about Adam from his friends. Things that were common knowledge to the world, he never felt the need to share with the woman sharing his bed. A reminder, she was just a f.u.c.k-buddy.

She'd hooked up with him on a whim. They sought each other out when it suited them, no questions asked, no explanations needed. But then they'd started to talk and when they were apart, he'd text. That was where the trouble began. At first she'd tried to ignore the messages. To acknowledge them would cause an expectation. Expectation led to disappointment. But eventually she'd caved, and their conversations went from a simple Good morning text, to a phone call in the morning, a text or two during the course of the day and a phone call at night. No matter where Adam was, he called or texted. And although she never admitted it, she came to antic.i.p.ate their daily interaction.

And then he had to go all chivalrous on her. Taking care of her when she was sick six weeks ago. Delaying his trip back to the island for three days. Making her laugh. Making her tea. Her belly did a flip. d.a.m.n his tea.

Why did he have to do that?

Belly flips were definitely not in their rule book.

She had willingly entered a dead-end relationship with him. And for a while it was exactly what she needed. Only now, she needed...wanted that crazy-out-of-this-world kind of love that she knew existed.

But not from Adam.

She turned left into the parking lot by The Shanti, the exact spot she caught sight of Adam strolling down the road over a year ago. She exhaled. She needed to tell him about her pregnancy. Lily exhaled a deep breath, dreading his reaction. She already knew what it would be. He'd want marriage. Not because of love but because Adam took, Adam possessed. The same way he had taken her.

That feeling was wonderful in bed. Thrilling, stirring, electrifying.

But in real life? That would be settling. She never believed on settling, especially when it came to her heart.

No way. Not gonna happen.

Not in her life or her child's life. Unable to delay their impending conversation any longer, she stepped out of Minka's Audi and crossed the street from the large parking area by the pier, down the narrow path to Vapor. The evening was chilly but gorgeous, clear skies, and cool brisk air. The typical summer crowd had since dissipated, but the streets were filled with life. People young and old filled the avenue, crowding the local businesses partic.i.p.ating in the Food and Wine festival.

The closer she got to Vapor, the quicker her heart raced. Nerves. She slowed her steps, drew in a deep breath, pushed open the door with a trembling hand, and proceeded to the bar. She was met by the booming sound of excitement, deafening chatter, as one person spoke over the other. It appeared she had found the party. Not that it surprised her. Vapor was an honored sanctuary for Vineyard regulars and a familiar getaway for the many notables who frequented the island. The cool feel and warm finish of the bra.s.s bar and the Tapas-inspired grazing menu were enough to keep a loyal crowd. But the real reason people gathered at Vapor was to kick back, relax, and enjoy. Even in the winter, when the population was barely at fifteen-thousand, the bar was the place to be.

She wedged through the crowd, stomach flip-flopping, and made her way to the bar, where she knew she'd find him. A few feet away, she came to a halt at the sight of Adam. He stood next to Jason, who looked just as daunting and s.e.xy in blue jeans and a Henley. But it was Adam who caught her attention. It was always him, had been since the moment they met.

He stood there completely unaware of her watching him. Tall, well over six feet with hard muscles, casually dressed in a white b.u.t.ton-down oxford shirt with sleeves rolled to his elbows. Tonight he was sporting one of those I-decided-to-tuck-in-the-front-of-my-shirt-at-the-last-minute partial tucked into moss colored straight-fit cargo pants, with one of those skater, surfer belts. He looked as if he'd just stepped out of GQ magazine and could take on anything that came his way, including her.

He smiled over something a blonde woman said to him at the bar and tugged Jason playfully by his side. The two men laughed, nothing flirtatious. Being friendly to their clients was part of their job. Still, a pang of an avoidable loss lingered inside her. She missed his smile, his laughter, the way his eyes crinkled. She missed his kiss. She missed Adam. She wanted him more than her next breath.

At that instant, she knew as much as she'd like to deny it, pretend it wasn't so, she was head over heels in love. His world moved too fast and burned too bright. Still, she fell. The realization wasn't earth shattering, almost expected really. What was not to love? But she didn't know how to feel about her feelings.

He poured a shot, pushed a drink across the counter. Something in his casual movements and easy smile made her feel like she couldn't live without him. Only she knew better.

Adam was not about commitment. She knew he was trouble the minute she'd spotted him walking down the pier over a year ago with a woman on each arm. So shame on her. Once again, she had fallen for the wrong guy and found love in a hopeless place.

Had they not been interrupted by Jason yesterday, she would have freely given herself to him with no regrets. It was simple, he consumed her. She couldn't help it. He was just too d.a.m.n...hot. A beautiful raging storm filled with total hotness. And the minute she let the cat out of the bag, he'd come in like a tornado and Lily, like a tree with many branches, but weak roots, would be thrown to the ground.

In love or not, she needed to be strong; if not for her, for their growing baby. She couldn't help falling in love, but she still had a choice on how to go forward. Adam was impulsive, he didn't do commitment. He belonged in two worlds but not really rooted in either one of them. She neededwanteda foundation and stability. The baby wasn't responsible for this epiphany, it was who she was. Her relationship with Adam, the casual, non-committed, no promises teeter-totter they rode wasn't her. She'd pretended long enough.

Adam suddenly looked up and their gazes clashed. Her feet moved at their will and headed to the bar.

"What's your poison?" Jason asked in his usual calm, cool, and collected manner.

"Tonic water," she answered.

Jason's eyes narrowed. He paused.

Yikes! Did she just let the cat out of the bag?

Her heart was pounding, her legs suddenly restless, and her palms slippery with nerves. But she gave him a cool smile. To her relief, he poured her the tonic water with a twist of lime and went about his business.

"Jay, can you handle this for a bit?" Adam called over his shoulder.

To alleviate the sudden dryness in her mouth, she took a sip of her drink.

"Yeah, I got it." Jason answered, shot gla.s.s in hand.

Heart in her throat, she watched Adam put away the bottle of liquor and walk to the edge of the bar where she stood. He took her hands in his and smiled. Lily could have died that instant and she wouldn't have cared. Instead, her lips parted with an overwhelming need to be kissed by him.

He didn't kiss her.