Among the Echoes (Wrecked and Ruined #2.5)(22)

"Just that Dave lied when he told me you wanted me to come over for dinner."

"Son of a bitch," I mumble under my breath.

"It’s okay. Watching you stand up to him back there was worth it. Makes me feel a little better about leaving you last night."

"Adam, he loves me. He wouldn’t hurt me."

"Well, sometimes those lines can get blurry. I’m just glad to see this fiery and pissed-off side of you. It looks better on you than the woman I met last night." He grins and his eyes slide over my body in an obviously flirtatious way.

"Well, it’s good to see that you actually own clothes and don’t just live in sweats." I smile, raking my eyes over him in the exact way he just did.

He laughs, and his easygoing smile steals my breath. "What can I do to help?"

"Go entertain Dave. Any minute now, he’s going to start whining for dinner."

"Ugh. I’m still not sure how I feel about him," he says honestly while glancing over to where Dave is watching TV.

"He’s a good guy, but if you want to hang out in here, I’m sure I can find some way to put you to use. You botched my peppers, so chopping anything is out. But if you want to stir the meat, I won’t stop you."

"I did not botch the peppers. That is how they were supposed to look," he says defensively.

"I’ve minced garlic with bigger pieces than the peppers you crushed."

"Hey! How about you stop complaining and perhaps give me some credit for multitasking. I was eavesdropping while I cut those." He smirks, and it makes my cheeks heat.

"Well, regardless. I’m benching you from knife duties. Grab the spatula, tough guy, and make sure the meat doesn’t burn."

He puts his beer down and moves to the other side of the kitchen, and just as he squeezes past me, his hand drags across the small of my back, sending an unfamiliar shiver over my entire body.

I look away and silently mouth, "Oh my God!" as he begins flipping the meat.

What the hell just happened? Where did this funny and charming man come from? This Adam is a far cry from the one I met yesterday. Sure, he was kind and gentle, but this is different. This is a man who seems to be interested in me as a woman, and the best difference of all is that fact doesn’t scare the hell out of me. I bite my lip and turn my head away from him to hide my giddy smile.





Dinner comes and goes, and I’m not sure I’ve ever smiled so much. Adam never reverted to the quiet guy I originally thought he was. He’s smart and witty, two traits that made him even more attractive to me. Our conversation flowed easily, and my naturally shy disposition vanished. We chatted like old friends. God, it felt amazing. I can’t even swear to you that Dave was even at the table while we ate. It seems Adam and I dominated every conversation.

"Riley, that was delicious," Adam says, standing to clear the table.

I quickly try to stop him. "You don’t have to do that!"

"No, sit. You cooked. I can manage the dishes."

"We should hire him," Dave leans over and loudly whispers in my ear.

I giggle for a minute before heading toward the sink to stop him.

"I have a trick," I say, stepping beside him. I catch a whiff of his cologne, and it takes my every conscious thought not to sway toward him. "Watch." I fill the sink with warm, soapy water and pull the dirty dishes from his hands, dropping them unceremoniously into the water. "There. They’re soaking," I announce.

A slow smile creeps across his face. "Who’s going to wash them after they soak?"

"I’ll guilt Dave into doing them in the morning." I return his smile.

"She really will," Dave confirms from the couch, but Adam’s eyes never leave mine. It’s unnerving but exhilarating all at once.

"Make sure you do that." Very gently, he reaches a hand forward to brush a hair out of my face.

I freeze, but not because I’m frightened. I can’t move as I watch his hand tenderly moving toward my face. It’s so slow that I know I could easily stop him if I wanted. It’s a purposeful speed that makes my heart skip a beat. He knows I’m skittish and he decided to take a risk, but he made sure to make me feel comfortable while he did it. The flutter in my stomach returns at full force.

"So yeah, I bet the fight is starting soon." I look down and step away, wishing I could have stayed. Story of my life.

"Right," he responds without moving an inch.

I look up to find him staring down at me with a sudden and unexpected heat in his eyes.

"You really need to get new contacts," he mumbles before walking away.

I collect myself for a few minutes before following him over to the couch. I look between the two men sitting on either end before settling for the tattered recliner nearest to Dave.

"No way!" Dave shouts, and Adam’s lip lifts a miniscule amount. "Did you see Lopez tonight? He’s huge!"

"He made weigh-in though," Adam challenges.

"Maybe with one leg off the scale." Dave begins to laugh, and Adam joins him in the most amazing and unexpected show of humor between the two men, who before this moment have been cordial at best. I can’t help but laugh right along with them.

The announcer begins his exaggerated introductions that vibrate over the speakers of our cheap TV, causing us all to automatically hush. Both of the competitors enter the ring and I sigh to myself when I think about how delicious Adam would look crossing through those ropes.