No Limit (Armed & Dangerous #1)(64)

“Adrian,” I gasped. He jumped off the front porch stairs and raced toward me. My heart didn’t race the way it did when Jason was around, but it was still good to see him. He looked the same with his blond, spiked hair.

My uncle smiled and nudged me forward. “He was worried about you. I called him when I knew you were coming home.”

Adrian scooped me up in his arms. “Thank God you’re okay. I couldn’t wait to see you.” He set me down and Gary waved at us before disappearing inside the house. Regis ran in circles around him until he bent down to play with him. “I missed you too, Regis Finn McFadden.”

“Thank you for bringing him here.”

He ruffled Regis’ ears and stood. “You’re welcome. He’s always been your dog more so than mine.”

“That’s probably because I snuggle him more than you.”

“True,” he chuckled.

“How’s New York? Do you like the hospital?”

“It’s amazing. I never thought I’d like living in a big city, but it’s grown on me.”

“And the people, are they friendly? I bet they aren’t like those around these parts.”

His hazel eyes sparkled. “Not all of them, but I’ve met quite a few who are. It’s one of the reasons I wanted to talk to you. After watching the way you looked at your partner on the news, I don’t feel so bad.”

Grinning wide, I grabbed his hands. “Oh my God, are you seeing someone?”

He shook his head. “Not officially. She wants to be, but I wanted to clear things up with you first. I know I mentioned us getting back together, but then you left and I went to New York. It just all happened so fast.”

“You don’t need to explain. I’m so happy for you. Is she a doctor too?”

“She is, a very smart one at that. How about we go to dinner and catch up? I can tell you all about her and you can tell me about Vegas. I’d love to hear what happened.”

Holding onto his arm, I walked with him to his car. “Brace yourself because it’s one long, crazy ride. I might need a blood orange margarita or twelve to get through it.”

He chuckled. “I have all weekend.”





“You sure you’re okay?” Adrian asked, helping me up the stairs. We’d eaten at my favorite restaurant in Hallowell that was positioned right on the Kennebec River. They made the best margaritas in town.

Giggling, I reached for one of the patio chairs and fell into it. “I’m fine. I think those margaritas were a little strong.”

Adrian sat down in the chair beside me and laughed. “Well, you drank four of them. I don’t blame you after what you’ve been through.”

Sighing, I leaned my head against the house and looked out at the stars. They were so bright in the dark sky. It was something I missed in Vegas. With all the lights, you couldn’t enjoy the true beauty of night. My head was fuzzy from the alcohol and all I could concentrate on was Jason. I wanted to know what he was doing and where he was at. Most importantly, I wanted to know if he missed me as much as I missed him.

“Are you thinking about him?”

“It’s hard not to,” I confessed.

“Then why did you leave him? You ran away when you should’ve stayed. It doesn’t look like it made things easier. If anything, you made them a whole hell of a lot harder.”

“Gee, thanks for the pep talk, pal.” I shook my head and shrugged. “I don’t know . . . I guess I didn’t want to get hurt. At least this way, I didn’t have to pretend to be strong when he turned me down. I didn’t have to look in his eyes when he said it.”

“Who says he was going to turn you down? You never gave him a chance.”

I scoffed. “He had plenty of chances. He had the whole week.”

“Maybe,” he said. “I guess you’ll never know.”

“I guess not,” I whispered. The night air grew colder and I shivered. “You about ready to head inside? I can get us some wine.” I tried to get up but needed a little assistance. I wasn’t drunk, but with the jet lag and time difference, it was all wearing on me.

“I think you’ve had enough. How about I help you to your room?”

“Sounds good. It’d suck to survive being attacked in Vegas only to come home and die from falling down the stairs.”

He guffawed. “You’re absolutely right. Come on.” We started for the door, but a set of headlights flashed behind us. “Who would be coming in this late?”

“It’s probably just some of the guests.” I opened the door and took a step inside, only to be stopped by the sound of my name.

“Aylee!”

Frozen in place, I sucked in a breath, afraid to turn around. Adrian nudged me with his elbow. “Aylee, it’s Jason. He came for you.” Jason’s footsteps grew closer until I heard him step up onto the porch. Out of the corner of my eye, I watched Adrian step forward, his hand extended. “I’m Adrian, Aylee’s friend. I wanted to thank you for saving her.”

Jason shook his hand, his focus completely on me. “There was no other way.”

Clearing his throat, Adrian backed up toward the door. “I think I’ll just go to my room and give you two some privacy.” Once he stepped inside, he winked. “Good luck. See you in the morning.”