The Fifth Lesson (The Bay Boys #2) (3 page)

Sighing, he chanced a glance over his shoulder, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose when they slid down.
 
His heart skipped a beat when he discovered Christie was hot on his heels, racing out the front door and down the steps.
 
His chest ached as he took in her beauty, knowing he’d never had a chance with her, despite all of her flirting.

He figured she wanted to apologize, so he journeyed another few steps towards his Mercedes and waited patiently by the driver’s side door, watching as she weaved her way through the numerous parked cars towards him.
 
Her bright turquoise dress swished as she walked, the loose material clinging to her shapely thighs with every step she took.
 
Adam swallowed and forced his gaze away.

Even though she stopped a few feet in front of him, he could still smell her damn intoxicating perfume.
 
He couldn’t quite bring himself to meet her eyes, or else her earlier words would hit him like a slap in the face.

Christie reached out to brush his arm.
 
He allowed it, only because it would hurt her feelings if he jerked away.
 
That…and her touch felt so damn good.
 
But he kept his expression stoic.

“I can’t even begin to tell you how sorry I am for what happened back there.
 
I’m the biggest idiot in the world.”
 
Her voice sounded so somber that he couldn’t help but glance down at her.
 
Christie was tall for a woman, but Adam still had more than a few inches on her.

“Sorry about what you said, or that I heard?” he asked, keeping his tone even.

“What I said!” she burst out miserably.
 
“It was stupid.
 
Just frivolous girl talk.
 
It didn’t mean anything.
 
I swear, the last thing I would ever want to do is hurt you.
 
And I’m sorry that I did, especially since you’re my friend.”

It was on the tip of his tongue to say that she hadn’t hurt him, just to save face and retain a little bit of his demolished masculinity.
 
But then he would be a liar.

But the
friend
part still punched him in the gut.
 
The word just reinforced everything Christie had said…told him exactly where he stood with her.
 
As a friend.
 
Only a friend.

Something burned inside his chest.
 
He wanted to kiss her.
 
Just once, since he figured he wouldn’t have another chance.
 
He was stupid to think their attraction was mutual, but even Christie’s harsh words didn’t allow his feelings to die.

He took a step closer.

Her lips parted as she gazed up at him.
 
Her icy blue eyes flickered and she breathed, “That look.”

“What?” he asked, his voice rough.
 
His eyes dropped to her lips, those same soft, pink lips he’d been dreaming about for months.

Adam watched in fascination as they formed words.
 
“You get this look in your eyes sometimes.
 
It drives me crazy.”

A small frown appeared on his features.
 
She was confusing him, but he’d think about that later.
 
He would only get this one chance to know what she tasted like.
 
And, for once in his life, he wanted to show her that he
could
cut loose.
 
That he could do something that didn’t make sense…that he could do something a little naughty and a whole lot crazy.

“Just for the record,” he rumbled softly, his hands sliding towards her waist.
 
She stared at him with a mixture of confusion…and desire?
 
“I don’t think I’d be boring in bed.”

And then he pulled her in for a kiss.
 
Their
only
kiss…

Her shocked gasp instantly parted her lips, but Adam didn’t take advantage of it.
 
He simply savored the taste of her, the softness of her lips, the warmth.
 
She felt so damn good against him.
 
It felt like every nerve ending in his body lit on fire.
 
Her wrists jingled and a moment later he felt her hands sink into his hair.

Christie nibbled on his lips, driving him completely wild.
 
His cock hardened against her, but he hoped she couldn’t feel it.
 
Adam didn’t want anything to ruin this one perfect moment.
 
Especially something that he had no control over around her.

But Christie pressed closer into him and he sure as hell didn’t mind.
 
He wanted to climb into her, wanted to be as connected as two people could possibly be.

But she only thinks of you as a friend
, his mind whispered.

Adam wrenched himself away from her hold and took a step back, breathing heavily, achingly aroused.
 
Christie’s gaze was bleary as she sought his eyes, as though she wasn’t quite sure what had just occurred.
 
The redness of her lips was proof that the past few moments had been real.
 
Adam was glad for the sight…or else he may not have believed he’d done it.

She blinked quickly, processing.
 
But when her fingertips rose to touch her sensitive lips, Adam knew he had to leave.
 
Before he pulled her back for more…

“See you around, Christie,” he told her.
 
He’d surely be embarrassed later.
 
He would be pacing the length of his workshop, cursing himself for his stupidity and uncharacteristic spontaneity.
 
But right now, he felt smug.
 
He’d kissed a woman senseless.

When Adam opened the door of his Mercedes, Christie snapped out of whatever daze she was in.

“‘See you around, Christie’?” she repeated in disbelief, her voice rising with every word.
 
“Is that all you’re going to say?”

“Um,” he murmured, caught off guard for a brief moment.
 
But then he shrugged.
 
“Yeah, I suppose so.”

He shut the car door and left.
 
In his rearview mirror, Christie stood in the same spot, watching him go.

*
   
*
   
*

Christie stormed back into the backyard.
 
A jumble of emotions bombarded her.
 
Confusion, shock, desire…and remnants of her guilt from the mishap earlier remained.
 
All she wanted was to collect her purse, say her goodbyes, and leave.
 
Now, she looked forward to going into the gallery for a couple hours.
 
Anything to take her thoughts off Adam and that mind-blowing kiss.

Where the hell did he learn how to kiss like
that
?
 
Obviously, ‘Adorable Adam’ got around.
 
Why did the thought of him kissing other women make her jealous?

Kate stepped into her line of vision.
 
The brunette frowned when she saw Christie’s expression and hurried over.
 
“Are you okay?” she asked in concern.
 
“You look a little…” she waved her hand in the air.
 
“Frazzled.”

Christie let out a slow breath, trying to relax.
 
It was difficult, especially when she recalled Adam’s ‘I’m-going-to-do-naughty-things-to-you’ look and the feel of his hardened cock snugly cradled against her belly.

Shit
.

Forcing a smile, she decided not to leak anything about the kiss to anyone.
 
And she would definitely avoid Livy.
 
Until Christie figured out why Adam kissed her, there was no reason to give her best friend false hope, especially if it would never amount to anything.

“Nothing,” she said quickly.
 
“I just have to get going.
 
My boss is expecting me soon.”

“I thought you didn’t have to leave until later this evening.”

Damn.
 
She hated lying, but she needed to get out of here.
 
Or else Livy would sniff out the truth, like a hound scenting blood.
 
“He changed his mind, the damn bastard,” she said with a ‘what can you do’ shrug.
 
She gathered up her purse, looping it over her shoulder.
 
“Do you mind telling Livy that I had to go?
 
She looks busy and I don’t want to interrupt.
 
I’ll see you girls for our movie night, okay?”

“Okay,” Kate nodded, smiling.
 
“I’ll see you later this week then.
 
Don’t kill your boss tonight.”

Christie felt another pang of guilt, but swallowed it back.
 
What she
needed
to swallow right now was a stiff drink.
 
“I’ll try not to.”

They hugged quickly and Christie was off.
 
She rounded the side of the house to exit through the side patio door, since the inside was still so crowded.
 
Plus, she didn’t want to run into Livy.
 
Cowardly, but necessary.

She just prayed her boss would go easy on her tonight.
 
The last thing she needed right now was for him to be overbearing and tyrannical, like usual.
 
Especially when her thoughts were centered on fantasies of the mischievous and quiet Adam Thornton who’d just kissed her like a freaking sex god.

FOUR

Christie was drunk.

Like falling all over the place, slurring her words drunk.

Flopping back onto her couch, she stared up at the ceiling, completely exhausted from today.
 
Her head lolled to the side and she giggled at the irritated look on Snazzy’s face.
 
Her tabby cat looked
very
displeased with her intoxication level, but, then again, he was displeased about most things.
 
She’d make it up to him in the morning with a nice can of tuna and some fishy treats.

She groaned when the room spun dangerously.
 
Her alcohol-idled brain hadn’t realized that taking three tequila shots in a row wasn’t a particularly bright idea.
 
Especially since she was a total lightweight and since she hadn’t eaten since the barbecue earlier that afternoon.

It started out as a glass of wine when she returned home from the gallery.
 
Despite all her fervent wishes, her boss hadn’t magically turned over a new leaf since she last saw him so he was every bit the dick that she knew him to be.
 
The only reason why she’d put up with him all these years was because she knew that eventually, if she put in the time, he’d select one of her own pieces to display.
 
She’d submitted a painting three weeks ago for an exhibit opening later this year, so she should hear any day now from him regarding his decision.

But he still drove her into the ground.

The wine was supposed to calm her anger so she could loosen up after her horrible night.
 
And then that glass of wine somehow turned into tequila…

The longer she worked herself up about her boss, the more she drank.
 
And the longer she fantasized about Adam, the more she drank…

Adam
.

She didn’t even want to think about him and that kiss.
 
So why was she debating texting him?
 
In her intoxicated state, drunk texting him seemed very logical.
 
She would be able to investigate why he’d kissed her.
 
Maybe she could hint that she wanted another one in the near future…

But she stopped herself before she reached for her phone.
 
Some part of her knew it would be a bad idea.
 
Unfortunately, that cautious part of her didn’t kick in
before
the tequila shots.

Christie stumbled over to her work laptop situated on the small desk that doubled as a dining table.
 
Snagging a glass of water and some crackers on her way, she figured she’d surf the web for a bit as she tried to sober up.
 
Nothing was worse than going to bed drunk.
 
In her college days, she’d had more than a few of those kind of nights where every time she closed her eyes the room spun violently and she’d be up until the bright hours of dawn, trying valiantly not to puke.

With that memory firmly situated in the forefront of her mind, she took a long chug of water and opened her email.

Mostly it was spam.
 
There was an email from her aunt, who’d very recently discovered the power of the internet, about her father, but Christie didn’t want to think about that now.
 
She would respond to her in the morning.

Her stomach churned when a new email popped into her inbox from Joseph, her boss.
 
In confusion, she glanced at the time he’d sent it.
 
9:18.
 
Which meant he’d emailed her shortly after she left the gallery for the night.

To: Christie Allaway

From: Joseph Blickley

Subject: URGENT

Create a press kit for the exhibit opening.
 
Get it to me by tomorrow afternoon.

Christie had to reread the short email five times before she could wrap her head around the amount of work a press kit entailed.
 
Her jaw hung open, but she snapped it shut so fast that her teeth knocked together.
 
Fury and frustration burned inside her chest.

As curator of the art gallery, Joseph knew it was his responsibility to create the press kit.
 
As his assistant, Christie’s job was to
assist
him, not do the whole damn thing herself!
 
A detailed press kit would take a few days to put together.
 
But she didn’t have a few days.
 
He wanted it by tomorrow afternoon!
 
And tomorrow was Sunday.