Take This Man

Chapter Three



Leave it to Jason to make things happen. Elyse quit her loser job and a few days later accompanied her friend back to their home town, where it all began.

On her first morning back in Summit, she went for a run. Before she realized it, her feet carried her to the old neighborhood where she used to work.

The Hi-Lite Bakery. She remembered the glass case displaying the jelly doughnuts and the old-fashioneds that customers loved. Cinnamon buns and bear claws. The mouth-watering smells of baking bread and freshly brewed coffee.

But the Hi-Lite was gone. Something called Get Nailed had taken its place. Sweating and panting from her run, Elyse peered into the window at the masked nail technicians performing mani-pedis. She was surprised at the cold lump of disappointment in the pit of her stomach.

But she wasn"t disappointed because she was hungry for a cinnamon bun. It had nothing to do with missing her old job, schlepping coffee and jelly doughnuts to impatient customers. The Hi-Lite was where she met Adam for the first time.

Elyse had been behind the counter that morning, when he came in for coffee. That first time, there had been no conversation other than taking his order—but she definitely noticed him. Something lit up inside her as soon as she looked at him.

Adam had noticed her, too. He came in for coffee every morning after that, chatting with her when the early rush was over. Before long, they began 21

dating—shortly thereafter, they became exclusive.

She"d fallen in love with Adam so quickly, it left her dizzy.

Elyse shook her head. What was the saying? “If something seems too good to be true, it usually is?” That was how it had been with Adam. She was so sold on him, so totally in love, she"d have done anything he asked. She"d been completely trusting.

And completely blind.

“Excuse me.”

A girl with purple hair and a pierced nose paused in front of her, and Elyse realized she was blocking the door. “Sorry.” She stepped aside. Still cooling down after her run, she walked to the end of the block. As she waited for the crosswalk sign to give her the okay to cross, she loosened up with some stretches.

Elyse was disgusted with her own stupidity.

What was she trying to accomplish, poking at old sores by toddling around her old haunts? Had she been hoping to see Adam? Thinking he might still visit the Hi-Lite every morning for his black, no sugar?

How f*cked up was she?

As she waited for the light to change, her gaze drifted to the Hamburger Haven on the other side of the street. A red truck with the words “Vostek Brothers Lawn Service” in white lettering was parked near the side entrance of the restaurant.

With her heart banging in her chest, Elyse crossed the street. Her feet slowed, and her eyes remained glued to the truck. It felt surreal. Had her thoughts about Adam had somehow conjured him?

It might not be him. Matthew, his brother, could be driving. One of the Vosteks was inside the restaurant, ordering breakfast. She should leave now, get away. But Elyse couldn"t leave—her feet were fixed to the pavement.

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She waited. A woman came out with two children. A heavy man with a mustache held the door for them, then went in.

Then it was him. Adam. With a small bag in one hand, and a cup of coffee in the other. A large coffee, black, no sugar. Elyse remembered.

Hurrying to his truck, he didn"t see her. Popping the truck lock, Adam opened the door and climbed in. As he pulled the door shut, his head turned her way. Elyse"s breath caught.

He looked at her, but it didn"t seem to register.

He started the truck, checked his mirrors, and began backing out.

Her stomach curdled with disappointment—he hadn"t recognized her. Then another possibility occurred to her—maybe he had recognized her, and turned away. You don"t exist to me anymore.

Surprising, how much it hurt. But hadn"t she given him exactly the same treatment the night she left Summit with Jason, the night she left without a word?

That was different, though. Wasn"t it?

Still backing up, Adam looked out the back window, to the left and right. This time he blinked, put his foot on the break. Stared at Elyse.

A car trying to get in the lot beeped its horn, and Adam pulled his truck back into its space. The car moved past. Adam cut the truck"s motor and sat there behind the wheel. Just sat.

Elyse finally got her feet to move. They moved in the direction of his truck of their own volition, without any direction from her brain, which was still trying to emerge from its fog.

Adam opened his door and slipped out of his seat. “Hey.”

“Hi.” Her voice was breathless. She self-consciously pushed a strand of hair from her face.

This would be how they"d meet after two years. She 23

must look quite a sight—in her running clothes, sweaty, red-faced, her hair limp and messy.

He was perhaps a bit thinner than he used to be, but otherwise Adam hadn"t changed. His broad shoulders, suntanned skin, even the crinkles at the corners of his eyes were all thanks to the outdoor labor that was part of his job.

He still looked so good to her.

Though Adam did not rival Jason in runway model perfection, it was his masculine imperfection that always turned Elyse on—the long nose, the heavy eyebrows looming like storm clouds over his brown eyes, the square chin. His dark hair was a bit too long—he"d always been haphazard about haircuts—and swept back from his high forehead.

As she gazed at him, Elyse felt the familiar longing shiver through her. The same as it had always been. Oh, no. This isn"t good.

Adam waited a moment, then shook his head as though he too thought the whole situation surreal. “I didn"t think it could be you.”

“Yeah, I…” She shrugged. “Yeah.” Again, an awkward pause. “Visiting?”

“Yes,” she answered quickly. “For a little while, I"m not sure yet how long. I"m here with…” She let the sentence hang unfinished, suddenly not wanting to mention Jason"s name.


Something flickered in Adam"s eyes as her words trailed off, and his demeanor cooled. Elyse"s own temper prickled as she guessed what he was thinking. What right did Adam have to judge her?

She"d left without a word, true. But it was because of him. And it wasn"t like he tried to track her down.

Never even called her, for God"s sake. He didn"t give a damn.

“I stopped by the Hi-Lite.”

“It closed. A few months back.”

“I saw, yeah. So you get your coffee at the old 24

Haven now, huh?”

“Yeah.”

They had nothing to say to each other. Or maybe too much to say, and silence was their only means of self-protection. Elyse felt numb and utterly defeated.

“Well.” Eyes lowered, she stepped back, preparing to leave.

“You still with Jason?” His tone was sharp, accusing.

Her gaze flew to him. Adam"s face was expressionless, but the tautness of his jaw and the narrowing of his eyes bespoke his anger.

“I know you left with him that night. And when I went to your place the next day, you and the cat were gone. Devereaux just happened to leave town at the same time,” he told her. “It didn"t take Sherlock Holmes to put it together.” Elyse"s mouth fell open. “You went to my place?

What for?”

Adam lifted a shoulder. “What difference does it make now?”

She felt as though she"d been struck between the eyes with a two by four. He"d stopped by her place.

What did that mean? And if he"d been upset to find her gone, why had he never tried to contact her?

He was speaking again. “It didn"t take you long to make your choice, did it? Guess I can"t blame you, though. A rich lawyer versus some work-a-day chump, what"s to choose, right?” Now she felt as if he"d punched her in the stomach. He thought she was an opportunist who"d gone off with Jason because he had more money.

After everything they"d once been to each other, Adam thought she was a gold-digger?

Hurt and rage surged through her, and she opened her mouth to defend herself. But… no. Let him think the worst. They were nothing to each other now. His opinion of her didn"t matter.

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“You"re right.” She forced herself to maintain a cool gaze. “It was no contest. And yes, I am here with Jason.”

Adam"s mouth lifted in a smirk. “So where is he?

Don"t tell me your knight in shining platinum deserted you to wander the streets alone.”

“We"re not attached at the hip,” she snapped.

“He has personal business to take care of.”

“Family shit? And he didn"t want you around?” Adam"s smirk turned mean. “What"s the matter, don"t his mommy and daddy approve of his girlfriend? Your blood not blue enough?” She wasn"t about to spill the beans concerning Jason and Coop. Elyse knew Adam had no idea about Jason"s sexual orientation, and it certainly wasn"t her job to inform him. Time to say goodbye.

This conversation had become nothing but an exercise in humiliation.

“Yep, you"re right. You"re absolutely right. His high-toned family doesn"t want anything to do with a worthless piece of trash like me. Hey, don"t let me keep you, you"re a busy man. I"ll be on my way.

Maybe I can pick up a trick on the corner or something.” She turned on her heel to storm off.

“Shit,” he growled, grasping her upper arm.

“Wait—”

She knocked his hand away. “Don"t f*ckin" touch me.” An older couple emerging from the restaurant stopped to gape at them in alarm. Great. They were causing a scene.

“Shit,” Adam repeated. “Elyse, I"m sorry.”

“Okay.” She couldn"t look at him. “Me, too.” Jesus, how embarrassing. “Let"s—” The older man"s wife started hustling him away, probably murmuring something to the effect of Don"t get involved with those two maniacs.

“Let me take you back to…wherever you"re 26

staying,” Adam said.

“You"ve got to get to work. I can get back on my own.”

“For God"s sake,” he sighed. “I feel like enough of a prick already. Could you please let me do this for you?”

She hesitated a moment longer, then agreed. He came around to the passenger side of the truck, and helped her into the high seat.

His hand, warm on her elbow, spread heat throughout her body, spiraling through her breasts and pulsing between her legs. Elyse sat with her thighs clenched. It was all too much—his touch, his smell, his presence.

Get a grip, girl.

They pulled out of the parking space and Adam hesitated, waiting for instructions.

“We"re at the Excelsior.” Elyse held her breath, waiting for some smart-ass remark about staying at the ritziest place in town. But Jason enjoyed his luxury, and he was footing the bill. No cheap motel near a strip mall for him.

They drove in silence. Adam squinted at the road in concentration. After a bit, Elyse looked down at herself and began to laugh.

Adam"s eyebrows rose and he glanced at her in concern. “What is it?”

“I was just thinking.” She gestured to her attire, her usual running gear of shorts and baggy T-shirt.

“If I really was going to pick up a trick, I don"t think I"d have much luck in this get-up. I"d make a pretty low-rent hooker.”

It wasn"t even funny, but she was getting punchy. She was overwhelmed by all the emotions assailing her in so brief a time.

“You look good, whatever you wear,” Adam told her, his voice low, his eyes still focused on the road.

“You always have.”

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Her laughter dried up.

“You"re a runner now, huh?” he asked.

“Yes. I took it up after I…” She let the sentence trail off. After she left Summit. Everything seemed to circle back to that night.

There was no more talk the rest of the ride.

Adam pulled the truck into the hotel"s drive. The big red four-wheel-drive truck looked out of place among the shiny high-end SUVs and sedans in the parking lot. The motor idled while Elyse opened the door and gave Adam a last look. She wanted to say something, something momentous, like a character in a movie.

But of course, her mind went blank.

“Thanks for the ride.”

If it had been a movie, Adam would have said something, too. Called her name. Something.

Anything. But all he did was nod silently. Elyse climbed down from the cab and shut the door, heading for the hotel entrance. She didn"t look back.



****

Adam stood at the counter in the sandwich shop, waiting for his ham and cheese sub. He"d been in a daze all morning, absolutely for shit at work, ever since running into Elyse. The minute he set eyes on her, all the old pain and anger came roaring back.

And then he had to go and be the world"s biggest a*shole.

Shit.

She was still with Devereaux. After all this time, why should that burn a hole in his gut? Christ, he was the one who got them together. He wanted to drive her away. Mission accomplished. In spades.

He never figured she"d take off though, leave town. With Jason.

What had he expected? That was the problem.

He hadn"t been thinking at all. He"d been reacting—

reacting to the churning fear in his gut.

“I love you, Adam.”

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He still remembered the night Elyse said those words—and the panic they stirred in him.

“I"m not going to rush you,” she had said . “I just want you to know I"m not going anywhere. I know one day you"re going to tell me you love me, too.” But she was wrong. He never did .


By the time he manned up and faced his feelings for her, she was long gone.

“Here you are, sir.” The kid behind the counter, who looked about fifteen, rang him up and handed him the paper-wrapped sub. The “sir” made Adam feel old and even more morose. He"d been so distracted by his thoughts, he forgot to tell the kid to put extra hot peppers in the sandwich.

With a scowl, he turned and headed toward the door. Before he got there, a hand on his arm stopped him. “Hey, you.” It was Kim Hansen, his…well…he didn"t know how to define her. They were friends.

They also slept together off and on. Adam shied away from the term “f*ck buddy” because he genuinely liked Kim. But he didn"t consider her his girlfriend.

There was nothing wrong with Kim. She was nice looking, with a slim shape and long brown hair.

She had a cute freckled face, and a funny little space between her front teeth that showed every time she smiled.

Of course he"d run into her today, when his mind was consumed with Elyse. Yeah, he was batting a thousand for sure.

“Hi, uh, hey…what"re you doing here?” His face got hot as soon as the words were out of his mouth.

Duh. Kim grinned at the too obvious question. “Same thing you are. Grabbing some lunch before my shift.”

“Uh, yeah. The coffeehouse, right?” At least, he thought that was her latest gig. She never kept a job 29

for long, due to boredom, or an inability to put up with what she referred to as “petty shit.”

“Yeah. Listen, you want me to grab some take-out before I come by tonight? I"ll bring Chinese.” Adam was caught short. “Huh?” Suddenly he remembered they"d talked about her to coming to his place today after work. These dates usually involved a few beers, maybe something to eat, and an hour or so in bed before Kim headed home.

Shit. He wasn"t up for it tonight.

“Excuse me…” Someone jostled past him. The shop was filling up with lunchtime customers and was getting crowded.

He edged away from the growing line of people, which pushed him closer to Kim. “Ah, you know…let"s do it another time…” Adam turned his gaze on the door, wishing he could dematerialize and escape Kim"s probing stare.

“What? Why?” Of course she"d want an explanation. Kim wasn"t the kind to meekly let the matter drop.

“It"s just, uh, tonight"s not good…” Kim frowned at him, and he knew she knew he was bullshitting her. A few of the people in line looked at them curiously. He exhaled deeply and made a decision. “Look, we need to talk. Get your sandwich and meet me in my truck, all right? I"m parked right out front.”

She didn"t bother with lunch, but followed him directly out to the sidewalk.

“What is it?” she demanded.

Adam balked for a moment, taken aback by how pale her face was. “Let"s get in the truck.” They needed some privacy.

She shook her head, oblivious to the passersby on the street. She looked almost scared. But no, that couldn"t be. “No. I"m not getting in the truck. Don"t f*ck with me. Just tell me what it is.” 30

What he said next surprised the both of them. “I think we should take a break.”

“A break?” She looked like he"d sucker-punched her. “Yeah. I just—” Shit. He was f*cking this up. He didn"t want to hurt Kim, but he knew from the dumbfounded look on her face he was doing exactly that. Her look of surprise vanished and her mouth twisted with contempt. “Get over yourself, Vostek.

Break from what? From screwing? ?Cause that"s basically all we do together, isn"t it? Or do we actually have a relationship that I"m not aware of?” Adam had nothing to say. He knew his announcement was completely out of the blue, and he suddenly realized how much he had taken Kim for granted. Maybe she wanted more with him than hanging out and getting busy.

Call him clueless. Yeah, he was an a*shole.

But he"d made the right decision. If he slept with Kim tonight, he"d be imagining she was Elyse.

And she deserved better.

Hell, maybe he did, too.

Adam suddenly felt as though the earth shifted under his feet. In cooling things with Kim, he recognized he was making another decision. He didn"t want to be with anyone but Elyse.

Kim"s fists were planted on her hips. “And I guess I"m supposed to wait by the phone for you to call when you decide the break is over. Dream on.” She turned away, ready to storm off, then whirled back at him in a fury. “You"re a real chickenshit, aren"t you Vostek?” He stood there like a lunk while she raged at him, knowing he deserved it, knowing there was no way to defend himself.

“You want to be a lonely pathetic f*ck your whole life, don"t you? Well, go for it. But in case you 31

ever change your mind, do not come running to me.” Her forefinger was a gun pointed at his face. “Are we clear?”

Yes, ma"am. “Clear,” he croaked.

“Good.” She turned away once more, only to swivel back and grab the sub sandwich from his hand. She smacked the hell out of him with it, whapping him on his head and shoulders. The wrapper tore and bread, cold cuts, and shredded lettuce flew through the air and fell onto the sidewalk.

Satisfied, she thrust what was left of the sandwich into his hand and stalked off.

Adam flicked a slice of tomato off his shirt. All right. He had it coming.

People inside the shop and those happening by were staring, their faces reflecting curiosity, alarm, or amusement. A couple of women who witnessed the entire scene glared at Adam like they wanted to finish what Kim started.

For the second time in one day, he had created a public scene. Good goin", Vostek.

He stuffed the remains of his lunch in a trash can and got into his truck. He knew when to beat a hasty retreat.

But he still didn"t know what to do about Elyse.

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