Adam's POV
The doorbell rang and I practically leapt off the couch. My heart did a stupid little flip as I headed to the door, like some lovesick teenager.
Well, I was.
When I opened the door, there she was, Emily, standing in front of me in a soft yellow sundress that made her look like actual sunshine.
Without a word, I pulled her into my arms.
She giggled. “Hi to you too.”
“Hi,” I murmured into her hair before stepping back to let her in. “I’m glad you came.”
She slipped off her shoes and walked in like she belonged there. And God, how I wanted her to. “So, Chef Adam,” she teased, raising an eyebrow at me. “Are you really going through with this? Feeding me?”
I chuckled. “You wound me, woman. I told you I could cook.”
“You told me you could try to cook,” she corrected, smirking. “I’m only here because I was promised a potentially deadly, dramatic food poisoning episode.”
I laughed. “I think you’ll be surprised. Come on. Let me prove you wrong.”
I led her to the kitchen where the table was already set. Candlelight. Jazz playing softly in the background. Yeah, I went all out.
She sat down slowly, her eyes scanning everything. “Okay, this is… impressive.”
I grinned. “Wait till you taste it.”
I dished up the food, creamy garlic butter salmon, mashed potatoes, and sautéed green beans. Placed it in front of her with a flourish. “Bon appétit.”
Her mouth dropped open slightly. “Adam…”
“Yes?”
She clamped her hand around her mouth dramatically. “Did you order this?”
I looked offended. “Excuse you. I slaved in this kitchen all afternoon.”
Emily reached over and hugged me tightly. “Thank you. Seriously.”
Then she took her first bite and groaned in delight. The kind of groan that made my imagination run wild.
“This is so good,” she said with her mouth full. “Like, unfairly good. How do you even—”
“Shh. Eat. You’re ruining the illusion that I’m humble.”
She laughed again and kept eating, moaning after every bite. I sat there pretending not to be affected, but my brain had already jumped ahead to what else I could make her moan for.
When she was done, she leaned back in her chair, sighing happily. “That was amazing.”
“I know,” I said smugly. “I deserve a reward.”
She tilted her head. “What kind of reward?”
I tapped my cheek. “A sweet, five-minute peck.”
She burst into laughter. “Five minutes? That’s not a peck.”
“Okay, fine. A peck that feels like five minutes.”
She shook her head, but got up anyway. “You’re ridiculous.”
She stood in front of me, leaned down, and pecked my cheek. But I wasn’t having it. Not tonight.
I turned my head and caught her lips with mine. Her breath hitched and she didn’t pull away.
In fact, she leaned in. Her fingers found their way into my hair and I deepened the kiss until she was moaning again, just like I wanted.
I stood up, lifting her into my arms. She gasped and instinctively wrapped her legs around my waist.
“Adam—” she whispered.
I unzipped her dress as gently as I could, trailing kisses along her jaw. “You look too beautiful for me not to devour tonight,” I whispered.
She blushed, hiding her face in my neck. I kissed her again, slower this time, more deliberate, as we moved toward the bedroom.
Just as I was about to lay her on the bed, her phone beeped. She froze.
“My mom said she’d call me tonight,” she said, breathless. “I should get that.”
I groaned but nodded. “Alright, I’ll grab it.”
I rushed back to the kitchen, grabbed her phone and her purse, and returned to the bedroom, handing them to her with a grin. “Here’s your phone, milady. Now, where were we—”
But she wasn’t smiling. She stared at the screen, her expression changing in a heartbeat.
“Emily?” I asked.
She raised a hand to quiet me and dialed a number with shaking fingers.
The voice on the other end was loud, even from where I stood.
“You’re fucking Adam Cooper?!”
My stomach dropped.
“WHAT? NO!” Emily’s voice was frantic. “That’s not—”
“Don’t deny it. The pictures are everywhere!”
I froze.
Pictures?
Emily turned to me, eyes wide with panic.
“What pictures?” I asked.