Page 53 of The Law of Attraction
“Oh yeah, and then the tree outside—”
“Yeah,” Adam interrupted tightly. “It basically scarred me for life.”
“How old were you?”
“Like eight or something.”
“That is way too young for that movie.”
“Tell me about it.”
There was another flash of lightning and they both fell silent, counting in their heads. One, one thousand…two, one thousand… This time the thunder wasn’t quite as deafening.
“The storm’s moving away,” Olivia said, stifling a yawn.
“Thank god.”
“We’re so fucked.” She wasn’t talking about the storm anymore. “This whole project is a disaster.”
“It’ll be fine.”
She turned her head toward him, but it was too dark to see anything. “How can you say that?”
The mattress squeaked as he rolled onto his side. “Because it will be, one way or another.” He sounded a lot closer, now that he was facing her, but she knew there was still a good two feet of empty mattress between them. No-man’s-land, where none dare to tread. “No one’s going to die or lose their job if we miss a deadline because events beyond our control conspired against us.”
“Speak for yourself.”
“You’re not going to lose your job.” His tone was gently chiding.
“Maybe not, but it sure isn’t going to help me get ahead.”
“I told you I wouldn’t let them blame you for any of this and I meant it.” His voice was feather-soft. A hushed promise made in bed late at night.
Olivia reached up to rub her tired eyes. “Thank you.”
“It really is going to be okay.”
She could almost believe him. Outside, the storm howled and raged, overturning all their best-laid plans, but lying there next to Adam in the dark, she felt strangely secure. Maybe his confidence was contagious.
Another flash of lightning glowed through the curtains, momentarily lighting up his face. Their eyes met just before the room plunged into darkness again.
One, one thousand…two, one thousand…three, one thousand… As she silently counted the seconds between the lightning and thunder, she knew Adam was doing the same. Four, one thousand…five, one thousand…
Sometime between six and seven, she fell asleep.
Olivia came slowly awake to the ghostly gray light of a new day leaking through the blinds. The storm had died down, but she could hear a steady rain still falling outside, which meant the roads probably weren’t even close to being clear yet.
She didn’t want to get up, because she was too warm and cozy in bed.
Mostly on account of the warm body spooning with her.
Adam’s arm was draped over her waist. His breath warmed the back of her neck, his chest was pressed against her back—and she was pretty sure that was his morning wood she could feel on her ass cheek.
It had been an embarrassingly long time since Olivia had woken up in the arms of a man. She’d forgotten how nice it was. Heat rolled off his bare chest, soaking into her skin through the thin fabric of her T-shirt. The pressure of his body against hers was intensely comforting, like a weighted blanket, but instead of a blanket it was a half-naked man in her bed.
She tried not to move, so she could enjoy the sensation a little longer. The scent of his skin enveloped her like a dream. He smelled like sunshine and fresh air. Zesty and sweet, with just a hint of spice. They should create a Yankee Candle based on him, because Mountain Lodge had nothing on Adam Cortinas.
Any second now, he would wake and realize what he was doing, and it would be all over. He’d spring away from her, mortified, and try to pretend he wasn’t grossed out and appalled.
