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Winnehawkee had been a refuge for him. A place where he could become his own man. Now it was time to pay that forward. What had happened to that idealistic guy he’d once been? He’d bowed to family obligation and then grown used to all the benefits of a big paycheck. He was on the way to becoming his father.
Adam pulled up next to a Subaru wagon with Illinois plates and wondered who else would be spending the week. Though the cabins weren’t the most luxurious accommodations, Adam was looking forward to reliving his younger days. There were beautiful hiking trails to explore around the lake as well as canoeing and swimming. And big campfires at night.
Not knowing what to expect, he’d brought along a sleeping bag and tent, but then noticed a light over the door of one of the cabins. Mason had mentioned inviting a few other guys to help out. Sharing a cabin with them would be much easier than setting up his tent in the dark. He grabbed his overnight bag and headed up the hill. If he could catch a few hours of sleep, he’d be ready to start work first thing in the morning.
The screen door creaked as he pulled it open and he squinted to see inside with only the wash of light from the bulb over the door as illumination. He set his bag down, then sat on the edge of one of the bunks. He hadn’t realized how small they were until now.
Adam glanced over to the small alcove that held the bed for the counselor. Though the bedding looked rumpled, he could lay his sleeping bag down and at least stretch out. He walked over and sat down on the edge of the bed. Shrugging out of his jacket, he tossed it behind him. A moment later, he heard a scream. Something hit him on the side of his head and Adam jumped up and spun around.
“Bat. Oh, God, bat.” In the dim light he made out the figure of a woman, flailing a tennis racquet around her head. She made contact again, this time with his forehead.
“Ouch!” he cried. “Stop that. There’s no bat.”
She went still for a moment, then screamed again, tumbling off the far side of the bed and landing with a thump on the floor. Adam searched the cabin for a light switch then finally found the string hanging from the ceiling fan. He pulled it and walked back to the alcove.
She was still there, sitting on the floor, the tennis racquet pulled up against her chest and her hair covering half her face. As their eyes met, he heard her gasp softly. “I’m not a bat,” he said, rubbing his head.
“I—I can see that,” she replied in a feeble attempt to appear unfazed. She slowly got to her feet, tugging at the hem of her T-shirt to cover her bare thighs. When she brushed the hair from her face, he felt a hint of recognition.
The lush mouth was the same as he remembered. And those beautiful dark-lashed eyes that always seemed to be regarding him with disdain. But the mousy brown ponytail was gone, replaced by shoulder-length waves and a caramel blond color. “Jules?” He laughed. “It’s me, Adam Sutherland.”
“Adam,” she said, a nervous smile twitching at her lips. “Right. I—I didn’t know you’d be coming.”
“Mason didn’t mention you’d be here either,” he said. His gaze took in her features. In the past eight years, she’d changed, and all for the better. He’d always liked Julia McKee, but the feeling had never been mutual. Adam had found her smart and funny and guileless. Too bad she’d never given him the time of day.
In truth, he suspected that Julia disapproved of his reputation with the ladies. She was the one girl in camp that he’d never been able to charm—and here she was, all grown up, incredibly sexy and sleeping in his bed.
“So, how have you been, Jules?”
She blinked, as if startled by his inquiry. Hell, it wasn’t his best attempt at an opening line. But what else was he supposed to say to the girl he used to fantasize about? Adam stretched across the bed and held out his hand to help her up.
Ignoring his hand, she scrambled to her feet, then sat down on the edge of the mattress and pulled the sheet up around her, her gaze still fixed on him. “I’m fine,” she said.
He nodded. Well, this was awkward. He felt compelled to smooth things over before he excused himself to find another place to sleep. “I just assumed that they’d left the light on for me. I didn’t realize you were in the bed or I wouldn’t have …”
Her expression finally relaxed and she smiled again, this time with much more warmth. “I’m sorry I hit you. I felt something on my face and I thought it was a bat. I remember them being very partial to this cabin in the past.”
“You have quite a forehand.”
“Actually, it was a backhand. Did I hurt you?” She reached out to touch his temple and the moment she made contact, Adam felt a current race through him. He swallowed hard, then reached up to take her hand, twisting his fingers through hers. “I—I’m sure I’ll recover. I’m sorry I woke you. What time did you get here?”
She stared down at their fingers, still tangled together. “Just after midnight.” She yanked her hand away. “What time is it?”
“Three in the morning.” He frowned. Why had that felt so good? He hadn’t expected such a strong reaction to such an innocent touch. “I was exhausted—until you hit me. Now, I’m wide awake.” Wide awake and looking for any excuse to keep her talking. “And hungry. Are you hungry?”
She tipped her head to the side, regarding him with a mix of confusion and amusement. “I guess I could eat,” she said.
“Breakfast would be good. Are there any all-night diners around here? I could run out and get us something.”
“You’re not in Chicago. I don’t think we’d find an Ashland Grill up here.”
“You know the Ashland Grill? I love that place,” Adam said, grinning.
“It’s not far from my flat.”
“You live in Chicago?”
She nodded. “Yeah. I do.”
“I guess I remember Mason mentioning that,” Adam said. “Where?”
“Wicker Park.”
“Lincoln Park,” he said. “Right near the river.” He couldn’t believe they’d been living so close and he hadn’t even known. It made sense. Her family was from the Chicago area. But it was odd that their worlds probably intersected at least a few times a week and yet he’d never thought of her. Why hadn’t he thought of her? What had Julia McKee been doing with her life?
“I have something,” Julia said. She jumped out of bed and ran to the door, her bare feet soft against the rough floor. “I’ll be right back.”
“Where are you going?”
“To my car,” she said.
The screen door slammed and Adam walked over to it, watching her scamper down the hill. Her T-shirt flew up as she ran and he caught sight of bikini panties and the sweet curve of her backside. He imagined the body beneath the shirt, soft and naked, made for his touch.
She stubbed her toe on a tree root and stumbled, cursing loudly in the quiet night. He stepped out of the door, ready to go to her aid, but she continued on, limping the rest of the way.
Adam chuckled to himself. It had been a long time since he’d been so intrigued by a woman. Imagine running into Julia after all these years. Though she’d grown even more beautiful, she was still the nervous, clumsy girl he remembered. And yet, in a single instant, all the old curiosity came back. Julia McKee was a challenge, the kind that he usually found irresistible.
This was going to be a very interesting week.
JULIA’S EYES WATERED as she limped to the car. “Please don’t let him be watching,” she murmured over and over. She was afraid to look back, worried he’d be standing there on the front steps of the cabin, observing her clumsy stumble down the path.
When she reached the car, she realized she’d forgotten her keys. To her relief, she’d left the back door open after removing her bags. Julia crawled over the backseat and reached for the bakery box. If he was hungry, then she’d feed him. “Cinnamon buns,” she murmured, drawing in the scent.
She found the canvas bag that had her coffee supplies in it—her French press, the gourmet coffee they served in the bakery and an electric pot to heat water. She grabbed a few bottles of water and her car mug, then headed back to the cabin, this time careful to avoid the bumps in the trail.
“Don’t mess this up,” she murmured. “Just be cool.”
“Do you need some help?”
She glanced up to find him standing in the middle of the path. God, he was so incredibly sexy. And charming. And funny. And all those crazy feelings that she’d had as a teenager were back again—only much worse … or maybe better. “Take the box,” she said.
“What is all this?”
“Breakfast. You said you wanted something to eat.”
“You carry breakfast around in the back of your car? Just in case you …” He shook his head. “I can’t think of any reason why you’d do that.”
“I’m a pastry chef and Kate asked me to make some things for breakfast. And I have to have my coffee in the morning, so I always travel with my own stuff for that.”
He held the door open for her, then followed her inside. She set her coffee supplies on one of the bunks, then found the single electric plug beneath the mirror on the wall. Julia glanced over at him to find him watching her. “You can open the box. Help yourself.” She filled the pot with bottled water and then plugged it in.
He opened the white container and looked inside. The scent of yeast and cinnamon wafted through the air. “Are these cinnamon rolls? Oh, my God.” He pulled one from the box and took a bite, smearing cream cheese frosting on his upper lip. She caught herself staring, wondering what it would be like to lick it off very, very slowly.
“You made these?” he asked, his mouth full.
“It’s what I do,” she said, trying to keep from leaping for joy. There were times when food—really good food—could be considered a form of foreplay. Right now, she wanted to imagine him experiencing the ultimate pleasure from eating her cinnamon buns. If she was lucky, the other pleasures would come later.
Adam sat down in the center of the big bed, crossing his legs in front of him. “Are you sure we should be eating these? Will Kate be mad?”
“There are croissants and apple tartes in the car. I brought plenty.”
“You should go into business,” he said. “These are really good.”
“I have my own business. I own a pastry shop.”
“I guess I’m in real trouble then,” he said, staring at her in disbelief. “You’re beautiful and you can cook.”
“Bake,” she corrected, feeling a blush warm her cheeks. “I’m really not much of a cook.”
She shouldn’t let herself fall for his charm. Julia knew it was all part of the package with Adam. With him, every woman was a conquest, every seduction a battle to be won. She crossed the room and sat down on the edge of the bed. “The coffee will be ready in a few minutes.”
He watched her shrewdly as he licked frosting off his fingers. “You’ve never liked me much, have you, Jules?”
His blunt statement took her off guard. Well, at least she’d managed to hide her feelings well. “No. I—I mean, I don’t not like you.” She drew a ragged breath. “Why would you say that?”
“I just always had the sense that you didn’t think much of me. We just never … you know … connected.”
Julia fixed her gaze on her fingers, clutched in her lap. “I guess I didn’t really like standing in line,” she murmured.
“Ouch.” He laughed softly. “I suppose I deserved that one. You were right, though. A girl like you shouldn’t have to compete.”
“A girl like me?”
“A good girl,” he said. “I—I don’t mean good in a bad way. I mean … good. Worthwhile. Hey, I always thought you were pretty cool. I always wished we had gotten to know each other a little better. As friends.”
“I guess we’ll have time for that this week,” she said.
“Yeah, I know I’m going to be sticking pretty close to the woman who makes these cinnamon buns.”
Julia giggled, another blush warming her cheeks. He was smooth with the compliments, all right. Still, why not enjoy the attention. What harm could it possibly do now? If she wanted to spend her week flirting with Adam, then she would. And if it went a bit further than that, well, that was fine, too. Why not finally act on her crush? It could be a fantasy come true.
A shiver skittered down her spine. Just the thought of allowing him to seduce her, of falling into his arms and into his bed, made her heart beat faster and her breath come in shallow gasps. She pressed her hand to her chest, feeling her heart pound beneath her fingertips.
“Are you all right?” he asked.
“Coffee,” she said, jumping to her feet. She busied herself with the coffee press, filling the bottom with ground beans, then pouring the hot water on top. She found her favorite mug in the box and set it on the floor.
“It feels good to be back here,” Adam said, glancing around the cabin. “On the drive up, I felt like I was a kid again. I recognized all the landmarks. And then there’s the smell in the air.”
“It smells green,” she said. “I love that smell.”
She poured a cup of coffee for each of them, then crossed the room to the bed. Adam moved down to rest his back against the footboard of the old wooden bed and Julia took the opposite end, tucking her feet beneath her.
The atmosphere felt so intimate, just the two of them, together, the night silent around them. She’d dreamed about a moment like this, wondered what it would be like to have him all to herself. And here he was, the answer to all her teenage fantasies—and most of her adult ones as well.
They stretched out on the big bed, facing each other, the conversation easy between them. Every now and then, his thigh would bump against hers and Julia would feel her heart flutter. She fought the urge to throw aside caution, crawl on top of him and kiss him.
Adam wasn’t the kind of guy who’d refuse such an advance. She had no doubt about that. In fact, she could picture in her mind, every moment of every second—the strength of his long, lean body, the warmth of his mouth, the feel of his hands on her. Julia sighed softly, her breath coming out in a tiny moan.
“I’m sorry,” he said. “I’m keeping you up.”
“No! No, it’s fine. Now that I’ve had my morning coffee, I’m up. There’s no going back.”
“Funny. I was exhausted when I got here and now I feel like I could run a marathon.”
“It’s the coffee,” she said.
He sent her a crooked smile. “Maybe. Or maybe it’s the company?”
Julia gave him a playful kick. He grabbed her bare foot and held it between his hands gently massaging it. The contact sent a flood of warmth racing through her veins, setting every nerve on fire.
“Yeah, I know. Those cheesy lines don’t work on you,” he teased. “But you can’t blame a guy for trying, can you?”
“No,” she said. “I guess I can’t.”
Their gazes locked for a long moment and Julia’s heart skipped a beat. There was an attraction there, in the way he looked her, in the way he smiled. And she wasn’t imagining it. Had it always been there? Could she have been so wrapped up in her own infatuation that she’d never noticed?
She smiled and glanced down at her coffee. After that one attempt—the letter that had gone horribly astray—she’d never tried again. But what if she had?
There were many things to regret about her ten-year crush on Adam Sutherland. But she was through with regrets. From now on, she was going to take chances and damn the consequences. And if she made a complete fool of herself, she’d just run off to France and hide for the next two years.
2
Year three at Camp W. I’ve decided that I will put all my secrets in this book. And the one secret I want to write first is that HE IS THE CUTEST BOY EVER. Way cuter than Luke Perry. Tomorrow, I’m going to talk to him. And before the summer is over, he is going to kiss me. My life will never be the same again.
ADAM OPENED HIS eyes to the morning light filtering through the trees. Raking his hand through his hair, he sat up and looked around the cabin. Julia was gone, her side of the bed neatly made. He smiled to himself as he stretched his arms over his head and yawned.
He couldn’t remember the last time he’d spent a night in bed with a beautiful woman and nothing had happened between them. But then, maybe leaping into a physical relationship upon first meeting wasn’t such a bad idea. Where had that gotten him in the past? Sure, there’d been a lot of great sex, but nothing much beyond that.
He was almost thirty. The big three-oh. And he wanted more from life than just a series of shallow relationships with beautiful, but brainless, women. He wanted a challenge, a woman who wouldn’t melt in his arms and tell him everything he wanted to hear. He wanted someone who’d keep him interested for more than a few months.
Hell, Jules had kept him interested for ten years. And now that she’d reappeared in his life again, Adam realized that the interest hadn’t waned. He swung his legs off the edge of the bed, working the kinks out of his neck as he retrieved his duffel bag.
He’d probably missed breakfast, but if he was lucky, he’d find a cup of coffee and some of Julia’s leftover pastries to get him through until lunch. But he really wasn’t interested in food. He wanted to see her again.
He found a pair of faded cargo shorts in his bag along with an old T-shirt, then stripped out of his jeans and polo shirt. As he dug through the contents for a fresh pair of boxers, he heard the screen door squeak.
Adam slowly turned to find Julia standing in the doorway, a mug of coffee in her hand. Just the sight of her was enough to make him grin like a goofy school kid. She was dressed in a pale blue camisole, a flowing cotton skirt and a pair of sandals that revealed perfect toes painted in a bubblegum pink.
