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Though she was a pastry chef, it didn’t look like she ate much of her work. She was slender and long-limbed, with a body that he longed to touch. “Morning,” he said. “Is that for me?”
“It is. Everyone has been wondering about you. I told them you got in early this morning, after I was up.” Her gaze slowly drifted down his body as she approached, the mug wrapped in her outstretched hands.
Adam smiled. He liked that she stared. She was interested enough to look. Curious, maybe? They’d have a whole week together and he didn’t want to waste another moment. Adam wanted to know more about her, to spend some time together, to see where this attraction might lead. Yet he knew he ought to be patient. Jules wasn’t the kind of woman who jumped into bed without careful consideration of the consequences.
“I guess I fell asleep,” he said, taking the coffee from her. “I probably should have taken one of the bunks but—”
“It’s all right,” she said, shifting nervously from foot to foot. “Nothing happened. You were the perfect gentleman.”
“Lucky you couldn’t read my thoughts,” he said taking a step toward her. She didn’t move away and Adam took that as a good sign. He brought his hand to rest on her waist and smoothed his palm over her hip. Then, he slowly bent closer and brushed his lips against hers.
The kiss was a test, he reasoned. If she reacted negatively, then he knew exactly where he stood, but if she… An instant later, Julia threw her arms around his neck and returned the kiss. But this wasn’t a test. This was a full-on, tongue-tangling passionate kiss.
Adam stumbled slightly, the coffee sloshing onto his hand and scalding him. With a groan, he dropped the mug and it smashed on the wooden floor. But the kiss easily distracted him from the pain in his hand. He grabbed her waist and pulled her along to the bed and they fell onto it, her body coming down on top of his.
He cupped her face in his hands, trying to slow the frantic assault and she softened beneath his touch, then drew back to look down into his gaze. Her eyes were wide and questioning. “Are you all right?” he murmured.
Julia nodded, breathless.
“That was nice. Do you want to try it again?”
She frowned. “Was there something wrong with the first time?”
“Oh, no. There was nothing wrong. Here, let me prove it.” Their second kiss was much more relaxed and they lingered over each other’s mouths, teasing playfully, tasting deeply. “Who needs coffee when I have you to wake me up?”
She ran her hands over his bare chest, pressing her lips to shoulder in a deliberate trail. “You can’t stay here,” Julia said. “You have to find another place to sleep.”
“I know.” She kissed him again and he groaned softly as his hands trailed over her back. He bunched the fabric of her skirt in his fists, pulling it up until her legs were bare. “But that doesn’t mean I don’t want to stay.” He ran his thumb over her lower lip, still damp from his kiss. “What if I come back in the middle of the night when no one is awake? I’m really good at sneaking through camp without getting caught.”
She nodded. “You need to come to breakfast. They’re going to wonder where I am.”
“Only if you kiss me. Once more.”
She smiled then leaned down, running her tongue along the crease of his mouth before indulging in one last, long, perfect kiss. Then Julia pushed off of him and stood beside the bed, clutching her hands in her loose skirt.
“I think we should keep this between the two of us,” she said. “I don’t want to be the talk of Camp Winnehawkee.”
Adam nodded slowly. He was going to let her set the terms for now. “All right. That sounds reasonable.”
She walked to the screen door, then paused before she turned back around. “I’ve always wondered what that would be like,” she said. “Kissing you. Back then, you kissed a lot of girls at Camp Winnehawkee.”
“The only one I really wanted to kiss was you.”
“And was I what you expected?”
Adam nodded. “You do know how to kiss, Jules, I’ll give you that.” He looked down at the erection pressing against the fabric of his boxers, then covered it with his hands. “Sorry. That tends to happen when I get excited.”
With a soft giggle, she shoved the screen door open. “Put that away before you come to breakfast.”
He moved to the door to watch her as she strolled down the hill. She tripped on the same tree root she had the night before, pitching forward before she righted herself. Hopping on one foot, Julia rubbed her toe and turned back to see if he was watching. “Are you all right?” he called.
“Fine,” she replied, giving him a wave.
“Breakfast,” he murmured as he moved back to the bed. He grabbed the clothes he’d chosen and tugged them on, then slipped his feet into a pair of boat shoes. Though he was anxious to see Mason and Ben again, there was only one person on his mind right now and she had a sweet mouth and a soft body and a smile that made him crave her more than her cinnamon rolls.
A FEW MINUTES later, once he was sure he was decent, Adam jogged down to the dining hall. When he walked inside, he found all his old friends gathered around a table near the kitchen doors.
“Well, there he is!” Mason cried. “We were about to send out a search party. We’re burning daylight and you’re getting your beauty sleep.”
Adam crossed the room, grinning at Mason. “I can see you’ve had a bad case of insomnia. There’s nothing pretty about you, Mase.” He held out his hand and Mason grabbed it, pulling Adam into a hug.
“Good to see you.”
Adam gave Frannie and Ben a wave, then shook Derek and Steven’s hands. “I always thought you two belonged together. I’m happy for you both.” He glanced around. “Where can I get something to eat?”
“Kate has everything set up in the kitchen. Grab yourself a plate. Coffee is out here.”
As Adam walked to the swinging door, Kate burst through with a tin of maple syrup in her hand. “I found it! I don’t know if this is—Adam!” She threw her arms around his neck and gave him a fierce hug. “There are pancakes and sausage in the kitchen. I can make you eggs if you like. When did you get here? Where did you sleep?”
“Late. I brought along my sleeping bag,” he replied. He wasn’t sure that Jules had explained last night’s sleeping arrangements, so he decided to play it cool. “Pancakes will be terrific.”
Adam pushed the door open and stepped inside, following Julia back into the huge camp kitchen. Julia pulled a baking sheet out of the old commercial oven. “If you’re making more of those cinnamon rolls, I could eat four or five.”
She turned around and smiled at him. “Scones,” she said. “Raspberry.” Julia plucked one off of the baking sheet and tossed it at him. “Be careful, they’re hot.”
He pulled up a stool and sat down at the huge prep table, dropping the hot scone in front of him. “So what’s the plan for today? Can I just stay here and watch you bake, or do I have to do some work?”
“You need to move your stuff out of my cabin,” she said.
“Why? Nothing happened last night. I’m sure we can cohabitate peacefully.”
“This week isn’t about us. It’s about Mason and Kate.”
“But we’re not going to be working all day and night. We’ll have time to ourselves. So, maybe we could go into town tonight for dinner? Just you and me?”
She stared at him for a long moment, as if trying to figure his motives. Hadn’t he been clear? Or did she simply not trust him? Was he moving too fast, expecting more than she was ready to give. But that kiss. It was all there in that kiss—the need, the longing, the desire. Was he supposed to ignore that?
“You’re right,” Adam said, picking up the warm scone and biting off a corner. “We need to focus on the job at hand.” He held up the biscuit and nodded. “It’s good.”
With that, he turned and walked out of the kitchen, leaving Julia to think about how she wanted to play this. If he was right about the kiss, then she’d come around to his way of thinking sooner or later. And for a woman like Julia, Adam was willing to wait.
“So, what’s on the agenda for today?” he asked his friends, reaching for the carafe of coffee.
“We’re re-roofing three of the cabins,” Mason said. “The girls are going to be replacing the screens in two of them and then I’m hoping someone will volunteer to wallpaper the nurse’s office. The last time Kate and I wallpapered, we almost came to blows.”
“I’m good at wallpapering,” Julia said as she came out of the kitchen, a basket of scones in her hand.
“Me, too,” Adam added. “I’m an expert.”
“Good,” Mason said. “You two can work on that project tomorrow.” He stood and grabbed his coffee mug. “Well, men, it’s time to get down to business.”
Adam circled the table to Julia and reached for another scone, resting his hand on the small of her back. “Just one more,” he murmured.
She glanced at him, her gaze fixed on his mouth, and he knew instantly what she was thinking. Could he steal one more kiss without anyone noticing? “You know, I think I’ll wrap up a few of those scones to go.”
“I’ll get you a bag,” she said. Julia turned back to the kitchen and a few seconds later, Adam followed her through the door.
She spun around when she realized he was in the room with her, her hands braced against the edge of the work table. Adam slowly crossed to stand in front of her. She was so close, he could feel the heat from her body and hear her breath coming in quick gasps.
He slipped his hands around her waist and pulled her against him. Adam didn’t bother to ask. He could see what she wanted the moment their gazes met. His mouth came down on hers, and this time, there was no hesitation, no doubt about what it all meant.
They wanted each other and denying it was an exercise in futility. His tongued delved into the warm depths of her mouth and she responded eagerly, matching his desire in every way. Adam’s hand skimmed over her hips and he cupped her backside, drawing her even closer.
But there was a limit to what he could take from her before the evidence of his desire was on display for all to see. He stepped back, knowing if he went on, he’d need a cold shower or at least ten minutes alone to recover.
“I’ll see you later,” he said, letting his palm smooth across her back.
A smile touched the corners of her mouth. “Don’t you want your scones?”
Adam shook his head. “No. It will give me a chance to come back.
“Later,” she repeated.
When he reached the door, he glanced back to find her still standing where he’d left her, her hand pressed to her chest, her lips still damp from their kiss.
Adam strode through the dining room and out onto the porch. “It’s going to be a good day,” he said to Mason as they strolled out into the sunshine.
JULIA’S KNEES WOBBLED and she drew in a deep breath, trying to steady herself. But the rush of oxygen only made her dizzy. She stumbled to the sink and splashed some cold water on her face. Would she ever get accustomed to kissing him? Would the after-effects wear off more quickly the more they did it?
Since their kiss in the cabin, she hadn’t been able to think of anything else. She’d accidentally dropped two eggs, spilled a glass of orange juice and burned a batch of scones just reliving that moment. And now there was another moment to add to it.
She drew another breath. Though she’d dreamed about kissing him for years, she’d never expected it to have such a profound effect on her. The taste of his mouth, the warmth of his lips, the strength of his hands on her body, were enough singly to drive her to distraction. But combined, she was powerless to do anything but surrender.
When she was teenager, all her fantasies were colored with romance. But now, everything was about raw lust. His touch made her body ache from something more satisfying and she knew exactly what it was. Naked bodies, limbs entwined, searching mouths and soft sighs.
This was exactly what she’d dreamed about and now that it was happening, she wanted to remember every single moment. Slowly, she sank to the floor and closed her eyes. The taste of him was still on her lips and she smiled. Blindfolded, she could kiss a hundred strangers and recognize him.
She wanted to run and jump and scream, letting loose the wild emotions that coursed through her body. But Julia knew that for now, she had to keep her feelings to herself. This could last a day or two and then, just as suddenly as it began, it could be over. And the last thing she wanted to do was make a fool of herself.
And yet, it was so hard to believe it was real when she was the only one who knew about it. If she could tell Kate or Frannie, then maybe it wouldn’t seem so surreal. And maybe it wouldn’t frighten her so much.
There hadn’t been a man in her life that had made her feel this heady mix of elation and anticipation since—well, never. What would happen when she saw him next, when he touched her again?
“Jules?”
She looked up to find Kate standing beside her, the coffee carafe in her hands.
“What are you doing?” Kate asked.
“Nothing,” Julia said, scrambling to her feet. “Just … relaxing. I didn’t sleep very well last night.”
Kate sat down next to her. “Are you all right? You look a little flushed.” She pressed her palm to Julia’s forehead. “Are you getting sick?”
“No. It’s just the heat in the kitchen. The oven’s been on. I’m great, really.”
Kate sighed. “Sometimes I wonder if we’ll ever finish what needs to get done. With everything we cross off the top of the list, we add another two or three on the bottom.”
“So, we have to fix the screens on the cabins?”
“Don’t worry, it’s not that hard. It just takes time and patience. But we don’t have to get to work yet.”
“What are you guys doing in here?” Frannie said, wandering into the kitchen. She plopped down on the other side of Kate and leaned over to look at Julia. “Are you all right? Your face is all red.”
Julia clapped her hands to her cheeks. “Yes.”
“She’s just warm,” Kate explained. She sighed softly. “I can’t tell you how much we appreciate all your help. We just never could have done this alone. And hiring help is beyond our budget. Do you have any idea what plumbers cost these days?”
“It’s no problem,” Frannie said.
“I just want you to know that—”
“Stop,” Julia said, wrapping her arms around Kate’s shoulders. “We’re all here because we love this place and we love you.”
Kate pulled them both into a group hug. “I’m so glad we’re all back here, together.”
“We haven’t changed at all, have we, girls?” Frannie said, stretching her legs out in front of her. “But you know who’s gotten better with age?” She leaned over the table. “Adam. Oh, my God, I didn’t think he could get any hotter, but he has. Why hasn’t some woman snapped him up by now?”
“Maybe he’s gay,” Kate said. “Look at Derek and Steven. We never even suspected they were.”
“I don’t think he’s gay,” Julia said.
“How do you know?” Kate’s eyes went wide. “You two haven’t—”
“I saw him in Chicago once. On Michigan Avenue, walking down the sidewalk with this gorgeous blond woman. He was definitely into her. It was obvious. I think he just likes women too much to settle on one.”
“When a guy looks like that, I guess he can afford to play the field,” Kate said. “I still say the best thing to ever happen to Mason was his hairline receding. Marriage looks pretty good to a guy who thinks he’s going bald.”
Frannie scrambled to her feet. “We need to have a toast.”
“It’s too early to start drinking,” Julia said, getting to her feet. She reached out and pulled Kate up. “We should really wait until at least 1:00 a.m.”
“I was going to say noon,” Kate countered.
“We’re on vacation. We can start whenever we want,” Frannie said. She filled three glasses with orange juice and passed them out. “To Camp Winnehawkee. Friends forever.”
“It really is true,” Julia said. “Look at us. All these years have passed and we’re still friends. I don’t think I have any better friends than you two.”
“We really should get together more than once a year,” Frannie said. “After all, we don’t live that far apart.”
