“How about you, Adel?”
“You don’t intimidate me,” she replied, her voice cracking.
He reached up and cupped her cheek as he held her gaze. “I should intimidate you. I don’t trust easily. I don’t date. I don’t play games. I also expect an answer, the truth when I ask a question.” He caressed her lower lip and leaned closer.
He stared into those big brown eyes of hers and knew he had complete control, but instead of making him feel triumphant, he felt like a dick for scaring her. What was she afraid of? Why did he have such different, deep emotions for a woman he hardly knew? Before he could say anything more the door opened. He released her and Leo was there with a smile on his face.
“Sorry I’m late,” he said.
“That’s okay, I need to take some pictures of these designs and then enter them into the computer,” Adel said and took out her cell phone, took a few pictures, then gasped as Leo wrapped an arm around her waist from behind and kissed her neck.
“I missed you, baby,” he said and she looked worried.
“Leo, I thought we talked about this. I don’t want people talking. I want things to be normal around here,” she told him.
“Normal? That’s not happening. You and I will talk more later,” Hank told her and Leo gave him a hard expression.
* * * *
Adel was feeling out of sorts and very on edge with her emotions. The past several days Hank would hint at wanting her, or come close to touching her, even kissing her, and then hold back. She started to feel desperate to have him kiss her, especially since Leo and Will took every opportunity they had to touch her, kiss her, and even tell her how badly they wanted to visit her cottage again to check on the ceiling fan. They were such flirts, but Hank was reserved and hard. It scared her yet made her want to break him down. Which was crazy because she should be running from these three men, not wanting them.
She snuck out of the office early for lunch wanting to avoid having lunch with Leo or Will so she could talk to Mercedes. She was feeling crazy and needed some good advice. She met up with her by the deli and they ordered lunch then took it to the park to eat.
“Oh God, Hank is totally the silent brooding type. You have it bad, girl,” Mercedes teased her.
“I think I’m setting myself up for more rejection and pain. Why would a man like him and his brothers be interested in a woman like me? I mean I have nothing. I come from a wealthy family that basically rejected me because of my ex. My mom is hounding me to come visit and making me feel guilty because my dad’s been sick. Never mind the annoying phone calls from my ex.”
“You should talk to Max about your ex bothering you. What if he shows up here and hurts you?”
“He likes to make threats and he thinks he still has a hold of me somehow even though I broke off the engagement and left my family. I looked up information on the company and he’s taken over the majority of the shares. He’s pushing my dad out and that was what my dad sold me out for.”
“Then that serves your dad right. He chose a business deal over his own daughter. That’s fucked up big time.”
“Yeah, well I doubt he’s learned his lesson even though my mom says he has and wants to make amends with me. It’s so frustrating, Mercedes, because I think he’s the reason why I’m holding back with Leo, Will, and even Hank. I’m afraid of them rejecting me once I give them my trust, never mind sleep with them. That’s intimate and as close as a couple can get. Three men and me making love? I would never be the same again. It will kill me when they leave me. So why bother?” Adel said as the tear escaped her eyes. She quickly wiped it and Mercedes wrapped her arm around Adel’s shoulder.
“Sweetie, they really did a number on you, but I think you’ve tortured yourself enough. Why not take a chance with Leo, Will, and Hank? They could turn out to be the best thing that ever happened to you, but you won’t know if you don’t take this chance.”
“But I’m scared, and I don’t want to tell them about my ex and about my dad because if they really aren’t as wonderful as they seem then they could use that against me and know how vulnerable I am.”
“They’re not your ex and certainly not your father.”
“We don’t know that.”
“Honey, they like you a lot, and you like them a lot. Just enjoy their company and see where it leads. Take your time and see what happens. If you follow your heart and your gut it will be just fine.”
“That’s a problem, too. What my dad did to me, choosing Bentley and the business deal over me, killed me. Then to know that my dad knew Bentley was cheating on me with multiple women and that he still wanted me to marry Bentley is sick. It makes me wonder if my dad has been faithful to my mom all these years. I mean she’s hounding me to come home to visit and even after all this crap I feel guilty and want to cut the ties and end it all. Do I go and try to make amends and then tell my dad we don’t have to ever discuss it again, or do I just go on feeling guilty for not trying? It’s a mess.”
“I can’t tell you what to do. You’re a good person. That’s why you feel guilty even though you shouldn’t. Hold off telling the guys about your dad and Bentley for now. You’ll know when the time is right to tell them. Follow your heart. They’ll make you happy and you don’t have to deal with Bentley or your mom and dad again.”
Adel and M
ercedes finished up lunch and then Adel headed back to the office. She wasn’t sure what to do and on her way through town she saw Harold Ferguson. He smiled wide and hugged her hello. How badly she wished she had a dad like Harold or like his brother William.
“Hello, Mr. Ferguson, how are you?”
“Adel, how many times have I told you to call me Harold?”
She smiled and then stepped back. “Okay, but it’s hard to do.”