Gavin. Of course Gavin is the one I should have worried about. The man misses nothing. Miraculously, he looks even more stunning now than he did at nineteen.
“Ellie? Ellie Palmer?” he says incredulously. “Is it really you?”
Gaping and red-faced from Adam’s little peep show, I nod like an idiot, too tongue-tied to say anything else.
“Holy shit! It is you!” he shouts. Gavin rushes over and grabs me in a giant, crushing hug as I squeal in surprise.
Gavin says my name so loud that Adam’s head whips around in our direction. I watch over Gavin’s shoulder as Adam’s gorgeous face goes from shocked, to confused, to determined. Adam is braver than I am, because once he gets his emotions under control, he walks right up to us, waiting for Gavin to release me.
“Sorry El. I couldn’t help myself,” Gavin says as he puts me back on my feet.
I laugh nervously, “Right, I’m sure you couldn’t.” I look around, blatantly avoiding eye contact with Adam.
Adam edges closer and I notice that Hawke and Dax have come over as well.
“I’ll be damned, Ellie’s here!” Hawke exclaims, leaning in for a quick hug and a peck on the cheek.
“Christ, El. I can’t believe you’re here,” Dax tells me, wrapping me up in his muscular arms before stepping back so he can see me.
“Well, I do live here you know. Actually, James here got us the tickets.” I step aside so the guys can see my hulking, handsome, detective fiancé, who has been standing back and waiting patiently while we have our mini-reunion.
If I weren’t on the verge of throwing up from nervousness, the looks on the guys’ faces would actually be funny. They take in James, tall and wide, as big as Dax even, and their eyes nearly pop out of their heads.
“Hello, I’m Ellie’s fiancé, James Black,” he says, smiling, completely oblivious to the awkward situation.
Dax, Hawke, and Gavin all stand gaping before composing themselves to shake hands with James. I sneak a look at Adam and see that he’s turned a dark shade of red and his teeth are clenching, making the muscles in his jaw pulsate under the sexy stubble he has. I notice that one of his arms is covered in black tattoos, but I don’t want to be caught staring, so I can’t look long enough to be able to tell what they are.
Adam makes no move to meet James. His eyes flick down to my left hand. I know the exact second he finds my engagement ring because the hazel may as well be black from the dark look he gives it.
“Well, I’m sure you’re busy and all…” I uncomfortably stuff my left hand in my pocket, eager to get out of here and put this behind me before I
have to say anything to Adam.
James ignores my cue and walks right up to Adam and speaks directly to him. “Ellie tells me you were mates back in school,” he says, putting his hand out for Adam to shake. “James Black, Ellie’s fiancé.”
Did James just do that on purpose? Did he sense Adam’s anger and feel like he had to mark his territory, namely me?
Not having a choice unless he wants to be a giant wanker in front of everyone, Adam puts his hand in James’ and shakes it. “Adam Reynolds. Yeah, you could say we were mates,” he says sarcastically. “Hello Ellie.” He speaks to me in a much kinder manner than I had expected. “You’re looking well.” His hazel eyes, the same eyes that locked onto mine during each of the countless times we made love, scan up and down my body, assessing every inch.
I heat up under his scrutinizing gaze feeling it penetrate straight into me in a way I haven’t felt in years, turning my insides hot and my mind to mush.
“You too.” I shift my feet so I can press my thighs together to ease the ache that has begun to take root. I hope like hell that James doesn’t notice the sexual tension between me and Adam, the greedy way his eyes take me in, the way he makes me squirm and blush like I’m an eighteen year-old schoolgirl again, the way my pulse flutters when I’m near him.
Gavin, perceptive as always, doesn’t miss the electricity crackling around the two of us. He clears his throat and breaks the thick tension. “So, James, Ellie, want a tour around backstage? I can show you all the secrets that make us look good.” He grins, pulling my attention from Adam.
“Uhhh….” My brain is too muddled with images of Adam’s mouth sucking on every sensitive spot on my body as I pant and writhe beneath him.
“That’d be great,” James says, a little less enthusiastically than he had been a few minutes ago. “Right El?” He eyes me curiously, waiting to see what my answer will be.
“Right,” I mutter, unable to come up with the proper amount of excitement for a stupid tour. What I want to do is run out of here and pretend my fiancé didn’t just meet my first and only love.
“Well, let’s hurry then,” Gavin says. “The crew will begin tear down as soon as the last guest has left the stadium. Once that starts, it’s better to get out of the way or else you may find yourself packed up and shipped in a box to our next venue.”
James laughs with him, not realizing that everyone else is still frozen in place, too stunned either by my presence or Adam’s calm response to me, or maybe the blatant sexual tension that my fiancé has yet to observe. What kind of detective is he that he doesn’t notice how uncomfortable this is? Or maybe he does and is a better actor than me.
“Gavin, a word before you take off,” Adam says. He motions with his head for Gavin to join him a few steps away. They chat for a moment, Gavin nodding at whatever Adam says to him, then Gavin trots back over to our little group.
“Bye El, good to see you again.” Adam is next to me, holding out his hand.