long and slender was enticing. Adam was like a moth to the flame.
Now, as he regarded her face, he could have sworn he saw her eyes flash with something. It happened so suddenly he couldn’t pin it down and she cleared her countenance as quick appeared.
“Right,” she said, nodding. She raised her knees to her chest and rested her chin atop them.
Something wasn’t right but he didn’t think she would appreciate him asking about it. His senses were on high alert with her body language speaking volumes.
He didn’t think she would be open to his prodding though. It was the first time he hadn’t been iced out by her so instead, he opted to change the topic altogether.
“So, your grandma’s garden looks good. She would be proud of the work you did.”
Her brow furrowed and he mentally kicked himself. Was he going to get anything right today??
“Thank you,” she said softly, “it’s the one thing I could do to make me feel close to her.”
Adam nodded, understanding the sentiment. On a day like today and what it represented, he didn’t want to do anything that reminded him of his dad.
“I’m sorry to hear about your dad.” The genuine sadness reflected in her chocolate eyes.
Adam felt like he was punched in the gut. It was the last thing he thought would come of his topic change. Having Audrey say it out loud just made it real. The reality of this day. Fuck.
He clenched his jaw and stood up, not wanting to lose it in front of Audrey. “I gotta go. I’ll see you around.”
With that he walked brusquely across the sand up toward his beach house on the rocks. He needed a new resolve.
Chapter 5
L ater that day Audrey found herself wandering through the house, not really knowing what to do with her time. Every corner was polished and sparkling, the garden was over flowing with blooms, and lunch was cooked so there wasn’t anything for her to actually do.
She sat on the bed in her old room and eyed her suitcase, the one carrying her expensive camera and equipment. A sad tug poked pulled at her chest. She couldn’t bring herself to do it. Photography had been her passion all through her youth. It had taken on a new perspective when she had studied arts in college and molded the craft to a new height. Her eyes mastered vision for beauty, seeing lines and patterns, color and dimensions when others didn’t. Audrey had lost herself, on more than one occasion, in hours of taking photos. She’d been so good at it that some of her pieces had actually been sold.
She’d saved up every cent of her sales, planning on taking a world tour but had settled on getting married young instead. Sure, Michael had taken her to some places in the early years but that had been more her accompanying him on business trips rather than them taking a vacation and travelling.
She sighed, tired of feeling sorry for herself. She had neglected her craft and that was on her. And when it had counted, her photos had actually saved her.
A year ago, when things between her and Michael had reached an all-time low, she’d contemplated divorce so many times but how could she challenge a man like Michael? He was wealthy and well connected. She only had her grandpa to lean on, her parents, too involved in saving the rest of the world that they couldn’t see their only child struggling. He’d started to imprison her in their mansion often hiding her car keys. The car she damn well owned! They were childless, pet-less and often servant-less which made for a very quiet home. Audrey often thought she was losing her mind, the silence was deafening.
When she did leave the house it was only for him to drop her off at the country club to mingle with the wives of his business partners. The snooty, judgmental women who always made Audrey feel insignificant. Audrey had become a pawn in Michael’s life. To the outside world she had made it big in Manhattan in reality, she was less than what she was when she left Crystal Valley. She dressed the
Now, as he regarded her face, he could have sworn he saw her eyes flash with something. It happened so suddenly he couldn’t pin it down and she cleared her countenance as quick appeared.
“Right,” she said, nodding. She raised her knees to her chest and rested her chin atop them.
Something wasn’t right but he didn’t think she would appreciate him asking about it. His senses were on high alert with her body language speaking volumes.
He didn’t think she would be open to his prodding though. It was the first time he hadn’t been iced out by her so instead, he opted to change the topic altogether.
“So, your grandma’s garden looks good. She would be proud of the work you did.”
Her brow furrowed and he mentally kicked himself. Was he going to get anything right today??
“Thank you,” she said softly, “it’s the one thing I could do to make me feel close to her.”
Adam nodded, understanding the sentiment. On a day like today and what it represented, he didn’t want to do anything that reminded him of his dad.
“I’m sorry to hear about your dad.” The genuine sadness reflected in her chocolate eyes.
Adam felt like he was punched in the gut. It was the last thing he thought would come of his topic change. Having Audrey say it out loud just made it real. The reality of this day. Fuck.
He clenched his jaw and stood up, not wanting to lose it in front of Audrey. “I gotta go. I’ll see you around.”
With that he walked brusquely across the sand up toward his beach house on the rocks. He needed a new resolve.
Chapter 5
L ater that day Audrey found herself wandering through the house, not really knowing what to do with her time. Every corner was polished and sparkling, the garden was over flowing with blooms, and lunch was cooked so there wasn’t anything for her to actually do.
She sat on the bed in her old room and eyed her suitcase, the one carrying her expensive camera and equipment. A sad tug poked pulled at her chest. She couldn’t bring herself to do it. Photography had been her passion all through her youth. It had taken on a new perspective when she had studied arts in college and molded the craft to a new height. Her eyes mastered vision for beauty, seeing lines and patterns, color and dimensions when others didn’t. Audrey had lost herself, on more than one occasion, in hours of taking photos. She’d been so good at it that some of her pieces had actually been sold.
She’d saved up every cent of her sales, planning on taking a world tour but had settled on getting married young instead. Sure, Michael had taken her to some places in the early years but that had been more her accompanying him on business trips rather than them taking a vacation and travelling.
She sighed, tired of feeling sorry for herself. She had neglected her craft and that was on her. And when it had counted, her photos had actually saved her.
A year ago, when things between her and Michael had reached an all-time low, she’d contemplated divorce so many times but how could she challenge a man like Michael? He was wealthy and well connected. She only had her grandpa to lean on, her parents, too involved in saving the rest of the world that they couldn’t see their only child struggling. He’d started to imprison her in their mansion often hiding her car keys. The car she damn well owned! They were childless, pet-less and often servant-less which made for a very quiet home. Audrey often thought she was losing her mind, the silence was deafening.
When she did leave the house it was only for him to drop her off at the country club to mingle with the wives of his business partners. The snooty, judgmental women who always made Audrey feel insignificant. Audrey had become a pawn in Michael’s life. To the outside world she had made it big in Manhattan in reality, she was less than what she was when she left Crystal Valley. She dressed the
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