The Girl Before Eve (34 page)

“I know and it’s fucking chucking it down, so can you please open the door?”

She unfastened the latch and pulled the door open. She inhaled sharply at the vision before her. Adam was standing there, drenched, rain sliding from his wet hair, down his face, and soaking through his shirt, which was now clinging to his chest.
So beautiful
. He wiped his hand down over his face and slicked his hair back, his chest heaving.

Coming to her senses, she gestured toward him. “Come in, you’ll catch your death out there.” She stepped aside and he passed her, stopping in the hallway and dripping all over her tiled floor. He turned toward her with a huge grin on his face.

“I’m sorry it’s so late, Lil.” He ran his hand through his hair once again. “I…I just had to come and tell you…you
are
my best friend after all. And I wanted you to be the first to know.”

Her heart shattered into a million pieces and the tears that had been falling all evening began to dampen her face yet again. This was it. This was the news she didn’t want to hear but knew was inevitable.

“Oh?” was all she could muster.

He stepped toward her. “It’s happened, Lil.” She forced a smile through her tears, not bothering any more to wipe them away. “I’ve found her…the
one
.” He smiled the most beautiful smile. Happiness radiated from every pore. She took a deep breath and nodded. She wanted to be happy for him, but it was hard when her heart lay trampled beneath his feet. He stepped closer still. “It’s an amazing feeling, Lil. Just the
best
feeling ever. I had to tell you.”

She closed her eyes. They must have made love. He had such happiness in his eyes. She knew there would be no going back if that happened.
When
it happened. He had fallen for Emily. And Adam didn’t give his heart away easily so it must be right. This was it. This was the end of her impossible dream. Biting the inside of her lip to stifle the sob that was building inside her, she opened her eyes again looking straight up into his melted chocolate gaze.

He took her face in his hands and brushed his thumbs over her cheeks to wipe away the tears. He rested his forehead on hers. His eyes were damp now, too. “Lily…please don’t cry.”

She couldn’t help but set the sob free. “Sorry…but…I’m…I’m so happy for you.”

He smiled that glorious smile again and whispered. “Thank you…I’m glad that you’re happy for me. It’s so important to me that you are. It’s all so clear to me now. I’ve found
the one,
Lil
…the one
.” She had heard him. He didn’t need to keep saying it. Each time was like a dagger through the remains of her broken heart. She nodded; it was all she could manage to do.

He took a deep breath and with shimmering eyes and his lower lip quivering he spoke.

“Lily…I can’t believe I’ve found the one I’m supposed to be with. I never thought I’d love anyone this way again. Not after…after Eve. But…this feeling…I’m awake again. It’s like everything makes sense again. Like someone’s switched the light back on. My heart’s bursting and I just feel so…so happy. It’s so incredible. I…I had to tell you first. I can’t believe it…I’ve found
the one
, Lily.”

Tears continued to make their escape from her eyes and she nodded. “Yes…yes you’ve said. I get it.”

He shook his head. “No…no I don’t think you do.”

She frowned. “What do you mean?”

“Lily…the one…the one I’m supposed to be with forever…it’s
you
.”

She gasped as she looked deep into his eyes and saw it. That look.

Adoration.

He really meant it. He was in love with her. With one hand slipped around her waist and the other into her hair, he sealed his declaration with the kiss she had always longed for and her broken heart mended.

Epilogue

I Alone
(Live)

Two Years Later

Lily awoke to an empty bed. Sunlight streamed in through the curtains, which were floating in the uncharacteristically warm Highland breeze. She sat up and curled her arms around her legs, resting her chin on them. She had always hated waking up alone.

There was a knock at the door, and she tiptoed across the smooth wooden floor of the luxurious log cabin to open it. There stood a young man with a large bouquet of flowers in his arms.

“Hello, Madam. I’m from McCaig’s florist. Where would you like these flowers?” the smartly dressed young man asked with a polite smile.

She gazed first at the huge display and then back at him. “Oh wow, thank you, they’re beautiful. Please, could you put them on the table by the window?”

“Yes, Madam…but…there are a few more to come.” He gestured behind him where another three men stood equally as loaded down.

Her hand came to her mouth and tears welled in her eyes. “Oh…goodness…please, bring them in. They look heavy.”

The man smiled. “Yes, as you can see I had to get extra help for this delivery.”

Her heart skipped as her senses were bombarded with beautiful colours and scents. “Just place them wherever you can.”

Following her instructions, the men placed vases filled with the most fragrant flowers she had ever smelled wherever there was an empty surface. Their sweet, heady perfume permeated the air around her. Once the deliverymen had gone, she stood in the centre of the room surrounded by vibrant colours. A calm serenity washed over her and a smile pulled at the corners of her mouth.

Walking out to the balcony that overlooked the mirror-like sea loch with the majestic mountains in the distance, she inhaled the fresh, clean summer air. As she stood there looking at the view out over the crystal-clear water, listening as it lapped at the shore beneath the cabin, arms slipped around her waist. Kisses were feathered from under her ear down her neck to her shoulder, sending shivers tingling down her spine.

She closed her eyes and sighed. “Hmmm, I wondered where you’d got to.”

“Went out to get my beautiful girl a few flowers.”

“A few? I think you bought all the flowers on the island.” She giggled, enjoying the closeness of her man. She turned around and gazed into his eyes, slipping her arms around his neck. “Who would’ve thought that we’d end up here?”

“In the Highlands? It seemed the perfect place. It’s ours.
Just
ours.”

“Actually, I meant who would’ve thought we’d end up
together
.”

“Well, I’m glad we did,” he said as he rubbed his nose against hers.

Leaning up on her tiptoes, she kissed him gently on the lips. “Me too. I think there’s a good chance that I’m the happiest woman on earth right now.”

“Well that stands to reason, seeing as I’m definitely the happiest man.” He removed his hands from her waist and laced his fingers in hers, pulling her back inside the plush log cabin.

She willingly followed him to the bed where he removed his linen shirt, khaki shorts, and boxers, never tearing his eyes from hers. Pulling her toward him, he slipped her white cotton nighty over her head. “God, I was right…you really are beautiful.” He sighed as his eyes, filled with adoration, roamed her naked body.

She ran her hands over his toned stomach to his chest, caressing his tattoo. “I do love this,” she said as she traced the script with her fingertips.

“I’m glad you do.” He smiled. Sliding his hands into her hair, he pulled her into him and kissed her gently at first. She returned the kiss with tenderness until his tongue danced with hers and the kiss deepened, becoming more passionate and filled with need. She moaned as he slipped his hand down her jaw and over her collarbone to caress her breast. Her head rolled back as desire washed over her. The way he made her feel…

Tumbling backward, he pulled her on top of him on the huge bed, the crisp, soft, white linens billowing around them like the summer clouds above their romantic highland hideaway, his mouth still locked with hers. His fingers continued their sensual journey down her body, right to her core as his mouth moved over one of her tightened nipples. She stroked her hands down his muscular back, delighting in the feel of his muscles flexing under her touch. Rolling her onto her back, he laid atop her body resting on his elbows. “I love you so much,” he whispered. His gaze locked onto hers as he slipped inside her, making her gasp as she revelled in the feeling of closeness.

Grasping him as he moved, she breathed, “I love you too…more than anything.”

Their bodies moved together as they made love slowly and languorously, kissing and caressing each other and whispering loving, tender words. Suddenly, they were lost together out in the heavens, crying out each other’s name and holding on tight. Lily was once again overwhelmed with emotion and tears escaped her eyes. She would never get enough of this feeling.

Never
.

When they had calmed and she was resting her head on his chest, she traced the tattoo once again. She reached up and placed a kiss where it scarred him so beautifully. “I still can’t believe you did it.”

“What? The tattoo? Well, once I knew that yours was done all those years ago for me, I had to have one to match.” He kissed her hair and stroked his fingers down her back. “I still can’t believe you did that for
me
…before I even knew… I always wondered what it meant… Gaelic was never a language I understood, even though it really is beautiful.”

She paused for a moment. “Well, the words are true… I
will
always love you.”

He squeezed her closer to him. “Well, now you know the feeling is mutual and the words are there permanently…only for you…
forever
.”

She sighed as she continued to trace the script.

He tilted her chin up with his finger, so that their eyes met. “Happy honeymoon,
Mrs. Adam Langton
,” he whispered as he lowered his mouth to hers once again.

The End