When It Hooks You (It #1) (15 page)

He chuckled and stood, giving her a human-sized piece of wood to sit on. “We could’ve gone straight to Chinatown, but I thought the boat ride would provide a sort of transition from this world to that.”

The woman shrieked, “Parker! This is the last time I’ll tell you. Stay off the rail or we’ll get right back on the train and you’ll spend the rest of the night in a time out.”

Neither Trish nor Adam spoke, but the mischievous glance they shared told her they were thinking along the same lines—this was the obnoxious fellow travelers portion of the trip. A cheery yellow boat approached and docked. Trish and Adam filed on, squeezing onto a long bench at the back of the outside deck. Once the boat got humming along the river, he took her hand, rubbing his thumb over her wrist. His touch had become far more relaxed and confident since the first time they’d held hands.

They stayed companionably quiet during the ride, enjoying the view. Trish realized she was silly to have thought it mattered where Adam took her or how they got there. She was happy to be anywhere with him. As their journey continued, the sky scraping buildings thinned. Once the boat passed a round, beehive-like structure jutting out from the east bank, the bordering terrain became mostly small trees and other vegetation with an occasional bridge and a smattering of industrial-looking buildings.

Adam was right in thinking the ride would provide a transition from the steely elegance of downtown. The boat slowed, and they were welcomed to Chinatown by a quieter kind of elegance. The dock was at the steps of pagoda-styled pavilion with a multi-sloped roof lifting at the corners into embellished tips.

“This is Ping Tom Memorial Park,” Adam informed her after they’d disembarked and ascended the steps to the structure. “It’s named after a civic leader, a big force behind Chinatown’s development.”

“How’d you know that?” Trish asked.

“Because of this.” He pointed to a granite bust of Ping Tom atop a solid block.

Trish saw it was inscribed in both English and Chinese with the man’s story. “You’ve been here before?”

“A few times. But not for a long while. Ready to take a walk around?”

“Sure.” She mentally patted herself on the back for her choice of semi-sensible shoes.

They passed several blocks of fairly uninteresting urban-scape before reaching the first point of interest—the Nine Dragon Wall, set only a few feet from the sidewalk. “It’s modeled from a wall in Beijing,” Adam told her. “They say it helps center Chinatown’s feng shui.”

“Ya don’t say.” Trish pressed against the small protective gate so that other pedestrians could easily get around her while she studied the serpent-like bodies of the blue, red, and gold dragons. “You get all that from a plaque?”

“The Beijing part. An informative waiter told me about the feng shui. Would you like me to stop with the trivia?” He regarded her with an amused eyebrow quirked.

“Nah. Keep the factoids coming. Just as long as there won’t be a quiz later.” She nudged him with her shoulder, tangling her fingers with his. They crossed the intersection to pass under an imposing red gate. Adam informed her that this was the historic part of Chinatown. At first glance, the street’s multi-colored signs set at various heights and all shouting for attention struck Trish as a Chinese version of Freemont Street in Vegas.

She and Adam continued on, peeking through shop windows and wandering into some of the stores. Trish soon saw that this place was nothing like Freemont Street. This was where locals did their trade and made their livings while at the same time preserving their rich, cultural heritage. Adam bought teas in one shop. In another, Trish eyed a pair of intricately embroidered silk slippers. Adam scooped them up and took them to the cash register.

“What are you doing?” she asked, coming to his side as he purchased them.

“You might want these later.” His evasive, tight grin told her he didn’t intend to explain his comment, and she decided not to push for an answer. She liked surprises—especially if they involved getting cozy with Adam. He tucked the small package into her large, black bag and led her out the door.

Trish’s stomach grumbled, so they stopped in a small bakery. Bypassing the marinated chicken feet, they picked up iced teas and something called egg custard buns. They ate their buns and sipped tea, making their way back east on the other side of the street. Conversation flowed naturally between messy bites, and Trish was struck by how surprisingly easy it was to spend time with this man she hardly knew.

They reached Chinatown Square, a modern outdoor mall with two levels. Walking through the open corridors, they window shopped until eventually arriving at a plaza bordered by bronze statues. Each of the twelve sculptures represented an animal of the Chinese zodiac. Unlike the Greek zodiac, each of these signs was associated with particular years of birth rather than time of year.

“What’s your sign, baby?” Trish asked, bumping her hip into his.

“I’ve no idea. You?”

“We could look it up.” She held up her phone.

Adam wrapped his hand around the back of hers and pulled the device closer, peering at the screen. “We could. But we should probably get dinner. I’m not sure how late the water taxi runs. To be safe, we ought to arrive at the dock by eight.”

Trish glanced at the phone. It was already almost seven thirty. “It’ll have to be a quick dinner,” she said doubtfully, on the verge of suggesting they ditch the boat and grab a cab back to the city.

“Let’s order it to go. Chinese takeout’s more classic anyway, right?” Not waiting for her response, he started back toward the mall.

“Right.” Trish followed him, wondering why he was in such a rush to get takeout. Was he bored and wanted to end the date as soon as possible? Or did he mean for them to eat it back at his hotel room…off of each other? The idea of licking sweet and sour sauce off his tight abs kept her pleasantly occupied as they wound through the open corridors to the nearest restaurant.

They quickly agreed on Kung Pao chicken and a sweet shrimp dish. While they waited for the food to be prepared and boxed, Trish said, “I have to admit, I had doubts when we were sitting on that bench with the screaming lady, but it’s been nice bumming around with you. I think I’d had my expectations set for something more luxurious, but this is better. More real.”

His responding smile was mild, but Trish sensed something bigger dancing underneath. Lifting his fingers to the side of her face, Adam twisted a lock of her deep blond waves. The slight pull on her hair tickled her temple. He bent, barely brushing his lips to hers in the lightest of kisses. His touch was faint, yet it set off a cascade of electric sparks through Trish.

The hostess approached with their bag of food, and Adam pulled away from Trish to accept it. Her mind flickered with mini fantasies of how his kisses would taste with a Kung Pao spice. They threaded their way toward the riverside park under the orange glow of sunset.

“Won’t the food get cold by the time we get to wherever we’re going?” Trish asked.

“I’ve got that covered,” Adam said, giving her a perplexing wink. They stepped onto a wide path and crossed the park to the pagoda, where a dozen or so people waited on the steps. Rather than stopping to wait among them, Adam grasped onto Trish’s hand and led her toward a long, white yacht. Its twenty-foot bow extended past the dock. On its large deck sat a small, linen-covered table set for two. A jar at the center of the table flickered with candlelight. To the side of the candle was a silver ice bucket with a bottle of wine chilling inside it.

As Adam and Trish neared the vessel, a man in a white shirt and captain’s hat came over to the boat’s side, holding out his hand to Trish. “Welcome aboard.”

Trish turned abruptly toward Adam, letting out a small gasp. She was sure every ounce of her shock must’ve shown on her face. With a small smile and a delighted glint in his eyes, he nodded for her to proceed. She took the captain’s hand, and he held her steady while she stepped onto the deck. Adam followed, deftly balancing without the aid of the captain.

“Thank you, Mo. Everything looks wonderful,” Adam said, giving the captain a firm handshake.

“Look at that view!” Trish held her arm out toward the distant downtown skyline. A smattering of lights glowed in its tiny windows.

“One more thing,” Mo said, descending two steps to the steering console. A few seconds later, violin music flitted through round speakers that were inlaid around the deck. The lilting notes danced over Trish in perfect time with the giddiness bubbling inside her.

“If this isn’t real enough for you,” Adam murmured, stepping close behind her and putting his mouth directly next to her ear, letting the deep intonations of his voice roll over her bare shoulder, “if it’s too luxurious and you’d rather keep bumming around, I can tell Mo to shove off and we—”

He was silenced when Trish spun around to face him. He caught her waist with his free hand. “This will do just fine,” she said.

“So you like your surprise?” The glint in his eyes danced.

“Very much.”

The lowering sun set off a thousand colors in his entrancing eyes, mesmerizing her. He bent to her, taking her mouth in a slow, tender kiss. In that single, delicious moment, their finite relationship seemed to morph into something infinite.

A gruff throat cleared. “Gettin’ set to take off. You’re gonna want to have a seat when we do.”

“Of course, of course,” Adam said, suddenly standing perfectly erect. He took Trish’s hand and led her to one of the cushioned benches that lined the perimeter of the deck. The captain resumed his place at the steering wheel while Adam set down the bag of food. “We can move to the table and start dinner once he’s turned around and we’re set on a steady course.” The engines came to life and the boat lurched forward. “I’ve asked Mo to go slow so we’ll have plenty of time to enjoy our meal before we reach the end of the river.”

“We’re going all the way to the end?”

“Yes.” He curled his fingers under her palm and lifted her hand to place a small kiss upon it, not taking his gaze from her face.

“Then what?” she asked in a coy whisper.

“Then you’ll see what,” he whispered back.

Chapter 13

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at a slow, steady pace. Trish and Adam took seats at the small table and unpacked their food, piling small portions onto their plates. He uncorked the wine, explaining, “The sommelier at the hotel restaurant suggested a Riesling as the best bet for Chinese food. A sweet German wine for spicy Chinese food. Surprising, isn’t it?”

“Not so surprising,” Trish said. “Opposites attract.”

“Do you think so?” he asked, pouring them each a glass. “With people, I mean.”

She shrugged. “Sometimes.”

“Does it happen with you?”

She thought about it as she trapped a shrimp between her chopsticks. “Not really. I’d say most of my boyfriends have had roughly the same type of background as me, same level of education, same economic status. We tended to like the same kinds of movies and TV shows. Maybe we root for different teams, but we’ve enjoyed the same kind of sports. Pretty boring, actually, now that I think about it. Maybe that’s why none of them have stuck.”

“Are we opposites?” He peered at her over the rim of his glass as he took a sip.

She leaned back in her chair, considering. “In some ways. You seem to operate on a higher intellectual plane than me. You’re more serious; I’m more silly. We’re obviously not in the same financial position.” She gestured with her chopsticks around the boat.

“I don’t own this, you know. It’s a rental, along with Mo.”

“I figured. But I presume it costs a wee bit more than fare for two on the water taxi.”

“A wee bit more, yes.” He took another sip and smiled.

“How rich are you, Mr. Helms?” She pushed rice around with the tips of her chopsticks. This wasn’t a question she’d ever consider asking under normal circumstances, but this was their last date, so what the hell? “I’m not asking for net worth figures or anything, just wondering where something like this falls on your expense spectrum—with the scale being from pocket change to had-to-take-out-a-second-mortgage.”

He chuckled. “I didn’t take out a loan, but it does rank significantly higher than pocket change.”

The sun crept quietly from the sky while the music playing in the background dipped into a sedate, tranquilizing melody. This part of the river, with its low shrubbery and quiet industrial buildings, was dark. The boat’s navigation lights focused straight ahead, leaving the flickering electric votive in the middle of the table to suspend Trish and Adam in a private glow.

“How do you see us?” Trish asked. “Are we opposites?”

“You’re right that we’re on opposite ends of the serious-silly spectrum,” he said, “but I completely disagree with you about being on different intellectual planes. I may have more experience, but you strike me as intellectually capable. I count us even there. The socio-economic differences are only as important as money, which isn’t important at all.”

“You run a business. Do you expect me to believe money isn’t important to you?”

“It’s important to take care of basic needs, and having a successful business provides income for employees and partners, but having more money doesn’t make me different from anyone who has less.”

“Because you don’t let it.”

“I try not to. Though I’ll admit to allowing certain indulgences.”

“Like your fabulous suits?”

“Thank you for noticing.” He smiled. “Once every lifetime, I also allow myself to splurge on an amazing last date with a spectacular woman.”

She grinned, locking her eyes onto his.

He stared back, and his smile sobered. “We must be close to downtown. I can see bigger lights in your eyes.”

She flicked her gaze from his face to see that they were indeed drawing close to the taller buildings. The glittering spectacle was incredible. “Come over here.” She gestured for him to move his chair next to hers.

He swung around the tiny table. The warmth of his thigh pressed against hers when he settled in to his new position. Laying his arm across the back of her chair, he rubbed tickling strokes up her bare arm as the boat floated between the first set of skyscrapers. The buildings stood like shining pillars against the black sky, making the yacht seem like a tiny ship among giants.