Tame the Beast (Ever After #1) (20 page)

“Well, I’m sorry Hun, but this won’t be ready until long after you’ve left.” Mrs. Thompson dried her hands and placed them on her wide hips. “Would you like me to whip up something else for you?”

Adam pushed away from the counter. “Nah, I’ll grab something on the road. But thanks. Tell Collin I’m gonna miss him this weekend.”

“He misses you already,” she said, shaking her head. “He’s been wanting you to meet Duke.”

Adam scowled. “Who’s Duke?”

Mrs. Thompson eyed him as if they were having two different conversations. “Duke. The little Fox Terrier? Luke gave the bugger to him a couple weeks ago.”

A look of surprise filled his face. Between school, Clara, and now an internship, Adam hardly spent time with the guys. They understood, but still gave him shit for it whenever they had a chance. Hearing about Duke made him feel guilty for not being around more.

“Apparently my son thinks I have nothing better to do than chase around a six-year-old and his high energy mutt. I must say, he’s a cute little thing, though.”

“Collin or the dog?”

Mrs. Thompson smacked Adam with the end of her spoon, but the both of them were laughing. Placing a kiss on her cheek, Adam headed to his room, promising to see Collin and Duke soon as he made his way to the stairs.

He reached the top when the doorbell rang. Adam didn’t usually stick around to see who it was, but Corin’s deep voice filled the foyer as one of the maids opened the door.

“Adam home?” he asked after flirting his way through a hello.

The maid giggled like some sex-deprived schoolgirl and moved to the side to let Corin through. Adam leaned against the banister, looking down.

“Come on up,” Adam shouted before walking to his room. It didn’t take Corin very long to join him. The guy had legs like a tree trunk. “What’s up?”

“Wanted to talk to you about the apartment this summer.” Adam gave him a single nod, urging him to continue while Adam searched through his closet for his dress clothes. He planned on looking sharp this weekend. He had a lot to prove.

Corin cut straight to the point. “Do you plan on moving back in? Because if not, I’d like to keep renting it.”

Adam tossed a pair of dress shoes into his bag and glanced up at his friend. Were they still friends?
Corin had started avoiding him whenever Clara was around, which was the majority of the time. The temperatures between the two men ran so hot and cold, it was hard to keep up.

“Actually, I won’t be here this summer, so you’re welcome to stay there.”

Corin’s ears perked up. “What do you mean?”

“I’m moving out to Benson to work with my uncle. Starting this weekend.”

“Damn.” With one swift motion, Corin collapsed on the leather sofa. “That’s awesome, man. But bad news for Clara, huh?”

Adam didn’t like where the conversation was headed. “Why would that be bad news?”

“Oh come on, you don’t think you guys will make it long distance, do you?”

Adam wanted to knock the smug smile off Corin’s face. “I thought you came to talk about the apartment.”

Corin held his hands up in mock surrender. “I’m not trying to start anything. Promise. Believe it or not, I was rooting for you guys.”

“Bullshit.”

“I was.” He sounded sincere, but Adam wasn’t buying any of it. They were both excellent in telling people exactly what they wanted to hear. “I know I gave you shit in the beginning, but you have to know I was just being protective. Clara’s like a little sister to me. I didn’t want to see her get played.”

Adam wanted to call Corin out on his shit, but he didn’t have time to get into another fight. “We’re not breaking up just because I’m moving to Benson for a summer.”

Curiosity flashed across Corin’s face as he asked, “So you two are official now?”

Adam didn’t answer. Instead, he replied, “I’ll call my lawyer on drive and have her draw up a new lease.”

Adam didn’t care what reason Corin had for not wanting to go back to Trousdale. Adam had more important things to worry about.

“Thanks, man,” Corin said as he walked out with Adam. “Hey, good luck with Clara. Seriously. I don’t think I could do the distance thing. Especially with all the beautiful women you’ll be around.”

“Well, it’s a good thing you’re not the one going then.”

Adam threw his bag in the trunk of his prized Audi R8 as Corin continued to spew his worries onto Adam. Adam uttered an irritated “See ya,” before sliding into the diver’s seat and speeding off. He had a two-hour drive ahead of him.

His mind flashed with unwanted thoughts of Clara finding someone better while he was gone. Adam tried to push them away and cursed Corin for putting the doubts there. For a brief moment, he considered breaking things off like Corin suggested. It would be easier to do it now, wouldn’t it? He shoved that thought away too. He needed to focus on the weekend and only the weekend.

By the time he arrived at the apartment, it was almost nine. Everything was just as he remembered it. Dark wood grain lined the ceiling and floors, giving the luxury apartment a warm and cozy feeling despite its large size. It was eerie being there alone. He was used to it back at the house, but this was a place he’d always come to with his parents. The ride seemed twice as long back then, but the floor to ceiling window that opened to the city skyline was well worth any length trip.

God, he loved the night. The city lights were shining brighter than the stars. He decided right then and there that he would make Benson his official home after graduation. He knew Clara would love it too. That is if they would survive the summer. Would they last? As if knowing she was in his thoughts, Adam’s phone began to ring.

“Hey there, beautiful,” he greeted. “I was just thinking about you.”

Her soft voice chuckled on the other end. “Liar. Did you make it there yet? You said to call you at nine.”

“Just made it. You should see the view. I almost forgot how much I loved coming here when I was little.”

Clara sighed on the other end. “Don’t make me even more jealous. You know I was dying to go with you.”

Adam smiled into the phone. “I know. I promise one weekend you will. And we’ll do all the shopping you want.”

A snort came from the other end of the line. Adam could almost see her face scrunched up in a scowl. They both knew Clara wasn’t much of a shopper unless it was a bookstore, in which case Adam would drop her off and pick her up later. The girl could spend hours searching for good titles she didn’t already own.

“How about a museum instead?” she teased.

Adam wished she could see him shaking his head at the tall ceiling. Always the scholar. Then again, she only mentioned it to get back at him for the shopping comment. Adam opened his mouth to suggest other options when a quiet knock came from the door.

Who the hell would be knocking on his door at this hour?

He turned the handle and peered out the crack.

And almost dropped the phone.

Clara must have sensed his absence, because she repeatedly called his name on the other end of the line. It took him a moment to collect his thoughts as he stared at the woman in front of him. Finding his voice, he spoke into the phone. “Sorry, there was someone at the door.”

“Who is it?”

Suspicion was evident in Clara’s voice, and it caused Adam to stumble over his words. “I ordered some food and the delivery man just got here. Sorry, sweetheart, can I call you back in a few?”

“Uh, yeah. Sure.”

“Thanks. Talk to you soon,” he said as he hung up the phone. He felt guilty for lying, but that wasn’t his biggest problem at the moment. Glaring at the woman in his doorway, he asked, “Olivia, what the hell are you doing here?”

Olivia adjusted her gray jacket, revealing a thin, dark blue dress. “I’m staying with my older sister for the weekend, and I heard you were in town. I thought I’d stop by.”

“Wearing that?” he asked, dumbfounded. He thought he got rid of her months ago when he told her off in front of the residence hall, and again at the party where he kissed Clara for the first time. And yet here she was all dolled up, just for him. He didn’t want her, but he also couldn’t deny how good she looked.

“You like?” Her voice was like velvet, coaxing him toward her. “You should see what I have on underneath.”

He didn’t have to see. Her dress was so tightly wrapped around her toned body that anyone half a mile away could see there was nothing but soft skin underneath.

Adam opened his mouth to tell her he wasn’t interested when she took a step closer and covered his lips with the tips of her fingers. He didn't like the lust that filled her bright blue eyes, nor did he like the sudden thrill running through him. They might have had something purely physical before the semester started, but that had changed.
He
had changed. Hadn't he?

Olivia stood on the tips of her toes, leaning her red lips toward his ear as she whispered, "What happens in Benson, stays in Benson."

Chapter Twenty

“I just don’t think it’s going to work out,” Rose said as they walked along the sidewalk to main campus.

Clara nodded her head in agreement. Truthfully, she liked Luke and Rose together. It made double dating easy, but Rose was becoming less interested in the man in her life. Not wanting to be selfish, Clara took the road of solidarity.

“Just end it then,” Clara replied.

Rose grumbled beside her. They’d been over it a dozen times. Rose wanted that feeling of true love bliss, and Luke was not it. If only Rose had the courage to tell him that. Instead, she chattered away to Clara about how to let him down easy.

Clara wanted to help more, but her mind was too preoccupied with being restless in her own relationship. Officially, she and Adam had been together for a few short weeks, but it felt so much longer. In truth, she’d been his from the moment they locked eyes at Corin’s party. Everything seemed perfect, yet something was off between them. It began the second Adam came back from Benson. Clara tried to tell herself it was all in her mind, but her gut disagreed.

“I should,” Rose said beside her.

Clara nodded her head again, shaking away her doubts.

As they turned the corner, they were greeted by every color on the pastel spectrum. Friday classes were canceled to celebrate the annual Spring Fest. It was a reward for another prosperous year, and a way to bring in families and show the community the wonderful things Beaumont University continued to do. Adam and Luke had promised to meet them there.

Irrational irritation buzzed through her when Adam wasn’t there waiting for her the moment she entered the festival. It was a stupid notion. She knew that, and yet she couldn’t shake the ridiculous feeling.

What is going on with him?
she wondered as Rose continued her rant of Luke filled troubles. In the last three weeks, Adam had become distant. He never wanted to talk, and he actively avoided anything about his trips to Benson. Clara wanted to be supportive, and she would never call herself the jealous type, but his constant silence was making her crazy.

“Hey, gorgeous,” Adam called and greeted her with a quick kiss.

Luke greeted Rose in a similar manner. At her friend’s request, Clara was supposed to observe Luke for any signs of mutual boredom, but one look into Adam’s stormy eyes and Clara’s focus was gone. So were her worries.

Damn him.

Clara shook her head at herself. Adam was definitely messing with her mind. So much that she almost missed the gorgeous surroundings. Main campus was transformed into a spectacular display of cloth-covered booths.

“Wow,” was all she could say.

“Yeah, we always go above and beyond for these things,” Adam said as he laced his fingers through hers.

“No kidding.” Clara took in every detail, wanting to remember it all. Although usually overlooked, the details were the crucial elements needed to make the picture whole. And for someone who’d fallen in love with the written word at a very early age, she lived for the details.

Angela Beaumont had exceeded Clara’s expectations of a spring festival. Families and students buzzed between booths carrying prizes, food, or purchased crafts. Potted tulips were sprinkled around the grounds, but what really impressed her were the life-like statues that seemed to spring up overnight.

“It looks so real,” Clara said as the group joined another family who gazed up at the statue. The stone woman was beautiful and draped in a classic toga. A ring of flowers sat on her head like a crown. On her pedestal, a sign read:
Flora. Roman Goddess of flowers and spring.

Clara was about to comment on the goddess when it suddenly began to move. An unflattering shriek rushed out of Clara’s mouth as she jumped back. The statue assumed a new position as everyone in the vicinity laughed. Clara slapped Adam’s arm since he was closest and laughing the hardest.

“Ah. Come on,” he said as he shielded himself from her attacks. “You have to admit that was funny.”

“You could have warned me.” She tried to sound angry, but a large smile betrayed her. She raised her hand to smack him one last time, but he skillfully grabbed her wrist and spun her into his arms. With her back against his chest, Adam leaned down and whispered, “I’m sorry, sweetheart.”

She relaxed in his arms, seduced by his touch, and looked up at the faux statue. “Amazing,” she said. “She doesn’t even look like she’s breathing.”

“Good actress,” Adam replied. “Now don’t freak out when you see the others.”

As they walked through the booths, Clara looked for the various mythological figures placed around the festival to represent spring. Greek, Norse, Japanese, Irish. All represented by the newest members of the drama department, a final initiation into the program. They also served as great entertainment.

At the statue of the Slavic god, Jarilo, the group danced and jumped around, trying to get Alex Novich to break character or at least crack a smile. He didn’t budge. Clara commended him for it, laughing as they walked away. The guy would certainly go far in an acting career.

Lacing her fingers with Adam’s, Clara reflected on how wonderful the day was. Pictures in a photo booth, failing horribly at the games, junk food overload. Even the sun was shining down in their favor. It all whipped away the troubles that plagued her mind over the last few weeks.