Strangers In The Night. Kristin Gabriel
It was entirely possible that Josephine was in on this scam. Maybe that night in his bed had been a setup. He’d volunteered enough hours at the legal-aid office in college to make him consider the situation from every angle.
Yet, he couldn’t deny the horrified shock he’d seen on her face Sunday morning. Or the words she’d uttered that had hurt him more than he wanted to admit. There’s been a horrible mistake.
Adam didn’t believe in mistakes. His philosophy was that every day was an adventure and damn the consequences. Making love to Josephine Sinclair had been one of the most thrilling adventures he’d had in a very long time.
Too bad she didn’t see it that way.
When she arrived at the restaurant, Adam reminded himself that she might not be as innocent as she appeared. He watched her walk toward the table, trying to assess her the same way he used to look over accused felons who came to legal aid looking for assistance. Most of them had been guilty of their crimes, but a few could pull off the innocent act.
Josephine Sinclair had it down pat. She walked briskly toward him with her head held high, a flush of indignation on her cheeks. She clutched a gray leather purse in her hand that matched her gray suit. He decided he liked her much better wearing nothing at all.
His gaze fell to the sway of her hips and those long legs beneath her gray skirt. The same legs that had wrapped around him Saturday night, flexing against his hips and thighs as she rode him. His groin tightened at the memory, making it somewhat uncomfortable for him to stand up to meet her.
“Right on time,” he said, leaning over to pull out her chair.
“Let’s just get this over with.” She sat down, pushing away the menu in front of her.
Despite her impatience, Adam intended to take his time—just like he’d done Saturday night. “Shall we order a glass of wine first?”
She met his gaze, those beautiful green eyes filled with both intelligence and alarm. “Look, Mr.…Delaney, I don’t know what you want from me, but I don’t consider this meeting a social occasion.”
“Adam,” he said evenly.
She blinked. “What?”
“I want you to call me Adam.” He waved away an approaching waitress. “After all, we’re hardly strangers. And I’ll call you Jo.”
“No, you won’t,” she countered. “Because after today you’ll never see me again.”
Her frostiness intrigued him, even though he knew it was an act. Why did Josie feel the need to hide behind her starchy Josephine persona? Who was she trying to fool?
“What did the impostor call you?” he asked.
“Who?” she said, then her eyes narrowed. “If you mean the real Adam, he called me Josie.”
He leaned forward, the scent of jasmine teasing his nostrils. Or was he just imagining it? “I am the real Adam Delaney. So if you’re not in on this scam to take over my life, then prove it.”
“How can I possibly do that? If you really are Adam Delaney, then something is very wrong.”
“Yes,” he said bluntly. “Your so-called boyfriend’s been deceiving you.”
She lifted her chin. “That’s a possibility I refuse to consider.”
He wondered what kind of man would inspire this kind of loyalty in a woman. Didn’t she know men lied all the time? He’d done it himself more times than he cared to remember, hoping to spare the woman’s feelings when he was ready to move on.
Adam made it a habit to tell women up front that he wasn’t looking for more than a good time, but somehow they never seemed to believe him. Each one thought she could be the woman to change his mind. To lead him down the aisle and confine him to a life of rules and responsibility. He’d given that up three years ago when he’d bypassed a chance to attend Yale Law School.
A decision he’d never regretted. Adam still remembered the fateful day when his college roommate had walked into their dorm room and told him about the photography contest sponsored by Adventurer magazine. Photography had always been just a hobby for him, though he’d been talented enough to earn a job on the college newspaper.
No one in the Delaney family, least of all Adam, had considered that he might make photography a career. He was supposed to go to law school and eventually take over his father’s practice in Pleasant Valley.
But winning that contest changed everything. Along with a cash prize from the magazine, he’d received a lucrative job offer as a staff photographer. It had taken him three days to decide which career path to take. The safe, boring world of law or the exciting and sometimes dangerous world of outdoor photography.
In the end, his yearning for adventure had won out over the security of a legal career.
His editor at Adventurer magazine loved him because he was willing to go anywhere and do anything in pursuit of the perfect shot. He had some great ones, but none that completely satisfied him. He was still searching for the defining photograph of his career. If shooting it meant hanging off the side of a mountain in Nepal or taking a raft down the Amazon River, then so be it.
Adam had never shied away from danger. Even the thought of pursuing his impostor gave him a rush of adrenaline. It didn’t matter whether he was chasing lions on an African savanna or chasing human prey. He thrived off the challenge.
“Why did you insist on meeting with me today?” Josie asked, breaking his reverie. “I checked into those two books you brought into the library. They were taken out with a library card in Adam Delaney’s name. So there’s nothing more I can do to help you.”
Can’t or won’t? He stared at her for a moment, wondering how she’d like life on a savanna. With her blond hair loose and blowing in the breeze. Her creamy skin turning a golden tan under the hot sun. Midnight swims in a freshwater pool. He swallowed a wistful sigh. Jo might like it, but Josephine would hate it.
“Well?” she asked, impatience lacing her tone. “Why am I here?”
He smiled, telling himself that annoying Josephine might be as dangerous as poking a lioness with a stick. “Maybe I just couldn’t wait to see you again.”
“This isn’t a joke…Adam.”
He noticed how hard it was for her to call him by that name and for a moment felt a twinge of guilt for teasing her. If she truly had been deceived by his impostor, then they should become allies, not enemies.
But first she had to earn his trust. “Tell me about your boyfriend.”
She hesitated. “What exactly do you want to know?”
“Everything, but let’s start with the basics first. How about giving me his physical description.”
“Well, he looks nothing like you,” she began, as if this was a good thing. “He’s not quite as tall, not quite as big, not quite as…”
“Good in bed?” he ventured.
“I was going to say rude,” she retorted, a deep blush rising to her cheeks, “but I didn’t want to offend you. Obviously, I shouldn’t have worried about it.”
He hadn’t intended to embarrass her, but something about Josephine’s austere manner provoked him. Adam found himself wanting to fluster her, hoping to see a hint of his wild woman beneath the cool exterior. The woman he’d been thinking about too much since Saturday night.
“Go on,” he cajoled. “What else can you tell me about Mr. Perfect?”
“I never said he was perfect,” she countered. “But he is very responsible and levelheaded.”
“Boring, in other words.”
She tipped up her chin. “On the contrary, my Adam is everything a woman could want in a man.”
“Except