"Let's sleep, Mel." He gave her a tired smile as he stepped back. Sleep? Sure. Her fingers grazed the side of his neck, lingering for a moment the way she used to do in the past. But instead of leaning in and kissing her palm like he did in the past, he moved away again. "I've had a long day, Mel. And I'm jet-lagged. Let's just sleep tonight."
Melanie drank deeply from her sipper as her feet pounded the jogging track. The memory from last night lingered in her head, distracting her. Her wedding night had been spent alone after sending her husband away. And the night he finally returned? Alone again. But why? Because he did not wish to talk or even do anything else.
All those times when she'd dreamt of his return, she had thought of so many things they would do when he returned. But... nothing.
So distracted was she by her disappointed thoughts that she didn't notice the uneven stone in her path. Her foot caught on it, and she stumbled forward, her balance slipping entirely as she flailed—until she collided with a solid chest.
Strong arms caught her before she could hit the ground, holding her close. For a moment, she let herself lean into the steady grip, her hands instinctively clutching his forearms as she took a deep breath. The familiar scent washed over her, and her lips curved into a smile as his hand spread over her back to support her.
So, he had only been pretending he didn't want to come with her to exercise and sleep in? Typical Spencer. Always up to some mischief. She looked up, ready to tease him, but the words froze on her tongue. It wasn't Spencer who was holding her close.
It was Adam. Her smile vanished, replaced by a stiff, shocked expression. Why did she think that he had the familiar scent she liked? She pushed herself away from him in a panic. But as she stepped back, a sharp pain shot up her leg, and she wavered, nearly toppling over again and falling backwards this time. Once again, he caught her.
"Stop moving if you're hurt, okay?"
"I'm fine," she muttered, wincing as she tried to put weight on her foot. She'd rather fracture her foot than stay close to him, though.
Ignoring her assurance, Adam bent down, slipped an arm under her knee and the other around her back. Before she could process what was happening, he had lifted her effortlessly into his arms. Melanie's eyes widened in shock, and a strangled protest escaped her lips.
"Adam! Put me down!" she demanded outraged and panicky. Her hands gripped his shirt instinctively as the solid ground disappeared beneath her.
"You're not fine," he stated firmly, Without sparing her a glance, he started toward a nearby bench.
Melanie squirmed in his hold, glancing around nervously. Her cheeks flushed at the thought of anyone seeing them like this. "Adam, I mean it—put me down! If someone sees us…" Her voice dropped, tinged with anxiety. "They'll misunderstand. Especially Spencer."
"Stop moving," Adam snapped as he tightened his grip slightly to keep her still. "You're going to make it worse. Also, do I look like I care about what your Spencer understands or doesn't understand?
He placed her carefully on the bench and knelt in front of her, his hands moving toward her injured foot. However, just as he reached for it, she quickly pulled it back, refusing to let him touch her.
"Let me see how hurt you are," he said calmly, his tone challenging.
Melanie shook her head immediately, folding her arms across her chest. "No. I'll see for myself. You can go now. Thank you for your help."
Once again, her words were ignored and Adam caught her ankle, his grip leaving no room for argument. He began to lift her foot toward his thigh, intent on examining the injury.
As he checked her ankle, he caressed her foot," You've hurt yourself."
Melanie stilled as she watched his bent head rolling down her socks. And then his fingers cupped her ankle, making her jolt. It was a simple touch and yet, she could feel it all the way to her toes.
"You're so tense," he murmured, his thumb brushing over the delicate curve of her ankle in slow, deliberate strokes. "Relax, Melon."
"Don't call me that," she snapped, her voice uneven as she tried to pull her ankle out of his grasp.
He looked up then while still keeping her ankle imprisoned," It seems you don't like being taken care of, hmm? No wonder you married Spencer."
"I just don't like you touching me. Let me go, Adam."
"And leave you here limping around like a fool?" He let out a low chuckle, his fingers tightening slightly around her ankle before he let go. His hand skimmed the side of her calf as he leaned closer, his breath warm against her skin. "What's wrong, Melon? Scared you might like this?"
She jerked back, heat creeping up her neck. "You're insufferable."
"And yet, here we are." His voice dropped an octave, the amusement giving way to something heavier. "Your husband should be the one here fussing over you, shouldn't he?"
Melanie's breath caught. Adam tilted his head, studying her reaction. "Oh wait. He is too busy for you. After all, his dear girlfriend is busy cooking breakfast for him."
After dropping that bomb, Adam rolled her socks back on, even placing her foot back into the shoes before he stood up and walked away, with a wink in her direction.