CHAPTER 47
Adam heard Amanda in the kitchen. Richie had taken Esperanza and her sister home, but she'd
left instructions for finishing the meal she'd prepared, and he could hear it was almost time to eat.
Rubbing his eyes he looked at his notes and at the copied manuscripts. Everything he'd found
confirmed his translation … but there were still several questions that remained. Fortunately he'd
been able to verify a source that would have the answers he needed … unfortunately it was a
source that he probably wouldn't be able to use.
Amanda stuck her head into the office. "I'm taking things out of the oven now. Do you want to
wake up sleeping beauty?" she grinned. "Or should I send Duncan?"
"Never send a prince to do a frog's job Amanda." He managed to smile, thinking that this would
be a much more pleasant task than what he'd been doing for the past two hours. Once again he
was stuck in clothes he'd worn for two days. He gathered his papers and locked them back in the
case before standing and stretching. He'd spent all night and most of the day in cramped airline
seats. He wished he'd taken time before he started working to shower and change … there
wasn't time now before dinner but it would have been nice to get out of the clothes he'd been
wearing for two days.
Her door was closed when he came upstairs, so he rapped lightly before listening to see if she
heard. The room was quiet and he assumed she was still asleep. Quietly he opened the door
and walked over to the bed, looking down at her sleeping form snuggled deep in the comforter.
She'd put a vase on the nightstand, but he smiled when he realized she had fallen asleep with the
rose in her hand … the petals only a few inches from the end of her nose. Even in the low light,
he could tell that her color was better than when he'd left. She looked so peaceful that he
wondered if he should let her keep sleeping.
He knelt beside the bed and brushed a stray curl from her cheek and then lightly grazed the side
of her face over and over with the back of his hand until her eyes fluttered open and she smiled
sleepily at him.
"Hi …" she whispered, stretching.
"Hi … Feel like some dinner?" he asked
"Sounds good … just give me a minute to wake up." She sat up and ran her hands over her face
and back through her hair. "I can't believe how hard I slept just now … you'd think after four days
in bed I'd be able to stay awake."
"Your body is telling you to take it easy … you're sleeping for two now you know." He replied.
"Want me to bring up a tray?"
"No … no … I want to get up." She told him. "But before we go down … I wanted to find out how
your trip went … is everything ok?" she asked.
"It went fine … I picked up what I needed and came back as soon as I could."
"Looks like you haven't been getting any sleep since you left." She commented, running her hand
along the side of his face. "Your eyes look so tired."
He turned his face into her hand and kissed her palm. "I'm fine … a little jet lagged maybe."
"Can you tell me where you went? Or why?" she asked.
"I'll tell you … but not tonight, ok?"
She nodded and walked to the dresser to brush her hair. Her eyes locked with his in the mirror
and the way he was looking at her made her almost melt. "What?" she asked him with a nervous
smile.
"Just looking." He replied as he walked toward the door.
He put his arm around her as they walked downstairs to join the others. Richie had gone over to
Claudia's suite … knowing he really didn't want to watch the interaction between Adam and Beth
tonight … Joe, Duncan and Amanda were already seated when they walked into the room.
It was evident to everyone at the table just how taken these two were with one another. The
looks … the opportunities both took to make even the simplest contact with the other … Duncan
watched and although he was glad for them, he also worried. He knew Devan would eventually
figure out who Adam Pierson was, and when he did … his friend needed to be sharp to survive,
and to protect the woman he was obviously falling in love with. And after the way the
inexperienced Mitchell had been able to take advantage of the distraction Beth was for him … he
knew a repeat could prove permanently fatal for this 5,000 year old immortal.
Adam heard Amanda in the kitchen. Richie had taken Esperanza and her sister home, but she'd
left instructions for finishing the meal she'd prepared, and he could hear it was almost time to eat.
Rubbing his eyes he looked at his notes and at the copied manuscripts. Everything he'd found
confirmed his translation … but there were still several questions that remained. Fortunately he'd
been able to verify a source that would have the answers he needed … unfortunately it was a
source that he probably wouldn't be able to use.
Amanda stuck her head into the office. "I'm taking things out of the oven now. Do you want to
wake up sleeping beauty?" she grinned. "Or should I send Duncan?"
"Never send a prince to do a frog's job Amanda." He managed to smile, thinking that this would
be a much more pleasant task than what he'd been doing for the past two hours. Once again he
was stuck in clothes he'd worn for two days. He gathered his papers and locked them back in the
case before standing and stretching. He'd spent all night and most of the day in cramped airline
seats. He wished he'd taken time before he started working to shower and change … there
wasn't time now before dinner but it would have been nice to get out of the clothes he'd been
wearing for two days.
Her door was closed when he came upstairs, so he rapped lightly before listening to see if she
heard. The room was quiet and he assumed she was still asleep. Quietly he opened the door
and walked over to the bed, looking down at her sleeping form snuggled deep in the comforter.
She'd put a vase on the nightstand, but he smiled when he realized she had fallen asleep with the
rose in her hand … the petals only a few inches from the end of her nose. Even in the low light,
he could tell that her color was better than when he'd left. She looked so peaceful that he
wondered if he should let her keep sleeping.
He knelt beside the bed and brushed a stray curl from her cheek and then lightly grazed the side
of her face over and over with the back of his hand until her eyes fluttered open and she smiled
sleepily at him.
"Hi …" she whispered, stretching.
"Hi … Feel like some dinner?" he asked
"Sounds good … just give me a minute to wake up." She sat up and ran her hands over her face
and back through her hair. "I can't believe how hard I slept just now … you'd think after four days
in bed I'd be able to stay awake."
"Your body is telling you to take it easy … you're sleeping for two now you know." He replied.
"Want me to bring up a tray?"
"No … no … I want to get up." She told him. "But before we go down … I wanted to find out how
your trip went … is everything ok?" she asked.
"It went fine … I picked up what I needed and came back as soon as I could."
"Looks like you haven't been getting any sleep since you left." She commented, running her hand
along the side of his face. "Your eyes look so tired."
He turned his face into her hand and kissed her palm. "I'm fine … a little jet lagged maybe."
"Can you tell me where you went? Or why?" she asked.
"I'll tell you … but not tonight, ok?"
She nodded and walked to the dresser to brush her hair. Her eyes locked with his in the mirror
and the way he was looking at her made her almost melt. "What?" she asked him with a nervous
smile.
"Just looking." He replied as he walked toward the door.
He put his arm around her as they walked downstairs to join the others. Richie had gone over to
Claudia's suite … knowing he really didn't want to watch the interaction between Adam and Beth
tonight … Joe, Duncan and Amanda were already seated when they walked into the room.
It was evident to everyone at the table just how taken these two were with one another. The
looks … the opportunities both took to make even the simplest contact with the other … Duncan
watched and although he was glad for them, he also worried. He knew Devan would eventually
figure out who Adam Pierson was, and when he did … his friend needed to be sharp to survive,
and to protect the woman he was obviously falling in love with. And after the way the
inexperienced Mitchell had been able to take advantage of the distraction Beth was for him … he
knew a repeat could prove permanently fatal for this 5,000 year old immortal.