LOST - PART I
PROGRESS
Chapter 17
Adam was extremely pleased at Thea's angry reaction to seeing him flirt with another woman. That had been his own idea and the group, now known among themselves as "The Ball-And-Chain Gang," was working on more tactics to try.
Their membership recently grew from four to six when Olivia and David Charles joined and the fresh ideas they contributed encouraged everyone. However, Adam continued to caution them that Thea was not stupid and whatever they decided on had to be subtle enough to not arouse her naturally suspicious tendencies. Especially now that SHE had started watching HIM and never left him alone for a second with Olivia during the weekly piano lessons.
Both Adam and Olivia spent the hour trying to conceal their amusement at her watching from the corner of her eye. She usually had a book with her and tried to give the impression she was intently reading, but Adam could have told her that wouldn't work when she kept forgetting to occasionally turn a page. One time he could have sworn she was holding the book upside down for the first half hour. And then his impression was confirmed when she started slightly and casually turned it around the right way. Her face flushing a deep red anytime they laughed together over a small joke or mistake further hampered the believability of her pose.
His playing advanced by leaps and bounds, making him certain he had played some sort of musical instrument before, and the stretching exercise of playing was working the stiffness out of his hands. He practiced as often as he could and when he finally played a slightly difficult piece through without a mistake one Sunday afternoon both Olivia and Thea applauded enthusiastically.
Smiling a wide smile he stood and stepped away from the bench to bow. "Thank you, you are too kind," he murmured as he made another sweeping bow. When he straightened up he had to laugh when Olivia jumped to her feet and threw her arms around him in a tight hug. Thea's face went white with rage as the other woman whispered, "Is she furious?" in his ear.
"Oh yes," Adam whispered in answer, stepped back out of her embrace and walked over to drop down on the sofa next to Thea. He shifted slightly on the seat to look into her face.
"I feel like celebrating...would you do me the honor of accompanying me to dinner at Le Coeur de la Maison tomorrow night?"
Her gaze shifted toward Olivia for a moment, then returned to meet his smiling eyes. "The heart of the home," she said quietly, translating the French into English. "Yes I would," she found herself saying emphatically and almost let a groan escape, wondering why she had agreed. Thea almost panicked at the idea of spending the entire evening with him alone then firmly took hold of her unruly emotions and smiled.
That smile made his heart skip a beat and he definitely did not want her to see the affect she was having on him. So he quickly stood saying, "Come on Livvy, I'll walk you home."
Thea was only barely aware of the two leaving, arm-in-arm. She was too busy trying to figure out how she would make it through the evening. And, of course, what she was going to wear.
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Adam wisely kept away from Thea for the rest of that day after asking her to be ready at seven. He was working for most of the next day, but came home early to change into his best suit. She had been ready for hours and was now sitting in her room, nervously glancing at the clock every few minutes.
He came out of his room to stand at the bottom of the staircase to wait for her. When the grandfather clock in the hall began to chime the hour of seven, he heard her bedroom door open, the faint rustle of silk skirts, and tapping of heels as she moved toward the stairs. She came to an abrupt halt at the top when she looked down to see him waiting, he whistled softly in appreciation.
Thea was dressed up to the teeth in a tissue of silk dress the color of deep rose. The dress was simple with elegant lines and the skirt fell almost straight down in the front. A drape of the same silk was pleated around the neckline, emphasizing her ample endowment while another pleated drape around her hips made her waist look impossibly small.
The back of the skirt was box pleated and extended slightly, giving the impression of a train, and her arms would have been bare if not for the long silk gloves in the same shade of rose that extended halfway up her upper arms. Adam's eyes opened wide as she began to come down the stairs slowly. At first he thought she had cut all her hair short, but quickly realized only the front part had been cut and a cloud of dark curls framed her pixie-like face. The rest of her hair had been braided and dressed high on her head, making her seem taller.
Thea hated hats, so thumbing her nose at convention she did not wear one, instead choosing to create the illusion of one by braiding rose-colored ribbons in her hair. When she was closer his eyes caught the glimmer of small pink diamonds set in white gold at her throat and dangling from her ears. She carried a shawl and reticule knitted in stripes of rose and white and she paused near the bottom to fling the shawl around her shoulders.
Adam stepped back as she came down the last few steps and swept his eyes up her elegant form, starting at the toes of the rose silk slippers she wore and stopping when he met her greenish-hazel eyes. Satisfaction at his reaction shone from her fine eyes and her high cheekbones were stained with the same rose hue when she blushed.
She looked down and found herself doing the same thing, taking in the details of his black boots shining with a high gloss, the straight, dark blue, close-fitting trousers that hugged the sleek muscles of his thighs, the pale blue brocade vest, his sparkling white shirt, and the dark blue suit coat that fit smoothly across his broad shoulders and down his muscular arms. His flat-crowned hat and string tie were the same dark blue of his suit and when she met his eyes again he was smiling that smile he seemed to give only to her.
Shifting the hat from his right hand to his left, he turned sideway and offered her his arm. She slowly tucked her hand in the crook of his elbow and they moved down the hallway, out the front door, and down the brick path to the waiting buggy. Nate was waiting there holding the horses still and grinning from ear to ear, surveying the two as though they were his star pupils.
Adam carefully helped her up, making sure her skirts weren't dangling out of the buggy, then walked around to climb up next to her. She moved slightly closer, making contact with his arm and leg and he took in a deep breath before picking up the reins.
Nate let go and stepped back saying, "Have a good time kids," with laughter in his voice.
Giving him a dark look, Adam reached into his vest pocket, and then flicked a fifty-cent piece at him. The coin arced as it tumbled through the air and Nate managed to catch it, even as he cracked up laughing at his friend's non-verbal sarcasm.
He continued to stand there watching until the buggy disappeared into the twilight, heading toward the city.
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The evening breeze was warm and fragrant as the buggy sped along and Thea realized she was becoming more and more tense as each minute passed. She frantically searched her brain for something to say that wouldn't sound idiotic when Adam spoke first.
"You know, one of the things I admire about you the most is you don't feel the need to chatter constantly. Sometimes just being with someone is enough," he said quietly, watching her out of the corner of his eye. When he felt the incredible tension ease where she was pressed up against him, he allowed the corners of his mouth to lift slightly.
By the time they reached the restaurant and he pulled the buggy up in front she was leaning back against the seat. But when she got a good look at the elegant building and the glittering people entering she began to tense again. Mentally shaking her head, she tried to calm down, reminding herself she had dined with nobility and royalty in other countries many times. But Adam's unadulterated maleness, the strength and power he exuded made her feel like a bumbling schoolgirl.
When he reached up to help her down, she took a deep breath and let it out slowly as she quickly stepped down. A heel caught on something and she almost fell, but he caught her and set her upright so fast no one noticed her stumble.
Tucking her hand in the crook of his elbow, he carefully led her toward the door. The doorman almost jumped to open it for them, nodding as he said, "Good to see you again, sir."
"Thank you Charles," Adam responded, removed his hat, and shot a fast sideways glance at Thea's face. Her eyes had narrowed, her cheeks turning a deeper pink, and he was sure she was thinking he had been here many times before, and no doubt escorting other women. He grinned.
The lobby was filled with people, but Adam paid no attention to them as they moved through the crowd toward the host. The man's face lit up, pleased when he spotted Adam coming.
"Good evening!" he enthused, reaching out to shake hands with Adam, and then risked a quick look at Thea. His eyes widened slightly when he met her hostile gaze, but he was still smiling as he turned his attention back to the tall man in dark blue.
"This way please," he said and turned to lead the way to a private table for two. Adam held Thea's chair for her, biting back a chuckle at her tight face. He gave the host a significant look.
"Thank you Jean," he said quietly and the man hurried away after nodding slightly in acknowledgement of Adam's message. Thea opened her mouth to question him when three waiters appeared almost like magic. One set a stand with a silver bucket next to Adam and began to open the wine. Another quickly set a basket of baguettes and a dish with molded pats of butter on the table, while the last one set wine glasses in front of them and lit the tall candles. Then they all disappeared in a split second.
Adam pulled the bottle out of the bucket and filled her wineglass halfway with the white wine, then did the same for himself. Breathing in the faintly sharp, almost flowery fragrance of the fine wine, Thea realized she hadn't eaten all day, due to being a bundle of nerves. The delicious aroma almost made her mouth water.
She quickly lifted the tulip-shaped glass and took a deep swallow. The potent French wine flowed warmly down her throat and she smiled at the welcome sensation. She took another drink then noticed Adam watching her intently.
"What's wrong?" he asked, holding on to his serious expression as he waited for the angry response he knew was coming.
"You've been here before?" she said in a tone that strained to sound conversational.
"Yes, many times."
Her brows rose at his easy answer and her eyes darkened. "Many times?"
"Of course. This is one of the businesses I help Pat manage," he was biting the inside of his cheek to keep from laughing as her face turned red.
"Oh," was all she managed to say and took another swallow of the wine.
"No Theadora," he said quietly and she gave him a startled look.
"No what?"
"No, I'm not the sort of man who would ask one woman to marry him while seeing someone else."
"Oh," she said again, her response sounding lame to her own ears. Frantically trying to gather her scattered wits together, she stared down into her empty wine glass then set it down on the table carefully. She was about to ask for more when Adam filled it halfway again. Jean suddenly appeared at Adam's side and the two men had a quick, whispered discussion as she drank half of the wine in one gulp. The host straightened up, bestowing an admiring smile on Thea, and hurried away again.
"I hope you don't mind, but I ordered for the both of us earlier today. Duck ala Orange is the chef's specialty."
"Oh how thoughtful of you! I haven't had that dish since we lived in Paris for a while." She was smiling at him warmly and his eyes narrowed while he considered the possibility that she was drunk.
"But on only one glass of wine?" he said under his breath as he watched her empty her wineglass again. He almost jumped when she abruptly stood up and leaned over the table to reach for the bottle. She grabbed it and filled her glass before he could react then set it on the table to her right.
Gracing him with another warm smile, she sat back down, almost missing her chair. Giggling softly, she bent her head down and pursed her lips as she touched them to the surface of the wine that threatened to spill over the edges of the glass.
Adam reached across the table to grasp the stem of her glass before sliding it away. "I think you've had enough of this," he said seriously.
Looking at him with wide eyes she shook her head. "I'm fine...it's just so delicious and I'm thirsty."
"Uh huh," he responded dubiously and couldn't help but smile when she softly giggled again.
"You forgot the bottle," she said with a sly gleam in her eye and managed to grab it before he could. Raising the bottle to her lips, she tipped it up and took a deep drink.
"God," he said softly and started to stand when she tried to set the bottle down on the table. It teetered for a second then fell over, liberally dousing the tablecloth before rolling off and thudding to the floor. Adam breathed a sigh of relief when it didn't shatter.
Blinking slowly she picked up her napkin to wipe at the wetness, managing to knock over both glasses and the candles with one uncontrolled sweep of her arm. The tablecloth immediately caught fire.
Adam calmly stood, picked up the bucket full of half melted ice, and dumped it on the table, putting the fire out instantly.
Sighing, he sat back down as the three waiters descended on them. One gathered up the tablecloth with the glasses, candles, and table settings inside. He hurried away. Another produced a towel to wipe the table dry, while the third came with another tablecloth. He spread the cloth, centering it expertly, and the first waiter came back to replace everything on the table. Then the three men took off quickly in different directions.
Thea had been staring down at her clasped hands in her lap while they cleaned up the mess, but now glanced at Adam through her upper lashes. The shock of the table catching fire had sobered her up slightly.
He was sitting slightly sideways with his legs crossed and one hand over his face. She flinched, thinking he was mortified with embarrassment at her outrageous behavior. Then she realized his shoulders were shaking with silent laughter.
"Adam!" she hissed sharply and he dropped his hand. Her mouth fell open when he brushed tears of laughter away and tried to get a hold on himself. He was gasping for breath with one hand to his chest as he turned his head, looking for Jean. The host hurried toward them to have another whispered conversation with Adam. She heard him chuckle as he moved quickly away.
Thea opened her mouth to apologize, but he held up a hand to stop her, his head still turned sideways, as though he was listening for something. That something turned out to be one of the waiters seemingly tripping over his own feet and tossing a tray into the air as he fell. The cake he had been carrying and the tray separated and another waiter deftly caught the cake as the tray hit the floor with a resounding clatter.
As soon as the noise started and everyone's attention was focused at the far end of the room Adam stood, came around the table to pull her to her feet, and lifted her off the floor with one arm around her waist as they escaped through the kitchen door.
Once they were on the other side of the door, he set her down and shifted his arm to wrap around her shoulders. Then he began to guide her down the busy center aisle, deftly avoiding getting in the way. Many voices called out to him, saying goodnight and he didn't even try to stop a burst of laughter when Thea began to respond cheerfully with her own goodnights.
He opened the back door, nudged her through with a hand in the small of her back, and then stepped out to close it firmly on the noisy confusion. Thea was standing at the head of the back steps, swaying slightly.
Chuckling softly, he wrapped her in his arms and just stood there, holding her tightly until the buggy came around the corner to stop in front of them. Carefully helping her down the stairs, he picked her up by the waist to set her on the buggy seat before climbing in himself. The man who had brought the buggy had already slipped away into the darkness and Adam wrapped an arm around her shoulders to pull her up against his side.
Shivering in the cool night air, she rested her cheek against his hard upper chest, slipped one arm around his waist, and closed her eyes.
Laughing softly one more time, he flicked the horses' backs with the reins and pulled away from the brightly lit, imposingly elegant restaurant.
PROGRESS
Chapter 17
Adam was extremely pleased at Thea's angry reaction to seeing him flirt with another woman. That had been his own idea and the group, now known among themselves as "The Ball-And-Chain Gang," was working on more tactics to try.
Their membership recently grew from four to six when Olivia and David Charles joined and the fresh ideas they contributed encouraged everyone. However, Adam continued to caution them that Thea was not stupid and whatever they decided on had to be subtle enough to not arouse her naturally suspicious tendencies. Especially now that SHE had started watching HIM and never left him alone for a second with Olivia during the weekly piano lessons.
Both Adam and Olivia spent the hour trying to conceal their amusement at her watching from the corner of her eye. She usually had a book with her and tried to give the impression she was intently reading, but Adam could have told her that wouldn't work when she kept forgetting to occasionally turn a page. One time he could have sworn she was holding the book upside down for the first half hour. And then his impression was confirmed when she started slightly and casually turned it around the right way. Her face flushing a deep red anytime they laughed together over a small joke or mistake further hampered the believability of her pose.
His playing advanced by leaps and bounds, making him certain he had played some sort of musical instrument before, and the stretching exercise of playing was working the stiffness out of his hands. He practiced as often as he could and when he finally played a slightly difficult piece through without a mistake one Sunday afternoon both Olivia and Thea applauded enthusiastically.
Smiling a wide smile he stood and stepped away from the bench to bow. "Thank you, you are too kind," he murmured as he made another sweeping bow. When he straightened up he had to laugh when Olivia jumped to her feet and threw her arms around him in a tight hug. Thea's face went white with rage as the other woman whispered, "Is she furious?" in his ear.
"Oh yes," Adam whispered in answer, stepped back out of her embrace and walked over to drop down on the sofa next to Thea. He shifted slightly on the seat to look into her face.
"I feel like celebrating...would you do me the honor of accompanying me to dinner at Le Coeur de la Maison tomorrow night?"
Her gaze shifted toward Olivia for a moment, then returned to meet his smiling eyes. "The heart of the home," she said quietly, translating the French into English. "Yes I would," she found herself saying emphatically and almost let a groan escape, wondering why she had agreed. Thea almost panicked at the idea of spending the entire evening with him alone then firmly took hold of her unruly emotions and smiled.
That smile made his heart skip a beat and he definitely did not want her to see the affect she was having on him. So he quickly stood saying, "Come on Livvy, I'll walk you home."
Thea was only barely aware of the two leaving, arm-in-arm. She was too busy trying to figure out how she would make it through the evening. And, of course, what she was going to wear.
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Adam wisely kept away from Thea for the rest of that day after asking her to be ready at seven. He was working for most of the next day, but came home early to change into his best suit. She had been ready for hours and was now sitting in her room, nervously glancing at the clock every few minutes.
He came out of his room to stand at the bottom of the staircase to wait for her. When the grandfather clock in the hall began to chime the hour of seven, he heard her bedroom door open, the faint rustle of silk skirts, and tapping of heels as she moved toward the stairs. She came to an abrupt halt at the top when she looked down to see him waiting, he whistled softly in appreciation.
Thea was dressed up to the teeth in a tissue of silk dress the color of deep rose. The dress was simple with elegant lines and the skirt fell almost straight down in the front. A drape of the same silk was pleated around the neckline, emphasizing her ample endowment while another pleated drape around her hips made her waist look impossibly small.
The back of the skirt was box pleated and extended slightly, giving the impression of a train, and her arms would have been bare if not for the long silk gloves in the same shade of rose that extended halfway up her upper arms. Adam's eyes opened wide as she began to come down the stairs slowly. At first he thought she had cut all her hair short, but quickly realized only the front part had been cut and a cloud of dark curls framed her pixie-like face. The rest of her hair had been braided and dressed high on her head, making her seem taller.
Thea hated hats, so thumbing her nose at convention she did not wear one, instead choosing to create the illusion of one by braiding rose-colored ribbons in her hair. When she was closer his eyes caught the glimmer of small pink diamonds set in white gold at her throat and dangling from her ears. She carried a shawl and reticule knitted in stripes of rose and white and she paused near the bottom to fling the shawl around her shoulders.
Adam stepped back as she came down the last few steps and swept his eyes up her elegant form, starting at the toes of the rose silk slippers she wore and stopping when he met her greenish-hazel eyes. Satisfaction at his reaction shone from her fine eyes and her high cheekbones were stained with the same rose hue when she blushed.
She looked down and found herself doing the same thing, taking in the details of his black boots shining with a high gloss, the straight, dark blue, close-fitting trousers that hugged the sleek muscles of his thighs, the pale blue brocade vest, his sparkling white shirt, and the dark blue suit coat that fit smoothly across his broad shoulders and down his muscular arms. His flat-crowned hat and string tie were the same dark blue of his suit and when she met his eyes again he was smiling that smile he seemed to give only to her.
Shifting the hat from his right hand to his left, he turned sideway and offered her his arm. She slowly tucked her hand in the crook of his elbow and they moved down the hallway, out the front door, and down the brick path to the waiting buggy. Nate was waiting there holding the horses still and grinning from ear to ear, surveying the two as though they were his star pupils.
Adam carefully helped her up, making sure her skirts weren't dangling out of the buggy, then walked around to climb up next to her. She moved slightly closer, making contact with his arm and leg and he took in a deep breath before picking up the reins.
Nate let go and stepped back saying, "Have a good time kids," with laughter in his voice.
Giving him a dark look, Adam reached into his vest pocket, and then flicked a fifty-cent piece at him. The coin arced as it tumbled through the air and Nate managed to catch it, even as he cracked up laughing at his friend's non-verbal sarcasm.
He continued to stand there watching until the buggy disappeared into the twilight, heading toward the city.
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The evening breeze was warm and fragrant as the buggy sped along and Thea realized she was becoming more and more tense as each minute passed. She frantically searched her brain for something to say that wouldn't sound idiotic when Adam spoke first.
"You know, one of the things I admire about you the most is you don't feel the need to chatter constantly. Sometimes just being with someone is enough," he said quietly, watching her out of the corner of his eye. When he felt the incredible tension ease where she was pressed up against him, he allowed the corners of his mouth to lift slightly.
By the time they reached the restaurant and he pulled the buggy up in front she was leaning back against the seat. But when she got a good look at the elegant building and the glittering people entering she began to tense again. Mentally shaking her head, she tried to calm down, reminding herself she had dined with nobility and royalty in other countries many times. But Adam's unadulterated maleness, the strength and power he exuded made her feel like a bumbling schoolgirl.
When he reached up to help her down, she took a deep breath and let it out slowly as she quickly stepped down. A heel caught on something and she almost fell, but he caught her and set her upright so fast no one noticed her stumble.
Tucking her hand in the crook of his elbow, he carefully led her toward the door. The doorman almost jumped to open it for them, nodding as he said, "Good to see you again, sir."
"Thank you Charles," Adam responded, removed his hat, and shot a fast sideways glance at Thea's face. Her eyes had narrowed, her cheeks turning a deeper pink, and he was sure she was thinking he had been here many times before, and no doubt escorting other women. He grinned.
The lobby was filled with people, but Adam paid no attention to them as they moved through the crowd toward the host. The man's face lit up, pleased when he spotted Adam coming.
"Good evening!" he enthused, reaching out to shake hands with Adam, and then risked a quick look at Thea. His eyes widened slightly when he met her hostile gaze, but he was still smiling as he turned his attention back to the tall man in dark blue.
"This way please," he said and turned to lead the way to a private table for two. Adam held Thea's chair for her, biting back a chuckle at her tight face. He gave the host a significant look.
"Thank you Jean," he said quietly and the man hurried away after nodding slightly in acknowledgement of Adam's message. Thea opened her mouth to question him when three waiters appeared almost like magic. One set a stand with a silver bucket next to Adam and began to open the wine. Another quickly set a basket of baguettes and a dish with molded pats of butter on the table, while the last one set wine glasses in front of them and lit the tall candles. Then they all disappeared in a split second.
Adam pulled the bottle out of the bucket and filled her wineglass halfway with the white wine, then did the same for himself. Breathing in the faintly sharp, almost flowery fragrance of the fine wine, Thea realized she hadn't eaten all day, due to being a bundle of nerves. The delicious aroma almost made her mouth water.
She quickly lifted the tulip-shaped glass and took a deep swallow. The potent French wine flowed warmly down her throat and she smiled at the welcome sensation. She took another drink then noticed Adam watching her intently.
"What's wrong?" he asked, holding on to his serious expression as he waited for the angry response he knew was coming.
"You've been here before?" she said in a tone that strained to sound conversational.
"Yes, many times."
Her brows rose at his easy answer and her eyes darkened. "Many times?"
"Of course. This is one of the businesses I help Pat manage," he was biting the inside of his cheek to keep from laughing as her face turned red.
"Oh," was all she managed to say and took another swallow of the wine.
"No Theadora," he said quietly and she gave him a startled look.
"No what?"
"No, I'm not the sort of man who would ask one woman to marry him while seeing someone else."
"Oh," she said again, her response sounding lame to her own ears. Frantically trying to gather her scattered wits together, she stared down into her empty wine glass then set it down on the table carefully. She was about to ask for more when Adam filled it halfway again. Jean suddenly appeared at Adam's side and the two men had a quick, whispered discussion as she drank half of the wine in one gulp. The host straightened up, bestowing an admiring smile on Thea, and hurried away again.
"I hope you don't mind, but I ordered for the both of us earlier today. Duck ala Orange is the chef's specialty."
"Oh how thoughtful of you! I haven't had that dish since we lived in Paris for a while." She was smiling at him warmly and his eyes narrowed while he considered the possibility that she was drunk.
"But on only one glass of wine?" he said under his breath as he watched her empty her wineglass again. He almost jumped when she abruptly stood up and leaned over the table to reach for the bottle. She grabbed it and filled her glass before he could react then set it on the table to her right.
Gracing him with another warm smile, she sat back down, almost missing her chair. Giggling softly, she bent her head down and pursed her lips as she touched them to the surface of the wine that threatened to spill over the edges of the glass.
Adam reached across the table to grasp the stem of her glass before sliding it away. "I think you've had enough of this," he said seriously.
Looking at him with wide eyes she shook her head. "I'm fine...it's just so delicious and I'm thirsty."
"Uh huh," he responded dubiously and couldn't help but smile when she softly giggled again.
"You forgot the bottle," she said with a sly gleam in her eye and managed to grab it before he could. Raising the bottle to her lips, she tipped it up and took a deep drink.
"God," he said softly and started to stand when she tried to set the bottle down on the table. It teetered for a second then fell over, liberally dousing the tablecloth before rolling off and thudding to the floor. Adam breathed a sigh of relief when it didn't shatter.
Blinking slowly she picked up her napkin to wipe at the wetness, managing to knock over both glasses and the candles with one uncontrolled sweep of her arm. The tablecloth immediately caught fire.
Adam calmly stood, picked up the bucket full of half melted ice, and dumped it on the table, putting the fire out instantly.
Sighing, he sat back down as the three waiters descended on them. One gathered up the tablecloth with the glasses, candles, and table settings inside. He hurried away. Another produced a towel to wipe the table dry, while the third came with another tablecloth. He spread the cloth, centering it expertly, and the first waiter came back to replace everything on the table. Then the three men took off quickly in different directions.
Thea had been staring down at her clasped hands in her lap while they cleaned up the mess, but now glanced at Adam through her upper lashes. The shock of the table catching fire had sobered her up slightly.
He was sitting slightly sideways with his legs crossed and one hand over his face. She flinched, thinking he was mortified with embarrassment at her outrageous behavior. Then she realized his shoulders were shaking with silent laughter.
"Adam!" she hissed sharply and he dropped his hand. Her mouth fell open when he brushed tears of laughter away and tried to get a hold on himself. He was gasping for breath with one hand to his chest as he turned his head, looking for Jean. The host hurried toward them to have another whispered conversation with Adam. She heard him chuckle as he moved quickly away.
Thea opened her mouth to apologize, but he held up a hand to stop her, his head still turned sideways, as though he was listening for something. That something turned out to be one of the waiters seemingly tripping over his own feet and tossing a tray into the air as he fell. The cake he had been carrying and the tray separated and another waiter deftly caught the cake as the tray hit the floor with a resounding clatter.
As soon as the noise started and everyone's attention was focused at the far end of the room Adam stood, came around the table to pull her to her feet, and lifted her off the floor with one arm around her waist as they escaped through the kitchen door.
Once they were on the other side of the door, he set her down and shifted his arm to wrap around her shoulders. Then he began to guide her down the busy center aisle, deftly avoiding getting in the way. Many voices called out to him, saying goodnight and he didn't even try to stop a burst of laughter when Thea began to respond cheerfully with her own goodnights.
He opened the back door, nudged her through with a hand in the small of her back, and then stepped out to close it firmly on the noisy confusion. Thea was standing at the head of the back steps, swaying slightly.
Chuckling softly, he wrapped her in his arms and just stood there, holding her tightly until the buggy came around the corner to stop in front of them. Carefully helping her down the stairs, he picked her up by the waist to set her on the buggy seat before climbing in himself. The man who had brought the buggy had already slipped away into the darkness and Adam wrapped an arm around her shoulders to pull her up against his side.
Shivering in the cool night air, she rested her cheek against his hard upper chest, slipped one arm around his waist, and closed her eyes.
Laughing softly one more time, he flicked the horses' backs with the reins and pulled away from the brightly lit, imposingly elegant restaurant.