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*Present Time*
"What... what are you talking about?"
The redhead gazed up at Adam with confusion that quickly abated and was replaced by slight alarm. There was something in his face, something in those emerald eyes that had her suddenly feeling weak. Something about the way he was looking at her... She couldn't quite put her finger on it, but...
"Why didn't you ever tell me?" he asked, his expression softening as he drank in the hazel of her eyes, the lovely rosy full lips, that beautiful olive tone of her face. He absorbed every last little bit of her physical appearance, not to mention her body language and small gestures.
She shook her head, not comprehending although her heart was suddenly pounding in quadruple time.
"I don't know what you're talking about, Adam," she managed, her breathing suddenly quickening. What on earth could he mean? "Why didn't I ever tell you *what*?"
He stepped even closer to her, his green eyes drinking in every aspect of her face. God, she was so beautiful. He knew now that, without a shadow of a doubt, he'd always been in love with this woman. His marriage had been a complete failure, but at the same time, it had also been a sham. He'd allowed himself to sink into the relationship with Torrie, thinking that a future with Amy was far beyond his reach and in fact an impossibility altogether. Even more crazy, here he now was, right here in her hotel room and about to open his heart completely to her - and she was married... Married to his best friend and definitely off limits to him. How unfair could fate be? It seemed as though this were all a cruel joke being played on him - on *them*.
"Ames," he said softly, his head cocking to one side as he regarded her tenderly. "I *know*... I know how you feel about me," he elaborated, and she went absolutely white as a sheet in the face as he spoke. "Why didn't you ever..." He stopped speaking for a beat, his heart pounding like mad in his chest as he reached out and placed his long fingers against her cheek, marveling at the extreme softness of her skin. God, she felt like silk... So beautiful... So very beautiful and precious.
Her hazel eyes widened as she stared up at him in shock.
"Adam, what are you...? Oh, my God," she murmured. She shook her head, fully aware that his hand was still on her face, and she suddenly recoiled back as though in horror. She couldn't believe it. He knew... He *knew*! He knew she'd been in love with him. And then she wondered why she'd chosen *those* words in her mind.
"It's okay," he said softly, his deep, thoroughly masculine voice doing things to her that Jay had never been able to accomplish with any part of his body. Oh, God, she thought she was going to faint. "It's okay... I feel the same way about you."
Her heart seemed to pound so loudly in her ears, yet at the same time, she felt as though she were suddenly struck deaf. He felt the same way about *her*? She blinked wordlessly, her words seemingly lost on her as she stared up at him. This had to be all nothing more than a dream - a crazy, impossible dream.
"No," she said, shaking her head as though denying his words. "It can't be."
"Amy, it's all right," he repeated. "I... I've been in love with you from the first day I-"
"No!" she repeated louder. She stood up straight as she looked him right in the face, and she refused to allow herself to react as he openly winced. "Adam, this is just... it's wrong," she said. "My God, I'm married. I'm married to *Jay*. I don't know what you were thinking coming here like this, but..." She shook her head again, an uncomfortable tightness in her chest as she continued. "... whatever you had in mind, it's not gonna happen."
The tall blond Canadian eyed her silently for a beat, every word she'd just spoken sinking into his head. This couldn't be right. Although Trish had told him Amy had been in love with him two years earlier, that just couldn't be it. That couldn't be all there was to it.
"Tell me the truth," he said, his voice reduced to a near whisper. "In all this time, do you still have feelings for me?"
The redhead didn't speak. She *couldn't* say a thing, couldn't answer him. Her head ducked slightly, and she averted her gaze from his, which spoke plenty of volumes as far as he was concerned.
"You do," he said, inching closer to her again. He reached out and placed his hand on her chin, gently tilting her head up so that she had no choice but to meet his eyes. In her hazel orbs, he saw plenty of emotion, and he knew she was feeling horribly conflicted. "So... you're still in love with me," he said. It wasn't a question but a statement.
She didn't deny him but didn't confirm what he'd said, either. Instead, she shut her eyes and turned her head right out of his touch.
"I think you should leave."
The tall blond man stood rooted to his spot as he stared at her. Her body was slightly turned away from him, its language obviously anything but comfortable and happy. He felt as though his heart were breaking as all his hopes began to deflate - much like a balloon with the air being let out of it.
"So, that's it?" he asked, his voice now tinged with anger. "You just put away your feelings? Just *ignore* them? Is that what we're supposed to do?"
Amy turned back toward him so quickly, his head nearly spun as she practically sprang on him.
"You have some nerve coming at me like this! And you're really one to talk! You never once looked my way, and all of a sudden you had that damn slut Torrie, and do you know how it felt to sit there and watch you marrying her?" She didn't give him a chance to utter a word as she went on. "*Do* you?! And now, when I've finally moved on, with your *best friend*, at that, you come to me like this! Oh, hell no!"
"Fine!" Adam shouted, angry despite the horrible feeling of his heart breaking. "You want it that way, then *fine*! I'll just go on my way and you can stay in your happy little life and pretend you're not still in love with me. But you just remember that every time you kiss him, every time he's inside of you - you just remember that!" He turned sharply on his heel, returning to the door and heard her voice as he yanked it open.
"Fine! I'll do that!"
The door slammed behind the tall blond man, and Amy weakly backed up, one hand flying up to her face as she was overcome by her emotion. The entire incident felt like some horrible nightmare. She continued to back up until she felt the bed behind her, and she sat down to cry into her hands for a moment. God, it hurt. She couldn't believe how very much it hurt...
Outside in the hall, still standing just before the door, Adam stood, equally as hurt by the fight they'd just had. Damn it, he honestly hadn't expected things to go so horribly. He didn't want things to end like this. He couldn't simply walk away after such a horrible encounter. So, after a moment, he raised his hand to softly knock again.
The redhead looked up abruptly at the sound, tears still on her face. She blinked as she stared at the closed door, wiping away some of the tears as she suddenly rose and slowly returned to the door. She held her breath as she opened it, not quite knowing what to expect. And then her gaze met the intense green of Adam's.
The blond man instantly went back inside the hotel room, kicking the door shut and pulling her flush against him, his
lips instantly meeting hers in a searing kiss.