“Gosh,” he sighed, “for someone with such great memory, you sometimes surprise me. To find an encrypted word, you need a page number, a line number, and a word number on that line.” William waved his hand in my direction. “Remember you watchedNational Treasurewith Rai and me? Well, the Ottendorf Cipher they mentioned is pretty much the same as the Arnold.”
A wave of sadness passed over me. This was why William’s enthusiasm had dimmed, and why he’d drunk so much since we’d arrived in San Sierra. This trip reminded him of the one who got away. William’s love of treasure hunts and his ex’s love for history had brought them together. When their four-year relationship ended, it destroyed William.
“Rai loved that goddam movie,” William said in a whisper almost to himself, looking away. He finished his rum and set the glass down with more force than was necessary, stood up, and swayed.
Time to go.
I pulled my lips into a kind smile and calmly said, “Honey, we should probably go to bed.”
It was a few minutes before ten, and I wanted to stay with Andrew, but my brother needed me.
* * *
I led William up the stairs and through the corridor, his arm thrown over my shoulder and mine around his waist, supporting his drunken body. I unlocked our room, and the two of us wobbled to the bed where William crashed face first on the pillow. Andrew waited in the hallway, holding my purse.
I walked out, quietly closing the door behind me. “Tonight was fun.”
“I enjoyed it too,” he said, handing me my bag. Tingles cascaded down my spine at the brush of our fingers. “Thank you for your invaluable help. You’re a natural at this.”
That was an absurd statement.
“Whatever.” I laughed, rolling my eyes good-naturedly.
“And I’m very sorry about your dress.” He wore a shy smile and rubbed his neck. “You looked beautiful in it.”
My heart did the same jolt from this morning, only this time stronger, and it vibrated somewhere in my core. The small hallway we stood in seemed to shrink in size, and the surrounding air went up several degrees. Heart pounding, I stared intently at him. I watched him swallow, his Adam’s apple bobbing. Andrew’s smile vanished, but his eyes were full of invitation. We were back to that moment earlier at the restaurant.
“Adriana,” Andrew said, his voice uncertain. His eyes swept over me, and my pulse turned into wild drumming. Something fierce and determined flashed over his face, and he wetted his lips. And I swear that was the sexiest thing I have ever seen. My stomach twisted with anxiety and hope.
“Yes?” I swallowed too. My whole body hummed with need. I wanted Andrew to haul me into his arms and kiss me. Not gently. Hard. Could I throw myself at him?
My back pressed the door and pushed it open, making me stumble back. The universe was giving me a sign to back away, not to muddle this trip.
The phone in Andrew’s palm rang, and a picture of the attractive blond woman hugging the little girl filled the screen.
“I’m glad we cleared up that you don’t have a wife.” I backed into my room.
“Me too. Good night, Adriana.” He inclined his head politely and brought his phone to his ear. I liked how my name sounded when he said it; smooth and seductive, like lazy morning sex.
With a last hungry glance at Andrew, I shut the door and pressed my back to it. My heart pounded so hard its sound vibrated my body. This morning Andrew was a smart, intriguing, and heartbreakingly handsome, unavailable man, and now he was a smart, intriguing, handsome, sweet man with a kind heart that stirred emotions inside of me I had no business having.
ChapterTen
The sexual hum hadn’t ceased as I scrubbed my face and teeth, and changed into pajama shorts and an old university t-shirt. The fabric was so worn that in a certain light, it was almost translucent in some spots. I climbed into the bed beside William, who snored as loud as an aggravating next-door garage band on a balmy fall night. Tomorrow he’d regret passing out without taking care of his face. I groaned and turned the nightstand lamp on.
After a few minutes of wrestling with his limbs, I removed his shoes, shorts, and shirt, and returned to the bathroom to rummage in his beauty bag. I plucked cotton pads, a balancing cleanser, and a conditioning night lotion. William had a ten-step cleansing routine, but this would do.
Smoothing William’s hair off his forehead, I gently ran the wetted pad over his skin. His sandy brown hair took on a warm brown shade in the dim light. His snoring stopped, and his lips twitched at their corners. He was such a beautiful human inside and out, and it hurt to know he was as lonely as me. After Rai left, for two years myheart-of-the-party happy-go-luckyoptimistic brother turned into someone unrecognizable, a workaholic who would gag at the word love. He even stopped watching rom-coms. When William came out of his depression, he started having a newspecial someonealmost monthly, and I wondered if he was desperately trying to find The One or merely the one to replace the ghost of Rai. I kissed his forehead and said a silent prayer that soon he would meet someone who would do both for him.
I dropped the used cotton pad on my lap and added lotion to my fingers. I reached out to his face and gently rubbed it on, the bracelet catching the lamp’s light.
My hand paused, and I stared at the etched lines on the bracelet that were no longerjustlines. The bases the stones were pressed into took the shape of the foot of a mountain, and the swirls around it looked like rivers branching out. A few years ago, I went to an Atlanta Art Museum exhibition on light sculptures that form beautiful images when viewed at a certain angle. I rotated my wrist slightly to the right, and the landscape vanished, becoming again just gems and carved swirls. I turned my arm where it was a few seconds ago, and the hills and river returned.
“Oh my god.” I stood up, and the bottles fell on the floor with a racket. William stirred, and his eyelids fluttered but never fully opened. He mumbled something and turned to his side.
I had to tell Andrew. I checked the time. A quarter to eleven. It was late, but Andrew had said he’d stay up working. Wait. Was I doing this to help Andrew beat Richard, or was I taking any excuse to see him again?
I’d debate it later.
