“I just didn’t know she was your first. But that information is useful. Did she explain to you what she wanted? What she liked?”

Adam twists the stem of his apple and doesn’t look up. “Uh, yeah, more or less. And I figured stuff out as I went along. I’m a quick learner.”

He must have learned fast. I recall overhearing others gossip about him back in his single days, and he apparently never lacked for sexual partners.

“And Mia?”

Adam gets this strange look on his face that I cannot read at all. He shoots out of his chair, rubbing at the back of his neck.

After a long minute, I’m about to repeat my question—in case he didn’t hear me the first time—when he finally speaks again. “What about her?” he asks quietly.

“Was she more experienced than you?”

His cheeks bulge, like he’s clenching his jaw, and suddenly he’s taking a lot of interest in rearranging the magnets on the fridge. “No,” is all he says.

“Maybe I should talk to her. Maybe one of her previous partners wasn’t as experienced as her.”

That strange look crosses Adam’s face again. “You shouldn’t bother. Emilia was a virgin.”

“Oh. Hmm.” I scratch my jaw again. “So much for getting a woman’s perspective, then. So she’s never been with anyone else besides you?”

He’s standing kind of stiffly now. “No.”

“That doesn’t worry you?” I ask.

He frowns. “Worry me? Why would it worry me?”

“Well, when you two get married, she will never have the chance to be with anyone else—presumably for the rest of her life. She doesn’t feel like she missed out?”

Adam lets out a long sigh and turns around, picking up his workout towel. But he doesn’t respond to me for a while. “I guess I never thought about it like that. She doesn’t seem to mind.”

“You should ask her.”

“Or,” he says, turning back to me, “I could just not bring it up. And neither should you—especially all that stuff about Lindsay.”

“Why? Does she believe you have feelings for Lindsay? I hope you don’t. But if you do, I’ll fight the next duel against you.” I’m joking. I know he doesn’t feel anything for Lindsay, though they still see each other as friends from time to time.

“Emilia already knows the general gist of all that. But it would bug her to talk about it. People don’t like to hear about their partner’s former lovers.”

“Well then, I guess you’re lucky she doesn’t have any that you might hear about.”

Adam looks up at the ceiling for a few moments but doesn’t say anything.

“Why is that?” I ask.

“Why is what?”

“Why don’t people want to hear about their partner’s former lovers?”

“Do you want to imagine Jenna with some other man?”

I picture it immediately—Jenna wrapped in Doug’s arms. Holding his hand. Him kissing her. Suddenly, I’m inexplicably angry, my face flushing with heat. Adam notices, of course, because then he nods. “See? Now you get it.”

“You’re lucky you don’t have to worry about that ever.”

“I’m lucky for many reasons. I have the most amazing woman in the world. You can have the second best.” He grins.

“It doesn’t make sense, though, why that makes me mad. I know she hates Doug now. He was callous and rude to her. She won’t even speak to him. I have nothing to be jealous about.”

“But picturing them together, even if it’s the past, is enough to make you angry. And maybe she was with other guys before that.”

“That was before I knew her though. But even that makes me mad. I don’t get it.”

Adam smiles. “I think you’ve got it pretty bad.”

“Got what?”

“I think you’re falling hard for this girl. Just be careful, okay? Don’t pin too much on this. Emilia says...” Then he cuts himself off, looking away.

“What does she say?”

Adam shakes his head. “Well, some people like being in long-term relationships and some don’t. And you’ve mentioned that Jenna plans on moving soon.”

I shrug and look away too. Adam’s words are reconfirming my decision not to have sexual intercourse with Jenna. Even if it would be the most pleasurable experience of my life, the pain of her leaving afterward would not make it worth it.

“I understand. I’m not planning on having sex with her.”

Adam gets that weird smile again. “You should just go with the flow, Liam. See where it takes you. Don’t hold yourself back. Sometimes things happen that aren’t in the plan.”

“That never happens for you,” I say. “You always have everything mapped out ahead of time.”

Adam laughs, but I’m not sure why. “Some things in life are impossible to plan. Count on that for love—if, of course, that’s what it turns out to be.”

I wonder what he means and continue pondering this great mystery called love. Who’d have thought that something you can’t see, hear or touch, much less even define, could rule your life so completely?

 

 

Chapter 23

Jenna

It was finally the weekend, and I was excited to attend Medieval Times with William, Adam and Mia. As promised, I wore my medieval garb, complete with a bodice corset over my low-cut, off-the-shoulder blouse. Mia wore my other outfit—I’d bartered with one of our seamstresses to make it for me—but as Mia was taller, it ended up being a little short. She paired the dress with some boots though, and it looked great.

The boys had refused to join in on our fun, opting for boring twenty-first century clothing instead. However, Adam did say he approved of the cleavage that Mia’s costume created and gave it two enthusiastic thumbs up.

I’d been pretty shocked when Mia had approached me with the idea of Medieval Times, saying she wanted to help William with his crowd issues. It seemed like this hard working, young power couple wouldn’t have time for things like this. Adam was a mega-busy billionaire and Mia was just as overloaded with medical school. But apparently I was wrong. Adam even treated us to a limo ride and bought the tickets to the best seats in the house.