Page 53 of Slide

She wanted to growl in frustration. The man had a warped view of himself, and she noticed whenever he wanted to put emotional distance between them he called her baby girl. At the realization, she didn’t love the name quite so much anymore.

“Being a narcissistic egomaniac is not a crime. I’m sure there’s a woman out there who would happily put up with you. Would love to watch you stare at yourself in the mirror all day, talking to yourself in the third person.” She lowered her voice again. “Yes, Adam, you are a sexy beast…Adam, you handsome devil, look at your magnificent penis…Good God, Adam, you’re a stallion among men…”

“Jesus Christ.”

She giggled at the look on his face. “Am I wrong?”

He just stared at her.

“You’re telling me your mirror isn’t getting a workout?” She was teasing, of course. Adam was the least vain person she knew. Was fun to tease him, though.

“You realize you’ll pay for that, right?”

“Do your worst, Grady.” She’d pay all damn day if he had a mind to dish it out. If his punishment was anything like this morning, she planned on being a very naughty girl. They’d reached the end of the road and when he turned the car off, she could hear lapping water. “Are we near a lake?”

“Yeah.” He pushed his door open. “Come on.”

Adam moved to the back of the car, opened the trunk, and pulled out a bag.

Lucy shielded her eyes from the sun. “What’s that?”

He shrugged. “Lunch. I picked it up when we stopped for gas.” He pulled something else from the trunk. A blanket.

“Are we having a picnic?”

He tilted his head to the side then looked down at his hands, like the idea had never occurred to him. “No. We’re eating outside.”

She gave him a huge cheesy grin. “Aw, I never would have guessed you were such a romantic.”

He shook his head and started walking.

“Ma and Pa are gonna like you. They won’t mind one bit that you’ve already dirtied me up.”

“Shit…”

“I can’t wait to tell them about the triplets.”

“Jesus.”

“We can name them after my favorite pigs on the farm…”

“I feel like I’m going on a picnic with Joe.”

“Aha! It is a picnic.” She danced around beside him.

“I’m so confused.”

“You’ll get used to it, big boy.”

A grin had spread across his face. “I knew you were awed by my—”

“You’re obsessed. Seriously.” She plucked a leaf as they headed along a dirt track, trying and failing to keep a lid on the happiness building inside her.

The man was good looking, gorgeous. But when he smiled, he made her knees shake. Which had been her plan all along. She wanted him to drop the heavy air hovering around him. The only time he didn’t look grim was right after he’d come or when she acted like a goofball. They had a day and night left and she was going to make him smile as much as possible.

He glanced at her. “You’re the one that can’t stop thinking about what I’ve got down my pants.”

“Oh, I’m the sex maniac?” She cocked a brow.

His grin slipped a bit and she cursed her slip of the tongue. Adam didn’t exactly hide the fact he hooked up a lot, but he seemed sensitive about it, well, at least when she brought it up.

They reached the edge of the lake. The spot Adam had brought her to was stunning. Secluded and shaded. The water’s edge was just a few feet away. She turned to Adam. “Thank you for bringing me here.”

The way he was watching her made her heart race faster.

“I’m glad I could show it to you.”