Love On My Mind (17 page)

Chapter Sixteen

A
DAM HAS
A
S
P
E
R
G
E
R
’
S
.

Chelsea closed the lid of her laptop and stared into the flames of the gas fireplace. It had been difficult to reconcile the man she was drawn to with the popular depictions of autism in movies and on TV, like
Rain Man
and
The Big Bang Theory
. But after her hike with Adam, she’d returned to the Anderson house and immediately began researching Asperger’s and autism spectrum disorders. From what she learned, Adam fell on the side of the spectrum where his problems had more to do with social interaction than they did with cognitive disabilities.

She was humbled that Adam had chosen to confide in her, but what did she do with this new information? What did it mean for the presentation and what she was hired to do? More importantly, would it affect her growing feelings for Adam?

She needed to talk to her best friend. She picked up her phone and texted India.

Can you talk?

Her phone rang almost immediately.

“I’ve never had so much sweet tea in my life!” Indi said. “I swear they mainline it here.”

“Welcome to the South.”

“No kidding. So, how was your date with Adam Bennett?” She huffed out a laugh. “I can’t believe I just uttered that sentence.”

Chelsea smiled in remembrance. “It was amazing. He rented out a science museum and we had dinner under the stars.”

“Now, that’s something you don’t hear every day. Sounds romantic. It’s going well, then? You’ve reconciled him being a client and becoming involved with him?”

“Oh Indi . . .” She hated that her voice cracked.

“Chels, what is it? What’s going on?”

She blinked rapidly, refusing to let any tears fall. “You can’t tell anyone.”

“You’re scaring me.”

“I’m sorry, that’s not my intention, but I really need to talk to you, and the information is sensitive, and I—”

“I got it. And I wouldn’t tell anyone if you told me not to.”

Chelsea took a deep breath. “Adam has Asperger’s.”

“Oh. Oooh.”

“I just found out about his diagnosis. That’s the real reason why I’m working with him, why he needs my help.”

“You just found out? Don’t people with Asperger’s exhibit obvious behaviors?”

“It’s a spectrum. Everyone’s different, although there are similarities in symptoms that help with diagnosis. When we first met, I thought he was an eccentric genius and a stubborn prick.”

“An alpha-hole.”

“Exactly.”

“But that changed?”

“Yes, and despite my better judgment, I agreed to go out with him. And now . . .”

“Does finding out affect how you feel about him?”

“No. Wait, that’s not true. It does. But not negatively. When I think of all he’s accomplished, how much was stacked against him, and how little support he had, I’m in awe. He’s the most incredible man I’ve ever known,” she said, her breath catching. She lowered her voice. “And he can make me come just by crooking his finger. Literally.”

Indi sighed. “That makes me miss Jeremy.”

“Ewww. I told you I got rid of that showerhead. When I get home, I’ll box him up and send him to you. Spark a reunion.”

Indi’s laughter blared from the phone. “I’d appreciate that.” She cleared her throat. “So he’s smart, gorgeous, rich, and a great lover. I’m not seeing the problem.”

Chelsea’s euphoria faded. “I’m lying to him. The way we met, why I’m here. It’s a lie.”

“You’re one of the most honest people I know. Why would you do that?”

“It’s a condition of the assignment. You know this promotion means everything to me.”

“If it meant everything, you wouldn’t be so conflicted.”

“You know what I went through growing up,” she said through clenched teeth. “How I was taken from my home and how my mother was harassed and bullied. I’m never going to be treated that way again. This promotion will give me a respectability that no one will ever be able to deny. I’ve worked toward this for years.”

Her phone beeped. “Hold on. Shit,” she said when she saw Howard’s name on the notification. She couldn’t wait until this assignment was over, if only to ensure she’d never have to answer to him again. “I’ve got to take this. It’s my boss.”

“For the record, you’re enough, Chels. I’ve always thought so. You employ so much effort putting on a front, but you’ve never needed to prove anything to me. I
do
know what you went through. I was there. And I’m here. I’ll always be here, even when there are miles between us. You don’t need to lie or hide who you are to achieve respectability. I love you and I trust you’ll make the right decision.”

And then she was gone.

Dammit. She massaged her forehead. She didn’t have time for an emotional breakdown. She called Howard back.

“Is everything on track for the launch?”

No, I’ve just been sitting around with my thumbs up my ass.
“Yes.”

“Good. It’s generating a massive amount of buzz. Once Computronix acknowledges our assistance, we can look forward to a new revenue stream from the tech industry,” Howard said, his glee unmistakable.

She regretted ever agreeing to this condition. Now that she knew about Adam’s diagnosis and his beliefs, should she take her chances and tell him the truth? The lie plagued her, an accusing sound track to every moment they shared. Maybe she could convince Howard that she’d come up with an alternative that would be beneficial for everyone.

“I know you and Rebecca are excited about this account, but I think we erred with this strategy. If we’d approached him from the start and said Computronix hired us on his behalf—”

“Our client insisted on this course of action and he knows Bennett better than you do. It’s been working so far, right?”

It was working for them. But she was getting royally screwed in the process. She’d crossed the line between personal and professional, all while committing the unpardonable sin of lying to Adam. All the justifications and exclamations of client confidentiality wouldn’t make her deception any more palatable.

“Four more days. You’re in the home stretch. Don’t waver now. If you need motivation, picture your new corner office. And Chelsea? Keep me posted on his progress.”

She threw the phone down and covered her face with her hands. She wanted that partnership, craved the validation it represented, but at what cost? Losing Adam? Losing herself?

“I
REFUSE TO
participate,” Adam said, not taking his eyes off his center monitor.

“You can’t refuse. You need to do this.”

“Can’t you read the speech? Why do I need to perform it for you?”

“Because the more times you do it, the more comfortable you’ll be. And remember, you aren’t reading a paper, you’re giving a presentation. Don’t memorize your speech word for word. Learn broad talking points and then elaborate.”

“This is absurd.”

She took a deep breath, trying to summon her patience. “I know this is uncomfortable for you, but it’s really important.”

“That’s easy for you to say. You’re not being challenged to stand in front of a crowd and bare yourself to strangers.”

“Hmm,” she murmured. “What if I bared myself to
you
? Would that help?”

He swiveled in his desk chair and sat forward. “Absolutely,” he said, his voice dipping to a husky register, “but not the way you intend.”

“You don’t know my intention. Maybe that’s been part of our problem. I thought I knew your intention, assumed you had enough of your own motivation to help get you through this presentation. But maybe you need some outside motivation.”

His eyes gleamed with interest.

After her phone call with Howard, she’d decided to put all of her focus on the presentation. It was much simpler that way. But the next time she’d seen Adam, he’d pulled her in for a panty-melting kiss, ruining all of her plans. She’d spent the past two days in a blissful mix of business and pleasure. Lessons on engagement and rapport were interspersed with sexual sessions in the master bedroom, the guest bedroom, on the couch, and against his desk of destruction. Still, she never got comfortable. The moments when she felt his gaze on her and looked up to find him staring, she knew it was all an illusion. If he found out she’d lied to him about how they met, that she’d been hired by the computer company to get him ready for the presentation, he’d never forgive her, and anything he was starting to feel for her would curdle into hate.

She raised her hand. “Mr. Bennett?”

He shook his head. “Chelsea—”

She pitched her voice high and waved her hand in a flapping motion. “Mr. Bennett?”

He exhaled, thumbed his ear, and answered. “Yes?”

“Mr. Bennett, Chelsea Grant from
Mountaintop Today
magazine.” She worked hard to keep from smiling, though her muscles strained to show her amusement. “It seems like there are new tech items hitting the market daily. How is yours different?”

Adam waved her off. “This is ridiculous. It doesn’t—”

He halted and considered her hand, which she trailed down the front of her shirt and used to unsnap the button on the front of her jeans. His eyes widened and his Adam’s apple—ha!—bobbed as he swallowed.

“Mr. Bennett? How is yours different?” She held the fly’s flap with her left hand while her right hand poised over the zipper.

His gaze jumped from her hand to her face and back again. “Since the first PC, very few products have been revolutionary. But in the same way the iPod changed the music industry, I believe the HPC will change the way we use personal computers.”

Chelsea smiled. “Very good, Mr. Bennett.”

She slid the jean’s zipper down, the metal teeth separating the only sound in the room. She shook her hips—adding an extra shimmy for him—pushed the material down her legs, and kicked them off. She stood in a sheer maroon silk T-shirt, black panties, and nothing else.

Adam stood, but she held up her hand.

“Uh-uh,” she chided, shaking her head.

“Chelsea.” His voice was strangled and the evidence of his longing was imprinted against the front of his jeans.

“Not yet.”

She winked, and with a tilt of her head, raised her hand. Would he play the game with her?

“You,” he said, pointing at her. Lightness warmed her chest.

“Who is your target demo for this device?” She gripped the bottom of her T-shirt in both hands, stretching the material away from her body.

“I think everyone will be able to use this device. It has the potential to replace your personal desktop or laptop computer.”

She gave him an approving nod and whipped the garment over her head until she remained in her bra and panties. His gaze staggered her with the force of his desire. His chest rose and fell and his hands clenched briefly and released at his sides. Despite his obvious longing, he answered her question in a clear and concise manner. She wanted him so badly, she was ready to leap across the space and tackle him, but she also wanted him to be ready for the launch in two days.

“What will be a successful market share for your first year out of the gate?”

She’d thrown him with that one. It was more of an insider question and not an easy lob like her two previous queries. It took a moment for his mind to shift gears as he put on his tech hat and stuffed his lust back in the closet.

“There’s a segment of the population who consider themselves tech people, even though they are not in this industry. If we can get a large number of them interested in our device, we’ll have a real shot at carving out a place for ourselves in this market.”

It would’ve been easy for him to throw out lots of figures and take minutes to answer the question. What he’d done was succinct and informative, without coming off as condescending and long-winded. What a transformation.

She hopped up onto the back of the sofa, reached behind her, and unsnapped the clasp on her bra. Her breasts sprung free, swaying slightly. Her nipples pebbled when the cold air hit them and she heard his audible intake of breath.

“You’ve convinced me, Mr. Bennett. Consider me a fan for life.”

She’d barely got the sentence out before he closed the distance between them, grasped the back of her head, and kissed her.

Their tongues dueled and she wrapped her arms around his waist. He tilted her head back as he devoured her mouth. His hands roamed over her body, through her curls, down her back, around her front to cup her breasts. She moaned and he wrenched his mouth from hers and trailed kisses down her neck. Bending low, he took her left nipple into his mouth and suckled, pulling on the tight bud. Her core throbbed and moisture pooled between her thighs.

Adam knew her body as well as she did and she was learning that intensity was inherent to this man. When he focused on something, he gave it his full attention. And she was the latest lucky recipient.

He dropped to his knees before her, startling her. She clenched her fingers in his hair, the satiny strands soft against her fingers. He looked up at her and she froze. His blue eyes were wide and his pupils were dilated.

“Can I taste you here?” He placed his palm against her core.

He was the one genuflecting before her and yet she feared he would eventually bring her to her knees. She shivered with need and nodded. He pressed kisses along her inner thigh, the heat from his breath teasing her sensitive flesh. She moaned and tightened her grip in his hair. He licked over her fabric-covered center, the surprise causing her to arch up and move closer to his mouth. He repeated it and she squirmed against the sofa, her abdominal muscles straining to keep her in place. She was ready to fall apart and he hadn’t even removed her panties.

That situation was quickly remedied as he pushed the fabric aside, baring her to his eyes. The air in the room whispered over her heated flesh, goose bumps popping out on her arms. He leaned forward and stroked his tongue through her folds, and she jerked upward, bucking against him.