He reached past her and grabbed something. “Looks like chocolate fudge.”
“Now you’re talking.”
He chuckled again, and his breath brushed her cheek. Smelled like mint. What did he do, chew gum in his sleep? He handed her the cup and grabbed another for himself. “Okay. Chocolate pudding it is.”
She closed the fridge and turned to find Adam hadn’t moved, effectively pinning her to the door. She looked up at him. For some reason he was staring at her with such intensity, she could barely breathe. She stood frozen as the seconds ticked by, his lips so close to hers she could almost taste them. But he blinked and moved back, and the moment evaporated like mist in the sun.
They pulled open drawers until Megan found the spoons. When she handed Adam his, their fingers touched and electricity zapped through her.
Dang. She’d better get away from him. Being alone like this was not a good idea. Not when she couldn’t trust her treacherous body.
She leaned against the counter and opened her container. The pudding was cold and had the perfect amount of chocolate. She let it slide down her throat and soothe her nervous stomach. She clutched the cool cup and dared a glance at Adam.
He stood staring at her, almost like he wanted to speak but was holding back. She frowned. “What?”
“Nothing. I was just thinking about our trust exercise.”
She rolled her eyes. “Yeah, wasn’t that fun?” She adopted a nasal voice, mimicking Doctor Lemon. “Tell everyone your deepest, darkest secrets. It will be good for you.”
He laughed. “You do a pretty good impression of her.”
Megan curtsied. “Thanks.”
Adam’s face grew serious again. “You know, I never wanted a pony.”
She stared at him, her throat tightening. “Yeah. I figured.”
He leaned back on the counter, crossing his feet at his ankles and pushing the pudding around in his cup. “The only thing I wanted was to be with my dad again. I didn’t understand why Santa wouldn’t give me that.”
She slid closer to him and put her hand on his back. “I’m sorry. How awful for you.”
He shrugged. “I grew up. Learned the ways of life. Found out Santa wasn’t real, and that sometimes no matter how hard you wished for something, it wasn’t going to happen.”
“That’s a hard lesson for a kid.”
“It was.” He sighed and stared at his pudding. “I’m just thankful I have my father in a better facility.” Then he turned his ice blue eyes on her. “I appreciate you doing this.”
Guilt worked its way into her. The only reason she was doing the show was to advance her career. And even then, she’d almost refused. She hadn’t wanted to agree to a fake marriage, something that now paled in importance. “Sure,” she muttered.
He swallowed, then shifted his weight. “Can I ask you something?”
“Okay.”
His gaze bore into hers. “What were you thinking of when you were asked to share your deepest secret?”
Her chest tightened, and a chill ran over her skin. For a moment, she thought about blowing off the question, but an urge to tell him surged in her. She broke the eye contact and stared at her feet, unsure of how to begin.
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have asked.”
“No. It’s okay. I’ve just never told anyone before. It’s kind of hard.”
He nodded and waited for her to continue.
She took a deep breath. “When I was six, a girl in my town was kidnapped. They found her body three weeks later, in a creek.” She raised her gaze to stare into his eyes. “I could have prevented it.”
His eyebrows knit together. “How?” he asked, his voice soft.
She set the empty pudding cup on the counter and folded her arms across her chest. “Two days before her kidnapping, I was playing outside in my yard. A man pulled up in a van, saying he’d lost his puppy. I knew better than to go near a stranger, but he seemed so worried. I wanted to help. The next thing I knew, he grabbed me and pulled me toward his van.”
