The Billionaire's Daddy Test. Charlene Sands

eyes twinkled. There was a moment of mischief, of teasing, and his smile quickened her heart. “Yummy,” he repeated.

      The staunch set of his jaw relaxed and she stared at his carefree expression. She liked the unguarded Adam best.

      After tossing in the herbs and the rest of the ingredients, she set the pan to simmer and they left the kitchen for the open-air veranda. “I don’t usually come out here,” Adam said, pulling out a chair for her. “But I thought you might like it.”

      The sun was dipping, casting a shimmering glow on the water. Hues of grape and sherbet tangled through the sky. It was glorious. There was nothing better than a beachside view of the horizon at this time of day. “Why not, Adam? If I lived here, I’d spend every night watching the sunset.”

      “It’s...” His face pinched tight again, and she couldn’t figure out if it was pain or regret that kept him from saying more. Maybe it was both? “Never mind.”

      Lonely. Was that what he was going to say? Was this intelligent, wealthy, physically perfect specimen of man actually lonely?

      “Would you like a glass of wine?”

      “Yes,” she answered.

      “Cabernet goes well with Italian.”

      “It does.”

      He poured her a glass, and she waited for him before taking her first sip.

      “Mmm. This is delicious.”

      The veranda spread out over the sand in a decking made entirely of white stone. A circular area designated the fire pit and off to the side, a large in-ground spa swirled with invigorating waters. She’d been here before, sat close to this very spot, but she’d been too immersed in her mission to really take note of the glorious surroundings. Sheer draperies billowed behind them.

      “I’m glad you like it.”

      What was not to like? If only she could forget who Adam Chase really was.

      They sipped wine and enjoyed the calm of the evening settling in. A few scattered beachgoers would appear, walking the sands in the distance, but other than that, they were completely alone.

      “Why did you leave Orange County? For college?” he asked.

      “No, it was before that.” The wine was fruity and smooth and loosened her tongue, but she couldn’t tell Adam the reason her mother had picked up and left their family home. She’d been careful not to share the closest things about herself to Adam, in case Anna had divulged some of their history to him. While Anna had kept the last name Burkel, Mia had legally changed her name to her mother’s maiden name, D’Angelo, as an adult. Mia was dark haired with green eyes, while her sister had been lighter in complexion and bottle blonde. She wondered if Adam would even remember much about Anna. It had been a one-night fling, and a big mistake, according to Anna. “After my mother and father got divorced, we came to live with my grandmother.”

      It was close to the truth.

      “I see. Where did you go to school?”

      “I graduated from Santa Monica High and put myself through community college. I bet you have multiple degrees.”

      “A few,” he admitted and then sipped his drink. His gaze turned to the sea.

      “You’re very talented. I’m curious. Why did you decide to become an architect?”

      He shrugged, deep in thought. Oh no, not another evasive answer coming on. Was he trying to figure out a way out of her question? “I guess I wanted to build something tangible, something that wouldn’t blow over in the wind.”

      “Like the three little pigs. You’re the smart pig, building the house made of bricks.”

      His lips twitched again and he lifted his glass to his mouth. “You do have a way of putting things. I’ve never been compared to a pig before.” He sipped his drink.

      “A smart pig, don’t forget that. You build structures that are sturdy as well as beautiful.”

      He nodded. “Foundation comes first. Then I layer in the beauty.”

      She smiled. “I like that.”

      He reached for her hand. “And I like you, Mia.” The hand covering hers was strong and gentle.

      His eyes were warm, darkening to slate gray and as liquid as the sensations sprinting through her body right now. This wasn’t supposed to happen. This intense, hard-to-ignore feeling she got in the pit of her belly. She couldn’t be attracted to him. It was impossible and would ruin everything.

      She slipped her hand from his and rose from her seat. “I think I’d better check on the meal.”

      His chair scraped back as he stood. Always the gentleman. “Of course.”

      She scurried off, mentally kicking herself. An image of Adam’s disappointed face followed her into the kitchen.