When we got inside, I sat at the kitchen table. He opened the back door to let Molly in. She ran around his legs, her tail drumming hard against the furniture, and came to me. I patted her but held back a smile.

Adam switched on the kettle and put coffee in some cups. I expected him to ask me how I liked it, but he didn't. He leaned against the kitchen bench with his hands tucked under his armpits. I decided he should speak first since he dragged me here.

We sat in silence, he exhaled and then said, "I'm involved in some pretty heavy shit. The people I deal with aren't nice, Jasmine." Adam slouched, untucked his hands and ran one down his face before continuing, "When you answered my phone, you put yourself in danger. I had to make out that I didn't know you. I said those things to make it sound real. If I hesitated, they'd know." Adam lifted his hand as if to touch me, then said, "I'm sorry I yelled at you for answering the phone. I was scared, Jasmine." He lowered his hand and added, "I was scared in case they found out about you. Scared you might do it again. I reacted without thinking because I hadn't protected you as I should have. I was pissed off with myself but I took it out on you. Blamed you. I'm so sorry. I wanted to explain, but you weren't at work or at your place. Then I saw you at that nightclub." He dragged his hand through his hair. "I wanted to kill that prick."

The kettle whistled. Adam filled the cups and then brought them to the table. He sat and continued to talk. "I decided to stay away after I found your note. I thought it was best for you if I did, but when I saw you tonight..." He paused, his face full of pain.

I had to look away. I picked up my cup and took a sip. He remembered how I liked my coffee. For some reason, that small thing meant more to me than anything he said.

"Jasmine, seeing you strip." He sighed again. "Please don't do it. Whatever becomes of us, please don't do that to yourself." I covered my face with my hands as he said, "I'm sorry I did what I did to you tonight, but that's how it is. I could have been any one of those men there tonight. I wanted to make you feel the worst you could because those men who touched you had the filthiest possible things in their heads about what they'd like to do to you. Is that what you want?"

I left my hands over my face as I said, "I did it because you were there." My words gave me strength. I looked straight at him. "How could you bring a woman to my workplace and have the nerve to tell me you love me? You got over me pretty quickly."

He took another breath, shook his head and said, "It wasn't what you think. I took her to hook up with the guy I was with. The one who asked you for sex."

I raised my eyebrows in disbelief. "It didn't look like that to me. She was all over you, and you let her be."

"Yeah, it was meant to look like that, but not for you, because I didn't expect you to be there. In a way, what you did to him worked in Josie's favour. You might have noticed they left soon after."

I took another sip of my coffee to get my thoughts straight. "So, you do illegal stuff. Do you sell drugs? Daniel says that star means you're in a gang that makes amphetamines. A bikie gang and you have a Harley in your shed."

"Jasmine, I know you're not going to understand this. You have every right to get angry. What I do isn't something I want to talk about with you. It's better you don't know, but I promise if you trust me, and give me a chance, I will tell you in the future." He placed one palm on the table. "I know what I do affects the time we can spend together. I know the phone calls piss you off. They piss me off too. I can guarantee that it won't be like this forever."

I sighed in exasperation. "You didn't answer any of the questions I just asked you."

A beaten smile crossed his face before he said, "The bike is mine. Your brother's half right about the star. I don't make drugs and I don't take drugs."

I studied his face. Though he had talked, I didn't understand any of it. I wasn't sure I believed his explanation for saying what he had on the phone about me. Then him yelling at me, and the girl tonight. "What is it you want from me, Adam?"

He smiled and took hold of my hand. "I want to go back to before you answered the phone. I want you to trust me. I want you to understand I'm not in the greatest place at the moment, and I want you to know you are the best thing to ever happen to me in my life." He took a breath and, with tears in his eyes, said, "I want you to love me."

Tears streamed down my face. I so loved him. He didn't have to ask that of me, but I was scared to trust him. "Will what you do get me into trouble with the police?"

Adam shook his head. "No. I can promise you that."

I gulped back a sob. "How am I to trust you? I'm scared because I don't understand any of it, and I'll get hurt. I don't know how to trust you."

Adam fiddled with my fingers. "I can't answer that for you. I'm asking you to try, and I'll try not to disappoint you." He lifted my hand and kissed my fingers. "Jasmine, I didn't expect someone to come into my life when you did. I tried to ignore you, not to look at you or notice you, but I did, and it wouldn't stop. It was a good thing you took no notice of me, but it made me more determined. I made sure we were on the same carriage. I watched you come into the tunnel each day. You always sat in the second carriage from the stairs."

I gaped. "I did that?"

Adam laughed. "Yeah, you did. Gillian caught what I was doing. She warned me against it. I was on the verge of giving up when you noticed me, and man...that was it, there was no stopping me. I took a chance that maybe wasn't the best choice to make. Especially being where I am at this time in my life. I believe in seizing the moment, Jasmine, because too many moments pass, then before you know it, your life's been a lot of nothing. I'm asking you to seize this moment with me. To take a chance on me."

I drew in a breath to steady my heartbeat. His words touched me, but I had more questions. "Who's Gillian?"

"She's a friend. Nothing more than that. I told you the truth about her."

"Did you have sex with the woman you were with tonight?"

He shook his head. "No, I promise I didn't. She wanted to meet the man I was with and asked me to help her, to be her stepping stone, so I did. That's all it was."

"Why couldn't you have just introduced her?"

Adam laughed. "My mate thinks he's a king. He makes a game of getting what others have. For me to be interested in her was the bait. If I hadn't shown interest, he wouldn't have taken any notice of her. It's a stupid game he plays, so that's how we worked it."

"Have you had sex with anyone?"

He shook his head, touched my cheek and smiled. "Honey, I don't want to have sex with anyone else. I haven't stopped thinking about you, and this is gonna sound stupid, but my heart hurts so bad."

That was it, the moment I couldn't control. I burst into tears. Adam came around the table and lifted me. I wrapped my arms around his neck and buried my face in his shoulder. He carried me to the lounge room and sat in one of the armchairs, holding me close, rubbing his hand down my hair. "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean it. I didn't mean to hurt you. Please don't cry. Honey, please don't cry anymore."

But I couldn't stop. It felt like a torturous burden had been lifted from my chest.

Wow, I'm lost for words.  Do you think Adam is telling the truth?

Is Jasmine making a mistake?  

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