Chapter 16
Adam
Adam shut off the Mac and rolled back in his office chair, massaging the muscles at the back of his neck.
He was almost caught up on paperwork and had opened most of his mail. The weekly operations meeting had gone well. So had the one with Ted. Adam had agreed to take Ted off the long trips, putting him on only short flights instead. Unfortunately, that didn’t solve Adam’s problem of having to fly long haul, but at least it wouldn’t be last-minute anymore.
This week’s best news had been Tim’s return to work, with the entire staff throwing him a welcome back party, complete with salmon skewers, halibut cheeks, and several cases of Tim’s beloved Alaska 8 Star Lager.
Now Adam was looking forward to a hard workout, and then he would call Eve.
He surged to his feet, reenergized. Thinking of her did that for him. Images of last night played in his head, each more erotic than the last. He had to discipline himself, or he’d be tempted to skip the gym and just go straight to what was quickly becoming his favorite part of the day: spending time with her.
That wasn’t happening. He needed to stay fit, especially since he liked how she enjoyed his body, and he intended to keep it this way. She was great motivation.
He wasn’t getting any younger. It took more and more effort these days, but it was worth it just to see her expression when she unbuttoned his shirt, looking as if she were unwrapping a gift at Christmas.
Yes, women had always wanted him, but it had been either for a fuck or for his money. No one else’s eyes had lit up like hers when all he did was walk into a room.
Especially in the bedroom. That he could satisfy her to that degree, well, it made him feel invincible.
He reached for his gym bag.
His phone buzzed, and he lifted it, hoping to see her face.
But it was Ian’s image that appeared when he glanced at the screen.
He swiped to answer. “Hey.”
“Hey, man. How’s it going?”
Best to get to the reason for the call, or Ian would talk his ear off. “What’s up?”
“Not enough, that’s for sure.”
Adam set the gym bag down on his desk and sat. “Still nothing?”
“No.”
Adam was silent for a moment. He took a deep breath, then let it out slowly.
“Sorry, man. We did a full due diligence search and looked under every rock. We couldn’t manage to find a goddamned thing.”
“OK.”
Adam’s hand curled into a fist. “What now?”
“We go to the next step and file an affidavit with the court. Then, they’ll allow you to serve the summons and complaint by publication in the Nevada Legal News.”
“That’s good. Do that, and let’s finish this thing.”
“Unfortunately, it’s not that simple. This needs to be published in the Legal News at least weekly.”
“Weekly? For how long?”
“For four weeks, and—”
“Let’s do it, then,”
Adam interrupted.
“OK.”
Ian paused for a beat. “After that, she has twenty days to file a response.”
Adam pondered for a moment. “And if she doesn’t?”
“Then the court will consider the divorce uncontested.”
Adam’s shoulders dropped with relief. “Sounds good. Let’s get the ball rolling.”
“All right, then. I’ll get on it first thing tomorrow morning.”
“Thanks, man.”
Adam wished like hell he’d done this years ago.
“No problem.”
Ian went quiet for a moment.
When Ian shut up, there was usually more. Adam frowned. “What else?”
“There isn’t a chance she will respond and fight this…is there?”
“Why would there be?”
“The due diligence turned up a certain previously unknown Swiss bank account.”
Oh.
“I didn’t think you were that good.”
Ian laughed. “Come on, man, I’m the best. You should know that by now.”
Soon after she left, Ingrid began withdrawing money from that joint account. She’d stayed away and caused no problems, so Adam continued replenishing the funds every quarter, figuring she needed the money to live until she could gain skills to support herself. She’d never gained the skills, it seemed.
“How did this unofficial rehabilitative spousal support turn permanent?”
Ian asked.
“That’s a good question.”
“OK. I won’t tell anyone about that pathetically soft heart of yours.”
“Don’t.”
Adam picked up his gym bag. “Later.”
He ended the call.
Avoidance had been his coping mechanism, but now it was coming back to bite him in the ass. He only hoped this could be resolved favorably, once and for all.
He’d thought of having a conversation with Eve, but then, he didn’t see the point. He wasn’t sure what he wanted, except that he wished to spend more time with her and see how things went.
For now, he needed to be free.
?
Eve
“I never knew there were so many different kinds of roses.”
It was a sunny Saturday morning, and Adam had proposed a visit to his rose grower friend. Eve had eagerly accepted.
She had walked the rows and rows of fragrant, thorny bushes, not knowing where to look first. There were so many roses of different colors and varieties, ranging from climbers that arched over trellises, their boughs nodding, heavy with blooms, to miniatures, their flowers no bigger than a dime.
Dave Morrison tended them with a love and passion she had seen people give to their beloved pets. Each had a metal tag stamped with its name, year of introduction, and other information. Dave knew them all by heart. It was astounding that he could remember them all.
They were just finishing lunch, and Eve looked forward to a tour.
Adam sat in a wicker chair across from her, under an arch of cascading white roses, wearing all white, her favorite. The sun spotlighted his bright hair. He looked so good that she almost regretted letting him get her out of the house.
Each day made her desire for him grow more intense, as if he were the most addictive drug.
But the thoughtful things he did, such as taking her out to explore flowers today, were just as compelling.
She motioned toward the middle of the patio table, where at least a dozen roses were tucked in a Mason jar in an eclectic arrangement of many colors.
“These are all the same type?”
“Those are all different ones,”
Dave explained, “from deadheading this morning. When we cut off almost spent blooms, it’s called deadheading. If they’re not removed, the plant will start making hips.”
“Rose hips?”
“Seed pods. When a rose goes to seed, it takes that as a signal that nature did its job, and it stops blooming.”
She looked at Adam, who was sipping his iced tea, his lashes lowered, a smile playing about his lips. Her gaze dipped to his open collar, and she forced herself to look back to Dave, who was explaining the difference between hybrid teas and some other type of rose.
“I’m only familiar with the long-stemmed ones, but I don’t see any here.”
“Ah, florist roses. Those are mostly flown in from South America. They’re grown in greenhouses, made to look identical.”
“They don’t have any scent,” she said.
Dave winked. “Exactly. The lack of it makes them last longer.”
“A shame.”
“It is. Many people who come here say they’ve never even smelled a rose.”
He finished the last bite of his chicken salad sandwich. “Growing is satisfying in itself, but many rosarians grow to see if they can come up with new varieties. That’s where the real fun is, for me.”
“How is that done?”
“Would you like to see?”
She nodded happily.
“Let’s go to the nursery.”
Soon, they were in a greenhouse full of benches covered in clear plastic cups, each containing a seedling. A few already had tiny flowers in bloom.
“This is where the magic happens,”
Dave said, excitement in his voice. “We choose the roses we think will be the best parents, put two together, and cross our fingers. With luck, we will get something marketable.”
He picked up a white bloom from a jar on the bench. Its petals were floppy and loose.
“You take this,”
he instructed Eve, “and pull off all the petals.”
She made quick work of removing them.
“OK, now, here’s the tweezers. Take these and strip the pollen.”
He handed her a small shallow container, and carefully, Eve removed the little yellow pollen kernels, collecting them in the cup.
Dave went to a nearby bench, returning with a large potted rose.
“We can use this gal.”
He grasped one of the pink flowers by the neck and motioned for Adam to come closer. “You do this one. Take off the petals.”
Adam held the bloom with a gentle hand. Deftly, he began pulling off the outer petals, and quickly, they were gone. Because the inner ones were so tightly furled, he dipped a finger in the middle of the flower, circling again and again to loosen them.
The sight of that delicate pink flower in his hands, his middle finger circling right in its center, triggered such a riot of sensation in Eve’s body that she closed her eyes for a few seconds. When she opened them, she found his sapphire eyes intently focused on her face.
After a heartbeat, his lashes lowered. He pushed his finger deeper in, swirling one more time. The bud finally unfurled, and then the petals floated down, a few at a time until every last one was at her feet.
?
Adam
Time passed quickly, as it always did when he visited Dave. By afternoon, when they headed for shade and refreshments, Adam was convinced Eve, too, intended to grow a garden full of roses.
She sat under a pergola, her eyes roaming lovingly over the rows and rows of flowers as she sipped her iced tea.
“How about some to take home with you?”
Dave asked Eve.
She smiled delightedly. “I’d love that!”
Dave extracted his pruners from the leather sheath on his belt and passed them to her. “There are buckets right by the hose spigot. Put a little water in. The best ones blooming right now are at the very back. Cut whatever and however many you like.”
She took the pruners and turned, allowing Adam a fantastic view of her walking away in tight jeans.
For a few moments, the only sounds were those of the irrigation pumps, misting water at the base of the roots.
“You haven’t visited in some time.”
Dave picked up his iced tea and took a big gulp.
Adam nodded once, swirling the cubes in his glass.
“And when you did, you never brought a girl.”
Adam nodded again.
“But you brought this one here.”
Adam shrugged. “She liked your roses.”
“Right.”
Dave looked at him with a sharp eye. The man had known him since Adam was a teenager. “This is the call girl.”
It was a statement, not a question.
Apparently, the gossip had reached Dave faster than Adam thought it would. He’d never hidden Eve because he hadn’t cared if people talked. Nothing was inaccurate about what his friend said, but hearing it got under Adam’s skin.
His hand tightened over the glass, his teeth grinding.
Dave chuckled, pointing at Adam around his glass of tea. “That look, right there, is all I needed to know.”
He leaned back in his chair. “I thought something was up when you kept asking for flowers. In case you wanted an opinion, I really like her. She’s a sweet girl, and the way she looks at you…”
Adam smiled. “I like her too.”
Dave cleared his throat. “What happened to that albatross around your neck?”
Adam frowned into his empty glass. “Still there.”
“This should have been taken care of a long time ago,”
Dave grumbled.
“I know.”
Dave raised an eyebrow. He motioned with his chin toward Eve, who was now happily snipping blooms. “Does she know?”
Adam didn’t answer. He tipped the glass to his mouth and caught an ice cube, chewing.
Dave frowned. “So, that’s a negative. When were you planning on telling her?”
I wasn’t.
Adam shrugged. “It’s close to being resolved, so I don’t see the point.”
Dave shook his head, disapproval all over his face. “If this is serious, and if she hears it from anyone other than you, it’s gonna be really ugly, son.”
He didn’t have time to reply because Eve was returning, a bucket of colorful blooms in one hand, a single coral rose in the other. Sun and pure pleasure had pinked her cheeks, her dark, glossy hair framed her sweet face, and her brown eyes sparkled the instant they alighted on Adam.
She came to stand beside him, and he couldn’t resist placing his hand at the small of her back and stroking.
“That’s quite the harvest.”
Eve nodded happily. She brought the single rose to his cheek, caressing his face, then trailed it to his nose. “Smell this one.”
He smiled, thinking how she literally made him stop and smell the roses. He inhaled the sweet fragrance, his eyes on her lips. “That’s really nice. What is the name of it?”
She beamed. “It’s Eve.”
?
Eve
Adam: Landed.
Eve: I know. Ten minutes ago. I heard you.
Adam: ?
Eve: I downloaded the ATC app. You sounded sexy talking to the tower.
Adam: I’ll sound even sexier in person. I’ll be home in twenty.
Eve: I’m at my place.
Adam: Be right over.
Eve stared at the screen.
Her heart had kicked into overdrive the second she had heard his unique text tone. Adam had been gone for twelve whole days this time, on two back-to-back trips, and every absence was becoming more difficult to bear.
She reread his texts. The thought of him considering his penthouse their home made warmth spread through her chest.
Today, she’d come to her apartment to cook dinner herself. Although the Lark provided excellent meals, she’d gotten a craving for her grandmother’s slow-cooked short ribs and thought Adam might enjoy them too. The crockpot, spices, and everything else she needed were all here; all she’d had to do was bring the meat.
The plan had been to have everything ready and take it to the penthouse before his arrival, but Adam’s plane had taken off early, throwing off her timing. The ribs wouldn’t be ready for one more hour, but he’d be here in twenty minutes.
She sprinted to the bathroom, feeling almost giddy. After the quickest shower ever, she unzipped the carry-on she’d packed with clothes and yanked it open, taking out the purple and gold lingerie set she’d purchased while he’d been in New Orleans. His second destination had inspired her to choose Mardi Gras colors.
She slid on the ultra-sheer black stockings first, careful not to snag them. The overbust corset came next. She ran a fingertip over the thin gold butterfly embroidery at the edging, then wrapped the fabric around her torso, lining up the hooks and pins. Quickly, she closed the front, then set about tightening the satin laces in the back, checking over her shoulder in the mirror to make sure the modesty panel was straight. Finally, she tied the ends in a bow and turned to assess herself.
The purple corset hugged her body, pushing up her breasts and creating a nice hourglass shape.
Adam had never seen her in one of these. Her chest felt tight, her breathing was erratic, and it had nothing to do with the corset cinching her waist. She couldn’t wait to see his face when he saw her wearing this.
She hooked the black garters to the tops of the stockings. Each ended in a little purple bow. Then she slipped on the panties and black Louboutin pumps.
Seeing the red soles, she smiled. Adam liked it when she left her shoes on.
Now, she was ready for him. She smoothed her hands over her hips, looking at her reflection. Before, when she had dressed in similar ways, all she’d cared about was whether the lacing was lopsided or her garters were crooked, rather like putting on a uniform.
But this… Well, this was new because she was dressing for Adam. Her entire body thrummed with anticipation and excitement, and if he checked right now, he would already find her primed for him.
She picked up her blush brush, then set it back on the vanity top because her face was already flushed.
The sound of the doorbell sent her sprinting. She’d added Adam to the guest list, so the front desk hadn’t needed to call.
Still, she checked the peephole, just in case.
Adam, in uniform.
Heart hammering, she threw open the door.
For a beat, he stood there, flight bag and Rollaboard in hand, and looked her up and down, dark blue eyes blazing.
His lips parted. Stepping inside, he ditched the luggage, kicked the door shut, tossed his jacket, and hauled her to him, taking her mouth as she had longed to have him do since he had left. He shoved his fingers in her hair, angling her head as his tongue plunged deep.
The feel of him, his powerful grip, the scent of him and his cologne, the heat of his body against hers, the taste of him, overwhelmed her senses.
She gripped his shoulders, nails scraping at his epaulets, and kissed him back with all the pent-up passion of the twelve long days she’d missed him. “You smell good,” she said.
“I showered at the FBO.”
He kissed her jaw, her neck, her clavicle.
“Kiss me,”
she breathed, seeking his lips again.
He did, in that sensual way of his, sending her whole world reeling.
She couldn’t get enough of him.
Her hands found his tie and quickly loosened the knot, yanking it off and throwing it to the floor. With one hard pull on the points of his collar, she ripped it open, sending the top button flying. She buried her face in the warmth of his neck, inhaling deeply, then opened her mouth over his pulse point, sucking. At the same time, she reached down and gripped him.
His groan was a loud rumble that she felt enter her body, making her nipples pebble.
Swiftly, he lifted her, and she wrapped her legs around his waist.
He cupped her backside, looking around. It took only a second for him to find his bearings. In a few swift strides, he was at her bedroom door, shoving it open with his shoulder and placing her on her bed.
She scooted higher, leaning back on her elbows, and propped one leg up, heart hammering in her chest as she watched him undress with swift precision.
In no time, he was down to black silk boxers, crawling toward her, and just seeing him advance with that smoldering look in his eyes made her shudder and clench in anticipation. Then he was on her, his hands gripping her thighs, tracing the bows at her garters, his thumbs hooking her panties, peeling them off and over her shoes.
He tossed them over his shoulder.
He covered her then, his body hot and rock hard over hers, making her breath catch with desire, the silk of his boxers increasing her excitement.
“Boxers off,”
she whispered in his ear, nipping his earlobe.
He surged to his knees, but so did she.
With a sly smile, she gripped the edge herself, sliding the fabric down his powerful thighs. She placed a hand above his heart and gave a little push, silently asking him to lie down.
Eyes hooded, he sank into the mattress, her mattress, and her head spun with the heady notion of having Adam in her own bed. Quickly peeling off his boxers, she knelt at his side, watching him grow even harder when he realized what she meant to do.
Flipping her hair, she parted her lips. In one smooth move, she took all of him.
He gasped. He threw an arm over his eyes, chin up, jaw tight. His Adam’s apple bobbed with his hard swallow.
She squeezed his thigh, tacitly seeking his attention.
Slowly, he slid his arm off his face, bringing it over to prop up his head.
His eyes… Oh God, his eyes, looking down at her as if he were enraptured.
“Watch me.”
Sealing her lips on him, she began to slide over his silky length, alternating between closing her eyes to revel in the feel of it and looking at his face to thrill in his reactions.
Never in her life had she felt this way while doing this, as if her soul were reaching out to his and giving him a part of herself.
His hand moved to her back, stroking, now and then gripping in an unconscious spasm. She knew the moment he was close and let him go, earning his soft groan. She took her time to straddle him, sheathing him to the hilt.
She paused, overcome by the feel of him, so hard and powerful and deep.
He shuddered on a harsh exhale.
She leaned into him then, fingers splaying on his chest, nails digging in, clenching hard around him, drawing a growl from him.
She did it again.
“Stop teasing me,”
he gritted. Grasping her hips, he smoothly flipped her, then pulled out all the way and slammed back in.
She cried out, wrapping her legs around him. He set a frenzied pace, pistoning into her with wild abandon. Eve matched him thrust for thrust, eyes locked on his handsome face, watching his every expression as it changed until his lashes lowered, he hardened, and that long, low rumble that was becoming achingly familiar escaped his lips and wrapped around her heart.
?
“Twelve days was way too long.”
Eve nuzzled Adam’s chest, listening to his steady heartbeat, her fingertips lazily tracing the outlines of his six-pack.
He kissed the top of her head. “I agree. Although if I get that kind of welcome when I come back…”
His hand glided along her arm, then down to her lower back, where he caught the end of one black satin lacing, gently pulling. “Isn’t this uncomfortable?”
She hesitated, not wanting to say she was used to it. “Not if you know what you’re doing when you lace it up.”
He pulled a little harder, and the bow came undone. She felt his finger begin to loosen the ties. “This is beautiful, especially with you in it.”
She drew in a deep breath as the confining garment gave way.
He sat up and, leaning over her, undid the hooks, one by one, until the sides of the corset parted and her breasts spilled free.
He filled his hands with them. He traced the red marks left by the tight boning.
“These…”
He leaned down, blond hair feathering over his forehead as he took one into his mouth. “… are miracles of nature.”
She gasped and arched her back. Cupping the undersides, he brought them together, nuzzling between them, then kissed each one.
She squirmed, realizing where this was going. “I think the ribs are ready.”
“Did someone say ribs?”
His hands moved lower, to her waist. He kissed there, too, then gave her a wicked smile, his fingers poised at the spot where he’d recently discovered she was ticklish.
She laughed. “Don’t you dare. I need to feed you.”
His lashes lowered, a smirk curving his mouth. “Great idea.”
Eve covered herself with one hand. “Food, Adam.”
She hopped out of bed and found her panties. “I cooked. It’s an event.”
He chuckled. “That does smell good. My mouth was watering in the hallway.”
“My apologies for the diversion,”
she said with a coy smile.
“Divert me like that anytime.”
She bent to pick up his boxers for him, but Adam shook his head. “Ziploc, in my flight bag. I have a fresh set in there.”
Her lips twitched. Of course he did.
She took her red silk robe from a hook by the door. “I’ll meet you in the kitchen.”
Soon, they were seated at her little table, and she was filling his plate with steaming, tender short ribs. This seemed surreal: Adam, in her kitchen, sitting there in a pristine white T-shirt and royal-blue silk shorts.
This was her sanctuary. Never had a man even crossed her threshold, yet here he was, dwarfing the chair, preparing to eat a meal she’d cooked for him.
And he seemed perfectly comfortable in her space.
She used tongs to plate some ribs for herself, then sat beside him, her heart light.
“How was New Orleans?”
“Dirty by day, romantic at night. I’ll take you there sometime. I think you’d like it.”
She watched intently as he took his first bite.
“This is excellent.”
He smiled at her. “I didn’t know you cooked.”
“I wouldn’t go that far. I know a few recipes by heart, and that’s about all I’ve got as far as culinary skills.”
He swallowed, then took a sip of orange juice. “It’s not that difficult.”
Her eyebrows lifted. “You can cook?”
A tiny smile. “I can find my way around a kitchen.”
“Why don’t I know this?”
She’d never seen him even turn on a burner in his elaborate chef’s kitchen.
He shrugged and grinned. “You never asked.”
“What can you make?”
“Let’s see… There’s lapskaus.”
She gave him a blank stare.
“It’s like a European sailor’s stew. Beef or lamb, with vegetables and spices. Sodd is another one. That’s made of mutton with carrots and potatoes.”
“These are Norwegian dishes?”
He nodded.
“Can you make other things?”
“Breakfast. My grandmother had us in the kitchen, helping as soon as we were old enough to use a knife. Which, according to her, was six years old.”
He chuckled. “Made for some very interesting situations, all four of us in there, with sharp utensils.”
An image of him as a towheaded boy, cooking with his brothers and sister, made her heart squeeze. How happy she was that he’d had that type of childhood, never experiencing trauma in his life.
“She was determined that we learn life skills early. Communication, cooperation, resiliency.”
A fond smile played on his lips. “Timeliness was huge. Break the rules, and there’d be hell to pay. Don’t even get me started on how we were only allowed to address her in Norwegian.”
She looked at him in awe. “You speak Norwegian too?”
“Too?”
He chuckled.
“In addition to your many other skills.”
She tipped her head. “I’m willing to bet you’re fluent.”
He gave her an “aw, shucks”
smile. “You’d win that bet.”
“It’s good to know a foreign language. I wish I’d learned one. Your grandmother sounds wonderful. And tough.”
“She is.”
He’d answered the question Eve hadn’t dared to pose: his grandmother was still alive.
Adam’s eyes turned thoughtful. Eve ate in silence, watching him. He looked as if he were pondering something serious. Perhaps his grandmother had health problems.
Eve decided to change the subject. “How is the 2024 project coming along?”
“We’re still trying to figure out some things. The most pressing problem I have at work right now is finding pilots to pick up some of the trips I’m flying.”
That was her fondest wish. She knew he’d been aggressively advertising for a while with no results. “Any prospects?”
“One.”
“Only one? I would think they’d be beating down your door.”
“Wouldn’t that be great? But there’s a shortage of pilots. Moreover, it’s difficult to find pilots who are rated on all three types of planes we fly.”
“They’d need to learn everything about each plane?”
“Yeah. Simulator, systems, the whole thing. Nose to tail. That takes at least three weeks for each. And then there’s the indoctrination period.”
“That sounds draconian.”
“It’s called an indoctrination course. Just means they have to become familiar with our rules and operating procedures.”
She nodded, trying to conceal her disappointment. It didn’t sound as if his schedule would change anytime soon.
He put down his fork, then sat back, wiping his lips with a paper napkin. “The worst thing is, they all want to work for the likes of Delta and United, so some of them stay with us a while, then jump ship.”
“Why? I would have thought a company like yours would be a much better place to work than a corporate giant.”
“It is. A lot of it has to do with ALPA, the pilot union. All airline pilots are members, but most charter pilots aren’t. There are some who prefer not to be in a union, but there are those who feel they have to have the protection of one.”
“Protection from what?”
Adam shrugged one shoulder. “They want consistency. A long-term career, where they retire from the same place. They’re not the most adventurous or entrepreneurial, and sometimes in our business, you need people who are a little more of both.”
He took a gulp of orange juice. “Speaking of work.”
He hesitated, as if not knowing how to phrase what he was about to say. When he spoke, his voice was a bit strained.
“I understand your need to work to pay for school, and I’d be a hypocrite to judge what you do for a living. I won’t ask how many clients you have or what…”
He paused. A muscle ticked at his jaw. He shook his head.
“I understand,”
she said. “You have questions. You’re welcome to ask. I’m used to it.”
“But will you answer?”
“As best I can. For privacy reasons, I can’t discuss clients. I’m sure you know that. And I’m sure you can appreciate it too.”
“Can you at least tell me…”
Something flashed in his eyes as he regarded her. “…how many have purchased the Platinum Package?”
She wanted so very badly to touch him, but the set of his jaw warned her against it. “One.”
“One other guy?”
She shook her head. “You are the only one.”
He exhaled audibly. His Adam’s apple bobbed with his hard swallow. “You’re telling me I am the only one who’s been inside you with nothi—”
“Yes,”
she interrupted.
He lowered his head. His shoulder blades pinched and released, and she could see a struggle within him. No surprise there. Her line of work made some people uncomfortable. Even clients.
“And if it’s of any importance to you,”
she said, moving closer, “you are the only one who’s ever made me come.”
He raised his head, and in his beautiful blue eyes, myriad emotions swirled. “I am?”
“You are.”
She shrugged and dared a tiny smile. “It’s not part of the job description.”
She didn’t add that it didn’t feel like a job with him and hadn’t since day one.
He nodded slowly. “I, too, have a confession to make.”
Her heart rate spiked.
“I’m having a hard time with the thought of anyone else touching you. I shouldn’t feel like that. But I do.”
What was he implying? Because, in all honesty, she felt the same way. The thought of him hiring anyone else again, or any woman getting intimate with him, made her feel sick.
She stared at him expectantly, watching him ponder his words before he finally spoke.
“I’m asking you to keep your calendar open. Give me the option to extend after the three months are up. Can you do that?”
Oh.
That’s all he wanted from her—an extension.
She nodded, swallowing back her disappointment.
“Good.”
He tossed back the last of his juice, then patted his leg. “Enough talk. Come here.”
And that was it, back to what he had paid for.
Eve slid onto his lap, her arms encircling his neck, shoving aside her disillusionment. His hand slipped into the gap at the top of her robe, capturing a breast and teasing it with his thumb.
“Thank you for dinner.”
He inhaled deeply, nuzzling her hair. “It was delicious. Now, where were we?”
The low, seductive tone he always used with her sent shivers up her spine.
He gave a little pinch and twisted, just hard enough to cause instant tingling in her core. “I think we were…”
His hand moved to her other breast, giving it the same thorough attention. “…right here.”
He captured her mouth, tongue stroking hers in a rhythm that had her shifting on him, grinding, falling right back under his spell. His tongue was cool, tasting of oranges.
For now, I have him.
She kissed him deeply as he pulled open the tie of her robe, allowing his fingers more room to roam until the fabric slipped off her shoulders, pooling in his lap.
Adam broke the kiss, his gaze snapping to the high countertop a few steps away.
A gleam entered his eyes.
Suddenly, he lifted her, stepping over the fallen robe to carry her to that counter. He set her on her feet, then yanked a cushion off one of the barstools, tossing it on the white granite.
He gripped her waist, his eyes blue fire. “Up.”
He sat her on the cushion. Her heart began to hammer wildly as his hands smoothed over the tops of her stockings, then lower, drifting over her hips, all the way down to her calves. He looked down at her shoes and smiled.
“You, in those shoes. Lie down.”
She did.
The countertop was cool and hard against her upper back, the cushion soft against her lower.
He began caressing then, over her thighs, down her legs, kissing wherever his hands trailed. He kissed each knee, his lips brushing back and forth as he took his time kissing all the way down. He kissed the tops of her feet.
“I wanted to put you up here the first time I came over,” he said.
Eve shifted, growing restless. She wanted him elsewhere and fought the urge to shove her hands into his hair and pull him there. She closed her eyes, awash in sensation, breathing in his familiar, intoxicating scent.
His hands came to her knees, pulling them slightly apart.
Finally.
She opened for him.
“That’s it.”
His voice was husky. “Not too far.”
Something in the corner of her mind registered the words, reminding her of their first night together. Adam liked erotic buildup, and that was precisely what he was doing now.
His hands slid slowly up her inner thighs. Higher and higher, his fingers splaying, and she felt as if he found and stimulated every nerve.
At last, his hand came up to rub over her panties, and it was all she could do to keep from whimpering. His finger slipped under the edge and hooked the fabric.
“Tempted to tear these off,”
he muttered.
But he didn’t. Without preamble, he thrust his finger deep inside her.
Eve nearly came off the counter. But Adam put his other hand over her lower belly, just under her navel, holding her in place, and curled his finger.
He rubbed the spot that made her whimper. “Feel good?”
He liked to hear it, she knew. He always had.
Why was it so difficult for her to tell him?
“Yes.”
Her voice was raspy.
“Mmm.”
His thumb and index finger began to work at the same time, seeking, stroking, until she was writhing and moaning under his touch.
Sensation threatened to obliterate everything else. She’d never felt it start so strong, so deep inside. This climax was going to be almost unbearable.
Apparently, he wasn’t letting her have it yet. He pulled his hand away and slowly slid off her panties, tossing them over his shoulder.
The next moment, she felt him grip both ankles, spreading her in a wide split until her knees were almost touching the counter.
Eve felt his hot perusal of her and nearly couldn’t take it. She turned her head and squeezed her eyes shut, her pulse pounding at her throat as his warm fingers caressed her ankles.
“Beautiful, Eve,”
he murmured. He sounded enthralled. “Look what you can do.”
The tension was so high, she shook with it. She could feel him nearing, his breath hot on her inner thighs, and then she just had to look down.
His blond head was right there, and she almost sobbed with what that intimate image did to her.
She wasn’t ashamed. Here she was, spread open so explicitly to his view, and instead of feeling degraded, she felt beautiful and powerful and desired.
“Adam.”
She gasped. “Adam, please…”
“Tell me what you want,”
he urged, his lips skating over her sensitive inner thighs. “You know I like to hear it.”
“Ah!”
“What is it that you want, Eve?”
She felt the tip of his tongue but barely, as he was only skimming.
Eve arched her back, writhing in near desperation.
He licked again, just a feather-light pass.
And then she couldn’t hold back anymore.
She fisted his blond hair, pulling.
“Talk to me. Tell me what to give you,” he urged.
“Give me you.”
Maybe this was not what he expected because he went completely still.
Then, with a barely audible groan, he dug his fingers into her thighs and sealed his mouth over her, sucking hard, then harder and harder, the pressure increasing steadily as she climbed.
He was voracious.
Suddenly, his finger was there too, curling, and she instantly shot off, losing every last vestige of control as she, at last, rocketed into a long, monumentally seismic release. Adam’s lips gentled, but he never took his mouth off her, lingering even afterward, something he had never done before.
“So beautiful,”
he finally said. He often said that after she came, she thought, as he kissed her inner thighs and straightened, a satisfied smile on his handsome face.
Her eyes stung. She blinked hard and threw an arm over her eyes, suppressing whatever this was. A reaction to such an intense orgasm, she told herself, nothing more.