10. Chapter Ten Tristan
Chapter Ten: Tristan
W e were waiting for a call from the hospital.
The shrill ring of Adriana's phone sliced through the cozy evening air, a sharp reminder that even in moments of seeming peace, life in The Callahan Domain was anything but ordinary. Even in fucking Delaware.
I watched from my spot on the floor, surrounded by planks and screws, as she moved with the grace of survival, her frame silhouetted against the fading light.
"Hello?" Her voice was the calm before a storm, a still surface hiding undercurrents of trepidation. As she listened, the lines of her face drew taut, etching the news deep into her expression—serious, somber, a silent narrative unraveling behind her guarded eyes.
"Six weeks," she murmured, a whisper meant for no one, yet it carried the weight of our intertwined fates. The call ended with a soft click, the finality of it echoing louder than any goodbye.
“Six weeks for what?” I asked.
“The C-section,” she said, then looked at her burner phone. “A Monday.”
She sank onto the couch, the cushions receiving her like an old friend, but there was no comfort in their embrace this time. Her mind was a fortress under siege, thoughts and emotions clashing behind the stoic barricade of her demeanor.
I rolled across the room in my chair, the soft hum of its wheels a stark contrast to the cacophony in my mind. Adriana's stillness was a silent alarm, signaling a storm I couldn't chart. Parking beside her on the couch, I studied her profile, the way her jaw set, eyes distant yet drowning in thought. "Ade, talk to me. Are you okay?" My voice betrayed the concern gnawing at my edges.
She turned to me slowly, and for a moment, the world seemed to hold its breath. Her gaze was an open window into her soul—gratitude woven with strands of sorrow. "I'm as okay as I can be," she confessed, her voice a delicate thread fraying with vulnerability. It was a dance we had mastered; her stoicism met by my unwavering presence, both of us clinging to a semblance of normalcy in a life that was anything but.
I reached out, letting my fingers entwine with Adriana's, a silent offering of whatever solace I could give. "Is there anything I can do?" My question was an anchor thrown into the turbulent sea of her thoughts, hoping to steady her even for a moment.
“I can’t think of anything. I just wish I could stop thinking about all the things I’m worried about.”
I smiled. “I think I can help you with that.”
Her eyebrow arched in curiosity, a silent question amidst the chaos of her mind. She didn't need to say a word; I recognized that look, the slight lift of her brow that served as an invitation, a challenge.
With my wheelchair right in front of her, I reached for her face. I cupped her cheek and traced the outline of her jaw with my fingers. “You’re so beautiful. Are you ready to be a mom?”
She laughed. “No. Not at all.”
"But you'll be an amazing one," I reassured, my hand slipping from her cheek to rest on the swell of her stomach. She closed her eyes at my touch, and I saw the tension ease out of her.
She snorted softly, a rare moment of brevity in the midst of our churning worries. "You're biased."
"Maybe," I conceded, a smile tugging at the corners of my mouth. But then my voice dropped lower, a solemn whisper against the hush of the room. "But it doesn't make it any less true."
She was going to say something, but I silenced her answer with a soft kiss. She sighed into me, her body relaxing, surrendering to the temporary reprieve from reality. I deepened the kiss, my hand exploring the contours of her body with familiar ease, tracing a path of warmth that drew a soft moan from her.
I moved from my chair to the sofa, over her, my weight supported on my elbows as I hovered above her. She looked up at me, eyes sparking with anticipation, her lips slightly parted in an unspoken invitation.
“Are you wearing that dress so I can just pull your skirt up and fuck you?”
She let out a sharp laugh at my blunt proposal, her eyes flashing with that fiery defiance that drove me wild. "Maybe I am," she countered, her grin wicked and inviting.
I smirked, the challenge accepted. Pushing up the fabric to reveal those tantalizing curves I'd memorized by heart, my gaze caressed her body with undisguised appreciation. Her breath hitched as my fingers danced upon her inner thigh, each touch igniting a flame that consumed us both.
My hands slid up from her knees, making their way smoothly under the fabric of her dress. Her breath hitched as I moved higher, my fingers leaving a trail of fiery anticipation in their wake. My lips made their way from hers to the column of her neck, peppering soft kisses and lingering over her pulse point - a surefire way to draw a reaction from Adriana.
I pushed her dress up, my fingers deftly releasing the fabric of her underwear. “You’re soaked already. I’ve barely touched you.”
Her cheeks flushed at my words, a telling pink tint that gave away the desire she was trying to conceal. Adriana was as much a creature of passion as she was of resilience. She bit her lip, a hint of defiance sparkling in her eyes as she met my gaze. "Whose fault is that?"
“Hm, how do I make it up to you?” I asked, kissing her neck while I pressed a finger into her pussy.
Her breath hitched, her hands clutching the back of my neck as she arched into me. My name was a soft, breathless prayer on her lips as I began to move, the rhythm slow and deliberate. Her eyes closed, drawing focus inward as the tension started to build once more, this time born from pleasure rather than worry.
I explored her intimately with my fingers, a silent promise of more to come. I felt her body react to every touch, every brush, every kiss.
“You’re so fucking sexy,” I said, thrusting my finger in and out of her. I pressed another finger into her, using my thumb on her clit and watching her, enraptured by every subtle change in her expression. The way her eyelashes flickered against her cheeks, the soft gasps slipping off her parted lips, the ghost of a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth.
My name slipped from her lips again, this time louder, more desperate. She was unraveling under my touch and I was more than willing to pull every string. I moved my fingers faster, harder, pushing her higher until she was teetering on the edge of ecstasy.
“Are you going to come for me, love?” I asked into her ear.
"Yes, yes," she gasped out, her voice a husky whisper torn between a plea and an admission.
There was power in the act, a raw intimacy in witnessing the woman you loved surrender to pleasure. The rush of control, the electric charge pulsating under my fingertips as she arched off the couch, her body trembling beneath mine. Adriana was beautiful in countless ways, but rapt in ecstasy, she was otherworldly.
"Then come for me," I urged, my voice low and commanding as I pushed her over the edge.
Her response was immediate, her body coiling tight before shattering into ecstasy. A cry of release echoed across the room, turning the silence into a symphony of passion and triumph. I felt her convulse around my fingers, her body seizing in pleasure as waves of release coursed through her.
She collapsed back onto the couch, panting harshly as she tried to collect herself.
“That was…you’re so good with your fingers.”
"I aim to please," I replied with a lazy grin, my fingers still buried within her warmth. My hand stilled as I watched her, her chest heaving with exertion, her skin flushed and glowing under the soft lamplight.
“You do okay.”
“Hey.”
“No, you are really good with your fingers.”
I chuckled, pressing a lingering kiss to her flushed cheek. "And don't you forget it." My gaze fell back onto her, drinking in the sight of Adriana, sated and glowing under the soft light. I withdrew my fingers, leaning back to give her room.
As I did so, she grabbed my wrist, guiding my hand back to her core. Her dark eyes met mine, an unspoken dare glinting within them. "Who said I was done?" she challenged, a seductive smirk playing on her lips.
I couldn't help but grin at that, the fire in her gaze reigniting my own desire. "My apologies, love," I murmured against her earlobe before nipping it gently with my teeth. The sound that escaped her made my blood sing with anticipation. Gently, I pushed two fingers deep inside her again, drawing a sharp intake of breath from Adriana. "You know what else I’m really good with? My cock.”
She threw her head back, a throaty laugh bubbling from her lips. "Oh is that so?" She asked, her voice thick with lingering pleasure and burgeoning amusement.
"You sound skeptical." I couldn't hide the self-satisfied smirk tugging at my lips, even as my fingers continued their dance inside her, every thrust meeting a soft gasp, an arch of her body towards mine.
“Maybe I need a reminder.”
"That can be arranged," My reply was a whisper as I shifted above her, the heat of her body against mine making me more aware of the barely restrained desire coursing through my veins.
Slowly, I withdrew my fingers from her, eliciting a disappointed whimper from Adriana. Before she could protest, I moved slightly away from her so I could unzip my trousers. This was hard, I had to use a lot of upper body strength, but her responding gaze of anticipation was enough to fuel my determination. I freed myself from the confines of my clothing, my cock springing free with a groan of relief. "Feeling skeptical now?" I questioned, a playful smirk dancing on my lips.
Her eyes narrowed, but a glint in her gaze told me she was far from unimpressed. "I need...more empirical evidence."
“I literally got you pregnant. With twins.”
“Sounds like you got lucky,” she said.
“Luck had nothing to do with it,” I countered, my smirk widening as I positioned myself at her entrance. “Pure skill, love.”
Her laughter was a sweet melody to my ears, and it echoed in the quiet room as I slowly slid into her, both of us gasping at the familiar sensation. "That's...a bold claim," Adriana managed before her words turned into a sigh.
I didn't respond immediately, the sensation of being inside her once again stealing all coherent thoughts. Instead, I started moving, setting a slow rhythm that had her moaning in no time. "Still think it was luck?" I managed to ask after regaining some control over my senses.
Adriana didn't answer right away. Her eyes were shut tight, her lips parted in silent ecstasy, but I could tell by the way she tightly gripped the fabric of the couch beneath her that she was close to losing herself once again.
“Maybe,” she finally replied, her breath hitching as I hit a particularly sweet spot within her. “Fuck!”
Grinning at her exclamation, I moved my free hand to her clit once more, gently rubbing circles over her sensitive nub. It didn't take long for her body to react to the additional stimulation, her back arching off the couch as she threw her head to the side.
“You’re…” The words seemed to get stuck in her throat, a sultry moan replacing them as she tossed her head from side to side.
"Say it," I ordered, my voice a whisper against the shell of her ear. I wanted to hear it from her lips that she was enjoying this—that I was making her feel good. And not just physically. In this moment, I wanted nothing more than to alleviate the worry that had been nagging at her all evening.
“Tristan," she breathed out, a plea and a prayer all rolled into one beautiful name. My name.
"Yes, love?"
“You’re so good.” Her voice was breathless and shaky, but there was no mistaking the intense pleasure lacing each word.
“What am I good at?”
“Everything...” The word was a sigh, half-lost to the moan that followed as I picked up my pace. As I thrust deeper, harder into her. She was a vision beneath me, her body surrendering to every stroke, every touch. Her dark hair tumbled wildly about her face, framing the sheen of sweat on her brow and the soft glow in her eyes.
Adriana’s fingers dug into my forearms, her body trembling with each powerful thrust. The way she moved beneath me—the way she let go—it was more than just sex. It was an unspoken trust, a bond forged through shared pleasures and trials. It was love in its rawest form.
“You’re good at this,” she said in a shaky voice, meeting my thrusts with equal fervor. Her hips lifted to meet mine in an intoxicating rhythm. “So...so good.”
“I know.” I grinned against her neckline, placing tender kisses along the sweaty skin there. “And I’m going to remind you again and again until you forget everything but how good I make you feel.”
Her response was a breathy, satisfied sigh, her hands moving from my forearms to thread through my hair. "Never had any doubts about that," she murmured against my ear.
I kept my pace steady, intent on drawing this out for her as long as possible. Every gasp and moan she let out was a testament to the connection we shared and a testament to how well I knew her body.
"You're close," I murmured against her cheek, the observation coming from the telltale tightness in her body and the way her breaths came in shallow pants.
"Just...a little longer," she pleaded, her voice barely above a whisper.
I didn't need to be told twice. Adjusting my angle, I thrust forward with purposeful precision, each movement designed to heighten her pleasure. I could feel her body tightening even more, could see the flush spreading across her skin. Her head tipped back as she gripped at me, her nails digging into my skin. The small sting of it only spurred me on.
"One more time for me," I coaxed, my own control beginning to fray around the edges as Adriana's climax drew near.
With one last moan, she surrendered to the pleasure coursing through her. Her body arched off the couch, trembling beneath me as wave after wave of her orgasm washed over her. The sight of her lost in ecstasy was enough to push me over the edge, pleasure crashing into me as I let go.
For a few blissful moments, there was nothing else but the pounding of our hearts and the shared warmth of our bodies. The rest of the world could have been falling apart around us, but none of it mattered as long as Adriana was in my arms.
Eventually, our breaths slowed and our bodies stilled. I carefully pulled out of her and collapsed besides her on the couch. She turned into me immediately, draping a leg over mine and resting her head on my chest. Her fingers traced idle patterns on my skin and our breathing synced up, creating a rhythm that filled the silent room.
"Well," she began after a moment, her voice still slightly breathless, "you definitely do a good job at taking my mind off things."
I chuckled at that, wrapping an arm around her to pull her closer. "I'm glad to hear it."
And I really was. For now, this felt like enough.
It would be enough until I had to lift myself up out of this sofa and go back to my wheelchair.
But for now…I just felt her body under me. And things were okay.
I just didn’t want to think about how long it would last.