Chapter 13 #4
Relief flooded his veins, making him feel a bit lightheaded. Bringing their joined hands to his lips, he kissed the back of hers while holding her gaze. Had he ever noticed how extravagantly long her lashes were? Or how sparkly her brown eyes could be when she was pleased with herself?
She tipped her head for a closer look at him. “Were you worried?”
Why was it that so much seemed to hinge on his answer? “Very.”
Her smile lit up her face and had him zeroing in on her lips as all sorts of erotic images spiraled through his brain, one right after the other.
“Can we please get out of here?” he asked.
“Where would you like to go?”
“Upstairs.”
She looked at him for a long time, as if making an important decision. “Come on, then.”
Adam didn’t have to be told twice. He was up and out of his chair so fast, it tipped over behind him, making her laugh at him. After he righted the chair, he hustled out of the bar in hot pursuit.
“Go get her, dude,” their buddy from last night said, raising his beer in tribute to Adam.
He choked back a nasty retort and dashed into the lobby, thrilled to see it deserted for once. Even the front desk was devoid of people, which was rare. That was a lucky break. No one would see him follow Abby upstairs.
She was nearly to the first landing when he caught up to her. “What did your parents say when Cal showed up?” she asked.
“Nothing.”
She cast a glance at him over her shoulder. “Not one thing?”
He urged her to keep moving. “I don’t remember, and I don’t want to talk about my parents.”
“They didn’t say anything about us being together?”
“That’s talking about my parents, which we aren’t doing.”
“Adam!”
“What?” He was so completely fixated on her legs as he followed her that he nearly crashed into her when she stopped and turned to face him. “What’s that on your leg?”
She smiled and lifted her leg so he could see the new tattoo.
“You went back.”
“And got one where people could see it.”
She was so proud of herself that he couldn’t help but smile at her. “Good for you. It’s gorgeous.”
“Thank you. I think so, too, but I want to know what your parents said about us being together.”
Adam let out a tortured groan. “Can’t we please go to your room and talk about it?”
“Fine, but we are going to talk about it.”
“Thanks for the warning.”
Outside her door, he watched as she once again withdrew her room card from her bra. “What else you got in there?”
“Wouldn’t you like to know?” she asked as she opened the door and went in ahead of him.
The door clicked shut behind him. “Yes, I would.”
“Talk first.”
He spoke as quickly as he ever had in his life, like a spokesperson on speed. “They were surprised to see us together. They mentioned Grant and how he might feel about it. I assured them that I talked to him about it—”
“What did he say?”
“He was primarily concerned with me doing something to hurt you. He said you’ve had enough of that.”
“That’s certainly true. So, he didn’t seem at all, you know…”
He took a step that brought him closer to her in the small room. “Jealous? Angry? Disappointed in me or you?”
“Any of the above?”
He spoke normally now, because the time for fooling around was over.
“All of the above. But as I pointed out to him—and to my parents—he had his chance with you and totally blew it. He’d tell you that himself.
He’s also very happy with Stephanie and doesn’t have a leg to stand on where you and I are concerned, and he also knows that. ”
“Still…” Her hands landed on his chest in an almost absent gesture that tripped all his circuits. “He wasn’t mad at you, was he?”
“Maybe a little. At first. Once he has a chance to get used to the idea, I’m sure he’ll be fine with it. He loves us both, right?”
“I suppose.” She looked up at him with those guileless brown eyes. “So your brother knows, your parents know, Cal knows that we’re really done. Where does all that leave us?”
Because he couldn’t live another second without touching her, he put his arms around her and drew her in closer to him.
Her hands slid up his chest to link behind his neck.
Bending his head, he kissed from her throat to her ear, drawing the lobe between his teeth. “It leaves us alone together in a hotel room with only this astonishing red dress between us.”
She let out a nervous laugh. “That’s not the only thing,” she said, tugging on his shirt for emphasis.
“It’s the only thing coming off tonight.”
“What does that mean?”
“It means,” he said, kissing her lightly as he drew her zipper down her back, “tonight is all about me finding out what you like, what makes you sigh, what makes you scream.”
“I don’t scream.”
“We’ll see about that.”
“Adam…”
“Shhhh. We have all night. I have nowhere to be and nothing on my mind except you.”
“Nothing?” she asked with a coy smile.
“Not one thing.”
“And there’s nothing in this for you?”
With a light brush of his fingers over her shoulders, he sent the dress into a puddle at her feet. His mouth went dry at the sight of the black bra and scrap of panties she’d worn under it. “Not this time. This time is all about you. Leave everything to me.”