Chapter 22
Chapter Twenty-Two
"Beckett, did you notice that the whole evil empire was screwed over by some crappy architect's design flaw?"
I looked over to see how Adam was taking my teasing as we got closer to my house.
"In fairness, that was the best possible outcome for poor quality control in the history of construction."
I barked out a laugh. He just kept getting better and better. And he didn't like Milk Duds either. If he had, that would have been a deal breaker.
He pulled into my driveway and cut the engine, and for a moment we just sat there in the quiet dark with the leftover warmth of the evening still between us. The kind of quiet that didn't need filling.
"Would you like to come in?" I asked. "There’s the same beverages on offer as the last time, coffee, hot chocolate, juice boxes—"
"Water is all that I can handle after all we ate at the drive-in."
“Well, come do the gentlemanly thing and help me out of the truck, so we can get inside and I can get you your water.”
“Sounds like a good plan,” he said as he opened his door.
As soon as we were in my house, I turned on the two lamps in the living room, the tall one by the bookshelf and the small one on the side table.
“I’ll be right back with the water,” I promised. Adam wandered over to my bookshelf which was less a bookshelf and more a catch-all of knick-knacks and photos. He seemed interested so I left him to it, as I headed for the kitchen.
I stood at the counter for a moment with my hands flat on the cool surface, just breathing.
The evening had been… it had been a lot.
The overlook and the mountains going purple and gold.
Little Grandma's fried chicken on a tailgate with a man who handed over his cornbread before I even had to look at it sideways.
The drive-in, the cuddling, the candy and the slow open mouth kisses.
I grabbed two bottles of water from the fridge and went back out.
He was looking at the shelf of photos. I knew which ones were there without looking. My bet was on him mentioning the one with Olivia, Zarek, and Chloe. He surprised me when he picked up the one with me and all my sisters and Drake.
"Is this all of you?"
It was the one with us at the lake. Our grandmother had taken it.
“That’s all us kids. Trenda, Drake, Evie, Maddie, then Chloe and me, and on the end is Piper."
"Where was this taken?"
“Right down at Jasper Creek."
“It’s a great picture.”
I smiled. “The best.” It had been a really good day. Our parents hadn’t been there to ruin it.
He was quiet for a moment. "If you ever feel like talking about your parents, just know, I’m a good listener."
“You’ve been living here in Jasper Creek for almost five weeks now. You probably know everything. They’re now both in prison, and I thank God for that. Maybe one day I’ll tell you things, but definitely not tonight. I don’t want to ruin such a wonderful night.”
“Fair enough.” He put the photo back on the shelf, and his bottle of water, then cupped my face in both hands, the way he had on the porch that first night. "Do you really think it was wonderful?" The question was quiet. Genuine. Like he actually needed to know.
"Adam." I looked at him in the lamplight, this careful, serious, funny man who had handed over his cornbread and argued about structural engineering on the Death Star and put his arm around me under the stars. "Absolutely."
I had his full attention, and it was a gift. He kissed me softly. Reverently. The kind of kiss that said I see you before it said anything else.
Then I pressed closer, and the kiss changed.
It went deep and unhurried and certain, his hands still holding my face like I was something he didn't want to lose track of. I curled my fingers into the front of his shirt and pulled him closer.
When we finally broke apart, I was breathing differently than I had been before.
I looked up at him.
"Would you like to take this to the bedroom?" I asked.
Something moved through his expression. Warmth, want, and something else that I couldn’t quite name. "Only if you're certain."
Oh, there it was. It was concern.
"Adam." I almost laughed. "I've been certain for weeks."
He did laugh then, low and real, and I felt it all the way through me.
I took his hand.
The lamp on my nightstand threw a soft amber light across the room. He was wearing a soft Henley—that needed to come off. When I said as much, he pulled it off. Of course he folded it and put it over the top of the chair in my room. He turned back to me.
“Are you laughing?”
“Of course I am. You’re folding your clothes.”
“You might have to get up in the middle of the night. I don’t want you tripping over them in the dark.”
This man. What was I going to do with him?
My attention shifted to his chest. The dark chest hair covering taut muscles drew me in, I had to touch.
I slid my fingers through his curls, luxuriating in the warmth, the strength, that for tonight, was mine.
He shuddered beneath my touch. I looked up and my eyes caught his. His blue eyes were dark with passion.
He cupped the back of my head and, tangling his fingers through my hair, as he positioned me just where he wanted, then he dipped down and kissed me. Only it was more than a kiss, it was a branding.
I was lost, as his tongue thrust inside my mouth, then retreated, only to have his teeth nip at my lower lip.
That only spiked up my passion, as my arms twined around his neck, pulling him closer.
He licked against the small hurt, and it enflamed me even more.
I moaned against his mouth, trying to match him, but he was in charge, and I loved every moment of it.
When he finally pulled back, I opened my eyes to see his expression was as dazed as I felt.
Good.
He pulled at the hem of my sweater, and I helped by keeping my arms lifted. Soon it was on the floor.
“Aren’t you going to fold that?”
“Later. Much later.” I’d never heard his voice so rough. It made me tingle.
I tried to go back to caressing his chest but was thwarted when he went down to his knees in front of me, and began unbuttoning my jeans. He soon had them and my lacy thong off my body, and piled on top of my sweater. He nudged me, so that my stance was wider.
He looked between my legs, giving me all of his attention. Before I could think or compare it to anything else, any other time, he leaned forward and licked my wet folds.
“Adam,” I breathed out. One of his big strong arms reached around me, holding me close, holding me up, while his right hand spread the petals of my sex wide, and he dipped in for a deeper taste.
I heard his hum of pleasure. I couldn’t make a sound.
I was struck dumb by all the sensations rushing through me.
He pushed one finger deep into my channel and I winced at the intrusion, but then melted around him.
“Zoe?”
He must have felt it. “It’s good, Adam. Don’t stop. For God’s sake, don’t stop.”
His blue eyes sparkled. “I won’t.”
He licked me again, as his finger languidly moved inside me, pushing in, then out, then in again.
His tongue got closer to my clit, and my fingers dug into his hair, not to keep standing, but to punish him.
The man was torturing me, and he needed to get to the good stuff.
Not that this wasn’t good, but damn, I needed him to lick my clit.
He circled my sensitive nub with his tongue, torturing me. I pulled his hair. Hard. His huff of laughter blew against my needy flesh and I gasped.
“More. Again.”
He blew against me. I trembled. Then finally, thank fuck, he finally brushed his tongue over my clit. The sensation was earth shattering.
“Adam!” I screamed out his name.
He sucked my clit into his mouth, prolonging my orgasm, as I slumped over him. Wave after wave of pleasure racked my body. I was barely aware when he picked me up and placed me on my bed.
I finally opened my eyes to find him standing beside the bed, still wearing his jeans, a question in his eyes.
“Take off your clothes, Adam, and come to bed. I want to see what other skills you have.” A slow grin crossed his face. I watched as he shucked off his jeans. When he was done, my eyes widened. His cock was beautiful, and all mine.
I held out my hand, and he took it. In his other hand was a silver packet. He was magic, there was no other explanation. I took it from him, and rolled it over his engorged flesh. He shuddered at my touch.
“You’re a wonder, Zoe Avery,” he whispered. “You need to know something before this goes any further.”
He’d gone all serious, and my gut clenched. “What?” This didn’t sound good.
“I was halfway in love with you that night in my truck, and I’ve been falling deeper and deeper ever since I came here to Jasper Creek.
Your sass and strength. Your patience and laughter.
Your intelligence and wit. Your moodiness and charm.
Everything about you draws me in. I want to spend the rest of my life finding new facets of you, loving you with every part of me. ”
I couldn’t stop the tear that dripped down my face.
“I know you’re not there yet, and that’s okay. I just needed you to know how I felt before I made love to you.”
“Adam. I’m not as good as you think I am,” I whispered. “I’m a pain in the ass. Ask anybody.”
“I know. That’s one of my favorite parts.”
He dropped down onto his elbows, and slid his legs down so he was covering me. I didn’t feel crowded, I felt sheltered. He kissed me again. The kiss held all the tenderness a man could give a woman.
I parted my legs and slid them around his waist. He took what I was offering, and he slowly sank inside me, watching my face the entire time, making sure I wasn’t hurting. I might have been, but I didn’t care. I bit his shoulder, and he took me fully.
“So good. You feel so good inside me.”
He moved.
Slowly. He was doing exactly what he said he would, he made love to me. One of his big hands covered my breast, kneading and exciting me. He continued with the rhythm that had me pushing upward, to take more. Always more.
His blue eyes glittered. I saw he was close, which was good. I was on fire. I needed this. Again. I needed the pleasure only he could give me. My fingernails dug into his ass. He cried out as he surged deep.
I screamed his name.
Then nothing. Then everything. I was transported to a world of pleasure unlike anything I’d ever felt before. In Adam’s arms. It was sublime.