Chapter 9
CHAPTER NINE
M el held tight to Adam as they zoomed through the midnight streets of downtown Indianapolis to their hotel at City Centre. She felt reckless and free and oddly apprehensive, now that the big moment was almost upon her. More than anything though, the thought of finally spending the night with the man of her dreams had her excited beyond all comprehension.
Anticipation, mixed with a good dose of nervous energy, had her heart racing and her nerve endings on high alert. Her hand clutched the soft shirt over his flat, toned abs, allowing her to feel his muscles flex each time the bike turned one way or another. He felt warm and strong and infinitely inviting. Her own skin felt too tight, and her blood sizzled through her veins. She’d waited twenty-four years for this night, and now her tension built higher, leaving her breathless for release. Given Adam’s sharp intake of breath whenever she kissed the nape of his neck, he felt the same .
They pulled into the hotel’s underground garage and parked in a spot near the elevators. Adam cut the engine and locked up the bike before pulling Mel into his arms, asking, “You’re sure?”
“More than I’ve ever been about anything in my life.”
They crashed into each other once more, a jumbled mass of arms, legs, and lips, her back pressed to the cold cement wall while they waited for the elevator to arrive. The bell dinged, and they tripped onboard, Adam blindly slapping the button for their floor while Mel gripped his rear, making them both laugh.
The ride upstairs was a blur. Somehow, they managed to exit the elevator while still kissing. In the hallway, Adam carried Mel down the hall toward their rooms, her legs wrapped around his waist. Then he pushed inside, giving them privacy at last. Mel got a brief view of polished wood floors and a bank of windows that glowed with the city’s skyline, the same as her room, before Adam consumed all her attention again.
Need vibrated through her as they stood inches apart near the bed. Mel couldn’t resist kissing his neck again, licking the salt from his throat as she’d fantasized doing so many times before. Then her tongue found the pulse point at the base of his neck, thudding hard, and she melted a little more at the knowledge that he was as affected by all this as she was.
Adam groaned low and pulled her closer to reclaim her lips.
“I want you so much,” Mel whispered against his mouth, pulling away slightly to toy with the hem of his T-shirt. “I can’t wait to make love with you.”
His body tensed beneath her words, and Mel frowned. If he changed his mind now… No. She couldn’t let that happen, no t when she was so close to everything she’d ever wanted. She ran her hands down his back, kneading the bunched muscles between his shoulder blades, hoping to alleviate whatever was bothering him. When he still didn’t relax, she pulled back, her heart sinking to her toes. “What’s wrong?”
Adam’s desire for Mel threatened to burn him alive. There was nothing he wanted more than to tumble her down onto that bed and explore every luscious inch of her with his hands and lips and tongue, but he also knew that once they crossed this line, they could never go back. And her dropping the L-word just now, didn’t help. “Nothing’s wrong. I just…”
Mel took a deep breath, wincing slightly. “It’s me, isn’t it?”
“What? No!” He kissed the top of her head then resting his chin atop her hair. “No, Mel. It’s not you. You’re perfect. I just want to make sure we’re still on the same page here…” He shook his head and stared across the room. “If we do this, it’s just sex. You get that, right?”
Mel gave him a speculative look, her expression unreadable. Which was better than disappointment, he supposed. He’d disappointed far too many people he cared for in his life and he didn’t want to add Mel to that list. That’s why he needed to be brutally honest with her. He’d sleep with her, worship her glorious body from head to toe, still look out for her and keep her safe, but he couldn’t love her. Couldn’t love anybody. Not again.
Every fiber of his being yearned for the all- consuming fire he felt with her, and he’d rather die than let her go, but he would, if that’s what she wanted.
He feared that’s exactly what would happen too, given she still hadn’t said a word. Then she clutched the front of his shirt and yanked him closer, her serious gaze taking no prisoners. “We had an agreement, Adam. I don’t go back on my word, and neither to you. Consider this another lesson. No emotions involved. That was our deal. Now, are you going to teach me a thing or two in this bed or what?”
Eyes wide, Adam blinked down at her, fresh adrenaline coursing through him, urging him onward. The spark of confidence in her eyes burned through his doubts. He couldn’t resist a grin as his pulse galloped like a Thoroughbred stallion. He wasn’t sure where this new, confident Mel had come from, but man, he liked her. “Probably more like seven or eight things at least, but we’ll see how it goes.”
Then they were all over each other again. His back hit the wall at the same moment her shirt came off. Adam reached behind her to unzip her skirt, his mouth drying as he watched it slid off her to land in a small puddle around her ankles. All that creamy, soft skin covered only by a few small scraps of lace was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen. Her perfume—cherry blossoms and vanilla—intoxicated him far more than the alcohol at the bar ever would. He reached or her, but she stayed just out of his reach, keeping where he was with one finger pressed to the center of his chest.
“Strip.” She’d gone from insecure to siren in two-seconds flat. “Now.”
Adam obeyed, his eyes fixed to hers as he tugged his shirt off over his head, tossing it aside before starting on his jeans. He made quick work of his fly as he toed off his boots, then stepped out of his pants, leaving him in just his boxer-briefs. Seeing Mel openly ogle him made Adam feel ten feet tall. And so hard he ached.
Unable to take any more, he kissed her, his lips skimming across her cheek and down her neck to the hollow at the base of her throat. He lavished attention there until she moaned, her head falling back. She was so responsive to his touch, a powerful aphrodisiac in itself. Her responses sent a delicious thrill through him, made him feel powerful, and more than a little possessive. Mel was his, at least for tonight, and he planned to take full advantage of that. He traced his tongue over her collarbone, loving her little gasp and how she thrust her fingers into his hair, her nails scraping his scalp as if she’d never let him go. It wasn’t true, but a guy could pretend for a while.
Mel felt good. Tasted good. Smelled good. All his senses were in overdrive now, and he couldn’t get enough. He picked her up, carrying her over to the windows, where he sat her on the marble ledge. She shuddered as her bare skin pressed against the cool glass, and he broke away to look into her passion-glazed eyes. This was her first time, and it had to be special.
No. Not just special. Perfect. If anyone deserved perfect, it was Mel, and even as broken and unworthy as Adam was, he vowed to give her that, if only this one time.
We had an agreement…No emotions involved…That was our deal.
Her earlier words haunted him before he shoved them aside, his fingertips grazing her cheek, the simple touch sending another ripple of awareness through him. He wasn’t sure how he’d let her go after all this was over, just that he would. But, for now, he wanted to relish every moment. He traced his knuckles down her chest to the valley between her breasts, smiling as her breath caught. “Years of fantasies are a lot to overcome. This should be a night to remember.”
“I remember everything about you,” Mel whispered.
His heart squeezed a little more. She was so sweet, so kind, so smart and innocent and good. Everything he wasn’t. He’d had her on an untouchable pedestal for so long and now that she was here—ready and willing—and he wasn’t sure how to handle it.
I remember everything about you.
There were times, growing up, he would’ve given anything in the world to hear someone say they treasured him enough to remember him. And Mel had handed him that gift with an open heart. He slid his hands down her back, settling them in the small curve above her rear as he pressed closer, allowing her to feel the full extent of his need for her. He couldn’t give her his heart, but he could give her the rest of him, for what it was worth, for as long as they had together.
Adam picked her up again and walked backward toward the bed. The back of his legs hit the mattress, and he stopped, turning to place Mel on the bed first before stretching out beside her, his body trembling with barely leashed need.
“You’re sure about this?” he asked one last time, needing reassurance that all this was real and he wasn’t just imagining it all .
“Yes.” She traced her fingers down his chest to the waistband of his underwear. “Beyond sure.”
Adam trailed kisses from her lips to her ear, then down the side of her neck. She arched against him, her breath panting hot against his skin, doing his best to maintain control as he forced words past his tight vocal cords. “Slow and easy.”
“Or fast and furious.” Mel pulled away slightly, her cheeks flushed and eyes dark with passion. Then her little grin turned positively wicked as she tugged him close once more. “It’s a woman’s prerogative to change her mind, right?”
The next morning, Mel blinked her eyes open as first rays of sunshine peeked through the windows. They’d fallen asleep in each other’s arms, and she had no idea how long they’d slept. It was Saturday, and she had the rare weekend off, so it didn’t matter. She had nowhere to be today. Nowhere except here, with Adam, her lover.
Lover.
A shiver ran through her as memories of their night together resurfaced. The wicked things he’d done to her last night, the wicked things she’d done to him. All the wicked things they’d done together. Being with him had been incredible, unforgettable, unbelievably erotic, and yet so sweet her chest still ached from it.
Adam snored softly beside her, his face turned away, one arm hugging the pillow beneath his head. She snuggled in behind him, her chin resting on his shoulder as she traced a finger over the dark stubble now covering his jaw. She kissed his nape, inhaling his scent, so familiar now. Then she counted the freckles on his upper back, stopping to kiss each one. He’d been sweet and tender with her, but also demanding, not letting her hide from her passion for one second, drawing every ounce of sensation from her before taking his own release. Her body ached this morning, a new pleasant sensation she wasn’t sure she’d ever forget. She’d lost her virginity last night. With Adam Foster. She flopped onto her back, stifling a squeal of delight. Who would have ever guessed?
Her restless movements must’ve awakened Adam, because next thing she knew, he rolled over to face her, yawning, then kissing her temple. “‘Morning,” he said, his voice groggy and gruff. Then he propped up on one elbow and smiled wide at her. “You’re amazing.”
Mel giggled, burying her heated face in the covers, suddenly shy. “You’re not so bad yourself.”
Adam chuckled, reaching over to uncover her eyes, giving her an amused look. “Seriously though, are you okay this morning?” He shifted lower so their faces aligned. “Need anything? Water? Food? Ibuprofen? I always keep a bottle handy in my duffel bag.”
“I’m good.” Mel meant it. And even if she wasn’t, the last thing she wanted was for Adam to get up and leave the bed. She wanted him staying right where he was. “Never better.”
He kissed her then, soft and tender, before leaning back to study her, while a million questions swirled through Mel’s mind. Had she done all the right things last night? Had she pleased him as much as he’d pleasured her? Had it been good for him too?
Each time she closed her eyes, she remembered being in his arms, the way he’d moved and tasted and sounded, his dark gaze locked on her, hot with desire. Seducing her bad boy had been all she’d ever dreamed of and more, and she couldn’t wait to do it again.
We had an agreement…No emotions involved…That was our deal.
Her heart gave a painful pinch as she recalled her words to him last night. She shouldn’t have brought up their agreement, but she’d been so afraid he was going to back out after her stupid remark about making love. She’d known what she was getting into with him from the start. Adam didn’t do love. He’d been honest with her about that, and she’d agreed to accept him as he was. Still, she couldn’t squelch her bit of disappointment that maybe he’d changed, that maybe she’d changed his mind.
Mel shook off those silly thoughts though. That was her old self talking. The new her lived for the moment, threw caution to the wind, took life as it came. No rules. No expectations.
She turned on her side to find Adam snoozing once more beside her, one arm thrown over his eyes, his breath even and deep. Mel couldn’t resist running her fingers down his torso, over the smattering of dark hair covering his pecs narrowing to a line bisecting his taut abs, then disappearing beneath the covers, which were gathered low on his hips. Mel licked her lips as her hand disappeared beneath the sheet.
“Whoa there cowgirl.” Adam lifted his arm, peeking at her with one eye as his other hand caught hers. He gave her a brazen once-over, his sleepy dark eyes sparkling with mischief. “Are you sure you’re ready for another round?”
“This ain’t my first rodeo.” Mel waggled her brows at him, laughing at the truth of it now as he tumbled her over onto her back, his arms around her and his mouth claiming hers. Processing all her jumbled emotions over this could happen later. Given her birthday was only a few short weeks away, reality would return soon enough. Today though, she’d treasure what she had, right here in the present.