Chapter Twenty-Five
R ocket is at the door waiting for us when we get home.
Although waiting suggests passive, which only describes Rocket when he’s sleeping.
Current Rocket, who’s blocking our entrance to the apartment and barking nonstop, is Rocket on steroids, as if he’s been awaiting news of Marcia’s fate from the foyer the entire time Adam and I were doing the same thing at the hospital.
Adam assures him his mommy will be home tomorrow in a loud but soothing voice like he’s speaking to a human.
Rocket, for his part, continues to bark and climb over us for at least a minute until Adam finally manages to sidestep him long enough to grab the dog-walking bag and usher him out the door before he piddles himself in excitement.
While he’s gone, I update Carley and Audrina on Marcia’s status in a group text.
When they’re back, Rocket retreats to Marcia’s room and Adam heads straight to the kitchen. He asks if I want something to drink, flashing a can of High Noon at me as an example of my options.
There’s nothing I’d like more right now. “Yes!”
We fall side by side onto the couch and clink cans, toasting to Marcia.
Adam lifts his feet onto the coffee table.
I kick off my sneakers before doing the same. “I keep thinking about what would have happened if we hadn’t come straight home from work.”
“Don’t go there, Brina. If we weren’t home, she would have called 911 herself and someone at the hospital would have let me know.”
“Me.”
“What?” Adam takes a pull from his can.
“They would have called me . I’m her emergency contact.”
He wipes his mouth. “Gotcha.”
I worry he’s offended by this. “I’m sure she’ll change it to you if you want.”
“No. I’m glad it’s you,” he says with unwavering eye contact.
“You are?”
He nods decisively. “I’m glad you’re here. Period.”
“I’m glad you’re here… period… too.”
He circles my face with his eyes, lingering at my lips like a magnet on metal.
It occurs to me I’ll be alone with Adam in the apartment overnight for the first time ever. My body flushes with heat.
“Nice hole.”
I blink. “Do you use that mouth around your grandmother?”
Adam giggles—legit giggles —and it’s so cute I nearly piss myself. “I meant your socks.”
He’s right. I have holes in both of my color-blocked crew socks. New socks are a luxury I can’t afford right now. I wiggle my toes. “It’s my brand.”
He laughs. “Come closer.”
I don’t need to be asked twice. I remove my feet from the coffee table, and though I’m not sure this is what he means by “closer,” I crawl into his lap and straddle him.
He tucks a lock of hair behind my ear and caresses my face. “Hi.” He looks at me with lovey-dovey eyes.
Suddenly I’m shy, which is inconvenient given our current seating arrangement, but I manage to croak out, “Hi, yourself.”
“I really want to kiss you again.”
“I love to hear it because I really want to kiss you too.”
“I’ve wanted to kiss you since you carried my bag into the apartment from the hallway.”
From this close, I can count the faint freckles on his nose. “You mean the one filled with a million bricks of gold?”
“If I had a million bricks of gold, I’d buy my grandma an apartment with three bedrooms so I wouldn’t have to sleep on the couch.” He traces his fingers across my lips.
I close my eyes. “Why wouldn’t you just buy your own apartment?”
His thumb glides across my chin and up my cheek. “I like living with Grams.”
“I’m sure you do but—”
He shuts me up with a kiss. I’d be offended if I hadn’t been dreaming about kissing him again since the first time.
I press my mouth to his softly at first, but then we make a silent agreement to deepen the kiss, our noses and chins lining up perfectly against each other with each slide of our lips.
I tangle my hands through his hair, and he softly brushes my back and tentatively strokes over my bra.
All the while his mouth never leaves mine.
I can’t tell if my body is heating up from the inside out or if it’s actually hot in the room, but it becomes unbearable.
“Too much fabric,” I mumble into his mouth before coming up for air and lifting his T-shirt over my head.
“I almost took my sweater off in front of you in the bathroom earlier. Did you catch that?”
He nods, smiling. “I almost let you. I forgot where I was for a moment. Who knew fruit punch could be so hot?”
“I was thinking the exact same thing!” He’s still wearing one shirt too many. “Hands up to the sky,” I command.
He raises his arms and I free him from his Henley.
I run my hands across his bare chest, the soft hair a contrast to the taut muscles underneath. “Should we go to my room?”
He answers by standing and taking my hand. Even though we’re alone, I close the door behind us before lying back on the bed and pulling him on top of me.
Adam kisses as if kissing is the headline performance.
I’m so entirely lost in the sensation of his warm mouth and teasing tongue that I don’t even realize he’s freed me of my bra until he relocates his mouth and flicks his tongue along one nipple and then the other.
When I moan in response, he lingers there.
Eventually he crawls farther down the bed and pulls my soaked panties down my legs. Then he pauses.
I lift my head. “Is something wrong?”
He peeks up at me from between my legs. “Absolutely not. I’m just confirming this is okay. Is this okay?”
“Uh-huh.” I drop my head back onto the pillow with a sigh of relief. I’m not typically self-conscious, but for some reason, my need for Adam to want me the way I want him is fierce.
At the first slide of his finger inside me, my train of thought disappears like a magic trick.
I hitch a breath and gasp in pleasure. He inserts another finger while flicking his tongue over my clit.
His hands and mouth continue to work together until I’m bucking off the mattress.
I fist the pillow while grinding against his mouth, squeezing my eyes shut and holding my breath as he brings me closer and closer.
Finally, my muscles clench and stars explode in my brain.
At the moment of release, I shout a string of made-up words and expletives until I’m rendered both silent and boneless.
Adam continues to softly work me with his fingers until the quivers stop at last.
Finally, I come back to earth and my breathing returns to normal. “Oh my god. That was… fuck .”
Adam crawls up the bed and lays his head next to mine on the pillow. “Do you use that mouth around my grandmother?”
I pause… my brain doesn’t quite compute in my postorgasmic state, but then I burst out laughing.
Adam joins in and we crack up together. Speaking from real-time experience, coming and laughing are fantastic ways to relieve stress. But it’s Adam’s turn to come now, and once the giggles cease, I make it my mission.
Using the palm of my hand, I massage him over his jeans until he grows hard beneath me.
He’s halfway there already so it doesn’t take long.
Then I free him from his clothes and stroke him, watching his face the entire time.
I clock when his breathing gets heavier…
when his eyes softly close… when his chest heaves…
and when I decide he’s ready, I take him into my mouth.
I swirl my tongue over the head then take all of him, while my hand continues to pump his shaft.
After a few minutes, he croaks, “Stop.”
My heart skips a beat. “Is this not good?”
He chokes out a laugh. “Oh, Sabrina. It feels amazing . But I really want to be inside you. If that’s okay.”
I’d have been willing… delighted to take him all the way with my mouth, but I also really want him inside me too. “It’s more than okay.”
He rips open a condom and puts it on. I climb on top of him and the first sensation of him filling me up is the penthouse level of paradise.
I want to take it slow… savor the push and pull of our bodies connecting and drawing apart.
But the need for speed is overwhelming. I place my hands on his chest to pace myself, but I can’t do it.
“Do you want me to go slow, or can I…” I’m panting.
He lifts his head. “Don’t think… just do what feels best to you. It all feels good to me. We can take our time in round two.”
I grin. Round two. Those two words are all I need. I let it rip… riding him for all it’s worth, twisting and grinding until I find just the right angle. Then I hit it over and over again before calling out his name as I come right before he does.
“You’re amazing,” Adam whispers in my ear. It’s round two and he’s on top, squeezing my ass as he thrusts into me. “Tell me what you want.”
“This feels so good.” I’m panting, because it does. “But can you slow down? Just a little.”
His pace abates… slow and languid. “Better?”
“Yes. Exactly like that.” I lick my lips and pull him closer to me. We kiss while he continues to move in and out of me in slow strokes. “Faster now. And harder.”
He laughs with his throat. “I thought you’d never ask.” He thrusts deep inside me, hard and fast. His balls slap against my ass. I’m so deliriously blissed out, I start giggling.
He laughs too without losing the rhythm.
“You’re so good at this!” My fantasies about Adam have nothing on the real thing.
“You’re no slacker either!”
“Librarians are fantastic in bed.” I gasp. I’m so close.
“Must be all that reading.” He chuckles, then slows again. “I’m not sure how much longer I’m gonna last, Sabrina. Almost ready to come for me?”
“God, yes.”
“Good girl.”
I wrap my legs tighter around him and a few thrusts later, I come hard, grasping his arm so roughly it will probably leave marks.
He’s right behind me.