Chapter 9
Adam
Beth and I have major sexual chemistry. Who would have thought?
It had been days and that thought was still at the forefront of my mind. I hadn’t been able to focus on much since almost having sex with her in that limo. I’d even started dreaming about it, reliving each kiss, each caress, every single one of her sighs and moans.
I had a serious problem.
Maybe if we’d discussed things that night as she’d wanted, my emotions would be in a better state of resolve. I’d never been great at discussing my feelings. We Thornes buried our emotions. Besides, there was no talking about things now. She’d barely seen me in days and I was sure that was deliberate on her part. She could only avoid me for so long. We were scheduled to join the McCarthy’s for a day at the country club.
I hopped out of my car and let out a long breath as I stared at the Thorne mansion. I wasn’t in the mood for lunch with my parents, but Mom was practically near tears when she said she hadn’t been seeing much of me. Dad insisted on me coming so we could talk business. The man just couldn’t sit back and enjoy his retirement. I was starting to see why my brother had no interest in working at Thorne Holdings. Dad was a real pain in the ass.
“In and out,” I told myself as I strolled up the stone steps. In the middle of lunch, I’d come up with some excuse and leave. Sitting and watching my parents pretend to be a loving unit was beyond irritating. Wait, isn’t that what I was doing with Beth?
“Great, I’ve turned into my parents.”
I headed through the house and went straight to the second-floor terrace where my mother loved to have lunch. There they were sitting feet apart, Dad reading the paper and Mom smoking away her years of unhappiness. They both exuded misery. I avoided relationships just so I wouldn’t be at risk of becoming them only to end up in the same positions. Looking skyward, I reluctantly joined them.
“Mom, Dad.”
Mom put out her cigarette and cracked a real smile―I imagined for the first time in months. Only I or my brother could get a real one out of her. “Adam, it’s been so long.” She planted a kiss on my cheek.
“You saw me last month.”
“You should be ashamed.”
“I’m a busy man.”
“You should never be too busy for your mother. How’s Beth? How are you two getting along?”
“Let the boy breathe, Martha. He just got here,” Dad said gruffly only to ask, “How’s business?”
I patted Mom’s arm comfortingly as she rolled her eyes and heaved a sigh. “Beth is fine.”
“Next time, bring her along.”
And have her witness the dysfunction? I think not. “Maybe.”
“She’s such a sweet girl.”
Yeah to everyone but me. I smiled and took a seat at the already set table.
“Business is better than you left it, Dad. What more do you need to know?”
He gave me a scowl and I grinned.
“I’ll have everything brought up,” Mom announced and disappeared inside.
Dad put his paper down and set steel-gray eyes on me. “I hear you’re doing pretty well. Playing golf with Charles, I’m impressed.”
“Do you old biddies talk about everything?”
“Watch your mouth.”
“When do I ever?” I loosened my tie and sat back with a sigh. “I hate it that you practically spy on me.”
“I was worried, and you can’t blame me.”
“About what? Do I need to remind you of everything that I’ve done for Thorne Holdings?”
“I might have been concerned that you’d get into... something, but things have been quiet. I guess Beth is a good influence. Martha is right, she's a sweet girl. Smart too. She fits right in as a Thorne, don’t you think?”
Gritting my teeth, I reached for the pitcher of water. “Did you make up everything about her father wanting us married? So you could saddle me with a chaperone?”
“You know damn well I’d never do something like that. Not to my best friend’s daughter and certainly not my own son. There were no lies. What are you so sour about? Things are working out in your favor. You’ve got people who didn’t trust you before wanting to do business.”
“Isn’t it about time for you and mom to move to Florida like every other retiree? You could put your energy into salvaging what’s left of your marriage.” If there was ever anything there to begin with.
I braced myself for the backlash of my loose tongue, but Dad’s reaction caught me off guard. There was no reprimanding glare, not stern lecture about manners. He laughed .
“You’ve been sending my blood pressure up since you learned how to talk. You know, you’re one of few who ever really stand up to me. That’s why I knew you were the man to fill my shoes. You’ve more than filled them, son.”
I blinked. “Dad, are you dying ?”
That sent him into another fit of laughter.
“I can’t tell you I’m proud of you?”
“It always came with a lecture before,” I said slowly. Eying the old man warily. What had gotten into him?
“I’m trying to do better with you boys, Adam. I pushed your brother away and I realize that I should have handled things better. I don’t want to push you away too.”
“As if you could get rid of me,” I snorted.
Dad smiled. “You’re brother is coming home soon, by the way.”
“What? If he’s coming to try and get his paws on my company, it isn’t happening. He wasn’t here when I worked along with you to build Thorne Holdings.”
“Calm down. He still wants nothing to do with the company.”
I fell silent but I was still suspicious. I hadn’t seen my brother in ten years and I wasn’t sure how to feel about his return. We were never close.
*******
I was still recovering from lunch with my parents when I stepped into my home office and saw Beth. I stopped at the door and had time to take her in before she saw me. She was bent at the bookshelf, focused on whatever she was reading. It was hard to ignore how great her ass looked in her fitted jeans. She froze when she spotted me.
And cue the awkwardness.
“Adam, what are you doing here?”
My brows shot up. “My house. My office.”
Her face flushed. “I mean, I didn’t expect you to be back so soon.” Her eyes darted around the room. “I’m sorry for coming in here without permission. I was passing and the door was open. I was tempted by your collection.” She held up a leather-bound book.
“Of course, you were. You’re the same Beth who squealed with delight when my mother gave you a copy of Jane Eyer for your twelfth birthday. You were such a weird kid,” I laughed.
“Shut up.” She said but smiled back. It could have been my imagination but I felt the uneasiness go down a notch. “I’ve always had an appreciation for literature. So do you it seems. I’m surprised.”
“I’m not the total idiot you think I am.”
“I’ve never called you an idiot.”
“Mmmm...I’m pretty sure you have plenty of times over the years.”
“Well, I apologize. You probably want your privacy. I’ll go.” She turned to replace the book.
“Keep it. Feel free to come in and take any book you wish.”
“Thanks.”
I stepped further into the office, cautiously. She looked like she was ready to bolt. “And feel free to stay.” She froze again, rounded eyes on me. “It’s been days. Surely we can talk to each other now.”
She rubbed her arm and shifted from one foot to the other. Beth in jeans and a tank top was doing too much to my libido. It was ridiculous. She was bare feet and her bright pink toenails curled into the rug. “You weren’t interested in talking before. What’s changed?”
“I had lunch with my parents,” I sighed. Her blank stare made me sigh again. “I’ll tell you about it over a drink. But, since you’re not big on alcohol, you can watch me drink.”
Beth pursed her lips, eyed the decanters of brown juice I had lined up on a table, and chuckled. “You might have a problem.”
“Not yet. Give a few more years when the pressures of life really hit.”
“You never take anything seriously.”
“It’s a defense mechanism just as your sarcasm is yours.”
“How do you know―”
“Like I said, I’m not a complete idiot.” I gestured to the sofa. “Have a seat.”
Still clutching the book, she sat. “I guess I can have one drink. Someone told me I need to lighten up.”
“Smart someone.”
“Not that smart.”
She rolled her eyes and I grinned.
I sat right beside her and handed her a glass. She eyed me with suspicion for a moment before asking. “What in the world happened at lunch with your parents?”
“It wasn’t just today. It’s been my entire life. They’re fucking miserable, Beth.”
Her mouth fell open. “Your parents seem fine. They always have.”
“Because they’re experts at putting on a show.”
She took a sip from her glass and grimaced.
“I don’t get what that has to do with us.”
“I’ve always vowed to never end up like them, miserable and stuck with someone.”
“I hate to break it to you, but that’s where you’ve ended up.” She stared down into her glass forlornly.
“We don’t have to be like them.”
“We’re not exactly head over heels for each other.”
“But we can be...friends.”
“Come on, Adam. What fun would that be? You and I argue, that’s our thing.” Her eyes gleamed with humor.
I found myself smiling from ear to ear and I had to wonder what was happening between us. Whatever it was, we weren’t looking at each other the way my parents looked at each other. So, I’d take it.
“I’ve just always hated seeing them force something that isn’t there because of money and public opinion.”
“I’m sorry you had to see that but our situation is different from your parents’, and we’re only in this for two years.”
I exhaled and savored the liquor burning its way down my throat. She was right and maybe I was overreacting. “Still, two years is a long time if we’re absolutely miserable.”
“We can be friends,” she shrugged. “It can’t be that hard. Right?”
I laughed because it was harder for us to be friends than most. With so many years of not getting along, resenting each other almost came naturally.
“I can’t even remember what happened between us to cause the hostility.”
Beth’s laughter tickled me and I had to fight back a smile.
“I was only five but I remember very well. It wasn’t long after our father’s met and my family was invited to your house for dinner. I saw you stealing cookies after your mother told you they were for after dinner.” She pursed her lips, eyes dancing with merriment and cheeks pink. “I ratted you out.”
I threw my head back and had a good laugh. “Ah, you tattled. I never liked a tattletale.”
“Because you were a mischievous little devil. I was a stickler for rules so we never meshed from the start. After that we just couldn’t stop rubbing each other the wrong way.”
I shook my head. “Years of resentment over a few cookies. Incredible.”
“Plenty more things happened along the way. It wasn’t just the cookies.” She turned to me with a teasing smile. “Apologizing for ratting you out would be a good start to becoming friends though. I’m sorry.”
I chuckled and held my glass up to hers. “You’re forgiven.”
After we clinked glasses and the humor of the conjured memory dampened, I sighed.
“If I apologize for my behavior the other night, we’d have an even better start.”
Beth’s foot began tapping on the carpet and she had that look again. As if she wanted to run away. “You were right. We don’t need to discuss it.”
“I thought you were right. We should have talked about it.”
“Please, don’t bring it up. I was embarrassed enough as it was.”
I shouldn’t have touched her. Laying even one finger on her was dangerous. But, I laid a hand on her thigh to keep her leg still. Her nervous tapping was making me edgy..
“Just let me get this out. I’m sorry for being an ass and dismissing the whole thing. It wasn’t just about me being skeptical about being your first.”
She moaned and hung her head. “The humiliation continues.”
“Don’t be embarrassed. I stopped the second you told me you hadn’t been with anyone because I knew that you’d been waiting for someone special.”
Our gazes clashed and I hoped she saw my sincerity. Despite what Beth had always thought of me, I had my moments of being considerate.
“I’m not the right guy. I wouldn’t want to ruin things for any real relationship you might have after our...arrangement. Instead of letting you know that I behaved like a jerk.”
A pink-cheeked Beth gave me a sly smile. “Wow, could it be that you’re not the asshole I thought you were? Friends can still take a few digs at each other right? I couldn’t help myself.”
My low chuckle mingling with her giggles floated around the room.
“In all honesty, I’m shocked,” she shared. “I didn’t know you’d have that depth of consideration towards me .”
“I confess, I’ve deliberately been a jerk to you all these years because I live for the tongue-lashes you give me. They’ve gotten more stimulating over the years.”
Her laughter continued. She assumed I was joking but I was serious. As we got older the desire to pull her close and kiss her during each argument had gotten stronger. “I wouldn’t mind being your first by the way. I realized that after―”
In the process of taking another sip, she gasped and began to cough. I plucked the glass from her fingers and patted her back gently. “Are you alright?”
“Fine,” she breathed. “You just caught me off guard.”
Swallowing my smile, I shrugged, “As you said, you wouldn’t get clingy with the likes of me. That has always been my fear of being a woman’s first, bad experience.”
“You’ve gotten into your fair share of scandals over the years. Anyone that I know?”
“No one ever heard about that particular incident, but she was institutionalized after.”
Her jaw-dropped. “Oh, my God! Do you sleep with just anyone?”
“Hey, I had no idea she was crazy at the time. We’re supposed to be friends now remember? No more judgment.”
“You’re a piece of work, Adam Thorne.” Her smirk turned into a chuckle. “Look at us being civil, I believe we’ve just hit the adulthood milestone in our relationship.”
“We do have a habit of behaving like two preteens around each other.” I was just late to realize that it was pent up sexual frustration on my part.
“Adam, if I hadn’t been a pain in your ass since we were kids and you just met me...would you…”
“Be attracted to you? Who says there’s no attraction now?”
Being friends with Beth might be harder than I had thought. If we were going to sit so closely and chat like best buds often, there would be a lot of cold showers and jacking off in my future. Her eyes flew to mine and my brows lifted in challenge. I didn’t see the need to pretend that she wasn’t attractive anymore. The body on the woman could bring any man to his knees and I’d gotten a taste of her. I wanted more but she probably wouldn’t be willing to give it another go after the way I’d behaved.
“Oh. In that case, I won’t feel too weird admitting this.”
I waited expectantly. It seemed it was an evening for sharing secrets with enemies turned friends.
“I’ve changed my mind about waiting for the right guy. It’s a stupid notion nowadays anyway.”
“It’s not. I think it’s romantic.”
“You have no idea how strange those words sound coming from you,” she laughed.
“I’m a reformed rake so expect the unexpected.”
That made her laugh harder. I tried not to blatantly stare but the way her face lit up was captivating. Something was changing between us, I could feel it happening.
Beth sobered and began twiddling her thumbs. Her gaze was locked on the carpet and her face was flushed.
“The thing is, life is short. I don’t know if I’ll ever find Prince Charming. Maybe he doesn’t exist. I don’t want to die a virgin, Adam.”
It was my turn to choke on my drink and my laughter. It was good to know she was still amusing when we weren’t fighting.
“I’m sure you won’t.”
She met my gaze and took a deep breath. “I’m sure too because I don’t want to wait. I’d like for you to be my first. You know since you’ve put your fear of virgins out there and I already promised I won’t become obsessed with you after. It only makes sense, considering that we’re already married.”
I went completely still, gaping at her as she came on to me in a way that only Beth Carson could―so logically .