by Jenni Moen
“Please don’t,” I said. “I’ll be fine. I just need a few minutes to myself.”
“All right, but if you need anything call down to the desk, okay? I have to keep this key, but do you want me to get another one made for you?”
“No. I haven’t lost mine,” I said. “I’ll get it back later today.”
“Okay, if you need anything …,” he trailed off, turning to go. “I’m just downstairs.”
“Hey, Tony?” I asked.
“Yes?” he said spinning back around.
“On second thought, could you call Adam for me? My phone is at the office, too, and I need to tell him not to pick up Lizzie from school. He’s probably on his way to get her.”
“I’ll do it right now,” he said, heading toward the elevator again.
In the rush of getting Lizzie out the door this morning, I had forgotten to open the drapes. The apartment was on the darkish side, despite it being the middle of the day. That seemed appropriate though. It was a dark day in the Harper-Hill house. In the course of just a few hours, everything had completely fallen apart. I didn’t bother turning on the lights. Instead, I rid my aching feet of what had once been my favorite pair of shoes. They would need a resoling. We both did.
I sat down on the couch and dumped the Kisses in my lap. One by one, I opened them until they were all gone.
I was just trying to find the energy to pull myself off the couch when I heard a key in the lock. The deadbolt turned, and the door fell open. Adam stood in the open doorway, his arms weighed down with my purse and computer bag. A sliver of hallway light slipped past him and streaked across the apartment. Like a spotlight, it fell on me. I winced at the intrusion. Or maybe it wasn’t the light that hurt my eyes at all. It was more likely that it was the sight of the man in the center of the light that hurt the most.
The door closed again, and the apartment was once again cast in darkness. My bags thumped on the floor, and then five heavy footsteps later, he was crouched in front of me. Big, heavy hands gathered up the Kisses debris in my lap and discarded it somewhere. Then they were on me, running up and down my thighs as if he was trying to keep me warm.
I’d been right. The numbness that I’d been mercifully granted on my walk home was over. The searing pain in my chest was back as my heart split open all over again.
“Allie, what’s wrong?” he asked. His voice was laced with concern and caution. “I was on my way to get Lizzie when Tony called. He said that I didn’t need to pick her up and that you were already home. Is she getting another ride?”
A brittle laugh escaped from me. “Uh, yeah. I guess she is.”
He gave me a wary look. “Marlene?”
“I wish. Apparently, your car got a little too much attention this morning. A teacher saw you drop her off. She prodded Lizzie for information. Lizzie spilled everything, and the teacher called CPS. So that’s it,” I said, my shoulders slumping. “We’re done babysitting. Marlene’s coming at five to get her stuff.”
“Awwww, Allie. I’m sorry,” he said, looking away. “I should have dropped her off a few blocks away. I didn’t think about that being a problem. She was actually excited about everyone seeing her get out of my car.”
“It’s not your fault,” I said, shrugging. “It is what it is.”
“Shit. I’m sorry,” he said again. “Is that why you came by? You came to tell me about Lizzie?”
“Yes.” It was my turn to look away.
“Allie, why did you leave? I didn’t even know you were there.” Adam shifted his weight.
Was he nervous? I hoped so.
“I saw you with her.”
“Carissa?” he asked as if it was no big deal.
“Yes.”
“And it upset you?”
“Of course, it upset me. I heard you, Adam.”
“You heard what?”
My temper flared. “You’re going to pick up where you left off. She’s going to make you very happy. I heard it all,” I spit out angrily.
“What do you mean, ‘she’s going to make me very happy?’ She’s not going to make me anything. I wouldn’t let her make me an omelet.”
I looked away again. I wanted to believe him, but I wouldn’t be made a fool. He pulled himself out of his crouch and sat beside me. Like a petulant child, I turned away from him again.
“She had her hands on you. You let her touch my cat,” I said on a sob. So much for self control. It appeared that I was going to turn into a blubbering mess now.
“Awww, Allie, that’s just the way she is. She’s Puerto Rican,” he said, as if that was explanation enough.
The only thing it explained was her gorgeous skin tone and glossy black hair. She really is Caribbean Barbie.
He chuckled, and I realized that I had spoken aloud. “Is that what you call her? Caribbean Barbie?”
“Yeah,” I said, sniffling.
He smiled. “That’s funny. It fits, I guess, being that she is technically from the Caribbean. But, honestly, I like my Barbies blond.”
“You do?” I asked pathetically. I was folding like a bad hand of poker.
He swept a stray piece of hair back behind my ear and brushed his thumb across my cheek. “Yes. Allie, you make me very happy. Only you. She and I played house for a little while. But it wasn’t real. Nothing was real before you. I’m not playing house any more.”
I looked into his dark eyes and melted. Even in the poor lighting, I could see that he was sincere. “So then why was she there? You told her that you would get things settled and meet her next week.”
“She wants to buy the apartment. That’s what you overheard us talking about. We are going to meet next week to finalize the deal. If I’d known you were coming by I would have gotten rid of her faster. By the way, can you ask Jay if he has a contract we can use? Isn’t it just a form or something?”
“Yes, I’ll ask him,” I said dismissively. “But I texted you that I was coming. You told me to come on in.”
“You did?” he asked. “I didn’t text you.”
Realization rained down upon both of us at precisely the same time. She had set me up. Somehow she had seen my message first, and she’d been the one to text me back. She’d probably left the door ajar. I was sure now that every word she had uttered had been carefully calculated to give me the wrong impression.
“Barbie was never so devious,” I said.
“I’ll have a talk with her.”
“No. Don’t. She wants to come between us, Adam. Please don’t talk to her any more than you have to.”
“Do you want me to tell her the deal’s off?” he asked. “If that’s what you want, I’ll do it. We’ll find someone else to buy it.”
“No. If you’re ready to sell it, let’s unload it. But please don’t meet her alone again. I want to be there.”
“You don’t trust me?”
“No. I don’t trust her. You have to admit that this is sort of twisted. Clearly, she wants you back. Buying the apartment that you guys shared is weird. Like, the boiling-bunnies-on-the-stove kind of weird.”
“I love it when you talk movies,” he said in my favorite husky voice. “Do it again.”
I gave him a sly smile. “Sell crazy someplace else, we’re all stocked up here,” I said.
Adam thought for only a moment. “Melvin. As Good as It Gets.” He paused for a second before continuing, “If I wanted forgiveness, I should ask for it but for all I have done and for all I am yet to do there can be no forgiveness. And yet I think I am not an evil man.”
He was quoting The Tudors and apologizing while doing it. I wasn’t sure if he was apologizing for Lizzie or for Carissa because neither was his fault.
“Forgiveness is more than saying sorry. To forgive is divine. So let’s have a glass of wine. And have make-up sex until the end of time, time, time.” I quoted from Just Friends to lighten the mood.
“Way to go, Samantha James,” he said nodding appreciatively. His eyebrow arched before he continued,
“Take me to pleasure town,” he said.
I licked my lower lip. “God, I want to lick your skin off,” I said. We could volley Anchorman and Just Friends quotes all night.
“I’d prefer that you didn’t.” He finished and then went on, “But … I would like to extend to you an invitation to the pants party.”
I ran my hand down the front of his pants. “Mr. Burgundy. You have a massive erection.”
He sucked in a breath and then ran a hand around my backside before giving it a squeeze. “I don’t normally do this, but I felt compelled to tell you something. You have an absolutely breathtaking … hiney. I mean, that thing’s good. I wanna be friends with it.”
“I immediately regret this decision,” I countered with another quote from Anchorman. “I’m in a glass case of emotion.”
His gaze intensified and threatened to suck me in. “No regrets. None. Ever.” he said in a gravelly voice that clearly declared our game had ended. In one swift move, I was in his arms and being carrying to the bedroom. I glanced at the alarm clock. It was only 3:45. We had plenty of time before Marlene got here.
It was a good thing, too, because Adam was clearly in no mood to rush things. He laid me gingerly on the bed and began the task of removing my shirt. He pulled it from the waistband of my skirt. As he worked over each button, I closed my eyes and let relief wash over me. An hour ago, when I’d still been midway through the walk from hell, I would never have thought I’d be here now. Or that I would ever feel his hands on me again for that matter.
It was possible that I had overreacted. I was willing to concede that I might have a tendency to do that when it came to Adam.
I couldn’t help myself. I had come to expect the worst when it came to relationships. Despite Adam’s nearly constant reassurance that things would work out for us, I couldn’t help but feel like I was just waiting for the other shoe to drop.
I should have given him the benefit of the doubt today. At the very least, I should have given him the opportunity to explain the situation before I reacted. But it was in my nature to expect the worst. He didn’t deserve that.
Wait. I didn’t deserve that.
“Allie, stop overthinking everything,” he whispered, interrupting my thoughts.
I opened my eyes and looked at the beautiful man hovering over me. Apparently, his ability to forgive me was endless. “I’m sorry,” I said. “I was just enjoying your hands on me.”
“Hmm. Well, let me give you some more of that to focus on.” He moved further down the bed. The zipper on my skirt slid down. I watched as he slid the article of clothing over my hips. Naturally, I wasn’t wearing any panties, and his eyes reflected his appreciation of that fact.
He continued to pull the skirt down my legs. As it brushed over my feet, I winced. Noticing my reaction, he inspected my battered feet.
“Allie,” he hissed. “What were you thinking? I can’t believe you walked all that way. Were you in heels?”
“Mmmm hmmm,” I murmured.
“Geez, they’re raw,” he said, sliding off the bed. “Don’t move.” He walked into the bathroom, and the light turned on. I listened to the bang of a cabinet door and then the sound of running water. He strode back to the bed and began wiping a warm, wet rag over my feet. “This is bad, Alexis. You’re not going to be able to wear normal shoes to work tomorrow.”
“It’s nothing a few band-aids won’t fix,” I said softly.
“I don’t know,” he said. “I think you need some TLC.” He picked up a foot and kissed each toe. When he was done, he gently returned that foot to the bed and picked up the other one.
This was a first. No one had ever kissed my feet before. To be honest, I wasn’t a feet person. They got me from point A to point B, and I was thankful for that … today especially … but I’d never found feet to be a sensual part of the body. I changed my mind about that as Adam kissed away my afternoon of bad decisions.
He stood up again at the end of the bed and pulled his Callahan Auto Parts t-shirt over his head and dropped his jeans. I mirrored his earlier appreciation when I realized that he had been going commando, too. With his clothing also removed, he returned to his task of kissing every last inch of me. He worked his way up my calf until his lips were brushing the inside of my thigh. I sucked in a breath as his lips found my very favorite spot. I might not be a feet girl, but I was definitely this kind of girl.
I buried my hands in his thick hair and tugged and pulled as he did the same. His tongue and fingers worked in tandem as he performed some sort of voodoo magic over my girly parts. Even though I was nearly losing my mind over him, and normally it would be more than enough, I needed more of him today. I needed all of him … every part that I had almost lost
“Adam,” I said, through ragged pants. “I need you.”
“I’m all yours,” he said, his words muffled.
“No, I need all of you. Inside. Me. Now,” I panted. “Please.” I was begging.
In a flash, he was over me. Ever accommodating, he pushed into me, filling me up. “I’ve never wanted anyone like I want you. I’ll never want anyone else. It’s only you. It will only ever be you. When will you get that through your thick skull,” he said, on a groan.
“Show me,” I continued to beg.
His previously slow, gentle movements became a pound. I ground my fingernails into his back in response. His mouth found mine, silencing me. The taste of me on him wrecked me. I wouldn’t have been able to see straight even if I could’ve opened my eyes. But there was no chance of that as he continued to work me over.
“I love you,” I said. It was simple and true. I loved him. The rest of the world be damned, I would love him forever if he’d let me.
He groaned in response. “Come, Allie. I can’t wait any longer … together.”
I didn’t need an invitation. The world as I’d known it earlier that afternoon split apart as he thrust into me again and again. Through the bits and pieces that fell down around me, all I could see was the two of us. It didn’t matter how it had started or the things we had done to hurt each other. There was only one ending for us, and I’d just seen it written in the stars.
He collapsed on top of me, and I breathed in his scent and reveled in his touch. “I should play hooky on Wednesday more often,” I said, still breathless.
“I can’t think of a better way to spend a Wednesday afternoon. Or a Monday, Tuesday, or Thursday for that matter. Why do you even go to work at all?”
I blew out a contented sigh. “I can’t remember.”
“No?”
“No. I think you just fucked me stupid,” I said sleepily.
“Good. Then you definitely shouldn’t go back to work again. Ever.”
I sighed, knowing that would never be an option. Daddy Harper was still in town. Though he had been wisely keeping his distance for the past two days, I knew he was secretly monitoring my every move. Well, maybe not every move, or he would have had a car pick me up this afternoon.
Adam rolled to the side of me and propped himself up on an elbow. He picked up a strand of my hair and twirled it around his finger, staring at it appreciatively. “I love your blond hair. Everything about you is so polar opposite of me.”
“We’re like two wrongs making a right?” I asked.
“I prefer to think that we’re like two opposite magnets that nothing can keep apart,” he said with a smirk. “Hey, you’re taking Friday off, right?”
“Well, I was, but I guess I don’t need to now.”
“Take the day off. Let’s hang out. Just the two of us. I’ll plan something special. Burke wants us to go to a costume party at some club on Saturday. I want a day … just one day … when I have you all to myself.”
“I can’t wait,” I said on a yawn. I was getting drowsy. Maybe I could squeeze in a short nap before Marlene came.
“Hey, Adam,” I murmured.
“Yeah.”
“I’m really sorry for earlier. I shouldn’t have doubted you.”
“Don’t. Don’t apologize,” he said. “I’m sure it looked as bad as you thought it did.”
“Maybe. But I still shouldn’t have doubted you. Do you think it will ever be easy? Or will it always be this hard?”
“It will get easier. Give it time.”
“But everyone wants us to fail. No one is rooting for us.”
“Just remember one thing, okay?” he said.
“What?” I asked. I was only barely awake at this point.
“We made promises, Allie. And I won’t break them. Not ever.”
Neither would I. Not ever.
CHAPTER 6
Adam
As expected, the door fell open without any real effort on my part. I had considered the possibility that I might have to break it down, but I hadn’t really thought it would be locked. On the off chance that Amber might return in her absence, Lizzie wouldn’t have locked it. She wouldn’t take the chance no matter how small.
I scanned the apartment. I just needed one picture of them together. Finally, I found what I was looking for on a short bookshelf in the corner. Lizzie and Amber were laughing at something. Lizzie appeared to be about 7 or 8 at the time. I wondered if she’d had any occasion to laugh with her mom like that since. I had serious doubts.
After one last look around, I pulled the door shut behind me … careful not to lock it. Then I headed toward the stairs with the picture tucked in my pocket.
Alexis
I looked down at my bare feet, which were propped up on the arm of the couch. Band-aids were wrapped around six of my 10 toes. Adam had been right. I hadn’t been able to wear my usual heels today.
Even though I’d gotten up early this morning, he had gotten up earlier, and he’d already been gone. However, sitting next to my favorite ‘I brake for squirrels’ coffee cup was a brand new box of Barbie band-aids. A note on the counter had read, ‘Morning, my beautiful blond Barbie. No strolls around the city today, please. Love, Adam.’
A shit-eating grin had been plastered across my face the entire time I had wrapped up my damaged toes. And then I’d slipped into a pair of ballet flats and headed out the door.