Clara’s back hit with a thud, but all thoughts of worry vanished as she laughed wildly. It was the greatest sound he had ever heard. She was downright beautiful. It took all his strength not to have his way with her right there in the snow. If he were correctly reading that devious look in her gorgeous eyes, she wouldn’t have objected.
“Come on,” Adam said as he reluctantly helped Clara to her feet. “How about some hot chocolate?”
“I love hot chocolate!” Collin squealed. “Nonna makes the best!”
That was all it took for Collin to race to the kitchen. Adam and Clara lingered behind him. It could have been Adam’s imagination, but he swore Clara kept glancing his way. Maybe the date wasn’t completely ruined.
When they stepped through the sliding door of the kitchen, Clara’s eyes lit up. A satisfied smile wrapped its way around Adam’s lips as he watched Clara look around his home. He knew the dark wooden décor and appliances were mammoth-sized compared to most kitchens, but it was needed to hold the many charity events and annual parties the Beaumonts were known for. The pantry alone was the size of an average apartment bedroom.
“This is beautiful,” Clara said.
“You should see the wine cellar,” he whispered with a smug smile that acknowledged her preference for all drinks sweet.
At the long counter, Collin bounced up and down as he waited for Mrs. Thompson to finish the hot chocolate. Adam allowed the little man to dominate the conversation, sharing everything from what he was learning in school to what he had received for Christmas. Clara listened intently, sharing stories of her own school days and holiday gifts. For once, Adam found himself wanting to know more. But it was getting late, and her gift was still waiting.
“If you’ll excuse us,” Adam began as he moved toward the kitchen door, “Clara’s birthday was this week and I have her gift upstairs.”
“I love birthdays! Mine is August second,” Collin said, proudly. “Can I come too?”
“No, dear,” Mrs. Thompson replied. “We need to get going.”
Collin’s disappointed “Ahhh” was followed by promises that Clara would see him next time. Adam said his own goodbyes as he guided Clara through the door and down the hallway.
Filling the sudden silence, Clara asked, “So Collin is Mrs. Thompson’s grandson?”
“Yes.” Adam walked at Clara’s pace, slowing every time she took a sip from her mug.
“And that’s Luke and Deacon’s mother, right?”
“Yep. She had four boys with her husband. Nicholas, David, Luke, and Deacon. I think Luke and Deacon said they were four when their dad passed. And then we were still in high school when David and his girlfriend were in a bad crash. Collin was a month old. It was a miracle he survived. But he did, and Mrs. Thompson has raised him since.”
“That’s awful! About David, I mean. Mrs. Thompson must be a saint.”
“She is,” Adam said, smiling as the memories filled his mind.
Clara grinned into her mug. “Collin’s a sweet kid.”
“Just like David too. You would’ve liked him. He was a lot like Luke, just a few years older.”
Clara smiled again as she took another sip of her hot chocolate. “Collin’s right. Mrs. Thompson makes the best.”
Adam nodded and opened his bedroom door, gesturing for Clara to enter first. Again, he enjoyed the mesmerized look in her eyes as she gazed around his room. She didn’t fawn over his home like his typical type of woman did, but Adam still took pride in knowing she could be impressed.
“You know, when I first came here for the Christmas party, I thought, this room looks like you,” she said with a laugh.
“What do you mean?”
“I don’t know. It’s sort of a rustic meets modern feel. Even the art is manly.” She laughed again as she walked toward the two brown canvases that sat like bookends around his entertainment center. The tan shades swirled together like coffee and Irish cream. “What’s it supposed to be anyways?”
It was Adam’s turn to laugh. Walking towards his bedside table, he pulled out her gift and said, “Actually, I have no idea.”
Joining in on his amusement, Clara made herself comfortable on his leather sofa. Damn, that was a sight he could get used to.
“Now to the real reason you’re here,” Adam said, pushing away his lustful thoughts of all the things they could do on that leather. He needed to behave. Taking a seat, he handed her the perfectly wrapped gift. In place of a bow sat a yellow rose. “Happy Birthday, Clara.”
“Thank you. You know you didn’t have to get me anything.” Carefully, she untied the ribbon and lifted the flower to her nose. A smile crossed her lips. Adam nerves buzzed as he waited for her to unwrap the colorful paper. Clara stared down at her gift in awe. “Oh my god, this … this is …”
“It’s an original. Do you like it?”
“Do I like it?” she repeated in a daze. “How could I not? It’s beautiful! It’s …” Placing the book on the coffee table, Clara threw herself into his arms. “It’s perfect. Thank you. It’s way too much. I don’t even know if I can accept it—”
“I’m not taking it back. It’s yours.”
Her grip around him tightened as she sank further into his embrace. What he wouldn’t give to stay like this.
“Thank you,” she replied before pulling away from him.
His body groaned in protest. To his surprise, she didn’t venture too far. Instead, she placed a soft kiss on his cheek. The feel of her lips on him was becoming addictive. But the peck wasn’t enough. He wanted more.
Turning his head, he caught her mouth with his. A surprised sigh said she wasn’t expecting his sudden attack, but she didn’t pull away either. Instead, she relaxed in his arms. Adam pulled her closer, adjusting them to fit perfectly together.
Greedily, he nipped at her bottom lip. He wanted so much more but he knew he had to take it slow. Adam cupped her face with his hand and welcomed the taste of hot chocolate as he eased them into a deeper kiss.
For someone he assumed was inexperienced, Clara knew just how to take him from hot to burning with need. His hands moved at their own will, running down her back, slipping under her shirt and around her waist. He needed to go slow, but the way she moved against him was threatening his control.
His cock pushed against his jeans, responding instantly to the feel of a woman who pressed herself so perfectly against him.
Adam’s mind snapped to attention. Forcing space between them, he said, “We need to stop.”
She looked down at him, confusion written all over her beautiful face. “Did I do something wrong?”
He wanted to laugh, her innocence only adding to how much he wanted her. “No. Not even close. But if we don’t slow down, we’ll end up doing something you’re not ready for.”
Clara chewed on her bottom lip. She was contemplating something and if she didn’t spit it out soon, he would have to go back to kissing her senseless. From here on, he would be the only one giving her lips that kind of attention.
“And what if I am ready?”
Adam felt his heart leap out of his chest. “Clarabelle, don’t tease me like that.”
Slowly—very slowly—she ran her shaky hand down the front of his shirt. “I’m not teasing. I want this, Adam. I … I want you. And don’t you dare judge me, but I haven’t done this before.”
A smile crept over his lips. “Come here,” he said as he pulled her back into the kiss.
Hearing her say it made everything real. It should have scared him away. He didn’t sleep with virgins. Being someone’s first was huge, and he was a man who lived for a good fling, no emotions attached. Tonight, he was throwing out all his rules. Clara was worth the risk.
* * *
Clara obeyed, following each one of Adam’s skilled moves. If his scorching kisses were any indication of what sex would be like, then she would have no regrets. Since the night of the holiday party, she had thought about
nothing but this moment. She knew it was reckless. Hell, her mother always told her nothing good ever happened in the late hours of the night, and yet there she was throwing herself at him like a cat in heat.
Clara could not explain it, but Adam ignited something deep within her. Something that had her wanting to take that dangerous path into an unknown territory. It was that same feeling that coursed through her entire body that first night they met. The rationalist in the wee corners of her mind was shooting off flares in a desperate attempt to warn her heart to back out now before it was too late. She should have listened. She wanted to. But the moment his lips scorched her soft skin, all thoughts diminished.
Acutely aware that they were moving towards the bed, she asked, “We’re alone, right? No one’s going to come barging in?”
Every look, touch, and kiss had led to this. The last thing she wanted was to be interrupted. She would probably die of embarrassment.
“No, sweetheart.” His voice rasped with need. Its rough sound excited her further. “My mother’s out of town until Monday and the staff have tomorrow off. It’s just you and me.”
Her eagerness was put on hold as his hands slid under her shirt, pulling it over her head. She felt exposed as the cool air pricked her boiling skin. Her arms flew around her chest, suppressing the urge to shiver.
“Oh, no,” Adam whispered, placing light kisses down her neck. His hands trailed around her waist and his fingers hovered over the button of her jeans. “You are too gorgeous to be covered up.”
Just like that, her skin was on fire again.
A sense of power surged through her as she swiped his hands away. “Uh-uh. You first.”
At his surprised look, she gestured to his shirt. He nodded, a mischievous smile forming on his lips. Taking his sweet time, Adam unbuttoned his black shirt. The storm brewing in his blue eyes had Clara’s stomach in a thousand knots. With one swift motion, he let the top fall to the ground and pulled his V-neck over his head, exposing his toned chest. The hours spent in the gym certainly paid off.
Clara was ready to come apart right there.
The urge to touch his was too great, but she didn’t want her innocence to show. She wanted to tease him the way he teased her. She wanted to feel like she was capable of bringing a man as gorgeous as Adam to his knees.
Taking a page out of one of her novels, Clara’s brown eyes matched the intensity of Adam’s. Not breaking contact, she let her hands fall over her body and down to the button of her jeans.
The air crackled between them as his eyes flickered between her movements and her stare. His chest rose and fell with steady speed, but he didn’t move. Just watched as she slid her jeans down her thighs. The sound of her buttons hitting the wood floor sent her nerves pulsing with excitement.
That was all it took for Adam to close the distance between them, lifting her to his waist and letting them fall to the center of his bed. Lost in his kiss, she reached blindly for the buckle of his belt.
She wanted him.
Now, before the good girl in her talked her out of it.
“Shit,” Adam cursed into Clara’s neck. Propping himself up, he gazed down at her. “I have to run out to my car.”
“Why?” She didn’t want him to leave. Once he walked out of the room, anything could happen … or not happen.
“Because that’s where I keep my condoms.”
“Why?” she asked again. She didn’t mean for it to sound as judgmental as it came out, but it was as if he’d said he kept his milk in the cupboard.
The sound of his laugh sent chills throughout her body. “I know this will surprise you but I don’t actually bring women up here. Ever. I’d either go to their place or my apartment. At least, when I had the apartment. And since I wasn’t expecting to get lucky after our date, I didn’t see the need to grab one.”
“Are you saying I’m the first one to have you in this bed?” she teased. His words about other women was white noise.
Adam placed light kisses around the edge of her black bra. “Don’t let it go to your head.”
It was too late. Her head was already spinning, not just from his burning lips, but from his words too. She was smart enough not to expect a relationship. He wasn’t that type of guy. She’d known it from the first time they’d met. Still, the thought that she would be the first to have him in his own bed made her stomach dance.
“You don’t need a condom. That is … if you don’t want it,” she quickly added. “I’m on the pill.”
Adam eyed her carefully. “For how long?”
“About a month. Shortly after the Christmas party.”
The way Adam looked down at her made her feel so small. He didn’t answer, just contemplated what she said.
Panic rose in her throat. What if he didn’t believe her? He had to know her well enough by now to know she would never lie about something like that. For the last few months, Adam had thrown her world off its axis. It was only a matter of time before she gave into him. She wanted this, wanted him. Even if everything came crashing down in the end, she wanted to know what it was like to be in the arms of a man capable of setting every inch of her on fire. But she also wanted to be prepared. She was ready to be reckless, not foolish.
Whatever troubles flooded Adam’s mind, they seemed to vanish as he pulled Clara back to him. The taste of his mouth sent all of her worries away. With the skill of an expert, his hand moved behind her back, finding the clasp of her bra.
Clara’s chest tightened as his mouth made its way back down her neck. He was like a boy discovering a new toy. He left no part of her untouched. His hands were everywhere, teasing, pulling, cupping her breasts to fit his grasp. His mouth worked in perfect unison, sending her heart into overdrive. Her hips rose on their own, begging for the attention he gave her chest.
“Patience,” he teased, as he pressed closer to her. “We have all the time in the world.”
“The hell we do.” Her breath was heavy with need. The anticipation was driving her wild, and if he didn’t get the show on the road, she was going to go insane.
Adam shook his head, laughing as he kissed his way down her bare stomach. “I need you ready for me first.”
“I’m ready.” Her voice was on the verge of desperation.
“Relax.”
She didn’t think she could follow his quiet command, but when his lips brushed her inner thigh, she froze. More panic began to set in. What if she wasn’t good enough? She knew nothing except what she’d read between the pages of her favorites romances. She was beginning to think what a horrible idea this all was when she felt his mouth run along the lining of her panties. His fingers ran over the center of them, sending shockwaves of pleasure like she had never thought possible. If he continued to tease her this way she would burst into flames.
An uncontrollable moan escaped her lips, but she wasn’t ashamed. She wanted more, needed more. Answering her cry, Adam tugged her panties away with skilled speed and buried himself between her legs. His mouth was hot on her soft skin, a feeling better than any steamy scene she’d ever read. This man was real. And he wanted her. Wanted her just as much as she wanted him.
Her heart was racing so fast she thought it would give out. It was all too much. She could feel the intensity building with each skillful flick of his tongue. First, he moved slow, savoring each movement. The heat that filled her body was hot enough to challenge the sun. Then he did the unexpected. His pace quickened as his fingers dug into her soft thighs. Her hips arched forward as she grabbed handfuls of the sheets below her. Every inch of her skin tingled. Without warning, stars around her exploded. Her hips bucked as an uncontrollable scream ripped though her.
Pleasure rushed over her in giant waves, and her body shuddered in the aftershocks. She could feel a soft grin spread across her still tingling cheeks. She didn’t realize her eyes were closed until she opened them and found Adam smiling wildly at her.
He adjusted himself above
her, brushing her hair out of her face as he whispered, “Now, you’re ready.”
She couldn’t speak, couldn’t think. All she could do was enjoy the elated feeling of coming unraveled. Adam waited patiently. At Clara’s single nod, Adam gently eased inside her.
Pain ripped through her, and she bit down on her lip to keep from crying out. Adam tried to soothe it all away with his kiss.
Everything hurt. She knew it would, and yet she wasn’t prepared. Clenching her eyes shut, she tried to ignore it, focusing on him instead. Her thoughts replayed the pleasure he gave her.
“Are you okay?” he asked.
She nodded and pulled his mouth back to hers. She didn’t want to stop. She wanted to make him feel the way she did moments earlier. But he moved too slow, waiting for her body to adjust to him. Growing impatient, she raised her hips to meet his.
Adam’s hands dug into the mattress, and a deep moan tore through his chest. “Clara, don’t—”
She froze, alarmed by the sting in his voice. “I didn’t hurt you, did I?”
She could feel every wondrous part of him as he laughed into her hair. “No, sweetheart. Not even close. But this night isn’t for me. It’s for—”
Clara cut him off as she raised her hips again and moved with new determination. The pleasure in his moans excited her and she wanted to know what it was like to make a man come undone. Gazing up at him, she watched in awe as he struggled for control. He was a magnificent sight of controlled strength. She wanted to know what those muscles could do when they weren’t trying to be gentle.
She lifted her hips again and enjoyed the moan that ripped through his chest like a growl. Every muscle in Adam’s body tightened. Clara wrapped her arms and legs tightly around him as his body came crashing down on hers, leaving no space between them.
Her mind soared as she listened to him cry out her name. “Clarabelle.”
Never had it sounded so beautiful.
Chapter Fourteen
Adam slipped out from under the covers as Clara shifted in her sleep. Pulling on a pair of gym shorts, he took a moment to admire her. The sun was just starting to rise, casting the perfect glow on her bare back. He was beginning to fall for her. He could feel it. This was why he didn’t sleep with virgins or women who expected commitment. Too many messy emotions. This time, he hadn’t expected them to be his own.
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