“It’s not like Adam can pick and choose,” his father said.
No, but if he had the choice, he’d still want Sera.
“I’d hoped he’d be paired with a woman without baggage.”
He held up a hand. “Stop, please.” She had no right to say that about Sera.
“I’m more concerned about Sera and the kids. We all know his dating history.” Angela snorted loudly. “How long do you think this relationship is going to last?”
Great! “If you want to talk about me like I’m not here, you could wait until I leave.” He pushed away from the table and stood. “Dad, I’ll meet you out by the truck in an hour.”
Listening to his sister and mother squabble held no appeal. Their opinions didn’t matter. Only Sera’s. With a sigh, he left the house and headed for the loft. He had to have a shower and pack his bags, anyway.
“Adam, wait.”
Ignoring his sister, he trudged up the stairs to the entrance of his loft. The conversation was over. His business, nobody else’s. He let the door slam behind him. Maybe the time had come for him to move away. The convenience of being so close to work and family wasn’t worth sacrificing his privacy and sanity. But that meant living farther away from Sera. His soul mate.
“You’re so stubborn sometimes.” Angela waltzed into his apartment, flopping onto the couch. “I want to talk about Sera and the kids.”
“I’m the stubborn one?” He grabbed his duffle bag from the closet and tossed it onto the bed. “You’re the one who can’t let the issue go.”
“I mean it. I don’t want to see them get hurt.”
He turned and scowled. “Neither do I.”
“But it’s only been a year since her husband was killed. She’s likely still healing.”
“You think I don’t know that? I want what’s best for Sera, Melody, and Zachary as much as you do, if not more. And she has the final say, not me.” He packed some work shirts into the bag. “But I can’t stop how I feel about her, no matter what she decides.”
He threw more clothes inside the duffle, along with his toiletries. Angela’s sudden silence increased his frustration level. Why is she still here?
“So, she’s really your soul mate?”
He nodded. “Yup.”
“How does it feel?”
What the hell did she mean by that? “How does what feel?”
“To have a soul mate. How do you know she’s the one?”
He sat on the bed with a huff. How did he know? “It’s weird, really. I can’t stop thinking about her. Not in an obsessive way, like a stalker. But she’s the first thing on my mind when I wake up, and the last person I think about before going to sleep. Whenever I see her, I get this warmth inside. I want to make her happy, make her smile.”
“That’s the most romantic thing I’ve ever heard you say.”
He threw a bundle of socks at her. “Conversation over.”
“Wait! Do you think I’ll have a soul mate?”
“Probably not. You’re too much like Mom.” Though, he did hope his sister found happiness one day. “Now, please go. I’ve got to have a shower before I leave.”
“One more question. What are you going to do when she learns you’re half-alien?”
He raised his brows and shook his head. “She’s not going to find out.”
Adam ushered his sister out the door, locking it behind her. No, Sera didn’t need to know the truth about his family. He was born and raised on Earth, and that’s all that mattered.
Chapter Four
Butterflies swarmed in Sera’s stomach. After a week of deliberation, she’d decided to take a chance on a relationship with Adam. And now, she waited anxiously for him to return.
Melody sat on her knee, gazing up at her. “Adam really is coming back, right?”
“Yes.” Sera tickled her daughter, hoping she hadn’t picked up on her own fears of the same thing.
Zachary bolted into the room, naked. “I’m ready to go swimming.”
“Ewww.” Melody covered her eyes. “Adam’s not here yet.”
Sera sighed. At least they had kept her occupied over the past seven days. “And I think you need a bathing suit.”
“Oh yeah.” He flew back upstairs. Hopefully, to get dressed.
A huge diesel work truck roared up the driveway. Her heart raced. Finally, Adam had returned. She gripped the cushion, restraining herself from rushing out to meet him. She couldn’t show the kids anything had changed until sure Adam still wanted her.
An hour passed, then several more. Melody and Zach demanded supper, holding their bellies and grumbling. Too late for swimming anyway. And no chance of Adam coming over tonight. If he ever wanted to visit again.
Enough! As tough as it was to raise them on her own, she managed. She could very well cope without the boy next door.
Boy. Who was she kidding? Adam was all man. Hard muscles, big cock, and the feeling of him inside of her…. She pulled out the frying pan and slammed it on the stove top. Thoughts like that lead to disappointment.
Opening a package of ground beef, she dropped it in the pan for the tacos Melody and Zach had requested, but she’d eat something else, her stomach too unsettled to digest anything spicy. If she ate at all.
She jumped at the loud knocking on the door. With her palm on her chest, she tried to catch her breath. Her children stampeded like a herd of elephants for the door.
“Adam!” Their excited cries revved up her own enthusiasm.
He’d actually come over. But for what? To tell her he’d changed his mind? He’d found someone else? Someone younger?
Sera clenched her fists and headed toward the front of the house, bracing for his rejection.
“And there’s the most beautiful woman in the whole world,” Adam said as she entered the living room.
With a wickedly handsome grin directed at her, he held both of her children in his arms. She smiled. Why he wanted, at his age, to be saddled down with young ones, she had no idea, but she refused to turn him away, though his tardiness nagged at her.
“My very own Prince Charming has returned. You’ve been home for a few hours already. What kept you?” An elastic band tightened around her chest.
His smile faltered. “I’m sorry. I really wanted to come over right away, but I had a mountain of paperwork, and wanted a shower to wash off all the grime.”
God, why did I worry?
He hadn’t spent the last week partying. The tension drained away and she longed to be in his arms and beside him in bed again.
He raised his eyebrows. “You okay? You sure you want me here?”
She nodded. Time to take a chance.
Setting the kids down, Adam walked toward her. “You’re certain?”
She nodded again, more sure than she’d been of anything over the past year.
He opened his arms and she leaned into him, yearning to have the support of another once again. Before she could turn away, he kissed her, drawing her under his spell. Excited squeals echoed all around her, but she rejected the idea of pulling away from his sweet lips. Just a moment longer.
“Adam and Mommy, sitting in a tree, k-i-s-s-i-n-g.”
Adam backed away with a laugh. “I guess they’re okay with us.”
“Yes, more than okay.” Considering they’d asked her all week when Adam would come home, she hadn’t expected them to have a problem with her dating him. “Will you stay for dinner tonight? We have tacos on the menu.”
“Sounds delicious. And maybe we can have an after-dinner swim?”
Melody and Zach’s heads bounced like bobble-heads.
“Okay.” She headed back to the kitchen. “I’ve got to return to the stove before everything burns.”
“I’ll take the Melody and Zach outside to play then.”
As much as she wanted him in the kitchen with her, they wouldn’t get a moment of peace until her children had gone to bed. She hoped he’d stick around until then. Maybe spend the night.
; ***
Standing on the dock in her white string bikini top and matching boy shorts, Sera resembled a swimsuit model. If Adam were a cat, he would’ve purred. Good thing he stood in water past his waist so no one saw what she did to him.
Every time Sera had swum with him in the past, she’d worn a one-piece suit. Except for the time he’d caught her skinny-dipping. But the bikini was new.
She crossed her arms and legs in front of her, one step away from running to hide. If she only knew how hot she looked, like a sexy angel fallen from the skies. Whether she was fully dressed or naked, he wanted to claim all of her. And when Melody and Zach went to bed, he would do so, leaving the white two-piece on the floor.
He shivered with anticipation. Gliding toward the dock, he forced his thoughts on something else…anything to calm his raging hormones and get rid of the tent in his pants. Like his sister dating one of his buddies. That always hit a nerve.
“Do you like her swim suit?” Melody asked. “She bought it just for you.”
Sera flushed, and he couldn’t help but smile. She’d thought of him while he’d been gone. Just as he’d thought of her. His thumb still hurt from when he’d whacked it with a hammer while daydreaming on the job.
“I like it very much. Your mom is so pretty.”
Melody giggled, while Zach rolled his eyes. “It took her hours to pick this one out. I don’t know what was wrong with the other one.”
With a chuckle, Adam grabbed Sera’s leg, pulling her into his arms and dropped her in the water. “It’s time to test the bathing suit.”
Sera fluttered and splashed water before finally standing again. “You’re going to pay for that.”
Something he very much looked forward to, since any form of punishment was worth the sight of water droplets falling down her most delicious body. He longed to lick every last drop.
Shit. Way to keep your mind out of the gutter.
A human cannonball landed in front of him, spraying water in his face. Well, that works. He wiped his eyes to find three smiling faces staring at him.
A family. One he desired to be a part of. Groaning, he turned from them. As much as he wanted Sera, and treated her offspring as if they belonged to him, could he ever truly call them family until they knew the truth? About everything, including his alien DNA?
Family meant no secrets. At least, not from Sera. Maybe one day he would tell her, though not anytime soon. On the day he proposed marriage, perhaps? Or on their one-year anniversary? Then it would be much harder for her to walk away.
“What’s wrong?” Sera touched his shoulder. “Did Zach hurt you?”
“No, no. Just a cramp. Guess I didn’t wait long enough after I ate.” Like he didn’t think through the relationship before plunging in.
Shit, what if his parents or sister let something slip when they came over for dinner? His family remained careful and cautious, but occasionally the word, alien, tumbled into the conversation, and tracks had to be covered. Most of their friends brushed it off as a joke, but Adam always worried about the day that didn’t happen, when someone contacted the tabloids claiming to know extraterrestrials.
“Why don’t we go inside then?”
Sera helped Melody and Zach out of the water, and she kept pulling at her bikini as if uncomfortable. He wrapped an arm around her waist and nuzzled her neck, kissing her soft, wet skin. “And once the little ones are in bed, we can find out how quickly this new bathing suit of yours comes off,” he whispered.
She sighed. Before desire took over, he scooped her up and set her on the dock. Hands on the edge, he hoisted himself out of the water then followed them back to the house.
One day, she’d have to find out about his ancestry. He hoped she accepted him as an alien, because no matter how she reacted, she would always be a part of him.
Chapter Five
Sera’s head spun and her stomach churned. Why had she agreed to go on a ride called Death Mountain?
“Why don’t you sit the next one out?” Adam rubbed her back while an eager Melody and Zach yanked on his other hand.
“C’mon. We want to go on Tower of Doom,” Melody and Zach pleaded.
She glanced up at Adam, not sure how many of him really stood in front of her. “That would be great. I’ll sit here, and once my vision returns to normal, I’ll go get us some drinks.”
“You sure you’re okay? I don’t want to leave you alone if you’re not.” He touched her forehead like a parent checking a child’s temperature.
She shooed him away. “Go. I’ll be fine.”
“Okay, if you’re sure.” Holding Melody and Zach’s hands, he strolled off to the next ride.
God, how had she been lucky enough to find a guy who cared so much? He’d taken them to the aquarium the week before. And today, an amusement park.
He included her children in just about everything, never complaining they were a hindrance to getting her in bed. And once they fell asleep, he made her feel all woman, leaving her oh-so-satisfied and always wanting more. Except for Thursday nights, when he played poker with his friends, and the occasional night out of town for work, he spent every evening at her house. Where he belonged.
When she’d decided to start dating again, she hadn’t expected their relationship to progress so fast. Once it had though, she didn’t want to go back to her life without Adam.
Sera headed toward the closest concession stall while eyeballing the line for Tower of Doom. Adam had Zach in his arms and played a counting game with Melody. A familiar tingle swept through her. After only a few weeks, she loved Adam Jones.
He peered over at her from his place in line smiled as if reading her mind. More than once, she’d wondered if he had telepathic abilities, since he always seemed to know when she needed comforting, a moment to herself, and even an extra boost of confidence. Was she that transparent?
While they stood in line, she bought drinks, hoping to meet them once they’d finished on the ride. Propping the cups on the bench beside her, she waited near the exit.
“Sera? Is that you?”
She turned toward the familiar voice, shocked to be face-to-face with a friend of Rob’s. “Derek, is that really you?”
He’d lost weight and toned up since the last time she’d seen him. “Wow, you look really good.” Not that she held any attraction to him, but she considered Derek a friend.
His cheeks reddened at the compliment. “Thank you. When I moved out of my mother’s house, I also joined a gym. Best two decisions I ever made.”
She chuckled, happy for his success. “Did you buy a house then?”
“No, I rent an apartment. But it has three bedrooms, two bathrooms, and a huge galley kitchen. If you ever return to the city, you should stop by some time.”
“I will.” Her trips back home occurred less and less frequently, though she did miss visiting with their old friends.
“So, who are you here with? Where are Melody and Zach?”
“They’re in line with my…boyfriend.” Sera swallowed the sudden lump in her throat. What are Rob’s friends going to think? She hadn’t thought about that.
“You’re dating already? I thought you’d wait longer, at least until I had a chance to ask you out.”
Sera crossed her arms. She didn’t expect her friend to make her so uncomfortable. Fingers clenched onto her shoulders and someone cleared their throat behind her.
“Hi, Zach. Hi, Melody,” Derek said.
They waved and grabbed their drinks before sitting beside her.
“And this must be your boyfriend. A little young, isn’t he?”
Adam’s grip tightened.
“Derek, this is Adam Jones, my boyfriend, and a wonderful role model for my children.” Age didn’t matter so long as he treated them well.
Neither guy reached out to shake the other’s hand.
“They’re Rob’s children, too,” Derek said.
He had no right to judge her or tell her who she could and couldn’t date. “Th
at’s enough, Derek.”
“Fine, but they need a real man in their lives, not a guy who’s just a kid himself.”
And he definitely had no right to tell her what Melody and Zach needed when he hadn’t had a girlfriend for as long as she’d known him. And only just left his childhood home. “Goodbye, Derek.”
“You know how to get hold of me when you’re ready for someone better.” He pivoted and left.
Gah! How could he say such things when he didn’t know Adam? She refused to date Derek, but he was supposed to be a friend. Losing weight did not give the guy the right to be a prick.
Sera rose and kissed Adam, rubbing his arm. “You have nothing to worry about.”
“I know, but I didn’t like the way he talked to you. You deserve more respect than that.” He balled his fists then relaxed them again. “It was all I could do to refrain from knocking him out. But I knew you wouldn’t approve. And I would never do such a thing in front of your children.”
She passed him the remaining drink. “I know. And that’s one of the many reasons why I love you.”
Adam dropped his cup, spraying colored ice across the pavement. He gave her a blank stare. “You love me?”
“Yes, I do.” Though maybe she should have waited longer to say the words, or at least when they were alone. Because instead of the deer-in-headlights reaction he’d given her, she’d hoped to hear the same words in return.
***
She loves me. Adam clutched the steering wheel to keep his joy from bubbling over. He wanted to show Sera how much he loved her, too. But he had to wait until they arrived back at her house and had the little ones tucked into bed.
The DNA condemning him to be happy with only one woman had lost. His soul mate loved him. He wanted to shout it out to the world, the universe. He’d won, found his soul mate, and received her love in return.
With Sera’s reluctance for any bond at the beginning of the summer, he hadn’t expected their relationship to progress as fast as it did. And now he was one step closer to securing a future with the woman he was meant to spend a lifetime beside.
Alien Admirer (Alien Next Door) Page 3