Amanda finished her glass of milk and moaned in agony. “Why on earth did we just do this?”
“Because we have a pregnant friend who has cravings, and we were just doing our part by being there for her,” Shelby answered.
Tamara rolled her eyes. “Yeah, blame the fact that you guys just gorged just as much as I did on my being pregnant.”
Although they were laughing at their stupidity, all the women leaned back in their chairs.
“I think I finally understand why men unbutton their pants after Thanksgiving dinner,” Amanda added to the hysterics of the moment.
The laughter was interrupted as they heard the doorbell ring. In unison the three women glanced at the wall clock above the kitchen sink.
“Who on earth would be coming to your house at…oh, I think maybe it’s time we head out ladies. Tamara, as always, I assume you’re driving?” Shelby stated.
Laughing and in a mocking tone, Tamara replied, “But of course, honey, someone has to drive my drunk and disorderly friends home safely.”
Chelsea hadn’t moved. He had actually come back. She almost couldn’t believe it. Her heart was racing as the girls got up from their chairs and headed for the front door.
Shelby opened the door to a surprised Adam. “Hello, Adam. Don’t mind us. We’re on our way out.” She raised herself on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek.
Tamara introduced Amanda to Adam, and they exchanged a few pleasantries. An eternity seemed to pass as Chelsea stood near the entryway and waited for the women to leave. Adam might have been saying goodbye to the ladies, but his presence surrounded her with his intense nature.
Finally, the door was closed. She waited, her breath caught in her lungs as she watched him turn the latch and lock the door. Slowly, he turned to her, their eyes locked, and in that moment she felt something. Something had changed, and although she didn’t know what, she wanted nothing more than to be in his arms.
Chapter 22
Their gazes stayed locked on one another. Neither one of them spoke or moved for what seemed like an eternity. His eyes shifted toward the kitchen table, and a small smile crept up the corners of his mouth.
“Huh?”
His voice startled her from the trance she fell into while they stared at each other. “What?”
He motioned toward the table and the remnants of the little feast they had. “That is not what guys think is going on when girls get together to talk.”
His sexy smile reassured her. She wasn’t sure why she even needed to be reassured, but she did know that the tormented look on his face was not one she would care to see ever again.
“Oh, that…well, we sort of had a little—”
Interrupting, he finished her thoughts, “Feast?”
They both laughed at his joke and the ridiculous picture that the table displayed. Not long after though, the awkwardness set in. She wanted to say something to him. Anything, just to break the silence, but any words she conjured up got stuck in her throat. Luckily he spoke instead.
“Chelsea, I…I’m sorry about earlier. I didn’t want to leave. I just had to…something came up.” He ran a hand through his short black hair and bit out a curse.
“Adam, it’s okay. You don’t have to say anything. I know that this isn’t—” She stopped when he snapped at her.
“No, damn it! That’s not what I meant…shit!” He paced the small tiled entryway, turned, and then came toward her. Cradling her face with his hands, he continued, “I’m no good. Not for you, not for anyone.”
Her eyes widened when he rested his forehead against hers and closed his eyes. “Adam…I don’t know what you want…tell me.”
When she asked the question, his eyes opened suddenly. Staring back at her, he whispered, “I don’t know what I can promise you, Chelsea. I might not have anything to give, but I’d like to stay here with you tonight.” He brushed his lips across her forehead and spoke even quieter, “I would like to finish what we started earlier.”
He couldn’t possibly know how much she wanted that too. She didn’t care that he was offering her nothing. The feelings he invoked in her were the most intense she’d ever experienced. It was because of this she knew that as long as she had the chance she would take whatever time he gave her and relish in it.
“Please, sugar. Please don’t make me leave.” He began to kiss her. Her forehead, her temple, her cheek. Moving over to her mouth and he slid his tongue inside. He groaned and cupped his hands on her ass. As he lifted her, she wrapped her legs around him and held on to his shoulders.
He continued to kiss her, slowly, seductively, as he carried her up the stairs. She was running her fingers through his hair, trying to grab as many memories as she could. His kiss, his touch, his smell, she wanted it all ingrained in her memory so she never forgot how good it felt to be with him.
Once inside the bedroom, he turned and sat with her still wrapped around him. The memory of their position reminded her of the act of brazenness that she had performed while sitting on his lap on his couch.
Several moments had passed as they sat on the bed, her legs wrapped around him, his hands palming and massaging the globes of her ass. She wanted him so desperately, but she was afraid to move or speak in fear that she would ruin the moment.
He loved the feel of her in his hands. She was so soft and warm. A flash of how hot her pussy would get when he would drive into her sent his arousal to skyrocket out of control. He groaned in frustration of not being able to get enough of her.
His tongue was striking into the deepest parts of her cavernous mouth, seeking something more, anything new and different to her that he hadn’t yet discovered. It almost angered him how much he wanted her. He hated knowing that he had never had such intense aching desire to bury himself within another woman before.
Abruptly, he pulled away from the kiss. Holding her face, he stared into her eyes. “Chelsea…God, sugar, you taste so sweet. Why can’t I get enough of you?”
She didn’t say anything, and slowly, Adam stood up. Her legs were still firmly holding his waist. “Let go of me, sugar.”
He waited for her to do as he asked and didn’t release his hold on her rear until she had her bearings. Standing facing one another, he reached his hand up and picked up some loose strands of her flowing blonde hair and tucked it behind her ear. The way she closed her eyes and almost moaned at his small gesture made that unwelcome clench of his heart return.
“You’re so beautiful, Chelsea. Do you know that?” He waited, but she said nothing. “No…you don’t, do you? You have absolutely no idea just how incredible you are. God, I want you.”
She reached up and touched his face. “I’m right here. You have me.”
The knowledge that she couldn’t possibly comprehend just how much he wanted her, or how deeply he ached to be with her, made him want to scream. He had no business wanting her, needing her the way he did. Damn if he could help himself though. He had to have her. The force driving inside him wouldn’t allow for any alternative.
“Do I? Do I have all of you? Because what I want from you, I don’t deserve, but the hell if I don’t want it anyway.”
Not wanting to waste anymore time, he reached for the hem of her cotton shirt. “Lift your arms.” Waiting for her to comply, he once again saw the depths of her hazel eyes. Thinking she must be a witch, because no normal woman could make the color of her eyes dance the way that hers did, he laughed.
She looked at him in surprise as her arms were left suspended in air. “What’s so funny?”
He chuckled. “You are…you have no idea how your eyes bewitch me.”
“Bewitch?” She laughed. “I hardly think they’re bewitching. Especially since I spent so long…” Suddenly she stopped, dropped her arms, and turned away.
Adam was confused by her sudden change in mood. “What is it? What were you going to say? What did you spend so long doing?”
She turned to face him, and he saw a shimmer in her eyes. One that hadn�
�t been there just moments before. “Oh Jesus, were you crying? Did I make you cry?”
“It’s okay. You didn’t make me cry…I just, I can’t explain it.”
He walked a few steps closer and took her hands in his. Kissing the tips of her fingers one by one, he asked, “Will you try? Please…I don’t want to make you cry.”
“No, please, let’s just forget it. I don’t want to ruin what little time we’ll have together.” Her actions echoed her words as she wrapped her arms around his neck and attempted to pull him close for a kiss.
Adam pulled away. “What? What do you mean what little time? Chelsea, are you going to ask me to leave?”
“No! No, I just…Adam, I know you don’t want a girlfriend or a relationship, and I’m fine with that, really I am. I just know that once we…I know you’ll leave. It might have only been a couple of days, but I’ve figured that much out.”
Jesus. He was an asshole. He had been with her in so many ways in the past two days that he hadn’t even thought of how he made her feel by his abrupt behavior.
“No, you’re wrong. I don’t want to leave. I told you that. I want to stay here, with you, all night.” When she wouldn’t look at him, he forced her to. Using his index finger, he lifted her chin. “I mean it. I know I’m not good with words. I have horrible manners and a rotten disposition, but I want to be here with you, only you, all night.”
Her smile lit the room. “Really? Because I’m not asking for anything, Adam. I am not trying to trap you into—”
“When did I accuse you of trapping me? Huh?” He was more angry with himself than her, but that didn’t stop him from snapping out the words. Her shocked expression quickly dissolved any feelings of anger.
“Jesus, oh crap, I’m so sorry. See, that’s what I mean. I’m not…oh hell, I have issues, okay?” He released her hands and walked over to the bed. Sitting down, he rested his elbows on his knees. Bent over, he reached up and dropped his head in his hands.
“It’s okay…you don’t have to say anything. But when…I mean, if you ever want to talk about things, I’m a really good listener.”
He knew he shouldn’t. It wouldn’t be fair to her to unload all of his baggage on her. Even knowing that, he still opened his mouth and let the words spill free. He needed to tell her, needed to explain, and hoped she would understand.
“Did you know that I was a SEAL? Not an animal type SEAL,” he joked, “but a Navy SEAL. Did you know that?”
She nodded. “I did, actually. Cullen was the one that told me.”
“Sugar, do me a favor, okay?”
“Sure, anything. What is it?” she answered.
With a cocky grin, he said, “I don’t like hearing you say his name so close to your bed. Mine is the only name I want to hear you utter. Okay?” He winked as he teased her.
Laughing, she nodded. “Duly noted, sir.”
“Good. I meant what I said though, Chelsea. I have some pretty deep and serious issues that I’m trying to work through. Maybe I will be able to, maybe I won’t, but the bottom line is they are there. And they are the reason that I act the way that I do. I’m not saying that makes it okay or gives me an excuse to treat you the way that I do sometimes, but it’s the truth just the same.”
“I understand. Adam, you really don’t have to tell me any of this. I want you to stay. There aren’t any conditions to that invitation. I just want to be with you.”
Smiling, he told her, “Then you do sort of understand. Because no matter how much I know, I shouldn’t be here with you. No matter how much I know, I don’t deserve to be happy. You make me feel so damn good. No matter how hard I try, I can’t seem to stay away from you.”
This time Chelsea kissed him. She leaned into him and took his mouth the same way he had always taken hers. He was surprised by her aggression and ardor. He was used to being the dominant force, but the idea that she was staking her claim on him, even if it was just his mouth, sent a whole set of emotions to swirl inside him.
He grinned as she slid her tongue out of his mouth and down the side of his neck. As she nibbled on his skin, he heard her mutter her need for him.
“Take me then, sugar. You said you were here. You said I have you.” He encouraged her.
She stopped her feast on his stubbly chin and looked up at him. “You do.”
He darted his tongue out and traced the outer edge of her lips. “Show me, sugar. Show me how I have you.”
He watched her eyes as they changed from swimming with desire to being completely flooded with lust. “Come on, sugar. I can see it in your eyes. Show me everything that you want to do.”
Chapter 23
Chelsea loved the way he was looking at her when he demanded that she show him. His voice, the low seductive murmur of it, was an aphrodisiac in itself.
Pulling him up from the bed by his hands, she tugged the hem of his cotton T-shirt out from the waistband of his jeans and lifted it off of him.
For the first time since their little fling began, he was finally giving her the chance to really look at him and see who he was. Her finger traced the scar on his left shoulder. She looked up at him and saw the hesitance in his eyes. Refusing to let the moment die, she leaned in and kissed it. She laved the small square inch of red, puffy skin with her tongue and kissed it delicately.
Trailing kisses along his chest, she raked her fingernails across his abdomen and smiled when she heard him hiss in pleasure. She liked knowing that she was driving him crazy.
Slowly, she worked her way around his chest, to his arms, his shoulders, and his back. The whole time never removing her hands or mouth from exploring his taut, muscular skin.
When she reached the tattoo on his left shoulder blade, she hesitated. It was a frog, but she hadn’t realized before that it was draped in an American flag. It looked distorted, though, as if something had… She realized then that this was on the exact opposite side of his scar on the front of his shoulder.
Cullen mentioned to her that Adam had been shot. From the looks of it, the bullet must have gone straight through him. The area where the flag should have been blue with its white stars was now just as swollen and red as his front scar was, maybe even more so.
“Chelsea, don’t,” he told her quietly.
“Adam, no. You told me to show you. So, let me show you.” She leaned in and kissed the scar as she continued to rub her hands all over his back.
The way his back muscles flexed under her touch sent a heat straight to her womb. She was already turned on, but she felt peaceful in her exploring, not wanting to rush the journey of discovering every inch of his body.
She breathed in the masculine scent of his body. Kissing his scar was no longer enough as she trailed her tongue down his spine until she reached his jeans. Straightening herself, she slowly walked back around him, the whole time trailing her fingers lightly across his shoulder then down his abdomen to meet with the button of his jeans.
She looked up at him and could tell that it was killing him to stand still and let her take control. Knowing how hard it was on him, she loved it all the more that he was allowing her to.
Without saying a word, she slowly and painstakingly undid each button on the fly of his jeans. Once she peeled the opening away, she placed her hands on the sides and tugged them down his thighs. Pulling his briefs down with them, she had to force herself to continue as she saw his erection flop out of its constraints.
The urge to take the swollen, purplish head in her mouth was all too alluring, but she knew if she did they would get lost in the frenzy, and she didn’t want to waste a single moment of this opportunity. She knew this might be the only chance she had to revel in the glory of his body. She wanted to slow down and savor it.
Once his jeans were down to his ankles, she looked up at him. Waiting as he lifted his legs, she pulled the denim free and pushed it across the floor.
Sitting on her knees, she looked up at him. The sight of his chiseled, muscular body and his cock jutting out g
ave her the impression of one of those fine marble sculptures that were in the museums of Rome. He was gorgeous, beautiful, and so perfect.
Leaning forward, she took her tongue and licked a trail up to the sensitive area just to the side of his groin. The animalistic sound he made turned up the notch on her patience. No longer going slowly, she began to scoot around his body, taking her tongue on the same journey. She was now kissing his ass, literally. She laughed at the silliness of her thoughts.
Needing to see him as much as feel him, she pulled back and took in the sight of the sexiest male ass she’d ever seen in her life. She must have been staring for longer than she thought, because his ragged breathing and the sound of his tormented voice whispering her name spoke volumes to her of how close he was to snapping and taking control of the situation.
She stood, still kissing and rubbing her hands all over his body. She walked to stand back in front of him. The look in his eyes was making her pussy throb in anticipation of what he was going do to her.
She lifted her arms for him, just as she did before, only this time he reached over and lifted her shirt, throwing it across the room. Her head dropped back, and she moaned in pleasure at the feel of his hands cupping and massaging her already aching and swollen breasts.
Her nipples were burning for him to touch her there. Then, just like he was able to read her thoughts, he pulled the lace down and pushed it under her breasts. The action forced her erect nipples to stand out even more predominantly.
At the feel of his tongue and mouth suckling on one, she grabbed onto the back of his head and held him to her, refusing to let him go. She was digging her fingers through his hair and whimpering against the assault of his mouth.
All she could think was…God, he knew exactly what to do to her to make her hot and wet in mere seconds. It was obvious from the way he was ripping at her cotton shorts, trying to get them off of her without removing his mouth, that he was also losing his battle of restraint just as quickly as she was.
Morgan, Nicole - Sweet Vengeance [Sweet Awakenings 3] (Siren Publishing Classic) Page 13