by Heinzer, HB
“You know, you really need to work on being subtle,” he laughed. “You suck at it.”
“Whatever. Don't be a stubborn ass.” She bent down, gave him a peck on the cheek and ran out the door.
***
Carly's ears perked up when the door closed. She hurried to get dressed, wanting to get the scoop from Julia on how Adam was doing. With her hair thrown up in a messy ponytail, she pulled on a fresh tank top and flannel lounge pants.
She retreated and slammed her door shut after managing to get two steps out of her room. It wasn't Adam who had left; it was Julia. Shit. She leaned against the door while she tried to figure out what she was going to do. There was no way Adam hadn't heard the door closing, so he knew she was awake. Then again, he was the reason they weren't talking. If he wanted to talk to her, he knew how to make his way from the living room to her bedroom.
“Carly?” Adam said softly, knocking on her door. “You wanna come out and talk?”
Did she want to talk? She had begged him more times than she could count to talk to her, and she had agreed to meet him for coffee later in the week so they could do just that, but could she talk to him right now?
“Yeah, be right out,” she sighed. Grabbing the brush off her dresser, she pulled her hair into a much neater ponytail. He would have to deal with her Poindexter glasses. She meekly opened the door. “Hey.”
He looked tired. Adam was normally the type of guy who could get four hours of sleep and be fully functional, but it looked like he’d had a few too many days without sleep. That was a feeling Carly could understand. She was sure the bags under her eyes were a matched set to his. She stood in front of him, looking into his stormy blue eyes, trying to figure out what to do. He was standing so close to the doorway that she couldn't step out without stepping into his arms, but that didn't feel right. It's what she wanted, but she knew it was too soon.
Adam took a step back, motioning for her to lead the way back to the couch. “Want a beer?” She asked before sitting down.
“Jules just ran out to get some,” he informed her. When Carly started laughing, Adam looked at her as though she had lost her mind. “Care to share?” He asked.
She held up her hand while she regained her composure. “Your sister, my best friend, is a scheming liar.” She opened the fridge, crooking a finger for Adam to come and see for himself. The entire bottom shelf overflowed with microbrews a new client had given Julia.
Adam shook his head, reaching in to grab a honey ale. “I knew she was up to something. Well, shall we go out and sit?”
Carly's stomach was doing flips. She thought she would have more time to prepare. What was she going to say to him to earn herself a second chance? Adam settled into one end of the couch and Carly got as close to the opposite armrest as possible. She couldn't let the spicy cologne he was wearing or the long eyelashes framing the most beautiful eyes she had seen distract her. Even when he was upset, the color of his eyes was mesmerizing.
“So, how have you been?” Carly asked, immediate berating herself.
Adam sighed heavily, leaning so that his elbows rested on his knees. She glanced over at him from behind a short curtain of brown hair. It was the longest she had seen it, and she was trying to decide if she liked the shaggy look on him. “How do you think I've been?” He asked angrily. “Life's been a fucking party. Revolving door of women and booze in my life, you know?”
Carly recoiled at the venom in his words. Okay, so this was going to be even more of a battle than she thought. She was lying to herself when she said she would be fine if all she got from their talk was closure. She didn't want that. She wanted to make him see that she still loved him.
“I'm sorry,” she whispered. “That was stupid of me. I just meant...”
His posture loosened. “I know what you meant. I'm sorry for being an ass,” he admitted. “But it was an exceptionally stupid question. I've been pretty shitty ever since this one girl I went and fell in love with told me she needed space. And the worst part? She did it less than a minute after making me the happiest I've been in a long time. She told me she loved me for the first time and then gave me the 'I need space' speech. Can you believe there are girls out there who would pull that shit?”
Holy hell. It seemed Adam’s mission was to drive the knife as deep into her heart as he possibly could before hearing anything she had to say.
“Wow,” Carly said, blowing out the breath she had been holding since he started his little tirade. “She really sounds like a stupid bitch.” She folded her arms tightly around her knees, making herself as small as possible. No matter how much she managed to shrink her physical presence, she would still be enormous compared to how small she felt emotionally.
Adam reached his hand out, placing it on her calf. Carly flinched at the warmth of his touch against her skin. “I think 'stupid bitch' might be a bit harsh,” he sighed. “But I sure wish I knew what she was thinking that night.”
Resting her head on her knees, Carly looked over at Adam. His eyes were still stormy and filled with pain, but they were softer than they had been when she opened her door. “She was probably freaked out. You know, not every girl gets excited about the idea of falling in love. If someone has problems in their past, you know, like if both of her parents left her when she was so young she doesn't even remember them, falling in love could be scary as hell.”
Talking about herself in the third person was odd, but somehow, it was easier. She wasn't outright admitting to her own faults, she was able to mask it in hypothetical ideas. Her heart clenched, realizing Adam had chosen this approach knowing how hard it was for her to open up. Hell, if sharing her feelings were easy for Carly, they wouldn't be in this mess.
Adam stared at the wall, rubbing the hand not resting on her calf across his five o'clock shadow. “Okay, I suppose I can see that,” he stated, nodding. “But can you think of a reason she would tell me she needed space instead of telling me she was scared? I had told her I wasn't going anywhere, so why would she think I was lying to her and that I would leave her eventually?”
Carly wiped a traitorous tear from her cheek. “Maybe she is used to people leaving her. I'm not saying what she did was right, but maybe that's how she's always dealt with people getting too close to her.”
Adam shifted in his seat. He stood, reaching out to pull Carly from her seat. “Thanks, you've given me a lot to think about.” After a quick hug, he turned away from her, grabbing his leather jacket. “See you Thursday?”
Carly was more confused now than she had been when she was still in her bedroom, and Adam wasn't speaking to her. Right when they started talking, he was leaving her. Again. “Yeah, sure.” She tried to come across unaffected by his aloof demeanor, but she was crumbling inside.
Before he could get to the door, Carly had to ask the question that had been eating away at her as they talked. “Hey, did you tell your sister about us?”
Adam shook his head with a smile. “Nope, but you were totally wrong about her. She pulled all of this thinking that maybe you and I should hook up. Thinks we’d be perfect for one another. Can you imagine?” He softly kissed Carly’s cheek as he opened the door.
***
Adam nearly tripped as he turned to the stairs. “You can go in now,” he laughed, seeing his sister propped against the wall with her nose buried in a book.
“Leaving so soon?” He wanted to wipe the smug look off his sister's face.
“Yes, it was amazing,” Adam joked. “We had a wild and crazy orgy while you were gone. We’re thinking about finding some kinky sex club for tomorrow night.”
Julia jabbed him in the arm. “Shut up. You can’t blame me for giving two of my favorite people a nudge toward one another.”
“Jules, we’re friends. End of story. Please quit meddling.” He reached down, pulling Julia into his arms. “You know, I appreciate what you're trying to do, but you have to stop,” he whispered to her, unsure if Carly stood on the other side of the door listening
to them.
Rolling his eyes, Adam pushed Julia towards her front door. “Goodnight, pain in my ass.”
“Night, idiot.”
Chapter Eighteen
The past six weeks had flown by. Carly had managed to find a stagehand job, thanks to some poor bastard coming down with mono, and Adam had started talking to her again. They still weren't together, but they were friends. Both of them had admitted they weren't ready to jump back into bed, allowing their hearts to become even more wrapped up in one another.
“So, are you going out again tonight?” Julia called out from the couch.
“Yep,” she said, blotting her new plum lipstick. “How about you? Got any big plans?” Carly already knew the answer. It seemed like all Julia did was sit around the apartment night after night. While Carly was happy that Julia and Micah were still getting along, talking every night, she wished her friend would get out and live a little.
Julia popped the lid on a pint of Ben & Jerry’s. “Micah and Caleb should be calling soon.” She turned to look at Carly. “Hey, you wanna head home for Thanksgiving? We could hit the mall on Friday morning with Annie, I'm sure she'd love that.”
Carly wanted to go home for the holiday more than anything. It had been a long time since she was able to break away from work long enough to fly home. This year would be no different now that she had a job. “Can't. That's less than two weeks before curtain goes up. I'm sure they'd have my ass if I even asked.”
Julia shrugged. “Okay, just figured I'd ask. So, what's up with the outfit? Got a hot date tonight?” She eyed Carly suspiciously.
“Nope, just dinner with a friend.” This time around, it was Adam asking Carly to keep her mouth shut about them trying to work on their differences. The way he saw it, Julia was just going to push harder if she knew they were talking and they needed to go slow.
“Okay, have fun,” Julia said, waving her hand in the air dismissively.
***
Adam sat at the corner table of a little bistro trying to resist the urge to check the time again. Things had been going great with Carly since they started talking again, but it wasn't enough for him. If she could trust him to stand by her side as she kept working through her insecurities, he was ready to have her back in his life on a more intimate level. Of course, now that she lived with his sister, they would have to get creative about sleepover time...
He heard a pair of heels clicking across the hardwood floor and looked up. He stood, rounding the table to pull out Carly's chair. “Holy shit, Peanut,” he said, trying to catch his breath. “You look amazing.” Adam pulled her in for a hug, kissing her softly on the cheek.
Damn, he missed the feeling of her creamy skin against his lips. That one taste had him hungry for more. He quickly returned to his seat, hoping Carly hadn't noticed his dress slacks tenting.
“You like it?” She asked, her eyes twinkling with mischief. Hell yes, he loved it. She was wearing a black cashmere sweater dress that rode high on her thighs, paired with heels that had to be at least four inches high. He tried to push back images of those strappy shoes wrapped around his waist as she rode his cock.
“Um,” he choked out. “Yeah, I like.”
When Carly laughed, she tossed her head back, elongating her graceful neck. If her goal with tonight's wardrobe choice and up-do had been to kill him before the main course, she was on the right track. “You're not so bad yourself,” she whispered, leaning in so he could see the slightest hint of cleavage.
Over two months of pent-up sexual frustration filled the air between them. While they hadn't discussed it, it seemed both of them were ready to take their relationship to the next level. Either that or Carly had turned into the biggest flirt on the planet.
“So, um...” Adam wasn't normally one to have problems saying what was on his mind, but he was still nervous that Carly would run again. “I'm just gonna say it, and I hope you won't bail on me.” Carly fidgeted with her napkin and silverware. “Can you look at me?”
“Sorry,” she said quietly. When she looked up at him with those gorgeous green eyes, his heart skipped a beat. “Go on.” She folded her arms in front of her, pressing the breasts he was trying hard to avoid looking at up and together slightly, making it hard for him to focus.
“I love you, Carly. And I'm tired of being your friend.” He reached across the table, enveloping her tiny hand in his. “I'm not asking you for forever, not right now anyway, but I want us to see if we can get back on track.”
The waiter brought over the bottle of wine Adam had ordered while he was waiting for Carly to arrive. Adam took the first glass, nodded in approval and waited until they were alone to continue. “If you can promise me that you will trust I won’t leave you, I will do everything I can to show you every day that I'm here for the long haul.”
***
Adam was saying exactly what Carly wanted to hear. She had been waiting for this since about five seconds after he hung up on her that fateful night. Now, her heart was racing, and she hoped he couldn't feel her body shaking. While he said it wasn't a proposal of any sort, this felt real. It felt permanent. And the reality of their love crashed down around her.
“I love you, Adam. So much,” she started, trying to stave off the tears building behind her eyes. “I don't want to be without you ever again.”
“Why do I feel a 'but' coming here?” Adam asked nervously. Oh, he knew her too well.
Carly nodded. “We still have the issue of you living in Wisconsin and me living out here. That might work for now, but what happens when it doesn't work anymore?”
Adam ran his hands through his hair that was still overgrown and sexy as hell. “We deal with that when the time comes.” He leaned over the table, lowering his voice to barely a whisper. “Right now, I know that I don't want to spend another night in New York, knowing you're here too, without making love to you.” He sat up straight, dramatically unfolding his napkin and placing it in his lap. The ball was in Carly's court this time.
As she digested his words, all she could do was nod. Was this really happening? “Would it be rude to leave before we order dinner?” Carly asked, giggling like a little girl. She didn't want to be in public with Adam; she wanted to be very, very private with him. She had never minded not having sex for long periods of time, but that was when there was no emotion involved. Her body craved that connection with Adam that she'd been missing.
Adam brushed Carly's cheek with the backs of his fingers. “Patience, baby,” he laughed. “Besides, you're going to need energy tonight.” When he winked at her, she felt her core begin to throb in anticipation.
“Fine,” Carly huffed, slumping back in her seat like a petulant child. “But let's get something that won't take forever.”
***
After what had to be one of the quickest meals eaten at the quaint bistro, Adam practically pulled Carly out onto the sidewalk. If a cab didn't come soon, he was going to toss her over his shoulder and run down the street with her. Of course, she was petite enough that someone would probably think he was a kidnapper, which would ultimately delay them.
“You're sure about this?” He asked, leaning down to press his lips to hers. He wanted to taste her, but knew he wouldn't stop if his tongue entered her mouth. She was his drug.
Carly nodded, wrapping her arms around his neck. “For the first time in a long time, yeah, I'm sure. Thank you,” she said sweetly, pulling his head down to hers for another kiss.
They ducked into the first cab that pulled up to the curb. As soon as the cabbie had the address of Adam's hotel, he turned his attention to Carly. “I can't wait to get you to my room and see what you have under here,” he whispered into her ear, gently nipping at the lobe before he pulled away. His fingers traced the short hemline of her dress, pushing the soft fabric higher with each pass.
Carly's body shifted so that she was leaning into his, her head falling back against his neck. Adam draped his arm over her shoulder, allowing the fingers on one hand to d
ip beneath the neckline as the other hand continued to inch the bottom of her dress higher. She sucked in a ragged breath, her fingers digging into his thigh. “Adam, make him hurry,” she pleaded, shifting her body around on the vinyl seat.
Adam laughed, “Something wrong, Peanut?” He dipped deeper into the top of her dress, cupping one swollen breast in his hand.
Her free hand flew over her mouth as she started to moan. They were going to wind up on one of those late night taxi-cam shows on cable television if this ride lasted much longer. His self-control was fading as he brought Carly close to climax without any part of his body buried inside of her. While the thought of making her come apart in the backseat of a taxi thrilled him, he wanted to feel her clench around him when it finally happened.
***
Carly wasn't sure her legs would hold her by the time they reached the hotel. Between her dangerously high and thin heels and Adam taunting her throughout the entire ride, her thighs were quivering as she stood. She was grateful when Adam noticed her plight and wrapped an arm tightly around her waist.
“Problems?” He whispered against her neck, gently sucking near the hollow behind her ear.
He knew exactly what he was doing, and she wasn't sure if she wanted to slap him for affecting her so deeply in public or wrap her legs around his waist, letting him feel her heat against his torso. The only thing stopping her from the latter was the fact that if she did that, every patron in the hotel lobby would know she was wearing nothing but a black satin thong.
The door to Adam's room hadn't even closed when Carly reached for the button on his pants. As soon as he told her this was what he wanted, thoughts of both of them naked, tangled in each other all night consumed her mind.
“Baby, I need you,” she moaned, her fingers brushing between his boxer briefs and his hot skin. She turned her hands, sliding them further down until she felt the tight muscles of his ass against her palms.