“Mmmm,” she moaned. Adrian nibbled on her neck while he caressed her hardened nipples.
“So tell me, Cory,” he spoke directly into her ear. “Is this what you really came all the way here for?” Adrian rammed further into her, indicating the exact answer he required from her.
“Oh, Adrian. Yes!” Cory exclaimed with a gut-wrenching moan, angling her body, taking every measured and intensified stroke Adrian delivered. His sinfully sweet thrusts plunging deeper, harder … faster now with every powerful stroke, massaging her fleshy behind.
“Thought so.” Her arms were pressed up against the door, now rattling madly on its hinges. Between her loud moans and Adrian’s deep grunts every time he withdrew and slammed into her again and the rattling door, it crossed Cory’s mind that anyone passing in the corridor might think somebody was being murdered up in here. She still couldn’t care less what anyone might be thinking right now. That was the effect Adrian’s love-making had on her. She became liberated. She only felt sweet ecstasy anytime this man was inside her.
Together with the pulsating soca beats breezily floating through Adrian’s apartment from outside, the two lovers became entrapped in their own Carnival rhythm. By the time Cory climaxed again, Adrian had her in a position of counting her ten beautifully polished toes as he enjoyed listening to her come in Spanish this time. Cory never before came this hard. When it was his turn, Adrian did his in English. Dirty American-English to be exact. And his door stood up to the battering of its life. It could withstand a category five hurricane obviously.
• • •
“Are you okay, baby?” Adrian asked, carrying Cory’s limp body over to the sofa. He was trying to catch his breath as he laid her down on the sofa. Since her last explosive foreign climax, she hadn’t said a word.
When he looked into her eyes, there were tears glistening.
“Cory, did I hurt you just now? What is it?” Adrian asked her frantically. Maybe he had been a bit too rough and heavy with her this time. He was just so damn excited to see her today.
The crazy sensations this woman’s body stirred in him. Those agonizingly, sinfully sweet sensations that rocked and jolted his body every time she spread her legs to have him. In fact, the mere sight of her could stir such sensations. Then feeling her. Pleasuring her body with his. It was just crazy the way her body responded to his every touch. Cory could boost any man’s ego in that department. Adrian prayed to God he hadn’t hurt her just now.
“No, I’m fine,” she answered.
Adrian breathed a sigh of relief. “Then tell me, why’re you crying, baby?”
“No!” she blurted out.
“Cory, c’mon.” Adrian prodded some more but she wasn’t budging. Just when he was about to drop it, she finally opened up to him.
“It’s just that … I’m in love with you, Adrian.”
Chapter 16
Love? Cory was in love with him? Never in a million years had Adrian expected to hear these words. He never saw this one coming. And especially from Cory! He figured a woman like her only needed a man like him for one thing. He thought some good loving was all she had wanted. And he was only more than willing to give it to her for as long as she needed it. Adrian knew she could never complain about him handling his business with her because he definitely left her more than satisfied on every occasion. She didn’t need those toys anymore, for damn sure.
Then his long, stunned male silence kicked in. What more could she possibly want with him? Cory made it quite clear what she thought of military men since the first day they officially met. When did love become a part of her agenda? Now Adrian was really confused. He was at a complete loss for words and the deafening silence grew even longer in the room.
His mind was working like clockwork trying to decipher everything that just happened here. Adrian hadn’t even noticed their relationship’s course changing. Did they even have a relationship? And if they did, what was the basis of it? Sure they were lovers, they went out together, enjoyed each other’s company. Cory was definitely the only woman in his life. The only woman he shared his bed with. But he had been so intent on protecting his shattered heart for so long now that he wasn’t one hundred percent ready to confront his true feelings for Cory.
Yes, Cory was undeniably beautiful, insanely fantastic in bed, she could also be a little nutty sometimes but Adrian loved that about her. He loved spending time with her; being around her was food for his starving soul. Her laughter, music for it to dance. But he just wasn’t sure he was in love.
• • •
Cory wished he would just say something. Anything. But nothing came. Now what did she do? Shouting her feelings like some crazy school girl? And why was she feeling like she just made a complete fool of herself in the process?
One moment the man had her coming in Spanish and touching her ten toes for the love of it which no man has ever caused her to do before. What next? A black leather outfit and a whip? Or fish nets and stilettos? Then in another instant, she was blurting out feelings of love for the man. Why couldn’t she just keep her mouth shut? Ha! So much for Elisha’s stupid advice.
Finally, Cory gave into the fact that this conversation was going nowhere. She got up to go to the kitchen wearing nothing but her shattered pride. Wishing to forget the folly she’d just uttered, she asked him nonchalantly, “Do you have anything to drink in your refrigerator?”
Again, Adrian didn’t even bother to answer her. He was still at a loss for words it seemed. Maybe he hadn’t heard her. And hopefully, any of the other foolishness she just uttered, too.
• • •
But Adrian had heard all right. The last thing he wanted to do in this world was to hurt Cory. Thoughts of Natacha began flooding his mind then. Was he afraid to admit his feelings now because of what he had gone through with her?
Over the years and because of this he had mastered the art of masking his true feelings so well. He had even gotten the crazy idea to tattoo a cobra over his heart for protection. But the truth was, he didn’t feel anything where Natacha was concerned anymore. He had Cory to thank for that. He had her now. In his life. In his bed. And in his heart. She made all that pain go away. So why can’t you just tell her that, fool?
Adrian lay on the sofa totally satiated but still stared into oblivion. In his mind he recalled a previous opportunity he had to tell Cory his feelings. But he had chickened out then, too. They were having dinner at a restaurant on the western peninsula one night.
Adrian loved this area, it was so quiet and serene. He had spent a lot of time training through the heavy forested area and had been hiking there many times, as well as going on many shooting expeditions, too. The lush greenness of the vegetation and the quiet charm and calm this area offered made it one of his favorite places on the island.
Adrian remembered that night well. Cory was wearing an elegant turquoise-colored maxi dress. He distinctively remembered her outfit because it was the first time he had seen her wearing anything past her knees. She had looked so beautiful, her hair falling wildly about her shoulders. In fact, she always looked beautiful to him. Adrian loved her wild messy hair, it was what made Cory … well, Cory. He loved it even more when they made love and it became a tangled mess, clinging to her sweaty shoulders.
The restaurant had offered outdoor dining under the warm Caribbean star-filled night. It was quite a lovely picture with the anchored yachts bobbing on the calm sea and the lights of the city in the distance twinkling behind them.
“This is really beautiful. Adrian, I love it here,” Cory had remarked about the restaurant. It was the beauty and the history of the place she had appreciated, since the area was settled by an indigenous Arawak Indian tribe who gave the area its name, Chaguaramas.
When the waitress had brought their orders over, Cory immediately attacked her plate of succulent shrimp in a coconut curry sauc
e. He’d chosen the lobster tails in lime butter.
“Baby, this is sooo good,” Cory broke out into her orgasmic-like moaning. “You have to try this.” She stuck one juicy shrimp on her fork and fed it to Adrian. His face immediately turned a dark red color.
“Oh, hot. Hot,” he complained. He literally felt like hot steam coming through his ears. “Cory, why’s that so spicy?” Adrian began coughing now. “How could you eat that stuff?” More coughs.
“It’s not that hot,” Cory laughed as he swallowed several gulps of the water on the table, trying to cool his mouth. “You know I like my food spicy,” she offered.
Tears were forming in his eyes.
“Adrian, are you, okay?” Cory asked sounding both concerned and guilty.
“Yeah, I’m good,” he coughed some more. “But please, no more hot peppers, baby. You know I like my woman spicy. Not my food, okay.”
“Okay,” she smiled wickedly. “I’ll keep that in mind when we get home.”
When things had cooled down after dinner, they watched the yachts and took in the sheer ambiance of the place and each other. That was when Cory sprung her list of requirements on him. These were supposedly her terms of what people should expect from each other.
“Oh, boy,” he had silently groaned. He’d wondered where Cory was heading with all this when she boldly proceeded to list her requirements. He should have figured out her feelings for him then.
“Honesty is at the top of the list,” she began. “Then there is faithfulness and respect.” And she went on and on. By the time she had listed about fifteen of her requirements, Adrian’s head was spinning.
“Whoa, that sure is a long list, Cory,” he responded.
“It’s not so long,” she protested.
“Do you mind if I ask you where you got this crazy idea for a list of requirements, anyway?”
“From a book by Steve Harvey,” she replied nonchalantly.
“Steve Harvey?” Adrian asked incredulously. He started grinning then.
“What?” Cory shot back at him.
Adrian was in stitches, laughing. “Cory, just in case you didn’t realize, the guy’s a comedian. And here you are taking love advice from the man?”
“Hey, that was a really good book. It was a bestseller, too. It was so funny and it did have a lot of helpful information, just so you know,” Cory interjected.
Adrian didn’t get women. They were willing to read anything and take it as the gospel. Books, magazines, articles. For instance, they’d read how to lose weight, how to spice up their love life, and what kind of man they should marry and believe the crap. From the time a real man pours out his true feelings to them and tells them he loves them, what do they do? They shut him down, walk away, or never believe the brotha. That was why he wasn’t about to head down that road again.
“So what are your requirements then, Adrian?”
“My requirement is that you don’t have so many requirements,” he joked.
“Adrian, come on, this is important. Stop playing.”
“Cory, first of all I think you have way too many requirements.” If she wrote it down, the thing would have probably resembled a grocery list, Adrian thought. “But on a serious note and if you must know, my one and only requirement is that you understand what I do as a soldier and respect it. You don’t have to like it. Just respect it, Cory.”
“That’s it? You have one requirement?”
“One requirement,” Adrian maintained.
“Are you sure? Not cook your meals? Do your laundry?”
“Nope, none of that stuff is required.”
“Well, I think I may be able to work with that,” she had smiled.
But Adrian didn’t know if Cory was quite prepared to do that just yet. If she ever could accept that fact and understand the responsibilities that came along with it. He knew that had been his major reason for not telling her how absolutely crazy he was about her. But in the following weeks Adrian did notice her overcoming this. Now, he still couldn’t tell her.
• • •
Since he wasn’t even looking at her, Cory pressed her hot forehead against the cool, gleaming stainless steel of Adrian’s refrigerator door. She chided herself silently. She realized it was high time she separate the sex from the love like him. She had to start taking Steve’s advice and start thinking like a man. Adrian’s stunned silence alone signified that his interests were purely sexual in nature. He was a man, after all. No, he was a military man, she reminded herself. And this was all he needed from her.
When she returned to the sofa, drink in hand, she was a totally different person. She was back to her cheery self again.
“Do you want a drink, baby?” she cooed sweetly. Adrian shook his head in refusal. Cory seductively pouted her lips. “Do you want some of me instead, then?” she asked playfully.
Adrian smiled. “Now, when have I ever refused you?”
“Never!”
“Hmmm, and I wonder why that is? Come here, baby,” he spoke softly. Adrian kissed her so tenderly then.
Yes, I wonder that myself sometimes, Adrian. That’s it, Cory. Think like a man. Act like a lady. And screw him till he’s senseless.
Chapter 17
It was Adrian’s turn to go to the refrigerator. After making love to Cory all afternoon long, he was ravenous. And after performing like that, a man had to eat to keep his strength up. He took two frozen pasta meals from the freezer and popped one into the microwave.
A single guy living the bachelor lifestyle really didn’t have much choice when it came to eating. Though he lived on an island that abounded with fresh produce, seafood, and poultry he still ate out a lot, feasted on fast food, or had tons of frozen meals on hand. He wasn’t much of a chef either. Mac ‘n’ cheese was his best friend as far as actually cooking a meal went.
He stood next to the microwave drumming his fingers on the countertop, waiting for the beep. Meals like this often reminded him of the ones he had when he was out in the field back in Afghanistan. Adrian remembered the many steaming meals of rice and beans he had for dinner in those days. This also reminded him of how happy he was to be back in Trinidad. Especially since he had Cory now, a sensuous and beautiful woman who was in love with him.
Adrian forgot his thoughts and turned toward the door when he heard a key turning in it. Anna-Marie? What a swell time for his sister to show up here, Adrian groaned. Damn, he had forgotten all about her and that extra key. Anna-Marie entered the apartment then, still dressed in her Carnival costume, well, what was left of it, anyway.
“Hey, bro, what’re you doing home already?” Anna beamed at him.
“Um, I think I live here, Anna,” Adrian replied.
“I know that. You know what I mean.” Anna came over and gave him a peck on the cheek. “I thought you’d still be out partying till midnight or something.”
“Actually, I left the band earlier this afternoon.”
“What? Why would you do that, Adrian?” At that exact moment, Cory chose to emerge from Adrian’s bedroom. “Baby, don’t forget to open the bottle of wine for me,” she announced.
A knowing smile immediately replaced Anna’s dropped jaw. “Well, hello,” Anna said to Cory.
• • •
Cory hadn’t seen the woman standing there.
“Oh my God!” Cory exclaimed as she spun around to face the voice. It had an American accent, just like Adrian’s. “You scared me. I’m so sorry, I thought we were alone.” Thank God she was actually wearing clothes now.
“Not anymore,” Adrian joked. “Cory this is my sister, Anna-Marie. Anna this is Cory.”
After my whole admission thing this afternoon, I’m still just Cory.
“Oh, hi, Anna-Marie, it’s a pleasure to finally meet you,” Cory said. “Adrian speaks of
you all the time.”
“I do?” Adrian asked, feigning stupidity.
“Please, call me Anna,” Anna-Marie offered. She turned to Adrian and remarked, “So I see you’ve been pretty busy, bro. Are you keeping things from your big sister now?” There was a hint of mischief in her voice, not to mention the big grin filling her face.
“That’s because I don’t want you all up in my business, Anna,” Adrian teased. “So what brings you by, anyway?”
“I thought I’d swing by to rest my aching feet a while till the after-Carnival traffic clears up. I certainly didn’t expect you to be home so early. And with company.”
“So how was your Carnival?” Cory asked Anna.
“Oh, fantastic! I had a great time playing this year.”
“Now I really feel like I’m the only one who didn’t play,” Cory said.
“Don’t you worry. There’s always next year,” Anna said.
“Yeah, that’s for sure,” Cory cheered up. “I love your costume by the way,” she added, admiring the white two-piece bikini clad on Anna’s svelte body. It was heavily beaded with crystals and rhinestones hanging from it and completed with a beautiful white and silver feathered head-piece Anna was holding in her hands.
“Thank you, Cory.”
Cory noticed the resemblance between Anna and Adrian, too. She had the same light brown complexion as his, only hers was more pale and porcelain-looking against her straight black hair that was upswept in a ponytail. Anna was taller than her and much more slender. She was also a very busty girl for someone so slim. The bikini top of her costume was obviously straining.
Anna certainly didn’t look like a woman who had two young boys, though. And which man in their right thinking mind would want to divorce her anyway? Cory wondered. She was so beautiful. Cory immediately hated the jerk. Whoever he was.
The microwave beeped. “Do you want some dinner, sis?” Adrian asked as he popped another meal into the microwave. “It’s nothing fancy but it’ll fill you up.”
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