Adjournment (The Fate Series) (39 page)

“I think you need to be here longer.” She walks away.

How did this become about me?

Time for my least favorite holiday!

“Do you think Mom and Dad actually enjoy this?” Molly asks.

We sit there watching them mingle with their “friends”.

“I don’t think anyone actually enjoys this.” I exhale. 

I sure as hell am not.

“You girls look like you are ready for a swim,” Chase laughs as he joins us at the table.

With an evil eye Morgan watches him sit next to her.

“Relax it’s not as much fun to push you into a pool when you are already dressed for it. But if you would like you can change back into that dress from last night. I would love to see what that looks like on you wet.” He smiles while taking her drink. She smacks him on the back of the head.

“I don’t know why I try to help you boys. You aren’t smart enough to stop talking.” Grams shakes her head.

“How do you know I don’t like it when she smacks me?” Chase winks at Grams.

Morgan slaps him again causing his laughter to ring louder.

“See,” he says when he catches his breath.

Dean opens his mouth to say something but shuts it when Molly raises her hand. He quietly gets up from the table to walk over to the bar. A few minutes later he returns with Dirty Shirley Temples for everyone and a water for me.

“Oh look at that, chivalry isn’t dead. But why am I getting a water?” I smile taking the bottle from his hands.

“Simon asked us not to let you drink since you passed out on the third floor deck.” Chase smiles at me.

What! I was sober, and he knows it!

“What?” Standing up I look around until I spot him next to the pool in his stupid navy shorts and his stupid perfectly fitted white t-shirt with his stupid sunglasses holding a plate of food while talking with his mother and my parents.

“I must say it is funny when you boys turn on each other,” I hear Grams say from behind me.

I unscrew the cap from the water, quickening my pace across the lawn. I don’t know what Simon and they are discussing and I don’t care.

I’m angry.

Not that I was going to drink anyways but the idea of someone forbidding it just pisses me off. Stopping next to him I smile at my parents and Judith, then turn my smile on him while lifting the bottle over the back of him, spilling the contents over his head. The sudden shock of cold water sends a stream of curses from his mouth as he slaps the bottle from my hands.

“What the hell was that for?” he yells at me, his broad shoulders squaring to be intimidating.

“That is for the no alcohol ban you put on me. How does the water feel?” I shout.

“Dear, I think we better leave this to them to hash out.” My father says backing him and my mother away from us.

“I have my reasons and you haven’t drank anything yet so what does it matter,” He growls back.

“Oh, I will drink if I want.” Holding a warning finger at him I turn to walk away.

“To remember or to forget,” he says from behind me.

“To forget, always to forget!” I shout over my shoulder.

His hand wraps around my arm, pulling me back toward him, and I smack into his plate of food covering the top of my white two piece in whatever is on his plate. Short breaths start to pant from my lips and when the plate falls from my chest I realize there’s beans and barbeque sauce all over me.

“I am going to kill you!” I grit through my teeth. My arms stretched out at my sides.

Scraping a handful of beans off my chest I know have a choice to make. I can walk away and clean myself or I can seek instant satisfaction. With the food in my hands, I lunge forward pushing my hands into his face and running them through his hair.       

“That was an accident!” he yells trying to push me off him.

We’ve managed to get everyone’s attention once again. The women giggle as they watch us. When we break apart he leans down to pick up the plate, holding one hand in the air to keep me back. I cross my arms over my chest. He stands and with a quick swipe of his hand across the dish he wipes the remaining barbeque sauce across my face.

“That was on purpose.” He laughs right before I knock him backwards into the pool.

Bending down I chuckle as he swims up to the surface.

“Sidney Chandler, you are going to pick every bean out of that pool!” I hear my mother yell from somewhere.

I know, I know.

I walk over to grab the skimmer still laughing as the same women from last night give me a pat on the back for my retaliation.

“Get out of the pool.” I squint against the reflection of the sun at him.

“You better get these before they go in the filter.” He grins from below.

“Get out of the pool, Simon.” I point it at him.

He starts picking the beans out to throw at me.

“Knock it off,” I warn him, he throws a bean. I point at him with the skimmer. “If you grab this I will personally beat you with it when you get out,” I warn him.

“Knock what off? I’m helping you, you think I would at least get a thank-you.” He grins picking up another bean and tossing it at me.

“You’re a child.” I press my lips together so I don’t laugh.

This is so absurd.

“A child would have gotten out and pushed you in. Sit down, I’ll pick them out and you can hold them.” He begins to gather them.

Folding my legs so my pants don’t get wet, I sit on the ground and cup my hands together so he can throw them in.

“So how was the boat?” I grin.

“Oh, we’re doing this now? Tell me did you construct that plan?” He drops the food into my hands.

“I did not… That is called karma. I know it’s not something you aren’t used to but we simple folk live in fear of if we do something wrong,” I reply.

“Well, I don’t like it. I would live in constant fear,” he smirks, looking up at me from under his long, dark, wet eyelashes.

“Now… you said something about staying away from each other? Was that Lexi and me or you and me?”

The question catches me off-guard, and I start to internally sweat.

It would be him to see between those lines.

“I just think it would be best… the weekend is almost over and then we will go back to life as it was.” I bite my lip.

He gives me a thoughtful look as he puts the last of the beans in my hand.

“What kind of life is that?” he asks, pulling himself out.

“One where you don’t exist.” I give a weak shrug and stand to put the skimmer back before making my way upstairs for a quick change.

Leaning against my bedroom door I finally understand that this is a life I can’t have. My heart can’t take it.

I walk over to pull out my cobalt blue mono-kini I packed as backup, toss it onto the bed along with a clean pair of linen pants, and walk into the bathroom to wash the remaining beans out of my hair. A few seconds later someone is knocking at the door.

“I am not in the shower, just washing my hair!” I holler over the water.

Feeling a hand press against the small of my back, the water shuts off. I wring my hair out to see who’s behind me. With a swift motion I’m turned around and face to face with Simon.

Oh.

“Could you at least give me a moment to wash this out before you strike again?” I roll my eyes. 

Water streams from my hair down my face and neck.

“I think it’s only fair that I be the one to do it. It is after all my fault.” He steps toward me.

Oh no.

I instinctively step back landing myself in the shower with no form of escape. My heart begins to pound with excitement and fear. It’s an intoxicating mixture. My blood pulses through every inch of my body as he closes the door behind us and turns the water on.

My insides squeal with delight.

With a hard swallow I try to speak. “I—I thought we agreed to stay away from each other?” I remind him in a panicked rush.

“You decided that… I never agreed to it.” He steps closer.

I can’t even remember the conversation now, or what day it is… who am I?

Looking into his dark eyes I try to focus and not lose what little control I have left but being trapped in this little box with him makes it impossible.

He takes another step toward me, and in a low voice he leans forward, dipping his head into the crock of my neck and begins to speak.

“Tell me that you want me to leave and I will.” His voice envelopes me. My knees buckle under me as his hands gently glide around my sides and up my back to catch me. As though he has a better idea, he drags them up the sides of my body. My back arches, pushing my body into his as he continues to tickle and tease every inch of my skin that he touches. My nipples tighten the closer his fingers come to the sides of my bathing suit top. My mouth falls open letting go of a small moan when his hands roam up to my shoulders to my neck until he cups the sides of my face.

“Say the words and I’m gone,” he whispers against my lips leaving me breathless and vulnerable in front him. The only thing keeping me upright is the fact that he is holding me. 

My heartbeat is deafening as it pounds through my ears.

I wish I didn’t want him so badly.

He tips my head back to expose my neck, his thumbs gently pressing against my jaw, his mouth tenderly licking and kissing down my throat onto my collarbone as my body unravels in his hands.

Between my voice not working and my brain not willing to think, he takes my silence as an invitation. And in my own way, it is. My words would mess this up.

He reaches out, grabbing the shampoo container and squeezes it into his other hand before putting it back. His fingers slide into my hair as he rhythmically works his fingers through. The feeling of his hands on me makes me ache from deep inside, and I moan with pleasure from his hands. His mouth covers mine devouring the sounds. There’s more force in his kiss now; an urgency that he was holding back on at first. When he’s finished, he turns my back to him, splaying his fingers across my stomach he holds me against his hard body. My head tips back against his chest, his hands moving back into my hair to work their magic and rinse the soap from me. I can feel every little bubble gliding down over my skin.

I step back pinning him between me and the wall, his enthusiasm digging into my back. “Sidney,” he moans, his fingers gripping my shoulders.

I dip my body down running it against his length, our pulses beating in unison. He releases a deep growl that rumbles through his chest. When my hands find his I glide them up my wet stomach slowly until they are under the edge of my bathing suit top. Moving my hands from his I stretch my arms behind me around his neck fisting his slick wet hair in my fingers. The anticipation of him moving his hands up me is unbearable, every nerve in my body impatiently waiting its turn to be felt, my skin is the only thing holding me in one piece.

“Do something,” I plead against his lips, staring into the darkness of his eyes.

His fingers twitch against me as he hesitates.

I feel as though I’m about to come undone.

“Say it,” he whispers against my neck before placing a gentle kiss. My skin prickles down my body with joy.

“I need you,” I admit.

That’s when I see I wasn’t the only one holding onto some form of control.

All too quickly I’m spun, my back against the wall, his mouth on mine. My fingers twist into his hair and his fingers coil around the sides of my suit stripping it from me in seconds.

“I have thought about you every second of every day,” he admits. “I’ve spent a better portion of my life anticipating this so you’ll forgive me if I take my time and savor what’s mine.”

My heart stutters in my chest when he calls me his. Tears pushing closer and closer to the edge.

His hands sweep down my legs curving around them and settling behind my knees before lifting me up. I lock my legs around his slick waist, praying this doesn’t end in an injury.

“I want to be greedy with you.” His lips press gently against mine. I swallow the lump building in my throat. He pulls away taking a breath before speaking. “I want to take all for myself but I need you to trust me.” His eyes flicker back and forth between mine.

Without giving it a thought I nod. “I do trust you.”

It’s a truth that comes so easy I could hate myself for it. 

“I know you do, I mean completely.” He kisses me.

His hand glides between us until it hits its intended destination.

I don’t know if I can do this.

“Even though you’re mentally battling this your body has already given an answer without you knowing it.” His fingers slide through my folds slowly as they become familiar with this new territory.

My breath becomes heavier with each exhale.

I’m well aware of the answer he’s getting, because my body is a whore for him. It’s my head that won’t jump onboard.

“There is no going back you know?” he says, pushing his fingers further into me.

The feeling is too much, it’s too overwhelming. My mind spins and struggles to gain some sort of footing.

“You are mine, and whether you like it or not Pet, I am yours.” He rocks his fingers in and out of me.