Broken (9 page)

Tilting my head to one side, I considered his proposition carefully. At least, I pretended to. I already knew what he wanted and that of course it would be okay when he was only halfway through asking.

“Well, I don't know, Sugar.” I dragged it out. “There are things to consider before allowin' a man into my bedroom.”

His smirk made my heart skip. “Such as?”

“For starters, does that mean I'll have to pick up all my dirty clothes from the floor, especially the underwear, before you enter?”

He sauntered over, more than willing to play along. “You can leave your knickers wherever you like, love. I'm quite partial to black lace thongs.” The playful wink at the end of the statement was the icing on the cake.

“What 'bout if I need to get changed for any reason?”

He chuckled. “I promise not to drop my paints all over the floor while I perv at your arse.”

Biting my top lip, I tried to keep a straight face. “And if I need to have a little nap in the afternoon?”

His hand went to my hair, smoothing it down my back. “I can stroke your hair and help you fall asleep.” He continued caressing my hair lightly and I leaned into it like a cat, fighting the temptation to purr.

“But…” His hand stilled and I pouted, making him laugh. “I have to warn you that I like to paint in my old, ripped up jeans…if anything at all.”

“If anythin'?”

He leaned in close, his breath tickling my ear as he whispered, “Sometimes they don't make it on either. I am quite partial to painting naked.”

“I'll grab the easel. You go move the chaise.” I jumped up, nearly tipping the chair over behind me. This was the next step in our relationship, from painting outside for a better view to moving indoors. Adam was slowly inching his way into my life. My mind raced with a million questions of what this meant to Adam, but I didn't want to get ahead of myself. Maybe it meant nothing more than it was cold outside, but perhaps we were finally moving forward.

Adam watched me eat the entire time with a huge grin on his face. He'd spent most of the day in the kitchen preparing a feast that would feed at least a dozen people, the whole while singing away to whatever song came on the iPod. He seemed so at ease slicing and dicing, the knife tapping out its rhythm on the chopping board. He diligently basted the ham and made the pastry for the pumpkin pie. And now he was watching the fruits of his labor be devoured by one very grateful girl.

“Oh my God, this is the best pie I've ever had,” I told him, forcing the last morsel from the plate into my crammed mouth. My stomach was so full I was about ready to pop; I had to secretly undo the button on my jeans, making me once again think of Charles's uncle sleeping on the sofa.

“I'm so glad you enjoyed it,” he said as he stood and began clearing the plates away.

Placing my hand on his forearm, I stopped him from stacking any more dishes. “Please, you've done enough. I'll get this while you relax.”

“If you're okay doing that, I've got something else planned that I need to set up.”

I stopped what I was doing, my eyes narrowing at Adam. “Whatcha plannin'?”

He winked cheekily. “It's a surprise. I'll be back soon.” He raced out the door, leaving me standing there wondering what was coming next. Surely he hadn't shopped and bought me a gift. We'd only known each other a couple of weeks, and the thought hadn't even crossed my mind to buy presents.

I was just finishing up in the kitchen when Adam came back in, rubbing his hands together eagerly. “Okay, let's go,” he said with a knowing grin.

“Go where?” He seemed to be waiting for me to go outside but it was late and freezing.

“With me,” he replied, taking my hand and leading me through the door to the deck.

Looking out toward the ocean, I couldn't help the gasp that escaped as I was confronted with the oasis Adam had created. There were tea-light candles flickering in glass holders, completely surrounding a warm, inviting bed overflowing with pillows and cushions. Closest to the house and on the uphill side of the sand was a bonfire, its dancing flames casting a romantic glow.

“This is our own private island.”

Tears blurred my vision as I tore my focus from the romantic setting to gaze adoringly into Adam's eyes.

“I can't believe you did all this. It's perfect.”

He seemed to relax as soon as I voiced my approval, as if what he had arranged would get anything but shocked awe.

“I thought we could do some stargazing and have a few drinks to keep us warm.”

As we tucked ourselves into the blankets and I arranged the pillows, Adam poured two glasses of brandy.

“Bottoms up,” he toasted as he handed me one of the glasses.

“Bottoms up?” I queried.

He laughed, then threw his drink down in one gulp. “Yep, the bottom of the glass goes up, as the drink goes down.”

The brandy burned my throat and I shuddered, but the glass was refilled, and I was downing that one, too, before I knew it. By the third glass, my body was pleasantly numb, my lips, warm and tingly. Two drinks later and I was a sloppy mess.

We snuggled together, lying side by side, gazing up at the clear, star-filled sky. Turned out, Adam knew his constellations. He pointed out different shapes and told the story behind the name of each, his hand inching over, finding mine and pulling it toward him until my hand was resting against his chest.

Shifting to watch Adam as he spoke, his thick British accent seeming thicker the more he drank, I marveled at how something as simple as gazing at the stars could fill me with so much joy. I couldn't take my eyes off him—his profile was so strong, his lips so tempting. Adam must have felt me staring at him because he turned his head to meet my eyes.

For the longest time we lay under the stars, captivated by each other's eyes, until Adam rolled onto his side, his face inches from mine. Soft lips touched my cheek, brushed along my jaw, and down my neck.

My whimpering would have been embarrassing if I wasn't hammered. But there was no one else around except Max, who tilted his head, ears cocked like I was trying to communicate with him, so I went with it. Every sound, every movement that my body wanted to make, I let it. His teasing was finally too much. Fisting his hair tightly, I pulled his head down to mine and kissed him hard on the lips. I knew it was a clumsy kiss because of the brandy, like a teenager who had only ever practiced on a poster of her favorite rock star, so I tried to reel my tongue back in a little. With my breath coming out in short gasps, I chanced a look into his eyes. They were wild and damn sexy. As his mouth lowered back to mine, his hand ran up my hip, under my sweater, until it found my breast.

Our bodies, still fully clothed, albeit disheveled, writhed together on the sand in our makeshift oasis. The taste of him as his tongue caressed mine, the feel of his hard body against me, and the sound of the ocean filled my every sense. I wanted to savor every moment, but with my foggy head and horny body taking over, I gave in to the heated passion and just went with it.

As I repositioned my body for a better angle, the large bulge in Adam's jeans pressed against my hip. Pulling back from his lips in surprise, I ran my hand down his torso, feeling the definition of his chest and abs before reaching the button on his jeans. I wanted to be bold and flick that button undone, shove my hand down the front of his boxers and take charge. Instead I hesitated, running my finger around the inner edge of his jeans but going no further.

“It's okay,” he whispered, kissing my hair. “All in good time.”

“Don't ya want to?” I asked, disappointed, tilting my head into his soft kisses.

He held my cheek, turning my face toward him. “Don't think for one minute that just because I'm taking it slow, I'm not dreaming about being buried balls' deep inside you. But you're not a one-night stand, Evie, and I don't want to do anything that either of us will regret. I need to get clear in my mind what this is, and how far it can go, because the last thing I want to do is hurt you.”

Sleep faded as my mind woke to the swishing of waves meeting the shore. But there was something else that seemed unfamiliar and my pounding head struggled to grasp it as I inhaled a familiar masculine scent. It was the soft, easy breathing of the man my body was wrapped around, the man I had spent the night with.

My heart sped up, making the drumming in my head increase. Lifting the blankets that were messily swathed around us, I peeked to see if we were both fully clothed. Reaching down to check my zipper, a rumbling laugh vibrated from Adam's chest, adding to the percussion section that was beating out a tune in my brain.

“Don't worry,” he said sleepily, his voice croaky. “I didn't find the key to your chastity belt last night.”

I slapped him playfully and he recoiled in jest before wrapping his big, safe arm around me and pulling me tightly to his body. “I even tried all the magical words I could think of. Abracadabra, alacazam, bippity-boppety-boo…nothing worked.” He stroked my head gently. “But it was still a memorable evening.”

“I can't believe we slept out here all night.”

“Well, in all fairness, we didn't do a lot of sleeping.” Adam pulled me over for a kiss but I pulled away, holding my hand over my mouth. “Are you serious? After we spent half the night making out, you don't want to kiss me now?”

“It ain't that,” I mumbled, still holding my hand up. “I've got mornin' breath.”

Adam laughed. “So have I. My mouth feels like the bottom of a birdcage. Here…” He pulled me over, kissing the top of my head instead, then frowned, tentatively touching my chin. “Does this hurt? Because you've got a nasty rash from my beard.”

“Have I?” I asked, secretly delighted. Running my fingertips over my face, I could feel the jagged skin. “Feels like you went after my face with sandpaper.” I snuggled in, trying to hide my goofy grin. “So we kissed a lot, then?”

“Yeah we did. Don't you remember?”

“It's kinda sketchy.” Racking my brain, I tried to think back to last night. I remembered the dinner, which was magnificent…I recalled the surprise oasis, and the brandy…Oh, the brandy.

“But you remember the epic blow job you gave me last night, right?”

“What?” My eyes widened as I sat up quickly, making my head spin. I was totally mortified to think I'd done that outside, where anyone could have walked past, although calling it epic I could live with.

A rumbling belly laugh erupted from Adam. “Oh my God, you are too easy to wind up. Babe, if my cock was in your mouth, your jaw would be aching.”

Now it was my turn to burst out laughing. “Oh, can I borrow that line? I have to use it in my book.”

“Your laugh…”

“What about it?” I asked, still trying to stem the giggles.

“It's beautiful. You should do it more often.”

Max trotted over from beside the burned out fire where he had spent the night, and nuzzled Adam's arm. Looking out at the sun rising over the ocean, Adam sighed. “It must be time for our swim.”

I narrowed my eyes. “Whatcha mean
our
swim?”

“Don't you remember you promised last night to come with me this morning? You've forgotten, haven't you?”

He looked so disappointed that I couldn't admit I had absolutely no recollection of any conversation about swimming. But then I couldn't remember much of what had happened after my fourth glass of brandy.

“No, no, of course I haven't forgotten, Sugar,” I lied. “It's just a bit cold this mornin'. Maybe some other time?” I asked hopefully.

“It's only going to get colder, but…” He sighed and pulled his sweater over his head. “I can't make you get your kit off and come in.”

I watched Adam undress under the blankets. He pulled his clothes out from under the covers and slung them to the side as he removed each layer. When the boxers came off and were tossed on the pile, I inched over to him and wrapped my arm over his chest for a cuddle. He gladly pulled me in, wrapping both arms around me, then rolled me up on top of him, making me squeal with surprise.

“You know, this would be so much more fun if you were naked too.” His face nuzzled my neck, his whiskers tickling under my chin.

“Okay, I'll come in.” I giggled.

“Really?” he asked with raised brows, the huge smile on his face showing his delight.

Shimmying out of my jeans and sweater, I hesitated before slipping my bra off, all the while ensuring the blankets were still covering me completely. With only the thong to go, I stopped. I'd bought the wax strips a few days earlier, but I had yet to use them. Of course, as soon as I'd met Adam, I'd trimmed, but I didn't want him seeing what lay beneath until it was presentation ready.

“Let's go.” Adam climbed out of the bedding and stood with one hand extended to me, the other strategically positioned over his dick, which was at eye level.

Even under the warmth of the blankets I could feel the chill in the air. “I might sit this one out. It's too cold,” I groaned.

He started walking backward in the direction of the water. “Are you sure? I can help keep you warm.” His eyebrows jiggled up and down, the corner of his mouth tipping up into a sexy smile. I shook my head vigorously. Shrugging, he turned and started jogging down to the water, Max trotting behind.

What was I doing? I'd spent most of my life trying to fit in by not living the way I'd wanted to. Now I had the opportunity to experience something I never thought I'd do, with someone I never would have met in my old life, and I was turning it down. Why? Because I was afraid of being cold. Pathetic.

Jumping up, I wrapped my arms over my chest. “Adam,” I yelled. “Wait for me. I'm comin' too!”

He turned as he reached the water's edge. Taking one look at me standing there shivering, the broadest grin I had ever seen graced his handsome face. Laughing, he raced back up the sand, apparently oblivious to the fact that he was naked and swinging in the breeze. Once he reached me, he held out his hand and I took it. Dropping my arms and feeling completely vulnerable, I took a moment to reflect on how far I had come since meeting Adam. From the disillusioned girl with the shattered heart, I was building a new store of memories, a new island with Adam that was filled with firsts, and laughter, and even a little romance.

Deep blue eyes swept over my nearly naked body. “You're beautiful, Evie.”

That was all I needed. Leaping into his arms, I tangled my hands in his messy hair and kissed him square on the lips. “So are you.”

With a slap on the ass that stung from the cold, we were both racing down to the water where Max was jumping excitedly in circles.

“‘What the…” My God, it was like ice. As the water reached my stomach, I literally lost my breath. Strong arms wrapped around me, pulling me to him for what little warmth I could extract from his frozen body. “You are fu-fuckin'…cra-crazy,” I stammered through chattering teeth.

“Swim, it will warm you up.” Adam took off but stopped after a few strokes to look back. “Come on,” he called.

Swimming was never something I'd excelled in. Ball sports were okay. Running and gymnastics I'd been pretty good at when I was in junior school. Swimming for me was more about lying by the side of the pool, working on my tan. But I swam as best I could until my muscles warmed up a little and I was able to keep my head above water while standing on my tippy-toes.

“I ain't a good swimmer,” I called to Adam, trying to remember how to tread water.

He stopped and came straight back to me, scooping me up until my legs were wrapped around his waist. “Is this better?” he asked, holding me so my chest was pressed against his. “It's good for me. Your body feels perfect against mine.”

I scoffed at that one—even I wasn't so naïve as to think my body was perfect. I was what you might call curvaceous. Not large, but I definitely had a figure with a decent bust and hips.

“Don't,” he said, studying my face.

“Don't what?”

“Put yourself down in your head. Just because the monk didn't appreciate what he had, don't ever think you're not beautiful.” Hot lips seared my frozen cheek. “I think you're perfect.”

We cuddled together and even though the water was like ice, I learned that sex in cold water would indeed be possible. With my legs wrapped tightly around Adam's waist for support, every now and then my hips slid down his firm body and rubbed against what felt like an impressive hard-on. As I slipped down for the fourth time, I tried to gauge his length before attempting to leverage myself back up. His hands moved from hugging around my body to my ass, his fingers gripping tightly.

“Stay there,” he murmured as his lips gently brushed against mine. “I can feel the heat radiating from your…lady parts.”

“Really, Adam? Lady parts?”

“What would you call it, then?” he asked, his eyes dancing with mischief.

“I'd say ‘pussy.'” Just saying the word as we clung so closely together made my stomach clench. Any sign of humor had gone as I watched the blue of his eyes turn black.

“From your pussy, Evie. I can feel the heat from your pussy”—his tongue flicked out, parting my lips—“against my cock.”

My heart fluttered and I instinctively wriggled, pushing harder against him.

“Ah fuck, Evie,” he moaned, twisting the sides of my thong around his hand. “You're lucky you still have these on.” His mouth came down hard onto mine as his hips ground against me. My chin was sore from the whisker rash and I winced, sucking in a sharp breath.

He pulled back as my fingertips went to my face. “Sorry, baby. I forgot.” His eyes were still focused on my mouth as the tip of his tongue ran along his bottom lip. “Where else can I kiss?”

Before I had time to respond, his warm lips were descending to my neck, finding that sensitive spot in the hollow of my collarbone and licking slowly. His beard tickled against my chest and I realized he was going even farther down, until his hot mouth latched on to my erect nipple. Arching my back, a soft moan escaped my parted lips, my body heating despite the freezing water lapping around us. While he sucked and licked first one side, then kissed across my chest to my other breast, his hands stayed firmly clutching my ass, subtly lifting me up and down so that I rubbed along the length of him.

I didn't know how turned on it was making Adam, but I was seeing stars, unable to believe how quickly my body was responding. I closed my eyes and dropped my head back, the pressure of his mouth deepening as the sensation between my thighs grew. Unable to catch my breath, I clung to Adam, my hands tangled in his long wet hair as I gripped tighter around his waist with my legs and curled his head into my chest.

Burying my face in the crook of his neck, I slid my hands down his arms, feeling the muscles bulge as they worked overtime to keep me grinding against him. My body took over, moving in time with his, the rhythm intensifying with every stroke.

“Adam, I…,” I panted.

“I know, baby, I know…me too,” he said huskily as the pressure increased, sucking my nipple into his mouth while moving me harder and faster against him.

With my entire focus on the ache between my legs, I welcomed Adam's mouth back to mine, his tongue flicking and caressing my own, as we both gasped for breath. I whimpered as the buildup became almost unbearable and Adam pulled back, biting his bottom lip as he watched my face through hooded eyes.

With one final shudder, I let out a breathless cry as my body tensed, then trembled over and over with the most earth-shattering orgasm I'd ever had rippling through my entire being. My shaky legs gripped Adam as his fingers dug in deeper, supporting my spent body in his hands. From around my hips, his arms tensed, the muscles rock hard as his head dropped to my chest. I clung to his torso, spurring him on with soft kisses over his wet brow while his movements became jerky, his breath coming out in short bursts, heating my cold skin.

I hugged Adam to me. Waiting for my breathing to calm down while Adam tenderly kissed away a silent tear.

“Are you okay?” he asked, his concerned eyes searching my face.

I nodded. He really had no idea just how okay I was. I finally felt like a sexy woman.

The cold was creeping in again now that we had stopped moving, and I shivered as I hugged Adam for any scrap of warmth.

“I hope there ain't any early risers stayin' in the other houses along the beach,” I said, searching for any movement in the still dark homes. “I'd hate to think we've just put on a show for the neighbors.”

Laughing, we decided it was time to get out and dry off before the day began for the residents and people came out to walk their dogs or go for their morning runs. We hadn't really done much swimming, but I felt as if I'd run a marathon as I walked on wobbly legs back up the sand to the blankets.

“I can't believe I agreed to do that. The water's freezin',” I told him, draping myself in the warmest blanket I could find.

“You didn't, but I had to get you in there somehow.”

I chased Adam until he let me catch him, my feeble attempt to punch him for tricking me thwarted when he cocooned me in his blanket. Dropping my blanket, I let his body heat warm me as I snuggled into his chest, his heart skipping merrily as I pulled him closer to me.