Harkham's Case (Harkam's #1) (39 page)

“
Enjoyed
it? Well, yeah, I loved it, but at the same time, I wanted to be meaner—put four fingers inside you to see how tight I could make you around me so it would resemble my dick more. And I also wanted to bite your nipples really bad and suck on them super hard, but I thought I better be nice.” He kissed her head once more.

Innocent? Could’ve fooled her, because in their brief time in her bed, he did things to her body nobody else ever had . . . And the things he’d wanted to? Sounded better than okay to her. Sounded like they needed to take this a step further tomorrow night if he was able to sneak into her room again and try those ideas out.

* * *

Adam was walking around the kitchen in a daze, smiling like he had actually lost his innocence last night. She was the one to lose control, have a number-inducing, de-boning climax—not him. And afterward? Well, hell, she’d never slept better. She still felt all loose and limp this morning.

“Good morning,” he sang as she opened the fridge and grabbed a piece of fruit out of the crisper.

“Yeah, it is,” she agreed, smiling back.

He grabbed her ass, and she giggled, then swatted his hand away. How long did he think they could get away with this kind of behavior? His dad would have to pass by them at some point to get to the food in the kitchen. As far as she knew, he never did come out and eat dinner the last two nights.

Maybe he’d avoid her all week while she was here. She’d better find a place quick. Poor Adam would be shattered when she left. He already thought he’d won some kind of victory by getting her in the door and into the spare room. Not to mention getting her off as well.

He had no idea how bad his dad wanted her gone.

She gave him a deep, unguarded kiss because she really couldn’t resist his enthusiasm to have her near.

Right as he reached around and picked her up, slinging her legs around his hips, a throat cleared.

Oh, not now. Not when she was being so ridiculous as to have her feet off the ground like a moron teenage girl ruled by hormones.

She slid down his body, tucked her hair behind her ears and ducked her head down. “Sorry,” she said to whoever it was they’d offended.

“Hey, you can do what you want, just keep it down and let me get to the fridge—that’s all I ask.” Zach laughed. “I think it’s about time somebody around here was gettin’ some. Dad lives in the dark ages, thinking we should all be celibate because he is. I think he’s forgotten about a little invention called condoms. If I could get a girl naked in my bed, I’d be all over that. Good for you—breaking in your bed properly.”

“It was
Mari’s
bed we were naked in,” Adam corrected him.

“Ad-am!” she hissed and elbowed him.

“Ow!” Adam rubbed the spot. “Well, it
was
. . . I was only telling the truth,” he whispered loudly.

“We weren’t naked,” she said, her face heating.

“Okay—yeah—not naked, but I touched her everywhere under her clothes. It was better than I thought it would be,” Adam said, staring at Zach.

“Just because we’re not gonna lie anymore doesn’t mean you have to tell everybody about private, intimate moments. Or those aren’t gonna happen anymore.” She moved over to the table and sat down with a leg tucked under her. A few bites later into her fruit, and Adam was crouched down in front her, his head in her lap.

“I’m sorry . . . I didn’t know it would make you mad if I told Zach those things. He helps me to know how to please you physically. I want to know how to do that stuff.” Adam ran his hands down her calf.

She stroked his hair and sighed. “Can you just do it in private when I’m not around and don’t tell me about it? I don’t wanna know about what you discuss when it comes to sex.”

“This is not polite breakfast conversation,” his dad said, standing a few steps inside the kitchen from the hallway.

Perfect! How did she have such great timing, and why didn’t she let it slide?

“Sorry, sir. You’re right. Won’t happen again,” she said and stood up, making Adam back up.

Once he was off her, she walked quickly to her room to get dressed.

She looked down at what she was wearing. What the hell was she thinking, walking around in her old ratty rock shirt and men’s boxers as pajamas?

Oh, even better! Her nipples were poking out. Adam made them hard with all that grabbing and kissing and blatant sex talk.

She got dressed quickly, grabbed her backpack and left.

Forget waiting for a ride. Dustin might hand Samara a knife and tell her to go after it if he saw Mari again.

Her pace was steady as she tried to figure out where the closest bus stop might be.

As she walked down the block, a car slowed and followed next to her.

She turned and stopped, gawking.

“Mom?” Mari’s face scrunched, and her nose wrinkled.

Immediately after she said that, the Jeep parked and her mom got out.

“Can we talk?”

“How did you even find me?” Mari stepped away as her mom came close.

“I called your dad and got Adam’s phone number. Adam told me you were here,” she admitted.

“Son of a bitch!” Why didn’t Adam tell her he’d talked to her mom and had said where she was?

“No—daughter of a bitch.”

Mari glared and stepped back once more. “Not funny.”

“You’re right—this isn’t funny. I’ve been a terrible mom to you, but I never wanted kids. You weren’t supposed to happen. How am I supposed to know what to do with you when you never listen?”

“Is this your idea of an apology?” Mari’s teeth snapped shut and ground together.

Her mom extended her hands out wide for a hug.

“This is a sick joke, right? You think I’m gonna hug you after you just insulted me by telling me I was an accident and it’s my fault you can’t parent worth a damn?” Mari pointed at the Jeep. “Leave! I’m not coming back.”

“Mari!” Adam yelled and ran down the street with his dad right behind him.

“See what you’ve done? His dad already wishes I’d leave, and now you come here and make things worse! I’m trying to straighten out my life once and for all!” Mari turned and started walking away.

“Stop, young lady! That’s not a request,” Dustin’s voice boomed.

She stopped, dropped her head, squared her shoulders and turned back around.

Adam was running after her now, but his dad was in front of her mom, having a few words with her.

Adam slowed as he got close. “Why’d you le—”

“You tell me—what should I have done?” Mari’s voice went up in pitch. “I don’t know what your dad told
you
, but during my chat with him, he said I only have a week, then I’m out. I have to be on my best behavior while I’m here. I have to be perfect, and no matter how hard I try, I always screw it up.”

He tossed his arms around her and crushed her into his chest. “Don’t listen to him!”

“Why shouldn’t I? It’s his house. We can’t decide for him if I stay or go,” she said, fisting his shirt and yanking on it.

He kissed her, and she was fine with it. Let their parents watch—let them see what they meant to each other.

“Just don’t leave me . . . Okay?” Adam whimpered. “I can’t take it if you walk out that door. I thought I’d die when you were suddenly gone, and y-you didn’t say you were going.”

“I was walking to school so your dad didn’t have to see me again. I’m keeping clear of him if I can,” she said.

He ran the back of his hand down her cheek and then along her hair. Heat flashed through her, and she hoped she could keep from having embarrassing physical reactions their parents could see.

She rested her cheek on his chest. “What should I do? Tell me, and I’ll do it, because so far I’m doing it all wrong and making your family upset.” Her palm rested on his upper abs. She caressed that spot and inhaled. He smelled wonderful.

“Be yourself. I’ll deal with it. He’s
my
dad.” His fingers tickled at the back of her neck, under her hair.

“We need to talk,” his dad said, approaching them with her mom at his side.

Adam turned to him and held Mari in a protective way. “There’s nothing to discuss. We love each other, and I want to marry her this weekend.”

Mari stiffened, and her breath hitched. She tried to swallow, but her throat seized up on her.

Both their parents’ jaws unhinged. “Why is she rushing you?” his dad asked.

“She’s
not
. It’s me. It’s all
me
. Stop blaming her. She wants to wait until we’ve graduated and until you like her. But I can’t wait that long. She won’t touch me or have sex with me until we’ve both fully committed to each other in front of our family. So—marrying as soon as possible is the answer.”

Mari’s face and neck heated.

“Is this true?” her mom questioned, her eyes wider than Mari’d ever seen.

“Yeah. I love how innocent he is. I don’t want to change or ruin him,” Mari answered.

Dustin’s eyes scrunched, and his arms went across his chest. “I don’t care . . . That’s not a reason to get married. Sex isn’t what makes a marriage.”

“What does, then? Love isn’t enough for you? Compatibility? Soul mates? Best friends? A deep concern for each other’s welfare and being unable to imagine wanting to ever be with anyone else for the rest of my life? Do any of those things matter and make a marriage to you? Because that’s what I have with her!” Adam pulled her in tighter and gave her a peck on the forehead while keeping his eyes on his dad. “You can’t tell me no on this one. I’m twenty-one—she’s eighteen. We’ll leave and make it on our own. It’s up to you if you want to help us start out with less difficulty.” His voice hung in the air like a lasting echo that never seemed to fade.

His father hovered there like he was in stasis, failing to even blink. He released a breath a moment later. “I don’t know what you want me to say . . .”

“Say you trust me to follow my heart and to know what I’m doing,” Adam said in a rush of a breath.

“I can’t say that, because based on your past, you
don’t
know who to trust. You’re the king of allowing hurtful people into your life and letting them control you.” His dad’s arms unwound, and his hands tucked into his pockets.

“What has Mari done to earn your distrust?” Adam waited like he had a million years at his disposal.

“She knows what she’s done,” his dad replied.

“Yeah, and for once, I told the truth, because I respect you. I never lied.” She tucked her arm around Adam’s waist. It made her feel safe.

“She’s a liar,” her mom said.

“Not anymore. Adam and I have vowed to never lie again,” Mari said, her tone clear, though inside she was breaking apart.

“This weekend—
married
—we’re doing it,” Adam repeated his stance.

“Don’t do this, son,” his dad begged.

“No,
you
don’t do this!” Adam growled. “Stop getting in the way of my happiness and my life. If you banish her, I’ll never stop looking for her until I find her. We’re bound to each other. We have to be together. That’s what our love means.”

Her mom’s face drained of color. “That’s what a psychotic relationship is.” She turned her gaze on Mari. “You never told me it was like this. I can see now what’s happened. He can’t do this to you.” She reached out again. “Come home. I’ll keep you safe from him. We’ll switch you to another school, even move if that’s what it takes. I won’t let him stalk you. I’ll get a restraining order if we have to!”

“
What
?” Mari cried. She licked her lips. “Mom, this is by far the stupidest thing you’ve ever thought or said. He hasn’t coerced me into anything. I follow him as much as he follows me, because we get each other. Adam’s helped me see how right we are for each other. I’m so blessed to have found him. My life would’ve forever remained in the dark if it wasn’t for him. He was the light, shining in my dark cave, helping me find the way out.”

Her mom chuckled. “You always were overly dramatic. Give me a break! Light in your cave? Are you a bear that’s been hibernating?” She turned to look around, probably making sure nobody else was hearing what she thought amounted to absurdity.

“You think I care if you like my analogy or not? Adam’s right . . . I thought we should wait to get married, that things would smooth over, but I was wrong. I can see that now. Neither of you are ever going to accept what we have, and who we are.” Mari moved to her tippy toes and kissed Adam’s lips. “We can get married whenever you want, sweetie,” she told Adam.

“We
can
?” Adam’s voice shook, and his eyes twitched, ready to fill with water.

“We can. And we can live wherever you want,” she added.

His eyes were so luminous and joyful, it about busted her heart right open. She didn’t see how it could be possible to love him more, but she did. In that moment it filled her entire heart, soul and body.

“I love you. You know that, right?” She smiled, and her eyes crinkled.