I Am Yours (Heartbeat #3) (9 page)

Chapter Seventeen
Adam

“That was one hell of a drive,” I whisper against Katie’s ear as Kelly gathers her belongings behind us.

“You’re not kidding.” She rolls her eyes, getting out of the Neon and sliding back the passenger seat. “Kelly, why don’t you grab my hand so I can help you out?”

“I’m never riding in the back of a two-door car ever again,” Kelly grumbles, trying to wedge her pregnant belly through the opening.

“Well, maybe if you didn’t have to take so many bathroom breaks, it wouldn’t be so bad.” I should bite my tongue, but after spending so many hours together in such close quarters, my patience is shot.

“Or maybe you could’ve given me the front seat instead of letting your girlfriend hog it the whole time.” Kelly smoothes her dress after stepping out of the car, clearly irritated. “My back is killing me. I can’t wait to get in my Jacuzzi.”

She roots through her bag for her keys. Glancing around, I don’t see Brian’s vehicle anywhere. I hope he decided to chill somewhere else for a while. I don’t think I’m up for another confrontation with him at the moment.

Kelly disables the security system and waves us forward. “C’mon in. We’re the only ones here.”

“Are you all right? You look exhausted.” Katie moves beside me, rubbing her thumb across the stubble forming on my cheek.

“Driving through the night wasn’t easy. Thanks for helping me stay awake.” I smile, remembering how her hand would grip my thigh whenever she caught me about to doze off.

“You got us here safe and sound, didn’t you? Even with the snoring walrus in the back seat.” Katie giggles, and I bring her in closer, wrapping my arms around her.

“Now don’t go making fun of your cousin,” I tease, resting my chin on top of her head. “She can’t help being a pain in the ass.”

“Where’d she go anyway? I thought she’d be back out ordering you to bring up her luggage by now.” Katie tilts her head to gaze at the open door. “We should probably go check on her, make sure her swollen ankles didn’t collapse.”

“Do we have to?” I moan, nuzzling my nose against her hair, savoring the scent of her lavender shampoo. “Let’s get back in the car and leave her here.”

“Adam!” Katie laughs even harder as she playfully slaps me on the back.

“Their apartment isn’t that bad actually. Have you ever stayed over?” Reluctantly, I disengage from Katie, but I keep my hand laced through hers.

“Yeah, it’s the one place my dad actually lets me visit,” she mutters, stepping into the foyer.

“Do you really think he’s not going to find out that you’re staying with me?” I hate to ask, but I have to know as images of the angry man at the scene of the accident flash through my mind.

“How could he? He doesn’t even know you exist.” She swings our interlocked hands, but somehow I’m not so sure. What if he really is the man I saw? If Katie looks the same to me, would her father look the same as well? I still can’t comprehend how all of this fits together, if it does at all.

We see movement coming from the first door on the left, and Katie tugs my hand, urging me to follow. I feel weird invading my brother’s personal space when he’s not around. This is the home he shared with Kelly. Their engagement photo is hanging on the wall. Their matching Phillies baseball caps are side by side on top of the coat rack. I look away when I catch a glimpse of their ivory bedspread in the room across the hall. Suddenly, it’s hard to breathe.

“Kelly, what’s the matter? You’re running around like a crazy person.” Katie enters her cousin’s home office, but I stand back. For some reason, I have no desire to go in there, especially after a cat darts out the door and through my legs, a set of keys dangling from its neck.

“Nothing’s the matter. I just like having my things in order. That’s all.” Kelly bustles around the room, surveying every nook and cranny. “But could you please stop scaring my cat?”

“You’re such a neat freak. You have to calm down.” Katie sounds exasperated like she’s witnessed this tendency of Kelly’s before, even though it’s new to me. I’ve never seen her so off kilter.

“Yeah, I guess everything’s okay, right? Nothing seems out of place to you, does it?” Something’s knocked Kelly off her game. She actually seems unsure of herself.

“No, everything’s fine. Now go take that bath you said you were dying for and relax, okay?” Katie slips her arm through Kelly’s, guiding her cousin out of the room. “And don’t even think about calling Dr. Savoy until you’ve had something to eat. The man can wait.”

Katie gives my elbow an encouraging squeeze and I move out of the doorway, letting them pass. She’s so good. I’d let Kelly fend for herself, but then I’m not Katie. This is going to be a long three months if Kelly thinks she’s going to turn Katie into her personal slave, having her at her beck and call. I’m sure as hell not going to stand for it, especially under my roof. But for now, I’ll bide my time until I can talk to Katie alone.

So this is what Kelly does for a living—serve as the go-to girl for some Ivy League psychologist from the University of Pennsylvania. I wonder how she feels about being nothing but a glorified assistant with a Ph.D. I’m shocked that she’d even take orders from a man, much less be intimidated by one. I wonder who this guy is.

“Hey, do you want to order a pizza or something?” Katie’s arms slide around my waist from behind. With a quick intake of breath, I revel in the feel of her against me. The things I’d like to do to her right now, if only Kelly weren’t nearby. For the first time, I have a clear picture of what the three of us living together is going to be like, and I don’t particularly enjoy the image.

Kelly undoubtedly will be working from home. Katie doesn’t have a job. I’m unemployed. We’re going to be crammed together in my tiny one-room apartment, all day, every day. I’ll never have Katie to myself, not with her pregnant cousin breathing down our necks. And will I really want to fool around with Katie when Kelly’s sleeping on the couch in the next room? Talk about a buzzkill. Maybe I should have thought this through more.

“What’s wrong?” Katie notices the tension running through my body, and she leans around to face me.

“Nothing.” I don’t want to get into it right now.

“Come on, tell me. Something’s bothering you,” Katie insists, playing with the collar of my shirt.

“Aren’t you a little worried about her invading our space?” I try to frame my doubts as diplomatically as possible.

“Sure, it’ll be a drag having her around all of the time, but without her in the picture, my dad would never let me out of his sight.” Her hands splay across my chest, making it hard to concentrate on anything else. “And there’s no way I’m going back home if it means not seeing you again.”

“But, Katie, your dad’s not going to let you stay with Kelly forever.” I quiver as her hands stop above my belt buckle. “We’re going to have to address this eventually.”

“I’m sure I can draw it out once the baby comes. Kelly will need help taking care of it.” She tilts her head so her hair falls, shielding her face. “We can make this work, Adam.”

“Your dad’s not going to allow your absence to go on indefinitely, Katie. And besides, I don’t know how much I trust Kelly.” I play with a strand of Katie’s hair, gliding it through my fingers.

“You think she’s going to come on to you again?” She lifts her eyes to mine and I can’t ignore the fear reflected in them.

“That and other things.” I don’t care to elaborate because I don’t want to put ideas in her head. “I just want to protect you. Keep you safe.”

“That’s the Adam I remember.” She stands on her tiptoes, brushing her lips across mine.

I steel myself not to pull away from her. This is what I said I’d do. I’d be more like the fantasy guy she fell in love with. So that, hopefully, in time, all she’ll want is me.

Instead, I pick her up, bracing her against the wall. Her breathing increases, and she tries to kiss me but I turn my head away. I want to make her beg for it. Parting her legs with my mine, I place her warm center on my knee. She’s wearing a skirt, which grants me unrestricted access. Even through the leg of my jeans, I can feel how wet she is for me as the strip of her satin panties slides readily against me.

Gripping her hips, I begin rocking her back and forth over my thigh. She arches back, her hands fumbling through my hair. It’s wild to think that I’m controlling her masturbation. She’s so light; the weights I lift in the gym are far heavier. I could keep going for days. This is one form of exercise I’d never get tired of.

I’m working her into a steady rhythm when a moan escapes her mouth. She bites down hard on her bottom lip as color invades her cheeks. She looks so fucking desirable right now. I don’t want to be distracted when she finally lets go. I want to watch every second of it. I ease my motions slightly, expecting her to resume them on her own, but she doesn’t. Instead, she rests her full weight on my leg, closing her eyes.

“Didn’t you like that?” I whisper softly. I try to hide my disappointment at losing out on the chance to watch her come since she seemed like she was on the brink. Now I wish I’d never stopped what I was doing. I almost guided her orgasm to completion, but I was too selfish, hoping she’d take herself there without any further assistance. I thought she’d want to.

“I’ve never done anything like that before.” Her eyes are still closed like she’s afraid to admit how inexperienced she is. “I just wanted you to kiss me.”

“Did I hurt you?” I thought what we were doing was pretty tame, but I’m going to have to be extra careful with her from now on.

“No, it’s not that. I just…I don’t know…wanted to work up to it.” Her face is scarlet now. “You obviously know what you’re doing, and while it feels good, I can’t stop thinking about how you must have done the same thing to other girls and got the same reaction.”

I’m floored. How do I respond to something like that? She’s right, but I can’t tell her that. I don’t want to lie to her either.

“I’m sorry if I’m moving too fast. I don’t want to pressure you or anything.” But I’ll admit I’m kind of bummed. It’s not like she hasn’t already seen me naked. How slow are we going to have to take things if she’s freaked out by a little dry humping? My dick seems like it’s been throbbing for three solid days. Man, I need a release.

“Thanks.” She finally opens her eyes, but she still doesn’t look at me. I lower my leg to the floor, and she slides off of it, unintentionally rubbing against me. I jerk in response. “Sorry,” she murmurs again. Hell, I don’t want her apologizing. I want her screaming my name as she loses herself to my touch, not slinking away in embarrassment.

“Katie, this is what people do. It’s okay. You don’t have to be ashamed.” I tuck her hair behind her ear before turning up her chin.

“I’m not, but…” She’s having a hard time vocalizing what’s going through her head.

“But?” I repeat, praying that she’ll tell me what’s bothering her.

“Adam, I’m a virgin.” Judging by the look on her face, I’d swear she was admitting to being a murderer or a terrorist or some other terrible thing.

“I sort of figured that out.” I lean forward and kiss the tip of her nose.

“And well…I’m not comfortable rushing into things. I’m not good when it comes to exploring my boundaries. I mean, we haven’t even kissed lying down yet. And with Kelly taking a bath in the next room, it makes me feel dirty to have you getting me off in the hallway. I’d rather it happen behind closed doors, in the dark, after we’ve done some other stuff first.” She looks so sweet and innocent that I can’t be mad at her. We weren’t even really doing anything, but she thinks we were and I have to respect that.

“Okay, I won’t take you against the wall any time soon. I promise.” I massage her shoulders, pleading with her to trust me again.

“It’s not that I don’t want you to, Adam.” My name on her lips makes me even harder, if that’s possible. Now I’m the one who has to close my eyes, wishing my jeans weren’t so damn tight. “I’m just not there yet. I’ve never felt good about my body and it’s going to take me a while to get used to what you do to it. I want you to take me over the edge, but I want to be prepared the first time, not just have it happen without any warning.”

“Katie, you’ve never…even by yourself?” Wow, this girl has some powerful self-restraint. She’s really and truly untouched. I can’t wait to teach her everything I know. If only she’ll let me.

She shakes her head, once again lowering her eyes.

“Hey, look at me,” I urge gently. “I’ve never been with a girl like you. Most want to hurry things along for their own satisfaction. You’re going to have to hold me back if I start taking you places you’re not ready to venture into yet. I get so lost in you, Katie, but don’t be afraid to rein me in.”

I’m about to kiss her in order to reassure her of my intentions when the door behind us swings open.

“I’m not interrupting anything, am I?” Kelly asks, clearly aware that she’s intruding on a private moment.

Grudgingly, I step away from Katie. Kelly has her wet hair turbaned in a towel, a pink fluffy robe hugging her body. The scene couldn’t be more awkward. No wonder Katie feels put out. I should’ve shown more consideration for our surroundings. I’m in my brother’s home trying to titillate myself with her arousal while the woman I inconveniently got pregnant is bathing within earshot. God, I’m such an asshole.

“Kelly, did you sneak your phone in there with you? I told you to take it easy today.” Katie breaks the tension by shifting the focus onto her cousin. “I just saw you slip it into your pocket.”

“Busted!” Kelly holds up her hands. “You caught me.”

“You didn’t call Brian, did you?” I ask, already annoyed.

“No, of course not,” Kelly replies, and I’m surprised by the vehemence of her denial. I thought she’d be calling him nonstop since we left the Outer Banks, begging him to take her back.

“I know who she was calling,” Katie spits out like she wants to strangle her.

“It’s all part of the job,” Kelly responds nonchalantly, only ratcheting up Katie’s anger.

“He doesn’t own you,” Katie cries out.

“Katie, have you ever had a boss?” Kelly asks wickedly, driving her point home.