Rescue Me (3 page)

“None taken, asshole,” Luke fires back at him.

“Oh for crying out loud, Vincent,” Camillia huffs. “I need a drink before dinner and before I show our two sons that I am still the damn boss around here.”

In spite of her exasperation, she brings both of her sons in for a hug and throws all of us a wink as she and Vincent turn and walk away.

“I am ready for a drink myself, guys,” Luke says as he takes hold of Shayne’s hand and leads her outside with Antonio in tow, leaving Adam and I standing by ourselves.

Adam is the first to break the awkward silence between the two of us. “You did a great job today Erin, and I thank you for that. Shayne is very lucky to have you and her day has been perfect.”

“There’s no need to thank me for that, Adam. It’s the least I could have done for her after everything she has done for me and Sierra.”

I can feel Adam’s scrutinizing look seeping deep into my pores. I know I am being a little standoffish, but I just don’t know what to do to stop myself. I don’t want to be this weak little mouse that I have turned into but after so long, I don’t know how to change.

Of course Sierra would call Adam to come and sit by us as we eat. I haven’t told either one of them yet, but I have decided that the best way for Adam to move on is for Sierra and me to move out. I can’t keep uprooting my daughter. I need to give her a stable home to live in, and with us still living with Adam, the strong physical and emotional pull I feel toward him is doing none of us any good. With the two of us out of his house, he can move on with his life and find someone who is worthy of the kind of love and happiness he deserves.

“Adam? When we get home, will you play cards with me and Lucy?” Sierra loves playing go fish with Adam.

“Honey,” I say, turning to her, “Not tonight, okay? It’s been a really long day for everyone so I think it’s best if we all try and get a good night’s sleep tonight.”

“But, Mommy. I’m not tired.” Sierra whines.

Adam snickers and chimes in. “I will play cards with you girls as soon as we can, but you need to listen to your mother, Sierra.”

She mutters something under her breath and sits there with her head down, pouting. I mean my little girl actually pouts.

“Sierra, pouting isn’t going to get you anywhere, you know. Plus, sticking your bottom lip out like that makes it so much easier for a bird to come along and poop on it.” Adam shrugs as the two of us turn and look at him.

“Ew, Adam! That is so gross!” Sierra shrieks, a little too loudly. I can’t help myself; I tilt my head back and laugh, and oh does it feel good to laugh. Before I know it, Sierra and Adam are laughing right along with me.

I need to get away from Adam. I can see him looking at me out of the corner of my eye. I’ve tried to avoid him as much as I can today and even though I am trying not to let Sierra feel the tension between the two of us it’s incredibly hard to just sit here and pretend there isn't. So I excuse myself to go take care of our dirty plates and to mingle with a few of the guests. I get up and leave Adam and Sierra laughing and carrying on like they always do. I love the way the two of them are with each other, so natural and carefree as they always joke and razz each other about one thing or another. I roam around making sure that everyone is doing okay and start to walk back into the house to grab a few things when I am stopped by Antonio and he introduces me to a man that I have caught glimpsing my way a few times tonight. Ugh. I mentally want to kick Antonio’s ass for this and I do. In my mind I kick him right smack in his ass for pawning me off on this guy. That asshole.

************

“For Christ’s sake.” I look at my watch again as I stand here listening to one of Luke’s close college buddies who flew in for the wedding. Does he ever shut up? No wonder he is still single. He is so... Ugh. I don’t know what he is, but he is on my nerves something bad. How the hell did I get stuck talking with him anyway? Oh, that’s right. I narrow my eyes and glare at Antonio who is laughing to himself.

“You jerk,” I mouth silently towards him. He winks and nods his head and turns back to his date who has boobs that are bigger than her damn head. Where he finds these chicks I have no idea. He needs the type of woman who would put him in his place, not stand there and drool over him as if he is her next meal and she is starving to death.

Antonio is one of the biggest male sluts I have ever known, but he has a heart of gold and would do anything for the ones he cares about. For the life of me I don’t know why he doesn’t settle down; maybe it’s because he has been through every woman in this town. It’s too easy for him. There are very few females who would turn down a hot guy who is a very successful attorney as well. What he needs is a strong-willed woman, one who is exactly like he is. A woman who would challenge him and not grovel at his feet. I roll my eyes at him and turn back to Stephen.

My thoughts are interrupted as I turn my attention back to Stephen. I look up at him and smile and nod my head as if paying attention to every word he is saying. It’s when he places his hand on me that I feel the blood in my veins turn to ice. I internally cringe and I close my eyes briefly, praying to God I don’t lose my shit on another man for putting his hands on me for the second time today.

Chapter Three

Adam

I can feel Erin slipping away from me before I even have the chance to show her how much she means to me. Her breakdown this morning threw me for a fucking loop.

I run my hands through my hair as I remember how Shayne would call me on the phone after every time Erin’s ex beat her.
How could you be so stupid, Adam? You should have never touched her that way.
When I held her in my arms and listened to her cry, my gut twisted.

In fact, I’ve felt knocked on my ass ever since I stepped into the room where the girls were getting ready and saw how beautiful Erin was. She has this certain radiance about her. It’s a combination of so many things. She appears to be innocent on the outside, but I can tell by the look on her face whenever I’m around that she wants me just as badly as I want her, even though I know she won’t do anything about it because she’s scared. I can see it even if she can’t. She doesn’t know me as well as she thinks she does because I am going to do everything I can to make that woman mine.

When I walk Shayne down the aisle, I look up at the gleam in Luke’s eyes as he takes in my cousin. I feel a flicker of jealousy seeing the two of them so much in love. Looking at Lucy standing next to Shayne and Sierra standing next to Erin, for the first time in my life, I want that. I want a family to call my own. When I steal a look at Erin she seems to be so much happier than she was this morning. Putting a smile on my face as I hand Shayne over to Luke, I take my seat in the front row. I listen to Shayne and Luke pledge their lives to one another and I can’t help but glance at Erin again. Right as I turn to look at her she turns to look at me; she swiftly turns away, but not before I notice the deep blush on her cheeks.

“Caught you looking too, sweetheart,” I say to myself.

************

“Congratulations, man,” I tell Luke after the ceremony.

“Thanks, Adam.” He pulls Shayne in for a kiss. “I am one lucky son of a bitch, that’s for sure.”

The two of them walk away and go sit at a table with Luke’s parents, leaving me standing by myself for a few moments.

My eyes roam around the yard until they land on the woman who seems to take my breath away every time I look at her. I have no idea who in the hell she is talking to, but I don’t like the way he’s looking at her. On the other hand, she is smiling up at him like the cat that ate the fucking canary.

Oh,
hell
no, he did not just bend down and whisper something in her ear. Fuck me, that dirty motherfucker just touched her! I don’t even know what the hell I’m doing, but before I even know it, my feet are moving towards them. Calming myself down before I reach her, I stop a foot away from them.

“Hey, Erin. Can I talk to you for a minute please?” I ask firmly. She looks up at me with confusion written all over her face.

“Um, excuse me a minute, Stephen.” She glares at me as she excuses herself and we take a few steps away.

“What do you want, Adam?” she says with annoyance.

Treading very lightly, I tell her exactly what it is I want as I take a hold of her hand and place it against my chest. My heart seems to have its own beat when it comes to her.

“I want
you
, Erin,” I say with determination.

“You what?” she says with a stupefied look on her face.

“You heard me. I won’t repeat myself.”

She tries to say something a few times but nothing is coming out of her mouth, so I pull her into me as close as I can get her and crash my lips against hers. At first she doesn’t open up to me but I know she wants this as much as I do. As soon as I nibble on her bottom lip and I hear the whimper come out of her mouth, I take full advantage. It’s the sexiest noise I have ever heard in my life. I don’t care that we’re standing here where everyone can see us; all I care about right now is the fact that I have Erin in my arms, and the way she is kissing me back with her tongue all over mine is enough to drive me crazy.

Ever since I kissed this woman months ago when I moved her and Sierra up here from Texas, I have not been able to get her out of my mind. Erin starts to break away from me as we both come down from what had to be the most sensual kiss I have ever had.

“No, love. Don’t pull away from me. We have both wanted that kiss for months now and you know it. Don’t deny this attraction we have towards each other, Erin.”

She looks down at the ground. I place my hand under her chin and lift her face to look at me, but her eyes are closed and tears are starting to run down her cheeks.

“Open those beautiful baby blues, Erin, and look at me,” I plead.

She does so and what I see staring back at me is not the look of a woman who just experienced the best kiss of her life; it is the look of a woman who is mentally and physically broken.

“God, Erin. Don’t look at me like that. Whatever it is, just let me in. I promise you I am not going to hurt you.”

“I…I can’t, Adam. Don’t you see? It’s not you, it’s me. I just don’t trust easily anymore. And I know you can do so much better than me.”

I am shocked by what she is saying. “Better than you? Erin, there is no one better than you.”

“But there is, Adam. I have nothing to give you.”

“That is where you’re wrong. You have everything to give me, and whether you want to believe it or not, you just gave me motivation baby.”

“You don’t mean that, Adam. How could you want someone like me?”

What the fuck did she just say?

“Erin, go get Sierra and let’s go home and talk about this.”

She shakes her head back and forth a few times and the words that come out of her mouth next about knock me on my ass.

“Speaking of home...Sierra and I will be moving out as soon as we can.”

With that, she turns and walks into the house, leaving me standing there with my mouth gaping open.

Leaving Shayne’s reception early was the last fucking thing I wanted to do, so thank God she understood when I told her what happened between Erin and me. I decided to stay at my office for a few days to give us both some time to cool down after what happened. Damn it, what in the hell do I have to do to get through to that girl? I care about her. Shit!

I pull my truck into my office and kill the engine. I grab my clothes and as I am climbing out, my phone vibrates in my pocket. When I take it out to see who is on the screen, I roll my eyes as I see Tonya’s phone number flashing across it. Tonya has been calling at least two or three times a week for the past three months trying to get me to hook up with her again, but even though my dick twitches in my pants and I have been using my best friend ‘Miss Right Hand’ to ease the hard-ons I get whenever I think about Erin, there isn’t any other woman I want right now except her. My feelings for her run deeper than wanting to have sex with her. I want to know everything about her.

As soon as I step through the door of my office and toss my bag of clothes on the couch, my phone rings again. God, I am so fucking sick of Tonya calling all the damn time! She knew what she was getting into when we started sleeping together.

“What?” I yell into the phone.

“Adam?”

Oh fuck me. It isn’t Tonya.

“Erin. Is something wrong?” I ask with worry.

“No. It’s just, um…it’s late and you left Shayne’s house, and well, um...I started to get a little worried, is all. Are you coming home?”

By the tone of her voice I would say she wants me to come home, but damn it I am done playing games with her.

“Adam? Are you still there?” she frets.

“Yes, I’m here. Listen, Erin. I’m going to stay at my office for a couple of days and we can talk when I come home.”

“Oh. Okay. Well, I just wanted to talk so I guess we can do that when you get back.”

Her voice is so soft and she sounds so worried. All I want to do is go home and take her in my arms and never let her go.

Then what the hell are you doing still standing here, you dumbass? Grab your shit and go.

“Hey, give me twenty minutes or so and I’ll be there, okay?”

“Okay, Adam. I’ll be waiting,” she whispers. I just hope she wants to talk about the same things that I do.

It takes me less than twenty minutes to get to my house and as I park my truck in the garage and start to climb out, I begin to get nervous. I feel like a damn teenage boy who is dying to ask a girl out on a damn date. What the hell is wrong with me? Opening and then closing the door to my house as quietly as I can, I tiptoe across the floor so I don’t wake up the girls. Making my way through the house I notice the only room with a light on is Erin’s.

I stand in her doorway and admire just how enticingly stunning she really is. She doesn’t notice me at first, but when she does, her head darts up and we stare into each other’s eyes for who knows how long until she looks away.

“Can I come in?” I ask cautiously.

Lifting her gaze she slowly nods her head. The minute I step inside, I am surrounded by her scent. God, she smells so fucking good. I have no idea how to describe it...it’s unique. It’s simply, Erin. I can feel her watching me as I cross the room and sit in the chair at her desk. She seems so uneasy and I have no clue if she is going to tell me what I so desperately want to hear or if she is going to tell me to go fuck myself. Whichever one it is I can’t take it anymore, so I break the ice by speaking first.

“I’m not going to tell you I’m sorry for what happened tonight Erin, because I’m not.”

My eyes meet hers again and I’m floored. Never in a million years would I expect this woman to look at me like she wants to rip my fucking clothes off. The carnal expression on her face makes me lean back in my chair. She doesn’t say a word as she stands up and walks over to me, bending down so she is about an inch away from my face.

I’m even more shocked when she says, “I don’t want you to be sorry, Adam. You were right. I want you just as much as you want me.”

I don’t give her time to say anything more as I pull her onto my lap and kiss her like there is no tomorrow. I have waited for what seems like forever for her to give me some kind of a damn hint that she wants me.

I need to know what made her change her mind, so I break free of our kiss.

“We need to talk.” I coolly say with my forehead pressed up against hers. “What’s going on in that wonderful head of yours?”

She gets up off of my lap, which I instantly hate because I could keep her there all damn night. She starts to pace back and forth a few times in front of me and I can tell the wheels in her head are turning as she looks everywhere but at me.

“Erin.”

She stops and her voice is unstable as her bottom lip starts to tremble.

“I am so scared. I know Shayne has told you about Joel and me, but I don’t think she told you everything.”

“I don’t need to know everything right now, Erin. The only thing I need to know is that you will let me do everything I can do to show you it’s me standing here in front of you and it’s me who wants to get to know every part of you.” I pause and then reach out and cup her delicate face with my hand. “Let me take you on a date.”

“A date?”

“Yes, sweetheart. A date. You see, there is so much I do know about you, yet there is so much I don’t. So you let me take care of everything,” I plead.

“Okay,” she says shyly.

I drop my hand from her face and kiss her softly one last time, but before I make it out the door, I turn around with as much certainty in my voice as I can muster. “Erin, you’re amazing and I am one lucky man to be able to show you just how amazing you truly are.”

Now that I know Erin and I finally have a date, I can’t seem to get my mind off of her. I have never been one to be the romantic kind of guy at all. Shit, I wouldn’t even know where to begin. This woman deserves the moon and the fucking stars and I am going to give it to her.

“Where in the hell are you going to take her?” I say into the darkness of my bedroom. “Think, man.” And just like that, I remember Erin telling me on our ride here from Texas one of the places she wanted to go. Oh, sweet cheeks. You have no idea how much fun I have planned for you tomorrow night.