The Fifth Lesson (The Bay Boys #2) (24 page)

This woman made his heart feel some crazy things.
 
But he wouldn’t have it any other way.

Adam tugged off the blanket and her eyes snapped open in bleary confusion.
 
Taking her hand, he pulled her up from the couch, trying to ignore the way her dress rode up her shapely thighs.
 
“Come on,” he murmured.
 
“Let’s go to bed.
 
I don’t want you driving back this late.”
 
It was a flimsy excuse so that he could feel her cradled in his arms again, but he’d seize it.
 
Shamelessly.

Christie didn’t protest.
 
If he didn’t know any better, he’d say she was delighted.
 
She followed him wordlessly up the stairs into his bedroom and sat on the edge of the bed as he rummaged through his drawers.
 
He pulled out his softest t-shirt for her, but when he offered her some boxers, she shook her head.

Well, he certainly wouldn’t protest if she just wanted to sleep in his shirt…

Once Adam brushed his teeth and found her a spare toothbrush, Christie shut herself in the bathroom to ready herself for bed.
 
Adam stripped his shirt but kept his sweats on.
 
He wasn’t wearing anything underneath them and even though they’d slept nude together before, tonight wasn’t another one of those nights.

He climbed underneath the sheets, keeping his glasses on until Christie came to bed.
 
The only light in the room was the lamp on his nightstand and the bright light streaming underneath the door of the bathroom.
 
It was tugged open a moment later and Christie appeared in the doorway.

His breath caught in his throat.
 
His t-shirt hit right underneath her firm ass, but he could still spy a peek of her black lace underwear as she swayed towards the bed.
 
He was silent as she crawled over him.
 
But before she tucked herself into her side of the bed, she straddled his waist.

As though it was the most natural thing in the entire world, his hands found her hips.
 
Christie gazed down at him, not smiling, but studying.
 
He could feel her eyes sweep over his features, only to linger on his lips.
 
She rested her warm palms on his chest and she leaned down until the tips of her hair grazed his cheeks.

He braced in anticipation.
 
Their gazes locked and held.
 
They shared breath and felt each other’s warmth.
 
Adam thought it was the most vulnerable moment of his life, but also one of the most meaningful.
 
He didn’t understand it, but something shifted between them.
 
He knew Christie sensed it too.

Finally, she pressed a slow kiss to his brow even as the tips of her fingers traced the edge of his lips.
 
Pulling back, she swung her leg over him, shimmied under the covers next to him, and whispered, “Sweet dreams, Adam.”

He could still feel the heat of her fingertips on his skin.

His voice low, he replied, “Goodnight, Christie.”

Sleep would elude him for a little while longer.
 
His heart was racing.

What the fuck is happening?
he wondered, his brow furrowed at the ceiling, even as Christie used his chest as a pillow.

Adam didn’t want to fool himself.
 
This was an arrangement between the two of them.
 
With a specific end date.
 
The feelings he had for her would complicate things.
 
Without a doubt.
 
He was falling in love with her.
 
Sometimes he thought he’d been in love with her ever since he first met her.
 
But it wouldn’t end well between them if he told her that.
 
So, he never would.

When he first struck the deal, he hadn’t anticipated that they would be seeing each other outside of their planned meetings.
 
But already, she’d met his parents.
 
He’d stayed over at her apartment.
 
She’d started painting a figurine in his loft, only to break down in tears.
 
He told her things he’d never told anyone before in his life.
 
And now she was in his bed, in his arms.

Not even Advanced Calculus in college had been this confusing for him.

Give him vectors and integral theorems.
 
Give him cryptography or integrated circuits.
 
But the moment a woman was tossed into the mix, he felt out of his element and lost beyond belief.

His brain raced, going through every possible situation between them.
 
But in the end, Adam knew it would never work out.
 
Christie was vibrant, complex, and so fucking beautiful it made his heart stutter.
 
She could have any man she desired.
 
All they could ever be was friends.
 
Adam was better off finishing their remaining two lessons and parting amicably.
 
They ran in the same group, had the same friends; it would be for the best.

So, why did his throat burn with rage at the thought of her with another man?
 
Why did he want to keep her all to himself?
 
Why did he want to make her smile and laugh every moment he was with her?

Christie made a sound in her sleep and huddled closer to his body.
 
He scrubbed the hand Christie wasn’t lying on down his jaw and then plucked off his glasses, setting them quietly on the nightstand.
 
Adam reached out and flipped off the lamp, plunging the room into darkness.

He didn’t know what to make of his thoughts.
 
But if he allowed himself to get anymore attached to the beguiling blonde next to him, he would be in for a world of pain when they stopped whatever the hell they were doing.
 
He’d had strong feelings for her for months now, ever since he’d met her.
 
He’d never been in love before he met Christie, but this connection they had…he felt powerless to stop it.

And that scared the shit out of him.

TWENTY

The smoky dive bar was a favorite of Christie’s.
 
People tended to be surprised whenever she mentioned it.
 
They would take one look at her, figuring she was more into the club scene, and then ask why she enjoyed such a dirty, run-down old bar.
 
But it was the atmosphere that kept her coming back.
 
It was the peanut shells on the floor, the peeling wallpaper, the dart board, and lone pool table with faded green felt and a missing ball.

So, naturally, when Olivia had called her up, asking her if she was free on Friday night to get together with ‘The Group,’ Christie asked if they could meet at Lucky Lucy’s.
 
And that’s exactly where they all met up.

Christie was the first to arrive since it was only a short drive to the bar from the gallery.
 
They all agreed to meet at eight, so Christie put in some extra hours at work so she wouldn’t have to go all the way home, only to drive back a little while later.
 
It was relatively quiet when she walked in, but she knew from experience that by nine, it would be pretty packed.
 
She scouted out a corner booth and dragged extra chairs over so there would be enough seats.

Just as she was sinking into the cracked vinyl booth with a cider, Olivia and Alex appeared in the doorway.
 
Christie got her best friend’s attention and waved them over, standing to greet the both of them.

Christie didn’t want to admit it, but she was a little disappointed Adam hadn’t shown up first.
 
She hadn’t seen him since Wednesday morning.
 
She’d sent him a text Wednesday night, relaying some joke she’d overheard about computer engineers, but he’d only given her a one word reply in response, which wasn’t like him.
 
If she didn’t know any better, she’d say he was giving her the brush off.

“Missed you,” Christie murmured into Olivia’s ear as they hugged.
 
They pulled away and Christie kissed Alex’s cheek in greeting.

“I feel like I haven’t seen you in ages,” her friend commented as Alex went over to the bar to get drinks.
 
Embarrassment washed over Christie but she didn’t blush.
 
She’d been a terrible friend lately, but with her father coming into town and Adam’s
lessons
, she’d shamefully put Livy on the back burner.

“I know.
 
I’m sorry.
 
How’s everything been?”

“Okay.
 
We had to take Bubbles into the vet last night.
 
Alex was convinced there was something wrong with her.”

Christie tried not to chuckle.
 
Bubbles was Olivia and Alex’s cute, fluffy white cat.
 
The way Olivia told the story, Christie knew Alex hadn’t been too fond of taking the cat in.
 
But obviously, Bubbles had grown on him over time.

“Well, you’re just practicing I suppose,” Christie commented, a teasing smiling working its way onto her lips.

“For what?”

“For when you two are actually parents.
 
First it’s pet.
 
Then it’s children.
 
I’m serious.”

Olivia flushed, but her friend couldn’t contain her happiness.
 
However, it didn’t stop her from murmuring, “We’re still a long way from children, Christie.”

“I wouldn’t be too sure,” she replied with a pointed look over Olivia’s shoulder.
 
Her friend swiveled in her seat, only to find Alex giving her a hot stare from the bar as he waited for their drinks.
 
His lips quirked up once he noticed her watching him.
 
“That man is so in love with you it’s completely sickening.
 
And vice versa,” Christie chimed with no real malice in her tone.
 
She was thrilled for Livy, even though a part of her was a bit jealous.
 
Alex was the whole package…smoking hot, successful, and, apparently, a god in bed.
 
She couldn’t have picked a better man for her best friend, despite the somewhat rocky start she and Alex had in the beginning of their relationship.

“Oh, stop,” Olivia said, turning back around to face Christie even though her face glowed with a fresh pink tinge.
 
“And what about you, huh?
 
Been seeing anyone special?”

Christie almost choked on the sip of cider she’d been taking, but she managed to swallow past the small mouthful.
 
Christie hadn’t told Olivia about Adam since they were all mutual friends.

Luckily, she was saved from answering because Alex appeared with drinks and Olivia, thankfully, seemed to forget her question once they were all settled again.

An hour later, the whole gang was there…except for Adam.
 
Luke and his girlfriend Kate showed up shortly after Olivia and Alex.
 
And Caleb, the drool-worthy, surly one of Adam’s friends, brought up the rear.
 
Christie could tell he didn’t want to be there, but from the looks Luke and Alex were giving him, she was certain he’d been strong armed into coming.

Christie kept checking her text messages, wondering if Adam was held up and wasn’t coming tonight.

But, eventually, he appeared.

Butterflies erupted in her stomach at the sight of him.
 
In dark wash jeans and a casual black tee that highlighted his broad shoulders, he was so handsome it was hard to take her eyes off him.
 
His chestnut brown hair looked a little untidy after his day, but Christie found that she preferred it that way.
 
If they were alone, she would already be running her hands through it.

Christie smiled at him as he approached, but he was too busy greeting his friends to notice, so it gradually faded from her features.
 
There were two empty chairs left since Luke pulled Kate onto his lap in the booth.
 
One was next to her, the other was on the other end of the table.

Adam dropped down in the bar stool next to Caleb.
 
He was as far away from her as he could possibly be and he hadn’t even acknowledged her.
 
Frowning, she studied him, trying to catch his eye.
 
But she started to notice that whenever his gaze wandered her way, he would quickly look somewhere else.
 
Over his shoulder, at the decor on the walls, at the drink menu in front of him.

What the hell is happening right now?
she asked herself, in hurt astonishment.

Her mind raced back to Wednesday morning, the last time they’d seen one another.
 
He’d kissed her on the forehead and smiled warmly as she left his house.
 
They hadn’t fought or argued.

So, why was he acting this way?

Olivia must’ve noticed her foul expression because she leaned over and asked, “Did you and Adam ever make up?
 
You know, after the barbecue?”

Shit.
 
Livy still thought they were on bad terms.
 
Christie winced, remembering her cutting words that Adam and his friends happened to overhear.

“Yeah, we did,” she replied, her voice soft.

“Well, he still seems a little put off.”

Great.
 
His cold greeting hadn’t gone unnoticed.

Christie leaned back in the booth, her lips pressed into a firm line.
 
Her heart was thumping loudly in her ears.
 
Now, she was both hurt and angry.
 
Memories of her past relationships arose.
 
Used
.
 
Discarded
.