foolish separation.
“Mmm,” is all I can manage as his hand finds the skin on my lower back.
We’re all hands and tongues in the entryway of my apartment. I gently lower my heels to the floor, and Adrian bows toward me in response. My hands snake around his neck and my hand locks around my other wrist. I’m not letting him go. Adrian strokes his hands over my back pockets and nudges me up on my tiptoes once again. I pour all I have—all my gratitude, all my loneliness, all my longing—into this kiss.
He was there for me. He stood stoic and let me fight my own battle with Bo—he didn’t try to dash in and save the day. He was there for the aftermath, sure, but he knows I’m no damsel. Adrian gets me. Just as our breathing turns to primal moans, he pulls away and rests his forehead on mine, placing his shaky hands on my shoulders.
“I’ve waited five years to do that again. I can’t believe I almost lost you to someone else before I had a chance to get you back,” he heaves through ragged breath.
He wants me back. He’s always wanted me back. The speech he gave me on the beach two weeks ago about him loving me when we were together wasn’t a lie. This is real. I press forward once more, attaching my swollen lips to his. I step back with intention, and he follows me to the couch without pulling away from my mouth.
As we sit, I’m suddenly unsure how to proceed. Ad rian and I have slept together. A lot. But, it’s been five years. We’ve had partners in the meantime...multiple partners. I’m fresh out of what could turn out to be the most heartbreaking experience of my life, and yet I can’t seem to shake the feeling that my panties are searching for the emergency exit in my jeans. It’s my turn to pull away. He doesn’t fight it.
“Why didn’t you tell me how you felt when we got together at Finnegan’s, Adrian?” I know the answer.
“You were distant that night. I could tell you were keeping something from me, or at the very least, you were just on guard.”
Yep, that’s the answer.
We sit in silence for a few moments as our breathing finds even footing. Adrian grabs my hand. “Now what?” he asks.
I squeeze his in muted response. “This. This is a good start.” I nuzzle my head between his neck and collarbone. Adrian releases my hand and runs his through my hair as I continue. “You weren’t planning on driving back home tonight, were you?” I look into his eyes and watch them scan my face.
“I was going to.”
“Don’t. Stay here tonight.”
“I don’t know if that’s a good idea ...” he trails off.
“I’m not asking you t o slee p with me. I just want you to sleep next to me. I feel good with you, Adrian. There’s no pretense, no nonsense.”
He kisses the top of my head. “It is easy, isn’t it?”
“Yeah, it’s easy.”
I’m not in the mood to set ground rules with Adrian, and he doesn’t seem to need the discussion either. See? Easy . After a few minutes, we head to bed. He sleeps under the covers this time, with his bare chest against my back, and a tight arm hooked around my waist.
Chapter Seven
My phone wakes me too early for a Saturday morning. Adrian groans something unintelligible as he releases his grip on my waist so I can blindly answer the phone.
“Hello?”
A husky voice startles me fully awake. “I’m sorry, did I wake you up?”
Bo. Facepalm.
“Yeah, you did. It’s Saturday morning. What’s going on?” I swing my legs over the side of the bed and make my way to the kitchen, where I fumble with the coffee—spilling half the bag on the floor. “Shit.”
“What?”
“Spilled coffee all over my kitchen. What’s going on, Bo? Do you need something?” I ask with irritation.
“Are you free tonight?”
What the hell?
“What the hell do you mean? Is something going on with DROP?”
“No, nothing like that. I wanted to know if you want to get together tonight.”
“Wait, what? I’m sorry, did you not
“Mmm,” is all I can manage as his hand finds the skin on my lower back.
We’re all hands and tongues in the entryway of my apartment. I gently lower my heels to the floor, and Adrian bows toward me in response. My hands snake around his neck and my hand locks around my other wrist. I’m not letting him go. Adrian strokes his hands over my back pockets and nudges me up on my tiptoes once again. I pour all I have—all my gratitude, all my loneliness, all my longing—into this kiss.
He was there for me. He stood stoic and let me fight my own battle with Bo—he didn’t try to dash in and save the day. He was there for the aftermath, sure, but he knows I’m no damsel. Adrian gets me. Just as our breathing turns to primal moans, he pulls away and rests his forehead on mine, placing his shaky hands on my shoulders.
“I’ve waited five years to do that again. I can’t believe I almost lost you to someone else before I had a chance to get you back,” he heaves through ragged breath.
He wants me back. He’s always wanted me back. The speech he gave me on the beach two weeks ago about him loving me when we were together wasn’t a lie. This is real. I press forward once more, attaching my swollen lips to his. I step back with intention, and he follows me to the couch without pulling away from my mouth.
As we sit, I’m suddenly unsure how to proceed. Ad rian and I have slept together. A lot. But, it’s been five years. We’ve had partners in the meantime...multiple partners. I’m fresh out of what could turn out to be the most heartbreaking experience of my life, and yet I can’t seem to shake the feeling that my panties are searching for the emergency exit in my jeans. It’s my turn to pull away. He doesn’t fight it.
“Why didn’t you tell me how you felt when we got together at Finnegan’s, Adrian?” I know the answer.
“You were distant that night. I could tell you were keeping something from me, or at the very least, you were just on guard.”
Yep, that’s the answer.
We sit in silence for a few moments as our breathing finds even footing. Adrian grabs my hand. “Now what?” he asks.
I squeeze his in muted response. “This. This is a good start.” I nuzzle my head between his neck and collarbone. Adrian releases my hand and runs his through my hair as I continue. “You weren’t planning on driving back home tonight, were you?” I look into his eyes and watch them scan my face.
“I was going to.”
“Don’t. Stay here tonight.”
“I don’t know if that’s a good idea ...” he trails off.
“I’m not asking you t o slee p with me. I just want you to sleep next to me. I feel good with you, Adrian. There’s no pretense, no nonsense.”
He kisses the top of my head. “It is easy, isn’t it?”
“Yeah, it’s easy.”
I’m not in the mood to set ground rules with Adrian, and he doesn’t seem to need the discussion either. See? Easy . After a few minutes, we head to bed. He sleeps under the covers this time, with his bare chest against my back, and a tight arm hooked around my waist.
Chapter Seven
My phone wakes me too early for a Saturday morning. Adrian groans something unintelligible as he releases his grip on my waist so I can blindly answer the phone.
“Hello?”
A husky voice startles me fully awake. “I’m sorry, did I wake you up?”
Bo. Facepalm.
“Yeah, you did. It’s Saturday morning. What’s going on?” I swing my legs over the side of the bed and make my way to the kitchen, where I fumble with the coffee—spilling half the bag on the floor. “Shit.”
“What?”
“Spilled coffee all over my kitchen. What’s going on, Bo? Do you need something?” I ask with irritation.
“Are you free tonight?”
What the hell?
“What the hell do you mean? Is something going on with DROP?”
“No, nothing like that. I wanted to know if you want to get together tonight.”
“Wait, what? I’m sorry, did you not
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