Fatal, page 11
“Okay,” she whispered, unsure what she was supposed to do.
It wasn’t long before Adam was snoring softly, still wearing his clothes from the day. Outside, darkness took over and Raina felt herself fading as Adam’s steady, heavy breathing soothed her to sleep.
Adam couldn’t breathe. Something, or someone, was on top of him. He slowly came awake, keeping his breathing steady so whoever was there didn’t realize he was awake.
He could tell it was still dark on the other side of his eyelids. He opened one just enough to get a look at where he was.
The B&B. Honeymoon Suite. Raina.
It all came back to him like a dream, pieces of the last few weeks falling into place before the previous night tried to sink in.
Street got rid of the judge, Raina knew Adam wanted her, they kissed.
And she said he could share the bed.
The erection pressed hard against his zipper had Adam opening both eyes to find the source of his breathing struggles.
He grinned.
Raina had somehow managed to get him under the covers. She was laying almost completely on top of him, the covers pulled up to her chin and tucked tightly around them. Like the filling inside a bed burrito.
Adam moved his hand and found it full of flesh. He groaned. She was smooth and warm and perfect. His dick hardened even more, his ability to resist her slipping further out of grasp with her firmly in his grasp.
“Morning,” she said, her voice raspy and sleepy and sexy.
“Morning.” He tried to keep his body still, but it was almost impossible to not enjoy the feel of her on top of him.
“I must be crushing you,” she said, making a move to get off of him.
He held her tight. “Not even a little,” he lied, preferring not breathing to not holding her. She wasn’t that heavy now that the panic of someone being there was past him.
She chuckled softly, knowing he was lying but letting it go. She tucked her head under his chin and laid there with him, their breath the only sound in the room.
“We’re leaving today?” she whispered.
“I think it’s for the best. No more than two nights. Anywhere.”
She nodded. If he hadn’t been holding her, he would have missed the way her entire body tensed at the reminder of their plans.
After a minute, she sucked in a breath and rolled off him. She kept rolling, climbing out of the bed on the other side and walking around to go to the bathroom. She closed the door but didn’t lock it.
Adam laid there another minute. His head felt better, no lingering pain, but he was starving. He skipped dinner the night before since he passed out and wondered if Raina left the room on her own or if she missed dinner, too.
When she came out of the bathroom, he took his turn. She was sitting on the edge of the bed when he came back into the room.
“Are you okay?”
She nodded. “Just thinking.”
“What are you thinking?”
She smiled up at him and shook her head. “Nothing. Are we getting breakfast here before we head out?”
“We might as well. Did you eat dinner last night?”
She shook her head. “I didn’t want to wake you up, and I laid down and ended up falling asleep, too.”
“I’m sorry. I’ll do better to watch how I’m feeling so I don’t get that bad again.”
She nodded slowly, then looked up at him. “I think we need to do better about talking to each other.”
He chuckled. “Yeah. Sorry about that, too.”
“I don’t regret kissing you, Adam. And I wouldn’t have regretted anything else.”
“Raina.”
“No. You’ve been treating me like I’m fragile. I can’t handle that. Not from you. I hate all of this, but I have to feel like I have some control over things. I haven’t had that in far too long, so I need you to treat me like I’m your partner instead of someone who can’t handle everything happening right now.”
“You’re one of the strongest people I’ve ever met,” he whispered.
“Thank you.”
“I mean it. And I don’t regret kissing you, either, Raina. Just in case you were wondering.”
She smiled shyly at him, her cheeks pinking. “I’m going to get in the shower, if that’s okay.”
“Yeah, of course. I’ll stay over here if you want to leave the door cracked.”
She nodded, grateful for the suggestion. “Thanks.”
She grabbed clothes and went to the bathroom, leaving the door slightly open to let out the steam.
And proving she trusted him. That made Adam smile.
When they were both showered and dressed and their bags were packed, including a few of the freebie condoms Adam hoped to be able to put to use one day, they turned toward the door.
“Raina,” Adam said before she opened the door.
“Yeah?” She looked up at him with a question in her beautiful hazel eyes.
It was a punch to the gut. She was so beautiful it hurt to resist her, and as they were about to leave the bubble they’d created in the tiny B&B with nosy, and borderline rude, hosts, he found himself unable to walk out without one last kiss from her.
Adam let go of his suitcase and stepped into her personal space, crowding her against the wall and taking what he hoped she was offering him. Her hand tunneled into his hair, eagerly kissing him back with the same madness he felt pumping through his veins.
He covered her body with his and didn’t hold back the way he’d done for weeks. He leaned into her, smiling when she gasped at the feel of his hardness against her stomach. He kissed her harder, his hands dropping to her hips to hold her in place. She held on to him, her barely audible whimpers turning him on and making him want to toss her onto the bed and use the room for exactly what it was intended.
Sex. Lots of sex. Dirty sex with the woman he was pretending to be married to.
Adam’s stomach let out a strained growl, reminding him neither of them had eaten since lunch the day before. He backed away from Raina with a sheepish grin. They smiled at each other and panted.
“I guess food wins out,” she said.
Adam kissed her again, determined to prove her wrong, and his stomach growled again.
“Fuck,” he hissed.
Raina chuckled. “It’s okay. I’m hungry, too. And we’ll be somewhere new soon.”
“Soon isn’t now,” Adam whispered.
“No,” Raina said, laughing at him. “But we’ve resisted each other this long. I think we can make it a few more hours.”
Adam glanced down at his erection straining his zipper and muttered, “Speak for yourself.”
Raina cupped his jaw. “Do you want me to…?”
“Suck my dick? No.”
“Oh.” She sounded hurt and ducked her head, shifting away from him even though he was pressed against her.
“Fuck, Raina, not like that. Want you to? More than I want food right now. But there’s no way in hell I’m going to fuck your mouth before I have you fucking mine. You’re going to have a few orgasms before I even think about having one.”
“Oh.” That was a very different sounding oh. One that had Adam cursing under his breath for a very different reason. “I wouldn’t object.”
Adam cupped her jaw. “When we get these clothes off, I’m not going to rush to put them back on.”
“Oh.”
“Let’s go get breakfast and get back on the road,” Adam said, picking up his suitcase before he filled his hands with Raina again.
Raina nodded and followed him downstairs.
Norma and Tom were at the front desk when Raina and Adam made it downstairs. They gushed over them and thanked them for staying. Adam carried their suitcases to the SUV, leaving Raina inside to get coffee and order breakfast.
They ate quickly, sharing their food again. Before they finished, Norma approached and asked them to come back sometime.
“We’d love to,” Raina said, setting her fork down. “Thank you for being such amazing hosts.”
“See?” Norma said to Tom, who’d just come out of the kitchen. “I told you that room would work. He said I needed to keep my nose out of it, but I was sure that room would work its magic and you two would be acting like newlyweds are supposed to. He hasn’t looked at you like that since you’ve been here.”
Adam tore his gaze from Raina. She sucked in a breath when she looked over at him, but Adam focused on his food instead of revealing even more of how badly he wanted her, especially in front of Norma.
“Leave them to their food, my love,” Tom chastised gently.
Norma grinned and clasped her hands together before going back to the desk to speak to another couple who came down for breakfast.
“Maybe next time we keep the newlywed part to ourselves,” Adam whispered.
Raina chuckled. “Yeah, but then where would we get free condoms?”
Adam choked on his coffee, sputtering and coughing and trying to figure out how she knew he stole the condoms from the basket.
“I had the same thought,” she confessed, her cheeks turning red.
Adam grinned, nodding and chuckling as he thought about the night ahead.
It was going to be a damn good night.
The six-hour drive down the coast was much better with them talking to each other. It passed quickly for Adam, learning more about Raina in a few hours than he’d learned in more than two months of him living with and protecting her.
He also shared a few things about himself. By the time they pulled into a B&B east of Richmond, Virginia, near the Atlantic Ocean, he knew things had changed between him and Raina. For the better.
“Good evening,” a woman said when they walked into the bed-and-breakfast. “Welcome to Shady Garden Bed and Breakfast. I’m Bobbi. How can I help you?”
“Hi, Bobbi,” Adam said, stepping forward with his hand on Raina’s back, ignoring his own earlier advice about not telling the host they were newlyweds. “I’m Mark, and this is my bride, Lisa. We’re hoping you have a room for two nights.”
“Bride? Are you newly married?” Bobbi asked.
“We are,” Raina said, setting her right hand on Adam’s chest and leaning her head against his shoulder. “We eloped last weekend and are making our own honeymoon trip.”
“Oh, that’s so sweet. I don’t think we’ve ever had honeymooners here before. But all our suites have private bathrooms, so you’re not sharing with other guests.”
“That sounds perfect,” Adam said. “Thank you.”
“Oh, no, thank you. My late husband, Leonard, always said it would be nice to have honeymooners here. He was a romantic.”
“I’m sorry for your loss,” Raina said.
“Thank you, dear. It’s been almost a year. But our oldest son lives here with me and helps me out. He loves this place as much as Leonard did. We had thirty-two years together.”
“Wow. That seems like such a long time,” Raina said.
Bobbi nodded. “When it’s right, it’s never long enough.”
Raina grinned at her, then looked up at Adam. The smile on her face made him want their lies to be true. Honeymoon, in love, romance, all of it. He wanted it with her.
And the way she was looking at him made him wonder if she felt the same.
Bobbi gave them all the information about breakfast the next morning and handed over the key to their room. She offered to carry their luggage upstairs, but Adam waved her off. He grabbed their suitcases while Raina talked to Bobbi for a few more minutes. Raina hugged the older woman before looping her hand through Adam’s arm and walking up the stairs side-by-side with him.
“She’s very sweet,” Raina said when they were closed in their room. They’d stopped for dinner on the road, leaving them nothing but each other for the night.
And Adam did not want to talk about their host.
“She said we were a cute couple. Not like Norma and didn’t believe us.”
“We were less than believable for Norma and Tom.”
Raina nodded. “True.”
She met his gaze with a smile, one that faded as the tension between them thickened.
Adam watched as unease and uncertainty filled her gaze. “Nothing has to happen, Raina.”
She shook her head. “It’s not that.”
“It doesn’t look like you’re thrilled right now.”
“I’m nervous. It’s been a while, and with Damon…”
She trailed off, leaving Adam to fill in the gaps. He realized it was possible Street was far from gentle or loving with her. Something that made Adam want to kill the other man all the more.
“Raina, I never—”
“Don’t. Don’t make this about him. I’m ready to more forward with my life. I need to move forward. But I’m nervous.”
“I’m not going to hurt you.”
She smiled, the appreciation shining in her eyes. “I know. That’s how I know I want this. I want you, Adam. I trust you.”
That meant more than anything else to him. She was trusting him with her body and believing he would take care of her.
It had never been so important to Adam to make sure the woman he was with enjoyed every minute. And it never would be again. Because no woman would ever be Raina.
No woman would ever be the first woman he loved.
12
Raina had never worried about making the first move with a man before Damon. She approached him, picking him out of the crowd and finding him intriguing. Ever since, she felt like her instincts were off. Broken.
She was fairly sure Adam wanted her, but she still waited for him to make the first move. For him to cross the room to where she stood on the far side. Beyond the king sized bed that took up the majority of the space in the small room. Unlike their previous B&B, this room was more like a hotel room. Nicely decorated, but simple in appearance and amenities.
Meaning there was no overflowing basket of condoms for them to enjoy.
Raina knew Adam had taken some from the last room, and so did she. She figured the last thing they needed was to be unprepared or to have to go into a convenience store that undoubtedly would have cameras.
Adam watched her for a long minute, his gaze skipping over her body like he couldn’t decide where he wanted to look.
She waited, her breath held, until he took a step toward her. Then another.
He stopped in front of her, the tension in his jaw matching that in his balled fists.
“Nothing has to happen,” she echoed his earlier statement. Worse than her being a convenience would be him feeling forced into bed with her.
He shook his head slowly. “I’m sorry for everything he did to you.”
Raina’s breath caught in her throat. That was the last thing she expected him to say. Most people felt bad for her, but few were so direct. And even fewer knew the extent of the torture she’d been through.
“Thank you,” Raina breathed, the words barely a whisper. A tear broke free and took the scenic route down her cheek.
“You deserve better than him. Better than me. I will never do anything to intentionally hurt you, but I don’t want to hurt you by accident either.”
“You won’t,” Raina said.
Adam shook his head again. “What if I hold your hands or tug your hair or grip your hips? What if I do something that hurts you or scares you? I’d never forgive myself.”
“Damon was not the first man I’d ever slept with. I know sex can be good. Really good. And I want to feel that again. I want to enjoy the sensations of my body. I want to feel the weight of a man on top of me and not worry that he won’t get off of me. I want to be fucked and have sex and make love. I want to kiss and touch and taste. I want Damon to not be the last man I slept with. I know it isn’t fair to put all of that on you, and you can say no. I will understand if you’re not interested in me after learning all of that—”
She didn’t get a chance to finish her sentence before Adam erased the gap between them and attacked her. His hand slid into her hair and tugged so her head tilted back as he lowered his mouth to hers.
She squeaked at the sudden move, then moaned into his kiss and wrapped her arms around his neck.
Adam’s other hand went to her hip, pulling her closer. It slid around her back and held her in place as he searched for a separation between her jeans and her top. When he found it, he pressed his hand widely against her back, searing her skin with his warmth.
Raina speared her hands through his short hair, throwing herself into the kiss. It was as far as they’d gotten before, and Raina was going to enjoy the hell out of it in case he pulled back again.
He did pull back, his lips wet and red from their aggressive kiss. “Are you okay?”
She nodded. “I’ll be better if you tell me your head doesn’t hurt tonight.”
He chuckled. “Good to go.”
She grinned, gently tugging him down to kiss her again.
He smiled just before their lips touched again. He parted hers with little effort, slowing their frantic kiss with the same knowledge she had.
They had all night. And nothing was going to stop them.
Adam backed Raina up to the bed, keeping his lips to hers as he helped her ease onto the mattress. He followed her down, crawling over her and settling between her parted thighs.
A second of panic hit her when Adam’s weight pressed her to the bed. He stopped instantly, making a move to get off the bed, but she held him in place.
He stilled, not breathing as she sucked in breath after breath and convinced herself she was safe.
“I’m sorry.”
He shook his head. “Nothing to be sorry for. We can stop whenever you want.”
“I don’t want to stop. But I don’t want to make you crazy.”
He smirked. “Too late on that one, but for a very different reason. You can say no at any point, Raina. I will always stop.”
She nodded, her damn throat tightening again. “Thank you. Will you kiss me again?”
He nodded and eased his body over hers, supporting himself on his elbows to keep from pressing her to the mattress. She inhaled deep, drawing his scent in and reminding herself Adam would never hurt her.
It wasn’t long before Adam was snoring softly, still wearing his clothes from the day. Outside, darkness took over and Raina felt herself fading as Adam’s steady, heavy breathing soothed her to sleep.
Adam couldn’t breathe. Something, or someone, was on top of him. He slowly came awake, keeping his breathing steady so whoever was there didn’t realize he was awake.
He could tell it was still dark on the other side of his eyelids. He opened one just enough to get a look at where he was.
The B&B. Honeymoon Suite. Raina.
It all came back to him like a dream, pieces of the last few weeks falling into place before the previous night tried to sink in.
Street got rid of the judge, Raina knew Adam wanted her, they kissed.
And she said he could share the bed.
The erection pressed hard against his zipper had Adam opening both eyes to find the source of his breathing struggles.
He grinned.
Raina had somehow managed to get him under the covers. She was laying almost completely on top of him, the covers pulled up to her chin and tucked tightly around them. Like the filling inside a bed burrito.
Adam moved his hand and found it full of flesh. He groaned. She was smooth and warm and perfect. His dick hardened even more, his ability to resist her slipping further out of grasp with her firmly in his grasp.
“Morning,” she said, her voice raspy and sleepy and sexy.
“Morning.” He tried to keep his body still, but it was almost impossible to not enjoy the feel of her on top of him.
“I must be crushing you,” she said, making a move to get off of him.
He held her tight. “Not even a little,” he lied, preferring not breathing to not holding her. She wasn’t that heavy now that the panic of someone being there was past him.
She chuckled softly, knowing he was lying but letting it go. She tucked her head under his chin and laid there with him, their breath the only sound in the room.
“We’re leaving today?” she whispered.
“I think it’s for the best. No more than two nights. Anywhere.”
She nodded. If he hadn’t been holding her, he would have missed the way her entire body tensed at the reminder of their plans.
After a minute, she sucked in a breath and rolled off him. She kept rolling, climbing out of the bed on the other side and walking around to go to the bathroom. She closed the door but didn’t lock it.
Adam laid there another minute. His head felt better, no lingering pain, but he was starving. He skipped dinner the night before since he passed out and wondered if Raina left the room on her own or if she missed dinner, too.
When she came out of the bathroom, he took his turn. She was sitting on the edge of the bed when he came back into the room.
“Are you okay?”
She nodded. “Just thinking.”
“What are you thinking?”
She smiled up at him and shook her head. “Nothing. Are we getting breakfast here before we head out?”
“We might as well. Did you eat dinner last night?”
She shook her head. “I didn’t want to wake you up, and I laid down and ended up falling asleep, too.”
“I’m sorry. I’ll do better to watch how I’m feeling so I don’t get that bad again.”
She nodded slowly, then looked up at him. “I think we need to do better about talking to each other.”
He chuckled. “Yeah. Sorry about that, too.”
“I don’t regret kissing you, Adam. And I wouldn’t have regretted anything else.”
“Raina.”
“No. You’ve been treating me like I’m fragile. I can’t handle that. Not from you. I hate all of this, but I have to feel like I have some control over things. I haven’t had that in far too long, so I need you to treat me like I’m your partner instead of someone who can’t handle everything happening right now.”
“You’re one of the strongest people I’ve ever met,” he whispered.
“Thank you.”
“I mean it. And I don’t regret kissing you, either, Raina. Just in case you were wondering.”
She smiled shyly at him, her cheeks pinking. “I’m going to get in the shower, if that’s okay.”
“Yeah, of course. I’ll stay over here if you want to leave the door cracked.”
She nodded, grateful for the suggestion. “Thanks.”
She grabbed clothes and went to the bathroom, leaving the door slightly open to let out the steam.
And proving she trusted him. That made Adam smile.
When they were both showered and dressed and their bags were packed, including a few of the freebie condoms Adam hoped to be able to put to use one day, they turned toward the door.
“Raina,” Adam said before she opened the door.
“Yeah?” She looked up at him with a question in her beautiful hazel eyes.
It was a punch to the gut. She was so beautiful it hurt to resist her, and as they were about to leave the bubble they’d created in the tiny B&B with nosy, and borderline rude, hosts, he found himself unable to walk out without one last kiss from her.
Adam let go of his suitcase and stepped into her personal space, crowding her against the wall and taking what he hoped she was offering him. Her hand tunneled into his hair, eagerly kissing him back with the same madness he felt pumping through his veins.
He covered her body with his and didn’t hold back the way he’d done for weeks. He leaned into her, smiling when she gasped at the feel of his hardness against her stomach. He kissed her harder, his hands dropping to her hips to hold her in place. She held on to him, her barely audible whimpers turning him on and making him want to toss her onto the bed and use the room for exactly what it was intended.
Sex. Lots of sex. Dirty sex with the woman he was pretending to be married to.
Adam’s stomach let out a strained growl, reminding him neither of them had eaten since lunch the day before. He backed away from Raina with a sheepish grin. They smiled at each other and panted.
“I guess food wins out,” she said.
Adam kissed her again, determined to prove her wrong, and his stomach growled again.
“Fuck,” he hissed.
Raina chuckled. “It’s okay. I’m hungry, too. And we’ll be somewhere new soon.”
“Soon isn’t now,” Adam whispered.
“No,” Raina said, laughing at him. “But we’ve resisted each other this long. I think we can make it a few more hours.”
Adam glanced down at his erection straining his zipper and muttered, “Speak for yourself.”
Raina cupped his jaw. “Do you want me to…?”
“Suck my dick? No.”
“Oh.” She sounded hurt and ducked her head, shifting away from him even though he was pressed against her.
“Fuck, Raina, not like that. Want you to? More than I want food right now. But there’s no way in hell I’m going to fuck your mouth before I have you fucking mine. You’re going to have a few orgasms before I even think about having one.”
“Oh.” That was a very different sounding oh. One that had Adam cursing under his breath for a very different reason. “I wouldn’t object.”
Adam cupped her jaw. “When we get these clothes off, I’m not going to rush to put them back on.”
“Oh.”
“Let’s go get breakfast and get back on the road,” Adam said, picking up his suitcase before he filled his hands with Raina again.
Raina nodded and followed him downstairs.
Norma and Tom were at the front desk when Raina and Adam made it downstairs. They gushed over them and thanked them for staying. Adam carried their suitcases to the SUV, leaving Raina inside to get coffee and order breakfast.
They ate quickly, sharing their food again. Before they finished, Norma approached and asked them to come back sometime.
“We’d love to,” Raina said, setting her fork down. “Thank you for being such amazing hosts.”
“See?” Norma said to Tom, who’d just come out of the kitchen. “I told you that room would work. He said I needed to keep my nose out of it, but I was sure that room would work its magic and you two would be acting like newlyweds are supposed to. He hasn’t looked at you like that since you’ve been here.”
Adam tore his gaze from Raina. She sucked in a breath when she looked over at him, but Adam focused on his food instead of revealing even more of how badly he wanted her, especially in front of Norma.
“Leave them to their food, my love,” Tom chastised gently.
Norma grinned and clasped her hands together before going back to the desk to speak to another couple who came down for breakfast.
“Maybe next time we keep the newlywed part to ourselves,” Adam whispered.
Raina chuckled. “Yeah, but then where would we get free condoms?”
Adam choked on his coffee, sputtering and coughing and trying to figure out how she knew he stole the condoms from the basket.
“I had the same thought,” she confessed, her cheeks turning red.
Adam grinned, nodding and chuckling as he thought about the night ahead.
It was going to be a damn good night.
The six-hour drive down the coast was much better with them talking to each other. It passed quickly for Adam, learning more about Raina in a few hours than he’d learned in more than two months of him living with and protecting her.
He also shared a few things about himself. By the time they pulled into a B&B east of Richmond, Virginia, near the Atlantic Ocean, he knew things had changed between him and Raina. For the better.
“Good evening,” a woman said when they walked into the bed-and-breakfast. “Welcome to Shady Garden Bed and Breakfast. I’m Bobbi. How can I help you?”
“Hi, Bobbi,” Adam said, stepping forward with his hand on Raina’s back, ignoring his own earlier advice about not telling the host they were newlyweds. “I’m Mark, and this is my bride, Lisa. We’re hoping you have a room for two nights.”
“Bride? Are you newly married?” Bobbi asked.
“We are,” Raina said, setting her right hand on Adam’s chest and leaning her head against his shoulder. “We eloped last weekend and are making our own honeymoon trip.”
“Oh, that’s so sweet. I don’t think we’ve ever had honeymooners here before. But all our suites have private bathrooms, so you’re not sharing with other guests.”
“That sounds perfect,” Adam said. “Thank you.”
“Oh, no, thank you. My late husband, Leonard, always said it would be nice to have honeymooners here. He was a romantic.”
“I’m sorry for your loss,” Raina said.
“Thank you, dear. It’s been almost a year. But our oldest son lives here with me and helps me out. He loves this place as much as Leonard did. We had thirty-two years together.”
“Wow. That seems like such a long time,” Raina said.
Bobbi nodded. “When it’s right, it’s never long enough.”
Raina grinned at her, then looked up at Adam. The smile on her face made him want their lies to be true. Honeymoon, in love, romance, all of it. He wanted it with her.
And the way she was looking at him made him wonder if she felt the same.
Bobbi gave them all the information about breakfast the next morning and handed over the key to their room. She offered to carry their luggage upstairs, but Adam waved her off. He grabbed their suitcases while Raina talked to Bobbi for a few more minutes. Raina hugged the older woman before looping her hand through Adam’s arm and walking up the stairs side-by-side with him.
“She’s very sweet,” Raina said when they were closed in their room. They’d stopped for dinner on the road, leaving them nothing but each other for the night.
And Adam did not want to talk about their host.
“She said we were a cute couple. Not like Norma and didn’t believe us.”
“We were less than believable for Norma and Tom.”
Raina nodded. “True.”
She met his gaze with a smile, one that faded as the tension between them thickened.
Adam watched as unease and uncertainty filled her gaze. “Nothing has to happen, Raina.”
She shook her head. “It’s not that.”
“It doesn’t look like you’re thrilled right now.”
“I’m nervous. It’s been a while, and with Damon…”
She trailed off, leaving Adam to fill in the gaps. He realized it was possible Street was far from gentle or loving with her. Something that made Adam want to kill the other man all the more.
“Raina, I never—”
“Don’t. Don’t make this about him. I’m ready to more forward with my life. I need to move forward. But I’m nervous.”
“I’m not going to hurt you.”
She smiled, the appreciation shining in her eyes. “I know. That’s how I know I want this. I want you, Adam. I trust you.”
That meant more than anything else to him. She was trusting him with her body and believing he would take care of her.
It had never been so important to Adam to make sure the woman he was with enjoyed every minute. And it never would be again. Because no woman would ever be Raina.
No woman would ever be the first woman he loved.
12
Raina had never worried about making the first move with a man before Damon. She approached him, picking him out of the crowd and finding him intriguing. Ever since, she felt like her instincts were off. Broken.
She was fairly sure Adam wanted her, but she still waited for him to make the first move. For him to cross the room to where she stood on the far side. Beyond the king sized bed that took up the majority of the space in the small room. Unlike their previous B&B, this room was more like a hotel room. Nicely decorated, but simple in appearance and amenities.
Meaning there was no overflowing basket of condoms for them to enjoy.
Raina knew Adam had taken some from the last room, and so did she. She figured the last thing they needed was to be unprepared or to have to go into a convenience store that undoubtedly would have cameras.
Adam watched her for a long minute, his gaze skipping over her body like he couldn’t decide where he wanted to look.
She waited, her breath held, until he took a step toward her. Then another.
He stopped in front of her, the tension in his jaw matching that in his balled fists.
“Nothing has to happen,” she echoed his earlier statement. Worse than her being a convenience would be him feeling forced into bed with her.
He shook his head slowly. “I’m sorry for everything he did to you.”
Raina’s breath caught in her throat. That was the last thing she expected him to say. Most people felt bad for her, but few were so direct. And even fewer knew the extent of the torture she’d been through.
“Thank you,” Raina breathed, the words barely a whisper. A tear broke free and took the scenic route down her cheek.
“You deserve better than him. Better than me. I will never do anything to intentionally hurt you, but I don’t want to hurt you by accident either.”
“You won’t,” Raina said.
Adam shook his head again. “What if I hold your hands or tug your hair or grip your hips? What if I do something that hurts you or scares you? I’d never forgive myself.”
“Damon was not the first man I’d ever slept with. I know sex can be good. Really good. And I want to feel that again. I want to enjoy the sensations of my body. I want to feel the weight of a man on top of me and not worry that he won’t get off of me. I want to be fucked and have sex and make love. I want to kiss and touch and taste. I want Damon to not be the last man I slept with. I know it isn’t fair to put all of that on you, and you can say no. I will understand if you’re not interested in me after learning all of that—”
She didn’t get a chance to finish her sentence before Adam erased the gap between them and attacked her. His hand slid into her hair and tugged so her head tilted back as he lowered his mouth to hers.
She squeaked at the sudden move, then moaned into his kiss and wrapped her arms around his neck.
Adam’s other hand went to her hip, pulling her closer. It slid around her back and held her in place as he searched for a separation between her jeans and her top. When he found it, he pressed his hand widely against her back, searing her skin with his warmth.
Raina speared her hands through his short hair, throwing herself into the kiss. It was as far as they’d gotten before, and Raina was going to enjoy the hell out of it in case he pulled back again.
He did pull back, his lips wet and red from their aggressive kiss. “Are you okay?”
She nodded. “I’ll be better if you tell me your head doesn’t hurt tonight.”
He chuckled. “Good to go.”
She grinned, gently tugging him down to kiss her again.
He smiled just before their lips touched again. He parted hers with little effort, slowing their frantic kiss with the same knowledge she had.
They had all night. And nothing was going to stop them.
Adam backed Raina up to the bed, keeping his lips to hers as he helped her ease onto the mattress. He followed her down, crawling over her and settling between her parted thighs.
A second of panic hit her when Adam’s weight pressed her to the bed. He stopped instantly, making a move to get off the bed, but she held him in place.
He stilled, not breathing as she sucked in breath after breath and convinced herself she was safe.
“I’m sorry.”
He shook his head. “Nothing to be sorry for. We can stop whenever you want.”
“I don’t want to stop. But I don’t want to make you crazy.”
He smirked. “Too late on that one, but for a very different reason. You can say no at any point, Raina. I will always stop.”
She nodded, her damn throat tightening again. “Thank you. Will you kiss me again?”
He nodded and eased his body over hers, supporting himself on his elbows to keep from pressing her to the mattress. She inhaled deep, drawing his scent in and reminding herself Adam would never hurt her.
