“I see you’ve met my sister,” Adam said as he approached us. He kissed Emma’s cheek, then looked at me. “You all right, Katelyn? You look pale.”
“Well, if you didn’t leave her unattended in the middle of a snake pit, maybe she’d feel better,” Emma said.
“Let’s get you some air.” He put his hand on the small of my back and led me away. “Emma, dinner is starting soon. Will you find our table, please?”
The cute brunette nodded and hopped off.
“What’s the matter?” He wound me through some random hallway and around a few corners, until I had no idea where we were. We came to a door that led to a stairwell and he opened it. The cool air hit me. “What is it?” he growled, and faced me.
“Why are you mad at me?”
He looked down my body, stalking closer, forcing me to step back until my back hit the wall. “Because you have me so fucking hard that I can barely hold a conversation.”
“You didn’t seem to have a problem chatting with Miss Skinny No-Boobs back there.”
That grin split open and I saw his dazzling, straight white teeth. “Katelyn Gunn, are you jealous?”
“No, I’m pissed. You set me up.” The pounding in my ears was so loud I could barely hear myself speak.
“What do you mean?”
“I mean that you take me to an ‘event’ where the city’s biggest quadrillionaires are going to be, along with the entire cast of the Victoria’s Secret runway, which I was informed you’ve slept with—”
“I never slept with Victoria’s Secret.”
“You know what I mean. Why, Adam? Do you want to hammer home the point that I don’t belong here?”
My knees began shaking. Panic was overtaking me and soon I’d have a full-on attack. I squeezed my eyes shut, my breathing becoming more hectic by the second.
“Look at me.” The moment Adam cupped my neck, it was as if someone had taken the screeching teakettle off the burner. Calm rushed through me. I latched on to it and concentrated on even breaths. Slowly I opened my eyes. He was crouching and face-to-face with me.
“What was that?”
“Nothing.”
“Bullshit, Katelyn. You looked on the brink of fainting.”
“I get panic attacks sometimes. I felt it coming on, but I’m okay now.” Did this man have any idea what he was doing to me? Not even Megan had ever been able to bring me back from the brink of an attack the way Adam just had.
“Listen to me carefully, Katelyn. You belong where I say you belong, and that is with me tonight. As far as my sexual history, yes, I’ve slept with women, some of whom are present, but I’m not sleeping with them now.”
“That’s not the point,” I whispered.
“Then what is?”
“Do you really not get it? How would you like it if I brought you to some hole-in-the-wall bar all my ex-boyfriends frequented?”
His nostrils flared. “Point taken. But I cannot brush off important events because of who may or may not be in attendance.”
I knew that. Adam was an important member of the community and what he did on his own time was none of my business.
“You’re right,” I sighed. Exhaustion hit every bone in my body like a wrecking ball.
Once again, I didn’t know what to do or how to feel, and it was wearing me out. All of my energy was consumed just trying to stay balanced. Trying to have a relationship of any kind with Adam wasn’t like walking on eggshells, it was like walking on eggs.
I was tired of trying to keep myself even, trying to fit into a life that wasn’t meant for me.
“Adam, you don’t owe me any explanations. I’m not your mother or your wife. We have no commitment to each other. I think it would be better if I went home. This whole setup isn’t for me.”
He pressed into me, the wall cold on my back and his rock-hard frame against my front.
“You are my lover, and I am yours. You are gravely mistaken if you think there is no commitment between us.” He kissed me hard.
I groaned, my hands gripping his shoulders to pull him closer.
“You do owe me explanations. I am new to the details of relationships, but be certain that you belong only to me.”
His tongue thrust deep. I lapped at him, sucking and biting until he growled.
“So, we’re exclusive?” I hated that I sounded like a begging little girl, but I needed to know.
“That was my assumption. If you’re having second thoughts, let me assure you that I will not allow you to have another man.”
“And what about you?”
“My eyes are set on what I want.”
His strong kiss left me dizzy. His mouth forcefully ravaged mine with every hard stroke of his tongue. I threw my arms around his neck and kissed him with all I had. I wanted him closer. I tried to lift my knee and coax him further against me, but the dress kept me from moving my legs much. Adam must have figured out what I was trying to do, because he gathered my dress in his fists, hiked it up, and lifted me. My now free legs locked around his hips.