Relentless(18)
I toss my makeup bag onto the floor and lie back on the pillow next to him. “Tell me a joke.”
He reaches toward the nightstand and turns off the lamp. For once, the darkness is comforting. I can pretend I’m talking to anyone.
“Corny or dirty?” he asks, settling back onto his pillow.
“Dirty,” I say, grateful that he can’t see my smile through the darkness.
He lets out a tiny huff of laughter. “Man, you are going to regret saying that.” He pauses a moment before he says, “When is an elf not an elf?”
“When?”
“When she’s sucking dick. Then she’s a goblin.”
I let loose a quick chuckle. “That’s corny, but still kind of funny.”
“You deserve the best of both worlds.”
The silence that follows his comment is painful. Finally, I turn onto my side to face him. The soft glow of the streetlamp shines through his curtains, outlining the silhouette of his perfect nose and lips. He turns to me and I can just barely glimpse his smile through the darkness.
“Maybe we should go to sleep now,” I whisper, my voice sounding somewhat strangled by the power of his presence.
“Yeah, we have to get up early.” He moves to get up and I grab his arm.
“You don’t have to go.”
He slowly settles back onto the bed, a little closer to me than he was before. I can feel the heat of his shoulder next to my face. He lifts his arm and I realize he’s inviting me to cuddle with him. My heart pounds as I scoot toward him, drape my arm over his chest, and lay my head on his solid shoulder. He wraps his arm around me and gives my shoulder a light squeeze.
“Sweet dreams, Claire.”
“Goodnight, Adam.”
Chapter Eight
Relentless Competition
I WAKE WITH ADAM’S GRAY T-shirt clenched in my fist and a large crack of summer sunrise illuminating the humid air in the bedroom. His chest is hot and steamy against my cheek as it rises and falls slowly beneath me. I hold my breath as I slowly loosen my grip on his shirt. He lets out a soft grunt and I freeze.
I take in a measured breath as I move my hand, slower this time. The moment I begin to lift my head he shifts his weight, tightening his grip on my shoulder. It can’t be that early and he did say we were leaving at nine.
Ah, fuck it.
I push off his chest to sit up. His eyebrows scrunch up as he opens his eyes. “What time is it?”
“I don’t know, but you said we were leaving early so I figured we should probably get up and get ready.”
He squints at me through the hazy morning light and my breath catches in my throat. He looks way too adorable with his hair sticking out in million different directions.
“Well, aren’t you a vision in the morning,” he says, with a sly grin.
I reach up and feel my hair plastered to the right side of my head with sweat. The left side is sticking out several inches. I start to smooth it down and he yanks me down on top of him, ruffling my hair some more.
“Hey!” I squeal as I wrestle myself from his grip.
He laughs as he sits up and makes his way to the window to open the blinds just enough so the light penetrates the curtains, washing everything in the room, including him, in a creamy glow.
“You can take a shower first. I’ll make you some breakfast while you wash up.”
“Mac n’ cheese again?” I say as I slide off the bed and grab the purple makeup bag I tossed onto the floor last night.
“You should be so lucky. Nah, just a plain, old smoothie this time. We’re gonna eat some kickass barbecue later. You’re not a vegetarian, are you?”
“I love animals,” I reply, solemnly. “Especially when they’re cooked.”
He chuckles as he walks past me and I’m struck by how comfortable I feel here, like sleeping over at my hot neighbor’s house is something I do often. Does this make me a slut? No, we haven’t even kissed yet. Most people would have kissed by now. Is that a bad sign?
“Hey, just a heads up,” I say as I come out of the bedroom, stopping in front of the bathroom door. “I’m probably going to meditate in there, but I promise I’ll make it quick.”
“You can meditate out here. We can do it together.”
“Really?”
“Yeah, I’ll put some extra roofies in your smoothie to help you relax.”
“Aw… that’s so thoughtful.”
He shrugs modestly and I have to keep myself from sighing at how cute he looks. “Like I said before, only the best for Claire.”
I shake my head as I enter the bathroom, which looks just like our bathroom downstairs. I take a quick shower, thanking myself for remembering to bring my own body wash and shampoo after I see his man-scented bath products. After I brush my teeth and hair and put my bikini on underneath my dress, I exit the bathroom to find him sitting cross-legged on the rug in the living room. The coffee table has been pushed aside to make room for us and he’s wearing a serene smile.