Adam felt his eyebrows shoot up in surprise. That was certainly out of left field. And at first, his mind immediately clamped down and said no. Yet the next thought in his mind was why not? What would it hurt? He wanted to meet her family. He had no family. He knew she wasn’t close to hers, which meant there was some other reason behind her request.
“That means no,” Ellie told him with a glum sigh.
Adam was confused. “What means no?”
“That look on your face. It means no.”
“You shouldn’t try to read all of my expressions. And that was surprise, by the way.” He took her hands in his again and lifted them to his lips. “Why this sudden desire to go back to Saint Louis? You never talk about going up there or visiting. I believe you told me that you do it rarely because you don’t really get along with your family.”
“Yes, but there’s a wedding,” Ellie said softly. Then she looked truly chagrined. “Which I’m sure will make you say no.”
“Who is getting married?” Adam could not help but wonder. She’d told him that her brother was a hair dresser and a creative, sometimes flighty sort. That didn’t suggest he was looking to find a local with whom to settle down.
“My brother is having a ceremony to legally marry his life partner. They’ve been together for years, but now my mother wants them to have a big wedding.” Ellie sounded exasperated. She rolled her eyes and shook her head and then snatched her hands away from his so that she could put them over her face. “It’s awful! He’s such a drama queen. I’m telling you. They’re going to get married in Forest Park and I’m sure it will be beautiful. But I don’t want to show up to that wedding alone, Adam.”
Adam absolutely got it now. He exhaled a sigh and then stood up. He took her hand and had her stand up too. “Come on. I’m going to take you home. And when we get there, you’re going to tell me the details of this wedding ceremony so I can make sure to clear my calendar. Are we going to stay in a hotel up there? Or were you wanting to go up and back in one day?”
Her mouth actually popped open. “Really? You’re not just telling me hell to the no and to get out of your face and you never want to see me again?”
Adam rolled his eyes as they walked out of the restaurant into the muggy night air. At least it was clear though there were no stars thanks to the light pollution of nearby Branson, but there was at least a night sky filled with hazy pinpoints of light.
“Do you honestly believe that’s what I would do?” Adam asked Ellie as he helped her back into his car. “Really. Do you honestly see me doing something that petty and mean? I truly care about you, Ellie. I’m not going to change my mind about that because your brother is about to get married to his long time gay partner.”
She picked up the thread of the conversation when Adam got back into his side of the car. “It’s not that. Not the gay part. Although, we’ve seemed to have our fair share of relationships that are a bit edgy for this part of the country lately, haven’t we?”
“Then what is it?” Adam didn’t start the engine. He wasn’t speeding home, as he didn’t want to get there. He wanted to prolong these moments spent with Ellie as much as possible.
“It’s the going to a family function part. I want a relationship with you. I really do. I’ve wanted this more than I’ve ever wanted that sort of thing before and I’m just so afraid that you’ll think I’m too much trouble!”
“Ellie Pierce, you will never be too much trouble,” Adam assured her. “You are a bright, intelligent, and sensitive woman. I am over the moon for you. Do you understand what that means?” Adam leaned over and kissed her again. He cupped her face and he kissed her until he couldn’t breathe and his lungs were bursting for want of air and he could not think about anything else.
When they finally parted and Adam started the engine, he saw her smile from the corner of his eye. He was glad. He wanted to see her smile—always.
The drive back to her place was relaxed. There was a sort of expectation hanging in the air. Neither of them said a word. Somehow, words weren’t necessary. When Adam pulled up in front of her condo unit, he shut the car off and got out.
She was already exiting the passenger side. Adam smiled at her. “You’re supposed to let me be a gentleman.”
“Not when it’s going to be a million degrees is there twenty seconds after you turn off the car,” she teased. Then she lightly bumped him with her shoulder. “Do you… do you want to come inside?”
Oh, he did. He did very much. And yet, he didn’t. He didn’t want to ruin the moment or change a thing. Somehow, this wasn’t the time. So, he walked her to the front door and then cupped the side of her face with his hand.
“I would love to come in,” Adam whispered. “But not tonight. I don’t want to rush a thing. I don’t want to screw anything up. I just want it all to be right.”
She put her arms around his neck and kissed him then. Her lips lightly caressed his, teasing and coaxing until his resolution nearly crumbled. He wanted this woman like he had never wanted another person in his life and he knew that wasn’t going to change.
Adam carefully held her against him. He took control of the kiss, nibbling her lips before moving to her jaw and then to her neck. She flung her head back and sighed with pleasure. The blood rushed through Adam’s body and culminated at a point between his legs. He knew he needed to stop immediately or he wouldn’t be able to stop.
Pulling back, Adam felt as though he was gasping for air as he stood on Ellie’s front porch. He pressed his forehead to hers. His whole body was on fire and it had nothing to do with the sticky hot night air. He kissed her lightly on the cheek.
“I would love to go to Saint Louis with you,” Adam whispered. “Just let me know the details.”
She looked bemused and very adorable. “When?”
“At our next date.”
“When is that?”
“As soon as possible.”
Chapter Thirty-One
Ellie wondered if it was possible to burst from loving someone so very much. That’s how she felt about Adam Cathcart, as though her heart might rupture just from how much she loved the man. He was perfect. A guy who was intelligent and funny and kind and could laugh when it was appropriate yet be serious if necessary.
Adam’s laugh drew her gaze from across the green lawn at Forest Park. He was in deep conversation about thirty yards away with Ellie’s mother. It was a beautiful night. August had begun, but it was almost as though Mother Nature had allowed Ellie’s brother, Chad, to custom order the weather for his wedding. The temperature had dropped at least ten degrees and huge fans placed around the venue by the wedding planner helped to keep air circulating as the guests moved in and around the dance floor that had been set up on the lawn.
“A clear night sky, soft music, dancing, and I see my serious younger daughter has still decided to stand off by herself.” Ellie’s father approached from the direction of the food tables set up beneath billowing white tents.
Ellie lifted a glass of champagne and toasted her father before taking a sip. “It’s a beautiful night, Dad. I simply thought I would stand back and appreciate the whole scene for a moment or two.”
Chad and his now official husband, George, were both wearing white tuxedos. They had commandeered the dance floor and were doing the bunny hop as though they were on a live television broadcast of Dancing with the Stars. The guests around them were clapping and egging them on.
“I’m glad he’s happy,” Ellie decided after a moment or two. “I’m very glad that all of you seem to be doing well up here without me.”
“That’s an odd way to put it,” her father mused. He sipped his own champagne and then made a face. “I told Chad, at least if Ellie ever gets married there will be regular beer available at the reception.”
“If I ever get married.” Ellie snorted and finished her own glass. She put it on the tray of a passing waiter and turned to look at her father. “I’m sure that phrase has been on Mom’s mind oft
en enough.”
Dad jerked his chin towards the spot where Mom and Adam were talking. “How long did you say the two of you had been together?”
“A few weeks,” Ellie replied. She didn’t really want to talk about it and yet she was ready to bust wide open with the desire to brag about her new beau. “I really like him. He’s… he’s different from anyone else.”
“We like him,” her father decided. “He’s a sensible man with his own business. He’s good looking, but not flashy.”
She turned to stare at her father. Then she gestured to her brother. “Not flashy! Are you kidding me? You would think the two of you love flashy with Chad and George running the show!”
Dad only threw back his head and laughed. “We like one flashy child. How’s that? The other needs to be quite plain. And you’re our plain kid. The regular girl with a sensible nature.”
Ellie wasn’t entirely sure how she felt about that. Being the sensible child had never really done her any favors. But was that really important right now anyway? Did it even matter when the truth of the matter was that Ellie was in love with Adam Cathcart and had a life down in Branson that she loved?
“Are you happy, Ellie Mae?”
Ellie felt a smile tugging at her lips. “I hate it when you call me that, Dad.”
“Uh huh, but I’m your father so I get to do it anyway.”
She smoothed a hand down the soft material of her knee length dress. A light breeze had kicked up and the light as air fabric was fluttering against her thighs. “Yes. I’m happy. Very happy. Happier than I ever thought possible.”
“Then that’s all that matters to me.” He gave her a one-armed hug, the sort of hug a father would have probably given his son. But that was okay, as it was just the way they were.
“Aw, look at you two!” Ellie’s mother, Grace, gushed with nothing more than the use of five little words in an innocuous sentence. It was a particular talent of hers. “Daddy’s girl!”
Ellie pursed her lips and looked at Adam. His dark eyes were dancing in the reflected light coming from the twinkling lights hung above the dance floor. Holding out his hand to Ellie, he laced her fingers with his and drew her closer.
“I’ve missed you,” he murmured into her ear.
Meanwhile, her parents were deeply involved in talking about the food. Ellie felt safe to tug on Adam’s hand and lead him away from the discussion on whether or not the Swedish meatballs were really homemade or not. He was smiling at her. The way he looked at her made her tingle all over.
Ellie led Adam toward the boathouse and away from the wedding reception set up on the shores of the little manmade lake. The lights in the boathouse cast a beautiful glow on the water. It was private, reserved for the wedding, but not being used by the guests, even the little pergolas with their lounge chairs and cozy seating for two were deserted at this hour. The restaurant was closed and the catering company had moved their operations out onto the lawn at Chad and George’s request. It was as if Ellie and Adam were the only two people there.
Adam took a seat on a lounge chair and pulled Ellie into his lap. “It’s peaceful here. I like it.”
“I like you,” she murmured. “I cannot thank you enough for coming with me. This has been the most bearable trip to my parents’ place in years.”
“I’ve had a good time,” Adam told her softly. He reached up and cupped her face in his hand and kissed her lightly on the lips. “And I was very honored that you felt comfortable enough to share a hotel room this evening.”
Comfortable. Ha! Ellie was so excited for tonight that it might as well have been her own wedding going on. “I want this, Adam. I want you. I want us to be together. I know that it’s only been a few weeks, but I honestly”—she felt overcome with the power of what she felt inside— “I think this is it for me, Adam. You’re the one. My one.”
“Then I’m blessed.”
He kissed her again. It was a dizzying kiss. The kind that made her toes curl against the soles of her sandals. Blood rushed through her body and she felt as though she were going out of her mind with desire. This time though, his hand strayed down her body. He caressed her side and then the outside of her thigh. As he continued to kiss her, Adam’s hand slipped beneath the hem of her dress. He stroked her bare thighs and Ellie was suddenly very sorry she had worn panties.
Adam shifted his position on the lounge chair. Ellie turned her body and straddled him. She felt deliciously exposed like this. His hands resting on her thighs beneath the flimsy skirt of her dress and her hands buried in his hair. She kissed him until she could not think. She could not breathe. She wanted nothing but this man and this wild moment of unbridled passion in the most romantic setting ever.
He let his fingers graze her mound. She sucked in a gasp of delight and had to stifle a moan as a wave of sensual excitement left her breathless. She was damp between her legs and a heavy feeling settled below her belly. She wanted him. She needed him. And she did not care where they were.
“Ellie,” Adam whispered against her neck. “We should stop.”
“No.” She pulled back just far enough to look into his eyes. “Adam, I want this. I want you. Right here and now. The first time for us to go all the way.” The phrase was preposterous and juvenile and she didn’t care. “I want it hard and dirty and raw. That’s what I want.”
The look in his eyes was one she would never forget. Adam was a gentleman, yet right then, he was a beast. Her beast, and she liked it that way. For once in her life, Ellie Pierce was breaking all of the rules.
He wrapped one finger in the cotton of her panties and gave a sharp tug. Ellie gasped as she heard the fabric give way. Then she lost all sense of self when his fingers brushed against her, skin to skin. Her hands rested on his shoulders, nails digging into his dress shirt as she struggled to keep herself from screaming out loud while he teased and pleasured her with his fingers. She was so wet. So ready. So desperate for this man!
She was only lightly aware of the sound of his zipper in the darkness. His erection probed her soft center. And then he was moving her, urging her to sheathe him within her body. She wriggled a little to change position and suddenly the two of them were joined.
“Oh God, Ellie!” His voice was hoarse. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed again and again.
Ellie moved against him, the pace was all hers. She controlled everything from her position on his lap and she reveled in the power she felt. Kissing him back, she wrapped her arms around his body and rocked against him until she felt as though she was going to die from the intensity of the heat and friction. She was so close, so close to touching the stars.
The heat sizzled in the air around them. Adam whispered erotic promises in her ear, everything he intended to do once they got back to their hotel room and more than that. He promised her the world and she knew, somehow, he would not stop until he’d given it to her.
Ellie rocked against him again and again. Slow, rhythmic motions followed by fast and hard. She moved her hips and felt the slickness of her body against his, his body inside hers. She felt as though they were one person. One being. She loved him so much in this moment that it was a blinding light in her soul.
And then the dam broke. She gasped and bit her lip to keep herself from crying out as the pleasure of that climax ripped through her and left her desperate for completion. This was it. The moment. The perfect moment. And then Adam cursed and surged up out of his seat. He thrust into her body and held tight to her as he kissed her and gave her everything he had to give.
Time had no meaning. Ellie didn’t know how much time had passed. She didn’t know whether or not they would be missed. She didn’t know anything. It was a vague thought in her head that her panties were probably a loss and that she was going to feel like a wicked woman for walking around without them. But all of that was unimportant. None of it really mattered.
Ellie rested her head against Adam’s chest. He stroked her, his hand lightly brushing her hair and his
fingers twirling loose strands around them. He was whispering to her words of love, of praise, of thanks. What had she done to deserve this man?
“I love you,” Ellie whispered. “I love you so much it hurts.”
Adam gave her a squeeze. “I would never want you to hurt. But I won’t lie and say that I’m not thrilled to hear you say those words.”
She giggled. “Aren’t you going to say them back?”
“Do you need to hear them?”
She thought about that. It was odd. People always talked about the exchange of those words. The way that one partner needed to hear them from another and yet right now? “No. I don’t need to hear them. I can feel it. You love me. I know that you do. I don’t have a single doubt about it.”
“Good.” He gazed at her for a long moment. “I’ve never loved anyone the way I love you, Ellie Pierce. As corny as it sounds, you are my sun, my moon, and my stars. You are everything. You make my life worth living and I will always be in love with you. Always.”
She was blessed. She was excited. And right now, Ellie wanted to slip back to their hotel room and make sure this blessed union was consummated again and again and again. Then they could figure out the future. It didn’t really matter, but it was going to be so much fun that she could not wait to get started.
Chapter Thirty-Two
The dentist. There were certain things about pretending to be an everyday human that sucked more than others. The dentist was almost certainly one of them. Titus Holbrook hated being in the chair with his feet pointed at the ceiling and his head on the ground and some well-meaning dental hygienist poking at him. And even worse was listening to the dentists themselves exclaiming about his perfect gums and lack of dental work. He was not a moneymaker for the medical or the dental professionals.
“Your teeth are beautiful as usual, Titus.” Dr. Smythe said with a grin that showed off his artificially whitened teeth. “I’m not sure what you do at home to keep your teeth looking this beautiful, but you should definitely keep it up!”
Rock Wolf Investigations: Boxset Page 47
