Did he…?
“So,” he said. “I figured you’d appreciate this.”
He handed the box toward me and I regarded it for a moment, stunned. Finally, I gathered my senses and took it.
“Now,” he said. “I know mismatched is something of your Christmas style, but…”
I set the box down on the table and opened it up, revealing a gorgeous pair of black shoes with small heels—just like the ones I’d ruined last night, only far fancier. Still stunned, I took one out and held it, noticing right away how beautiful it was.
“Adam,” I said. “You didn’t have to.”
“I did, and there’s nothing else to be said. Now, try it on.”
He didn’t need to tell me twice. I kicked off my right slipper and put my foot into the shoe. It fit perfectly, like it was made for my foot and mine alone. Once the first one was on, I repeated the process with the second.
“They’re amazing, Adam,” I said, loving the sound of his name out loud. “Thank you so much.”
“You’re very welcome.”
I shook my head, my eyes still on the shoes.
“I just wish I had something for you,” I said. “I feel like you have me at a disadvantage.”
“Don’t even worry about it,” he said. “You’ve got a whole year to make it up to me.”
He winked, letting me know he was only messing around.
I was full and happy.
“Now,” I said. “There’s only the matter of figuring out what we’re going to be doing today.”
“That’s the question,” he said. “But…I have an idea.”
With that he took out his phone and fiddled with it. After a few moments Christmas music began playing through the small speakers—Christmas music in English.
“A little music always helps me think,” he said.
“Good call.”
I felt so silly, but even though we’d only been abroad for a day, the music from home was so pleasant and familiar. Adam seemed to always know the right thing to say or do.
“And now I’m thinking about something else,” he said.
“What’s that?”
He answered my question by extending his hand toward me. I knew right away what he meant.
Dancing with the boss? I thought. This could be a bad idea.
Maybe I was right. But at that moment everything was so perfect I couldn’t dream of turning him down. I took his hand and he gently lifted me to my feet, wrapping his arm around my waist and pulling me close.
It was…so much. The feeling of his solid body against mine, his arm around me, the woody scent of his cologne… My heart began to race in stark contrast to the gentle strains of the music.
Of course, he was a good dancer. Not like we were doing anything crazy, but his assured movements and the way he held me put me at ease, made me feel like right there in his arms was where I was supposed to be.
“So,” he said. “We need to figure out what we’re going to do today.”
“The music helping you think?”
“Something like that.”
Silence passed.
“We could…go to the beach,” I suggested.
“They do have a beach here,” he said. “Many, in fact. Maybe if we went today we’d get one all to ourselves.”
I smiled at the idea. Then, without me even thinking about it, I gently set my head on Adam’s shoulder.
Bad idea, my brain said again. Bad-bad-bad idea.
“Or we could check out the older parts of town,” he offered. “Take a tour of some of the landmarks. Maybe we could even find a local to show us around.”
“That could be nice,” I said, my eyes closed, a smile on my lips.
“Or we could take the car up out away from the city, take in some nature.”
“Mhmm.”
More time passed, Adam holding me as we slowly swayed to the music.
“Any of that sound good?”
It does, I thought. But then again, I’m feeling good just being right here, in your arms.
More silence.
“Is that right?”
Adam’s words sent a jolt through my body. Did he…did he read my mind?
I took my head from his shoulder and looked up at him with wide eyes.
“What?” I asked. “How did you know what I was thinking?”
“Thinking?” he asked, confused. “You mean what you just said?”
Oh, no. I hadn’t thought it—I’d actually said it.
Panic exploded through my body, my face going as hot as a stove. The feelings I’d been trying to keep hidden to myself had just come pouring out in such a way that there was no denying how I felt.
“Mr. Forde,” I said, stammering. “Adam. I…”
But he wasn’t mad. He wasn’t put off. He didn’t even seem to be surprised.
Instead he only smiled.
“Did you mean what you said?” he asked.
Two options—lie and hope he believed me, or tell the truth.
In for a penny…
“I…did.”
He didn’t say anything else. Instead he took my chin in his hand, gently titled my face up, and slowly kissed me on the lips.
Chapter 16
Isla
I couldn’t believe what was happening. Adam Forde was kissing me, holding me close, his tongue moving over mine. It was shocking and thrilling and so sexy all at the same time.
The kiss went on for minutes, neither one of us wanting to take our lips away. Adam and his touch and his taste completely consumed my thoughts, but through it all I knew that for all the talking and planning, I could’ve easily spent the entire day right there, just like that.
Finally, Adam took his lips from mine.
“Isla,” he said, his voice low, his gorgeous green eyes fixed on me.
He said nothing for a long moment, and panic began to set it. I was positive, absolutely positive that he was going to put a stop to things, that he’d tell me that both of us had just made a huge mistake. He’d come to his senses, and now things between us were doomed to be nothing but awkward.
“Y…yes?” I asked, afraid to ask, knowing it might result in an answer I didn’t want to hear.
“This is wonderful,” he said. “But I can’t help but wonder if you want more.”
More. If my heart was beating quickly before, it was like a jackhammer after that single word.
I knew what that meant. I could be a touch socially clueless at times, but even I understood the subtext. And it wasn’t simply an offer—it was a chance to backpedal. I could very easily say that maybe we’d gone too far already and it might be a good idea to put the brakes on what was happening.
But that wasn’t at all what I wanted.
I wanted more.
“I…do.”
He smiled, clearly pleased with my answer.
“Okay,” he said. “Then come with me.”
Before we went to wherever he had in mind, Adam leaned in and kissed me softly, deeply, one more time. Then he took me by the hand and guided me into the bedroom of my suite. Once inside, he opened the blinds just enough to bathe the room with soft, late-morning light. The effect was dreamy and beautiful.
Then Adam approached me, placing his hands on my hips and regarding me again from his substantial height.
“I’ve really wanted this,” I said, the words slipping out.
I felt silly as soon as I said them. What if this was nothing more than a whim for him? If so, I’d just admitted that I had a crush on him.
But his answer came in the form of another kiss. I didn’t mind. He was a damn good kisser, and this kiss had subtext—that being both of us wanted more than just a kiss.
Neither of us wasted any time in getting right to exactly what it was that we both craved.
Adam kissed me deeply as we moved closer and closer toward the bed. I was lost in his kiss and his touch and his scent, barely noticing as my leg bumped against the mattress. Once we were there, he
wrapped his arm around me again, just as he’d done during our dance. This time, however, instead of dancing he gently guided me onto the bed, laying me down on my back, my hair spreading all around me.
Then he climbed on top of me, his stunningly handsome face seemingly to glow from the sunlight. But he didn’t move, didn’t kiss me. He just…looked.
“What?” I asked, worrying for a moment that something was wrong.
“Nothing,” he said. “Just taking in how beautiful you are.”
Oh wow. I didn’t know what to say.
But that didn’t matter—Adam’s lips were soon on mine again, this time his hands moving down over my blouse and undoing the buttons one by one and pulling the shirt open, the room air cool against my skin. My hands were still shaking from the excitement and nervousness, but I still had the motor skills and confidence to grab the white T-shirt he wore by the hem and pull it up over his shoulders.
And what I exposed underneath made my eyes go wide. To say he had a nice body would be the understatement of the century. He was sculpted and lean and toned—the kind of body you’d expect from an underwear model rather than a businessman. He might’ve been busy at work, but he sure as hell put in his hours at the gym.
We went back to kissing, Adam soon having my shirt off and exposing the simple, black bra I wore underneath. I arched my back as he reached around me and undid the clasp with expert precision. Soon my bra was off and my full breasts exposed. I felt a touch bashful. It was hard for me to remember the last time I’d been with a man… A quick mental inventory made me remember that it had happened before I’d been hired at Corliss. Yikes.
His mouth on my nipples was enough to bring me out of my head and back to the present moment. He kissed and sucked them, my nipples going hard in his mouth as I ran my hands through his hair. The feeling of his tongue on these most sensitive areas was…unbelievable. The man was good.
Moving down from my breasts, he started on my pants, undoing the button and zipper and pulling them down until the matching pair of black panties I had on underneath were visible. My underwear was so plain and simple—if I’d have known this was going to happen, I would’ve worn something a little sexier. Not that I had packed anything like that, but still.
Another kiss brought me back into the moment. I snapped to it, getting his pants down as I shimmied out of mine. I was so turned on, so aroused at that point that the moment he placed his hand between my thighs, the side of his finger pressing against me, I thought I might explode.
“Oh…oh, my God,” I moaned as he touched me.
“That feel good?” he asked, his voice a low purr.
“So good.”
“That’s nothing.”
His voice was so low and deep and confident that, however turned on I had been, it pushed me to the next level. Adam rubbed me more as I awkwardly fumbled over his boxer-briefs, feeling his solid member through the thin, soft cloth.
He was big—very big. And hard. I let out another sigh as I moved my hand along his length, enjoying what I felt. And Adam seemed to like it too—he growled softly with pleasure as I touched him.
More. I was ready for more.
Finding a sudden burst of confidence, I hooked my thumb under the waistband of his boxer-briefs and pulled them down, revealing his long, thick erection. I took it in my hand, stroking it, getting it ready for me. Adam finished undressing me too, rolling my panties down over my thighs until I was finally able to kick them off.
And then we were both naked, Adam above me, his member pointing right toward where I wanted it to be.
“You still want this?” he asked.
“So, so much,” I said.
To make my point even more emphatically, I grabbed onto him again and began to lead him toward me.
“Wait,” he said.
I stopped.
“I just realized we’re not using protection,” he said. “I know I’m clean, but still…”
“I’m on the pill,” I said. “We’re good.”
He smiled, happy that the issue was resolved. Then we were right back to it, my hand wrapped around him, Adam moving between my legs so slowly that the anticipation gave me tingles all over my body.
And then it happened. He spread me open and entered me, inch by inch. He was so big and thick that I couldn’t believe I was able to accommodate him. But maybe because I was so turned on, maybe because he was just right, but he fit inside me perfectly.
He held fast for a moment once he was fully inside, as if giving me time to get used to his size inside of me. I sighed, grabbing onto the wide muscles of his back and signaling with my eyes that I was ready for more.
Adam pulled back and drove into me again, this time with more force, and I let out a soft gasp. He pulled back again, this time thrusting into me as deeply as he could. I accepted him eagerly, pleasure shooting through my body. He increased his pace, and I wrapped my legs and arms around him, pulling his warm, solid body closely as he moved me closer and closer to orgasm.
He thrust in and out, bringing tingles of pleasure more delicious than I’d ever felt before. Closer and closer I came to orgasm until I couldn’t hold it back any longer. An explosion of pleasure burst through me, waves of throbbing intensity running through my body. I moaned and sighed and squeezed him tightly.
Then Adam shuddered, and I felt the pulse of his orgasm, savoring it on top of mine.
Adam stayed inside of me for a time, and I liked it that way. Finally, he rolled over and slipped his arm around me, pulling my body close to his. He was warm, his chest rising and falling from the fun we’d just had. I nuzzled my head into his neck and smiled.
“Wow,” he said after a few minutes of us laying like that. “So far this is shaping up to be a memorable Christmas.”
“Same here,” I said. “And I don’t know about you, but I have a feeling I’m going to be in the mood to make many, many memories today.”
The sly smile on his face let me know he was more than on board with that.
Merry Christmas, indeed.
Chapter 17
Adam
I couldn’t help but watch her. The way she laid on the bed on her side, the moonlight pouring in and casting her in an almost ethereal glow. She seemed like something from another world, like she was a phantom that might dissipate at any moment, leaving me alone in that room.
But she wasn’t. She was real. She was real and, for the day, she’d been mine.
The day had been amazing. After our first incredible love-making session, many more followed. There was like a magnetic pull between the two of us, one that we were both helpless to resist. And neither of us had wanted to. Our hands had been glued to one another’s bodies; our lips rarely had come apart.
Sure, as we’d laid in bed during the late morning into the afternoon, we’d come up with some potential ways to spend the day. Maybe some sightseeing, maybe some walking around, maybe trying to find an open restaurant to stop into.
None of those things had happened, of course. We wouldn’t get even into the planning stages before one of us had fallen under the spell of the other, our bodies coming together as we found our way back into the bed.
Or the couch. Or the table. Or the floor.
And there was more. The room had a state-of-the-art TV, but all of the channels were Brazilian, and nothing we’d want to watch even if we understood the language. But I figured out how to use the Wi-Fi to connect Isla’s computer to the TV, and after a little doing, I’d subscribed us to the streaming service for the Treasured Moments channel—the station that played all of our favorite cheesy movies.
When we weren’t making love we were on the couch, cuddled up next to one another as we watched movie after movie of unlikely couples falling in love. And because it was Christmas, there was a marathon of all the best holiday romance movies, nearly every one of them about the man or the woman coming home to some sleepy but picturesque hometown and falling in love.
None that took place in Rio, howev
er. That was fine. We were happy creating our own little romance with that particular theme.
As much as I liked to watch the movies, I think I enjoyed watching her reactions to them more. Isla got wrapped up in every story, laughing and crying and gasping at all the right parts. It had always been hard for me to get carried away with films like that, and watching them with someone who had the opposite situation was…kind of wonderful.
Lunch and dinner had both been courtesy of room service, and when bedtime had come I treated her to my usual drink before bed. It worked like a charm on Isla, and there she was, sleeping soundly, her head resting on my chest.
But it wasn’t all fun. In the back of my head over the course of the entire day had been the promise I’d made to the board, the conversation I’d had with Edward. As nice as this day had been with Isla, I knew in the pit of my stomach that was all it could be—a day.
I hated the idea of it. We’d really clicked together, and the chemistry was like nothing I’d ever known before. There wasn’t anything else to do about it, however. What could I do? Go back to the board and let them know that I’d broken one of the conditions of my employment? It simply wasn’t an option.
And not only that, but there was Isla’s future at the company to worry about. I didn’t believe that she’d be fired or anything like that, but if word were to get out, it might permanently tarnish her reputation there. No other male executive would risk the inevitable eyebrow raise that would occur if he were to take her on a similar trip. She was a very promising employee, and the last thing I wanted to do was impact what would undoubtedly be a bright future at Corliss.
No, I’d have to end it tomorrow. And on the plane ride. Sure, things might be awkward, but I was sure she’d understand—after all, wasn’t one of her key philosophies to look on the bright side of things?
She’d come around, I was sure of it.
And that would have to be enough.
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