by Lee Rose
“Nope. All mine.” He sounded proud of himself. Her heart melted just a little. He was a sweet guy. She wasn’t sure what to think. “All she did was text you to keep you at the shop until I got there. I called Holly and she packed some clothes for you. She threatened me with death if I didn’t make you happy.”
“Okay. I guess I won’t call your brother to report a kidnapping.” She chuckled, feeling happy. This was all his idea. It gave her hope.
He laughed. It was a happy sound. “Thanks, sweetheart. He is not too happy with me not convincing you we belong together. He would have happily thrown my ass in a jail cell.”
She leaned back with a yawn. “Wake me when we get there.”
She fell asleep with a small smile on her face. Adam wanted to spend time with her when he didn’t have to.
Chapter 16
Faith sat on the front porch sipping her decaffeinated coffee. When they had arrived last night, it had been too dark to see the scenery. Now with the sun shining, the fresh breeze, and many green trees, she could see why Adam liked it out here. It was calming and peaceful. She could see the dark blue lake in front of them. Birds chirped in the air and she felt relaxed.
She wondered what was going on in Adam’s mind. Was he being serious about his intentions? She did her best to keep a wall built between them all these months. The tables had turned and she was now the one filled with fear, afraid to be hurt.
“Enjoying the scenery?” Adam asked from behind her. He sat in the rocking chair next to hers. He had his own cup of coffee. He was wearing gray sweatpants and no shirt. She avoided studying him too close or she might not be able to speak. She would just drool.
She rocked back a little in the rocking chair. “I am. You were right. This is such a peaceful place. I see why you like it.”
“Glad you like it. It has become one of my favorite spots,” he replied. “Sometimes I just sit out here and enjoy the quietness. I take hikes or go fishing. Liam came with me once, but he found it too quiet and almost died without the internet. Noah was always too busy to come.”
She grinned, thinking of his younger brother. “I can see Liam not being able to relax. He is so full of energy, he makes me feel tired, the way he is constantly moving around.”
He chuckled. “That’s why he eats like a horse and never gains any weight. Adam and I decided we hate him just for that. We have to work out a few times a week, and he does it just to hang out with us.”
“Why bring me out here, Adam? If this is your special spot, why let me intrude?” She wanted a serious answer. She didn’t want to guess what his motives were. She was tired of the up-and-down roller coaster ride she had been riding on since she met him.
“You’re not intruding,” he said firmly. His gaze was centered right on her and she felt her body warming up quickly. She squirmed a little in her chair. She held his gaze bravely, glad she was sitting down.
“I wanted to prove to you that I want you in my life, Faith. This has nothing to do with the baby. She is a bonus and I can’t wait to meet our daughter. This is my special spot and I want to share it with a special woman. You. I always come here alone, but I want you to share every aspect of my life.”
Faith stayed silent, not sure how to react to what he was saying, had been saying. She was scared to believe in him.
“I know I messed everything up in the beginning. It was all about my fears. I don’t like feeling vulnerable. You were the one who suffered. I was just too blind to see the truth.”
“Who likes feeling vulnerable, Adam?” she asked softly. She did understand that part of it.
He ran his fingers through his hair. “When Noah kept pushing Alana away because he was afraid of getting hurt, I thought he was a fool. It was so obvious Alana loved him so much. Yet here I am in the same situation. The anxiety over the fire has faded with time and I still find myself in love with you, Faith. I don’t want anyone else. I don’t want to just share a daughter with you. I want to be part of your life. I want to share the ups and downs together. I want it all.”
Faith felt her heart swell with happiness and a small amount of fear.
“What about Josie? She was the only one you wanted all this with, Adam. I don’t want to be a back-up prize because your dreams with her are gone.” She swallowed down her tears. Alana had showed her an old picture of Adam and Josie in high school. Josie had been petite and thin with long blonde hair. Adam had looked down at her with such love it had made Faith feel jealous. Then she felt horrible for feeling jealous.
Adam stood up and knelt at her feet. He grabbed her hand, rubbing his fingers over her knuckles in a soothing motion. “I regret telling you all those things, Faith. I said them out of fear. I was too scared to take that chance of losing someone I loved again. Then when you refused to have anything to do with me, I realized I did lose you. Only it was worse because you were alive and well. My heart ached and I had no choice but to face the truth. That was all before the fire. I planned on wooing you with flowers and gifts and kisses.”
“I was hurting too, Adam. To know that the man I loved wanted nothing to do with me or my baby because we weren’t who he dreamed of it caused me a lot of self-confidence issues and pain,” she said honestly. “All my life I wanted only one thing. Love. How ironic I found it with a man in love with someone else. Someone I can’t compete with.”
He pulled her out of the chair. He sat down and pulled her down to his lap. He wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her forehead. He rocked back and forth and it soothed her inner turmoil.
“Sorry doesn’t make up for the pain I caused you,” he began slowly. She heard pain, sincerity, and determination in his voice. “I watched you like a stalker for months. My heart knew I wanted you, but my head always made excuses to step back. It’s not about competing, Faith. I loved Josie, but that was in the past and that time is behind me. I dealt with the grief long ago, but fear of feeling that pain is what kept me apart from you. I don’t expect you to just forget all the things I said to you in one day. What I am asking for is a chance. Open your mind and your heart up and let me prove to you that I have changed. I am serious about me and you, Faith.”
“One weekend won’t fix all of our problems.” She had to be realistic. It would be so easy to just lean on him, but when the rug got pulled from under her it would hurt more than ever.
“I know,” he agreed. “But it’s a beginning.”
Faith absorbed all that he was saying into her soul. Should she take a leap of faith and hope Adam was serious this time?
“Okay. Let’s take this weekend and really get to know each other,” she agreed. She tried to smile but she ruined it with a yawn. “Sorry.”
“You work too hard,” he observed, ruffling her hair. “Let’s go lie down. I will hold you and make sure you rest.”
He gave her a tender look and she nodded. She let him lead her into the cabin and the one bedroom. Last night he had stayed on the couch. She hadn’t made the bed, so they silently slipped underneath the covers. Adam held her and caressed her swollen belly. The baby moved around as if liking his touch as much as she did.
“I hope she has red hair,” he whispered, “and blue eyes.”
“I hope she has your hazel eyes. I love the color of your eyes,” she admitted, feeling comfortable and sleepy.
“Have you thought of any names?” he asked with real interest.
Faith shook her head. “Alana gave me a baby book but I haven’t looked at it yet. I wanted your opinion, but I wasn’t sure if you would want to be a part of that. I thought you were going to the doctor appointments with me because your brother bullied you into it. Alana told me he wanted you to get your head out of your ass and marry me.”
Adam chuckled. “Sounds like Noah. I went with you because it gave me an excuse to spend time with you. If I asked you out on a date, you would have rejected me right away.”
Faith felt bad now. She rubbed his chest with her hand. “I’m sorry. Spending time with you w
as too painful for me. I didn’t want to be your obligation or your burden. I still don’t.”
He turned until they were face to face. He held her face in his hand so she couldn’t look away. “You are never a burden to me, Faith. I have been obsessed with you for more than a year now. Coffee is not my favorite drink. I only went in there to moon over you. Alana knew this and encouraged me to talk to you. I was a nervous wreck around you, but I thought it was simple desire.”
“Isn’t it?”
“No,” he said firmly. “I have felt desire for other women and it faded quickly. With you it was different. I thought about you all the time. I like how I feel when I am around you. When you smile at me, I feel all warm and mushy inside. I find myself thinking of ways to just catch a glimpse of you. I just want you to keep an open mind about us. Let me make it up to you.”
Faith placed a soft kiss on his lips as an answer. She let her lips linger for a second. In it she put all the emotions she felt for him from the beginning. More than desire. Care. Tenderness and love.
He smiled and caressed her hair. “Thank you, Faith. You won’t regret this.”
She laid her head back on his chest and fell into a peaceful sleep.
* * * *
Faith was feeling warm and cozy under the blankets. She felt rested, but that didn’t mean she wanted to move.
“Come on, lazy. Lunch is ready.”
She groaned and hugged the pillow tighter. “Not hungry.”
“But the baby might be.” Adam chuckled. She felt the bed dip down as he sat next to her. She felt his hands caressing her hair and she let out a contented sigh. She opened one eye and gave him a grumpy look. “I’m tired.”
“I know.”
She sat up and remembered they were at the cabin. She planned on enjoying her mini-vacation. Once the baby was born it would be harder to go on vacation. “Give me ten minutes to freshen up.”
Adam left her alone to shower and get dressed. The shower energized her and she chose some stretch pants and a loose pink T-shirt.
Faith found Adam in the small kitchen, heating up some soup. He poured it in two bowls. “Come and sit down.”
She gave him a smile. The cabin was small with one bedroom, a bathroom, living room, and kitchen but it was nice and clean.
She grabbed a sandwich from the plate in the middle of the table placed by the window. “Thanks, Adam. After we eat can we go for a walk? I’d love to see the lake.”
“Do you fish?” he asked.
“I’ve never tried before. We lived in cities,” she admitted. “I might like it.”
She dug into the soup. It warmed her up. They kept the conversation light and casual.
Adam took her to the large lake. It was beautiful. She sat down on the bench near the lake. The fresh air was clean and crisp. It energized her and she felt better than she had in a long time.
Faith had a great time with Adam. He was fun, charming, and all the things she dreamed he would be in the beginning. Her heart wanted to embrace his about face and throw herself in his arms but her head warned her to not get her hopes up. Disappointment hurt and she had plenty of that in her life. She didn’t want anymore.
Adam held up a fish. He gave her a wide smile, looking proud. “Looks like dinner is on me tonight.”
Faith laughed and clapped her hands. “That’s great because my line is broken. It hasn’t moved.”
Adam laughed and ruffled her hair. “A likely excuse.”
“Well that’s my story and I’m sticking with it,” she told him. They stayed out for a while and she mostly soaked up the sun while Adam caught more fish.
They headed inside to cook and ate on the porch as the sun set. Faith didn’t want the weekend to end.
Chapter 17
“I had a great couple of days, Adam.” She had to give him that. She felt rested and calm and ready to face her busy life again. Adam had treated her like a cherished loved one, and she felt her hope growing. It was scary, but at the same time it felt good. They slept in each other’s arms at night and he kissed her every chance he got.
Adam had already packed the truck up, and he was locking up the cabin. “Me too. This was way better than coming alone. I hope we can come back again.”
She leaned into him and he immediately hugged her. She liked having the freedom to touch him freely now instead of pretending platonic friendship was just fine with her. “I’d like that.”
He kissed her cheek and then her lips. She opened her mouth and let him explore her mouth. She felt warm and tingly. She was going to miss his touch and his company when they got home.
“Damn, baby. How am I supposed to drive like this?”
Faith ran her hands up his chest. “It’s all your fault. I wanted to have sex, but you were being all gentlemanly and stuff.”
He muttered stupid me under his breath. He took a deep breath and let it out. “I wanted to show you it’s not just physical desire I feel for you, Faith. I want to know everything about you and I want to make you happy.”
She smiled. His words broke down the wall around her heart. “You have, Adam. I feel—”
She couldn’t think of one word to explain how happy she felt inside. She had hope things could work out for them. Her doubts were fading quickly. It was a terrifying feeling, but she loved this man. Reaching out and believing he was being for real this time wasn’t easy.
“Happy? Loved?”
She nodded. It was true. “Yes.”
He gave her a satisfied smile and helped her in the truck. The ride home was spent in a relaxing, comfortable silence.
Adam insisted on carrying her bag inside even though she told him it wasn’t heavy. He set it down in the living room. She didn’t want him to leave her all alone. She had gotten used to his company.
“Want to stay for dinner? I can order a pizza.” She asked hopefully.
“I’d like that.” He sat down on the couch pulling her down next to him. “How is this new place working out? It’s cozy.”
She shrugged and looked around the bare living room. Besides a couch, she hadn’t bought much. Alana had given her the TV. It was much smaller than her previous house, but she liked the location. “It’s fine. I like being able to walk to work. It’s my only time to exercise. I miss Holly though. It’s too quiet.”
He hugged her. “You can move in with us. I have been thinking about this a lot. Liam and I had already discussed it. He can move down to Noah’s old room and we can make Liam’s old room a nursery.”
“You thought about me living with you?”
“You sound so surprised,” he said softly, playing with her hair. “I have thought of nothing else since Christmas.”
“Let me think about it, Adam,” she said, trying to calm her racing heart down. “We just came to an agreement to see each other in more than friendship.”
He sighed. “Fine, you still don’t trust me. That’s my fault. I will try to be patient.”
He pulled out his cell phone. “I’m still staying for dinner. Maybe even the night?”
She nodded. “Are you going to just hold me?”
“Hell no.” He gave her a heated look that melted her insides. He set his phone down on the table. He cupped her cheeks in his hands and she closed her eyes. She felt his lips touch her own and she let out a small sound of contentment. Just a simple touch from this man made her feel so many things. She opened her lips and felt his tongue explore her as if it was the first time. She leaned into him, soaking up his warmth, his strength. She needed to connect with Adam in the most intimate, physical way possible. She wanted to cleanse away the hurt, the pain, the misery of the last few months.
He let go of her lips and she clung to his T-shirt. He caressed her hair. “I want to explore you, Faith, every inch of your beautiful body.”
She looked down at her full stomach. “Adam, I don’t look like I did. What if you’re disappointed?”
He smiled gently. “I love you. I could never find you unattractive. You
belong to me and you are carrying my baby. How the hell could that be a turn off?”
She blinked back her tears and nodded. He took off her shirt. He traced her breasts lightly through her bra. Her nipples hardened at his touch. He unclipped her bra letting it fall to the floor. He lightly traced her nipple with his tongue as he pushed her until she was lying flat on the sofa. The sheer pleasure of his tongue on her breast made her arch up for more. She loved his touch, needed his touch. She reached up and took his hair tie off. His hair was silky soft. He sat up and took his own shirt off. He placed light kisses on her neck and shoulder. She rubbed his chest with her hands. His hands smoothed over her baby bump. He kissed her stomach.
He pulled her elastic pants down until she was naked. She felt naked in more than just bare skin. The way he looked into her eyes so seriously, as if he could read her every emotion. He looked at her with a watery gaze. He placed his lips on her neck and whispered, “I am so sorry I hurt you. You are beautiful, kind, and you deserve to be cherished. I will from this moment on. It’s me and you and our daughter.”
She felt the tears roll down her cheek. She couldn’t speak. Her throat felt clogged with unshed tears, so she hugged him hard as she could. She rubbed his back, feeling warm and safe.
He opened her thighs wide and touched her moist pussy with a mastery that took the very breath from her. She moaned loudly. He pumped his digits in and out of her, making her squirm back and forth. The room was silently except for the sounds of her cries.
“You are so warm and ready for me,” he said roughly in her ear. “I know my dick is about to fall off if I don’t get inside of you.”
She giggled and slapped his arm. He replaced his fingers with his hard cock, entering her in one swoop. He leaned over her, careful not to lean on her stomach. He held her by her hips.
“Oh yes, Adam.” She loved how exquisite it felt when they were connected in this intimate way.
