by Pamela Yaye
“Really?” Teddy smiled. “Why is that?”
“I never know what you’re thinking or what you’re going to say.”
Teddy nodded, an impish smile on her face.
“And you like that?” Adam asked.
“Absolutely.”
Adam looked at her for a long time before he said, “Yeah.” But he didn’t stop staring at her. His eyes made Teddy warm. She saw the heat there, watched it build into desire. Her mouth went dry, and it was hard to swallow. She endured his gaze as that now-familiar blanket of warmth settled over her. She knew the heat between them would build. This time there was more. She wanted more. Anticipation, need, want. She had many names for it, but she wanted him. The slow cravings inside her spoke of arousal. Her body ached for his. She wanted his mouth on hers, his body working its primal magic with hers. She wanted to feel the weight of him, know that sweet moment of initial penetration. And she wanted to take it all the way.
Then he leaned forward. His eyes dropped to her mouth and settled there for a charged moment. Teddy licked her lips, unable to stop herself from wetting the dryness. Adam kissed her lightly, his lips brushing hers, but she felt the world tilt. She tasted the coffee from their breakfast on his mouth. It acted as an elixir, a fantastic drug with powers to transform her into the wanton tigress that was waking inside her.
The intimacy was tantalizing. Hands slipped under her hair and lifted her head to his.
Teddy’s body went soft and liquid. She felt pliable, her movements like syrup, able to flow into the contours of Adam’s frame as he brought her closer. Her arms, which still had substance, circled his neck, and she closed the small space separating them, connecting their mouths.
His lips changed from the soft, teasing kiss to a hard, hungry one. Adam bent her over his arm, his mouth locked on hers possessively, demanding acquiescence. Heat burned between them. Teddy gave as she got, embracing him, loving the feel of his body as her hands roamed the muscles of his back, muscles that contracted and relaxed under her sensitive fingers.
Heat built between them like the onslaught of a forest fire. Their heads bobbed one way, then the other. Teddy slid under Adam and he slid over her in a choreographed movement. His heavier frame pressed her deep into the sofa cushions. The length of him spread over her, his erection pushing against her stomach. Need sang in her veins. Adam’s tongue invaded her mouth, searing her to him so tightly her breath ran out.
Teddy had never had this all-consuming experience before. She wanted to feel him all over, run her hands over his skin, feel it next to hers, have his body connect with hers and join in the ancient dance known to lovers since the beginning of time. Her dress, a thin chiffon, was a barrier to her needs.
She needed Adam, wanted him. Wanted the hot thrust of his body inside hers. Teddy always played the field. She never got close to a man. She could always control her reactions. She liked sex. She enjoyed men, but she’d never had this strong sensation of need, of anticipated release that was designed for one man. But that was what was happening with Adam. With him there was no other. Had never been another. They were forging a new frontier, terraforming a world into existence.
She wanted all of him, wanted to devour him. She wanted to get into his pants and his mind, imprint herself on him so thoroughly that her name would be visible to any other woman he ever saw.
“Have you got a condom?” Teddy asked with the small amount of breath she had.
“Yes,” he said just as breathlessly.
Teddy slid off the sofa and grabbed Adam’s hand. The two rushed up the steps and into her bedroom.
Adam pinned her to the door and clamped his mouth to hers the moment they were inside. For eons it seemed they stayed suspended in their own world. Then his mouth moved from hers to nibble kisses along her neck and bare shoulders. Heat mounted in the room. Teddy raised her head, giving him access to skin so sensitive she could feel the blood rising to the surface. Then Adam pulled her away from the door and reached behind her. The zipper’s teeth on her dress opened with a low ripping sound as Adam pulled it down. His fingers against her back were like a match to kerosene.
Her back arched and the dress slipped to the floor. Part of the bodice contained her bra, leaving her dressed in only her panties, hosiery and high-heeled shoes. Adam opened his mouth to speak, but said nothing. He stared at her until Teddy’s skin burned.
Finally, Adam slipped his arm beneath her knees and lifted her. Teddy was tall and no one had ever carried her, but Adam made her feel petite and light. He took her to the bed and laid her gently on the comforter as if she was the most precious baby. He sat next to her, one hand caressing her shoulder. It dipped down and his thumb brushed across her nipple. It sprang to life with an inner passion that was like a wave crashing against her insides.
Teddy reached up and undid the top button on his shirt. Her hands moved to the second button and released it. Adam, apparently thinking it would take too long, grabbed the back of the fabric and pulled it over his head. In the darkened light he was beautiful. His chest, bare of hair, was muscularly defined. If he carried an ounce of unneeded fat, it was well disguised.
She ran her hands over smooth skin, rising up from the bed to again join him in a kiss. This time Teddy took charge, pushing past his teeth and sweeping her tongue in his mouth. She pressed herself against him, reveling in the hardness of his chest against the softness of her breasts.
Sounds, guttural, raw and hungry, mingled about in the electrified room. Adam’s hands traversed her back, angling her from side to side as their mouths danced. Suddenly, he stopped and stood, removing the remainder of his clothes, and protecting himself and her with a condom. Teddy removed her shoes, hose and panties.
Together they joined each other on the bed. She realized they both had been holding back, but now the thread that was binding their emotions snapped and they wrestled together, yearning for each other. Adam’s erection pressed hard against the juncture of Teddy’s legs. Sensations spiraled through her like circular lightning. She felt lit inside and out, straining for him to enter her, to make good on the promise his body invoked. With one knee he spread her legs and entered her. Teddy clamped her teeth on her lower lip but couldn’t stop the sound of pleasure that escaped. Adam moved inside her, his body connected to hers, enkindling an urgency that had the two of them writhing for dominance. They rolled back and forth across the bed, their arms and legs tangling as each gave the other the joy they sought.
This was a completely new plane for Teddy. She’d never felt like this. Never had a man demanded all from her. Never was there a man she was willing to give all to before Adam. She wanted to give all. Wanted to give whatever he demanded, whatever she felt like giving. She wanted to take it all, wanted to have him in her forever, have this feeling go on until she could no longer stand it, then have it go a little longer.
Teddy could barely breathe, but she didn’t care. Her palms felt the tiny electrical impulses that ruptured off his skin as she skated her hands over the lower curve of his back. Her touch seemed to push him on. His body moved harder, faster into her. Each time his powerful body thrusted into her, the sensation of pleasure escalated. Her breath hitched as time stopped. The earth no longer moved for anyone but the two of them. Then the wave began. A huge internal signal that told her a moving ridge of passion stronger than the last was about to engulf her. She braced for it, writhing beneath him. Her body strained for the rapture, wanting it, needing it, reaching for it in every way. But it waited, a breath away, a torment so sweet that she rallied for its touch.
From a distance she heard the moan, not knowing if it came from her or Adam. Their bodies twined together, each fighting for the brass ring, identical need grasping for the golden key. Finally, Teddy heard her own voice as her climax began and ended in a scream of release.
Chapter 5
Adam rolled on hi
s back, breathing hard. He pulled Teddy into his side and held her there, his legs entwined with hers. He didn’t want to let her go. What had just happened to him? They hadn’t taken the time to pull the covers down, but the bed still looked as if a war had taken place. The cover was bunched under him, although most of it had spilled to the floor. Blood throbbed in his head, yet he felt euphoric. He’d never made love like he and Teddy had just done. It was as if he was another person with her. He wanted to please her more than he ever wanted to please anyone. His own satisfaction wasn’t as important to him as hers was. That had never happened before.
And he hadn’t wanted to stop. He’d have gone on and on if he could, if they could. Adam ran his hand over her naked shoulder and arm. She was warm and smooth and she felt so right in his arms. The room had that electric smell of love. Adam took a deep breath, filling his lungs with their comingled scent, wishing he could capture it and save it, be able to take it out and relive this moment.
“What are you thinking?” Teddy asked. Her voice was deeper than usual, sexy in the dark, filled with satisfaction and something he couldn’t define.
Adam turned to her and pushed her hair off her forehead. He kissed her lightly there, then worked his way to her lips, each kiss a thank-you for what she’d given him. Even if she was unaware of what she’d done, he thanked her.
“I was thinking that I’ve never felt anything like I did tonight.” It was an unguarded comment. He’d never have said it in the past, but for some reason he wanted to tell her the unvarnished truth. They had been truthful with each other from the first. From the moment they met on the blind date, both had said exactly what was on their minds. Adam liked that about her.
“I felt the same way,” Teddy whispered. She snugged against him. His body was cooling and he could feel the air. Teddy must be getting cold, too. Adam reached for the part of the comforter that lay on the floor and pulled it over the two of them. Like curling in a rug, they had to get closer to each other. Teddy’s arm went around his waist and her body touched his from breast to his knee. Without volition he began to respond. His erection grew hard again. He wanted her again. And he wanted her now.
Pushing her back into the mattress, Adam kissed her hard. His legs covered hers and his hands trailed up and down her body, touching her skin, learning her curves, learning the zones that gave her pleasure. Because he wanted to give her pleasure. He wanted her to feel good. He wanted that more than he wanted his own gratification.
He mounted her, his body joining smoothly with hers as if they had been lovers all their lives. Adam couldn’t stop the movements that seemed to come from somewhere deep inside him. Every brush of their legs together caused friction that ignited him more. He wanted to take it slower this time, but it felt like the first time. He couldn’t stop the momentum that had him filling Teddy to the hilt time and again.
He heard her female sounds, listened for the pleasurable noises she made. Those sounds drove him, forced him to push harder, faster, but not over the limit. Adam waited. He needed her to join him, be with him in the frenzy of movements that would satisfy them both.
He felt it as Teddy moved. Together they convulsed, joining and separating, taking on the rhythm of their own, giving, taking, moving, writhing, learning each other. Taking the greatest pleasure on earth.
Then it happened. Adam couldn’t hold back any longer. He felt Teddy climbing with him, the two of them entering that singular place that was theirs alone, the place where they burst through time and where everything was suspended. A place where their rapture had substance and the world was theirs.
Adam held her there for as long as he could. Eons passed as his body was racked with wrenching excitement. A shocking torrent of emotion thundered through him until he thought he’d explode. Then he dropped back to earth, landing on a soft cloud. For the second time tonight, his breath came in ragged gulps. He was weak like a toddler spent from a full day of playing in the sun and sand.
And he never felt better in his life.
* * *
An insistent buzz woke Teddy. She ignored it, hoping it would stop. It came again and again. Groaning, she opened one eye. Hair obscured her view. Pushing it out of her face, she groped for her cell phone. On her first attempt, she missed, pushing the device farther away.
“Damn,” she cursed. Whoever it was should call back, she thought. Glancing at the clock, it was only six o’clock. Who would be calling her this early?
Then she remembered Adam. Quickly turning over, her hand slapped the phone to the floor. The phone continued its persistence, and she expected to find Adam lying next to her. The bed was empty.
The buzz stopped.
Teddy ran a hand through her hair, sighing heavily. Disappointment flowed through her. The pillow and sheets were rumpled; he’d straightened them because their bedroom gymnastics had worked them off the bed. The night had been indescribable. But this was morning. A new day. Fantasy over. Time to return to reality.
The phone buzzed again. Teddy groaned, more at Adam being gone than the phone.
Maybe it was him, she thought and picked up the device.
“You are there,” her mother said. “I thought you might have your phone off.”
“Mother?” Teddy questioned, as if she didn’t recognize her mother’s voice.
“Of course, dear. Did I wake you?”
Teddy’s mother was very active. She played tennis three mornings a week at seven o’clock. The other two mornings she swam laps in the pool at the local health club. She could swim in the university pool where she worked as an economics professor. They could also afford to have a pool in their yard, but Gemma Granville was a socializer and she met more people if she left the house than if she stayed in it.
“You were asleep. I’m sorry I woke you. I wanted to know how it went with Adam last night.”
Teddy’s entire blood supply bubbled to the surface, turning her red with embarrassment. She couldn’t answer that question, at least not with the truth.
“What do you mean?” She stalled.
“You two were very close-headed when you left the restaurant.”
“Close-headed?” Teddy didn’t know what that meant.
“Close together, speaking softly, secretively, holding hands, acting like you wanted to be alone.”
She was fishing for information. “We’re fine, Mother. He drove me home, saw me safely into the house and...”
“And?”
Teddy heard the anticipation in her mother’s voice.
“And we agreed to see each other again.”
“Wonderful! I knew you two would hit it off.” Gemma Granville was probably jumping up and down. “So I was right,” she said.
“Right about what?”
“About Adam. He’s The One.”
“Mother,” Teddy warned. “Don’t go jumping to conclusions.”
“I’m not.”
“Sure you’re not. You’ll probably be looking at wedding gowns as soon as the stores open.”
“I wouldn’t look at gowns. I assume you’ll design your own. After all, you are a designer.”
Teddy rolled her eyes. “We only agreed to go on a date. Let’s see how things work out?”
“But you do like him?”
Her mother was determined to get a commitment out of her. The truth was, Adam was gone. They hadn’t set a date for anything else, although after last night, she was sure they would.
“Yes, Mother. I like him.”
“Good.”
“I have to go now, Mother. My other phone is ringing.” There was no phone ringing.
“Teddy, you are coming to your dad’s lecture today, right?”
“I wouldn’t miss it.”
“You can bring Adam.”
“I’m not sure. Adam has overseas contacts
and he may not be available.”
“Give him a call and see. We’d love to see him again before we go back home.”
“I’ll see. Gotta go now.” Teddy hung up, not giving her mother time to stop her.
Pushing the cover aside and untangling her legs from the bedding, she swung her legs to the floor and stood up.
She was naked.
Adam had covered her with his body and kept her warm during the night. But without the cocoon of heat the two generated, she felt the chilliness of the room.
It didn’t take her long to shower and dress. Pulling on gray wool slacks and a bulky sweater, Teddy headed for the kitchen and her first cup of coffee for the day. On the counter sat a note propped against a mug with a single red rose in it. Teddy smiled. She lifted the note and read.
Sorry to leave without waking you, but you looked so adorable with your hair spread across the pillow.
It was signed, “Adam.” There was a P.S. that read, “You smile in your sleep.” Teddy’s hand went to her hair and she pushed it through with a smile. She picked up the cup and smelled the rose. Where could Adam find a rose at this early hour or at whatever hour of the night he left?
Minutes later Teddy poured herself a cup of coffee and carried it to the table. Her phone buzzed as she sat down.
“I guess this means you’re awake,” Adam said.
“My mother woke me, but I got your note and your rose. Thank you.”
She heard the smile in his voice. “I’d have left you a bouquet if I could have found one.”
That would be romantic, Teddy thought.
“But I’m calling for a different reason.”
Teddy listened, waiting for him to continue.
“My mother called this morning, too,” Adam said.
“What did she want?”
“She invited us to Thanksgiving dinner.”
“We knew we were going to have to be somewhere for the holiday. Although I thought that would be when our parents met. Ah, too late. We’ve already done that.” Teddy lightened the moment she felt was getting heavy. “I guess we can split the day—do the meal with one family and dessert with the other.”
