She nodded. “I’m worried about nightmares. The closer we get to – to him, the more things are coming back to me. Things I’d forgotten or pushed far down.” Her eyes were tearing up. “I’m scared, Adam. Can you be there if I wake up?”
He smiled. “Yes.”
She heaved a sigh of relief and he felt her tremble. “Thank you.”
He wanted to kiss her right then, but he didn’t. He wondered just how the hell he was going to stop himself from kissing her as they lay in bed together, their bodies pressed up against each other. And if he did kiss her and she did respond, how was he going to stop himself from doing more?
OK, man. This is not about you; this is about what she needs. Cool it.
“You’re welcome. I’m glad you asked.”
“Me too.”
“OK.” He cleared his throat. “You hungry?”
“Actually, yes.”
“Let’s check in, drop off our bags and go get some dinner. What do you say?”
“I say that sounds good.”
**
A few hours later, Katie wiped her hand over the mirror, clearing the fog away. The bathroom was steamy and warm and it was making her drowsy again. She blinked hard and tried to focus.
She heard Adam moving around in the bedroom outside the door. It sounded like he was unpacking a bit, maybe turning down the bed.
The bed.
Even though they had, technically, slept together on the same sleeping bag and under the same blankets the night before, something about sharing a bed felt – different. More official, more blatant. They weren’t like innocent kids on a sleepover or at summer camp, not anymore. This felt adult and totally acknowledged.
She stared at herself, wondering what the night was going to bring. She didn’t feel anywhere near ready for sex, but her body did want something.
How far do you want to go, Katie? And how far is Adam willing to go with you?
She tugged his massive t-shirt down around her thighs and took a deep breath.
Adam heard the bathroom door open and he turned.
“Well,” he said. “Look at you in a white t-shirt.” He grinned. “You look great in a color other than black, you know.”
“You think?”
“Hell, yeah.”
They gazed at each other.
“You ready for bed?” he said.
Katie nodded.
“Come on, then.” He climbed in and patted the mattress next to him. “Come here.”
She walked over slowly, sat on the edge of the bed. She looked at him.
Adam was lying there in a t-shirt and boxer shorts. His face was open and gentle, his eyes warm. She smiled.
He reached out and touched her hand, his thumb drawing tiny circles on her palm. “Whatever you want to do, Katie.”
“I want to… to lie down.”
He held out his arms and she nestled on to his chest. His arms went around her and she sighed as his hands ran up and down her back. He kissed the top of her head and she relaxed.
He’s not going to force anything. You know that. You know him.
She raised her head and looked up at him. Delicately, she traced his cheekbones, moved down to his chin, touched the curve of his mouth. He stayed totally still, those amazing blue eyes watching her face.
Katie’s heart was beating faster now, her body warming up. She lifted herself up on his chest and he pulled her closer. She felt his heat on every inch of her, felt his hot breath on her face. She paused, noticing that she wasn’t tense or anxious, not at all. Then she kissed him.
His lips were surprisingly soft and gentle. He let her take the lead, let her increase the pressure. She touched his face, pulling him closer and he went willingly. When her mouth opened, he touched her lips with his tongue, carefully, and when she gave a low moan, he stroked her mouth again, more strongly. She gasped and her fingers curled around his t-shirt.
Adam pulled back for a second, looked in to her eyes. They were hazy and sweet and he kissed her again and again, letting the passion build between them. She tasted like peppermint and smelled like roses and he wanted to just sink in to her, like a hot bath.
Katie ran her fingers over his chest, loving the hard muscle there. She had seen Adam’s chest, of course, when she had photographed him, and she knew every inch of it. Touching it, though, was a whole different experience. She reached for his t-shirt and lifted it up his body. He shifted on his back, helping her. She pulled it over his head and propped herself up on her elbow, just looking at his naked upper body.
Adam closed his eyes as her slim hand ran over his shoulders, his collarbone, his pecs, down his stomach. Her fingers traced his forearms and biceps, skimming over his tattoos.
“I like your tattoos,” she said. “How many do you have?”
He opened his eyes. “Twenty-two.” His voice was hoarse.
She lowered her head and kissed his chest, running her tongue over his skin. She followed the lines of the tattoos, tracing the curves and shapes. His cock hardened and he clenched his hands, fighting to not flip her over and grind her in to the bed. Her mouth and fingers fluttered like butterfly wings and Adam thought he’d never felt anything so perfect in his whole life.
Suddenly, Katie sat up, pulling away from him.
“You OK?’ he asked. “You want to stop?”
She gazed down at him, saw the worry in his eyes. “I’m fine, Adam.” She crossed her arms in front of her body and lifted the t-shirt up and over her head.
Adam’s eyes darkened with lust as her perfect breasts appeared. He imagined tasting them and he licked his lips. He sat up too and she moved on to his lap; she sat on his thighs and wrapped her legs around his hips.
“Is your leg OK like this?” he said.
She nodded. “Yes.”
Her naked breasts pressed against him and he groaned and ran his hands up and down her back, pulling her to him. She gasped at that first touch of his mouth on her skin. She arched a bit, her hands in his hair, lifting her breasts. Adam kissed her nipples, licking the hard peaks before gently sucking on them. He moved back and forth slowly, teasing and tonguing her, hearing her breath speed up as his rough, unshaven cheeks tantalized her softness.
Katie clutched him closer as the sensations tumbled through her body. Her stomach tightened and her pussy opened as her desire surged. She felt his arousal under her and pressed against it. He felt her heat even through their underwear and he growled deep in his throat.
“Careful, baby,” he said.
“Why?” she asked.
“Because I don’t want to go too fast.” He took a deep breath. “I don’t want to scare you.”
She nodded. “I’m not – not ready for much more. I don’t want to take anything else off.” She hesitated. “Is that OK with you?”
He saw her uncertainty and he gave her a lingering kiss. “Yeah. We can stop here.”
“You sure? You don’t think I’m – I’m teasing you?”
“No.”
She felt a wave of relief. “OK.”
“I can make you feel good without taking off any more clothing, Katie.” His eyes were hot.
“What do you mean?”
“Do you trust me?”
“Yes.”
“Then move on me… just move so that it feels good.”
She stared down at him. “With – with my underwear?”
“Yeah.” He pushed against her slightly, lifting her body off the bed, and she gasped as her pussy opened wider. The tip of his cock touched her lower lips, pressed against her clit. She stiffened as a small shock of pleasure shook her.
“Oh,” she said. “Oh, God.”
“Is that OK?” he asked.
“Oh… yes.”
He pulled her face down to his, kissing her deeply. Without any conscious thought, her hips began to roll and undulate, her hands clutching his shoulders. She rocked back and forth, stroking the length of her hot center on him, over and over. Her bud hardened and swelled, a
nd she rubbed it against his cock, experimenting until she found the angle and place that felt the best.
Adam could feel her wetness even through his boxers and he loved knowing that he was doing this to her. As her body writhed on top of his, he held her ass, helping her to lift and lower herself faster. Her body moved on him with increasingly more frantic movements, and she closed her eyes as the pleasure grew.
Her whole body felt like a live wire: taut and stretched and sparking with electricity. The jolts started in her clit and spread out, travelled through her body, all the way to her fingertips. They got more frequent and intense and her eyes widened as she realized what was happening.
Oh, my God. I’m coming. I’m actually coming.
“Adam,” she breathed. “Adam, oh, God.”
“I’ve got you, baby. Just enjoy it… just let it happen.”
She threw her head back and gave a loud cry of surprise and ecstasy. Adam watched her face as she came, his own arousal almost unbearable. She shook above him, sobbing and saying his name, then she fell forward, her forehead on his broad shoulder. She shuddered one last time and went still.
He wrapped both arms around her, holding her as close and tight as he could. Her breath came out in shallow pants and he soothed her.
“It’s OK, Katie. Just breathe, sweetheart. I’m here.”
She held on to his upper arms, fighting to slow down her breathing. What had just happened shocked her, and she wasn’t sure if she wanted to laugh or cry. Maybe both.
Adam let her calm down, his hands gentle on her back. When she was relaxed and limp on him, he carefully lay her down on the bed and stretched out next to her. He searched her eyes for tears or fear, but saw none: her dark eyes were warm and sparkling.
He smiled. “That was amazing.”
“Yeah?” She blushed a bit.
“Oh, yeah. I could watch that all day.”
She looked down at him. “But what about you?”
He waved his hand. “This wasn’t about me, Katie. Tonight was always about you – just you. OK?”
“OK,” she said softly. “Thank you. You don’t know what a – a gift you just gave me.”
“My pleasure.” He pressed her head against his chest and kissed her. “What do you think? You think you can sleep?”
She nodded.
“OK, then. Get some rest… tomorrow we get up early and we go.”
To his surprise, she did actually fall asleep quickly. Adam held her and watched her face for a while, wondering what she was dreaming about. When the nightmares came and she woke up, shaking and crying out, Adam was there to bring her back to where she was. And where she was was in bed with him, a man who cared about her, a man who wouldn’t hurt her.
Katie fell asleep again and this time she slept deeply, sweetly, without any dreams at all. She woke up in the morning held tight in Adam’s arms, and she knew she was as ready as she would ever be to face her stepfather.
Chapter Seven
Adam turned off the ignition and he and Katie sat for a minute in the hospital parking lot. She was holding his hand in both of hers. Her nails were biting in to his skin, but he didn’t mind; he barely felt it.
“Katie,” he said quietly. “You ready?”
“Yeah.”
“Before we get in there… can you just tell me what to expect? Like, do you think your Mom will be OK with you being there?”
“I have no idea.” She sighed. “I haven’t seen or spoken to her in ten years, but Ryan talks to her, so she knows all about my life. She knows I’m coming with you now.”
“OK.”
“I’m still angry at her, Adam. And she knows it. The last thing I told her was that I blamed her for not protecting us when we were kids. I told her that she was weak, and a terrible mother.”
He was silent.
Actually, I kind of think the same thing. I guess I should keep that to myself. It won’t help Katie and her Mom reconcile, if that’s what she even wants.
“She was – a victim. I know that. I really do. But…”
“What?”
“I still wish she’d left him. Gotten us all out.” She shook her head. “I guess – I don’t think I’ll ever really understand why she didn’t.”
“And what about him? Your stepfather? What’s he dying of?”
“It started out as liver failure.”
“Is he an alcoholic?”
“Yeah. He was a violent drunk for all of my childhood.” She bit her lip. “Anyway, when his liver started to give out a couple of years ago, UNOS refused to put him on the transplant list. Ryan told me that the organization has strict rules about alcoholics receiving organs… I think they have to be able to prove that they’ve been sober for three years before they can be added.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. They don’t want a healthy organ going in to someone who’s just going to pollute it with alcohol. Makes no sense.”
“I can see that.”
“So, his liver got worse and three days ago, something just… happened. His condition took a nose dive and now other organs in his body are just starting to shut down.”
“Is he conscious?”
“He was when I talked to Ryan this morning. He’s having some trouble breathing and his kidneys are starting to fail now. When that happens, it’s just a matter of time before the person slips in to a coma.”
“Do you want to talk to him?”
“I do.” The steel in her voice made him look at her.
“Alone?”
Katie met his worried eyes. “No. I want you there with me.” She hesitated. “Is that OK?”
“Yes.” He pulled her to him and rubbed her back. “Whatever you need. You know that.”
She closed her eyes and stayed close to Adam for a minute, just drawing strength from his body. She took a deep breath and exhaled, trying to stay calm.
“OK,” she said. “Let’s go.”
**
Susan Tierney jumped to her feet when Katie appeared in the visitor’s lounge. Her daughter was even more beautiful than she remembered and for a few seconds, Susan just took her in. Katie’s face was more rounded, her hair longer, her eyes bigger. She was wearing almost no makeup, and she was so bright and vibrant, it was almost palpable.
She was holding a man’s hand and Susan’s eyes widened as she took in his size and the tattoos all the way down his arms. He was staring at her with a hard look, his eyes chips of ice in a set face. Right away, she knew that Katie had told him all about her childhood, about Susan’s failures.
“Katie!” Ryan Lloyd jumped to his feet and hurried over to her. “You made it!”
Katie hugged her brother tightly, happy to see him.
“Is Megan here? The kids?”
“No, I drove them to the hotel about an hour ago. They’re packing and leaving tonight.”
“They doing OK?”
“Oh, yeah. Great.” Ryan turned to Adam. “And you must be Adam.” Ryan extended his hand. “Thank you so much for getting Katie here.”
“It was no problem,” Adam said.
Finally, Katie looked at her mother. “Hi, Mom.”
“Hi, honey.” Susan’s eyes filled with tears. “You look good.”
“Thanks.” Katie tugged Adam forward. “This is Adam Pierce. Adam, my Mom, Susan.”
“Ma’am,” Adam said inclining his head slightly. His father had drilled respect in to his head for years, and he was determined to offer Susan courtesy – but the most basic form of it and not one bit more.
He studied Susan carefully, taking in her dark eyes that were so much like Katie’s. He saw that there must have been a time when she was a lovely woman, but years of abuse and fear had taken their toll on her. She was gray and lined and had a haunted, harried look about her. He softened towards her a little as he realized that she hadn’t had a happy life. Not even remotely.
“Roy’s been asking for you,” Susan said. “Asking and asking.”
It occurred
to Adam that this was the first time he had heard Katie’s stepfather’s name; she had never said it aloud, not once.
“Has he?” she said. “Well, I’ll just go on in and say hi then.”
“He’s really not the same man that you remember, hon.” Susan hesitated. “Be gentle with him, OK? He’s dying, Katie.”
Katie stared at her and sighed.
Still covering for him, I see. Right until the very end.
“Want me to come with you?” Ryan said.
“No, thanks.” She smiled at him. “What room is he in?”
Ryan pointed with his chin. “Three fourteen.”
She nodded. Adam took her hand again and they left the visitor’s lounge together. When they reached the door of her stepfather’s room, she paused.
He lifted her chin to meet his eyes. “You ready for this?”
She nodded.
He turned the door handle. “I am right here, Katie.” He swung the door open and they went in.
The man on the bed turned to look at them as they entered. His gray eyes widened and his thin hand grappled with the oxygen mask. He lowered it and stared at Katie.
“Katie. My God, you came.”
She stood just inside the door and looked at him quietly.
He extended a trembling hand to her. “Katie, come closer. Please. Come sit.”
She slowly approached the bed. Adam leaned against the door with his arms crossed and watched her go, his chest tight with fear and worry. He didn’t like her being in the same state as this fucker, let alone within ten feet.
Katie sat down on the chair next to the bed, set her camera on the bedside table. Her stepfather put the mask back on, drawing several deep breaths, staring at her the whole time. She watched, surprised at how frail he was. He was almost the same color as the bed sheets and his massive frame was about half the width that it used to be. He must have dropped well over one hundred pounds; he looked shrunk and depleted, all his muscle tone gone.
He took the oxygen mask off again and reached for Katie’s hand. “Baby –”
Adam reacted without thinking. He shot forward and growled, “Don’t fucking touch her, not unless you want every fucking bone in your body smashed.”
The older man’s eyes really took in Adam for the first time. He blinked in surprise and then he saw Adam’s face. It was dark and dangerous, full of barely-restrained fury.
Fighting Strong Page 7
