The Coulson Boys (Adam)
Page 5
“Adam, stop right there, I am not in the right space to be with you or any man at the moment, if ever. I hope I’ve never given you any signs that I am attracted to you, have I?”
“Claire take it easy” he said softly his hand now on my arm, “I know this is a scary situation for you to be in, but it is going to happen, you are a very attractive woman.”
“Yes and considerably older than you” I threw back at him with more than a bit of exasperation in my voice.
“Claire, our ages are irrelevant to me.” His eyes now full of emotion, his handsome face just inches from mine.
“Adam stop, this is all wrong, please stop”, I pushed him away firmly and jumped up from the boulder, urging my body at the same time to get away as quickly as possible. Adam came after me.
“Wait Claire, please don’t be afraid, I promise I will never knowingly hurt you,” and in one bound he caught up with me, “I like to think I am a good judge of people and my gut tells me you are attracted to me.” And then it happened! He gently brought my body in towards his, as he gazed longingly into my eyes, he took my face with his hands, his mouth brushed my lips and then drew me into a delicious tender kiss, which gradually intensified. I was helpless as I found my arms come up and wrap around his neck, I was lost in his sensuous embrace.
The moment seemed to go on for an eternity, each of us unwilling to break the spell. It was Adam who finally eased his lips reluctantly away, and hugged me close within his arms; his embrace calming my shaking body. I felt dizzy and light headed as I tried to fully grasp what had just happened. Suddenly, all the last few months of sadness drained out of me and I slowly began to cry, Adam gently eased me away staring into my eyes he bent down to kiss away the tears, before once again hugging me and whispering to me,
“Let it all go, it’s okay I’m here, I’m not going anywhere.”
Thoughts and emotions were flying around my head, completely out of control. I had allowed someone to break into my locked heart! I felt a curious sense of relief, along with a big helping of fear; I was completely at a loss to know what to do!
“Don’t let it win Claire”, as he gently brushed his fingers through my hair, “I can hear your brain trying to process and make sense of what just happened, you really don’t have too, don’t let it spoil the moment, just allow things to happen and we will see where it takes us”.
Lost for any real alternative other than the obvious one to run and never look back, I stared up into his gorgeous brown eyes
“What are you doing to me Adam”? Then he gave me one of his winning smiles,
“I am opening you up to possibility, I am freeing you from your sadness, now you must decide whether you want to fly or return to your golden cage! I am going to try and take this slowly” he said with a breath filled with need, “or at least try” he chuckled, “it’s going to be hard, because right at this moment all I want to do is rip your clothes off and ravage you right here”,
“Ravage me”! I giggled, “I feel like I have stepped into a copy of a Jane Austen novel.” Honestly! What shocked me, was a big part of me wanted him to ravage me right here right now, but the ever-sensible Claire wouldn’t allow this, would she?
He reached out and took a possessive hold of my hand.
“Come on let’s walk and talk.” I nodded silently as I registered the new and unfamiliar sensation of someone holding my hand and the unexpected pleasure it gave me.
“I want you to know that I am content Claire. Just knowing you feel something for me is enough for now, I will be guided by you as to where we go next”.
“Oh”! I replied, “yes right Okay,” and then Adam squeezed my hand, and stared at me.
“You sound disappointed”?
“Oh crap I did didn’t I. Adam I am in uncharted waters here and I feel like my world has been turned upside down.”
“In a good way I hope?” I nodded as a shy smile crossed my face.
“Hmm! so what if I took the lead here, is that more what you had in mind?”
Again I gave him a cautious nod.
“I like the idea of that”!
His face lit up, just before he placed a soft lingering kiss on my mouth, my knees happily turned to jelly as I lost any kind of composure.
“So spontaneous like that works”? He grinned in a sexy raw voice.
“Yes, just like that is good”.
We continued with our walk and as we got closer to the property I came to a stop.
“I think we need to keep this to ourselves, after all I wouldn’t want to make the others jealous,” I was desperately trying to make the situation as light as possible!
Adam gave me one of his winning smiles,
“I have a suggestion, how about we meet each day, after breakfast and dinner and go for a walk, is that something you think you would like to do?”
As he stared into my eyes, I felt him scanning my thoughts, which seemed to be all too willing to give him free access.
“Stop reading my mind, you’re too psychic for my liking”
“Oh I don’t know, I find it’s a very useful tool to see what’s really going on in here,” as he lightly tapped my head.
Blushing again, I began to realize what an open book I was with him, as my thoughts were increasingly turning towards intimacy and imaginings like how I would feel in his arms after we had sex…. as way of a cover up I changed topic!
“I like the idea of us going on long walks together, it’s also good exercise”,
Adam laughed out loud
“You can’t lie to me Claire, I know you want a lot more than you are prepared to admit,”
“Well that’s were your wrong,” I said trying to look cool and collected,
“Hmm we’ll see,” he said, as a hot wisp of his breath touched my ear, “see you after dinner right here, and by the way, I can’t wait.”
“Neither can I,” I whispered. Adam’s face said it all as I saw a lingering look in his eyes.
I was aware that I was playing with fire here, I had started something which had a mind of its own and there was no going back. My heightened anticipation for tonight was something I wanted to experience no matter how dangerous it felt!
★★★★★
I found Laura by the pool soaking up the rays.
“I hope you have plenty of high factor suntan cream on?” I said, “We’re not used to this heat.”
“Yes mum! I am covered from head to toe” she said in a childish voice. “So where have YOU been? Wait, let me guess” as she leant over towards me using her best sultry voice “wouldn’t have been with the lovely Adam by any chance? “
“Maybe I said!” with a silly grin on my face.
“Well go on, spill the beans or are you going to be all coy and mysterious?” Laura couldn’t stand being out the loop, it was part of her ‘charm’ and I was busting to tell somebody!
“Well we might have kissed”
“Lord I hope so at the VERY least”.
“Ok let me clarify, lots of kissing” I grinned,”
“God this is hard work Claire, some specifics please, is he a great kisser? Does he make your body tingle? Does he know how to touch your body and turn you on? And does he,” she paused for effect, “have naughty plans for the near future?” All of which was now voiced in an adopted, sleazy American accent, which was very funny.
“You’re insane Laura”
“I know! Isn’t it great? I can’t believe you’ve only just realized?” I couldn’t help laughing,
“Be warned, that that’s all I am prepared to say”
“Spoil sport! So, when are you seeing him next?”
“Maybe tonight after dinner”
“That’s my girl, this is just what you need Claire, and Adam is the perfect guy, kind, thoughtful, gentle, but not too gentle, I hope! I think he is the type of lover who will get your engine purring, you wait and see! One final thing, you do know he is staying in that cute little Gite near the lake?” Laura asked.
“Claire, I cannot give up all my secrets, trust me I just know!”
The rest of the day was a mix of lovely French food, relaxing around the pool, a little siesta and then our late afternoon Yoga session. The theme continued with using the breath to help not only calm our minds and bodies but to allow our muscles to stretch and extend further than normal, Adam explained the breath was the vital tool to allow increased oxygen to do the extra work. It was fun but at the same time, I was struggling not to look at him or his gorgeously defined body, all of which simply served to heighten my anticipation of our rendezvous tonight.
Dinner was delicious; it was my first taste of duck confit. The region was famous for their cuisine, cooking and preserving meats in duck fat, an ancient technique and just as popular and useful today. The meat fell off the bone, cubes of potato had been sautéed in the duck fat, the whole dish was divine; I made a note that this was something I would like to try out at home. I was so glad I hadn’t chosen the vegetarian dish, aubergine lasagne.
Adam was sitting opposite me at the dinner table, with each shared meal he thoughtfully sat next to a different participant, actively chatting and listening keenly to their stories. I could see clearly, that he was kind and considerate, I think that was part of his winning charm as a man, and it was certainly working on me! I suddenly realized I was staring at him, as he glanced up and smiled. My knife slipped out of my hand and fell onto my plate with a clatter, as my face predictably flushed with embarrassment,
“Oops” tittered Laura, who had been watching me throughout, she gave me a cheeky wink! This clumsiness was just not my thing; it seemed that when I was in the same vicinity as Adam, my body couldn’t behave normally. The clearing of plates thankfully broke my awkwardness. Richard ceremoniously presented us with the most amazing platter of local cheeses and fresh fruits; he gave a brief description of each cheese before we dived in. I topped up my glass with some more delicious chilled rose wine, fooling myself it was to accompany the cheese, the truth was I needed a little Dutch courage as my thoughts raced to what else might be on offer tonight!
Richard had encouraged us to make our way out onto the terrace with our teas and coffee, so the dining room could be cleared and reset for breakfast, he and Angela seemed to never stop, they worked with a professional yet friendly air, taking time to talk with everyone, making sure we had everything we needed.
The terrace ran across the front of the main house, it faced west, the perfect direction to experience the sunset, the sky was turning an exquisite palate of reds and gold and orange, the ideal spot to sit and watch the day end and the night begin.
Everyone was happily discussing their first day and what a wonderful time they were having, the group were enjoying getting to know each other and exchanging stories. I finished my coffee and prepared to slip away, hopefully unnoticed.
I glanced around till I found Laura, she was in her element entertaining a small group who were listening to her every word; she certainly had the gift of conversation and found it so easy to be sociable and mix easily, something I envied. At that moment she looked up and spotted my exit blowing me a kiss with a cheeky smile, I saw her lips mouth the words “good luck” which only served to make my stomach come alive with butterflies!
I set off slowly towards the lake; fortunately, the moon was almost full, shining like a beacon guiding me on my way and the stars were beginning to make an appearance as they sparkled like tiny pieces of diamond dust. I had never seen such a huge sky, the absence of any light pollution really showed off the emerging constellations and planets at their best.
A moment of mischief came over me. I ducked behind a large tree making sure I was hidden from sight; Adam wasn’t the only one who could create the element of surprise!
I held my breath waiting for his approach, when suddenly a hand grabbed me from behind, I let out a squeal.
“Sshh”, Adam whispered as he placed a hand over my mouth, quickly followed by his mouth which completely covered my lips, his tantalising lips happily teasing me with the most delicious hot passionate kiss, his tongue now joining in, as it sensuously began to explore my mouth, he was impossible to resist, and I found myself hungrily joining in as the kiss deepened in intensity. Slowly, reluctantly he released the kiss and looked at me with a boyish grin,
“So you thought you could sneak up on me?”
“Well I obviously have to bow to the master of surprise” I smiled back,
“Good because I am way better at it! He took my hand, I definitely loved the familiar way he held it, and this simple act of intimacy was something I had been craving since Will died
We walked along the edge of the lake, the cicadas loudly serenading us and not to be out done, the frogs also joined in as they played their evening concert. I thought this night couldn’t get any better as a satisfied sigh escaped my lips. Squeezing my hand Adam whispered
“Happy Claire,”
“VERY,” and in that moment I felt the chains around my heart shatter, as a rush of what felt like sheer joy spread through every molecule of my body.
“Thank you Adam”, he looked at me perplexed,
“For what”?
“For taking a chance with me, I know you have had to dig deep to find the real Claire, she has been well and truly buried beneath a whole ton of crap.”
“You’re welcome” he said, “you make me feel like a knight in shining armour, the truth is I was lucky enough to meet you at just the right moment in my life, you have shown me another side of myself that I never knew existed, so it is I who should be thanking you Claire”.
I turned towards him and gave him a huge hug, burying my face in his chest, my ear listening to his beating heart. He smiled down at me, our height difference meant I needed to stand on tiptoes and as I looked up into his dreamy brown eyes I whispered.
“Do you want to know a secret?”
“I would love to know all your secrets,” he spoke softly.
“The thing I have missed the most, is cuddles and hugs.”
“Dually noted” said Adam in a serious tone, “I will make it my top priority to hug and cuddle you as often as possible.” A silly grin came over me as I realized someone finally had my back and cared about me enough to take on board my crazy requests.
As I began to break away from our embrace, I felt two strong arms pull me back in.
“I don’t think so, we aren’t nearly finished hugging here.”
“You won’t get any arguments from me”, as I melted back into his firm torso, “I could happily get used to this.”
“Good, remember you agreed to let me take the lead here.”
“Oh! I did, didn’t I” then as if the Gods were conspiring against us, our perfect bubble burst, I could distinctly hear Laura’s voice in the distance, followed by lots of excited women chattering. As they started to get closer, I clearly heard a growl coming from Adam, as he gently parted us.
“Well it looks like my plans for tonight are going to have to wait.” We started making our way towards the girls who quickly spotted us.
“Well look who’s here, fancy seeing you two.”
“Can’t waste a beautiful evening like this,” said Adam coming to our rescue, “I bumped into Claire and we got chatting”
“Chatting was it?“ said Laura with a silly grin. I used the opportunity to excuse myself.
“Well good night everybody, it’s an early start again and I need my beauty sleep.”
“Your right” said Laura “I think I’ll join you, you’ll look after the girls won’t you Adam?“ Laura looked at him with an innocent smile.
“Yes of course, my pleasure.”
Laura was enjoying herself and announced.
“If I have an early night I might even make the 7am session.”
“Really” said Adam with surprise.
“Nah! only kidding, however I’ll be there in spirit” she snigger
ed.
We both said our good nights, my eyes lingering on Adam as he smiled and shrugged his shoulders.
“Sorry about that” said Laura when we out of earshot of the group, “it’s just the girls all decided to set off for a walk to the lake and I knew you love birds were down here so I had to join them, I tried to make as much noise as possible to warn you”.
“Laura, we were only talking … well, maybe we were going to go to Adam’s Gite, but only for a nightcap”,
“Mm hmm! are you quite sure that was all?” I was about to defend myself further, then decided against.
“Okay I think we might actually,” I paused.
“I’m listening.”
“Oh, I don’t know, this is all so foreign to me and I really don’t know what the hell to do! If it makes you feel any better, I confess I have even considered … “
“Having sex with him”, blurted Laura.
“Would you stop finishing my sentences please, I think I am ready to take whatever this is to the next level.”
“Claire, its only sex, you don’t need to complicate things by over thinking it.”
“You’re right of course! But put yourself in my shoes, 28 years with the same man and then he’s gone. Now I find myself in this crazy new scenario with a man who is much younger than me and I’m terrified”.
“Stop Claire, it’s really not that big a deal.”
“Well maybe not for you” I spat out, suddenly knowing I had gone too far. “Oh my god I am so sorry Laura I didn’t mean it to come out like that”,
“No, you go right ahead Claire”, said Laura in a hurt voice, “I know I am a number one bitch who sleep’s around, while you Claire are little Miss perfect, one man, one love, end of story, am I right?” her voice now raised. This had gotten completely out of hand.
“Stop Laura, I didn’t mean it to come out like that! I deserve a slap, it was cruel and unkind, and I didn’t mean it, truly, go on slap me.” I dared, and to my surprise Laura did just that, her hand met my cheek with some force. Slightly taken aback I went to touch my now stinging cheek, Laura looked at me with horror, but before she could get any form of apology out, I burst out laughing,