by Cherry Kay
“Come for me Ali…let me feel you clench and quiver around me, baby.” I cry out at his heated words and he slams into me again, kicking off a mind-blowing release, all I can do is hold onto him and let wave after of wave of pleasure course through me.
When I come back to Earth, I realize we’re both on the floor. I’m straddling Adam and he’s still very much buried inside me. We are both panting and I’m pretty sure I no longer have command over my muscles. I rest my head on Adam’s shoulder and we sit like this until our breathing returns to normal.
“We should definitely do that more often.” Adam says and I stifle a giggle.
We really shouldn’t have crossed this line. Now things will be complicated. Adam lifts me up so he can slide out of me. He carries me easily to the half bath off the family room and cleans me up.
“Adam what was that…?” I ask him, I’m really hoping for an honest answer.
“Ali, there’s no secret that I want you, how could I not?” He answers simply and I almost jump at the sound of the oven beeping, alerting me that it’s done pre-heating. “Another reason why I hate ovens.” Adam grumbles and I don’t hide my laugh this time.
Adam and I manage to finish making breakfast and we sit at the table to eat. Adam keeps glancing at me, almost as if he is unsure of something. I tilt my head at him and raise an eyebrow, wanting to know what he’s thinking.
“I know you don’t particularly like this subject but…don’t you have two brothers?” Adam asks carefully and I nod, wondering why he’s all of a sudden bringing them up. “Do you have a good relationship with them?” I shrug; I mean I guess so, when away from my parent’s, my brothers and I get along like any other normal siblings.
“Yes, I guess we do, why?” It’s Adam’s turn to shrug as he pokes at his eggs with the fork absently.
“Just wondering.” I take a bite of my biscuit and Adam studies me again. “If you could…would you want to have a relationship with your parents?”
I hold in my sigh. I can’t get upset at Adam, I really haven’t told him anything about what happened between my parents and I, other than the fact that they washed their hands of me.
“Not unless they apologize to me. My mother in particular said some really hurtful things to me. My father was just shallow and…callous.” Adam is still looking at me expectantly, wanting me to go on. “She said that I wouldn’t amount to anything…because to her I’m worthless. That I might as well be on the streets with other girls who sleep around and get pregnant.”
“My father said that he doesn’t want me linked to his family anymore. That I’d just drag their name through the mud…what with my brother working in the White House and my father being such a successful lawyer.” I finish emotionlessly. I’m through crying over their words that stabbed me in the back like the sharpest daggers.
“I…I have no words Ali that’s just…that’s fucked up.” Adam says vehemently and he shakes his head, his eyebrows furrowing.
“It is what it is. I’d really rather not talk about it or them anymore, past this point, Adam.” I tell him firmly and he nods, his eyes searching my gaze.
“I get it. I won’t bring them up again.” I sigh in relief and we finish our breakfast in silence.
After the dishes are washed and put away, Adam follows me upstairs, reminding me to get ready for ice-skating. My mood lightens as I look forward to gliding around on the ice with Adam. I can’t help but picture this ridiculously romantic moment where Adam and I turn into pro skaters and complement each other on the ice.
“Ready?” Adam asks me as I step out of my room dressed for the day.
“Yeah.” I smile at him shyly and he cups my face in his hand, surprising me, to press his lips to mine. Once, twice, and a third time.
“I love your smile.” I have to blink a couple of times to bring myself back into focus. “When we get back…I think we should talk about you moving into the master bedroom with me.” Adam kisses me again and then takes my hand and we head out to go ice skating.
“I know this little pond not too far from here, it's private, not many people know about it.” Adam and I walk into the wooded area behind all the houses and we take a walk along a footpath where the snow isn’t as deep. Soon, there is a break in the trees and we come across a medium sized pond that looks completely frozen over.
There isn’t anyone around but us. I spot a park bench and slip my skates from my shoulder. I had tied the laces together and slung them over my shoulder before we left, Adam doing the same. I go have a seat to put my skates on and glide out onto the ice once I’m ready.
I skate around the circumference of the pond a few times before Adam joins me, smiling as he skates backwards to face me as we go around.
“Show off.” I stick my tongue out at him and he laughs.
“I told you, I’m a pro when it comes the ice.” I roll my eyes and remember him telling me he does play hockey for fun.
“I bet you couldn’t beat me at a race to the other end of the pond.” I smile at him confidently and his eyes sparkle at the challenge.
“Oh you are so on.” I take his hand to pull him to a stop and we take our marks.
“Straight across okay?” Adam nods, chuckling as if he thinks he’ll beat me. I smile and then swipe his beanie cap from his head. “When the cap falls is when we go.”
Adam rubs his hands together in anticipation. “Can we make this interesting?” Adam asks with excitement. I giggle and look at him expectantly so he can go on. “If I win, which I will. You move into my room. If you win…then I’ll bring you breakfast in bed until Christmas, but in my bed, though.” I laugh.
“Okay…I’ll sweeten the deal so you don’t try and hold back, if you win, I’ll move into your room and I’ll throw in a blow job.” Adam’s eyes widen and he grins like he’s won the lottery.
I can’t deny that I find the idea of my moving into his room very appealing. Adam is very quickly wiggling his way into my heart and I don’t have any rationale to deny it or try to stop it at this point. Adam says it’s a deal and there are no take backs. I toss the hat up, as soon as it touches the ice we’re off. We’re neck in neck for the first few strides and then he starts to slip into the lead. I don’t let him get too far ahead before going into overdrive and passing him at the last second.
“What a crushing defeat! I guess you didn’t know that our baby sister is a track star, she has that explosive power in her legs.”
My spine straightens at the sound of my brother, Trenton’s, voice. I turn around and see him and Tristan standing in front of the park bench, all bundled up and smiling as if nothing at all is wrong. My eyes fill with tears and Tristan picks me up off the ice in a bear hug. Trenton wraps his arms around me too in our usual two for one group hug.
“What are you guys doing here?” I ask in shocked disbelief. Too many emotions are surging through me at once and I can’t stop the tears from falling.
“We’re here to visit our baby sister and the father of our niece or nephew.” Trent and Trist set me on my feet and simultaneously their heads swivel around to study Adam who is walking over to us.
My brothers resemble my father a lot. They are both six foot four and have the muscle to fill out their broad shoulders and tall builds. They have largely the same features, strong jaws, light brown hair and skin, curly black hair and even the same dimple in their left cheeks. The only difference is that Trent has my dad’s ears and Trist has my mom’s.
“Hey guys, it’s good to see you in person.” My eyebrows rise in surprise Adam called them? Adam shakes my brothers’ hands and they continue to scrutinize him a moment longer before Trenton breaks into a grin.
“Of course we’d come. We’ll always be grateful that you called to tell us about Ali, otherwise we’d have never known.” Tristan says sincerely and I get the urge to hug them both again.
“It was only the right thing to do.” Adam says sincerely and Trenton slaps him on the back good-naturedly.
�
�Good man. So how about we head inside somewhere? I’ve grown completely desensitized to the snow while living in Cali.” Trent shivers and I move to the bench to change my shoes, Adam does the same.
“Ali, you know we have to talk about our parents, right?” Tristan looks at me in all seriousness and I sigh.
“Do we? Can we just ignore their existence and give them what they want? Which is nothing to do with me.” Trent shakes his head adamantly.
“No, Ali what they did, how they're acting…its despicable. They need to know that and I want to throw it in their faces. I don’t care what your kids do, you don’t abandon family.” Trent helps me up from the bench and Adam holds my skates as we start to walk back to the house.
“I don’t think I’m ready for a confrontation with them. I don’t want another confrontation with them. Anyway, they probably won’t even acknowledge me.” I sigh in defeat.
“They will if they want anything to do with us. We’re choosing sides here, mom and dad don’t support us anymore. There’s nothing they can hold over our heads. We’re with you, baby girl.” Tristan says simply and in that moment, my love for my brothers nearly overflows. To think that Adam was the one who called them…he really does care for me.
We reach the house and get a fire going in the family room while we all thaw off from the cold.
“So here’s the plan. Mom and Dad think we’re coming in tonight and we’re supposed to go straight there to have dinner and start decorating the tree. You and Adam will come with us and we’ll set them straight. If they refuse to stop being so ignorantly blind, then that’s that. There’s no reaching them.” Trenton tells Adam and I what will happen. I wonder if I’m ready to face my parent’s like this.
“You think you can handle that, baby girl?” Tristan asks me, picking up on my hesitation. I take a deep breath and simply nod. “There’s the strong girl we grew up with. So how about we do some Christmas shopping to occupy our minds before the coming battle, yeah?” Trist stands up and I giggle at the look on Trent’s face as he’s practically roasting his arms in the fire, trying to get warm.
“Alright, but we’re turning the heat up all the way in the car.” Trist puts out the fire and the guys get ready to go.
I take the time to pull Adam aside in the front room. “You called them.” I say simply and Adam nods, searching my face, hoping he made the right move. I hug him tightly and whisper in his ear, “thank you.”
“I’m just glad you aren’t mad at me for doing it.”
I shake my head, my eyes threatening to tear up all over again. “Little Bean will have his uncles in his life and even if tonight ends in disaster, I’ll never resent you for getting them here.”
Adam smiles and he pulls me into his arms again, kissing my temple before letting me go. In this moment, I realize that I love Adam, there was no getting around it and I’ve finally admitted it to myself. I just wonder if he’s realized how he feels yet. He wouldn’t have gone to such lengths if he didn’t have deep feelings for me.
Chapter 9
Ali’s eyes look different. There’s no more barrier that I always tried to see past. She’s back to being open and expressive, something I fell in love with the moment I spotted her in class. She’s finally letting me in and it feels fucking fantastic.
“So who are you going to shop for first?” Ali asks me while slipping her hand into mine as we step into Bloomingdale’s. Her brothers have gone off to do ‘top secret’ shopping on their own.
“My mom. I never know what to get her really. She’s always the kind to say, ‘all I need is a good card and a kiss, don’t spend your money on an old woman.’” Ali laughs fondly, her eyes brighter than I’ve seen in weeks.
“Alright well…you can never go wrong with perfume or a handbag. Assuming you know what she likes.” I look at Ali, at a loss and she laughs at me this time while shaking her head. “Well, I’ve noticed she needs a new handbag, she said if she had the patience to shop she’d get a nice leather tote, black. Then I was also able to find out that she is running low on her favorite Chanel, which I want to get for her.” Ali tells me what to get mom and I could kiss her, in fact I do. Stopping in the middle of foot traffic I press a searing kiss to her lips and smile in satisfaction when I see her pupils have dilated after I pull away.
“Um…maybe I should wait until we’re alone to tell you what your aunt wants for Christmas?” I laugh and we both head into the mall to get to the Neiman Marcus.
After Ali and I get gifts for my family and her brothers, we meet up with Trent and Trist. I leave her to get some lunch with them while I go into Kay Jeweler’s to get Ali’s gifts and Carter’s to get something unisex for Little Bean. I find two outfits I can’t choose between, one says ‘I love mommy breast’ with the word breast crossed out and ‘best’ written above it. The other says, ‘daddy’s cool, but mommy has the breasts.’ They’re funny so I opt for buying both.
“Shit, I wonder how some people can shop all day. Just being here for half the damn day has my eyes crossing.” Trenton complains as we all meet up at the brothers’ rental truck.
“It’s all those bright lights and displays. Long shopping trips aren’t meant for men I swear.” Tristan agrees with his brother and I can’t say I disagree.
“I’m just glad to have gotten everything in one shot.” I add.
Ali shakes her head at all of us. “Guys, where’s your Christmas spirit? You should be excited about giving everyone their gifts to see what they’ll think. I know I got fantastic gifts, all of you will cry when you open yours. I’ve been saving all year just for Christmas shopping…for good measure, too.” She mumbles the last part. Only I hear as I’m sitting in the back with her.
Thinking about what Ali said, I wonder how she’ll react to my gifts. I know she’ll like the charm bracelet I got her so she can start marking milestones with charms and adding to it. I just have no idea if she’ll accept the promise ring I got for her. I know it’s too early to ask her to marry me yet, but I want her to know that I fully intend to ask her once we’re secure in our love for each other. I guess one could say I’m scared, but I want there to be no hesitation when I ask and when she answers. So when Little Bean asks one day why Ali and I got married I can tell him that it’s because I loved her unconditionally and she felt the same way for me.
“Alright folks, let's unload and get ready for this fucking dinner.” Trenton announces when we pull up to the house. Ali takes a deep breath and everyone grabs their bags and heads inside.
“Guys, you might have to do rock-paper-scissors for who gets the guest room with the bed in it.” Ali informs them and both brothers bolt into the house to stake a claim with their suitcases. “Honestly, they are still children deep down inside.” Ali says in fond exasperation.
“Can’t take the boy out of the man, you know what they say.” I grin and she rolls her eyes.
“I just hope they don’t break anything. They are the only twenty-eight year old brothers who still wrestle each other.”
I chuckle and shake my head. “You’re mistaken about that one Ali. Catch Gabriel and I on a lazy day and you’ll see.”
She laughs loudly at the visual. Ali and I walk into our bedroom and I close the door behind her. She slips into the closet, probably to hide her Christmas presents and I hide her gifts in the hallway closet. She’ll never find it there. The thing it stuffed with building and painting supplies that I’ve never gotten around to cleaning out.
“Where you going?” I ask her as she passes by me in the direction of her old room.
“I have to get some clothes, don’t get your boxers in a bunch.” She says with a chuckle in her voice.
I relax with a crooked smile and go ahead into the en-suite to get the shower going. I strip down and step into the stall, letting the warm water cascade over my head. I hear the bathroom door open and close and I smile when I watch Ali strip down to absolutely nothing and join me in the shower. Needless to say we take a bit more time than usual in
washing up.
***
When we all group up downstairs, Ali is visibly nervous. Trent keeps his arm around her shoulders, stealing my job to comfort her.
“Don’t let the anxiety get you, Ali. Let’s just do this and get it over with. Whatever happens, happens. Just know that we’re with you in the end.” Tristan tries to soothe Ali’s nerves and I tilt her chin so she can look at me.
“Always. Okay?” I add to Tristan’s declaration and she gives a small smile, nodding.
“Alright, let’s go.” Tristan says and we all pile into their truck again.
I can feel the tension coming off of Ali in waves. We drive out to Westport and a really high-end area of Westport at that. Ali wasn’t kidding when she said her parents were successful. The fact that they had a waterfront property spoke volumes. I could see why parents used to the lifestyle they have, would want nothing but excellence from their children.
Trenton pulls into the drive of the large house and turns the car off. Ali takes several deep breaths and then we go out into the cold. Tristan uses his key to get into the house and they walk right in.
“Hello! We’re here!” He calls and I take Ali’s hand, she follows me in after a moment’s hesitation and I reluctantly close the door behind us. I feel like we’ve just walked into the belly of the beast.
“Oh my boys are here! Finally the family is together…” I recognize Shatrice’s voice and when she rounds the corner into the foyer her voice trails off in shock, I just don’t know if it’s unpleasant shock or not. She looks almost exactly like Ali, just darker in skin tone and her eyes are a darker brown as well.
“What are you doing here?” Shatrice asks Ali, I can tell she wants her voice to come off as forceful, but there is a waver to it that can’t be missed.
“We’re staying at Ali and Adam’s house and we decided to bring them along for dinner, mom.” Trenton says without hesitation or pause.
