Broken Read online

  “We should have practiced that lift in the water, like in Dirty Dancing.” Adam chuckled, his breath visible in the frosty air.

  “Oh my God, I love that movie. We need to watch it tonight.” I rolled off him so we were side by side on our backs.

  “I’ll watch it with you if you dirty dance with me.” His eyes lit up. “I want to dance with you, Buttercup. I want to hold you and get lost in the music.”

  “Deal.” I managed to stand, then held out my hand to help Adam up.

  He pulled me back down to sit astride his lap and drew me in for a passionate kiss. I was just getting lost in his embrace, slowly grinding my hips against him when a figure blocked the light. Looking up, I noticed a young girl standing beside us with a huge grin on her freckled face.

  “Hi. Didn’t mean to interrupt,” she blurted, totally meaning to interrupt. “I saw you taking photos before and was wondering if you’d like a photo of the two of you together.”

  Adam took my hand as he stood, assisting me to my feet. “That would be great, wouldn’t it, Buttercup?”

  The girl giggled as I fished the camera from my pocket. “Buttercup. That’s adorable. I’m Melanie, by the way. I’ve seen you at the store a few times buying supplies.”

  My nickname was adorable, and I loved the way it rolled off Adam’s tongue, but then I loved the sound of every word he said. The combination of accent and sentiment behind it, made me feel special and treasured and loved.

  We stood side by side, cuddling together while Melanie snapped a couple of shots. Then Adam leaned in, nuzzling my hair before kissing my temple softly. My eyes closed and I exhaled deeply as Adam’s tenderness warmed me.

  “There you go.” Melanie was back again, handing me the camera before skating off to meet back up with her friends.

  We flicked through the pictures quickly to see if they were any good. There were three posed photos that were slightly off center but not too bad, and I was happy to finally have photos of the two of us together that weren’t selfies. Scrolling to the last image, Adam and I both sighed in unison. It was a beautiful close-up of Adam kissing my hair, our eyes closed as a ray of sunlight shone from the left. It was one of those perfectly candid shots that said so much in its simplicity.

  “That’s brilliant,” he said, resting his head against mine.

  I had to agree, and I knew it would be printed and framed as a precious keepsake to sit on my nightstand once I returned home.

  The fire was lit, the lights dimmed, and Max was snoring contentedly in the corner on his rug as we settled in with a huge bowl of popcorn between us to watch Dirty Dancing. I had thought Adam was joking around when he’d said he loved the movie, but as I watched his face light up as the film began, I realized he really was a musical lover at heart.

  I also learned that he wasn’t kidding about the dancing.

  As the music started to play, Adam rose to his feet and, with the most heart-melting smile, held out his hand. “Dance with me, Evie. Please.”

  How could I refuse?

  Feeling foolish at first, I held back on the gyrations until his strong arms pulled me closer so we were locked together. As his hands ran down my back to my hips, I felt his mood shift from fun and playful to seductive.

  Taking every opportunity to caress his body, my hands slowly glided up his arms to his chest, feeling every ripple of muscle, until my fingers laced at the nape of his neck. As my gaze lifted to Adam’s face, I found him watching me, a slight smile tipping the corner of his mouth, his eyes dark. Being held tightly against his body, I couldn’t help but move as he moved, sway when he swayed, and before I realized it, we were grinding to the music as if we were extras in the movie.

  Smiling shyly at our closeness, I turned to see what Patrick Swayze was up to, and felt Adam’s hand slip under my top, his fingertips brushing my side as they made their way to my breast. He’d touched my body many times before, but the sensation sent a wave of anticipation through me as I waited for his next move. His hand lightly skimmed over the fine lace of my bra, and I sucked in a short breath, my nipple pebbling as if seeking out his touch. His head lowered to my shoulder, his teeth gently tugging on my earlobe.

  My heart rate picked up the pace, and my body ground against Adam’s. It was getting so hot in the room as the walls closed in around us, his shortened breaths heating my neck and making me shiver. Opening my eyes slowly, I could see I was only an inch away from his neck. I flicked out my tongue, leisurely licking up his stubbled jaw before biting his chin gently. A guttural groan escaped him, so I bit his jaw a little harder. He groaned a little louder.

  “Somebody likes it rough,” I teased. “What else do you like that I haven’t discovered yet?”

  The balance of control had shifted, the power now sitting comfortably on my shoulders. Taking the hem of his sweater, I lifted it over his head before discarding it to the floor. He was enjoying this as much as I was, the heat in his gaze giving me the confidence to continue. As the movie played in the background, I leisurely ran my hand over his chest, his heart galloping beneath my fingertips. Slowly, I moved around him, dragging my hand down his arm and across his back. He had a sexy back, broad and muscular, and I traced the muscles down his side to the belt loops of his jeans.

  “Take your pants off,” I instructed, and to my surprise he obeyed without hesitation.

  “Anything else you want off?” he breathed.

  Kissing across his back, I let my hands run down to his boxers, hooking my fingers in the band and edging them down around his hips.

  His head dropped back. “Jesus, Evie.” He sighed, his breath shallow, as I took pleasure in feeling the curve of his perfect ass in my hands.

  I continued the circuit of his body with my hands and mouth, finally returning to his chest and his waiting lips. He was so wound up already and admittedly so was I, but I was playing it cool, pretending I was in control when instead my insides were a mass of butterflies fluttering frantically.

  “What do you want, Evie? Just name it and it’s yours. I’m totally in your hands.”

  From the longing that was evident in his eyes, I had no doubt that what he said was true. If I had asked for the moon at that moment, he would have found a way to snatch it from the stars and present it to me, tied in a bow.

  But I didn’t want the moon. I wanted Adam.

  Taking his hand, I led him to the sofa, then indicated for him to sit. With the movie playing, I slowly started to dance, swinging my hips in time to the beat. It was far from rehearsed—I’d never given a lap dance before—but pushing the self-conscious voice in my head aside, I focused on Adam and how he seemed to be eating up every move I made. With the rise and fall of his chest increasing, his eyes traveled over every inch of my body as I peeled off my sweater, then stepped out of my jeans.

  “Ah, the black lace,” he muttered under his breath, when he saw I was wearing the same lingerie I’d worn for our first massage and kiss.

  With my back now turned, I watched the movie for a moment for inspiration as Baby and Johnny danced up a storm. I felt totally empowered, even sexy, my fingers running through my hair, my ass wiggling for all it was worth.

  Turning back to Adam, I decided he’d kept his boxers on for long enough. Slowly sinking to my knees between his thighs, I ran my hands down his chest before taking hold of the waistband and sliding them down.

  “Can I touch you?” he panted, his hands reaching out but stopping just short of my breasts.

  With a flick of the snaps, my bra was off and flung over my shoulder, his hands taking the place of the black lace.

  “You have the most perfect tits I’ve ever seen.” His hands kneaded my flesh, pinching my pert nipples.

  “You have the most perfect cock I’ve ever seen.” Pushing him to sit back into the sofa, I leaned forward and took as much of him into my mouth as I could manage without gagging.

  “Oh, fuck…” His head dropped back as one hand came to rest in my hair.

  It was
a total power trip, the dancing and stripping, and now this. As I teased Adam with my tongue, I could taste his arousal growing by the second, so I backed off. He groaned at the absence of my mouth wrapped around him, but was soon occupied as I licked and kissed my way between the ridges of his body until my tongue swiped along his collarbone.

  “You’re killing me, baby,” he husked, as I sucked his earlobe between my lips.

  I was killing me. The urge to climb on was almost too much to bear. “You’re makin’ me so wet,” I murmured in his ear.

  A hot puff of air hit my neck as Adam exhaled sharply, his breath coming out in short bursts. “I hope you’re not overly fond of these,” he growled as he took hold of the side of my underwear and ripped.

  Rough hands grabbed my hips, the fingers digging in, but I didn’t mind. In fact, I loved that he was this wound up, just barely holding it together. As I positioned myself and slid onto him, he watched me intently from beneath hooded lids. It was torturous to go slow, but I wanted to draw it out as long as possible until he was begging me, the way I had begged him in the past. He groaned at the sensation, trying to bounce me harder and faster, but I pushed down and held firm.

  “Nice and slow, babe,” I breathed, as my lips came down onto his. Our tongues languidly danced as I rocked back and forth, his fingers gripping my ass with every forward motion.

  There was one position I knew we had yet to try—the one that Angie and I had watched on the porn clips and she’d said I would enjoy. As our kiss deepened, my hands running through Adam’s hair to hold it back from his face, I decided that tonight was the night.

  “I wanna try somethin’,” I whispered against his lips.

  “Anything.” His lips were back on mine, his hands pulling me harder against him.

  I raised my head from his. “I wanna try…from behind.”

  We had done it from behind while lying down, but what I wanted was something different, less intimate.

  Climbing off, I grabbed some cushions and threw them on the floor by the fire. Adam watched, the corner of his mouth tipped up in a half-smile, but he remained seated. I crooked my finger at him, calling him over, before kneeling on the cushions on all fours.

  “Really? My, my. How you’ve changed, Ms. Rivers…and I like it. I like it a lot.” He was behind me at lightning speed, his half-smile now full blown as he knelt and took hold of my hips. “I love your dimples,” he groaned.

  I touched my cheek. “I don’t have dimples.”

  “Not on your face.” He ran his hands over my ass and around my hips, his thumbs brushing my lower back. “Right here, just above your arse.”

  I lost my breath the second Adam entered me. As he pulled back, then thrust in again, he groaned, and I joined him. My God, it was different than anything we’d done before. The sound of flesh slapping against flesh, and Adam and my grunting and groaning, drowned out the movie, and I completely lost myself, the sweat making my hair stick to my back.

  Adam brushed my hair aside, then, leaning forward, lightly kissed and licked my shoulder. My back arched as his tongue led a trail up my spine, the wetness cooling my heated skin. As I pushed back against Adam, he circled his hips, taking great delight in teasing me with how deep he was going.

  “Harder,” I moaned.

  Adam didn’t need to be told twice. His efforts increased until I had to brace myself against the cushions slipping and sliding under my knees.

  “Touch yourself,” he panted. “I want you to touch yourself.”

  As my hand found its way down my body, Adam grunted again. The sounds coming from him were animalistic as he, too, let go of all inhibitions. I did as he asked, no embarrassment or awkwardness. Instead, it added to the sensation and had me trembling as Adam’s fingers dug in and held me in place until we were both finished and totally spent.

  Flopping down on the cushions together, Adam pulled me into his side while we lay gasping for air.

  “You’re getting bossy, Ms. Rivers.”

  I raised my head to look at Adam as he lay staring up at the ceiling, an easy grin on his face. “Sorry,” I said, biting my lip.

  His fingers stroked up and down my arm absentmindedly. “Don’t apologize. I like that you know what you want and you’re not afraid to ask for it. We’ve come a long way in such a short time.” He kissed my damp hair. “I’m here for you, Evie, in every way. All I want is to make you happy. If you need something, I want to be able to give it to you.”

  “What if I need you?”

  “You have me, one hundred percent—heart, body, and soul. I’m yours, baby.”

  I couldn’t help the feeling that the end was coming way too quickly. “But for how much longer?”

  “Until my last dying breath, whenever that may be.”

  Eventually the sound of the movie came back into focus and I listened to Johnny say the classic line “Nobody puts Baby in the corner.” It was time for the final song, for their big finale. As the music started, we rolled and repositioned so we could see the television but stay cuddled together, with Adam behind me, my back pressed against his chest.

  “I love this part,” I told Adam as I watched Baby wait for Johnny on the stage.

  His face nuzzled my hair. “This could be our song.” Then quietly he started singing along.

  I knew the lyrics, but I’d never really listened to them. As Adam’s voice sang softly and his hot breath warmed my shoulder, I took in every word. His arms were wrapped snuggly around my waist and chest, and I took his hands and pulled them even tighter. I wanted to melt into him, to become a part of him so he could never leave me. With Adam, everything made sense. Even with Charles, there had never been this connection, these goose bumps, and this feeling that something was missing from my life as soon as he left the room.

  Adam’s face leaned over my shoulder. “Hey, why the tears?”

  Not realizing I’d been silently crying, I swiped my hand across my cheek, then rolled onto my back to gaze up into his worried face.

  “Because I’ve never felt this way before. I love you, and I’m gonna miss you every second of every day when you go.”

  His face softened. “I thought my singing was making you cry.”

  I pouted. “Don’t tease me.”

  “I’m sorry.” He brushed my hair aside, then kissed my forehead. “I’ve never felt this way before either.” Warm, caring eyes scanned my face. “I feel like you’re the other half of me, and I don’t know how I’m going to get through the next however many months without you.”

  “Are you teasin’ me again?”

  He smiled, then shook his head gently. “No teasing, baby. How I feel about you makes me wonder how I could have ever considered being with anyone else.”

  I nodded. “I know what ya mean.”

  Charles and Annabel had been practice relationships, to figure out all the things we didn’t like and didn’t want, so that when we met each other, we were ready for the real deal. Ready for the forever love to take us through until the end of our days.

  “So can I fantasize ‘bout growin’ old with you?” I asked, already picturing Adam sitting on the back deck, his hair just as thick and long but turning gray.

  His jaw clenched as his brow knitted together, before he finally nodded. “I know I’ll be fantasizing about you.”

  My manuscript was complete—well, as complete as it was going to get while I was here with Adam. All that was left to do was write the dedication and acknowledgements. I had originally thought that if I did ever get to writing “The End”, I would dedicate my first novel to Angie, or maybe Mimi. Now I knew the right person to receive my undying gratitude was Adam.

  This should have been the easy part, one line to write my most heartfelt message. But it was more than thanks that needed to be said; I wanted to somehow sum up in just a few words how he had changed my life forever. Time after time I typed a line, then thought it cliché or lacking in some way, and deleted it.

  “Hey, Buttercup, did you want to
take a look at my latest masterpiece?” Adam asked with a laugh. “It’s just another beach scene, from a different angle.”

  Backspacing again in frustration, I called, “I’ll be there in a minute.”

  “No rush, I’ll wait.”

  And there it was, the essence of Adam.

  For Adam. Your love, patience, and guidance have led me into your light. Thank you for waiting until I realized I didn’t want to wait any longer.

  Looking up, I noticed Adam standing in the doorway, head cocked. “What are you writing now? I thought you were done.”

  “I am. I just have the dedication and acknowledgements to go.”

  “Oh, can I see? Did I get a mention?” He raced over, a huge excited grin plastered on his face.

  Leaning over my shoulder, he read the short paragraph in the center of the otherwise blank page. I knew he had finished when he sighed and laid his hand gently on my shoulder.

  “I would wait for you for all eternity. These past seven weeks with you have been the best weeks of my life.” Warm arms wrapped around my chest from behind, as whiskers got caught in my hair. “I should be thanking you for putting up with me and for trusting that I have things I need to do, but I will come back. I know we both have to wait before we can be together, but it won’t be forever.”

  Watching Adam put the finishing touches on my portrait was more exciting than finishing my manuscript. It had taken quite a number of hours of sitting by the window, ogling a naked Adam as he painted me, but it had been worth it. I didn’t need to sit in place anymore, so as I reclined on the bed, head propped up in one hand, and observed in wonderment as a dab of white here and a touch of black for shadow there, brought the painting to life.