Adam's Thorn (31 page)

So
now
what?

A sound in the kitchen had him instantly
alert, the sound of Barbie’s soft, sleepy voice talking to the cats easing
him.  The security screen swung open and shut, the catch clicking into place.

Silence.

Adam grinned.  He didn’t have to turn
to know that Barbie stood behind him, watching him, her bottom lip caught
between her small, white teeth.  He could practically feel her uncertainty.

Without looking around, he shifted
to one side and held up his hand.

A light step, a slither of sound,
a small hand hesitatingly laying in his.

Wrapping his fingers around the
much smaller ones, he held Barbie’s hand as she moved beside him, her
pink-nailed toes appearing in his line of vision as she took a step down before
lowering herself to sit on the veranda beside him.

Feeling the light tickle of
material on the side of his bare abdomen, he glanced sideways to note that
she’d donned a light cotton dressing gown, the pattern one of tiny blue flowers
on a pale pink background.  Pretty, fresh.  He glanced upwards.  The soft blonde
hair tumbled around her shoulders and down her back.  Yep, her cheeks were
still flushed, her lips swollen from his kisses.

That had his loins tightening. 
Down,
boy
.

Her hand still in his, he pulled
it across to rest their entwined fingers on his thigh.

The silence lengthened between
them, her slightly trembling fingers clasped securely in his hold easing,
gradually stilling.

Turning slightly, he silently
handed her the mug of tea.

Taking it with her opposite hand,
she muttered a soft ‘thanks’, took a mouthful, swallowed and gave a shudder.  “Ugh.”

“Too strong?” he asked politely.                                                                                    

“A little.”  Her fingers tensed in
his hold and automatically he stroked his thumb soothingly across the back of
her hand.

The silence continued.  She’d say
something soon.

Taking a deep breath, she finally
asked quietly, “Now what?”

Looked like she was wrestling with
her thoughts, too. 
Hmmm
.

“What do you want to do?” he
replied.

“Ummm…say thanks and I’ll call
you?”

He didn’t know whether to laugh or
frown.  “Really?’

“Why not?”

Okay, that had him turning on the
spot to look right at her.

She glanced sideways at him and
quickly away again.

“Barbie,” he said evenly, “to be
honest, I’m not sure how things between us got out of control.”

There she went, biting that lush
bottom lip.

“However, it happened.”  He
couldn’t help but add, “Jesus, did it happen.”

There was the barest glimmer of a
smile on her lips before it disappeared.

“Barbie, look at me.”  When she
glanced sideways, he shook his head.

Sighing, she turned partway around,
lowering one leg to rest on the next step for balance.  Looking him right in
the eyes, her voice was steady.  “I owe you a huge apology, Adam.  I allowed
the massage session to get out of hand, something I’ve never done in my career. 
It was very unprofessional of me, and you have a right to lodge a complaint.”

He arched one eyebrow.

She nodded.

“Let me see, if I did that, then
you’d have to lodge a complaint about me.”

She blinked.

“I came here uninvited, threw you
over my shoulder, forced entry into your home, and stripped off in front of
you.”

“I performed fellatio on you.” 
Her words were bold, her expression embarrassed.

“Oh, that’s a very correct term.” 
Amused, he grinned.  “Does the word ‘cunnilingus’ mean anything to you?”

Her answering grin was a mixture
of reluctant amusement and that same cute embarrassment.

Sobering, Adam squeezed her
fingers.  “Barbie, we’re grown adults.  We both did things to each other that
brought us a lot of pleasure.” 
Almost blew his head off, actually.

She nodded.  Okay, she might be a
little embarrassed, but she wasn’t going to deny it.  That was a start.

“So now what?” she repeated.

“Isn’t that the million dollar
question?”  He studied her face, tyring to gauge her thoughts.  “What do you
want to do?”

“Well, apparently saying ‘thank
you and I’ll call you’ isn’t on the cards.”

“Hell, no.”

Her gaze dropped down to where he
still held her hand.

Deliberately, he entwined their
fingers together before lifting their linked hands and pressing his lips to the
back of her hand.

Barbie’s eyes widened, but yeah,
there was that flush in her cheeks, her lips opening just a little, the pale
blue of her eyes seeming to kindle a carnal fire in their cool depths.

“How about this?” he suggested. 
“To be frank, I’m not sure where this is headed, but I do know I’m not prepared
to just walk away.  What we have between us is hot.  Hell, so hot I almost
burst into flames.”

Her eyes crinkled at the corners,
a flicker of laughter dancing in her eyes.

“Baby, I made you burn, too,” he
pointed out dryly.

“Yes.  Yes, you did.”  The smile fully
curved her lips and she glanced away before looking back at him.  “I admit it. 
You rocked my world.”

“Yeah, I know.”  He winked.  “I
was there when you begged and screamed.”

“So proud of yourself.’

“Absolutely.”

She laughed.

Keeping their gazes locked, he
leaned a little closer.  “We don’t have to jump into anything, make any plans,
decide the future.  Why don’t we just enjoy ourselves, see where this leads?”

“Really?”  Her gaze swept over his
face, her fingers tightening tellingly between his.

“Really.”

Her gaze dropped.  “Adam…”

He waited, watching her closely. 
When she didn’t continue, he squeezed her hand gently in silent encouragement. 
When she still hesitated, he said quietly, “Barbie, you can tell me anything,
ask me anything.”

 With a sigh, she lifted her head
to stare into the darkness which had fallen.  “After everything I did, you
would still want me?”

Good question, and one to which he
had no hesitation in replying.  “Yes.”

“Why?  And I mean apart from the
sex.”  Her jaw tightened.  “I’m still the same girl who hurt you and Melissa
all those years ago.”

“Wrong.”

“Right.”

“Very wrong.”  He shook her hand a
little.  “Look at me.”

She groaned.  “Must I?”

He almost laughed, managing to
bite it back.  “Yes.”  When she didn’t comply immediately, he let the steel
underlie his tone.  “Barbie.”

Yep, that did it.  Always worked
for felons, ruffians, and Barbie.  He had to hide his amusement.

Facing him once more, she waited
in silence.  The humour was gone from her face, her gaze steady. 

Sobering, Adam reached up to tug a
lock of her blonde hair before sliding the tip of one finger across her chin,
smiling inside when she unconsciously rubbed her cheek against his finger.  “You’re
not the same girl you were all those years ago.  You’ve matured, your attitude
has changed.  You’ve become a loving, caring person.  You know that.”

“Yes.”  It was almost a whisper. 
“But how can you separate me from who I used to be?  When I hurt you so badly?”

“I won’t say it was easy.” 
Relentlessly, he forged onwards, ignoring her flinch.  “When you first got
here, all I remembered was what you’d done, yet as time went on I could see the
changes in you.  I know who you were, and I know who you are now.  It’s who you
are now that I’m attracted to.”  He paused.  “That I want.”

“Yes, but…”

“But what?”

Sighing, she shook her head and
shoved her free hand through her hair.

“Barbie.”

“How do you do that?”  She cast
him a sideways look.

He arched one brow.

“Go all deep and commanding and
shit?”

“Practise.”  He continued
regarding her steadily.

“Huh.”  Looking down, she fiddled
with a button on her dressing gown.

Not prepared to let her close up
on him, Adam shifted closer, taking her chin, tilting her head back and around,
gently but firmly forcing her to meet his gaze.  Then he simply waited.

“I’m just…”  When she faltered, he
didn’t say a word, just kept looking until she finished in a rush, “I’m worried
that if we get into an argument, you’re going to see the girl I was.”

Both his eyebrows shot up in
surprise.

“It could happen,” she muttered.

Women.  Christ
.  “Barbie,
we probably will argue, people do.  I’m not expecting you to be a saint.  I’m
not a saint.  So we argue, big deal.  I’m not going to just turn on you like a
rabid dog and start accusing you of being someone you no longer are.”

“How can you be so sure?”

Studying her face, Adam let her
stew for several seconds to make a better impact when he finally answered
clearly, “Because I’d never have made love to you if you hadn’t changed to be
the wonderful woman you are now.”

She blushed, smiled, ducked her
head.

Watching her, he felt warmth slip
through him when she shifted a little closer.  That was good.

Peeking up at him, she whispered,
“Adam?”

“Yeah?”  He lowered his head
towards her.

Barbie leaned a little closer. 
“You really think I’m wonderful?”

“Hell yeah.  You can give a blow
job brilliant enough to blow a man’s brains right out of the top of his head.”

Her eyes widened before she
started laughing.

Unable to resist, Adam kissed her,
dropping his mouth over hers, swallowing her laugh. 

Tasting her.

Releasing her hand, he slid his
arm around her, drawing her up against him.

So soft, so warm.  She nestled
into him, her tongue playing along his lip until, with a growl, he swept inside
to take her mouth.

One taste wasn’t enough, one
kiss.  Hunger rose in him, the need to be closer to her surging upwards.

In one move he stood, his arm
drawing her up with him as he continued kissing her.

They were in such a hurry, so
caught up in rising lust that they both tripped on the step and nearly fell off
the veranda.

Giggling, Barbie clung to him for
balance.

“Shit.” Adam laughed. “Let’s go somewhere
more comfortable.”

“Or at least where there’s more
light to see by.  Imagine if I had to explain why you were sprawled at the
bottom step of my veranda with a broken ankle and wearing only a pair of
pants?”

“Baby, I’m so hard right now my
dick could act as a crutch.”  He pinched her bottom, making her squeal.

Grinning, he followed her into the
house.

He didn’t leave until the next
morning.  Walk of shame?  Hell, no.  Walk of victory?  Hell, yes.

And he didn’t care who saw.

~*~

“So, did Adam enjoy his massage?”
Ali asked.

Barbie grinned into the phone. 
“Yep.”

“Ease some of his tension?”

“Oh yeah.”

After a few seconds silence, Ali
burst out, “Tell me about it!”

“Not happening.”

“Why not?”

Because I did something very
unprofessional
.   “Client confidentiality.”

“Aw, what?  What’s so confidential
about a massage?”

“The kind you booked him in for.”

“Shoulders and back?  What’s so
confidential about that?”

Barbie shook her head.  “Nice
try.”

“‘Nice try’ what?’

“The shoulders and back.  What
about the rest?”

“But we only booked shoulders and
back.  I booked it myself, remember?”

“Yeah, and Ghost rang about five
minutes later and…”  Barbie trailed off, a strong suspicion forming.

“Ghost rang?”

“Yeah.  You didn’t know?”

“No.  What did he ring for?”  Suspicion
was also heavy in Ali’s voice.

Oh boy.  Barbie rolled her eyes. 
“Ghost asked if I did full body massages.”

“Oh shit!” Ali swore.  “I will
kill him!  Barbie, I’m so sorry.  Lori and I would never have put Adam in for a
full body massage.”

“I get that now.”

“I should have realised something
was up when Ghost jumped the fence to see Matt, leaving me and Lori at the
house.  I should have
known
that pair of miscreants was up to no-good!”

Barbie smiled.  “It’s all right,
Ali.”

“No, it’s not.  How emba- what do
you mean, it’s all right?”

“Adam got what was ordered.”  With
a little extra.  Barbie smirked.

There was silence for several seconds
before Ali started crowing.  “Something happened!  Something happened between
you and
Adam
!”

She had no idea.  “Yeah, he got a
full body massage.”

“Sweet baby Jesus.  Tell me
everything
.”

Barbie grinned.  “Sorry,  client
confidentiality.”

“Did you two have sex?” Ali
demanded.

“What  dirty mind you have.  I’m a
professional.”

“You did!  You two had sex!”

“I’m a
professional
.  He
got a massage.”

“Yeah, but after, you two had the
great shag.”

“Client confidentiality.”

“What a crock of shit!  Barbie
Declan, you better start spitting out details.”

Amused, she fingered the roses in
the vase.  “Now why would I do that?”

“Because we set you both up.”

“Oh, really?”

“Uh…”

“So you deliberately booked a
massage for Adam with the goal of we two having sex?”

“You make it sound so clinical.”

“You’re not even denying it?”

“Well…”  Ali paused.  “Client
confidentiality.”

“What?”

“We actually paid for his massage,
so technically that makes me a client, so I don’t have to divulge that.”

“Your omission makes it perfectly
clear.”

“You know,” Ali said reasonably,
“Ghost and Matt are actually to blame.  Lori and I only ordered a back and
shoulders.  It was those scheming louts that went the whole hog.”