The Running Series Complete Collection: 3-Book Set plus Bonus Novella (175 page)

“I won’t lie, I like the idea of having a choice.  I don’t really know how I’m going to feel or what I’m going to want after our little Bean arrives.”

Jessica reappears to interrupt our discussion with our drink order and a basket of breadsticks.  Smiling at Adam and batting her eyelashes, she asks, “Are you ready to order?”  Here we go again.

“Do you have any specials today?” he inquires.

“Oh, yes.  Of course.  I should have started with that.  I’m so sorry.  Let’s see.”  She fumbles through her notes.  “All right, today we have a Surf and Turf Special: Bacon Wrapped Shrimp and a Blue Cheese Sirloin.  We also have a Pecan Parmesan Crusted Rainbow Trout and a Three Cheese Bacon Burger with frizzled onions, chipotle mayo, swiss, cheddar, and pepper jack cheeses.”

“Emmy?” Adam asks as Jessica grudgingly looks away from Adam and towards me.

I look through the menu briefly and I order my usual.  “I’ll have the Crab Cakes with steamed vegetables on the side.”

“And you, sir?” she turns towards Adam with a coy smile. 

“I’ll have the surf and turf special,” Adam tells her.

“Very good.” She turns and leaves.

Now that I have him talking about this potential job, I want to know more.  “And what about the cons?” I ask.

“You know, if I take this job, it would mean spending a lot more time away from home.  I’d have a lot more responsibility and I’d have a lot to learn, too.  That means long hours at the office, late meetings, and traveling with the team.”

“I’m used to your crazy schedule.  You always travel with the Sentinels during football season and you’ve had plenty of late night meetings.  No biggie.  What’s really bothering you?  Is there something else?  Another reason why you don’t really want the job?”

“Just one,” he admits, his eyes downcast and his smile faded.

“Mac?” I ask.

“Mac,” he confirms, nodding.  “I don’t know if I can do it, Em.  Just leave him like that.  He’s my best friend and he needs me.  How can I just turn my back on him and move on as if none of it mattered?”  Adam feels guilty.  It’s written all over his face.

“Adam, I have to be honest with you.  I think your business relationship with Evan is a little unhealthy and maybe it’s time to separate your personal life from your professional life.”

He looks at me with shock and confusion.  “How can you say that?  Working so closely with Evan is the reason why the Red Hawks have even heard of me in the first place.  Without Evan, I’d still be a Special Assistant with the Houston Texans that no one’s ever heard of.”

“That’s ridiculous.  You have it all backwards, you dope.  Without you, Evan McGuire would be a second or third string quarterback with a shady past and a terrible reputation.  If you weren’t there for him, constantly rescuing him and saving his ass, he’d might even be kicked out of the NFL entirely by now and working in an office somewhere.  Or maybe he’d be playing Arena Football.  Or worse – Canadian Football.” 

“I don’t know.  Maybe you’re right,” he reluctantly admits.

“It’s true.”  I take his hands and squeeze.  “I don’t mean to bring up a sore subject, but we can’t forget about the lengths you went to just to keep Evan playing last fall.”

Adam’s face goes sullen and he pulls away from me.  “Thanks for bringing up the one thing that I regret more than anything else, Em.”

“Adam, look at me.”  I wait for him to raise his head enough to make eye contact.  “I love you more than you could possibly imagine.  No one understands more than me why you did what you did.  Your friend was scared, hurting, and you did what you had to do to keep him playing football.  I get it.  But it’s time to move on.  Evan will always be a part of our lives.  He and Jette are like family.  A little space might be a good thing for both of you.”

Our conversation freezes when the waitress reappears with our entrees. 

“Can I get you anything else?” she asks no one in particular.

Adam looks at me and I just shake my head.  “No, we’re fine.  Thank you,” Adam tells her.

I unwrap my silverware and place the cloth napkin on my lap.  Poking my fork in the Crab Cake, I take an experimental taste.  “Mm, this is really good.”

Looking up across the table at Adam and I see his eyes flicker up from his plate and meet my gaze.  “Mine, too,” he mumbles with a full mouth.

After a few more bites, he directs the conversation back to the topic at hand.  “I don’t know what to do.  They want me to come down to their offices in two days.  This is a great opportunity and I’m not sure when another chance like this will come along.”

“It’s just an interview, right?” I ask.

“Right.”

“So, what’s the harm, then?  Take the interview.  Find out more about the position and see how badly they want you.”

“How exactly do I do that?” he asks.

“Tell them you want the same salary as the guy who just left.  None of this
starting at the bottom of the pay scale
crap.  Tell them you’re not cheap and if they want you badly enough, they’re going to have to pay you for your experience.”

He sits back in his chair ponding my last statement.  With a smile that lights up his entire face, he looks at me and announces, “I think I could do that.”

With that being settled, we are able to really enjoy our dinner.  And of course, no meal is complete without at least sampling the desserts, just for research purposes.  Jette requires all the employees to sample dessert when dining out and reporting back to her.  I’m happy to do my part to keep the business afloat.

Our overtly friendly waitress Jessica appears with our check tucked safely into the leather folder and hands it directly to Adam.  As Adam meticulously calculates the tip, I reach over to examine the bill.  On the bottom in frilly swirls is a hand-written note that reads, “
Thank you and please come again.  Jessica.”
  I smile when I notice the ‘
i
’ is dotted with a heart.  Adorable.

Once we’re back home, I quickly undress and slip into something more comfortable – one of Adam’s T-shirts.  I absolutely love wearing his shirts.  I close my eyes as I hold a piece of the fabric up to my nose and inhale deeply, taking in the familiar scent of leather and spice.  I know it’s a combination of his shower gel, cologne, and body chemistry, but that’s what it smells like to me.

Adam’s voice startles me.  “Do you have any idea how beautiful you are?” he mutters and he takes a few long strides towards me.  He wraps his long arms around me and lifts me off the ground, holding me tightly to his chest.  “The things you do to me, Emmalyn Akins.”

Carefully, he places my feet firmly back on solid ground and begins to strip off his clothes.  I plop onto the bed and place my hands under my chin as I watch the show that’s just begun.  Adam drags off his shirt and walks it across the room, tossing it into the hamper.  Next are his khakis and socks.  When he’s left wearing nothing but a thin pair of boxers, he turns and smiles.

Adam walks over to the bed and begins to place kisses along my legs, starting at my ankles and working his way up.  When he reaches the back of my knees, he slows.  A little extra time is spent in this highly sensitive spot.  A few tender licks of his tongue followed by the scratchy stubble of the scruff on his chin send shivers down my spine.  The difference between the two overwhelm my senses in the best possible way.

He trails his kisses up my thighs and over my ass as his hands find their way beneath my shirt.  With a gentle tug, he lifts the shirt enough to expose my bare back.  I close my eyes and wait for what is to come next.  At first, he teases me with slow, delicate kisses along the small of my back.  Without warning, his kisses are replaced by his scruff.  Expertly, he traces a path up my spine, finding the exact spots that make me shudder and renders me weak and defenseless against the onslaught of sensations.

Once he’s thoroughly unhinged me, he demands, “Turn over.”  I obediently oblige.

My once flat tummy is now replaced with a moderate bump.  Adam notices, too, focusing his attention on my growing middle, peppering it with the sweetest kisses as I play with his hair.  “How big do you think Bean is right now?” he asks.

“An avocado,” I tell him.  “Why?”

“Just wondering.  Do you think the baby knows our voices?” he wonders aloud.

He leans into my touch as I twist my fingers in his hair.  “I don’t know.  Maybe.”

Grinning, Adam carefully lays his head against my bump and hums softly.  He lies there perfectly still as I run my fingers down to his shoulders, enjoying the feel of his smooth skin.  “What are you doing?” I ask.

“Singing to her.  Or him,” he tells me.  Suddenly, he jerks his head up with a start.  “Ooh, did you feel that?” he asks.  “I think I just felt the baby move.”

“Sorry, Sparky, but I think that was the crab cakes I had for dinner,” I tell him.  Now that I’m aware of the emptiness in my stomach, I ask, “Hey, where did you put that left over carrot cake?”

“Shh ... I’m listening,” Adam shushes me so he can return to his intense scrutiny of my digestive system.

After a moment or two, he brushes his lips against mine, his hand splayed out across my middle.  “Emmy, I hope you know that I would do absolutely anything for you.  And anything for this little one.  Whatever it takes to keep the two of you happy and safe.”

Adam gazes down at me with an intensity that pulls at my core.  His lips part, deepening the kiss as his fingers slip lower and deftly slide beneath my panties.  The moment the tip of his fingers brush against my sex, a fire ignites in my bloodstream. 

With my fingers entwined in the thick blonde waves of his hair, I pull him tighter to me, savoring the taste of him on my lips.  His fingers find their entry as his tongue invades my mouth, hungry for more.  And we consume each other ferociously with a desperation and urgency. 

Everything is heightened for me now – every touch, every kiss, every sensation – travels through me like wildfire and I gasp for air as his thumb brushes against my clit while his fingers are deep inside me.

His kisses move down my throat and he stops when he reaches the soft cotton that separates us.  As quickly as I can, I rid myself of his shirt, revealing my breasts, now full and tender.

He leans down against my breast and his first kisses are soft and sweet.  “Your body is changing,” he whispers between kisses.  His warm breath skates across my flesh causing an immediate and intense physical reaction.  The blood rushes to my breasts, making them even fuller and firmer.  “I like it,” he hums as he teases me, grazing my nipple with his teeth and flicking with his tongue.  He closes his lips around me, sucking long and hard.  Deep in the back of his throat, he moans appreciatively and the vibrations hurtle through me down to my core.

Desperate to feel him inside me, I struggle to find the waistband of his boxers.  My only thought is removing them from him and feeling his flesh against mine.  Adam senses my intention and pulls away just long enough to strip himself of the last piece of clothing that separates us. My breast is left aching for his touch.

He looks down at me, his gray eyes hooded with desire.  I'll never get over the sight of him naked. Not ever.  He still takes my breath away. Every. Single. Fucking. Time.  He's so beautiful and perfect and mine.

I can see the love in his eyes laced with a hunger, the same desire he must see in mine. I've never seen anyone give me that look.  No one has ever loved me and wanted me this way before.  Something is changing between us.  The connection we’ve always had is somehow deeper and stronger.  My heart, my body, and my soul belong to him completely and without reservation.

“I want to feel every inch of you,” he tells me as he positions me above him.  I place my hands on his shoulders as he lies back and places his hands on my hips.  I want to feel him inside me, but he holds me still, moving his hips so the tip of his cock teases me, throbbing and pulsing. 

With exquisite, frustrating, slow ease, he lowers me onto him.  I can feel every inch of him fill me and stretch me to my limits.

A moan escapes my lips as I try desperately to push up to lift my hips just a few inches so I can feel that brilliant friction.  My efforts are halted by his strong hands holding me tightly in place. 

“Don’t move, just feel,” he commands as he pushes deeper inside me.  His hips rotate as he presses against me from all sides, hitting every tender spot within me.  I close my eyes and match his slow dance of torment and bliss.  I desperately want to ride him fast and hard, and denying me my deep desire intensifies every movement.  I throw my head back and release a strangled cry of agonized pleasure. 

“I want to hear you, Emmy.  Tell me what you want,” he demands. 

I open my eyes to find his eyes glued to mine, measuring my reaction.  “You know what I want,” I tell him as I push against him in vain.

“Yes, but I want to hear it leave your sweet lips.  Tell me, Emmy. Say it.”

“I want you to fuck me,” I tell him, hoping that these are the words he wants to hear.  His lips are immediately at my throat as he gently lifts me.  Just as I think he is going to spill out of me, he thrusts into me fast and hard.  The shock of it takes my breath away.

He loosens his grip on me, and now that I am finally able to move, I raise and lower my hips faster and harder, taking everything I can from him.  He has given control over to me and I am riding him for all he’s worth.  I love looking at the faces he makes as he tries to control his reaction, making it last as long as he can.

“Oh, baby – yes,” he calls out to me and I can sense how close he is to the edge.  So I slow my movements to a near halt, savoring the feeling of him inside me. 

He leans up just enough so he can see our bodies joined together.  He watches with intent as he slowly dips in and out of me.  The site of him enraptured by our lovemaking is the sexiest thing I’ve ever seen. 

He reaches down and presses his thumb against my center and I explode around him over and over again.  He calls out my name as he finds his release, shaking and shuddering beneath me.  I collapse on top of him, completely drained and totally replete.