CHAPTER TWELVE
ADAM
I put on a good front for Kate, but I was kind of worried about being on my own with the kids. They still weren’t comfortable and they were worried we would up and leave them. Kate, flying halfway around the world just after all this happened, might scar them even more. The counselor did say that we needed to live our lives as normally as possible, but I had a feeling this could do more harm than good.
I was quiet most of the night. Pretty much just in my own head while I tried to think of ways to soften the blow to the kids.
“I have something to tell you guys,” Kate began. “In a couple days, I have to go on a short trip.”
The table was too quiet after that. The kids all looked at each other warily. “It will be okay, guys,” I added. “Kate will be back in a couple days. We can manage for a couple days, right?”
“Where are you going?” Jax asked softly.
“I have to go to Italy for work, and I promise I’ll be back before you know it.” She smiled reassuringly, but none of them looked convinced. They all nodded and got up to clear their plates looking despondent. “I don’t want to go.”
“Can’t you send someone else?”
“I can’t. She expects me to bring it personally and if I don’t, I could lose a major client. We’re talking a multi-million-dollar contract.”
“It’ll be all right. The kids will get over it as soon as they see you come back. Maybe then they will realize that we aren’t going anywhere.”
“I hope you’re right,” she sighed, putting her hand over mine. I squeezed it lightly in support, hoping she knew how much I would stand behind her.
After the kids went to bed, we pulled out all the little presents she had bought along with gift boxes to wrap them all in. “There’s only enough for the first ten days or so. I will get more when I get back.”
“It’s perfect. You did an amazing job with all this stuff.” I smiled. She was bent over, fussing with the bags making sure everything was there, when I walked up behind her and smacked her ass. She yelped and stood abruptly.
“What was that for?” She turned to me and I grabbed her hips pulling her to me roughly.
“I just wanted to touch you,” I said into her neck and licked a path to her ear. The full body shudder that ran through her had me smiling against her skin.
It took only a second for her to melt into me and start pulling at my hair. I loved when she did that. Too many years I’d missed her next to me. Her arms were on my shoulders and she held me to her neck as I licked and sucked and nipped my way down to her cleavage. She drove me crazy in those little V-neck shirts she wore all the time.
Sliding my hands up underneath the hem of her shirt I smiled against her chest. “I need this off.”
She lifted her arms over her head and smiled seductively. I slid my hands up slowly over her breasts and she moaned. Pulling the shirt up over her head, I made quick work of her bra and palmed her breasts before sticking one nipple in my mouth and sucking it, hard. I backed her up to the bed and laid her back before stripping her jeans and panties off in one swift movement. She was breathtaking and suddenly I wanted nothing more than to taste her. Her legs were hanging over the edge of the bed. Kneeling the best I could, I tilted her hips up and licked up her seam. Her honey taste exploded on my tongue.
“You’re so fucking wet, darlin’,” I growled and thrust my index finger inside her opening, giving her no warning. Her back arched off the bed as I fucked her with my finger and sucked her clit into my mouth.
“Oh my God, Adam. I’m gonna…”
“Come for me, beautiful,” I said and she broke apart milking my finger with her inner muscles. God I wanted her to milk my cock like that. I kept a steady pace dragging her orgasm to the brink and then I stood, stripping my shirt from my body and unbuttoning my pants.
“You ready for me, darlin’?” I asked, fisting my cock. She watched with hooded, hungry eyes as I stroked it up and down. She started to get up but I stopped her. “Stay right there.”
I pulled her hips until they were at the end of the bed and tilted them up before slamming my cock into her tight dripping wet pussy. Grabbing a pillow, she slapped it over her mouth and moaned loudly.
I took it from her, covering her screams with my mouth. She was about to go off again, I could feel it. Her walls were squeezing my cock. Her hips bucked, but at the angle I had her in she couldn’t do much accept enjoy the ride. I smiled against her lips. One final thrust had us both coming with a shout.
I got off of her and bent to put my pants back on while she looked at me confused. “Where are you going?”
“Nowhere,” I said and sat on the bed.
Realization or something like it, dawned on her pretty features. “It’s your leg, isn’t it?”
I nodded, but didn’t elaborate. I didn’t like people seeing my prosthetic. It was really the only insecurity I had. I never showed anyone and I hardly went without it unless I was sleeping or in the shower.
“Can I see it?” she asked softly.
“You know?” I asked, not realizing she had any idea since we hadn’t really seen each other much after breaking up.
“No, I just noticed your limp and figured…something was wrong with it? I was talking about your scars, is it more?”
Dread filled my system as I shook my head adamantly, still not wanting her to see that part of me yet, but she continued her sweet argument. “Okay, but you know I won’t judge you, right? I don’t think any less of you. I actually think you’re brave. The bravest person I know. And when you feel ready, which I hope you will, I want to hear the story. There’s nothing about you Adam that I don’t want to know.”
Her hand came up to rub soothing circles on my back. It felt so good. I just couldn’t stand to see the look of horror that I was pretty sure would appear on her face when she saw my leg. The scars around my stump were horrific, but mostly I didn’t want to see the pity in her eyes. It would crush me. “I can’t. I’m just not ready for the look of disgust I know will be there when you see it.”
“Really Adam?” she said, not disguising the hurt. “Do you think there is anything you could do to disgust me? Your scars are a part of you. I see someone brave and strong. I see someone who sacrificed everything for this country and was damaged in the process. I could never pity someone like that.”
Her words hit me in the gut and I looked over at her angry face and kissed her lips. “I fucking love you.”
I have no idea where the words came from, but as I sat there, her eyes wide, I realized it was the god’s honest truth. I had never loved anyone the way I loved her.
“I love you too,” she admitted quietly. I could see the tears form in her eyes and I couldn’t handle it. I had to lighten the mood. I was feeling something heavy in my chest.
“Let’s get some of this crap wrapped and go to bed.” She looked a little confused at my abrupt change in topic but didn’t comment. We worked for a couple hours and got a bunch of the presents wrapped. When neither of us could hold our eyes open anymore I stood up to leave.
“Wait, you’re not staying with me?” She grabbed my arm stopping me before I reached the bedroom door.
The look in her eyes was so sweet and I decided that I needed to man up or possibly lose her again. Putting out my hand, she grabbed it and I helped lift her up off the floor. I pointed to the bed, indicating for her to take a seat, then unbuttoned my jeans and slid them down my legs. She watched me as stood before her bearing all my insecurities to the woman I loved since I was sixteen. I was afraid to look at her face and kept my eyes down.
“Adam,” she said softly. I felt her hand grabbing my chin, lifting it up to look in her eyes. What I saw in them was love and acceptance. There was no disgust or judgment. “You’re still the most beautiful man I have ever met.”