Take This Man

Chapter Seven



Nothing had changed at Adam"s house. The furnishings were decent but old, except for a large screen TV in a corner of the room. Everything else was the same, in exactly the same place, as it all was two years ago. As it had been, she suspected, since Adam"s youth.

It was the house where he grew up. Adam didn"t talk about his past, but Elyse had learned about it from another source—his brother, Matthew.

Adam and his younger brother lost their father when they were boys. Their mother worked two jobs to take care of them. Even after she remarried, times were hard. The one time Elyse came out and asked Adam about his step-father, his answer was “He was a drunk.”

The look on his face and the shortness of his tone made it clear the topic was off-limits. He hated his step-father, and moved out of the house as soon as he was old enough to be on his own.


As sad as it was, the story didn"t end there.

When his mother was killed by a drunk driver, Adam lost it. He stormed into the house after her funeral and threatened his step-father with the ass-kicking of his life if the man didn"t clear out, then and there.

But Adam told her none of this. She had to hear it from Matthew.

Elyse wasn"t given much time to dwell on the past or her surroundings, because Adam dragged her into his arms for a kiss.

She drew back after a few moments and grasped 70

his hand to lead him to the bedroom. She remembered quite well where it was. Adam grabbed her close again, kissing her hungrily. Then he turned her around and backed her to the sofa. When the backs of her knees hit it, she fell back onto it with a jounce. He fell beside her.

He winked at her and smoothed the faded upholstery. “Still pretty sturdy. Remember the last time we tried it out?”

“I do, indeed.” Elyse remembered every room, every place in this house where they"d made love.

And it had been making love, for her, anyway. What it was now, she couldn"t say. But she wasn"t going to dwell on the past or worry about the future.

There was only now, with this man.

Grinning like the proverbial Cheshire Cat, Elyse unbuttoned Adam"s shirt. Sliding it off his shoulders and down his arms, she ran her hands up his broad furred chest, and let her fingers tangle in the hair.

“Mmm,” she sighed.

“Wait,” he murmured, freeing his arms from the sleeves as Elyse reached behind her to unzip her dress. “I"ll help you.”

Pulling her onto his lap, he unfastened the tiny hook and eye at the top of her dress and slowly pulled down the zipper.

Elyse let her head fall back. There were no doubts nibbling at her, no worries. There were no thoughts at all, only sensations—his large hands, warm and possessive on her back, his lips and tongue ravishing her mouth.

Adam unzipped her halfway, which allowed him to unsnap her strapless bra and pull it off. He let it fall to the floor. Her breasts, with only the silky material of her dress between them and Adam"s chest, felt full and heavy. Her nipples lengthened, the buds unfurling as the soft fabric caressed them.

Adam muttered something into her mouth as he 71

adjusted her on his lap. The hard ridge of his swollen cock nudged against her bottom.

The sleeves of her dress rode down her arms, trapping them near her sides. Elyse couldn"t move as freely as she wanted and struggled to slip her arms free of the imprisoning fabric. But Adam zipped the dress a bit higher, drawing out the pleasure by letting her feel that constriction.

Her breasts shimmied as she moved against him. His hands reached up to hold them through her dress, weighing and bouncing them lightly in his palms. His thumbs swirled around her nipples, drawing them forth, making them grow even harder and tighter. Waves of sensation radiated from her breasts to the other parts of her body. Her lips tingled, along with her fingers and toes. Her p-ssy grew melty, soft and wet, wanting him. Wanting to feel him deep inside.

He grasped the bottom of her dress and pushed it up. Elyse wriggled on his lap as the material slithered up her bare legs, bunching around her hips and waist. His hand smoothed up her inner thigh, parting her legs so she straddled his lap. His thumb brushed the vee of her legs, along the edge of the panties she again wore.

“Ah.” She stiffened in his arms, hovering on the edge, waiting, just waiting for him to touch her again.

“Lean back a little,” he murmured in her ear, nipping her earlobe.

“Ahh!” She jerked her head back, surprised and aroused by the pinch on her lobe. The tiny pain awoke her momentarily from her sensual daze.

He smiled wolfishly, barely brushing the edge of her panties once more. “Lean back.” She obeyed, unable to look away from his face. “That"s good.” She shifted on his lap as his thumb moved a bit closer to her center. He moved his thumb lightly on 72

top of her silky panties, brushing from the top of her cleft to the other end and back up again.

She didn"t want to ignore his needs. Smoothing her hands down his chest, she circled his nipples with her index fingers, swirling them in the prickly hair of his chest. Her fingers played lower, over his ribs and down his stomach. She loosened his belt and let her hands creep down to his arousal. She stroked and cupped him through his clothes, pleased to hear his breathing shift and grow more ragged.

Her caresses grew bolder and more assertive, until he groaned and pulled her hands away. “No,” he told her in a shaky voice. “I want to take care of you first. Sit up a little.”

Elyse shivered and drew her knees up to give him better access. He half sat, half reclined, in the corner of the sofa, leaning against the arm and the sofa back. She straddled his lap, one leg dangling over the edge, the other wedged between him and the sofa pillows. She gripped his shoulders to keep herself from falling. From drowning.

His thumb brushed up and down, up and down, ever so lightly over her panties, which were now damp. Elyse arched her pelvis, reaching for his touch.

He leaned forward and pressed a kiss to her temple. “Why are you so quiet? Don"t you like this?”

“Yes,” she hissed between her teeth as her head fell back.

“Are you sure?” His thumb moved up and circled her *. “Because you"re not saying anything. How can I know if you like it, if you won"t tell me?” He circled that point again. Elyse squeezed her eyes shut and bit her lower lip.

Sparks crackled through her. “I like it,” she choked out. She didn"t want to be a bad girl now, didn"t want to play games or talk dirty. She only wanted him.

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“Well, what do you like more?” he questioned.

“This?” He brushed his thumb up and down. “Or this?”

He circled her * again and she convulsed, her p-ssy clenching as the wave hit her. “I…ahh…God!” When it was over, she lolled against his shoulder, limp.

She rested her face in the crook of Adam"s neck as his hand smoothed up and down her back. She raised her head and kissed him softly. Then she stood up and slipped off her panties, leaving them on the floor with her bra. She was sure she looked a perfect disaster, her hair disheveled, her lipstick smeared.

But so what? She felt marvelous.

She sat back down next to Adam, smiling at him. “Your turn, now.” Unfastening his belt, she unzipped his fly and reached inside the opening to touch him. Brushing and stroking, cupping and caressing, Elyse marveled at his fullness. He leaned back against the sofa cushions, his eyes closed, submitting to her attentions. She loved making him feel this way. She felt powerful and magnificent, like a sex goddess.

“Wait a minute,” he gasped. “In my pocket—” Elyse delved into his pants pocket, and pulled out the foil packet. She tore it open while he struggled to push down his pants. As he lifted himself, Elyse was dislodged from his lap and tumbled to the floor.

“Jesus.” Adam helped her up. She was laughing.

“Are you all right? God, I"m sorry.”

“Fine,” she answered, and they both were laughing. Then they were kissing, their lips and tongues commingling. Laughter was forgotten as their breathing grew harsh and ragged. She helped him roll on the condom, then rose up on her knees and lowered herself upon his hard cock. He held her 74

confidently, his hands on her hips, allowing her to set the pace.

When he was firmly embedded, she drew in a deep breath, loving how full he was inside her. It felt so good, the way he stretched her. Her p-ssy rippled around his cock. Her head drooped on her neck like a flower on a stalk.


“All right?” he murmured. Elyse nodded, moving her hands up his arms to his shoulders. She shimmied closer to him, squashing her breasts against his chest. His hands squeezed her hips and backside as he adjusted himself inside her, going deeper. She gasped, her p-ssy tightening around him. “Help me,” he muttered, his lips roaming over her throat and chin. She knew what he meant. She lifted herself up, then slid down again on his hard cock. Up and down, up and down. The delicious friction drove both of them to the edge.

Elyse gasped for air, her eyes squeezed shut, and her forehead furrowed in concentration. She was on the very cusp of orgasm, but could not quite fall over the edge. Her eyes snapped open. Adam was staring at her. His face was shiny with sweat, his mouth twisted into a grimace of frustration. He knew something was holding her back.

“Tell me,” he growled. “Tell me what you need.” She rubbed against him, but it wasn"t enough.

She sucked a painful breath between her teeth, her lungs burning.

“I need more…”

“That"s right, baby. You need more. Touch yourself. Rub your *.” His hands squeezed her hips and ass as her fingers crept down between her legs.

Finding the swollen bud at the crux her thighs, Elyse circled the tip of her finger gently around it.

She bit her lip, shuddering, then touched herself one more time. She convulsed as the climax wracked her.

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That set him off, tearing a sound out of him as he exploded inside her. “Ahh!”

They collapsed against the sofa, breathing hard.

His hand rested on the small of her back, her head on his shoulder. They lay together silently. Speech was unnecessary. In spite of the cramped position and the clothing bunched uncomfortably between them, she was blissed out and totally at peace.

Adam"s chest rose and fell rhythmically against her cheek. Glancing up, Elyse saw he had slipped into a doze. That was fine with her. She didn"t want to talk right now, didn"t even want to think. She felt too good. Snuggling against him, Elyse closed her eyes as she too drifted into sleep.



****

They finally made it to the bedroom, and spent the night sleeping—between bouts of making love.

Adam wasn"t embarrassed to think of it that way.

Making love.

With other women, it had just been about the sex. As much as he liked Kim, his most recent partner, what he felt for her in no way matched his feelings for Elyse. Kim had every right to be pissed off at him—now he realized how he"d been using her.

She deserved better.

And maybe he deserved better, too. Maybe this time with Elyse was his second chance. If he didn"t f*ck it up.

Adam was thinking all of this the next morning, as he stared into his refrigerator looking for something edible to offer his guest.

He usually picked up breakfast and morning coffee at the Haven, so there wasn"t much of a selection. There were half a dozen eggs and a hunk of parmesan cheese that was kind of old but didn"t look moldy. He sniffed a container of milk and deemed it safe for consumption. A container of orange juice concentrate and a loaf of bread were in 76

the freezer, and he found some ground coffee in the cupboard.

Good to go. He set the items on the counter and took a frying pan from a lower cupboard, giving it a good rinse. It had been a long time since he"d cooked—unless you counted using the microwave.

He never bothered to cook for himself, satisfied with fast food take-out or sandwiches he threw together himself.

Come to think of it, the last person he cooked for had been Elyse.

He went down the hall to the bedroom to check on her.

She was perched on the edge of the bed, dressed in the shirt he"d been wearing last night. Was there anything more appetizing than a sexy woman in a man"s shirt?

She was speaking into her cell phone and gave him a wave when she saw him in the doorway. “All right,” she said into the phone. A jolt of suspicion zapped through Adam. Was she checking in with Jason?

“Thank you.” She finished speaking, clicked the phone shut, and gave him a smile. “Good morning.”

“Morning.” He sank down beside her and pulled her onto his lap for a kiss. He nuzzled her ear through her hair. “Mmm. You smell good.” She let her head fall back, giving him better access to her neck. “I haven"t showered yet. I smell like sweat. And sex.”

He dragged in a deep breath. “Like I said, you smell good.” He tightened his arms around her.

Though he wanted to kick his own ass, he couldn"t keep from asking. “Who you talking to?” He prayed his tone conveyed nothing more than casual curiosity. He didn"t want to sound like a jealous a*shole—even though he felt like one.

Thank God she wasn"t offended by the question.

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“I was calling Grassy Acres to see how my cat"s doing.”

“Grassy Acres?”

Elyse blushed and ducked her head, laughing lightly. “It"s a pet spa. You remember Jezebel, my cat?” “Oh yeah.” Elyse had been crazy about the little kitten—a full grown cat now. “Sure. A pet spa, huh?

Sounds like she"s getting the royal treatment.”

“Oh, she is.” Elyse laughed again. “Jason"s footing the bill.” She went still, glancing at Adam with worried blue eyes, as if afraid she"d slipped by mentioning Devereaux"s name.

Adam forced himself not to react. They"d agreed not to discuss the past, but Jason Devereaux was part of Elyse"s present, too. Her close friend.

Whatever that meant.

No. Adam made up his mind he was not going to act like a dipshit. He wouldn"t do anything to push Elyse away. So instead of freezing up, he simply allowed his right hand to drift gently down her spine.

He slid her off his lap and gave her a spank on the butt. “Why don"t you take your shower while I fix us something to eat.”

“Oh, a minute ago you liked my smell. Now I suddenly need a shower.” She play-pouted.

“Get in there.” He made to give her ass another smack as she squeaked and ran into the hall.

He returned to the kitchen to start making breakfast. He"d gotten the eggs whisked and into the sizzling pan when someone asked, “Whatcha making?”

It wasn"t Elyse. Adam looked up with a start, and frowned at his brother standing in the kitchen doorway. “How"d you get in, Wash Boy?”

“My key, remember, dipshit?” Matthew ignored his brother"s attitude and entered the room.

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“How about knocking sometime? What the hell are you doing here, anyway?”

“I"ll start knocking when you stop calling me that stupid nickname. And I"m here to find out why my lazy-ass brother called an hour ago to say he"s blowing off work today.”

“I"m not blowing it off,” Adam grumbled, turning to the counter to make the coffee. “I told you I"d be a little late, that"s all. Speaking of which, aren"t you—”

“Hey, are those eggs starting to burn?”

“Shit. My omelet.” Adam hurried to the stove to turn off the heat under the pan.

“Wow, an omelet. Pretty impressive.” Matt"s head swiveled as he took in the food and utensils on the counter, the plates on the table. “And coffee?

Hey, I could go for a cup.” He pulled out a chair and sat down.

“How about you just go?” Adam grabbed his younger brother by the biceps, hauling him to his feet. “Jesus. Touchy.” Matt gestured around the room with a sweep of his hand. “What"s going on?” Adam was about to issue a gentle reminder about minding one"s own business while booting his brother out the door, when there was a sound from the bathroom. Wash Boy finally got a clue. Jesus, the kid was slow on the uptake.


“Ohh, I get it. You have company.” Matthew"s eyes lit up. Adam ground his teeth. Now Wash was sure to stick around and break his balls—after all, Adam would do the same thing if their roles were reversed.

Matt quirked an eyebrow. “So you and Kim are on again?”

“Would you kindly get the hell out of here?” Adam demanded, keeping his voice low. Grabbing his brother"s elbow, he steered Matt into the living room.

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“Take it easy,” Matthew complained. He pulled a folded envelope out of his back pocket. “Listen.

There"s something I want to show you.” Adam recognized the envelope immediately.

“No, put it away. I"ve already seen it.” Matt hesitated. “You—”

“He sent me one, too.”

“Did you—”

“I threw it in the trash as soon as I found out it was from our a*shole stepfather.” Matthew"s brow wrinkled and his mouth flattened. “So, you didn"t read it.”

“Hell, no. I wouldn"t have even opened it, if I"d known who it was from. Sneaky f*cker, not putting his name in the return address.” Adam gave a snort.

“I didn"t read it, but I bet I can tell you what it says.

He"s sorry, blah blah blah, he wants to make amends yada yada yada…how"m I doin"?”

Matthew sighed as he fingered the envelope.

“He sounds like he"s genuinely sorry.”

“BFD. A little late, isn"t it?” Adam didn"t like the look on his brother"s face. “Shit. Don"t tell me you"re feeling sorry for him. ?Cause if that"s the case, Wash, I"m gonna have to pound some sense into you, I swear.” Though what he really wanted to do was pound the shit out of that a*shole, Don.

“No, not sorry exactly.” Matt slipped the envelope back into his jeans pocket. He shifted his feet, then glanced at his brother. “He says he"s sick.” Adam gnashed his teeth. Not that he gave a rat"s ass about his former step-father. But he hated the way Don was trying to f*ck with his brother"s head. Wash had always been a soft-hearted little sucker.

“So what? We"re supposed to feel sorry for him?

Jesus,” he told Matt, “don"t you get it? He"s playing the sympathy card. Scared shitless he"s gonna die and wants us to tell him all is forgiven. Well, f*ck 80

that.”

A wave of protectiveness hit Adam, followed by a wave of guilt. Though he often pulled his brother"s chain, he never wanted to see him hurt. He tried to watch out for Matt when they were kids, just like he tried to protect his mother. Don made that impossible. To keep from killing his stepfather, Adam bailed. Not just on his mother, but on Wash, too. Matthew wouldn"t let the subject drop. “He says he"s been sober a few years now…”

“Who gives a shit?” Adam said. “Look, don"t tell me what it says, I don"t want to know. Forget him.

He put our mother through hell, and we don"t owe him shit.”

“I know,” Matthew answered. But Adam could tell his brother didn"t think it was that simple.

“Okay, well, if we"re done with our little heart to heart here, it"s time for you to go, Wash.”

“Yeah, yeah. I"m cramping your style.”

“That"s right. I don"t need you here breaking my balls,” Adam told him. “Go away and bug your girlfriend Andie. Though I don"t know why she puts up with your ass.”

Matthew gave him a cocky grin and crossed his arms over his chest. “?Cause she"s crazy about me.” Adam rolled his eyes. “Aw, ain"t love grand.” Matt was unperturbed. “You"re jealous, is all.”

“Yeah, whatever.” Adam did not acknowledge the twinge he felt. Shit. He was jealous. He wanted with Elyse what his kid brother had with Andie.

“Do you plan on showing up at all today, or what?” Matt asked.

“I said I"ll be there. You"ll see me when you see me.” “Hmm. Sounds like quite the reunion   you and Kim have planned. Say, how ?bout a cup of coffee for the road?”

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“How ?bout a kick in the ass instead?” Adam propelled his brother across the living room.

“Jesus, you sure are grouchy for somebody who"s getting laid,” Matthew complained as Adam shoved him out the door.

“Hey, Wash,” he called when Matt reached the driveway.

“What?”

“Do yourself a favor and toss the letter. Shred it.

Burn it. Whatever. Just forget about the a*shole, all right?”

Matt gave a heavy sigh. “We"ll see…” F*ck. Adam slammed the door, worried about his brother and mad as hell at Don. If he was so sick, why couldn"t the a*shole just go ahead and die already and leave them the hell alone?

He returned to the kitchen to make sure the omelet stayed warm and to fix the orange juice and toast. Elyse ambled in as he was setting everything on the table. Had she heard any of the conversation between him and his brother? He hoped to hell she hadn"t caught Wash Boy"s references to Kim.

“Hi.” She smiled at him, rosy and warm from the shower, again wearing his shirt. Her hair was damp, and she smelled like soap and the slightly musky scent of his shirt. She snuggled against him as he nuzzled his nose against her ear.

“Smells great,” she murmured into his shoulder.

She broke away and moved back. “Where should I sit?” “Here"s good,” Adam told her. He"d set the table so they would sit next to, rather than across from, each other. He wanted to be as close to her as possible.

They ate in silence for a few moments, except for the appreciative noises Elyse made. “So good. I"d forgotten what a good cook you are.”

“Oh, come on.” Adam felt his neck and face heat 82

up. “It"s just a few eggs and cheese.”

“Better than I can do,” she told him. “And there"s something in here, some kind of spice, what—”

“Thyme. I found it in the cupboard.” He had a drawer full of spice bottles he hadn"t used in ages.

He"d sprinkled the thyme in on a whim, taking the chance it wasn"t too old to lose its zest.

“Delicious,” she assured him.

He was pleased she enjoyed the food, and a little embarrassed by her praise. To disguise his embarrassment, he rose and took a bottle of hot sauce from the refrigerator.

Elyse groaned in horror. “Oh, no. No, no. Tell me you"re not going to spoil this beautiful dish by pouring that awful glop on it.”

“It makes it taste better,” he insisted. “It enhances the flavor.”

She wrinkled her nose. “Is that so, Mr. Food Network?”

“You bet. Here, try some yourself.” He pretended he was about to sprinkle her plate with the red sauce.

Elyse swept the plate up and out of his reach.

“Not on your life!” She shook her head in disgust as he sat down laughing. She finished the rest of her meal quickly, with appetite, then wiped her mouth with one of the paper towels put out in place of napkins.

“Uh, you got a little bit—” He pointed to a spot on his shirt where a blob of egg had fallen.

“Oh, no.” She scrubbed at the spot with her paper towel. “Oh, your shirt. I"m sorry.”

“Forget it. It has to be washed anyway.” He couldn"t hold back a smile. She hadn"t changed, either. He couldn"t forgo the hot sauce, and she couldn"t eat without dropping something on herself.


“Thank you for breakfast.” Elyse placed her 83

utensils on her empty plate then picked them up and carried them to the sink. “Wish I had someone cook like that for me all the time.”

“You"ll get three squares a day, if you"ll stay here with me.” The offer was out of his mouth before he had a chance to consider it, but Adam did not regret making it. Nor did he plan to rescind it.

Elyse went still for a moment. Then she turned on the hot water and squirted some dish soap into the sink. “Since you"re the cook, let me be the clean up crew today.”

She came to the table to get Adam"s things, her smile strained. He gently grasped her wrist. “Elyse.

Stay.”

She shook her head, her blond hair hiding her face. “This is not something we should be talking about.”

“We agreed the past is out of bounds, and so is the future. All we have is right now. Well, I need you now,” Adam told her. “I need as much of you as I can get, for as long as now lasts.”

“What about Jason?” Elyse asked.

Adam felt himself tense. But he managed to keep his voice calm. “What about him?” She looked at him defiantly. “He"s why I came back to town. He asked for my help, and I can"t just abandon him.”

For f*ck"s sake, what was that about? She talked about Devereaux as if he was a kid, tied to her apron strings. As if he couldn"t manage on his own. “You won"t. Spend as much time with him as you need.” Though Adam"s guts burned hotter than hot sauce, he kept his cool. “As long as you"re in my bed every morning and every night.” A shadow flitted across her face for a moment.

His heart sank. Shit. She was going to say no.

Her blue eyes sparked. “How"s Kim going to feel 84

about that?”

He winced. F*ck. She"d heard what Wash Boy said, all right.

“It"s like I told you the other day. Kim and I are not seeing each other anymore,” he said. Was Elyse jealous? He was flattered to think she might be, and a mean little part of him was even glad. Now she knew how he felt about Jason, in spite of her assurances there was no romance between them.

“She"s a friend.” Though Kim might not agree. “Like Jason is for you.” He couldn"t resist getting in that last little dig.

“Forget I said that,” Elyse broke in. “It"s not my business—”

“It is if I want to make it your business. You"re the only woman I want, Elyse.”

“For now,” she added quickly, as though to remind them both how temporary this was.

“For now,” he agreed, but thinking, like hell.

He"d been stumbling around the past couple of days, not knowing what he was doing with Elyse, letting his dick—and his heart—lead the way. But from now on his head—the big one—was in charge. He"d f*cked things up with her two years ago. Now he had a chance to make things right. Starting now, he was going to do everything in his power to win her back for good.

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