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I lured him to the shower after breakfast and kitchen clean-up. The instant I had the dishwasher loaded and humming, I caught his eye and peeled my sports bra over my head. His eyes dilated and he threw down the kitchen sponge, stalking purposefully toward me in a way that made my heart flutter.We had so much lost time to make up.
He stripped his shirt over his head as he followed me down the hall and I wiggled out of my running leggings as he stepped out of his gym shorts. Then I snapped on the shower and stepped in, squealing when the cold spray hit my skin. It made him chuckle wickedly and he stepped in behind me, pulling me tight against him and leaning down, turning the squeals to moans when his kiss was immediately deep and hard.
I wasn’t sure what it was that had flipped the switch and awakened the sleeping beast, or made him give himself permission, but I needed more and my hands roamed over hot, wet skin as I tried to pull him closer. I had fantasies to live out with this man and I wasn’t sure how much time I had to get through all of them, because somewhere in the back of my mind I knew the clock was ticking down. Something this wonderful couldn’t possibly last forever.
With a shower blowjob checked off my list, I was feeling pretty pleased with myself–until he hoisted me right up in his arms and pressed me against the tile wall for another round. It was hot, messy, loud and slippery, and I realized at that moment that I’d never in my life had great sex, not until Adam Beckman.
Shit.
I don’t know why we bothered with clothes, but the two of us dressed and drifted out to the living room, where we sat on the sofa with legs pulled up, facing one another as we had more coffee. It was a rare day off work for Adam, and I loved the mornings he didn’t have to be up well before dawn to make the drive to the hospital. I liked seeing him in my days, and I hoped now I’d see much more of him in my nights as well.
“I think your cell phone’s ringing,” he said, patting my knee and I trained my ear for the buzz-buzz of the phone I constantly kept on vibrate. Chances were good it was my mother, calling to let me know she had plans for the day and I could expect her imminent arrival. That was awfully courteous of her, but perhaps it was because when she showed up she preferred us to be wearing clothes.
I jumped up and hurried into the kitchen, where the phone clattered on the countertop. I’d left it there before our shower and hadn’t bothered to retrieve it.
Sacred Heart.
My heart caught in my throat and I made a funny noise that had Adam in the room in a flash, just as I held the little box to my ear. “Hello?”
I made wide eyes and panicked scribbling motions in the air as Adam stood helplessly, watching me. For all the ESP he had when it came to me, he wasn’t catching on. Concern was evident on his face and I must have looked stricken, because he stepped forward suddenly and pulled me against his chest, his arms going protectively around me as I struggled to keep the phone to my ear.
“Thank you,” I managed finally. “We’ll be there just as soon as we can.”
“What happened?” Adam looked worried. “Is it Grams?”
I took a deep, slow breath and let the adrenaline tingle and fizz through my body. Then I looked up at him with trepidation in my heart but a smile on my face. “Sister Emanuelle has approved our application. She wants us to come in to sign some paperwork and if we can get James to review the documents quickly and complete everything, we can bring Daniela home today.”
His face lit up with a smile that hurt my heart, it was so beautiful.
Now I have everything I want. How long can I keep it?
16
Adam
Madelynwasabundleof nerves while she made the call to James, Kennedy’s lawyer brother, and he agreed to meet us at one in order to review the documents. He anticipated it to be straightforward and quick, and for Madelyn’s case I hoped he was right because now that the fuse was lit she was about to explode.
We had a few hours to go and Madelyn was pacing so restlessly, I suggested we just head over to Sacred Heart and spend some time with the baby while the clock ticked down. She nodded gratefully and hurried to put on something other than shorts and a tank top, and though the last thing either of us needed was more coffee, I too needed something to keep me busy, so I poured another cup while I waited.
I had to keep her from going to pieces, so I tried to distract her with a scenic drive into town. Then we stopped at a donut shop, something neither of us ate, and she poked me in the ribs. “I’m onto you, Beckman, you and your distractions.” Her smile was sweet. “Thank you.” She looked like there was something else she wanted to say, but she bit her lip and looked down and since she was already a little skittish when it came to emotional things, I didn’t push her even though I’d have given a limb to know what was running through her head.
“Stop trying to distract me,” she finally said as I towed her down the street, her hand in mine. “There’s no sense in wasting any more time; let’s just go get our little girl.” Her whole face lit up when she said it and I couldn’t help but smile back.
“Your Grams won’t believe you’ve been bitten by the maternal bug.”
“That’s not what it is.” She made a face. “I’m not a kid person–I’ve never been–but I love that one with my whole heart.”
I hope there’s a little room left for me,ran unbidden through my head. Because I could handle being second in her life, so long as it meant I had a spot at all. I knew that probably wasn’t the way things were supposed to go, but second fiddle was fine by me so long as it kept me in her heart and in her bed.
She practically skipped to the truck and when I slid in behind the wheel, impulsively I reached for her. We weren’tthatcouple yet, so in sync that we shared intimacy easily, but she leaned toward me and covered my face with joyful kisses before she pressed her lips to mine. Despite the summer heat, a few minutes of that would have the cab fogged up and we’d have an audience on the sidewalk, so I tried to keep it semi-PG.
When we arrived at Sacred Heart, James’s car was already in the small lot. I knew him only a little, but I knew he was no-nonsense and it was my guess that he was inside, already halfway through the paperwork.
“How wonderful you could make it.” Sister Theresa beamed at me as she let us in, and I wondered where she thought we might otherwise be. “This is such a happy day for our darling little Mary.”
Daniela,I thought vehemently. When Madelyn told me her story, I too saw the importance of keeping her name and I loved that Madelyn wanted to protect every piece of her past that she could. Which wasn’t much yet, though I knew she’d been digging, trying to find a link. Doing her own due diligence. In New York, adoption cases were sealed, so if Daniela’s family ever tried to find her, it would be a pointless search.
James sat in Sister Emanuelle’s office, at the small table in the corner, reviewing what was a surprisingly short stack of paperwork. He looked up as we entered, and from the small smile he gave Madelyn, I suspected the news was good.
