Adam laughed. “That’s the most Noah comment I’ve ever heard.”
“He won’t be missed then,” Jack said. “Although he’s the one who’d be on my side, I bet.”
Without another word, Adam pulled me toward the hallway, past the framed photographs on the staircase wall that chronicled memories of their childhood, many of which included me. With a glance over his shoulder, he opened the door to his old bedroom.
“What are we doing here?” I asked.
Adam didn’t say a word, but he locked the door and guided me to the bed.
“What—”
“Shh, don’t worry, we’re not having sex while my parents are downstairs.”
My eyes bulged. “Thatis what you thought I was going to ask?”
He pushed me on the bed and straddled my lap. His lips curled into a defiant smile. Fuck, I wanted to kiss that cockiness off his face, but that would probably make him cockier.
“We need to talk,” he said.
“I know, but this isn’t the right time. Everyone’s waiting for us.”
“Then I guess I better make it quick.”
He pressed his lips against mine, sucking them into his hot mouth. I moaned, and he took the chance to tease his tongue inside past my lips.
I kept my hands on his waist, holding on to him like I was holding on to my sanity.
He pulled away, keeping the kiss way too brief and leaving me begging for more. At least internally. Did he know what this did to me? How he was giving me a taste of something I never thought I’d try in my life?
With our chests heaving and foreheads pressed together, I wanted to stay like this forever, but the world outside the bedroom door called.
“River,” Adam said, a gentle plea laden with determination. “All week, I tried to get my head around that kiss. Was it a fluke? Temporary insanity?”
“You don’t look insane to me,” I joked, giving up all pretense and cradling his face. “Also, that”—I pointed to where his erection pressed against mine—“doesn’t look like a fluke.”
He chuckled. “I guess it’s happened a few times now, so I have to trust he knows what he wants.”
Our eyes met again. “And that’s me?”
“Yes. Don’t ask me to explain it because I’m not entirely sure how we got here, but I feel like the blinders have been taken off, and now everything in my being is drawn to you.”
I breathed out and leaned my head against his chest. He threaded his fingers through my hair.
“Don’t break my heart, Adam.”
He kissed me again, this time with the kind of reverence that made me wish his family would disappear into thin air so we could stay here forever.
“Come on, let’s have some food and then go home. I’d like to spend the rest of the afternoon naked.”
20
ADAM
“Adam? River?” My mom’s voice sliced through the fog of desire clouding my thoughts as we joined the family around the large kitchen table. “What took you boys so long?”
River’s cheeks flushed pink as he took his usual seat next to mine. My breath almost caught at how adorable he looked like that. How had I never noticed?
“We had a bet about my Ninja Turtle sticker collection,” I said, flashing a grin. “Had to prove I still had them all.”
