Was it possible she’d lucked into the two most wonderful men in the world? Adam seemed to know just what she wasfeeling and just what she needed to hear.
“We’ll take it as slow as you want. I’m here, and I’m not going anywhere.” He kissed away the tears that were flowing again. Soft little pecks here and there on her cheeks until she softly put both hands on either side of his face and slowly put her lips on his. He froze, and they sat that way for a full twenty seconds. Lips touching but no other movement. She was experimenting, getting used to the idea. After what seemed like forever, she ended the kiss, pulling away to look into his eyes.
What she saw told her everything she needed to know. Concern, what she thought might be love, and a healthy dose of lust. He cared for her, and he wanted her. She kissed him again. This time he threaded his hand through her hair and cupped the back of her head. He slowly opened to her but waited for her to make the next move. Gingerly, she put her tongue on his lips. He tasted minty and delicious. She put her arms around his neck and, just for a second, her tongue in his mouth.
Slowly, he took control. Making the first move had been huge for her, and she was grateful Adam was letting her ease in. She was also thankful when he took over. He tilted a little to the right to deepen the kiss, his tongue searching for hers. She met him halfway, and the kiss went from zero to sixty in a hot second. Tongues mated, and teeth banged together. He moaned.
She moved her hands down his arms and landed on his biceps. She made an appreciative humming noise while stroking them. He placed the hand that wasn’t in her hair on her knee. She tensed, and he pulled back.
“Okay, so, good first kiss.” She was flustered. There was definitely a strong attraction, but the guilt lingered.
He stood, discreetly adjusting himself. She followed, and he took her into his arms. As he hugged her, he whispered in her ear. “I meant what I said. We’ll take this as slow as you want. I’m not going anywhere, and I will do everything inmy power to never hurt you.” His sincerity almost drove her to tears again.
She pulled back and looked up. “I believe you.”
They stared into each other’s eyes until he broke the silence. “Hey, it’s so quiet. Where are the boys?”
She laughed. “It does seem eerily quiet, doesn’t it? They’re at a friend’s house.” She looked directly into his eyes. “Spending the night.”
“Oh, well, in that case…” He dipped her dramatically and kissed her fully on the mouth. After a second, he pulled her back upright. “We can do more of this.” He was trying to keep things light, and she fell a little bit in love because of it.
“I could get used to that.” She smiled and stood on her tiptoes to give him a peck on the cheek. “First, I’d better get dinner out of the oven.”
They talked and joked while they ate. They’d eaten several dinners together, but never alone. The boys had always been a buffer, and it was nice to know they got along just as well without them. He listened to her intently, and she laughed at his jokes. They touched often, and it seemed natural. Their relationship was progressing at the speed of light but without any awkwardness. From the very beginning, they just seemed to fit.
He told her about going out with the guys the night before and how he’d talked Mitch into tagging along. “He’s making some progress. I mean, he wasn’t super chatty, but he shot the shit with some of the guys, laughed a little, didn’t drink too much, and only took off when his old partner Lance, showed up. He really doesn’t like that guy.” Adam chuckled.
“Yeah, he’s mentioned that before. Lance rubbed him the wrong way from day one. Mitch said he’s a shifty little shit and that he trusted him as far as he could throw him. Plus, he got sick of being tattled on all the time. He felt like he was in grade school again. They never got along, even before they were partners.”
She was glad Adam was watching out for Mitch and told him so. “I appreciate you putting up with him. I know he’s not the easiest person to get along with these days, but underneath his guilt-ridden, broken heart, he really is fantastic.”
“Yeah, I can see that. I’m pretty sure we’re becoming friends. Sort of. Honestly, I don’t know, but he doesn’t tell me to fuck off nearly as much as he used to.” They both laughed.
Adam’s laugh died quickly, and he grimaced. “That may come to a screeching halt once he finds out about us, though. Now that we’re committed to doing this,” he smiled midsentence, “we need to tell him. When do you think we should?”
“Uh, yeah, let’s give that a little more time. I don’t want to mess up any progress he’s made, especially if you guys are getting along so well. He’s coming to the boys’ game next week, so he’s going to find out you’re the coach. That will raise some questions for sure.”
“True. Well, between the two of us, I’m sure we can think of something.”
When she asked why he left Boston, he was blatantly honest. He explained how his undeserved reputation of being a man-slut was killing his chances of ever finding love. He opened up about the fact that he was looking for something lasting and meaningful.
“I don’t want to freak you out, and it may seem way too early to say this, but I think I’ve found that something with you, Jenny.”
Maybe his words should have spooked her, but they didn’t. If anything, it made her decision to go for it even easier.
He did the dishes while she put away the leftovers. They moved together like a couple who had been married twenty years.
Adam poured two glasses of wine, and they went to sit onthe couch. She had country music playing softly in the background. He put his arm around her, and she snuggled in close.
“You like country music?” he asked.
“Yes, I’m an anomaly around here. Do you?”
“Honey, I’m from Texas. ’Course I like country. Mind you, this isn’t true country music, but it’ll do,” he drawled, exaggerating his accent, and she giggled.
They talked about their lives growing up, sharing stories of family and old friends. He played with her hair while listening attentively, and she alternated between touching his arms, laying her hand on his thigh, and snuggling close with her head on his shoulder.
After an hour or so, she excused herself and went to the upstairs bathroom. The evening was winding down, or gearing up, depending on how you looked at it, and she needed to get herself together for what might happen next. She’d planned the evening imagining this would be their first time making love, but now she wasn’t so sure she could go through with it.
