Breathe Into Me Read online

  “Would you like some dessert?”

  I glance over my wine glass to see Adam eyeing my cleavage.

  “I know I do.”

  I guess I’m not the only one who’s thinking naughty thoughts. I shake my head to chase away the images of our naked straining bodies. “I couldn’t eat another bite.” I take a sip of wine and study the man in front of me through my lashes. His eyes still linger on my chest. He slowly licks his lips then bites his bottom lip. The sight of his pink tongue and pearly white teeth are my undoing. Normally I’d never be so bold as to sleep with a man on the first date, but I have already gotten him into my bed so to speak. I can’t deny our chemistry any longer, I’m the moth, and he’s the flame. I know I’m going to get burnt, but I can’t seem to care.

  “I’m trying to be a gentleman right now, angel, but you’re making it extremely hard.”

  Heat spreads through my body like a wildfire at his words. “Then stop being a gentleman.” The boldness of my statement surprises me, I’m not sure if I should blame the wine or my hormones.

  Adam leans his body closer to mine. “Careful, luv, I may take you up on that offer.”

  ***

  Minutes later, we make our way to his car. Adam holds me close while he survey’s our surroundings. It’s as if he expects someone to jump out at us from the bushes. He disengages his alarm, but instead of opening my door, I find myself pressed up against it. His body brushes against mine in all the right places. His hands find my hips and I can feel a distinct hardness through the thin material of my sundress. I glance at his face and I’m met with a look that can only be described as pure desire.

  This man wants me as much as I want him. The knowledge of this makes my head spin. Before I can contemplate the repercussions of this situation, his lips find mine. The kiss is gentle and soft at first, but grows into something primal. I eagerly respond as he deepens our kiss. His tongue finds mine and we duel for dominance. I shove my hands into his curly hair and pull him closer. His hands cup my backside lifting me off the ground. I quickly wrap my legs around his hips. I can feel his erection pressing against my moistened panties. Suddenly the air around us seems to explode with energy, wind surges around us wiping my hair in all directions and leaves begin to fall from surrounding tree branches.

  Adam seems oblivious to the sudden weather change as he continues his sensual assault. He rotates his hips grinding his hardness into me. The sheer pleasure of it all has me gasping for air.

  “I need to be inside you,” he growls near my ear.

  I try to respond, but the most I can muster is a moan.

  “Say the word, angel, and I’ll take you to my bed,” he says against my neck.

  I try to form some sort of response, but my mouth refuses to work.

  Adam releases a growl and places me back on my feet. The churning wind around us calms and disappears. How odd. The song “American Badass” blares from his pocket.

  “Sorry, angel.” He reaches for his phone.

  “Somebody. Better. Be. Bleeding, James,” he yells into his phone.

  I take a minute to compose myself. I can’t believe what we just did, and in public no less. This man makes me forget all reason.

  He sighs loudly and gives me a look full of longing. “Yeah I’ll be right there.” He places his phone back in his pocket and opens my door.

  “Is it work?” I try to sound casual though the thought of ending our date has me feeling disappointed.

  “No, but we do have a change of plans.”

  ***

  Twenty minutes later Adam pulls up to an enormous log cabin on a private section of lake. This can’t be where he lives. It’s way too big for one person. As the thought enters my mind, I notice several expensive cars and motorcycles in the driveway. Adam opens my door and leads me inside.

  “Wow,” I gasp, as he leads me into a huge open living room. Natural, stained wood encompasses the entire area. Plush, white couches and tan, leather chairs surround a huge, stone fireplace. Floor to ceiling windows embody an entire wall, with French doors that lead out onto one of the several wrap around porches. Track lighting illuminates the thirty-foot cathedral ceiling while brass sconces and table lamps brighten the room. Two staircases are seen both leading in different directions. The décor is elegant, but has a homey feel. Off to the left I can see a large open kitchen and dining room.

  “Do you like it?” Adam asks as he pulls me toward the kitchen.

  “Are you kidding me? It’s beautiful.” He places me in a seat at the large kitchen island and retrieve’s a couple of beers from the restaurant-sized fridge. The kitchen is as extraordinary as the rest of his home. The wooden cabinets are the same shade as the rest of the house, black, granite counter tops, and earth toned slate flooring, not to mention the top of the line stainless steel appliances. This place must have cost a fortune.

  “Oh goodie you brought her home.”

  I turn to my left to see an older woman entering the kitchen. She must be his mother, maybe this is his parents’ house. The woman is beautiful. Her dark straight hair is cut short into a bob that settles just below her ears. She has flawless skin and warm eyes.

  “Andy, this is Grace Lively, our housekeeper and cook. Grace, this is Andy Harris.”

  Okay so she’s not his mom. Grace extends her hand and offers me a friendly smile. I like her instantly.

  “It’s so nice to meet you, Andy. Oh, Adam, she’s beautiful! Your babies are going to be gorgeous.”

  I almost choke on my beer when I hear the “B” word. The woman can’t be serious. I mean we’ve only been on one date. I watch Adam as he rolls his eyes behind her back.

  “Ease up, Grace, let’s not scare her away.”

  Grace playfully waves her hand through the air. “Oh hush. Now why don’t you go change while we have a chat?”

  “Fine, as long as you don’t divulge all my secrets, Grace. Let’s keep some things a mystery.” He places his beer on the counter and kisses my forehead. “I’ll be right back, angel.”

  I can’t help, but watch his backside as he leaves the room. Soft chuckling fills my ears and I realize I’ve been caught starring.

  “Before we get interrupted you need to know that Adam is a wonderful man and when he decides to confide in you about his past, please try to keep an open mind.”

  I study her face and notice her warm hazel eyes are filled with a motherly love, hence the baby talk. “I think Adam is amazing and I will do my best.” I mean really, how bad can it be? The smile she gives me tells me she’s happy with my answer.

  Before she can comment any further, the sounds of boots on wood and laughter erupt to my left. Oh boy, I suddenly realize why Adam lives in such a huge space. The same four men from the bar stroll into the kitchen. I suddenly feel claustrophobic. They stop in their tracks and eye me as if I’m a ticking bomb that’s about to explode.

  “You’d think they’ve never seen a woman before,” Grace chuckles. “Boys, let’s not stare at the pretty girl, you’ll make her uncomfortable.”

  I try to hide my smile at Grace’s comment. I’m glad she spoke up. I was starting to feel uneasy.

  “Right, sorry. I guess we should introduce ourselves. I’m, Lincoln Scott.”

  I reach forward and shake the biggest hand I’ve ever seen. The man is huge, with wide shoulders and a chest as big as a football field. He offers me a wide grin full of dimples and I instantly feel relaxed. He has golden hair cut into short spikes and has kind gray eyes. Lincoln points to the man next to him. “This is, Casanova Bouchard.”

  I’m met with another breathtaking smile.

  “It’s nice to meet you, Andy, and please call me, Cass.” He’s a few inches shorter than Lincoln is and smaller in stature, but not by much. He has the same short golden hair just sans spikes. His eyes are a stunning shade of turquoise.

  “And these two are the infamous Trudeau brothers. One is full of class, the other brash.”

  I chuckle at Lincoln’s play on
words. The bad boy from last night nods his head in greeting and I get a good look at his dark eyes. They hold the intense combination of danger and pleasure. Kelsey would be eaten alive by this man.

  “I’m Micah and that’s Jamie.”

  I quickly study the tall figure in front of me. He carries an heir of sophistication. His black wavy hair is cut short and styled to perfection. His bright blue eyes sparkle like sapphires and his chiseled cheekbones and perfect lips are surrounded by a well-groomed goatee. The man is exquisite. His body is nothing, but tanned skin and rippling muscles. These men may share a last name, but that has to be the only thing those two have in common. They don’t look anything alike, well other than their muscular frames. Jeez, these guys must work out a lot. I swallow the lump in my throat as I survey the room.

  “So I guess the saying is true, pretty people do travel in packs.” I try to mask my nerves with humor, but to be honest I’ve never been around so many perfect men before, and it’s unnerving.

  The men begin to chuckle.

  “Oh, angel, you have no idea how right you are,” Adam says as he moves through the sea of muscle and pulls me into his arms.

  He has changed out of his dress pants and button down shirt from dinner to ripped jeans and a red t- shirt that reads, “Got me? I’ll do your body good.” Yes, I bet he could.

  “So I take it that you’ve met everyone?”

  I nod my head against his hard chest. His fresh air scent permeates my nose. Damn he smells good, like a warm summer day.

  “Are you ready for the surprise?”

  I give him a skeptical look. I wonder if I can unbalance him as easily as he does me. “Sure, as long as it has nothing to do with you being married, gay, or that you secretly wear women’s panties.”

  The two men, who could easily be compared to Vikings, erupt with laughter. “Damn girl, you are totally going to fit in around here.” Lincoln gives me another one of his dimple-filled smiles and winks at me.

  “Grace, I apologize for my boldness in advance.” Adam places his hands on the back of my chair and leans his upper body toward mine so we’re eye to eye. “No, angel, I’m not married and I’m more than happy to prove to you which team I bat for.” His body leans closer, his mouth hovers over my ear. “And just so you know, the only panties I’m interested in are yours.”

  Nope, he’s still the reigning champ. My body suddenly floods with heat and I can feel my cheeks turning red. God I’ve never blushed so much in my life.

  Several throats are cleared and I realize we are still surrounded by his friends. What is it about this man that makes me forget my surroundings? It’s as if the second he gets near me the world just fades away and we are the only two people left.

  “Let’s go, luv, we’re going to be late.”

  ***

  A half an hour later I’m sitting at The Boonies nursing a beer. Kelsey and Henry have just arrived and I quickly introduced them to my new friends.

  “Did he really say that to you?” I had just filled Kelsey in on my earlier conversation in Adam’s kitchen. I nod and chuckle to myself. The man always seems to get the upper hand. She turns to the stage where Adam and his friends are setting up their instruments. The house band didn’t show up tonight, so Finn had asked the boys to play, which was the big surprise.

  “You know, I’m starting to think that man is perfect for you.” I couldn’t agree with her more.

  “I don’t know. There has to be something wrong with him.”

  I promptly smack Henry in the arm. “Obviously there’s something wrong with him because he’s interested in me, right? Way to rain on my parade.” I thought he’d be happy for me.

  “First of all ouch, and second I’m sorry, but you expect me to believe his lame excuse for a job? And if he’s really so perfect then why is he single?”

  I take a huge sip of my beer. Henry does have a point, not about Adam’s job. I don’t really care what he does for a living. Whatever it is, he must be good at it to afford the things that he owns. But how is a man like Adam single? It just doesn’t make any sense. Grace’s words from earlier ring in my ears, maybe his past has something to do with it.

  “Leave her alone, Henry, let the poor girl be happy for five minutes. Besides you’re single so you have no room to talk.” Kelsey sticks her tongue out at Henry and he holds his hands up in defeat.

  “Fine, but don’t come crying to me when he breaks your heart.”

  I mouth a thank you to Kelsey. At least I know she has my back. Adam and Lincoln step off the stage and join us at our table.

  “We’re about to start, angel, but I want you to hang with Linc, I don’t want a repeat of last night.”

  I open my mouth to argue, but as I watch him scan the room, I realize he’s just being cautious. Maybe he’s tracking someone dangerous.

  “Sure, if it will make you feel better.” I’m going to have to make an effort to find out more about his job.

  “Thank you. Just promise me you’ll stay in his sight at all times.”

  I nod in agreement, but suddenly wonder what my friends will think about this. Henry keeps his mouth shut for once and Kelsey seems more than happy to be near, Lincoln. Adam kisses my forehead and heads back to the stage. Lincoln settles into a chair next to me and continues to survey the room.

  “Are you a bounty hunter too?” I ask. A soft chuckle rumbles from the man that’s easily the size of a Buick.

  “Yeah we all are.”

  Interesting, they must all partners or something. We continue our small talk and I quickly realize Lincoln is a huge flirt. Several scantily clad women have made sure to capture his attention. As I look around the packed bar, I realize there is an insane amount of woman here tonight. Word must have gotten out about the fight. That’s one thing about small towns, within twenty-four hours the whole town will know everyone’s business.

  “Lincoln, has anyone ever told you that you look like a giant teddy bear?” Kelsey asks as she sighs dreamily.

  The large man next to me begins to laugh before flashing my friend a mischievous grin. “Anytime you wanna cuddle up to me in bed, darlin’, you just let me know.”

  I shake my head at the both of them. My eyes focus on a group of woman that has gathered around the stage, several of them are attempting to gain Adam’s attention. The surge of jealous I feel practically knocks me out of my seat. I can’t really blame them, he’s drop dead gorgeous, but he’s mine.

  Wait. Where did that come from? I mean I’m attracted to him, but I hardly know him. Adam is a virtual stranger to me. He’s so dark and mysterious. His eyes shine with an unspoken wisdom that only comes with age. Which makes no sense to me, Adam can’t be a day over thirty. It’s as if he’s a jigsaw puzzle and I’m missing some of the pieces. The rational side of me is screaming to be cautious. That underneath his charm and playful personality lays a dangerous man, one that could easily break down the carefully constructed walls that I have placed around my heart.

  Don’t get me wrong, it’s not as if I feel that I don’t deserve to be loved. Far from it actually, I’m just scared to lose someone who means something to me. This is why my rational side always wins in the end. I keep people at arm’s length, never letting them get too close. I’ve let rational Andy rule my life for so long that I’m terrified at the thought of letting Adam in.

  But what if he’s the one? A small voice pipes up in the back of my mind. It belongs to my inner wild child. The one I’ve ignored for the better part of my adult life. Wild Andy has a point. If I continue my normal behavior, I could push Adam away and possibly miss out on the love of my life. This thought causes me to panic.

  My thoughts shift gears as I start to think about how it felt to wake up in his arms. I felt safe with him, almost as if he would never allow anything bad to happen to me. He reminds me of an ancient warrior who would hold me close as he fought against his enemies with a sword. I shake my head at the thought. I read way too many romance novels.

  Although
, last night was the first time I didn’t have nightmares after hearing my parent’s song. Normally when I hear that song or even have a memory of my parent’s, it causes me to go back to that horrific night when they were taken from me. So why was last night different? Maybe Adam’s presence was just a coincidence. I did have an awful lot to drink last night.

  I watch closely as Adam looks up and nods his head toward the group of women before going back to helping Cass with his drum set. The sound of the feminine laughter makes me see red.

  Lincoln begins to chuckle. “You have nothing to worry about, Andy, that man only has eyes for you.”

  Normally I wouldn’t believe that, but Adam barely acknowledged those other women. I push aside my inner turmoil as Adam picks up his guitar, our eyes meet, and the smile he gives me takes my breath away. His masculine voice fills the room and guitars strum to life. I thought the man was hot before, but he’s a freaking god with a guitar. The lights turn down as they begin to play the song “Porn Star Dancing”, and instantly the crowd goes wild.

  ***

  Half way through the first set, I realized these guys are in the wrong profession. They are amazingly talented and their voices seem to harmonize effortlessly. I’m also supremely turned on. Watching Adam on stage is the most erotic thing I’ve ever seen. Everything from the way his body moves, to the way his long fingers expertly slide against his guitar strings. The way he smiles at me over the mic while he sings songs about love and sex. My memory of what the man looks like under his clothes makes my body quiver with need. It took all my will power not to crawl on top of him this morning so I could run my tongue over his intricate six-pack. His body is a beautiful mix of olive skin and sculpted sinew muscle. I want to explore every inch of him with my tongue.

  Near the end of the second set, my horniness has taken a back to seat and my jealousy is firmly at the wheel. It seems like every woman in the bar is vying for the attention of the men on stage. Between the sexual offers being shouted at them and the flashes of bare skin, I’m about ready to commit murder. I’ve never been one to get jealous, but this is getting ridiculous.