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Twenty-Eight

Things were always different in the light of day.

And as I lay in my bed, Adam’s arm slung over me, spooning me, I could hear the deep, steady sounds of his breathing as he slept, and it terrified me.

I watched the light filter through the venetian blind, wishing the sun would just go away.

I was awake a good four hours before I had to be up for work and with basically no sleep due to our marathon sexcapades throughout the night, I’m sure I should have been feeling much worse than I did.

I slowly lifted Adam’s arm, working to slide out from next to him as quietly as possible so as not to wake him.

It wasn’t until I moved did I experience the full weight of what really ailed me.

Oh, how I ached, my hips, my back, in places I didn’t want to think about.

We had certainly distracted ourselves last night, multiple times.

I slid my T-shirt over my head, slipped my boxers back on; the daytime also called for modesty.

I tiptoed to my closet, picking out my clothes for work, impressed by my ability to do so as quietly as possible.

Creeping toward the bedroom door I stilled, taking in the sleeping and very naked Adam in my bed.

Strange feelings stirred in strange places. I want this. Always.

Stop it, Ellie. It was a one-off, so just forget it.

I made my way to the bathroom, hooking up my clothes at the back of the door and beginning my daily ritual of brushing my teeth.

Again I became lost in my thoughts as I remembered Adam’s hands in my hair last night as I slid down his beautiful toned body, taking him deep into my mouth.

I blinked out of the daydream, thinking I had probably brushed off all the enamel from my teeth by not paying attention.

I stepped into the shower, letting the delicious hot water fall over my aching body, turning around, letting the jets fall over my shoulders, massaging the knots in my back before tipping my head backwards and letting the stream wash over my hair: glorious.

The abrupt opening of the bathroom door interrupted my moment of peace.

And let me tell you, when you are used to living alone it is a rather unnerving, shocking experience.

But not as shocking as Adam wandering into the bathroom, stark naked, grinning from ear to ear as he opened the glass shower door and stepped inside.

I had instinctively covered my nakedness with my loofah and hands, staring wide-eyed at him, trying my hardest to keep my eyes above his waist.

“Um, excuse me, can I help you?” I asked.

“Why so bashful? I’ve seen it all before.” Adam winked as he grabbed the soap and started washing circles over his chest.

“Well, just make yourself at home then,” I said, throwing my hands up in defeat.

Adam’s eyes drifted down, taking in my nakedness.

I could see something very familiar in that look.

It was the same delicious look I had seen last night.

My stomach twisted in excitement recognising it, mainly because it was a look I had convinced myself that I would never see again.

A one-night stand to pass the time in the city, a pity fuck to help him forget the realities of life.

That come daytime he would do what most men do.

Peck on the cheek, this was fun, see ya later, have a great life .

And yet here he was, sure, using my shower probably before saying see ya later and hitting the road; still, the familiarity of that look excited me.

Even more so when Adam closed the distance between us, turning me around; I placed my hands on the tiles, wondering what he was doing, feeling my breathing become erratic until I felt the glide of soap wash over my shoulders.

I closed my eyes, once again delighting in the feel of my tender muscles being worked over, this time by Adam’s touch.

I could have cried, relieved that there was no awkward morning silence, or stuttered goodbyes; well, not just yet.

Instead, Adam explored my body as if it were a familiar landscape, almost as though he had memorised it from last night.

Touching me in all the right places where he knew I would let out the sounds of approval; he was so bloody good.

And in the biggest shower in the smallest bathroom in the southern hemisphere, Adam turned me around and pressed me back against the tiles, kissing me under the water, lifting me up and wrapping my legs around him, the cold tiles brushing against my shoulders, but it wasn’t that sensation that had shivers running down my spine; nope, that was all Adam.

In the light of the early morning, the sky was blue and the air was fresh.

I sat opposite Adam in one of the trendy little cafés on Main Street, given the luxury of being able to stare at Adam openly behind my sunglasses.

He studied the menu intently, the same crease pinched between his brows in deep concentration.

I bloody loved that crease. I half expected Adam at any moment to get all serious and say, “Hey, about last night.” I had braced myself for it every step of the way from my front door, all the way down the street to my favourite café, but it hadn’t come just yet.

And I didn’t know what was worse. Was he going to leave after breakfast and head back to Onslow, with a see ya at Christmas time?

I hadn’t exactly planned to head back on weekends; I mean, why would I?

What had changed? Okay, so we had had sex, lots and lots of sex, but what did that make us?

Friends with benefits? At least things had not been awkward between us, Adam had seen to that.

“You know when you come to the city you can come stay if you want.” Adam’s eyes flicked up from his menu. I regretted it as soon as I had said it.

“I mean, you know, when you’re in town … for your mum,” I clarified.

Oh God, I didn’t want to seem forward, I didn’t want to sound like I was putting pressure on him to come here. I was just trying to be nice, thoughtful.

I had to clear that up. I didn’t want him to think that I was going to be all Fatal Attraction now just because we had had sex; I mean, I wasn’t really that kind of girl, despite all the loony declarations of love on every other page of my diary when I was young. Things were different now.

“I mean, I probably won’t be in Onslow much, so if you’re in town I would love to catch up with you and your mum, or if Chris is in town he can always drop in with your mum; we have great coffee here in the city,” I said saluting him and taking a sip, praying it would shut me up from my incessant blabbering.

Oh, help.

Adam reached out for my hand, instantly calming me over such a small gesture as he gave it a squeeze.

“It’s all good, Ellie,” he said, giving me a wink before flipping on his shades. “Well, I better head back. You sure you don’t want a lift to work?”

“Back? But you haven’t even ordered breakfast,” I said in dismay.

Adam scratched the back of his head. “Nah, it’s okay. I’ll grab something on the way out.”

I knew he had to leave eventually, but the abruptness of his departure had me panicking.

“Well, are you due to come back to Maitland anytime soon? For your mum, I mean.”

Adam glanced down the street, as if thinking for a moment. “It’s Chris’s turn next time, and then Mum has a bit of a break between treatments.”

“Oh, okay,” I said lowly, feeling the ebb of disappointment. “Well, say hi to your mum for me. Do you think I could send her some flowers, you know as a get well soon?”

Adam smiled, leaning down and kissing me on top of my head in that familiar, friendly way he always did.

“I think she would like that.”

And before I could think of another thing to say to stall him, to keep him from leaving, Adam bumped me playfully on the chin. “See ya, Parker.”

“Bye.” I watched him walk away until his figure was dissolved into the footpath traffic and I was left alone with my cold cup of coffee and my thoughts.