Page 87 of Red Mountain Burning
Otis thought about her assertion. “Well, I’m certainly afraid of losing you.”
“I think it’s the mountain you’re afraid of losing right now.”
* * *
Brooks reachedfor the top button of Adriana’s lavender housekeeping uniform. She drew in a breath as he undid it, revealing more of her soft dark skin. Another button and her uniform began to separate.
He looked up into her brown eyes. “I don’t want to wait this long again.”
“Then don’t,” she murmured.
He couldn’t remember the last time they’d slept together, but it had been weeks for sure.
When she was eager for him, she showed it well, and at this very moment, he knew she wanted him as badly as he wanted her. He touched and kissed her scars and ever so gently kissed her neck. She gave in to him, opening up and letting go.
Zack was at the Foresters’ for a sleepover with Luca, and they had the house to themselves. Brooks had planned a candlelit dinner and maybe a bottle of wine if she’d been interested, but the moment she’d walked in from work, everything had fallen into slow motion. He’d reached for her hand and led her up the stairs. There weren’t many moments like these with a seven-year-old in the house. Knowing Zack would be gone, Brooks had been thinking all day about having Adriana to himself.
Unable to contain himself any longer, he untied the knot of her belt, and her dress fell completely open. His heart raced, and he wanted to lift her up and set her on the bed, but he didn’t want to lose these precious minutes. Something about her standing there was the most tempting sight he’d ever seen.
Ever so slowly, he pulled the uniform from her shoulders, and she shimmied out. As the uniform fell to the floor, he slowly moved his eyes from her face down her neck and to the delicate white lace.
The rest of her clothes fell to the floor, and she took over, undressing him just as slowly, moaning in his ear as she reached between his legs.
They stood naked, pressing against each other, and Brooks felt like their bodies were made to fit together. He lifted her up by her thighs and set her onto the bed and made love to her, a playful sort of love with whispers and laughter.
Afterward, he cuddled up behind her and put his hand on her naked thigh. “Where did you learn to do that thing with your teeth?”
She nudged into him. “You liked it?”
“That would be an understatement. Same time tomorrow?”
She took his hand and placed it on her breast. “If you’re lucky.”
He pressed into her and softly kissed her back.
As much as he loved being here with her, as much as his libido erupted, something was still missing. It was almost too perfect that her back was to him at this moment. In a way, it felt like her back was always to him, like she was constantly walking away.
* * *
Adriana lovedhis arm around her. She loved the way he touched her. As much as she could feel a part of her pushing him away, she wanted nothing more than to be close to him. The problem was that she’d set out to confess that she’d made the decision to move to Florida. She’d ended up sleeping with him instead.
Perhaps she knew deep down that he’d never leave Red Mountain, so she was putting off what was effectively the end of their relationship. She hated how awful she’d been to him lately and wouldn’t blame him for staying. What she wanted to tell him—no matter how weak it sounded—was that she couldn’t help the way she felt inside. Her anxiety was off the charts. Between the nightmares and the fear of being a terrible mother and thefactof being a terrible girlfriend, Adriana felt like she was suffocating.
Was it any wonder that Zack was acting up? Children can sense when their parents are struggling—even when their parents go out of their way to pretend that things are fine. This is why they had to go to Florida. She had to get farther away from Michael. She wasn’t a fool. In this day and age, it was almost impossible to hide from someone, but at least he wouldn’t know exactly where they were. Besides, Adriana didn’t like driving up to Épiphanie every day and seeing Margot’s house, where Michael had attacked them. A fresh start might be the only thing that could heal her. Maybe there would be no nightmares in Florida.
But how could she possibly ask Brooks to move with them? She didn’t want to put that burden on him. He had enough on his plate with work right now. Who could possibly want to be with her right now anyway? Adriana hated being in her own skin and could only imagine how miserable she was to be around. She truly loved Brooks, but she was feeling increasingly incapable of reciprocating. Maybe Mary was right when she’d said those words through the baby monitor.
Adriana held Brooks’s hand on her breast and wiggled her bottom into him, as if that were the same as telling him the truth.
