His words warmed her, even as her body sparked with the beginning of an orgasm. “Adam—”
“Need a little something to get you over the edge, don’t you, sugar?” He grabbed her hip with one hand and slid his other down to stroke her clit. His grip guided her pace, taking the control from her even as his fingers took her exactly where she needed to go. Jules buried her face in his neck as she came, her shudders racking her entire body.
Adam laid her down on the seat, the position allowing him deeper. “Feeling you come around me, knowing that I’m the cause of it—there isn’t another thing in this world like it.” His voice went hoarse. “I’ve never had someone make me lose control like you do.”
She clung to him as his strokes became more uneven, his hold on her tightening as he followed her over the edge, knowing that she was the cause of it making her entire body spark with pleasure all over again. “Adam, you’re more addicting that nicotine.”
“Oh, yeah?” His laugh rumbled through her. “I can’t say I don’t like hearing that.”
She smiled, though the truth settled in her stomach. Nicotine might feel good in the moment, just like being with him did, but it was ultimately a toxic substance that only left pain in its wake.
Kind of like her relationship with Adam.Chapter TwentyAdam stared at his drink, feeling like a jackass. Jules had been right—things went weird as soon as they got into his truck. He’d known it, and he hadn’t done a damn thing to stop it, not with Quinn’s words still ringing in his ears, joining the chorus of everyone else who’d warned him away from her. Instead of making her comfortable, he’d let the silence draw on, punishing them both for thinking they could do this.
And then Jules had taken matters—and him—into her own hands. She was right—if there was one thing they knew how to do, it was have sex. They’d been doing just fine before becoming official and there was no reason anything had to change.
“You’re thinking awfully hard over there.”
He looked up to find Jules crossing her eyes at him. Adam laughed. “Life is never boring when you’re around, is it?”
“On the contrary, most people think my life is incredibly boring. Or at least proceeding as expected.” Her smile dimmed, but she seemed to make an effort to reclaim it. “But it’s mine, and that’s all anyone can really ask for, right? I like Cups and Kittens and I like my best friend, even if she’s a bit on the antisocial side, and I maybe I don’t have a ton on the horizon when it comes to my love life, but I’m only twenty-six. I’m hardly a spinster that should just swear off the whole thing now—especially since we’ve been running around causing a ruckus. That’s sure to open up some new avenues for me.”
He started to point out that they were, in fact, on a date right now, but the truth slammed into his chest all over again. I’m not what she wants. He’d known it before—it was a truth he hadn’t been able to escape from the very beginning—but somehow hearing her talk about potential prospects while sitting across the table from him made him sick to his stomach. He didn’t want to think about her going out with another guy, or her sharing her goofy smiles with some other dude, or, fuck, her letting someone else between those sweet thighs.
“Adam?”
He realized he was clutching his cloth napkin in a white-knuckled grip. “Yeah, sorry.” He had to get it together. He didn’t have a goddamn right to be jealous of some future guy. He was here with her now, but he wouldn’t be forever. That was his choice.
He just had to remember that.
“Why a cat café?”
She pressed her lips together but seemed to decide it wasn’t worth asking him what the hell was going on in his head. Which was good, because he didn’t fucking know. Jules took a sip of her water. “There have been quite a few studies done that show having a pet—any pet—is enough to combat everything from poor physical health to depression to plain old loneliness. Animals never ask for anything but love, and that’s a gift that a lot of people don’t have in their lives. But not everyone can have a pet of their own for various reasons—which is where I come in.”
It was so…Jules. Loving and thoughtful and kind. “You get a lot of traffic in there.”
“Yep.” She smiled. “Just being able to stop by, have a cup of coffee, and spend some time with a cat curled up in your lap is all some people need to restart their day. The cats love the attention. The people love the cats. And I love making people happy, so it’s win-win across the board.” She frowned. “Or win-win-win. Whatever. You know what I mean.”