Twisted Circles (Secret Society 2)

He bit the insides of my thighs as he let me come down from the climax, his mouth working its way up my body again, his five o’clock shadow brushing against my sensitive skin as he did so. His hands slinked away momentarily, as I panted, staring up at him, my limbs relaxed. Adam looked at me as he removed his pants and boxers, then reached for a condom, his gaze meeting mine and holding it steady as he ripped it open and began rolling it on. I bit my lip as I watched, anticipation rolling through me. There were no words between us. I wasn’t sure my heart could handle hearing whatever he was thinking. He normally didn’t wear his heart on his sleeve, but he did tonight.

Sometime between the time he finished tearing away the rest of our clothes and finished applying the condom, I realized this was the first time I was having sex with someone I liked. Really liked. Someone I’d see every day afterward. Someone who knew me, truly knew me, and was willing to help me, despite his reservations. As he climbed over me and set his arms on either side of my head, my hands moved up to run over his chiseled abs. His eyes never left mine. He was so open, so bare to me, that my own chest began to cave with emotions. I brought a hand up to his face and brushed his cheek with my thumb, hoping he could see me the way I was seeing him. As he entered me slowly, fully, my hips billowing for more, which he gave, I realized that I didn’t want him to be a stranger. With each thrust he gave, my back arched in acceptance, and with our eyes still connected, I knew that above anything else, I didn’t want him to be one of the countless faceless men in my wake. I wanted him to be mine. It was a scary thought, one I fixated on as he started moving, really moving inside of me, but it was one that stuck.

Chapter Twenty-Four

There seemed to be an unspoken understanding between us after last night. The feelings were definitely there. The potential was there. The promise of something bigger than anything I’d ever allowed in the past. It scared the hell out of me, but I wasn’t going to shy away from it. Not this time. I’d always thought about love as something foreign that could never happen to me. Even the word love was one I hadn’t spoken aloud. Ever. I’d never even told Karen, my own mother, that I loved her, not with words.

In the kitchen, we found Will and Wolf. They both looked at us, at our joined hands, back at us, and went right back to their breakfast as if it was the most obvious thing in the world that we were together. Adam stayed behind talking about his brother’s hockey game and I excused myself to go outside with my oatmeal and coffee. I wanted to see if I caught a glimpse of Marie. I had so many questions I hadn’t been able to ask. By the time Adam joined me outside, I was almost done with my breakfast and hadn’t spotted anyone out there in the woods or near the house.

“I want to go to The Institute on Monday to see Stella.” I looked at Adam.

“Are you sure that’s a good idea? You were just talking about how you thought she potentially framed you.”

“I know. I just need to see her. She’s my sister.”

He nodded a couple of times. “Okay.”

“You’re going to help me?”

“Yeah, why not?” He shrugged a shoulder. “My feet are already wet. I might as well jump in.”

I felt myself smile. I couldn’t remember the last time I felt that I had a male ally, if ever. It was that thought, and that thought alone, that made me swing both arms around Adam’s neck. He breathed into my neck as he brought an arm around my body, pulling me closer.

“A hug from someone who hates hugs? That’s pretty special.”

“You’re pretty special.”

The following day, I dressed for Mass and snuck out of my bedroom quietly, careful not to wake Adam who was snoring lightly in bed. I rushed down the stairs and froze when I reached the backdoor and saw Will sitting there having breakfast.

“Another early riser,” he said. “Want some eggs? I made too many.”

“No, thanks. I’m kind of in a hurry.”

“Hurry?” His brows furrowed. “Where are you going?”

“Church.”

“Out here?”

“Out there.” I pointed toward the woods.

“You’re kidding, right?” He wiped his mouth and set down his napkin. “Does Adam know about this?”

“Nope.”

“What kind of Mass do you think you’re going to out there?” Will sat back in his chair. “You think it’s just a regular ol’ Catholic Mass?”