CHAPTER 17
For the next few hours, Adam gave Beth exactly what both of them needed. While she put the baby in the crib down the hall, he built a fire and waited for her to join him on the sofa. She slipped off her shoes and curled up next to him. They didn't talk about Garrett or the house or anything that could invoke any stress. Instead they whispered about the new expressions Cassie was starting to make and how much she'd grown and how bright her eyes shined when either of them came to lift her from the crib.
"She's starting to make more sweet noises." Beth shared. "I could swear she was trying to tell me something last night . I know that's silly, but her eyes were so focused."
"I wonder what her first word will be?" Adam mused, his fingers sifting through her hair absently as he stared into the flames.
"Are you kidding? She's a Daddy's girl all the way. Her first real words will be to make sure you are completely wrapped around that little finger of hers." Beth laughed softly.
Adam smiled and wrapped his arms more tightly around her just thinking about what that moment would be like.
"Two more days." Adam reminded her. "Did you get everything set with the church or do you need some help?"
"It's all set. We only need to show up." She told him. "God I wish it was Tuesday already. I can't wait to be your wife Adam. I know it's less than 2 days away, but I want it to be now . I want you now." She whispered, looking up at him through her lashes as her face drifted closer.
Adam smiled against her kiss and let out a long groan of happy frustration as she slipped to straddle his lap and pressed herself against him. They hadn't made love since before Devan had been killed and although he wanted her desperately, they had decided to wait until their wedding night to make it that much more special.
"Keep this up and MacLeod and the others might get more than just a place to stay, because I'll take you right here . right now." He promised as his lips teased the sensitive area around her ear and throat. Beth whimpered as she clasped his head more firmly in her hands, not caring where they were or that someone might walk in. "I don't want you to stop." She confessed as her eyes closed and her neck craned to offer itself completely to him.
Her words shattered his self-control and in one quick motion Beth found herself looking up at him from where he'd moved her to the flat of her back on the sofa. For the past month he'd held himself in check. Every time she'd touched his face or that he'd held her in his arms or that he'd been with her when she held Cassie to her breast, Adam wanted nothing more than to feel her body wrapped around his. It had been sweet torture, but no more.
He felt her hands slip under his shirt even as his slid up and down the outside of her thighs. She'd returned his demanding kiss with fire, quenching any thought that she might want him to stop. He'd only just found the clasp of her skirt when Beth heard him groan and quickly move to smooth her clothes back in place.
A cool blast of air from behind the sofa let Beth in on why he had stopped. She pouted playfully as he gave her one last long look and a kiss before lifting himself from on top of her to face MacLeod and the others as they came in the door.
Amanda and Mac were the only one's who had really seen anything, but the others didn't have to guess what they'd interrupted.
"Maybe you should have rethought giving me my own key." MacLeod couldn't resist taunting as Adam straightened his shirt and gave him a frustrated glare.
Beth's cheeks flamed with color as she sat up and saw the group trying to restrain from laughing at the two of them. Brushing her tousled hair back from her face with one hand, she checked to make sure her clothes were at least in place before standing up and moving to wrap her arms around Adam's waist.
"I thought you guys were having dinner in town?" she smiled sheepishly, obviously embarrassed.
"We ate on the plane." Amanda replied, walking over to hug Beth and pinch Adam rather roughly on the cheek. "Richie and Duncan had pizza or something in the airport while they were waiting. Our flight was a half hour late."
"Imagine what we could have walked in on if it had been 45 minutes." Richie whispered to Claudia and Joe poked him in the back with his cane.
"I'm glad you are all here." Beth said as she walked over to hug Claudia and Joe. Adam's greeting was less enthusiastic as he stepped out into the cold air to help retrieve their suitcases and try to get his mind off of the soft body he'd been craving like a drug.
"There are two bedrooms upstairs and two down." Beth was telling them when Adam and Richie came back in with the bags. "But Cassie's asleep in one of them, so whoever gets the bed in the nursery might have to wait to unpack."
"I've already put my things in one of the upstairs rooms." Duncan said to Amanda. "And I think Richie put his across the hall."
"Then I guess that leaves Joe and Claudia to decide who gets the nursery." Beth replied. "There are two baths downstairs so you won't have to share."
Claudia looked over at Richie and he cleared his throat before telling the others that Joe could have the downstairs all to himself.
It was Adam's turn to smirk at the look on MacLeod's face at the announcement. Duncan's mouth dropped open and it was clear he was not pleased.
"Don't catch any flies highlander." Adam said as he passed behind Duncan to carry Joe's things down the hall.
"Why am I the only one who doesn't seem surprised?" Duncan complained as he looked from Richie to Claudia.
"It's not a big deal. You had to know Richie and I had been seeing each other for a few weeks now. And it's not like I am a child." Claudia decided to lay her cards out on the table as she took Duncan's arm and smiled innocently up at him.
Duncan didn't know what to say. He cared about both of them, but wasn't sure he was comfortable with this new development.
"Why don't you just help me with my bags?" Amanda suggested, leading him toward the stairs and giving Richie a grin behind Duncan's back.
Richie followed with Claudia's things and she was going to follow, but Adam stopped her. "Have you continued to practice what we worked on or spent time using the weights?" he asked.
"Every day." She replied, knowing he would expect no less.
"We'll get in some more work tomorrow." He told her. "There's a big empty room upstairs."
Claudia nodded and then seeing he appeared to be finished, she went upstairs to see where her room was.
Alone once again in the main room, Beth turned and wrapped her arms around his waist as they both stared at the other with frustrated desire.
For the next few hours, Adam gave Beth exactly what both of them needed. While she put the baby in the crib down the hall, he built a fire and waited for her to join him on the sofa. She slipped off her shoes and curled up next to him. They didn't talk about Garrett or the house or anything that could invoke any stress. Instead they whispered about the new expressions Cassie was starting to make and how much she'd grown and how bright her eyes shined when either of them came to lift her from the crib.
"She's starting to make more sweet noises." Beth shared. "I could swear she was trying to tell me something last night . I know that's silly, but her eyes were so focused."
"I wonder what her first word will be?" Adam mused, his fingers sifting through her hair absently as he stared into the flames.
"Are you kidding? She's a Daddy's girl all the way. Her first real words will be to make sure you are completely wrapped around that little finger of hers." Beth laughed softly.
Adam smiled and wrapped his arms more tightly around her just thinking about what that moment would be like.
"Two more days." Adam reminded her. "Did you get everything set with the church or do you need some help?"
"It's all set. We only need to show up." She told him. "God I wish it was Tuesday already. I can't wait to be your wife Adam. I know it's less than 2 days away, but I want it to be now . I want you now." She whispered, looking up at him through her lashes as her face drifted closer.
Adam smiled against her kiss and let out a long groan of happy frustration as she slipped to straddle his lap and pressed herself against him. They hadn't made love since before Devan had been killed and although he wanted her desperately, they had decided to wait until their wedding night to make it that much more special.
"Keep this up and MacLeod and the others might get more than just a place to stay, because I'll take you right here . right now." He promised as his lips teased the sensitive area around her ear and throat. Beth whimpered as she clasped his head more firmly in her hands, not caring where they were or that someone might walk in. "I don't want you to stop." She confessed as her eyes closed and her neck craned to offer itself completely to him.
Her words shattered his self-control and in one quick motion Beth found herself looking up at him from where he'd moved her to the flat of her back on the sofa. For the past month he'd held himself in check. Every time she'd touched his face or that he'd held her in his arms or that he'd been with her when she held Cassie to her breast, Adam wanted nothing more than to feel her body wrapped around his. It had been sweet torture, but no more.
He felt her hands slip under his shirt even as his slid up and down the outside of her thighs. She'd returned his demanding kiss with fire, quenching any thought that she might want him to stop. He'd only just found the clasp of her skirt when Beth heard him groan and quickly move to smooth her clothes back in place.
A cool blast of air from behind the sofa let Beth in on why he had stopped. She pouted playfully as he gave her one last long look and a kiss before lifting himself from on top of her to face MacLeod and the others as they came in the door.
Amanda and Mac were the only one's who had really seen anything, but the others didn't have to guess what they'd interrupted.
"Maybe you should have rethought giving me my own key." MacLeod couldn't resist taunting as Adam straightened his shirt and gave him a frustrated glare.
Beth's cheeks flamed with color as she sat up and saw the group trying to restrain from laughing at the two of them. Brushing her tousled hair back from her face with one hand, she checked to make sure her clothes were at least in place before standing up and moving to wrap her arms around Adam's waist.
"I thought you guys were having dinner in town?" she smiled sheepishly, obviously embarrassed.
"We ate on the plane." Amanda replied, walking over to hug Beth and pinch Adam rather roughly on the cheek. "Richie and Duncan had pizza or something in the airport while they were waiting. Our flight was a half hour late."
"Imagine what we could have walked in on if it had been 45 minutes." Richie whispered to Claudia and Joe poked him in the back with his cane.
"I'm glad you are all here." Beth said as she walked over to hug Claudia and Joe. Adam's greeting was less enthusiastic as he stepped out into the cold air to help retrieve their suitcases and try to get his mind off of the soft body he'd been craving like a drug.
"There are two bedrooms upstairs and two down." Beth was telling them when Adam and Richie came back in with the bags. "But Cassie's asleep in one of them, so whoever gets the bed in the nursery might have to wait to unpack."
"I've already put my things in one of the upstairs rooms." Duncan said to Amanda. "And I think Richie put his across the hall."
"Then I guess that leaves Joe and Claudia to decide who gets the nursery." Beth replied. "There are two baths downstairs so you won't have to share."
Claudia looked over at Richie and he cleared his throat before telling the others that Joe could have the downstairs all to himself.
It was Adam's turn to smirk at the look on MacLeod's face at the announcement. Duncan's mouth dropped open and it was clear he was not pleased.
"Don't catch any flies highlander." Adam said as he passed behind Duncan to carry Joe's things down the hall.
"Why am I the only one who doesn't seem surprised?" Duncan complained as he looked from Richie to Claudia.
"It's not a big deal. You had to know Richie and I had been seeing each other for a few weeks now. And it's not like I am a child." Claudia decided to lay her cards out on the table as she took Duncan's arm and smiled innocently up at him.
Duncan didn't know what to say. He cared about both of them, but wasn't sure he was comfortable with this new development.
"Why don't you just help me with my bags?" Amanda suggested, leading him toward the stairs and giving Richie a grin behind Duncan's back.
Richie followed with Claudia's things and she was going to follow, but Adam stopped her. "Have you continued to practice what we worked on or spent time using the weights?" he asked.
"Every day." She replied, knowing he would expect no less.
"We'll get in some more work tomorrow." He told her. "There's a big empty room upstairs."
Claudia nodded and then seeing he appeared to be finished, she went upstairs to see where her room was.
Alone once again in the main room, Beth turned and wrapped her arms around his waist as they both stared at the other with frustrated desire.