Title: Love Me Like You Do
SummaryWhen Sharon and Adam attend the GC 250th anniversary gala together, the night ends unexpectedly. Where do they go from here?
Note: This story is based off of canon through just after Rey's death and gala canon through their walk outside for "air". I have no idea what the current canon is with either character since I stopped watching. So, I suppose it is also a partial AU. I will stick as close to canon as I can, but can't make promises.
Chapter 1She had the dream again, Sharon thought as she edged her way to consciousness. She'd done her best to stop dreaming about him after the kidney donation. It was best for her to focus on Rey as Adam made a new life for himself. But, every once in a while, Sharon's subconscious would say, "Not so fast," and body slam her with the type of dream that shook her to her core - literally. She'd wake up panting with drenched panties and a throbbing between her legs that she felt too guilty to ask Rey to satiate.
Whenever that happened, Sharon had to make a beeline for the shower so she could finish what he started. Her fingers were never as deft as his, but they got the job done. Then she'd towel off, get dressed, and go about her day as Mrs. Rosales with no one the wiser of what her traitorous mind put her through the night before.
Since Rey passed, Sharon had been lonely. At first she was too grief-stricken to think of anything else but the unfairness of Rey's loss. But, as the year anniversary of his death creeped up on her, so did her desire to have another person to share her life with both emotionally and physically. Hence the more frequent recurrence of the dream.
Her deep emotional connection with him always made the dream that much better. Like in real life, she'd stare into his eyes as he pounded into her and she'd come that much harder because it was him.
Smiling, Sharon recalled how different her sex life with Adam had been from her other long-term lovers. He was the only man with whom she was able to truly let go. He never treated her with kid gloves and, in return, she was able to give as good as she got without being self-conscious. Making it to the bed was an end goal, but never the only one. Walls, furniture, and floors served their purposes just as well.
Great. Now the dream was intermingled with memories and any hope she had of not getting out of bed without doing something about the heat coursing through her body was shattered. Well, at least I don't have to get out of bed, she thought as she lifted her hand from atop the comforter. However, the moment it snaked under the sheets and encountered no barriers on its way to her center, Sharon jolted.
She never slept naked anymore.
Oh, God. It wasn't a dream.
~zzzzz~
Adam felt it the second Sharon jolted back to consciousness. He'd been laying next to her propped on his elbow watching her sleep for a half hour. At first, she looked peaceful sleeping the sleep of the dead, legs entwined in his, which made Adam wonder how she'd been sleeping the past year. Sharon was always a cuddler, so he knew adjusting to sleeping alone after such an abrupt loss must have taken a toll on her ability to sleep well. Was she getting enough rest or were her nights plagued with restlessness? But Adam didn't get to ponder that very long because he was pulled back to reality when he noticed her pull away. Sharon settled onto her back as the deep even breaths of sleep faded away and consciousness pulled at her. He watched, enthralled, as she fought to hold it off just a little bit longer the way she always did whenever she'd been having a good dream and didn't want it to end. Adam observed a myriad of emotions cross her face - contentment, joy, wistfulness, desire, confusion, and then, finally, shock as the hand she'd snuck under the covers finally encountered her nakedness.
He smirked when he realized she thought last night had been a dream, too. It was good to know that he was as stuck in her subconscious as she was in his. He didn't have the dream often anymore, but, when he did, he always woke up hard as a rock. It wasn't a problem now that he was alone since he could just wank off in bed. But, when he was with Sally, it was damned inconvenient, especially if she woke up before him and assumed his stiffy was for her. Screwing one woman when you were hard for another was cringeworthy even for him. Thankfully, that had only happened once or twice. The rest of the time he was able to bolt into the bathroom and relieve the tension with her none the wiser.
But Adam knew the dream could never hold a candle to reality, especially today. He didn't set out to sleep with Sharon when he invited her to the gala last night, but life had a funny way of helping him out. A few too many flutes of bubbly chased by several glasses of scotch after Nick and Sally's impromptu engagement announcement had him three sheets to the wind with crappier judgment than usual. Sharon had been just as affected as he was by their announcement and had engaged in more champagne than she should have given her medication. Their lower inhibitions, melancholy state, and easy access to suites set aside for guests who needed to sleep it off after the festivities was the perfect combination for bad decision-making.
But it was also comically full-circle for them. The only room left last night had been the same suite they lived in after Ashley kicked them out of the ranch so long ago. They'd shared a drunken laugh at that before re-christening the wall, dresser and floor in a eerily accurate reenactment of fucks past. They'd only actually made it to the bed to sleep once they were both completely spent.
Adam woke up with a pounding head, but no regrets.
He just hoped Sharon felt the same way.
Chapter 2Sharon yanked her hand out from under the sheets as if it had been burned. "Don't stop on my account," she heard him say with a chuckle.
She opened her eyes, slowly, to see an amused Adam staring down at her, head propped up by his elbow. "Or, if you want, I could take care of that for you."
"Adam," she admonished playfully.
"What? You know I don't like to leave you unsatisfied. I'm nothing if not a gentleman."
Sharon couldn't help snorting at his reply, which made her temples throb. She brought her hands up to her head and asked, "What have we done?"
"Nothing we haven't done before."
She raised an eyebrow at him in scolding before saying, "I should never have had so much to drink on my medication."
Adam's smirk vanished. "Are you okay?" he asked, a serious tone to his voice.
"I'll be fine," she replied before lifting one hand off her temple and cupping his cheek. "But thank you for caring."
He returned the gesture with his free hand. "I'll always care, Sharon." She knew he meant it, too. He'd seen the best and the worst of her and never abandoned her.
"I know." She released him and asked, "Are you alright?"
"Just a headache. Nothing a bottle of aspirin can't cure."
"That's not what I mean," Sharon whispered.
He dropped his hand from her face and rested it on her stomach before shrugging. "I'll be fine. It's not like I didn't see it coming eventually… We both know my brother can't be with a woman and not propose."
"No, he really can't, can he?"
"But thank you for asking. You're probably the only person who will ask and actually care about my answer."
"Always," Sharob replied with a soft smile. "Plus, I know how you feel. It still stings a little every time Nick moves on with someone else. I know we're better off as friends, but he was my husband for ten years and I'll always love him in some way."
"Hence the bad decision-making last night."
"Hence."
"So, what now?"
"A shower and a walk of shame."
"Does it have to be?" Adam asked.
"What?"
"A walk of shame."
"What else do you call walking in last night's dress and heels through a lobby full of people who will get immense pleasure out of witnessing yet another of my terrible decisions?"
Adam ran a finger up her torso in a featherlight touch and then dragged it down again. "Or we could just stick it to all of them. We're both single consenting adults who like to have sex, especially with each other. I'm not ashamed. Are you?"
"No."
"So maybe we go down there arm in arm with me in my wrinkled suit and you with my jacket across your shoulders and give them something to talk about? They're going to do it anyway. So why don't we control the narrative?"
"They're going to think we used each other to get over our exes."
"Did you use me?"
"No. Did you?"
"No."
"So then screw them all."
Chapter 3Adam waited with baited breath as Sharon pondered his suggestion. Everyone would talk. If they hadn't been seen going upstairs, they'd be seen coming down this morning whether they were together or not. If they didn't control the narrative, it would get away from them. He was certain of it.
"What exactly are you proposing?"
"I just want us to control the gossip instead of it controlling us. We can say that this," pointing between them with his free hand, "was a mistake, closure, friends with benefits, or, hell, even the start of something new. But I want it to come from us, not from the gossip mongers."
Now that he started, he was on a roll. "Our whole story has been controlled by everyone but us. And, frankly, I'm sick of it. Aren't you? It's our turn."
Sharon closed her eyes for a moment before shifting her body to lay sideways and mirroring his position. "Ok. So if we control the narrative, then what is it?"
He leaned closer to her and laid his palm back on her hip. "What do you want it to be?"
"I don't know. This is just a lot, you know. I didn't expect it. I mean, I'm still wearing Rey's rings." At that, she held her free left hand up to show them to him as if the sight of those rings on her finger hadn't been burned into his memory.
"Whatever this is, Sharon, it doesn't change what you had with him. You've grieved him. No one can fault you for moving on over a year later."
"No one would if it was with anyone else…"
"But me," he finished self-deprecatingly.
She nodded. "There's a lot of history between us and, like it or not, what we do affects a lot of people."
"But does it? Really?" Adam couldn't help but question. "Nick has moved on. Mariah wasn't in the picture back then. And Noah and Faith are both adults now with their own lives. When does the statute of limitations expire on our past sins?"
Sharon dropped her hand from his shoulder where it was laying on his hip. "In this town? Never."
"I will owe Faith for what I did until the day I die, Sharon. I know that. And if this is more than a mistake or closure for us, then I'll do whatever I can to earn her forgiveness one day. But she has her own life now at college. When do you finally get to live yours the way you want to?"
Sharon looked apprehensive, so Adam sighed and added, "Why don't you take a shower and think it over while I call room service and see if I can get some coffee? The caffeine will help with our headaches."
When he started to twist so he could push the sheet back to get out of bed, she clamped down on his hip. "Or, we could think about it together and then get some coffee downstairs on the way out."
"Yeah?"
"Yeah."
Chapter 4Pure unadulterated bliss. Sharon had forgotten what it felt like until Adam bounded from the bed, grabbed her hand, and yanked her into his naked body for a bone-melting kiss. When he pulled away for air and then leaned down so he could pick her up at the knees, she shouted, "Wait!"
His smile fell and he grew pensive. "What?"
"I have to do something first," Sharon replied as she shifted off the bed and padded over to where she had dropped her handbag on the floor. She picked it up and pulled out her wallet. Sharon opened the zipper for the change pocket and dumped her loose change into the bottom of the minuscule purse and then put it down as she tucked the wallet between her left elbow and her body. Sharon used her right hand to pull off her wedding rings and tucked them carefully into the empty change pocket. Sitting the wallet on top of the purse, she said. "Ok. Now I'm ready for that shower."
"Are you sure?"
Sharon nodded and swiped a tear from her eye. "Yeah. It's time. I can't make love to you with his ring on my finger. It wouldn't feel right."
His eyes widened at her admission, but he played it off with a sarcastic, "Who said anything about making love? I thought we were just getting a shower."
"When have we ever just gotten a shower?" Sharon retorted with a teasing lilt to her voice.
He closed the distance between them. "It's not my fault that you can't keep your hands to yourself."
She went to punch him lightly in the chest for that, but he caught her hand midair and used it to pull her into him again. Sharon gasped as the pleasure of being against him shot through her body and into her core like lighting. A moan escaped her lips as he grasped her ass and lifted her up so that her center was flush with his erection. Sharon automatically wrapped her arms and legs around him and held on tight, kissing him as he carried her to the massive en-suite.
Adam planted her on the sink vanity and broke the kiss so that he could turn the water on and get it to temperature. When he came back, he stopped just out of her reach and raked his eyes up and down her body. "But then I could never keep mine to myself either, could I?" Sharon's playful "No" died on the tip of her tongue when Adam kneeled down in front of her, pulled her legs onto his shoulders, and buried his face in her pussy.
One swipe of his tongue was all it took for Sharon to arch her hips into him. Oh, fuck. It had been so long since he'd done this to her. Adam knew just how to lick, twist, and bite to send her spiraling quickly. Add two fingers inside her, arched perfectly against her g-spot, and Sharon had no choice but to surrender, crying out his name harshly as she came.
She had barely returned to herself before he backed away and stood up. Adam lifted her back into his arms and stepped into the shower, remarking how convenient it was that there was no door or shower curtain to mess with. Once they were under the rainwater spray, Adam reached for the body wash dispenser installed on the wall and lathered up his hands.
Sharon stood, clinging first to him and then to the wall, as Adam's hands roamed her body sensuously. He paid special attention to all of her erogenous zones and had her vibrating with need in no time flat. "Please," she begged.
"Please what?"
"I need you."
"I'm right here."
"Inside. I need you inside. Now."
After her breathy "Now.", Adam grasped her by the shoulder and roughly pushed her face-first against the tile so that he could enter her from behind. Once he was inside, he used one hand to finger her clit as the other pulled her tight against his body and kneaded her breast. "Is this what you need?" he asked gravelly from behind her, so close that his breath tickled the shell of her ear.
"God, yes," Sharon replied, pushing her hips back into his so hard that he hissed. "Fuck," Adam ground out in a voice Sharon remembered meant that he was fighting to keep control.
Sharon smiled slyly, reached back, and pushed him out of her so that she could turn around to face him. Wordlessly, she pumped body wash onto her hands and lathered them up, but the only place she put them was on his hard cock. She managed only two or three swipes up and down his length before he swatted her hands away, grasped her hips, and lifted her back onto him.
He was thrusting into her so hard that the tile was scraping against her back, but Sharon didn't care. She welcomed the pain with the pleasure from the only lover who never treated her like she was made of glass. Adam continued to pound into her mercilessly as he tweaked her clit with his knuckle. The friction sent her over the edge, so Sharon took him with her by pulling him down to her and biting hard on the junction between his neck and shoulder as she pinched his nipple with her free hand. The explosion knocked them both off their feet in the slippery shower.
Chapter 5"How do I look?" Sharon asked, as she finished putting her long hair into a messy bun using a ponytail holder she found in her purse.
Adam smiled at her. "Like your dress has been laying on the floor for twelve hours."
She stuck out her tongue at him and donned her strappy heels. "It's the best I can do."
Adam rolled up the sleeves of his own wrinkled dress shirt, which was buttoned only part of the way up his chest and neatly tucked into his equally wrinkled pants. "You look beautiful, as always."
"Where's your jacket?"
"I dunno. Somewhere by the door maybe?" Adam answered absently, too intent on putting his socks and shoes on to really answer.
He heard Sharon's dress wisp by him as she rounded the bed. When he stood back up, Sharon had donned his jacket over the dress and his heart leapt in his chest. They were really doing this, weren't they?
"Ready?" She asked as she put her wallet and phone into her handbag and held out his own wallet, keys, and phone to him.
"Are you sure about this Sharon?" Adam asked as he pocketed the items.
"Yeah. I am."
"Ok then, let's go."
After they exited the suite, Adam grasped Sharon's hand and gently pulled her toward him. Once she was flush with his body, he placed a tender kiss on her lips. "One for the road."
When he pulled back, she was smiling sweetly. "I had a wonderful time last night."
"Me, too."
They turned to walk down the hallway after sharing another quick kiss. Sharon grasped him around the waist, tucking herself into his side. He laid an arm over her shoulder and kissed her temple. "Showtime," he whispered.
It didn't take long for them to descend into the lobby of the GCAC. As expected, the lobby was full of guests from last night's event. However, they were the only two still dressed in last night's finery. Adam swallowed as he spotted Nick and Sally checking out at the desk; Victor and Nikki chatting with Michael, Lauren, and Christine by the bar; and the Abbotts saying tearful goodbyes to Mamie Johnson.
Adam must have stopped walking on the landing because he felt Sharon tug on his waist. He turned his head to face her and she smiled brightly at him. "Control the narrative, remember?" she whispered before she kissed him on the cheek.
When they finished descending the stairs, Sharon said, "Why don't you check us out while I grab some coffees from the breakfast bar? Or, should I do the honors?"
"No, it's okay. I've got it. I'll wait for you by the door."
Sharon cupped his cheek gently, smiled, and turned on her heel. She sauntered (yes, sauntered) with her head held high toward the breakfast bar in the restaurant as if she was completely unaware of the eyeballs following her out of the room.
Adam took a deep breath and made his way to the desk. He waited a distance from the happy couple until the agent next to theirs called him forward. Adam nodded at them, but focused on the agent in front of him. "Adam Newman. Checking out," he stated casually as he pulled his phone out to check his notifications. Adam smiled as he remembered throwing it on the couch and leaving it there all night and all morning long.
After he placed the room keys on the desk and the agent provided him the bill, Adam turned to his brother and ex-girlfriend / baby mama. Before he could get out much more than a halfhearted "Congratulations," to the couple, a woman he didn't know sidled up to him. "So the rumors are true then?" she asked inquisitively.
"What rumors? And, do I know you?" Adam asked, perplexed.
"Leanna Love, journalist extraordinaire."
Nick snorted and muttered, "If you say so," which peaked Adam's curiosity about the woman. She shot his brother a look and then turned her attention back to him. "A little birdie told me you and your ex-wife are back together?"
"Which ex-wife?" Adam asked cheekily. "I have several, you know."
She chuckled and looked over at Nick and Sally. "This one has a sense of humor. Are you sure he's a Newman?"
"Oh we're sure," Sharon commented as she joined the group and handed him his coffee. "Good morning, Leanna," she said warmly but warily. "How are you?"
"I'm well. Thank you for asking. I was sorry to hear about your husband. My condolences on your loss."
Adam didn't miss Sharon's shocked expression. "You heard about Rey?"
"Oh, yeah. You, my dear, are Sharon Collins Newman Abbott Newman Newman MacAvoy Rosales. Of course, I heard. You are a hot commodity in my industry." Leanna paused before adding, "But you are also a genuinely nice person, so, yeah, I keep tabs."
Adam looked between Sharon, Nick, and Leanna and realized he was missing something. How did this woman know so much about his family?
Leave it to Nicholas to jump in. "Don't you have a dumpster to dive in for dirt, Leanna?"
"Oh, no. I've got all I need right here in Genoa City's newest power couple."
Nick preened and pulled Sally into his side affectionately until he realized that she wasn't referring to him. "Huh?" he asked.
"Your brother and your ex-wife are back together. It's the story of the year, especially for 'Shadam' fans," she announced using air quotes around their apparent smush name.
"Shadam?" Nick asked.
"Yeah. Sharon and Adam. Currently the only two people in this lobby who are wearing yesterday's clothes and looking thoroughly sated."
It was only then that Nick looked at him and Sharon and Adam had to hold back a snicker when it dawned on him that they'd spent the night together. Sally also frowned as Leanna continued, "There are a lot of people rooting for these two star-crossed lovers to get their shit together - especially after that viral kiss."
"Leanna, what are you talking about?" Sharon asked calmly.
"You two are a power couple. Right up there with Bennifer in the Will They or Won't They category. Now that you've had adequate time to grieve and Adam is no longer with this one," Leanna pointed at Sally, "speculation has been running wild. You two appearing here together ignited a firestorm of anticipation last night."
'You're kidding." Adam deadpanned.
"I never kid about journalism." Then, "So, is it true? Are you back together? Or is this a one-time thing for old time's sake?"
Adam eyed Sharon, who looked like a deer in headlights, so he opened his mouth to answer with the narrative they'd agreed on. A one-time thing. Still friends. Yadda, yadda, yadda. But, before he could get a word out, Sharon regained her composure and confirmed, "The rumors are true."
Chapter 6Sharon did the best she could not to let the denizens of Genoa City know that their stares were affecting her as she left Adam's side and made her way to the restaurant for coffee. While she offered to take the wrath of Nick and Sally, she was glad that Adam volunteered. Her heart was beating a mile a minute and she needed a reprieve. Sharon deliberately took her time pouring the coffee and flavoring the way they both liked, glad that she was alone in the room.
She had been extremely tempted by the thought of starting something with Adam again, but, as always, her fears about being judged for her poor decisions held her back. They'd agreed to sell their morning after as closure on their romantic relationship. It made the most sense given that Adam was hung up on Sally and she was still grieving Rey. Despite taking her rings off, which it was indeed time to do, Sharon wasn't ready to jump into a serious relationship again. Aside from missing the companionship, she was relatively happy being alone. It gave her time to focus on herself and her own personal and professional growth. Plus, Sharon valued Adam's friendship too much to use him for satisfaction. Their night together wasn't a mistake. It would never be that, but it couldn't be more either.
However, as she walked back to the lobby, Sharon was shocked to see that Leanna had cornered her ex husbands. She quickened her pace in an effort to save them when Leanna surprised her with condolences for her loss and genuine interest in whether she and Adam were back together. People were actually rooting for them outside of the city? They had fans who wanted them to rekindle their romance despite their past?
When Leanna actually asked the question no one else would dare to broach directly with them, Sharon froze. Did she really want to let this opportunity for a fresh start with Adam as the people they were now pass her by? Her brain was working overtime to decide as Adam opened his mouth to share what they had decided on. But, before he could, she stopped thinking with her head and reacted with her heart. Leaning across Adam to Leanna, she stated conspiratorially, "The rumors are true."
As Leanna gasped and clapped gleefully, Sharon nudged Adam with an elbow to get him to wipe the surprised expression off his face. Fortunately, he recovered quickly and pulled her back into his side with his free hand and smiled down at her fondly.
"Well, this is news! Congratulations to you two. I've got to go post this, but if you ever want to discuss selling your story for oodles of cash, call me." Leanna handed Adam her card and turned to leave when Sharon blurted, "What?"
"A book. Ghostwritten by yours truly. With the real story behind your star-crossed romance. Has no one ever asked the two of you what really happened between you? Why you," she tilted her head toward Adam, "stole her daughter and why you," nodding to Sharon, "forgave him for it?"
"Ahh, no," Adam answered hesitantly.
"Well, they really should have. Otherwise, all you've got is speculation, hearsay, and half-truths. It's easy to judge people when you don't know the whole story, isn't it? What if you could take back control of your story? You might be surprised at the results."
At this, Nick ground out an "Absolutely not. I will not let you drag my daughter's name through the mud for money."
"Is it about dragging your daughter's name through the mud or about the fact that you won't come out of it smelling like a rose, Nicholas? Word on the street is that you were far from a saint yourself. Abandoning your wife after your child's death. Marrying your mistress. Ping-ponging between them. Conceiving a child out of wedlock."
When Nick growled low in his throat, Sharon replied, "Thanks for the offer, but we can't."
"Can't or won't? Because from where I'm standing, it seems like the people in your lives would prefer you didn't out their own atrocious, hypocritical behavior for the world to see."
"I've hurt Faith enough. I won't put her through that trauma again," Adam replied resolutely.
Leanna was quiet before addressing Sharon again. "Talk to your daughter. She may not be as opposed to the idea as you think."
Then Leanna was gone, leaving chaos in her wake.
Chapter 7"You aren't seriously considering this, are you, Sharon?" Nick asked angrily. "Because I won't allow it. I won't let the two of you retraumatize our child."
Sharon snapped her head up from the card Adam had passed her. "What?"
"You heard me."
"Fuck you, Nick," Sharon said loud enough for their audience to hear. "You don't get to tell me what to do. We aren't married anymore. Whether I go through with a book or not is up to Adam and me. Not you."
"Faith will never be on board with this."
"Are you so sure about that? She asked me for the full story after Adam donated his kidney, you know. I've only ever told her bits and pieces because I wanted to protect her from learning the truth about you and your family and how they've treated Adam and me over the years. But maybe it's time. Our daughter is an adult now."
"You wouldn't dare." This from Victor, who, along with NIkki, snuck up behind them.
"Wouldn't I?"
"Not if you don't want to be tied up in court for the rest of your life."
Sharon laughed so hard she cried and everyone, Adam included, looked at her strangely. "You're scared. All of you. I've got decades of dirt on the Newman family and you don't want it dug up."
"Michael," Victor turned to the resident lawyer. "Can she do this?"
"Uh… Well, technically the only stuff she cannot talk about is whatever was bound by a confidentiality clause. Likely Newman Enterprises business. But, other than that, everything else is fair game. You can sue her for libel after the book comes out, but you have to prove what Sharon alleged in the book wasn't true. Given her long tenure in the family, that would probably be a longshot."
"What's the statute of limitations on arson?" Victor asked Christine.
"You wouldn't," Adam ground out as Sharon blanched.
"Try me, son."
Sharon exhaled and then looked at the group of them. "You'd really try to send me to jail to keep me quiet?"
"I'll do whatever I have to in order to protect my family!" Victor shouted.
Sharon pointed between her and Adam. "We're family, too! But I guess some family members are more expendable than others, huh?"
As Sharon grabbed Adam's arm and headed for the door, she heard Christine say, "What am I missing?"
Chapter 8"Are you actually considering this?" Adam asked cautiously as he glanced at Sharon from the driver's seat of his SUV.
"I wasn't, but now I am. If you agree and Faith is okay with it, then yeah. I want to share our story."
"Why? You'll be baiting my father to come at you with everything he has. It's not worth it."
"But maybe I am."
"I'm not following."
"I've twisted myself into knots for years to fit into the Newman family, but it was never enough. Nikki, Victor, Victoria, and even Nicholas have all hated me at one point or another. They hold me to a standard of conduct beyond what they hold themselves. Maybe it's time I stopped enabling their behavior."
"He wasn't kidding, Sharon. He'll put you - maybe even us - in jail over the arson. Do you want to risk it?"
She sighed. "I don't know. Avery said I should be fine. It's been 10 years and kind of an open secret for most of that time. If they wanted to prosecute me, they would have by now. But you created reasonable doubt when you covered it up, so my guess is that they can't prove it was me. So, maybe I'm just tired of hiding."
"And Faith?"
"She wants to know the whole story, especially now that she has such conflicting feelings about you."
"I don't know, Sharon. It feels like inviting trouble. I'm not sure Leanna can be trusted."
"Oh, she can't be. But we can."
"What?!" he asked, so surprised that he swerved.
"We're going to write it ourselves."
He raised a brow. "We are, are we?"
"Yes."
~zzzzz~
When Adam pulled into the lot at Crimson Lights so that Sharon could pick up her car, as she'd changed there before going with him to the gala, things got awkward. "So," he said.
"So?"
"What now? You kind of changed things up on me back there."
She scrunched her nose. "Are you angry?"
"Of course not. Just surprised. What changed your mind?"
"When I heard Leanna talking about how there were people out there rooting for us, it just made me realize how small my worldview had become. It reminded me that for every terrible comment I read on that photo that went viral, there were five other supportive ones."
He sighed. "Yeah, I know. Those comments fed me for a long time. Gave me hope that we could move beyond the past someday."
"We couldn't. Not then. But now we can. You changed for yourself and no one else and I see you working to be a better man every day."
"I'm done with all of that, Sharon."
Sharon smiled. "So, do you want to follow me home?"
"Boy do I ever."
Chapter 9After sending Sharon off with a kiss, Adam followed her home, grateful that he kept a gym bag in the back of his car with a change of clothes. When he pulled into the driveway beside her car, Sharon was already inside the house, but he could see she'd left the door cracked for him.
Adam grabbed his duffel from the backseat, got out, and followed her inside with a cursory knock and a "Sharon?"
"Upstairs," was her reply, so Adam locked the door behind him and ascended the stairs.
When he got to her bedroom, Sharon was perched on the foot of the bed leaning back on the mattress wearing nothing but her stilettos and a smile. "So, I came up here to change out of that dress," she explained as she waved her leg back and forth in front of her seductively," But then I figured that it would probably be a waste of time to get dressed again."
Adam kicked the door closed with his foot before dropping his duffel and kicking both his shoes off. He yanked open his dress shirt, causing buttons to fly everywhere and stalked toward her. "You'd be absolutely right," he replied as Sharon sat up and pushed the shirt off his shoulders.
With his upper body free, Adam hauled Sharon into his arms and kissed her. Their tongues warred for dominance as Sharon unbuckled his belt and opened his trousers. She pushed them, as well as his boxer briefs, down with her hands while Adam released her lips and peppered her neck with kisses and love bites, causing her to moan.
Once his cock was free, Adam ground his hips into hers. "Fuck, Sharon," he murmured against her neck as his hands took over for hers. Adam had his pants off and Sharon flat on her back and impaled in seconds.
"I can't wait," he whispered in between kisses.
"Then don't," she responded, arching her hips up to meet his thrusts hungrily.
He forgot how much she got off on getting him off, too, until now when Sharon pinched his nipple with one hand as she snuck the other between them. When she used her thumb and forefinger to squeeze his cock in between thrusts, his eyes crossed from the pleasure.
Three more thrusts like that, with her squeezing while his pubic bone ground her thumb knuckle into her clit, and he was gone. She quickly followed as his spasms triggered hers.
When the convulsions stopped, Adam collapsed on top of her and she hugged him tight, planting butterfly kisses across his temple and ear.
"Damn," he panted.
"Damn is right," she replied.
~zzzzz~
It never failed to amaze Adam how fucking easy it was for him and Sharon whenever no one else was around to comment on their relationship.
After another round of lovemaking, they washed up, got dressed, and lazed around the house.
They talked. They laughed. They cooked, watched television, and went for a walk in the woods.
It was pure domesticity. And it was heaven.
Until Leanna Love's post hit social media.
Then all hell broke loose.
The end. For now.