Break Me Slowly (14 page)

“
Remember, Katelyn, you’re the one who started this game.”

I looked up at him. His façade was in place. The
rich and powerful Adam Kinkade beamed with every breath he took.

“
No, I just changed the rules.”

“
Either way,” he whispered in my ear.

A
slew of people greeted us. Cameras flashed, paparazzi called out his name. Anxiety bubbled beneath my skin. This event was bigger than I had imagined. I clung to Adam’s arm.

His breath was hot against my neck.
“I will win in the end, lover.”

~

Adam had been busy making the rounds. Everyone and their mini-dog-in-a-purse wanted to talk to him. I stood beneath the chandeliers and tried to fit in as best I could. The orange and purple flowers in the centerpieces were elaborate and undoubtedly cost more than I made in a month.

No one talked to me, and I hadn
’t the first idea how to mingle. I clenched and unclenched my hands to try to stop the shaking. My skin felt sticky and my heart kept a steady pace above one hundred beats per minute. Scooting closer and closer to the wall, I reminded myself to breathe.

It t
urned out that Adam’s company was hosting the entire event. The dinner and silent auction were to raise money for Chicago’s Children’s Home and Aid. The foundation was one of the largest foster shelters in the city. I was beyond familiar with it, having volunteered there several times over the years.

It made sense that A
dam would have a soft spot for this organization, seeing as he had gone through it himself.

“
Hello there.” A petite brunette stood next to me and offered me a glass of champagne. “After all these years, I still can’t get used to a bunch of wealthy tight-asses in the same room. But if it helps the kids, you subject yourself to the torture.”

I liked her
immediately. She seemed down to earth and had a nice bite behind her words. She had to be close to my age as well.

“
I’m Katelyn Gunn.”

“
Oh, I know who you are. You came with Adam. In fact, by now everyone knows who you are.” She pointed around the massive crowd of people. Various sets of eyes were skimming over me at different times, as if sizing me up.

“
Oh, and word to the wise, the women taller than five-ten who all look like stone-cold bitches—” She waved her hand at the several females fitting this description. “—really are all bitches.”

Good to know. Except for the fact that one of them was talking to Adam. The way she laughed and placed her hand on his shoulder made something burn low in my gut.
They were obviously familiar with each other. I wanted to snarl, but was pretty certain that wasn’t ladylike.

“
I’m Emma, Adam’s sister.”

“
I thought he didn’t have any siblings.”

She took a
sip of her champagne. “I was six when I met him. He was older and we lived at the same foster home for a bit. Neither of us had anyone. He looked out for me, and has ever since. He’s like my brother.”

It didn
’t surprise me that Adam took care of her. There was a protective instinct in him that was apparent.

“
That’s really wonderful.” I smiled at Emma. My eyes darted back to the leggy blonde hanging on Adam. He gave a half grin and appeared to be listening to what she was saying.

“
Don’t worry, that’s just a groupie,” Emma said.

“
A what?”

“
You know, one of those skanks Adam slept with once who never got over him.”

The admission came at me hard. Emma didn
’t mean it rudely. She just seemed to speak the truth, which I appreciated. A trait she and Adam obviously shared. I looked around at all the women and realized I had jumped into my worst nightmare. I was surrounded by stunning supermodels in tiny dresses. They looked all class and perfect ass and I was lacking in every way. Had he slept with all of them? Most of them? God knew
they
weren’t idiot virgins. They would have known how to handle a man like Adam.

Was I just another groupie?

My throat began to close and the anxiety I had been struggling to control cranked up a notch. I was in over my head. I didn’t belong here. Everything about this kind of life was not for me. I didn’t deal well with this feeling of insecurity, which was why I made it a point to stay out of situations that made me feel as though I was lacking.

“
I see you’ve met my sister,” Adam said as he approached us. He kissed Emma’s cheek, then looked at me. “You all right, Katelyn? You look pale.”

“
Well, if you didn’t leave her unattended in the middle of a snake pit, maybe she’d feel better,” Emma said.

“
Let’s get you some air.” He put his hand on the small of my back and led me away. “Emma, dinner is starting soon. Will you find our table, please?”

The cute brunette
nodded and hopped off.

“
What’s the matter?” He wound me through some random hallway and around a few corners, until I had no idea where we were. We came to a door that led to a stairwell and he opened it. The cool air hit me. “What is it?” he growled, and faced me.

“
Why are you mad at me?”

He looked down my body, stalking closer,
forcing me to step back until my back hit the wall. “Because you have me so fucking hard that I can barely hold a conversation.”

“
You didn’t seem to have a problem chatting with Miss Skinny No-Boobs back there.”

That grin split open and I saw his dazzling
, straight white teeth. “Katelyn Gunn, are you jealous?”

“
No, I’m pissed. You set me up.” The pounding in my ears was so loud I could barely hear myself speak.

“
What do you mean?”

“
I mean that you take me to an ‘event’ where the city’s biggest quadrillionaires are going to be, along with the entire cast of the Victoria’s Secret runway, which I was informed you’ve slept with—”

“
I never slept with Victoria’s Secret.”

“
You know what I mean. Why, Adam? Do you want to hammer home the point that I don’t belong here?”

My knees began shaking. Panic was overtaking me and soon I
’d have a full-on attack. I squeezed my eyes shut, my breathing becoming more hectic by the second.

“
Look at me.” The moment Adam cupped my neck, it was as if someone had taken the screeching teakettle off the burner. Calm rushed through me. I latched on to it and concentrated on even breaths. Slowly I opened my eyes. He was crouching and face-to-face with me.

“
What was that?”

“
Nothing.”

“
Bullshit, Katelyn. You looked on the brink of fainting.”

“
I get panic attacks sometimes. I felt it coming on, but I’m okay now.” Did this man have any idea what he was doing to me? Not even Megan had ever been able to bring me back from the brink of an attack the way Adam just had.

“
Listen to me carefully, Katelyn. You belong where I say you belong, and that is with me tonight. As far as my sexual history, yes, I’ve slept with women, some of whom are present, but I’m not sleeping with them now.”

“
That’s not the point,” I whispered.

“
Then what is?”

“
Do you really not get it? How would you like it if I brought you to some hole-in-the-wall bar all my ex-boyfriends frequented?”

His nostrils
flared. “Point taken. But I cannot brush off important events because of who may or may not be in attendance.”

I knew that. Adam was an importa
nt member of the community and what he did on his own time was none of my business.

“
You’re right,” I sighed. Exhaustion hit every bone in my body like a wrecking ball.

Once again, I didn
’t know what to do or how to feel, and it was wearing me out. All of my energy was consumed just trying to stay balanced. Trying to have a relationship of any kind with Adam wasn’t like walking on eggshells, it was like walking on eggs.

I was tire
d of trying to keep myself even, trying to fit into a life that wasn’t meant for me.

“
Adam, you don’t owe me any explanations. I’m not your mother or your wife. We have no commitment to each other. I think it would be better if I went home. This whole setup isn’t for me.”

He pressed i
nto me, the wall cold on my back and his rock-hard frame against my front.

“
You are my lover, and I am yours. You are gravely mistaken if you think there is no commitment between us.” He kissed me hard.

I groaned
, my hands gripping his shoulders to pull him closer.

“
You
do
owe me explanations. I am new to the details of relationships, but be certain that you belong only to me.”

His tongue thrust deep
. I lapped at him, sucking and biting until he growled.

“
So, we’re exclusive?” I hated that I sounded like a begging little girl, but I needed to know.

“
That was my assumption. If you’re having second thoughts, let me assure you that I will not allow you to have another man.”

“
And what about you?”

“
My eyes are set on what I want.”

His strong kiss left me dizzy. His mouth forcefully ravaged mine with every hard stroke of his tongue.
I threw my arms around his neck and kissed him with all I had. I wanted him closer. I tried to lift my knee and coax him further against me, but the dress kept me from moving my legs much. Adam must have figured out what I was trying to do, because he gathered my dress in his fists, hiked it up, and lifted me. My now free legs locked around his hips.

Supporting me against the wall with one arm, he reached between us with the other and unfastened his pants.
I felt his erection prod at my opening. This was going to be fast. Hard. No slow build, no nice words. Raw lust was driving me and all I wanted was to feel him inside of me. I needed that connection.

After shoving his pants low on his hips, Adam
brought his hand back to his mouth and licked his fingertips, then reached down and rubbed the wetness over the tip of his cock.

“
Need you now,” he groaned.

“
Yes!” I dug my heel into the back of his thigh. He thrust hard into me.

My breath caught.
I was wet, but not overly so. There was a slight bite of pain from the tight fit, but that edgy burn sparked a fire and it smoldered beneath my skin.

I felt him everywhere. So thick and long.
He pounded in and out. There would be a bruise on my ass from hitting the wall over and over as Adam hammered inside me. I didn’t care. In fact, I wanted it. Wanted the pain, the mark that showed he was here. Because with it came so much pleasure.

My obsession for this man was dangerous. One look from him and the world fell away and I was his. However. Wherever.

I came instantly, violently. With a groan, he was right behind me. I breathed deeply the scent of his hair and skin. I knew we couldn’t linger, no matter how badly I wanted to.

H
e withdrew and I felt the warmth of his semen trickle down my thighs. He took out his handkerchief, knelt before me, and wiped it away.

I knew my mouth must have never quite shut because I had trouble getting enough air.
He didn’t say anything, merely adjusted my dress, took my hand, and led me back up to the party.

We arrived in the dining room
just as everyone was being seated for dinner. Emma waved at us and Adam ushered me over. I sat in silence between him and his sister while the announcer gave the list of who had won what from the silent auction.

My muscles were humming and my skin flushed hot.
I still felt him. The last remnants of his orgasm coated my core, keeping me constantly wet. His eyes fixed on me as the speaker announced another winner. Even as we clapped, Adam didn’t take his stare from me. Everything that had just happened, from the way he mastered my body to the deep blue fire burning in his eyes, was a reminder of the power he had over me.

Here we were, sur
rounded by people I didn’t know—people he had had a relationship with at some point, and I didn’t know how to deal with jealousy. Mostly because I had never felt it before.

As much as Adam calmed me, everything around him unnerved me. Not being prepared for him was one thing, but his lifestyle and all the emotions that went into it was another.
When I didn’t trust myself to act logically, I usually left the situation that threatened my sanity. Space was a tool I used to regain my sense, but Adam was taking over and instead of running away, I was hurling myself at him.