Newly Exposed (15 page)

His hopeful look did me in. There was no way I could deny him anything. I nodded my head, which produced that panty melting smile of his.
 

I was so sunk, and the funny thing was, I was looking forward to drowning in Adam.
 

Chapter Thirteen

Adam

“Urrrrhhhmmmm, these tacos are the fucking tits!” Scout moaned, as he held up his taco like it was a prized possession.

“They really are,” I responded, as I licked my fingers. “I could probably have ten more, but apparently, I have to watch my figure now,” I patted my stomach.
 

“They’re alright,” Solo said, taking her last bite.
 

Both Scout and I whipped our heads around to look at her as if she was sprouting male sex

organs from her ears.
 

“Are you kidding me? Please tell me you are. These tacos,” Scout pointed his finger at his empty plate, “Are what makes sitting in traffic bearable. They are the boss of all tacos. They are the cream of the damn taco crop. They…they are the loves of my life!”

“Too much passion,” I patted Scout’s shoulder, who nodded his head in agreement. “But the tacos appreciate it.”

“You two are ridiculous,” Solo said, as she put her napkin on her plate. “I will admit, though, these margaritas have been amazing. If I wanted to make bad decisions, I would have one more.”

She eyed me over her drink, and I couldn’t help but feel her eyes perusing my body. I hoped she wasn’t referring to me as a bad decision because in my opinion, I thought I was a pretty good decision, downright best decision she would ever make.

Our little dinner wasn’t the intimate setting I wanted with Solo. She and Scout kept talking about different fitness models and their cheesy signature poses or the latest selfie gone wrong that they saw on Facebook. I wasn’t too sure they would miss me if I left, but instead of being a little bitch about it, I tried to soak in as much information as possible and spent the rest of the time staring at the soft contours of Solo’s beautiful face.
 

After we paid, we walked out to the parking lot, where Solo was twirling her keys in her hand.
 

“Riding with me?” Scout asked, as he walked over to his Land Rover. The man was doing very well for himself in the modeling world, and it showed.
 

“I’m actually going to drive Solo’s car, since she dabbled in some booze.”

“You’re a good man,” Scout said sarcastically, as he hopped in his car. “See you back at the house.”

Once Scout drove off, I turned toward Solo and held out my hand for her keys. Her arms were crossed over her chest giving me that “what the hell do you think you’re doing” look.
 

“Hand them over, muffin.”

“I’m fine.”

“I don’t care. You drank, therefore you don’t drive. Give them up; this is non-negotiable,” I said rather sternly.
 

“You just want to get your hands all over my wheel,” she joked, as she handed her keys over with a smirk.
 

“You have no fucking clue,” I said, as I followed behind her, taking in the beautiful sway of her hips.
 

On the drive back to the house, we listened to the best of Britney Spears that Solo just so happened to have in her glove compartment. I tried to refrain from busting out my rich dance moves and kept my singing to a respectable amount, but it was hard with Britney grunting and singing through the car speakers.
 

“Favorite Brit Brit song,” Solo asked while “Oops, I did it again” started playing.
 

I turned the music down just a little, so I could hear Solo better and said, “Will I lose my man card?”

She patted my shoulder and said, “You kind of already lost it when you got passionate about Justin Timberlake earlier.”

I nodded my head. “Fair enough. So, if there is zero man card to lose, I’m going to have to go with ‘Sometimes.’ There’s something about the beach and the lyrics that can bring a grown man to his knees.”

Solo’s head flew back and she erupted out in laughter while clapping her hands. “Oh, my God, that would be your favorite song.”

“What is that supposed to mean?” I asked with fake offense.
 

“I like you Adam, but you’re kind of girly.”

I pulled into the driveway and shut off the car. I got out of my seat, ran to her side, and pulled her out. Once I closed her door, I pinned her against the car and pressed my body against hers. Her eyes shot open in shock from the whirlwind I just created.
 

I leaned down and ran the tip of my nose along her jaw until I reached her ear, where I said, “Clearly, I’ve been giving you the wrong impression of me then.”

I felt her gulp while I ran my nose back to her chin and then looked up at her through my lashes. Her chest heaved from my proximity and her eyes were heavy with lust. I had her; she was giving in. I just needed to move slowly, because I knew if I worked too fast, I would scare her. I had to get her to the point where she couldn’t possibly take it anymore and she’d finally hand herself over to me, and by the look in her eyes, I was halfway there.
 

“Come on,” I stood up and pulled her hand into mine. “Let’s go check out those aircrafts. They have to be more visible up in the hills.”

Without pulling away, she allowed me to grip her petite hand in mine and guide her to the lounge chairs. The fact that she didn’t pull away or refuse her hand to me made my ego boost up a couple of notches. Solo had this way of putting me in my place, and it was a small victory when she gave in. So, I relished every one of those tiny victories.
 

I pulled her over to one of the double cabana chairs that flanked the edge of the hill that looked over the valley and sat her down. From below, I grabbed a blanket and then sat down next to her. Taking my hat off, I placed it on her head for safe keeping and then smiled when it fell over her eyes.
 

“Your head is big,” she laughed, as she straightened out my hat so she could look up at me.
 

My heart seized in my chest from how adorable she looked.
 

“You know what they say about big heads,” I wiggled my eyebrows.
 

“Eww, are you referring to your penis?” she asked, laying back.
 

I looked down at her and said, “It’s concerning that you used ‘ew’ and my penis in the same sentence. Care to try that again?”

“Nope,” she said with a smile.
 

“You’re impossible.”

I laid back with her, after pushing the cover of the cabana chair back, so we could look up at the sky. With a bout of bravery, I pulled Solo into my chest so my arm was wrapped around her shoulder and my hand rested on her hip. I was ready for some push back, but instead, she curled in closer and pressed her head against my chest. Her hair brushed against my nose, and all I could smell was her fruity shampoo, which was doing strange things to my senses.
 

Her hand rested next to her head and we sat in silence as we looked out onto the valley. Lights scattered around the darkness of the night, but we were still able to see the stars, which was what I wanted.
 

My chin rested on her head while I asked, “What’s your favorite
Star Wars
movie?”

“That’s like asking me who’s my favorite child.”

“Hard, I know, but you have to choose.”

“Says who?”

“The question game gods,” I joked.
 

“Fine, if I had to pick, I would have to go with
Return of the Jedi
.”

I stiffened under her and then pulled her away to look her in the eyes.
 

“Seriously?”

“Yes, why? What’s yours?”

I shook my head. “We’re meant to be,” I smiled. She rolled her eyes and laid back down, but this time not on my chest.
 

“Excuse me, ma’am, you were keeping me warm, so if you don’t mind coming back over here, that would be greatly appreciated.”

“For such a strong guy, you can be a little wuss.”

“I love it when you insult me, really gets my blood pumping.”

“So, I guess all I have to do is insult you and you’ll be warm, right?”

She gave me a devilish look, and at that moment, I had an all-encompassing need to press my lips to hers; it was all I ever wanted, to feel how soft they were against mine and the taste of that delectable mouth.
 

“What?” she asked, catching me staring at her.
 

“Nothing,” I shook my head and went to pull her into me, but she moved to the side.
 

“Tell me what you were thinking, Adam.”

“If I tell you what I was thinking, then you would most likely run away, so just come back and lay down with me.”

She looked at my chest and contemplated our recent position. My hands itched to grab her, but I wanted her to make the decision on her own. I wanted her to want to be with me, because even though it felt like heaven when she was in my arms, I wanted her to be the one to make the decision.
 

“What were you thinking?” she asked, while she looked at her hands.
 

Damn, it looked like I was going to be putting my heart out there once again for her to crush.
 

I lifted her head and made her make eye contact with me. Her brown eyes sparkled in the moonlit sky. What I was about to tell her would be one of the easiest things to ever say.
 

“I was thinking how damn beautiful you are. How it would make my fucking day to press my lips against that gorgeous mouth of yours. How I would do anything for just one more moment with you in my arms, to feel your head pressed against my chest and the steady beat of your heart against my side.”

Her eyes lit up from my confession and a small smile twitched at the corner of her mouth.
 

She shook her head in disbelief and then cuddled up next to me, making my heart soar. My arm wrapped around her and I brought her in closer. My hand went to her hip, where her shirt was lifted ever so slightly. Taking a deep breath, I allowed my thumb to trace the patch of exposed skin, and instead of Solo getting up and slapping me in the face for being so bold, she cuddled in closer and rested her arm on my lower stomach, making me gulp.
 

“I’ve never met anyone like you, Adam.”

“What is that supposed to mean?” I asked, as I rested my chin on her head, taking in the fruity scent of her hair again.
 

“You’re so honest, and you really don’t care about what people think about you.”

“Is that a bad thing?”

She pulled away from my chest to look me in the eyes and said, “No, it’s a very good thing.”

We sat in silence for a little bit, looking out on the dark of the valley, just enjoying each other’s company. It was so easy with Solo. I didn’t have to try to impress her; my dorky self did that all on its own, which still baffled me.
 

“Tell me, what was Solo like as a little girl?” I mumbled into her hair.
 

She sighed and nestled her head deeper into my shoulder.

“Well, you already know about my cutting fixation that caused me to go through school looking like a misused chia pet.”

I laughed, “Yes, our little Vidal Sassoon.”

“Something like that,” she laughed. “Other than that, I was a bony little girl, smallest in my class, always with big glasses and eighties
Star Wars
shirts that were two sizes too big. I was the awkward girl that no one really talked to because I had my own style and I knew what I liked and I was cool with that. I didn’t need friends. It wasn’t until high school that I found the SciFi Club.”

“It was like coming home to your people,” I teased.
 

“It was,” she laughed. “I could speak geek to them and they knew what I was talking about.”

“You can speak geek to me any day, muffin. It’s what I like most about you.”

“Wow, low standards,” she joked.
 

“No, I just know what I like. And, honestly, I never would have guessed that you can totally nerd out like me. I knew you were different because your style shows it, which I totally dig, but you’re different in a good way.”

“You’re different in a good way too.” She sat up and pressed her hand against my chest as she studied me. My hat that she had been wearing was now on the ground, and I could see her eyes full of need. I knew the look because it was the same feeling running through me too. She ran her spare hand through my hair and said, “I don’t want you to change. I like your hair messy, and I like the fact that you’re not fake orange from too much tanning.”

“I’m not going to change, Solo. My outer appearance might be slightly different, but I’m not going to change.”

“Fame changes people, Adam.”

“Fame means nothing to me, Solo.”