That Kind of Love - The Legacy Saga Book 2 Short Story

That Kind -

 Chapter 9

One week later.

Rocking the porch swing gently, Adagio holds Evangeline close and offers what comfort he can. Her father's graveside service was yesterday and most of the people in attendance were Mercury employees. It seems her father burned a lot of bridges over the past year, and the words spoken over his grave had been few.

Evangeline had spent most of today with her mother, going through her father's things, packing up and storing what they would keep, and loading the rest into her mother's car to take to the homeless shelter. Kathryn will be tied up the rest of the week, trying to repair the damage at Mercury, so now it is just Adagio and Evangeline.

As the skies darken, a street light comes on at the end of the block, but he and Evangeline are shadowed from the rest of the world. Caressing her face while holding her snugly in his arms, emotion wells up inside him. Unable to resist, he presses his lips against her ear and whispers, “I love you, Evangeline. You don't have to love me back right now, or say the words if you don't feel the same, but I just needed you to know.”

* * *

Drawing back a little, I smile, touching his face, his lips. The words come easy. “I do love you, Adagio. More than I ever dreamed I could love someone.” My skin tingles at the touch of his fingers slowly caressing every part of my face, ending with the feather-light tracing of my lips. He draws me closer, holding me so closely, I can feel the beat of his heart, its rhythm matching my own.

“I believe you. Would you like to know why?”

“Yes.”

“I believe you because your eyes have never allowed you to look upon me, yet you see me better than anyone. You love exclusively with your heart, and that means more than I can possibly say. And it makes me love you all the more.”

His words are beautiful. They speak to my soul, and my soul answers. “Those are the very reasons I love you. You looked past my sightless eyes and really saw me. Until you, no one ever has.”

He rests his forehead against mine for a moment in silent contemplation. “Have you ever been kissed, Evangeline?” he whispers, his warm breath fanning my face. “Has a man ever held you this close and tasted your irresistible mouth?”

“No,” I softly answer. His words are the most sensual I've ever heard. His fingers continue their exploration of my face and soon his lips follow, kissing a path to mine.

I sigh and my lips part, giving him access that he immediately accepts. The minute his tongue sweeps against mine, the heat of molten lava fills my insides, reaching every part of my body, setting my body on fire. Nothing in life–in this earthly sphere–could have prepared me for the love, the passion, the emotionally-tumultuous ecstasy I am now experiencing at his hands. I cling to him, my hands roaming everywhere, unable to get close enough, every part of me wanting to touch every part of him. I've never felt such longing. I never knew it existed.

“Adagio.” In my whispering of his name is an unspoken plea, a need to be closer to him, and it only serves to increase the heat between us. His returning moan and the touch of his hands say what his voice does not.

Breaking the kiss suddenly, he stands and lifts me in his arms and carries me into the house. When the door is closed, I am pressed against the wall and his heated mouth again claims mine. His muscular arms band around my waist, caressing my back. My hands are soon lost in his hair and his kiss sears a burning path to my neck where his mouth makes thorough work of assuring not an inch goes untouched. When my legs can no longer hold me, he locks me securely against him. All coherent thought is gone as he fills my mind, commanding the response of my every sense. I slip a hand under his shirt and the taunt skin on his back is like fire beneath my fingertips. The hunger of his kiss increases, his warm mouth threatening to devour me whole, and I meet that hunger with the voraciousness of my own. Every inch of me burns for him. I have never experienced such burning need. I can't even put it into words. I can't speak, period.

Just when I think I will faint from the heat of his affections and the desire they've lit inside me, his mouth slowly parts from mine. His arms are still around me, his warm breath fanning my face. I can feel his gaze and I long to know what his face expresses as he looks at me. I need to know. My fingers slowly explore his features, his breath hitching once more as they move over his lips. Fingers are quickly replaced by my own lips as I press them to his.

“Will you marry me?” he asks as his mouth lightly moves over mine. “Please say yes.” But before I can answer, his kiss deepens, adding new kindling to the already burning fires of my heart.

Pulling back just a little, I say, “Yes.” There can be no other answer. After experiencing such beautiful and exquisite passion at his hand, there is no way I can ever be without it again. I can never be away from him again.

For a moment we just hold one another, never wanting to let go. Adagio moves back a little, still keeping one arm wrapped around me. “I have something for you.” he tells me. Taking my hand, he slips a ring onto my finger. I touch it with my other and gasp.

“But how . . .”

“Come and sit with me, mi amore, and I will share the story of this ring and the two amazing women who wore it.”

* * *

I have been lying in bed for hours, but I can't seem to fall asleep. My mind is filled with thoughts of Adagio and how quickly he claimed my heart. Over and over the evening we spent together sweeps through my thoughts. Every single moment had been heavenly.

We stayed up until late, wrapped up in one another, sharing kisses and tender caresses, whispering words of love and longing. When we finally said goodnight, it was with painful reluctance, hating to separate even for the short space of time the night takes from us. Everything in me needs to be with him, needs him touching me in some way.

Sighing, I get up and head to the kitchen, deciding a cup of chamomile tea might help. I notice a dim light coming from the living room and I head in that direction.

“Adagio,” I whisper.

“I am here, amore,” he says, taking my hand. “I couldn't sleep,” he tells me, guiding me to the couch. He sits down and pulls me onto his lap, linking his arms around me.

“I couldn't sleep either.”

“I think we are both suffering from the same love-induced insomnia.” By the amused tone of his voice, I can tell he is smiling.

“I think so, too.” Resting a hand on his muscular chest, I lay my head against his shoulder, idly running my fingers through his deep waves, taking pleasure in the way his heartbeat speeds up and his lips immediately search for mine. His kiss is pleasurably-slow and gentle. The feel and taste of his mouth is heavenly. My hand roams from his chest to his face and I caress his cheek, smiling against his mouth as his hand becomes buried in my hair.

“Everything about you intoxicates me,” he whispers, deepening the kiss. “I don't think I will ever get enough of you.” His lips travel to my ear. “Not a minute will go by when I won't need you, when I won't need to touch you, or need you to touch me.”

Shivers of pleasure roll through me, producing goosebumps on my arms. His warm hand rubs them away. “I feel the same. I don't think we can get married fast enough.”

I feel him smile against my cheek. Grabbing the quilt draped across the arm of the sofa, Adagio moves me from is lap. He puts he feet up and reclines back against one of the throw pillows, drawing me down to lay in front of him, and spreads the quilt over us. Lying in his arms, he pulls me deeper into himself. Linking his fingers through mine, he kisses my ear and whispers, “I love you, baby.”

I turn my head, allowing him access to my waiting lips. “I love you, too.”

Safe in his embrace, I slowly fall asleep.