Adam lay Christina down on the bed as delicately as if she were made of glass. As she lay below him as he crawled on top of her, her chest still glistening with faint beads of bath water, he stayed silent as he slowly untied the knot of her robe. He gently pulled it open to expose her tanned skin, her two nipples hardening instantly under the cool air.
Adam felt his breath catch as he looked down at her, his eyes drinking in every curve, every gleam, every square inch of nakedness of her, as he gently pulled apart the rest of her robe so it was spread out on either side of her and she was lying completely exposed under him.
He felt his cock harden instantly as his eyes searched her from head to toe, Christina's tiny hands fumbling to open his own robe as she pulled it down over his shoulders, leaving him hovering over her with nothing covering him but an intense love for her that permanently coated his body like an invisible cloak.
Their eyes held together as Adam slowly bent his face down to Christina's, his gaze not leaving hers for even a moment as he brought their lips together, this time just holding them there and pouring his love into her mouth as softly and tenderly as he could. He could feel Christina's entire body clenching under the electric sensation that passed through their joined lips, before she whimpered softly and suddenly reached both her arms around his back. Before he knew what was happening, she'd gently guided him to spin over so he was lying on his back, and she climbed over him so she was straddling him.
He moaned softly as Christina's soft folds naturally brushed against his cock, the sensation taking him to a sudden, almost unbearable hardness as she reached her hands down to find his and laced their fingers tightly together. And as she sat above him, her half-dried hair cascading down her shoulders like a pure waterfall, he suddenly felt like his breath was being sucked from his body.
"I love you so much I can't breathe."
The words she'd whispered to him on the beach just over a week ago crashed into his mind as she bent down and brought their lips back together, Adam lifting his head to meet hers in needful responsiveness.
I know what you mean, Christina. I feel it, too. Like I can't breathe.
And as Christina sat her body up again and looked down at him, their naked bodies pressed together, she felt filled from tip to toe with a sense of peace that she'd never truly felt before. The peace of knowing that he was hers. That they were made for each other. That they really were going to have it all.
"I don't know if this is - if it's inappropriate to say on day like today," Christina suddenly said softly with a blush, unsure if she was speaking too soon. "But maybe it's actually the best time to say it, given everything that's happened..." Adam just lay there and looked up at her listening, his body calm. "I want it all with you, Adam." Christina continued tightly as she stroked his chest. "The whole way."
She could see Adam suddenly exhale sharply as he looked up at her. He placed his hand on her thigh and stroked it with his thumb.
"Baby," he said softly, the term of endearment making Christina's chest turn hot. "I want to be with you more than anything... and you know that." The surprising look on his face washed Christina with a sudden shower of fear as he swallowed hard, looking like he was finding the right words to say. "You know I'm probably saying this way too prematurely, but... I've actually been thinking a lot over the past few days, and, well given that you brought it up, I should really tell you something..." He sat his upper body up a little as Christina felt her stomach drop. "I don't think I want to get married."
Christina could feel the frown eclipse her face as she looked down at him with bewilderment.
Uh?
"You don't want to marry me?" she asked, her voice breathless.
"I don't think I want to marry anyone."
"What? Why?" She asked, hearing the surprise and concern changing her voice.
What on earth?
Adam reached for her two hands and held them tight. "I don't want to upset you," he said softly. "But I do want to be honest, just in case this is a... like a thing for you. I just feel like - I feel like the whole marriage thing has traumatized me a little bit." He shrugged softly, looking up at Christina with a face that begged her to understand this bizarre side effect of calling off his wedding two days before it was meant to happen.
"I can't really explain it," Adam continued, looking at Christina's hand in his. "I know it sounds weird, but... just all the planning that went into it, and asking all the guests to just turn around and go home, and - and all the details... I don't know, I just feel like it's all become a bad experience - like the idea of a wedding has become a bit of a nightmare now... I don't know, am I making any sense?"
Christina just lay there blinking at him in disbelief as she mumbled something resembling a 'yes'. But the truth was, she really didn't know what to think. On one hand she felt like she kind of understood where he was coming from, but another part of her just couldn't imagine spending a life with Adam and never marrying him. It was a totally alien concept to her. She also hated the fact that he was sounding like he couldn't separate a wedding to Claire, from a wedding to her. But, at the same time, she knew she couldn't really begin to understand what he had just been through.
"Christina..." Adam said softly as he found her worried eyes with his, urging her to look at him as his hands stayed tightly closed around hers. "Over 200 people I know are in LA right now, because they were meant to watch me get married today," he said seriously as he looked right at her. "And look where I am." He gestured to her, to the room, to how their bodies were positioned in the bed. "If that doesn't show you how much I love you... I don't know what will."
Christina just nodded tightly back at him, as she willed herself with all her might to accept his terms and stay strong. "Okay," she whispered as she tried to smile a little, although it didn't quite come out right.
As Adam lay below her and smiled back at her, she already knew that, deep down, it would take a long time to accept that she might never become Adam's wife. She hoped with all her heart that this was something he'd come to change his mind about with time. But she also knew him to be one of the most stubborn people she'd ever met, and once he'd made his mind up about something, that was usually it. But if this was the ultimate price she'd have to pay for leaving him, she'd pay it. She had him; that was enough. She felt like she'd already won.
And a small part of Christina felt almost blown away by the fact that he would even consider entering a long-term relationship with her again when, technically, it would be much easier for her to walk out of the door at any time if they never married. That he would trust her that much after what she'd done.
"Thank you," Christina suddenly whispered, her hand tightening around his.
"For what?" Adam asked gently.
"For trusting me. For believing me."
Adam's eyes glimmered with emotion. "Well I don't really have a choice. I want to be with you, and you don't really come any other way. I checked the box."
Christina's face flushed as she looked down with a soft smile. "And you know I want to be with you, too... but it's not like I don't have my own massive fear to deal with each and every day now, so you're kind of not alone," she said tightly, suddenly realizing how much underlying fear she was actually living with now that she had Adam back.
"And what's that?" she heard him gently ask as her eyes stayed focused on his hands.
Christina swallowed tightly. "The fear that - that you'll wake up one day and feel like you made a mistake," she said through a choked voice, the very thought paralyzing her. "That you'll wish you chose Claire."
She heard Adam release a small laugh, the sound utterly beautiful to her had it not surprised her so much. Her eyes flicked back towards his and he was just laying there looking back at her, his eyes ripe with love.
"Try me."
