To Hate Adam Connor

He was perfect, and he was mine.

***

Adam: Why are you hiding from me?

Lucy: Who says I’m hiding?

Adam: You don’t take my calls.

Lucy: I’m texting back, aren’t I? Maybe I don’t want to hear your voice. Maybe I don’t like it. Be a little humble.

Adam: You love my voice, Lucy. You loved it when you were begging me to talk to you so you could come around my cock. And you came so gloriously.

Lucy: I hate you.

Adam: We need to talk.

***

“How is she doing?” I asked Jason as he met me in their backyard. It was late at night, the lights in their pool dim, the house completely dark.

“She is okay,” he said after a moment of hesitation. “She is handling everything okay. But, that’s Lucy for you. She won’t cry and scream about it.”

I was starting to realize the same.

“She asleep?”

He nodded and crossed his arms over his chest.

“I heard you’ve been talking to Tom. Jumping ship?”

“Last movie is in production and I’m itching to start something new. Bob Dunham has been good to me, but I don’t think we’re seeing eye to eye anymore.”

“I’ve heard you’re contracted for one more movie with Sun Down Pictures. How is that going?”

I shook my head and looked back at their house. “I don’t like it. That was his first mistake. They change their people too much. I’m not a big fan of the writers they have right now. I still have time until the end of 2018. I’ll decide on something. Until then, I think it will work out with Tom.”

“You’re in good hands. He is excited to take you on. Since you’re the family type, he’s over the moon that he’ll have no problems with you in the media.”

I chuckled. “Not much of a family left.”

“Still. I don’t believe you have any sort of sex tape hidden away, do you?” Jason arched his brow as he waited for an answer.

“I don’t believe I do.”

“Then you’re golden. After the scares I’ve given him for years, I don’t think he can go through it all over again. Other than this latest news frenzy about your divorce and ex-wife, I rarely see you on any of the tabloid covers—unless it’s a family photo, that is. You’re Tom’s dream actor. He’ll have fun working with you.”

Tired, I rubbed the back of my neck. “We had a good meeting the other day. He said he might have something I’d be interested in. We’ll see how it goes.” Thinking I’d heard a door open, I looked over my shoulder.

Jason laughed, the sound low and warm. “It’s a little late to pay her a visit, don’t you think? But if you want to see if she is okay or not with your own eyes, I can’t fault you for that.”

“If you don’t mind.”

His mouth still curved up at the edges, he dropped his arms and gestured for me to walk ahead of him. “If she attacks you, it’s on you.”

“I’ll take my chances,” I muttered. I figured she was probably going to make a scene, but maybe I’d get lucky and slip out of her room without waking her.

Stopping in front of Lucy’s room, Jason whispered, “We care about her, Connor. I hope you know what you’re doing.”

Without making any further comment, I ducked my head and entered Lucy’s room.

Just like her personality, she slept all wild and free: legs tangled in the sheets, face buried in her pillows, her body sprawled right in the middle of the bed. It was too dark to notice anything other than her beautiful silhouette.

From where I stood, she looked peaceful, yet my feet still took me closer to make sure. I pushed a few strands of her hair out of her face and watched her sleep.

She hiccupped.

I smiled and found myself getting in bed with her. I’d been out all night. Rushing to a meeting with my lawyers. Having dinner with the director as we discussed the production process for the movie. Talking to my new publicist. Talking with the production company about which shows I’d have to appear on for the promotion of the new movie. I’d talked and talked and talked.

Now I just wanted to listen to Lucy breathe.

I curled my arm around her stomach and slowly pushed my hand under her T-shirt, stroking her soft, warm skin.

She released a soft groan, and I felt my dick come to life.

I sighed against her skin, resting my nose against her neck. My hand stilled on her stomach, and I listened to her soft breathing.

She hiccupped again.

I laughed and ran my hands down her arms as gently as possible.

She stirred in her sleep. “Olive?”

“Shhh, it’s me,” I murmured, kissing her neck.

She shivered under my lips.

“Adam?”

Leaning forward, she reached for the light.

“Don’t.”

“What’s going on?” she asked in a low voice still laced with sleep. It was sexy as hell. “Breaking and entering again?”

I took her hand in mine and kissed her wrist as she turned to face me.

“Don’t hide from me, Lucy,” I said, surprising myself. I hadn’t come into her room to tell her that. “Don’t ignore me.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about, Adam. What time is it?”

“Past midnight.”

For a little while we lay silently on our sides, doing nothing but staring into each other’s eyes. The light coming from under the door wasn’t enough to let me see her beauty mark, or those stormy eyes that pulled at something in my chest, but I was content; what I could see of her was enough to settle my heart.

“The doctor?”

“I have an appointment for tomorrow.”

“Your ex?”

She shook her head, glancing up at the ceiling. “I talked to him, but I don’t want to talk about it.”

I didn’t push. I wasn’t itching to talk about her ex either.

“How was your vacation?”

“It wasn’t a vacation. I…I have to fly to Paris every year.”

She moved a little, getting comfortable. “Your sister’s birthday, right?”

I smiled a little. “Stalking me online again, I see.”

She snorted. “You keep calling me a stalker, I might as well earn my nickname.”

Would I share my secrets with her one day?

“You’re not trying to kick me out or slapping me for getting in bed with you…you sure you’re okay?”

Propping her hands under her head, she took a deep breath.

“I’m scared, Adam.”

For her to admit that to me, someone as strong as her, was huge. The worry in my chest lessened. She was letting me have a piece of her heart without even knowing what she was doing.

“Come here,” I muttered and pulled her closer. She didn’t put up a fight. She didn’t ask what I was doing or why I was doing it. She simply lifted her head and let me slide my arm under her neck so she could rest more comfortably.

Playing with her hair, I closed my eyes and let my forehead rest against hers.

“It’ll be okay, Lucy.”

“It won’t be. It can’t be. And I’m so fucking scared because I’m not ready to have a baby by myself, Adam. I know nothing about babies.”

“I do. We’ll make it okay, Lucy. I’m here for you. I have no intentions of letting you hide yourself from me.”

“You don’t understand,” she insisted, her body pulling away.