Icebreaker (18 page)

Read Icebreaker Online

Authors: Deirdre Martin

Tags: #Women lawyers, #Contemporary, #Legal, #General, #Romance, #Hockey players, #Fiction

“Where do you live?” she asked Adam.
“East Twenty-eighth and Third Avenue. Pretty nondescript, but it’s a fairly quiet street. Not a lot of nightlife around.”
“Is that important to you?”
“Yeah. I like to wind down after games and just hang out. I’m not really a party type of guy.”
“I guessed that.” Sinead gestured toward the kitchen. “Um, I hope you like chicken and roast potatoes.”
“Sounds great. That was actually a big favorite in my house when I was growing up.”
Sinead grinned. “Me, too.” She remembered the flowers in her hand. “Why don’t you go sit on the couch, and I’ll put these in water. Would you like anything to drink? I’ve got some Sauvignon Blanc.”
“I’d love a glass.”
“Be right back.”
Sinead returned to the kitchen, rolling some of the nervousness she was feeling out of her shoulders. God, he was handsome. He had to know it. She’d tried hard not to stare at his mouth while he was talking; that beautiful, sensuous mouth that had kissed her so expertly. She put the flowers in a vase and uncorked the chilled wine, pouring him a glass as well as some water for herself. She brought the drinks out into the living room, then went back to get the flowers, placing them in the center of the coffee table. She sat down next to Adam—close, but not too close.
Adam lifted his wineglass. “Cheers.”
“Cheers.”
Sinead looked at her coffee table, bare except for the flowers and their two glasses, and cringed. “God, I forgot to get us some crackers and cheese. Sorry.”
Adam looked baffled. “Why are you apologizing?”
Sinead felt her face flame. “It’s just that I wanted things to be perfect.”
And it’s three minutes in, and I’ve already failed.
“Anyone ever tell you that you need to relax?”
Sinead lifted her eyebrows. “Look who’s talking.”
Adam reeled back slightly, surprised. “What are you talking about?”
“Mr. Intense.”
“Ms. Intense. Anthony said we should have an ‘intense off.’ ”
Sinead was amused. “Oh, did he now?” She gave a small frown. “The only thing I hate about the word
intense
is that it implies being humorless, you know? Or no fun.”
“I know. But it’s obvious I have a sense of humor.”
“Is it?”
“I’m a
Three Stooges
fan, remember?”
Sinead groaned. “God, I wish you’d never told me that.” She was visited by a memory. “My brothers used to watch them all the time. Then they’d try to poke each other’s eyes out. My mother was not pleased.”
Adam laughed delightedly. “My brother and I used to do that, too.”
“It must be a guy thing.”
“Are you sure you don’t want to watch a few old episodes with me?” Adam asked sardonically.
“I’ll pass.”
Adam sighed. “Your loss.”
“You keep believing that.”
Sinead took another sip of water, more to give herself something to do than out of thirst. Despite their little thrust and parry over Moe, Larry, and Curly, nerves were creeping up on her. Her mind blanked for a moment.
What should we talk about now? Business. Go to the safe topic of business.
Sinead gestured to her antique rolltop desk in the far right corner. “Remind me: your photo albums are there.” Time for another sip of water. “They’re really going to help if the case goes to court, Adam.”
“Yeah, well . . .”
“What’s wrong?”
“I’m worried about Ray testifying in court. I hate the thought of him humbling himself for my sake.”
Sinead hesitated a moment, then reached for his hand, twining her fingers through his. “I don’t think this is going to end up in court. Trust me. It sounds egotistical, but Kidco hired me for a reason. While nothing is one hundred percent certain, I think I’ll be able to demonstrate that there’s really no case, and the charges will be dropped.”
Adam ran his thumb along hers. “Christ, it’s like a goddamn toothache. I hope it gets wrapped up before the playoffs.”
“Ray’s worried about all the pressure you’re under with the Blades,” Sinead said quietly.
“Ray’s an old lady. Pressure is part of being a professional athlete.”
“He’s just concerned about you.” She paused. “I am, too.”
“I’m fine,” Adam said testily. “Pressure comes with the paycheck. It’s not a problem.”
“If you say so.”
He squeezed her hand. “Chicken smells good.”
“Thanks.” Because she was neurotic, Sinead had everything in the kitchen on a timer. She’d already cut up the salad and tossed it, putting it in the fridge so it didn’t wilt before dinner.
She untangled her fingers from his, pleasantly surprised when he slid closer and put his arm around her. “This okay?” he asked.
“Yes, of course.” It was more than okay. She let herself settle into the crook of his arm, then jumped up a second later. “Oh, shoot! I forgot to put music on.”
“Sinead.”
Adam’s voice was affectionate yet reprimanding. “Just sit down and relax, okay? We can put music on when we have dinner.”
“Okay.” Sinead sat back down, but inside she was thinking:
This is a disaster so far. No, it isn’t. Stop being so melodramatic.
She let herself rest her head on Adam’s broad shoulder, loving the feeling of his arm around her.
Go with the flow
. Rather than fretting about filling up the silence, she embraced it instead. They were sitting in the quiet of two people who didn’t need words right now to be close. Gradually, Sinead’s nervousness began to ebb, replaced by a rare sense of calm. Her mind wasn’t speeding like a bullet train. She was so relaxed that when the timer rang in the kitchen, she was jolted back into real time.
“God, that almost gave me a heart attack,” she said, standing up. Meanwhile, Adam remained completely unperturbed; his gaze was relaxed, almost intimate. Sinead swallowed, trying not to stare at him, or worse, say, “To hell with dinner,” and lunge at him. She forced a genial smile onto her face. “Hungry?” she asked. She almost blushed. Somehow it sounded like a loaded question.
Adam’s gaze locked onto hers. “Starving.”
With that, Sinead knew that what she’d been fretting about earlier was completely imaginary: tonight was not going to be a disaster at all.
14
“What a great
meal.”
Sinead was pleased by Adam’s satisfied smile as they sat down together on the couch after dinner. Things had gone well. Adam was beginning to let down his defenses, and she was, too. He asked about her marriage over dinner and she told him, though she didn’t go into great detail about what it was that ultimately split her and Chip up. That was just too painful.
“I’m glad you liked the meal,” she said, “but it’s not like it required gourmet skills. Anyone with half a brain could have made it.”
“It was still good.”
“Well, thank you.”
Adam’s arm snaked around her, pulling her to him tight. “You thought I was a total moron when you first met me, didn’t you?”
Embarrassed, Sinead buried her face in his shoulder.
“You did, didn’t you?” Adam pressed, sounding amused.
Sinead looked back at him. “No. I’d just never dealt with taciturn jocks before.”
“Very telling, your use of the word
jock
, not
athlete
.”
“Fine, I’ll admit it,” Sinead said with a little huff. “I thought you were a hulking twit incapable of putting two sentences together.”
Adam laughed loudly. “And when did you change your mind?”
“Who says I have?”
“I can put two sentences together right now if you want,” Adam murmured.
Sinead’s heart fluttered. “Okay.”
He tucked her hair behind her ear, gently pressing his mouth to her ear. “I want you. Now.”
“Me, too,” Sinead said, trying not to tremble. She decided to be bold and kissed him lightly. If Adam was surprised, he didn’t show it. Instead, he waited a few seconds before taking control, turning the bare touch of their lips into something more urgent. There was no denying the electricity passing back and forth between them, the sense that something long suppressed was finally being brought out into the light. Sinead gathered her senses together as best she could and stood, extending her hand to lead him into her bedroom.
She turned on the bedside lamp. Adam lay down so gently beside her, looking at her with such unabashed tenderness that Sinead found herself teary.
He really cares about me
.
I’m precious to him. And he’s showing me
.
His gaze remained amorous as he put his arms around her and held her tight, his mouth leaving a trail of tiny kisses along her jawline. Sinead’s eyes lazed shut. It felt wonderful, especially when his mouth moved down to the hollows of her collarbone. But sweetness wasn’t what she wanted right now. She was aching with want of him. Again boldness overtook her: she grasped his face between her hands and kissed his mouth greedily, unable to hide her yearning. She wanted to devour him and be devoured in return. Groaning, Adam flipped her onto her back, and then he was on her, his luscious mouth as demanding as hers. Sinead worried about squeezing the life out of him as she clutched him tightly. She wanted to feel every inch of his body against hers, his male solidity pressing down on her, possessing her. She wanted to be unable to tell where she started and he ended.
Her craving for him was overpowering as she released him just long enough to tug on the back of his sweater. “I want this off,” she whispered. “Now.”
Adam laughed. “You never stop bossing people around, do you?” He bit her neck softly and then sat up, straddling her as he whipped his sweater off and tossed it on the floor. Sinead reached up, pressing her palms to his smooth, hard chest, allowing herself the luxury of feeling him. His chest was burning; or was it her hands? Adam smiled down at her so seductively that for a split second, her shyness returned as she thought:
Am I really worthy of such a look of desire?
But clearly Adam thought she
deserved
it, as his mouth dipped down to hers, his kiss nakedly intense. Sinead pressed herself against him, physical desperation overtaking her body. Adam lifted his head to look at her; there was a ravenous look in his eye that made her blood churn excitedly, far past the point she thought possible. Adam seemed to sense it as he helped her quickly struggle out of her shirt and bra. His eyes hooded as he teased at her nipples with his mouth, his teeth gently tugging one minute, his tongue flicking the next. Sparks of pleasure cascaded through Sinead, the want of him building inside her starting to become unendurable. For the first time in years, she felt fully, truly alive.
A sharp breath overtook her as Adam’s mouth slowly began its descent down her body, his kisses maddeningly light. He was torturing her and enjoying every moment of it. As was she. Body burning, she rocked her hips against him, lightly at first, then harder. “Please,” she whispered. Once again, Adam lifted his head to meet her eyes. Need was growing in him, too. She could see it on his face; hear it in his heavy breaths.
Slowly, almost gingerly, Adam undid the zipper of her jeans and tugged them down, along with her panties. Her breath held as she saw him drink her in before his fingertips created invisible trails up and down the insides of her legs and over the terrain of her hips and belly. Such delicious torment—but she wanted the torture to end.
“Make love to me,” she whispered.
“Now.”
“So demanding,” Adam said with a sexy smirk. “I love it.”
She closed her eyes as Adam slid off her. She heard him undoing his belt, the soft sound of the rest of his clothing hitting the floor. There was the crinkle of a wrapper, and then he was back on the bed, his heated body crashing back down on hers. Sinead dug her nails into his back, gasping with pleasure when he parted her legs and eased himself inside her. His rhythm was slow and easy, but that wasn’t what she wanted as she lifted her hips with each thrust and took control of the pace herself. Adam returned her frenzy, his body punching inside hers deep and hard. As the world around them burned away to just the two of them, Sinead finally achieved the relief she sought as she was swept away on pounding waves of bliss. She had barely recovered when Adam upped the tempo, and pressure began building inside her again, sweet and sharp. Mere seconds later she was overcome with roaring pleasure for a second time, her joyous screams filling the bedroom. Adam moaned, and with a final, hard thrust, filled her as he shuddered with his own release.

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