All I Ever Need Is You (The Sullivans #14)(33)

Her couch wasn’t huge, but even if it had been, she suspected she would still have ended up snuggled in Adam’s arms. Partly because he wasn’t at all shy about pulling her into them. But also because his arms were right where she wanted to be on yet another Friday night where she was waiting for her sister to call for pickup.

Throughout the movie, he kept lightly stroking her hand, or her leg, or her shoulder. She didn’t get the sense that he was deliberately trying to seduce her, but with every minute that passed, each light caress managed to drive her higher. And then higher still. Until she was practically holding her breath waiting for the next one to come, wondering where he’d brush up against her this time.

She should tell him to stop. After all, this was just a friends’ night at home, rather than a night for one of their wild hotel sexcapades. But she couldn’t get the words past her throat. Didn’t want him to stop touching her. Not when she’d never known it was possible for her body to feel this alive with all her clothes on in her living room, while Princess Leia was telling Luke Skywalker it wasn’t over yet.

By the time the movie ended, Kerry was so wound up that she simply couldn’t think straight. Couldn’t remember why she shouldn’t flip around on the couch and devour his mouth in the way she’d been dreaming of for the past two hours.

Seconds later she was straddling him, her hands tangled in his dark hair, giving silent thanks that his gorgeous mouth was almost beneath hers. “I know we’re not in a hotel, but—”

His lips stole away the rest of what she’d been about to say at the exact moment that her phone rang.

She tore her mouth away from his with a curse. Too late, she remembered exactly why she should have done more—heck, done anything at all—to keep a friendly distance from Adam tonight.

Not only because what she’d just done had been about to blur the very clear lines they’d set up for their arrangement, but also because the whole reason he was over in the first place was to wait with her for her sister’s call.

“Colleen, where are you?”

“The Salty Dawg, but you don’t need to get me. I’ve got a ride.”

Kerry cursed again as the line went dead. “It sounds like she’s planning to leave with someone.”

“One of my cousins is a race-car driver,” Adam told her. “He’s taught me a few things over the years.”

She grabbed her bag and hurried out to his car, which he gunned up and out of her neighborhood in true race-car fashion. “What if we’re too late?”

“Then I’ll have Rafe trace her cell phone ASAP.”

“He can do that?”

“You know he’s a P.I. He can do pretty much anything, even if not all of it is completely legal.” Despite the speed at which Adam was driving, he reached out for her hand and squeezed it. “Either way, we’re going to find your sister tonight and bring her home safe and sound.”

The first time they’d done this, Kerry hadn’t wanted to let herself believe having this kind of support was more than a one-time anomaly. But here he was again, sitting beside her, helping in every way he could, promising her that she didn’t need to worry because he was just going to keep helping.

Kerry had tried not to be angry with her sister these past months. She’d tried to understand how hard it had been for Colleen to get over the hurt of her relationship crumbling.

But now Kerry couldn’t stop herself from wishing she could have one Friday night where she wasn’t on babysitting duty for her fully grown sister. Just one Friday night where she didn’t have to keep pretending that she had any control whatsoever over the situation.

The flash of anger was short-lived, though, when she thought about how much worse things could be if her sister didn’t call some night for pickup, and instead went home with one of the losers.

The thought of anything happening to Colleen made Kerry’s blood run cold. Cold enough to put out the fire Adam had so deftly stoked while they’d watched Star Wars. And by the time they made it to the bar, it felt like having pizza on the couch together had happened in a different lifetime.

She shot out of Adam’s car, and he was only a couple of steps behind her when she nearly plowed into Colleen and her guy-of-the-night weaving their way out of the bar.

“Thank God,” Kerry breathed. She believed Rafe could have traced Colleen’s whereabouts, but it would have taken time. Time in which any number of horrible things could have happened to her sister.

Colleen’s eyes were blurred with drink, but they still went wide when she saw Adam step up beside Kerry.

“Wait, I remember you. The hot guy from last weekend who wouldn’t let me stay and have more fun.” Colleen turned to Kerry. “You’re f*cking him, aren’t you?” She made a move to high-five her, but stumbled and Kerry had to catch her instead. “Not such a little goody-two-shoes, are you, out having sexytimes with Mr. Hunk. What other dirty secrets are you hiding from me?”

“Enough.” Adam’s tone was hard. Hard enough to have her sister’s mouth turn down into a pout. “We’re leaving. Now.”

“Why do you always have to come to ruin my fun?”

But Kerry could see that Adam wasn’t feeling particularly charitable tonight. Was it because he was upset that their sexytimes had been interrupted? Or was it something else? Something that made Kerry’s chest ache because she could only think of one reason he’d stick up for her.