That made me laugh, pulling me away from the verge of crying. “I promise I won’t.”
Adam sang again and again. I turned off my feelings and turned on my technical mind. We discussed how to layer his voice while keeping the raw quality. Adam worked with Malik and me as a musician, not the man who’d just sang his heart out to me. That made me hate him a little less.
He came out of the booth and pulled up a chair slightly behind Malik and me. The hairs on the back of my neck stood at attention at having him so close, but he didn’t touch me. He listened to his recording and the direction Malik and I thought he should go like a professional.
After running through the song two more times, we all agreed it was right. We’d gotten what we needed. Adam packed up his guitar and slung it over his shoulder.
“This is tight, Wainwright,” Malik said. “Are you going to release this?”
He shook his head. “No plans right now. Maybe in the future, we’ll see. I’m not looking to go solo, though.”
Malik palmed my shoulder. “Why don’t you take off early?”
My brows lowered. “You don’t have boxes of cords for me to untangle?”
He barked a laugh. “You told me you like tedious things. Are you complaining now?”
I pressed my lips together to stop from laughing. “Nope. Never.”
“Then get out of here. You can untangle cords tomorrow.”
Adam held his hand out to me. My eyes swept to his, then back to his hand. I rose from my seat and slid my palm against his, our fingers curling together.
“I have to get my stuff at my desk,” I told him.
“That’s cool. I want to see your space.”
I was nervous. Shaking a little. There was no way he didn’t feel it. Fortunately, he was taking it easy on me, simply holding my hand and accompanying me to my desk. My coworkers were watching. I would have been too in their shoes, so I tried to not let it bother me.
“Malik seems chill,” Adam murmured.
“He is. Best boss ever.” Goose bumps bloomed along my arms as Adam crowded my space in my small cubicle.
“Your desk is a mess.”
I huffed a laugh. “Yeah. I spend most of my time running around and—”
His mouth came down on mine in a hard, possessive kiss. He didn’t take it deep, but he lingered there, breathing me in and out. I nearly went limp from it. He circled an arm around my back, holding me against him.
“Grab your things, Adelaide.”
“’Kay.”
He held my chin, sweeping his gaze over my face, then he kissed the tip of my nose. “You’re so cute when you’re flustered.”
“Shut up, Adam.” I knocked my forehead into his cheek. “Just shut up.”
He chuckled, seeing right through my bluster. “Come on.”
The trip back to Adam’s place was quiet. We had to talk—really talk—and the short ride wasn’t the place to begin it. So, we sat there holding hands, trading glances, until Adam had obviously had enough. He slid across the bench seat, wrapped his arm around my shoulders, and kissed my temple, my cheek, the corner of my mouth, my jaw. Then he turned my head to him and planted light, sweet kisses on my lips. He dipped in over and over. Each time, he pulled back, looked at me, groaned, and came back for more. He never took it deep, our mouths were closed, but he didn’t stop until we were in front of his building and it was time to get out.
Once we were finally in his apartment, my heart was in my throat. I hoped he spoke first. I wasn’t sure I could.
Adam set his guitar down and came to where I stood in his entryway. His hands slid through my hair, cupping the sides of my head, and his mouth found mine. This kiss did go well beyond the surface, but it was slow and sugary. His tongue swept into my mouth, sliding along mine. My fingers gripped the front of his shirt, and I whimpered into his mouth. He was knocking my knees out from under me without a single word. All my resistance was crumbling from one song and one searing kiss.
He pulled away, slowly opening his eyes. They crinkled at the corners when he grinned at me. “Come on. Sit down. Let me talk to you.”
“’Kay.” If he’d told me to jump off a bridge, I might have at that point.