Her Unchained Heart (Adult Contemporary Romance) Read online

  Chapter 2

  Jennifer had every intention of learning how to play a song on the guitar. After all, Nathan was paying for Adam to give her lessons. But it turned out that she would much rather listen to him play than to do it herself. He was able to teach her a few basic chords and a simple melody, but it would always happen that she would rather listen to him and his guitar.

  And Adam would happily oblige. The lessons became much more frequent, sometimes with Nathan passed out in front of the television while Adam sang softly to Jennifer in the next room. As time went on, they grew closer and closer. He became her confidant, and she became his muse. Adam was everything that her husband wasn’t, and everything that he used to be. He seemed to truly care about her, just like he cared about everything that he did. He was passionate and giving, he was alive. Jennifer admired him for that. But, more than anything, she liked the way she felt when she was around him. It made the time that they were apart both bearable and excruciating at the same time.

  Jennifer glanced at the clock, knowing that Adam would be there soon. Every morning, when her husband looked at it, he saw a stern and unforgiving face. A face that told him that he had to be somewhere, and also that he was probably late. But for Jennifer, it was excited and knowing. They shared a wonderful secret, her and that clock.

  They both knew that, in less than an hour, she would be giving herself to Adam.

  There was no time to waste. She shoved the dishes into the dishwasher with only a cursory rinse, then danced to the bedroom to get ready. She showered using the scented wash that he liked so much and shaved carefully before putting on her sexiest outfit. She glanced at her good friend, the clock, who assured her that she still had a few moments to admire herself in the mirror. It wasn’t that she was vain; she just liked the way that she felt when she was with Adam. She liked the way she looked for him.

  And, perhaps more than that, she enjoyed the way she looked in the outfit that she had bought specifically for today. The low-cut top accented her breasts and the bottoms showered off her smooth thighs while barely covering her ass. It was outfit designed to both entice and to tease, and she couldn’t wait to see the look his face when he saw it. When he saw her.

  She didn’t have to wait very long. That was another thing that she liked about Adam; he never kept her waiting. Her heart leaped into her throat when she heard the knock at the door. She took one last look in the mirror before answering. The look on his face was exactly what she had hoped for.

  “Oh, my God,” Adam said. His tone was hushed, nearly reverent.

  Jennifer only smiled. She turned around, making sure that he had a very clear view of her backside, before walking back into the house. She knew that he would follow, and when she heard the door close behind her she knew that they were alone in the house. And, of course, they both wanted the same thing.

  She led him to the bedroom; once there, she turned around to face him.

  “You look good in that,” he grinned. “You know what would look even better on you?”

  “What?” she asked. She was more than a little bit hurt,

  “Me,” he grinned.

  She laughed, but the sound was muffled by Adam’s lips. He pressed his body against hers, and then pressed both of theirs against the wall. She melted into his arms as his tongue explored her mouth. When he finally pulled away, they were both left gasping for air and desperate for more.

  Of the many ways that Adam and Nathan differed, it was Adam’s passion that Jennifer appreciated the most. Every time they were together, it was just like the first time. And this time, as they prepared to take their relationship to the next level, he was more like an animal than a man. The look in his eyes was wild and feral, and it excited Jennifer more than anything that she had ever seen.

  For as much time as she had spent getting dressed, it took only moments to get her undressed. He pulled them from her body, by some miracle not tearing a single piece, and took only a moment to admire her body before taking off his own clothes with equal enthusiasm and desire.

  “Jenn…” Adam whispered, holding her close. He didn’t complete his thought. He didn’t need to. Jennifer knew what he was going to say, and she felt the same way. They had never before said the word ‘love’ in each other’s presence before, but it was very clear that they both felt it.

  She smiled. In her smile was her answer, always unspoken and forever sincere. Taking him by the hand, she led him to the bed.

  Her marriage bed. The one that she shared with her husband. The very idea made her even more excited.

  Adam was normally nothing if not kind and gentle. Normally. But today, he was very different. He was a wild, untamed beast- one that wanted only her.

  She squealed when he pushed her onto the bed, and then laughed when he landed on top of her. His powerful frame pressed her against the mattress, trapping her under his body. She felt safe there, as though that were where she wanted to be more than anywhere else in the world.

  Adam leaned in close, and he whispered words that made her entire body quiver. “I want you, Jenn. I’ve wanted you since the first time I laid eyes on you. You’re amazing, and if Nathan doesn’t realize that- well, that’s nothing short of tragic. I… I love you.”

  She looked into his eyes, and she felt their bodies pressed tightly against one another. “I love you, too, Adam,” she confessed. It was an odd sensation- the emotional weight was lifted, but the physical one was still there. She was happy that it was.

  His manhood was heavy and massive, and she felt its tip slide against her inner thigh. It was almost as though it knew exactly where to go, even if its owner hadn’t. But he didn’t take her- not yet. There was still so much pleasure that they were both to experience.

  He kissed her then- firm and deep. They had kissed before, but it was never like that. He kissed her lips, then her cheek, then her neck. His lips traced the contours of her skin like he was tasting her for the first time. He kissed and licked her neck gently, drawing a shudder from her eager, desperate body.

  “Adam…” she began. But the words remained in her body. She was lost in the moment, and in the sensations that her lover brought to her. She couldn’t believe that it was finally happening- that she was finally getting what she had so desperately wanted for so long. She was floating in a sea of joy, her course set.

  She felt his breath on her chest. He kissed her again, then traced the soft rise of her breast with his tongue until he reached the crest- the summit of his journey. She gasped when he took one of her sensitive nipples in his mouth. She moaned when his hand teased the other. She could barely hear his breathing over her own, but it was very clear that he was as excited as she was.

  Of course, the firm-but-soft flesh that she now felt against her soft, warm opening would have given that away anyway. She could feel his dick pressing against her sex, barely parting her lips as though it were begging for entrance. And Adam didn’t seem inclined to keep it waiting.

  “Are you ready?” he whispered, as though he were afraid to break the spell that had come over them.

  Jennifer could only nod. She was far more than ready. But she was rather certain that her body was already broadcasting that fact. She wondered if he could feel her heat just as clearly as she could feel his own.

  And then, like an answered prayer, like a wonderful dream, he was inside her. He went slowly at first, allowing her body to adjust to him. She could feel inch by wondrous inch as he filled her.

  “It’s been so long,” Jennifer managed. She could feel tears welling in her eyes, but she couldn’t quite explain them. All that she knew was that the moment was beautiful. It was exactly what she had needed for so long.

  Together, they found their rhythm. Together, they reached a fevered pitch. Together, they reached climax.

  Adam was, by any account, a thorough and a generous lover. She lost all track of time, and nearly lost all track of her senses by the time they were through. She was on another plane of existence altog
ether, lost in a haze of pure bliss. She didn’t remember him helping her into the shower, and she barely remembered him carefully bathing her.

  But she did remember, very clearly, the way he carefully laid her onto the bed. And she also remembered Adam lying next to her, as close as he possibly could. She remembered him whispering into her ear, “Come away with me. Be mine forever.”

  She remembered saying yes.

  Chapter 3

  Jennifer paced nervously. She was a wild animal, and the living room was her cage. She absently walked around the couch to the fireplace; she was hardly aware of the distance traveled between the fireplace and the aquarium; finally, she ended up back behind the couch. She had a great deal on her mind, and no idea what to do with it all.

  She hadn’t been so far gone that she didn’t remember what she promised to Adam. But now, with her desire and pleasure out of the equation, she realized just how crazy it all sounded. Could she really end her marriage after so much time? Could she change her life so drastically, leaving the security and drudgery of her life? The thoughts raced through her head. Never before had she been more conflicted.

  Her eyes settled on the picture of Nathan, sitting alone on the mantle. She thought about the man that he used to be and thought about who he was now. She thought about Adam, and the excitement that she felt when she was with him.

  Yes, she could do it. It was time.

  Making the decision was liberating. She had felt burdened in life for so long that the freedom that Adam offered her was almost frightening. But sometimes, starting a new life could be. Despite the fear, Jennifer smiled.

  She felt just like a teenager again, and she practically skipped to her bedroom. She picked up her phone and flopped onto the bed, eager to tell Adam that she was very certain. She pulled up his contact, which was under the innocent-sounding name of "Martina" and dialed.

  Straight to voice mail. Sigh.

  He was either at work or he let his battery die again. He had a bad habit of doing that, and more than once he had borrowed her charger during their ‘lessons’ because his phone had died. She sighed, but even that didn’t dampen her spirits- now she just had a good reason to tell him in person.

  The drive to Adam’s house was much more pleasant than it ever had been before, even with the relative discomfort of wearing his favorite lingerie under her street clothes. The sun was just a little bit brighter and the sky was just a little bit bluer as she navigated towards his home. She sang along to the radio- she hadn’t done that in years.

  But her excitement turned to confusion when she reached his home. Confusion turned to worry as she parked. The strange car in the driveway, parked next to his… it was probably nothing. Maybe just a friend or a relative that he hadn’t mentioned. No big deal. No reason to get upset. Of course, the fact that his phone was turned off even though he was home certainly didn’t help ease her mind.

  She parked in front of the home. A very real part of her knew that she should just knock or ring the doorbell. Give Adam the benefit of the doubt and act like an adult about it all. But, at the same time, she didn’t want anyone to make a fool of her. If he was lying to her, she certainly didn’t want to find out after she had left Nathan. It only took a moment for her to decide. Petty or not, she had to be sure.

  She knew the house very well by then. She knew that the backyard gate was unlocked and that the ‘Beware of Dog’ sign was only a clever diversion. She knew that the bedroom window would likely be open, seeing as how the air conditioning still wasn’t working very well, and that was exactly where she needed to check. She definitely didn’t want to catch him doing something, but she didn’t want to miss it if he was.

  She crept around the house, trying her best to stay out of sight. If there was nothing going on, she definitely didn’t want to explain what she was doing in his backyard. She held her breath as she slowly peered around the window sill.

  Nothing. The room was empty.

  Jennifer breathed a sigh of relief. It was entirely irrational, because it still didn’t prove anything at all, but she still felt better for the moment.

  She moved on, this time to the living room. Perhaps he had fallen asleep. Or maybe he was hurt! The idea worried her, and she practically ran to the next set of windows. That must be it, she reasoned- something must have happened to him.

  She was in a panic by the time she reached the window. He could practically taste her own fear. But there was still a small, still voice inside her that told her to be quiet. To be sure.

  It was bittersweet, then, when she saw that he was alive and well, just like the woman he was screwing. She was completely nude and was bent over the back side of the sofa with legs partially spread and backside pushed back. Adam stood behind her with his hands on her hips, pulling her tight against his body. The window was open, and the sounds and smells of sex assaulted her senses just as painfully as they did her heart.

  She stared in mute horror at what she was seeing, wishing that it wasn’t true. Wishing that she could just close her eyes, and find that it was all just a terrible dream. That the man she had come to love wasn’t actually cheating on her. But she couldn’t deny what she was seeing happen in front of her. She couldn’t unsee what she had seen. Tears stung at her eyes. She felt humiliated and heartbroken at the same time. She knew the face he was making- he was about to cum.

  Adam was in mid-thrust when he looked up. He saw Jennifer and his eyes went wide. Their eyes locked and he screamed. There was a flurry of movement and half-understood cries of confusion, surprise, and anger. But Jennifer didn’t stay around to hear his lies and justifications; she had already been humiliated enough. And besides that, she didn’t want him to see her cry. Same thing for his little… toy. Whatever she was.

  The last time Jennifer intended to see Adam was in the rearview mirror of her car as she was speeding away from his home. She couldn’t help it- she had to look. He ran from the house, wearing only his jeans. He shouted something, but she couldn’t hear him. He chased after her car, but she didn’t stop. It was ironic, really. He was the one that reminded her that she was worth more than she knew. And it was that knowledge that kept her from turning around then.

  Jennifer drove around, going nowhere in particular. Her phone rang, but she didn’t bother checking. She knew who it was, just like she knew who it was when the phone rang again. She knew who the text message was from, and she knew who left the voicemail message. There wasn’t anything he could possibly say that would make the hurt go away. There wasn’t anything that could make the tears go away.

  She pulled over, finally allowing herself to cry. Her body shuddered with the tears, and she didn’t try to silence her sobs. It was even worse when she realized where she had stopped. She hadn’t planned it- she didn’t even think about it. But seeing the grocery store where she first met him only made things worse for her.

  “At least you didn’t do anything permanent,” she reminded her reflection. She forced a smile, but it really didn’t look like it belonged on her face. “Nathan will be home soon… I guess it’s back to life as usual. It was fun while it lasted.”

  Jennifer took a deep breath and slid the transmission into drive. She would go back home, and pretend that nothing was wrong. She was pretty good at that. But before she could leave, she saw a familiar face. It was Adam. He had found her.

  He hadn’t bothered to get dressed, and his bare chest was covered by a thin veneer of sweat. She wondered if that was from the chase, or leftover from his session with the other woman. His hands were held out in front of him plaintively; whether he was begging for her time or forgiveness, she couldn’t be sure.

  Jennifer knew that she should have simply left. Maybe run over his foot as she accelerated away, just for good measure. But at the same time, there was something in him that she had a hard time resisting. Or maybe she just felt that she deserved an explanation. Or maybe she just needed an apology. She really didn’t know why she didn’t leave, and she certainly didn
’t know why she opened the window when he approached it.

  “I had a feeling you’d come here,” he began. He flashed the same cocky grin that once melted her heart. This time, it only stung. “Because I know you- we have a connection. Something that no one can take away from us.”

  Jennifer didn’t answer, and she kept her expression impassive.

  “I know it looked bad, but it wasn’t what it looked like. I guess I had a little too much to drink. I don’t even remember what happened. It’s all a big misunderstanding, this doesn’t change anything. You know you’re still my girl.” His words flowed like honey, smooth and practiced.

  His eyes shone with sincerity and regret, and Jennifer could feel herself getting drawn into him. It was like he had some sort of power over her. Maybe he did. Maybe it was the history that they had built in such a short period of time, or maybe it was just his incredible charisma that was pulling her in. Whatever it was, he could see that it was working.