rose petals

Adam gave a laugh at Rissa’s comment, joy glimmering in his eyes as she unlocked the door to her house. “At least I’m on the one with ketchup on her shirt!” Adam retorted, defending himself after she commented on how he had tripped the waiter earlier that evening. His jacket was smoothly shrugged off letting it drop onto the back of one of her kitchen chairs. He brushed passed her, kissing the back of her head as he made his way to her wine cabinet. Seeing as they spent more time in her home than his, Adam was quickly learning his way around her home. He grabbed a bottle of wine before leaning up to the cabinet above for two wine glasses. He quickly uncorked the bottle, letting it breathe for a moment before pouring some of the burgundy liquid into the glasses. Setting the glasses on the counter, Adam came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist, burying himself into the crook of her neck. “I had a good time tonight,” He smiled happily against her neck, placing a trail of kisses down the trail of her slender neck. He stopped at the junction where her neck met her shoulder and turned her around, his eyes shining with mirth. “And as much as I liked your parents, I’m happy they left because they were taking you away from me.” He joked, leaning down to kiss her.

Clarissa smiled gleefully as Adam kissed the back of her head, turning around to watch as he walked around her home as if it were his own. As he leaned down for a bottle of burgundy, she spun back around, biting her finger to stop from smiling like such a loon. She felt like she was in college again, dating some boy who made her head spin. She was absolutely giddy and dazed and enamoured. She reached out across the kitchen table to cradle one of the roses he had brought her at the beginning of the evening, leaning over and inhaling their subtle tones. Suddenly his arms wrapped around her waist, and she started, standing up straight. In a moment, she melted into him and her eyes fluttered shut as he kissed his way down her neck. "Me too," she murmured in reply, a soft smile stretching its way across her lips. When he spun her around, it was so abrupt that her eyes shot open, staring up at him and grinning broadly. At the comment about her parents, she shook her head and laughed. She was about to say that she loved them and missed them dearly already, but she was happy they were gone as well when he kissed her again. Her hands went to his jawline, holding and bringing him closer to her. It wasn't close enough - she needed to breathe him in - and her hands slipped from his jaw to his neck, their bodies flush. Her fingers played down his neck and over the collar of his shirt. Breaking the kiss, she looked up at him and laughed breathlessly. Clearing her throat, "You poured the wine?" She side-stepped past him, grabbing her glass and draining it in one swallow. "Wow," she breathed out softly, the wide smile on her lips refusing to fall. "They really liked you, you know," she said, pouring herself another glass. "They think you're good for me." She grabbed both their glasses from the counter, handing his to him with a devilish smile. "I think they're right," she finished, clinking her glass against his and taking a small sip.

Adam was surprised at the fever Clarissa kissed him with. He leaned in, both his hand cupping the sides of her neck as he stepped closer to her. His hands slipped down, caressing her shoulders before grabbing her waist to keep her flush against him. It was an exhilarating feeling, rush that ran through his veins. It was a sensation he hadn’t felt since he was young, a freshman, dating and free. When they parted, it was only for lack of air and he licked his lips. Adam hummed in agreement, a smirk pulling at his lips. They had been going out for a while but for the most part, their intimacy had remained a relatively PG-13 level. This was the closest they had come to resemble the hormone level of half of their students. He laughed with her, watching her down her drink with one eyebrow raised. He took the drink, taking a sip from it before nodding. “I’m glad they liked me because I think we’re good for each other.” He bit his lip, setting the glass down on the counter. His eyes settled on the pattern of the counter for a moment. He had been trying to find the right moment to bring up the fact that he wanted seriousness from what they had going. They had gone on dates and they had something but he wanted more than that. “Riss….” He started, pausing as he reached over to take her glass from her hand and put it next to his. Once settled, he took her hand and pulled her into his arms. “I don’t want to do this anymore.” He smiled at her, even when he saw the flicker of hurt dance in her eyes and felt her instant reaction to move away from him but he kept her in his arms. “I want more. I don’t want just dates and kisses. I want commitment. I want to be able to say yes when a nosy student asks me if your my girlfriend. I want to know that you won’t see anyone else and I want you to know that I won’t either. I want to be yours and I want you to be mine. So as childish as this may sound, I want us to be official. No more ‘seeing where it goes’ because I know where I want it to go.” He smiled down at her, eyes searching hers as he prepared himself for her to say that she wasn’t ready for this.

Clarissa looked up at him, mild amusement in her eyes as he took her drink from her. She wondered what he was thinking, what sweet, sultry things he may lean in and whisper between kisses as he pulled her in close to him again. Her hand went to his neck, brushing her soft palm against his skin when his words floored her. Eyes snapping open as she registered what the words meant, she looked at him, confusion and hurt flashing across her eyes. She recoiled from him, but he held her tight. What the hell kind of game was he playing? How the hell had she allowed herself to be played? She stared at him, her gaze cold as he continued talking. Slowly, she thawed, taking in every word. Her jaw ached to smile, to give him the brightest grin he'd ever seen, but she also wanted to make him suffer just a little after what he had put her through. She put her hand against his chest, shoving him slightly and breaking free of his grasp. "You ass!" she snipped, but she broke directly after, giggling before she could get the next part out. "You didn't have to scare me like that!" Still laughing, she took the step between them and kissed him again, pulling away so that her lips still brushed his as she spoke. "There isn't anyone else. You have me, completely," she whispered, voice low as she batted her eyes open. His lips came against hers again so quickly she might have crumbled from weak knees had he not been holding her tight against him.

Adam gave a joyful laugh as he was pushed away, a broad grin stretching his lips. He knew she wasn’t mad, she was overjoyed. “I had to build the suspense.” Adam managed to get out amidst light chuckles. As she stepped forward, his favorite smile across her lips and wrinkling the corners of her eyes, his arms reached out and wrapped around her thin waist. His eyes closed in bliss when she kissed him, staying shut even as she pulled away. He could still taste her, feeling the teasing movement of her lips against his while he spoke. The words that were passed between lit something inside of him, a passion that he had kept dormant. Pulling her in tightly, Adam crashed his lips against hers, kissing her feverishly. He backed her up a couple steps, until her back met the edge of the counter. His hands dipped down, going further than her waist until he cupped the back of her thighs, carrying her up until she was seated on the counter. He caught her bottom lip between his teeth, giving it a light tug before diving back in for another kiss.

Clarissa gave a soft gasp as she was pushed up against the counter, her palms pressed against the cool granite surface. His hands ran lightly over her ass, lifting her fully up onto the counter. Giving a soft moan as he bit her lip, she wrapped her legs around his waist, pulling him close. Her skirt was hiked slightly, the fabric of his jeans brushing against the bare skin of her thigh. Her lips parted in a quiet gasp, her hands grabbing the collar of his shirt and tugging his lips to hers again. As she kissed him fervently, her hips ground against his, finding a steady rhythm. Heart pounding in her ears, she unlocked her legs and pushed him away gently, hopping down off the counter. She could do this. This was a part of life that she had to and could get through, she told herself. A smirk stretching it's way across her face, she walked backward out of the kitchen, pulling her shirt off over her head and letting it fall to the floor. She stood there in a lacy black bra and maroon skirt, her eyes still locked with Adam's, issuing a challenge: "take me".

Adam took a step forward, hands holding Clarissa at her lower back to keep her close. He kissed her fervently, his tongue running across the seam of her lips to beg for the chance to deep their kiss. A gasp tore past his lips when he felt her legs wrap around his waist. One hand raised up, tangling in her long hair, the other pushing against her back to pull her closer. A moan was trapped between their lips when he felt her rock against his hips. He grinded against her, matching her pace as he felt his arousal grow and when she pushed him away, Adam was sure it was because he had moved to fast for her. He was about to apologize but the moment she took her shirt off, Adam couldn’t take his eyes off her. His baby blues raked in her figure, taking in the swell of her breasts in the lacy bra to her slim waist. Smirking back at her, Adam crossed the space between them in two long strides. When he reached her, his fingers knotted in her hair, taking fistfuls as he kissed her deeply. His hands traveled down, cupping her ass as he hoisted her up in her arms, letting their bodies be flush together. Continuing to kiss her, Adam walked blindly in the direction of her bedroom. Crossing the threshold of the bedroom, he used his foot to shut the door behind him. Pulling away from the kiss, Adam dropped her on the bed, giving her a grin before crawling on the bed and in between her legs. He pressed every inch of his body against her, grinding his hardening arousal against her leg while he peered down at her for a moment before leaning down to kiss her, his hand reaching to cup her cheek while the other ran up the length of her body, hiking her skirt further up her legs.

Clarissa grinned as he swept her up in his arms, kissing him with everything she had. She could feel how much he wanted it, how desperate he was and so was she. Her lithe fingers threaded themselves through his dark hair, kissing down his jaw. The bedsprings groaned in protest as she was flopped down onto them, her heart racing as she watched him crawl over her, like an animal waiting to devour her. Bright green eyes sparkled from what little light filtered into the room. Wait, blue, his eyes were blue. She blinked, regaining herself quickly as she continued to keep her eyes on him. He moved against her, and she could feel him begging entrance, demanding that she open her legs. No, no - not demanding, Adam wouldn't. His hand went up her skirt, fingertips brushing against the inside of her thigh. A chill went down her spin as he moved in farther. She jerked away only slightly, but he had her pinned against him. The feeling of someone pouring ice water down her throat left her gasping and when she blinked, she wasn't in her bedroom anymore. Her dark eyes grew, fear choking her as she watched the man above her, his fierce emerald eyes fixed coldly on her. She tried to scream, but the sound merely echoed in her head without leaving her lips. She realized his hands were on her neck, strangling her, and she clawed at them. He removed them, slapping her once, but she had regained her voice. "No!" she screeched, voice hoarse as she jerked her knee upward and into his groin. Opening the car door, she fell out onto the cold cement, clawing her way across the parking lot, screaming. "Don't you lay a fucking hand on me! - Help! Help!" she screeched into the night. "Hel-" She blinked again, the vision of the parking lot flickering from her mind like the end of a movie spool. She found herself on the floor of her bedroom, legs curled against her stomach, Adam watching her from the bed with wide eyes. "Oh...oh my god," she whispered, clamping her hands over her mouth. "Oh my god."

Adam left her lips, moving down to kiss along the curve of her neck. It took him a moment to register the fact that she had stopped moving. Her fingers were no longer threading through his hair and her lips were no longer pressed to the corner of his jaw. He lifted his head, peering down at her with concern. “Riss?” Adam questioned quietly, taking in the fear that clouded her eyes. She was staring at him but he could tell she wasn’t seeing him. “Rissa?” He asked again, his hand cupping her cheek. There was a sharp pain and he let out a gasp as she clawed at his arm. He didn’t even have time to process what the hell had happened before the air was knocked out of him as her knee met his groin. He rolled off of her, letting his head fall to the mattress to regain his breath as she crawled away from him. Taking in a deep breath, Adam raised his head and looked down at Rissa’s shaking form. What the hell had happened? He had no clue what had triggered her behavior. If she had wanted them to stop, all she had to do was tell him. He hadn’t done anything she didn’t want to, had he? Moving slowly off the bed, Adam took careful steps in her direction. Once he was a safe distance away – close but not close enough to bother her- he crouched down. “Clarisaa….I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make you feel like you had to do anything you didn’t want to….what can I do? What do you need me to do?” He asked, his voice soft. It was clear to see how scared she was. Her entire frame was shaking, her skin paled and the pupils of her eyes dilated and swimming with fear. Scenarios ran through his head, trying to piece why this happened and why hadn’t he known she hadn’t wanted to advance this far. What had caused her to freak out so much? He knelt down in front of her, keeping his eyes on her. “It’s Adam, okay? I’m not going to hurt you. You’re okay.”

Clarissa shrank away from him as he slid off the bed and approached her. Her bra strap slipped from her shoulder as she pushed herself farther into the corner of the room, staring up at him with eyes like moons. Even as she recognized that she wasn’t in danger - that he wasn’t the one who had killed a part of her that she could would never be able to fully resurrect – she still couldn’t stand to be near him. It had been the same with Vincent; he had merely been there at the wrong time, hovered over her the same way her attacker had, and she had never been able to get the vision out of her head. She recognized the difference, but her body betrayed her each time, and it had eventually destroyed their marriage. Looking up at Adam, she bit her lip hard. “I know who you are,” she breathed, flinching as he brought his hand up. She reached up, gently grazing her fingertips across her neck, checking for bruises but finding none. Exhaling loudly, she murmured, “You’re not him, I’m not there. You’re not him, I’m not there.” She repeated the phrase a dozen or more times, closing her eyes as the words began to lose their meaning. “You’re not him, and I’m not-” Her eyes snapped open, her fingertips brushing against her cheek before she examined them, glistening wet. “Why is my face wet?” she wondered aloud, it dawning on her that she had been crying. How long? She wiped her cheeks messily with her sleeve, shuddering as she inhaled deeply. “I’m sorry…this wasn’t supposed to happen…” It didn’t surprise her so much that it did, but she had thought she had it under control. She had been making progress, learning to feel whole again with Adam’s help. It was frustrating and terrifying that one misstep had sent her sprawling.

Adam’s brows furrowed together as she spoke, querying eyes studying her every move and reaction. He wasn’t who? None of it was making sense but as she kept on repeating the phrase, Adam began to grow his own suspicious of what had happened. He knew that her husband had been less than pleasant to her. When they first met, it was clear she had trust issues and fear of being even remotely touched by men. Domestic abuse had claimed her as a victim but was it possible that she was a victim of more? Had her husband been capable of harming her even more, of sexually abusing her? From everything that just happened, everything she was saying and doing, it only made him believe that her husband had been a monster to her. His fists clenched at his side and he had to flex his fingers repeatedly to ease the tension away. He couldn’t get angry right now, make himself look threatening, because it wouldn’t do Clarissa any good. It would only provoke her to fear him more. At her apology, Adam sighed and shook his head. “There is nothing for you be sorry of. You should have told me to stop, Rissa. I would never force you into something.” He leaned forward, about to move closer to her when he froze. Her body tensed up and she shied away from him again. It was frustrating to have her act like this again. She had been like this when they first met; she had shied away from him then too, shifting completely away whenever he got close. They had gotten over it, he had helped her get over it and slowly she had let him go near her. Now, all that progress was lost. He shouldn’t have ever let it go as far as it did. He should have known she wasn’t ready. “Do you need me to go?”

Clarissa let her hands fall to the carpet, absently running her soft palms across the threads as she continued trying to convince her mind that this was what was real. The man who had done this to her was in prison, not ready to grab her by the roots of her hair and drag her back to seclusion. "I know that, I do," she said quickly, knowing well that Adam would never force her into anything she didn't want. "But I did want this. I wanted what it would mean." For her own recovery or their relationship, she wasn't sure: perhaps both. She reached forward, her hand trembling as she brought it up to his jaw. Her fingertips traced over his chin, her thumb dipping into the small dimple there. Her fingers were light as they lit over his cheeks, then the soft part of his lips. "I just got a little lost," she explained, her voice calm but her eyes still reflecting her terror clearly. Dropping her hand, she rose shakily from the ground. "No, I want you to stay. Please." Her eyes begged him silently, following him as he rose as well. She swallowed past a lump in her throat, taking a step towards him and cautiously burying her face in his shoulder, arms wrapping around him. He wasn't dangerous, but he might be able to protect her from it. "I need you to stay," she whispered, inhaling his scent.