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It had been happening for a while. He could pick up the changes in her, even from thousands of miles away. The spark was missing from her eyes. The way she seemed to fold into herself more. Head down, hands buried deep in her pockets. She hadn’t been responding to his texts or calls. Replying days later with an excuse of being busy that Adam didn’t buy. That he could see right through. He knew he had to go to her.
He’d taken the red eye flight to New York to scout for studio spots, and she’d finally responded when she realized he was in town. Which is how they find themselves propped up against an alleyway wall, sharing a cigarette. He’d been surprised to see her pull out the pack, then cracked a joke about millennials and American Spirits. The cigarettes seem to be a confirmation of her stress levels; he figures pastilles only went so far.
“Things have been bad, Adam,” she says with a look on her face that breaks his heart to see. He wants to kiss the look right off her face. But he’ll hold back and let her lead today.
“Do you want to talk about it?” he asks her.
She blows smoke out of the corner of her mouth, “Not really. I just don’t want to think about it right now.”
“That’s okay, I’m here to offer my distraction services for free. Do you want to get something to eat?”
She grimaces, “I’m not hungry.”
“Okay, do you want to catch a show somewhere?”
“I want to go see your new apartment.”
Adam had signed the lease from L.A. last week. He’d barely had time to look at the apartment in person himself before he was off to Brooklynn to go pick her up from her place.
He smiles at her, long canines showing.
“That’s fine with me. It’s a pretty nice place. Not to brag but it has a jacuzzi in it,” Adam says with a wink.
“Oh, well, I didn’t pack my bikini,” she says with a grin.
He swallows, “Not necessary, I packed mine.”
She giggles and puts the cigarette out. “Come on, it’s cold out here.”
Adam can’t argue with that, missing the sunshine of southern California already. It’s chilly and misty as he leads them to his rental and opens the door for her. She smirks as she lowers herself in. He grabs her suitcase. He told her he’d be in town a week and it looks like she’s packed enough to stay the whole time. He smiles, thinking of how nice it will be to get this much uninterrupted time together.
He gets in the driver's side and turns the car on. A U2 song plays through the car’s speaker as he weaves them through the city traffic.
Somewhere along the way, Britt reaches for his hand and intertwines their fingers.
“Can I say something and then promise not to bring it up again?” Adam asks.
Britt nods, her face turning serious.
“For what it’s worth, I think you are extraordinary in your own right. For who you are.”
She frowns, “how do you even know about that?”
“You forget that I’m your number one fan. I see everything.”
She pulls her hand away and folds her arms over her chest, “It’s for PR, anyway. Don’t worry about it.”
“If you say so,” he shrugs, “You know, I’m a pretty good magician myself.”
“Oh trust me, I know.” She says with a slight grin on her face.
________
“Wow, Adam. This place is nice.” Britt comments, rubbing her hand along an ornate fireplace in the sitting room.
“Thank you, I decorated myself,” he says about the furnished apartment.
Britt shakes her head as she continues to explore the space. Adam is still carrying her suitcase. He’s not sure where he should put it down. She’d said she wanted to get away to clear her head, but he doesn’t want to assume she wants to share a bed with him.
He clears his throat, “There’s a spare bedroom down the hall and I can set your things down in there if you’d like.”
Britt whips her head to look at him like he’s sprouted another head and closes the linen closet door she’d been peeking into.
“Your bedroom is fine. Please,” she says as she moves to the bathroom. “And where is this jacuzzi you hyped up?”
Adam swallows “In the bedroom,” he says and leads her to his room.
His suitcase still sits untouched on the floor in the center of the room. He parks her suitcase next to his. He thinks of how nice it would be to take her on a vacation. Just the two of them. Maybe to Mexico, or Crete. Maybe they’ll go to the Maldives.
This will have to work for now.
Britt eyes the bed and then looks at him, “looks cozy,” she says nonchalantly and licks her lips. She’s wearing some ridiculous colored shades, and her hair is pulled back and hidden under a ball cap. One of his, he realizes, now that he gets a good look at it.
“Come here,” he says and she walks to him. He wraps her in his arms and squeezes her gently. She smiles up at him and leans in to give him a quick kiss. The first one since being in the same time zone.
He has to hold himself back from deepening the kiss and his hands slide to her waist. She always looks trim, but she feels lighter than she was even a month ago. Adam tries not to think too much about that.
She raises an eyebrow at him. “So. The jacuzzi?” She asks again and he drops his hands from her.
“Right this way,” he says and leads her out the door of the bedroom to a balcony with two chairs and a hot tub overlooking the city.
She grins in delight, “Okay, this is pretty cool,” Britt says, running her bare foot over the side of the water, testing the temperature.
“I turned the heater on when I got in, so it should be warm now,” Adam says standing next to her and snaking an arm around her waist.
“It feels good,” she says, “let’s get in it now!”
“Now?” Adam asks.
“Yes, why not?” She looks up at him with her soft doe-eyes with the tiniest bit of spark and mischief that he recognizes.
She could ask him to murder somebody, and he’d agree to it.
“Okay,” he says, turning the jets on.
“Do you have any wine?” she asks.
“I picked up a bottle on the way here,“ Adam replies.
“Excellent,” she says, heading back inside.
He follows her. “So, we’re getting in there naked right?”
“That’s the plan,” Britt nods and turns into the kitchen. He swallows, desire and affection rising for the redhead currently opening cabinets in his kitchen.
She locates the bottle of red wine quickly and pours them both a glass.
He takes the glass she offers him and raises it to clink their glasses together.
“I’m really glad you’re in town,” she says, taking a sip.
“Soon it will be for longer stretches, just like old times,” he says, taking her hand and walking her back to the bedroom.
He gets two towels from the bathroom and finds her undressing in the bedroom, sliding her jeans off her body. He mirrors her actions, tossing his sweatshirt off.
They face each other in their underwear. Britt’s in a tank top and Adam can see her nipples poking through the thin material. He takes a step towards her and she closes the distance between them, wrapping her arms around his neck and pressing her lips tightly to him. He returns the kiss and lets her deepen it, running his fingers over her hips. His hands slide up her sides under her tank, and he uses his thumbs to stroke the soft skin under her breasts. She moans under his touch.
Adam pulls his hands out from her top and he moves his hands to hold her face in his hands. He removes the ball cap from her head and slides the glasses up her face and presses another kiss to her cheekbone. He looks into her eyes, his hand lingering on her jaw, trying to tell her what he’s thinking without saying the words. She smiles and takes his hand.
They cross over the threshold to the balcony, and she tosses the tank top from her body and slides her underwear down her legs. His breath catches as he takes in her naked body. She slides into the jacuzzi, sighing as the water covers her. Adam drops his boxers and settles in next to her, wrapping his arm around her shoulder. He plays with the bun on the back of her head and pulls her hair down, running his fingers through her scalp.
“Mmm, that feels nice,” She moans lightly, resting her head under the crescent of his chin. Her hand plays with the sparse hairs along his chest. She lifts her head to press kisses along his jaw. Britt shifts and suddenly she’s straddling his waist, her hands find his shoulders and she kisses him, her tongue running along his mouth. He opens his mouth and lets her deepen the kiss. His arms wrap around her waist, hands reaching down to squeeze her ass. He watches the way her breasts bob in the water and feels an erection growing. Britt feels it too and smiles, pressing her face into the crook of his neck.
“Can we?” she asks, shyly. Adam presses her tighter against him and nods. He brings a hand down between them to touch her center and she gasps. He eases open her entrance with a finger and she moans. She reaches for his cock and lines him up with her center. She slides down on top of him, and she bites down on his shoulder at the stretch. He groans, “Jesus, Britt.”
She rides him like her life depends on it and he lets her take control. Her mouth and hands are everywhere. Kissing his neck and chest, sucking and biting, leaving bruises he hopes will fade within the week. His fingers sink down to rub her clit and she purrs, grinding against him. Her orgasm builds fast, and Adam knows he’s not far behind.
“Let go, baby. I got you,” he says, watching her face, flush from the heat and exertion.
With a sharp cry, Britt tumbles towards her release and Adam follows, spilling into her.
It takes him a moment to realize she’s crying and when he pulls back to look at her, it’s like a dam burst and suddenly she’s sobbing. He tightens his hold on her and lets her press her face into his neck. He whispers soothing words into her ear as she cries and rubs her back, feeling the sharp bones of her spine.
He’s going to be here for her through it all, he promises himself. He won’t let her fold into herself when it gets too heavy; he’ll carry the load for her.
He holds her for a long time until she settles. He kisses her swollen lips and gets out wrapping a towel around his waist, holding the other one out for her. She lets him wrap the towel around her body. He lifts her, one arm supporting her back and his other under her knees. He carries her to the bathroom where he places her on the vanity and runs a shower for her.
He gently scrubs her body under the shower. Adam kneels to wash her legs and feet, keeping a hand on her waist. He kisses her knee and Britt’s hand finds the top of head, running her hands through his hair. He looks up and she gives him a grateful smile.
—-----
“I get so jealous of him,” Adam says, “I know I shouldn’t, but I do. He doesn’t understand how lucky he is to have you as his wife. To share a home with you.”
They’re lying next to each other in bed, enjoying the afterglow and waiting on takeout to be delivered. Her order was already saved in his phone.
“Only on paper,” she reminds him.
“An important piece of paper,” he mutters, thinking of the legal separation agreement he has sitting at home. “Next time I see him, I’m kicking his ass,” he grumbles.
She barks out a laugh, “Now that I’d love to see.”
“I’m serious,” he says, tucking his arm around his head. “It’ll take two hits, I hit him, he hits the ground.”
She smiles and shakes her head, “I’ll hold you to it.”
When their food arrives, they eat together in front of the television. He puts on a silly comedy, wanting to hear her laugh. He’s addicted to the way her eyes light up and the wide smile that crosses her mouth and exposes her teeth.
Adam turns the television volume down and looks over at Britt. She meets his eyes, a question on her face.
“Hey, so, you can leave some stuff here if you’d like,” he says, his ears turning pink.
“Stuff?” Britt repeats.
“Yes, like your toothbrush and clothes. And I’m going to leave you with the spare key,” he finishes, trying to gauge her expression.
“The spare key...” she says.
“Yeah, well you know… I want you to have a place that feels like home for you. So you can get away from it all when it gets to be too much. You don’t have to use it, but I want you to have the option.”
“So, this will be, like, our place?” She asks.
He nods, “If you want to think of it like that, then yes. This is our place.”
Britt's face breaks into a wide grin again and she kisses him. “Yes, I would like that very much,” she says in between kisses. His hands wrap around her shoulders, relieved that she’d agreed.
They fall into bed again early; Adam exhausted from a day of travel. They snuggle up together and hold each other tightly all night. Tomorrow, they’ll lounge in bed and tour potential filming locations together. Next week, they'll have to part ways and go back to reality, but Adam is determined to support Britt no matter how far apart they are. For now, they stay in their bubble filled with security and warmth.