of RTP. Right?”

She turned to face him, nodding slowly and looking at him suspiciously.

“Well, now I know about RTP,” he continued. “I’m no longer innocent. And you don’t know for sure that they don’t already know about us. So if you leave me now with the knowledge of RTP but without training me on how to use it, you are essentially leaving me defenseless.”

She started to say something in protest but quickly closed her mouth, realizing he had found the loophole. Her eyes narrowed.

“You can’t leave me defenseless, Maddie,” he said matter-of-factly. “That would definitely not be the right thing to do. I know too much now. Now you have to teach me to use Refined Transcendent Power. I know I can learn it. And then we can be together.”

She stared at him for a long moment and softly said, “What if you are like James and you never fully master RTP? What if I have to watch you grow old and die while I remain eternally youthful? I don’t think I can go through that again.”

“At least give me a chance,” he said. “Give me a couple of years. If I don’t master RTP within two years, you can walk away. But at least give me the chance. Teach me. I know I can do it. I won’t be like James. I promise I won’t let you down.

“I should have a choice in this matter. I was in pure hell when you left me. I don’t think I can handle it if you leave me again. This is our second chance. I would rather risk dying so that I can be with you than to live without you. Without you, my life is meaningless. I’m begging you to teach me about RTP.”

Adam could tell by the look on Maddie’s face that she was unsure. She said, “Let’s just suppose I decide to stay. If the KTP was on my trail, I have probably thrown them off by coming back. I don’t normally return to a place after I have left it. It’s not my pattern.”

She was considering it. She didn’t flat-out say no. His hopes lifted ever so slightly. He nodded encouragingly and said, “Yes, that should buy us some time. Right?”

“Possibly. But even if it buys us a month or two, or even six months, what happens if they find me and I have to leave? That would be even worse than if we part ways now.”

“Simple,” he said. “I would go with you.”

Her eyes grew wide and she said, “Think about what you’re saying. Are you willing to just give up everything in your life to leave with me—your band, your friends, and your life as you know it?”

“Absolutely,” he said without hesitation. “That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you. Before I met you, I thought I wanted fortune and fame and the rock star life. I thought I wanted to go on tour, get a recording contract, and live that life for as long as possible. But now I know none of that matters if I don’t have you in my life.”

Still incredulous she said, “You’re willing to leave Zach, Claire, and the band and uproot your life to go into hiding and follow me around the country? You’re willing to take the chance that you might have to watch your back every day of your life because somebody might be trying to kill you?”

Adam looked her dead in the eyes and said with conviction, “Yes. That’s what I want. I want you to stay and I want you to teach me RTP. If Paul finds you and you have to leave, then I want to go with you. You said you couldn’t live with yourself if something happened to me. Well, how will you feel if you leave me defenseless now and the KTP finds me and something bad happens to me?”

He could tell she had no counter-argument. She narrowed her eyes and said, “That’s not fair.”

“All is fair in love and war, darling.”

Before she could respond, he leaned over and kissed her. This time she didn’t resist. He wanted her to feel the passion and love between them. He kissed her as if this was going to be their last kiss—so tenderly, so passionately. She responded with the same tenderness and passion.

Adam knew she could still get up and walk out the door at any moment. And he would never try to force her to stay. If she stayed, it would have to be of her own free will. He could talk tough and act like he wasn’t going to let her go. But if that’s what she truly wanted, he would let her go. He would be miserable and crushed, but he would not try to stop her. He would never try to force her to do anything against her will. All he truly wanted was for her to be happy.

They kissed for a long while. The months of separation made it even sweeter than Adam had remembered. Their hands and tongues explored each other in a familiar way. She wasn’t stopping him, and this encouraged him. He decided to take a chance. He figured that it was now or never. He wanted to show her how much he loved her.

Adam stood, took Maddie by the hand, and gently pulled her to her feet. He took her by the hand and led her to the bedroom. As he turned to face her, he pulled her close to him, pressing her body against his. She put her arms around his neck and leaned farther into the embrace. He kissed her even more passionately as his hands began to caress her face, her neck, her back, and her breasts. She ran her fingernails up his back and through his hair, igniting the passion between them.

Adam pulled back and took his shirt off. Her eyes admiringly scanned his body as she ran her hands up his sculpted abs and chest.

He moved toward her, pulled her

Вы читаете After Thought
Добавить отзыв
ВСЕ ОТЗЫВЫ О КНИГЕ В ИЗБРАННОЕ

0

Вы можете отметить интересные вам фрагменты текста, которые будут доступны по уникальной ссылке в адресной строке браузера.

Отметить Добавить цитату