Return to Sender - 23. Chapter 23 - Adam

CHAPTER 23 - Adam (WARNING - INTIMATE ACT)

On Monday, 7am sharp, the nurse arrived to help Kai in the shower. I’d already set my alarm, so I was awake, washed and dressed and caught it before the doorbell rang. But I was unpleasantly surprised when I opened the door and the nurse turned out to be a male, as opposed to the female that had been promised. Many identify differently these days, and in many ways, which is fine but I think ‘Diana’ still is in the female realm, no? A very healthy looking, and in my view quite attractive, male stood there instead, and nowhere near a ‘Diana’.

I was loath to tell Kai that his help had arrived. His eyes had practically lit up when the boy (he had to be no older than maybe 23/24) skipped into the house and energetically took charge. No, I did not like him! I did not want him in my house! I wanted him gone! Now!!!

I sat in the kitchen, listening to any sounds coming from upstairs. Annoyingly, it was only flowing water through the pipes, but I imagined lusty grunting and the twink kneeling in front of Kai and stripping his….ugh! No, no, no. He was here to wash his back and prevent any mishap from happening in the shower. No more.

No.

More.

That was the deal. Nothing more. No kneeling. No looking like he was ready to take on a herd of males in their prime, assisted by blue pill Funapalooza. No, no. Begone! Now!

When they arrived downstairs again, Kai had the widest smile I had ever seen on him. The boy too - I quite forgot his name. Ewan? Ivan? Something blonde and Russian, Swedish or Finnish sounding. All muscle, tall, white teeth and blue eyes. Too sexy and far too willing to go upstairs with Kai. We will not be seeing you again, g’bye. I already tried calling the agency but they didn't open until 9. Come nine o’clock, I would be on the phone with a strong complaint.

I slammed the door shut with more force than I meant to. Or rather, I did mean to but didn’t mean to act on it. But I did.

“Well, he was yummy,” Kai said, as I entered the dining room and took the seat next to him.

Oh really? I wanted to crack some fresh boiled eggs on certain foreheads now.

“Pity he’s not coming on Wednesday. Ian was called at the last minute because the original nurse called in sick.”

Oh, Ian was it? And Diana was sick, huh? She better be at death’s door, then.

“Well, maybe he will if the other one is still sick. He’s very good, I’ll say that. Strong and capable.”

My mood took a dive straight down.

“How very nice for him,” I managed, refusing to look at Kai. Then he chuckled.

“My my, are you jealous?”

I shot him a moody glance, then down at my plate. I didn’t want to eat. My appetite was completely gone. And yes, I was jealous, darn it. I did not like the thoughts I was having because of Skippy Twink.

“Adam? Come on, I was just joking. If it helps - he has a wife. Her name is Lena and they’ve been married since last year. He’ll become a father in about four months.”

I risked a glance. “Oh.”

Now I felt foolish for having jumped to silly conclusions. And ashamed. It was a first for me, feeling jealousy. It was indeed a green-eyed monster. I did not like myself at all.

“I’m horrible, aren’t I?”

Kai didn’t say a word. But when I looked up, I saw him watching me, his head tilted slightly and frowning.

“Have you never been jealous before?”

I shook my head. “No.”

“Wow, that’s…wow! Never?”

“Never had a reason to be. Have you?”

“Oh, yes. Definitely.”

“With … Ryan?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“He was very popular, as in quite handsome. He knew that and liked getting attention from other men, which I did not always like. It caused some fights.”

“I see. I don’t like attention. And I don’t like fighting either.”

“Oh? Well, that’s too bad. I guess I’ll have to think of something else, then…”

Oh! Oh, but that’s not what I meant! I meant from more than one man..

And I was about to say that, when I noticed his eyes. Oh! He was pulling my leg! He winked. “I’ll stop teasing you. Don’t feel bad, please?” His hand landed on my back, rubbing me there. It made me feel better right away. “I don’t like fighting either. It’s healthier to just talk. If there’s a problem, work it out. Sometimes, sure, a little tiff is okay, and normal. It clears the air.”

I was happy to hear that.

“I agree.”

“Good. Oh, and Adam?”

“Mmm?”

He waited until I looked at him while I’d taken a slice of bread, buttering it. My appetite was returning.

“I think you’re wildly attractive. Handsome just wouldn’t cover it.”

I bit my lip. That was even nicer to hear. It made me want to do one of those uncharacteristic things again. So I leaned over, giving him a kiss on the cheek. He smiled and rubbed my back again.

“So what are you going to do while I’m gone?”

“Groceries. Yes, Cap’n Crunch is on the list.”

“Nice!”

“Laundry. And a nice long walk with Arya, I think. Didn’t get to it yesterday. What time do you think you’ll return?”

“I have no idea. If it’s the normal schedule, I should be done around noon.”

I nodded. That should give me ample time. I’d put the laundry in, then take Arya on a walk. Then hang it out to dry, refill and visit the stores.

“Do you need anything?”

He hesitated. “Well, ehm…I’d like to pitch in. We haven’t really spoken about that, yet.”

“No.”

“Adam…”

“The answer is no. You’re a guest. You do not pay. Period.”

He smiled. “Alright, I see you feel strongly about that. How about chores? I’d like something to do, then. Lazing about in bed is not my thing. Vacuum?”

Sure, that would be okay, I guess. And there was another thing that came to me. “If you like - I’ve been thinking about a small shed or something. The BBQ could be stored there, for instance. The storage room out back is quite full.”

Oh, he liked that. “That’s a good idea. What do you want me to do - contact a builder?”

“Yes, if you would? I have no idea about dimensions and location and all that.”

“Leave it to me. Thank you, that’s a nice project. Right up my alley.”

I smiled. “You’re welcome. And I thought, maybe, a bench of some kind, and a table, under the tree, by the jetty? That way, I won’t have to haul chairs and such out there every time.”

“Yep. I can definitely do that. Consider it done.” He certainly was immediately enthusiastic about it. It earned me a nice long bedroom kiss in thanks.

I’d have to think of more such chores, I thought.

Kai had me fetch some paper and pencils, so he could draw while we ate and discussed ideas. He was almost late when the car arrived to take him to Bethesda.

**********

I loaded up the washing machine and took Arya for a nice long walk while it was still cool. The sun was out and already warm, but in the afternoon the air would simmer with heat. Taking her for a walk then would only be punishing for me and undoable for her with that thick coat of hers (a suggestion from Kai).

We stayed out far longer than we should have. I met some neighbors and we got to talking, and I found out that Old Jack hadn’t sat on the news. Three of them already knew that Kai had returned to the neighborhood. We returned so late, in fact, that going for groceries would almost certainly make Kai wait for my return because I also realized I hadn’t supplied him with a key to the house. I fetched a set from the safe right away and put it on the nightstand by his bed. The groceries would have to wait until he returned. And maybe he might like to come along.

I finished the first batch of laundry and hung it out to dry, then put in a second load and also checked the bathroom upstairs, bringing towels and clothes down to the washing machine. And while I was doing that, the thought occurred to me that all of Kai’s clothes might need washing too. So I went back upstairs and into his room, where I found several bags of clothes, piled in a heap. Luckily, none of them were smelly but a lot of it needed hanging out. Which is when I found out that I had no spare hangers. They’d go on the list, then, as well. He’d need a dresser, as well, for underwear, socks and t-shirts perhaps? But he didn’t seem to have that many. Then I remembered that much of it was still in storage at his brother’s. Hmm … maybe he’d like to go and fetch those? Possibly tomorrow? I’d mention it. The little amount of clothes here, though - it might be nice to have those clean and sorted. So I brought the many bags down and sorted them into piles. Four more loads.

Well, I guess I had my work cut out for me.

**********

Kai returned a little after 12:30 pm. The relief on his face was evident when I opened the door to let him in.

“I just realized I don’t have any keys!”

“On your nightstand,” I smiled. “I realized the same right after you were gone.”

“Thank you. I hadn’t even thought of it.”

He drew me closer for a quick hug and kiss.

“Good therapy?”

“Yes, very. I asked Coach if it was okay to swim.” He gave a thumbs up. “Good to go.”

“Nice. You might want to - it’ll be hot today.”

“That’s what I was thinking.”

“Listen - I didn’t have enough time to go for groceries yet - I got sidetracked. Would you mind watching the house? Or maybe come along?”

“I’ll come along.”

“Those dirty?” I pointed at a small training bag he’d dropped on the floor by the side table.

“Yeah, I’ll wash them.”

“Put it with the rest, in the utility room. I’ll wash it.”

“You don’t have to do that. It’s no bother - I can do it. Just show me how the machine works?”

I just gave him a look and he held up his hands, grinning.

“Okay then - putting it with the rest.”

Thank you.

“Oh, and when I was busy with yours - you told me you had more in storage, over at Kellan’s? Would you maybe like to go get them? Tomorrow, perhaps?”

“Sure. I’ll give him a call tonight. There’s more stuff, but I don’t need that right away. Would be nice to have more choice in clothes, though,” he grinned.

“I imagine so. And do you have a car?”

“Nope. Always used my dad's when I was home. It was sold after he died.”

“Are you allowed to drive?”

“Yup. But I haven’t driven since the accident. My license is still valid, though.”

I jangled my keys and threw them - he caught them handily. “No time like the present.”

**********

Kai’s driving style was, while different from mine (I always keep to the speed limits - he didn’t) good enough for me to feel safe. We took a little longer because he wanted to get comfortable behind the wheel again, which was understandable. So we went by little-used backroads where he could get a feel for the car. But once he declared he was ‘back in the saddle’ as it were, he drove us straight over to the stores and parked with smooth finesse that had me look at him with raised eyebrows.

“Like riding a bike. You never forget,” he grinned.

**********

We returned home with the car once again laden - and Kai voiced a concern that it was too much. But when I explained that I wanted to be prepared in case of visitors, and saw that much of it were items that could be stored for longer periods (there was one box full of candy for the kids), he understood my thought process. But it wasn’t all candy. There was stuff he himself had chosen, like those bags of beef jerky. He’d already swiped one and brought it with him as he disappeared into the living room to make that call to his brother.

After putting it all away, I went to deal with more of the laundry and Arya, who, once again free to roam, thundered around the house, reacting to imaginary bunnies and birds.

There was a moment when it was suspiciously quiet though - she hadn’t zoomed by for quite some time. But when I went to check, I found the two of them in the backyard, Kai throwing a ball and Arya fetching it. Or trying to, anyway. She didn’t exactly bring it back to him.

“I’ll teach her,” he grinned, confidently. “And there’s always puppy class, if she’s really spoiled rotten already.

Oooh, that was a good idea. I hadn’t thought of that yet.

“Want me to sign her up?”

“At least worth looking into. It'd be nice if she listened a little better. If you’re worried about time, I could do it?”

That was one concern, yes. “If you like…?”

He grinned. “I like.”

“Okay then. Hear that, girl? You’re going to school!”

Hmprf?

“No. No waffles. School.”

Dropping the ball, she rushed inside.

Hopeless.

**********

Kai wanted to go for a swim later that afternoon and asked if I would join him. By then, I was hot and bothered, working through the laundry. Though I declined the swim, I said I’d come to watch him - ‘stand guard’ so to speak - because I could use the break.

When I arrived at the jetty, bringing towels and some fresh drinks, Kai was waiting, having stripped down to swimming trunks.

“You sure you don’t wanna join me?”

Now that I was here, the water did look tempting. He saw me hesitating.

“Come on. Join me. Go in your undies.”

“Oh, alright,” I smiled, persuaded. I really could use a nice cool dip.

Kai didn’t wait, though - he jumped in as I set the stack of towels down and put my glasses on top. Then I stripped off my clothes and sat down on the edge, dipping my feet in. Breaking the surface and shaking his head, making water fly everywhere, he grinned when he saw me sitting there.

“Get in here, scrawny.”

“Be quiet, Monkeyman,” I grinned back. “Leave me be.”

The water felt really nice, though.

Preparing myself with a deep inhale, I pushed off and slipped in. At first, my lungs contracted from the cool water as I went down a little deeper than I expected, but kicking up I broke the surface, and in less than a minute, it felt wonderful. Oh gosh - amazing really!

“Mmm,” I groaned.

“Nice, huh?” Kai’s voice sounded quite close. Turning, I found him floating a few feet away.

“Mhm, wonderful. How deep is it here?”

“About 10 feet? Maybe a little less. If you go towards the shore, you’ll get the ground under you about halfway down the jetty.”

I headed that way, slowly swimming, and he followed.

“Don’t like deep water?”

I don’t mind, actually, but for him, it seemed a better idea to have some solid ground near. Callum had said to be careful still. Well, maybe not in so many words - I read it between the lines.

“No, but you should be closer to shore.”

“Yes sir,” he grinned, “whatever you want.”

“Do any fish live in here?”

“Bass, carp, crappies,” he confirmed, coming closer, then grabbing me. “And y’know - monkeymen.”

“Ha ha,” I snickered, sliding my arms over his shoulders. We could stand here, with a layer of soft mud and more solid ground underneath. “I hear those are quite dangerous.”

“Oh yes, they come up real close to you,” he smiled, sliding his around my waist. “They really like scrawny men.”

“They do, huh? So this is quite dangerous for me?”

He nodded. “It’s very dangerous for you. They attack without warning.”

My laugh was silenced when his mouth covered my lips and his tongue pushed inside, lazily stroking mine. I sighed deeply. At this moment, life couldn’t get any better, I thought. Settling into the kiss, I enjoyed feeling his naked flesh against my own. My body stirred and I pressed myself against him.

Gently ending the kiss, he sent a somewhat smoldering look and I smiled. I knew he’d felt it. I could feel him too. Then he pulled me closer again and repeated the kiss. This time, though, he slid both his hands into my undies, cupping my butt. And when he squeezed my flesh, I grew to full erection.

I hadn’t even registered that we moved until my back slightly bumped against one of the jetty’s poles, but when I felt it, I raised my legs and wrapped them around his middle. He grunted slightly and sharply inhaled.

“I’m sorry,” I softly murmured against his lips. “I didn’t think…”

“It’s okay.”

Pressing multiple little kisses around his mouth, I lowered my legs again. I’d forgotten about the scar on his lower back. I must’ve put pressure on it.

“Better?”

He smiled. “Mhm. Could be better, though.”

Chuckling, I kissed him some more, lightly stroking his lips with my tongue, enticing him. Meanwhile, his hands were still in my shorts. I liked them there. And I really liked the slight bumping against each other, below the surface where no one could see.

Just as no one could see when I slipped my hand down, and into his shorts. His eyes slowly opened when I took hold of him, and he exhaled softly. Then he withdrew one of his hands from my undies and slipped it behind my neck, pulling me close and covering my lips.

The kiss that ensued was very heated. I imagined steam coming from the water surrounding us as I stroked him.

I knew he was close when his breathing sped up and began panting through his nose, our mouths fused, his hand cupping the back of my head. The kiss became rather wild before he ripped his mouth away and buried his face in the crook of my neck - then he grunted deeply and pulsed in my hand.

“Fuck,” he breathed softly, laughing and panting at the same time. “God, Adam...I did not expect that…”

“My pleasure,” I chuckled.

I hadn’t planned on doing that either. It was actually a first for me, doing such a thing anywhere else other than the bedroom. And I found that I didn’t really care. It really had been my pleasure, giving him that release.

“I think the pleasure was mine.”

Withdrawing my hand, I slipped it around his neck again, enjoying the closeness of him.

“You wanna get out now?”

“Well, maybe gimme a minute,” he chuckled, withdrawing a little. Then he bumped his forehead against mine and whispered, “What are you doing to me, Mister?”

“I could say the same to you…” I whispered back.

“We shouldn’t have done that…”

“Why not?”

He smiled. “Because I’m definitely not sleeping downstairs tonight.”

My heart did a little flutter.

I would love that…