Love? Cory was in love with him? Never in a million years had Adrian expected to hear these words. He never saw this one coming. And especially from Cory! He figured a woman like her only needed a man like him for one thing. He thought some good loving was all she had wanted. And he was only more than willing to give it to her for as long as she needed it. Adrian knew she could never complain about him handling his business with her because he definitely left her more than satisfied on every occasion. She didn’t need those toys anymore, for damn sure.
Then his long, stunned male silence kicked in. What more could she possibly want with him? Cory made it quite clear what she thought of military men since the first day they officially met. When did love become a part of her agenda? Now Adrian was really confused. He was at a complete loss for words and the deafening silence grew even longer in the room.
His mind was working like clockwork trying to decipher everything that just happened here. Adrian hadn’t even noticed their relationship’s course changing. Did they even have a relationship? And if they did, what was the basis of it? Sure they were lovers, they went out together, enjoyed each other’s company. Cory was definitely the only woman in his life. The only woman he shared his bed with. But he had been so intent on protecting his shattered heart for so long now that he wasn’t one hundred percent ready to confront his true feelings for Cory.
Yes, Cory was undeniably beautiful, insanely fantastic in bed, she could also be a little nutty sometimes but Adrian loved that about her. He loved spending time with her; being around her was food for his starving soul. Her laughter, music for it to dance. But he just wasn’t sure he was in love.
• • •
Cory wished he would just say something. Anything. But nothing came. Now what did she do? Shouting her feelings like some crazy school girl? And why was she feeling like she just made a complete fool of herself in the process?
One moment the man had her coming in Spanish and touching her ten toes for the love of it which no man has ever caused her to do before. What next? A black leather outfit and a whip? Or fish nets and stilettos? Then in another instant, she was blurting out feelings of love for the man. Why couldn’t she just keep her mouth shut? Ha! So much for Elisha’s stupid advice.
Finally, Cory gave into the fact that this conversation was going nowhere. She got up to go to the kitchen wearing nothing but her shattered pride. Wishing to forget the folly she’d just uttered, she asked him nonchalantly, “Do you have anything to drink in your refrigerator?”
Again, Adrian didn’t even bother to answer her. He was still at a loss for words it seemed. Maybe he hadn’t heard her. And hopefully, any of the other foolishness she just uttered, too.
• • •
But Adrian had heard all right. The last thing he wanted to do in this world was to hurt Cory. Thoughts of Natacha began flooding his mind then. Was he afraid to admit his feelings now because of what he had gone through with her?
Over the years and because of this he had mastered the art of masking his true feelings so well. He had even gotten the crazy idea to tattoo a cobra over his heart for protection. But the truth was, he didn’t feel anything where Natacha was concerned anymore. He had Cory to thank for that. He had her now. In his life. In his bed. And in his heart. She made all that pain go away. So why can’t you just tell her that, fool?
Adrian lay on the sofa totally satiated but still stared into oblivion. In his mind he recalled a previous opportunity he had to tell Cory his feelings. But he had chickened out then, too. They were having dinner at a restaurant on the western peninsula one night.
Adrian loved this area, it was so quiet and serene. He had spent a lot of time training through the heavy forested area and had been hiking there many times, as well as going on many shooting expeditions, too. The lush greenness of the vegetation and the quiet charm and calm this area offered made it one of his favorite places on the island.
Adrian remembered that night well. Cory was wearing an elegant turquoise-colored maxi dress. He distinctively remembered her outfit because it was the first time he had seen her wearing anything past her knees. She had looked so beautiful, her hair falling wildly about her shoulders. In fact, she always looked beautiful to him. Adrian loved her wild messy hair, it was what made Cory … well, Cory. He loved it even more when they made love and it became a tangled mess, clinging to her sweaty shoulders.
The restaurant had offered outdoor dining under the warm Caribbean star-filled night. It was quite a lovely picture with the anchored yachts bobbing on the calm sea and the lights of the city in the distance twinkling behind them.
“This is really beautiful. Adrian, I love it here,” Cory had remarked about the restaurant. It was the beauty and the history of the place she had appreciated, since the area was settled by an indigenous Arawak Indian tribe who gave the area its name, Chaguaramas.
When the waitress had brought their orders over, Cory immediately attacked her plate of succulent shrimp in a coconut curry sauce. He’d chosen the lobster tails in lime butter.
“Baby, this is sooo good,” Cory broke out into her orgasmic-like moaning. “You have to try this.” She stuck one juicy shrimp on her fork and fed it to Adrian. His face immediately turned a dark red color.
“Oh, hot. Hot,” he complained. He literally felt like hot steam coming through his ears. “Cory, why’s that so spicy?” Adrian began coughing now. “How could you eat that stuff?” More coughs.
“It’s not that hot,” Cory laughed as he swallowed several gulps of the water on the table, trying to cool his mouth. “You know I like my food spicy,” she offered.
Tears were forming in his eyes.
“Adrian, are you, okay?” Cory asked sounding both concerned and guilty.
“Yeah, I’m good,” he coughed some more. “But please, no more hot peppers, baby. You know I like my woman spicy. Not my food, okay.”
“Okay,” she smiled wickedly. “I’ll keep that in mind when we get home.”
When things had cooled down after dinner, they watched the yachts and took in the sheer ambiance of the place and each other. That was when Cory sprung her list of requirements on him. These were supposedly her terms of what people should expect from each other.
“Oh, boy,” he had silently groaned. He’d wondered where Cory was heading with all this when she boldly proceeded to list her requirements. He should have figured out her feelings for him then.
“Honesty is at the top of the list,” she began. “Then there is faithfulness and respect.” And she went on and on. By the time she had listed about fifteen of her requirements, Adrian’s head was spinning.
“Whoa, that sure is a long list, Cory,” he responded.
“It’s not so long,” she protested.
“Do you mind if I ask you where you got this crazy idea for a list of requirements, anyway?”
“From a book by Steve Harvey,” she replied nonchalantly.
“Steve Harvey?” Adrian asked incredulously. He started grinning then.
“What?” Cory shot back at him.
Adrian was in stitches, laughing. “Cory, just in case you didn’t realize, the guy’s a comedian. And here you are taking love advice from the man?”
“Hey, that was a really good book. It was a bestseller, too. It was so funny and it did have a lot of helpful information, just so you know,” Cory interjected.
Adrian didn’t get women. They were willing to read anything and take it as the gospel. Books, magazines, articles. For instance, they’d read how to lose weight, how to spice up their love life, and what kind of man they should marry and believe the crap. From the time a real man pours out his true feelings to them and tells them he loves them, what do they do? They shut him down, walk away, or never believe the brotha. That was why he wasn’t about to head down that road again.
“So what are your requirements then, Adrian?”
“My requirement is that you don’t have so many requirements,” he joked.
“Adrian, come on, this is important. Stop playing.”
“Cory, first of all I think you have way too many requirements.” If she wrote it down, the thing would have probably resembled a grocery list, Adrian thought. “But on a serious note and if you must know, my one and only requirement is that you understand what I do as a soldier and respect it. You don’t have to like it. Just respect it, Cory.”
“That’s it? You have one requirement?”
“One requirement,” Adrian maintained.
“Are you sure? Not cook your meals? Do your laundry?”
“Nope, none of that stuff is required.”
“Well, I think I may be able to work with that,” she had smiled.
But Adrian didn’t know if Cory was quite prepared to do that just yet. If she ever could accept that fact and understand the responsibilities that came along with it. He knew that had been his major reason for not telling her how absolutely crazy he was about her. But in the following weeks Adrian did notice her overcoming this. Now, he still couldn’t tell her.
• • •
Since he wasn’t even looking at her, Cory pressed her hot forehead against the cool, gleaming stainless steel of Adrian’s refrigerator door. She chided herself silently. She realized it was high time she separate the sex from the love like him. She had to start taking Steve’s advice and start thinking like a man. Adrian’s stunned silence alone signified that his interests were purely sexual in nature. He was a man, after all. No, he was a military man, she reminded herself. And this was all he needed from her.
When she returned to the sofa, drink in hand, she was a totally different person. She was back to her cheery self again.
“Do you want a drink, baby?” she cooed sweetly. Adrian shook his head in refusal. Cory seductively pouted her lips. “Do you want some of me instead, then?” she asked playfully.
Adrian smiled. “Now, when have I ever refused you?”
“Never!”
“Hmmm, and I wonder why that is? Come here, baby,” he spoke softly. Adrian kissed her so tenderly then.
Yes, I wonder that myself sometimes, Adrian. That’s it, Cory. Think like a man. Act like a lady. And screw him till he’s senseless.