a plaid shirt. Then she moved on to the kitchen and made coffee and plans. Afterward she carried the cups gingerly back into the living room where Adam sat surrounded by tiny parts, busily working on an important looking chunk of metal.
"If you wreck my stereo," she began threateningly, thinking of how much it had cost.
"I'll replace it. But I'm not going to break it. Have some faith, honey. I usually know what I'm doing. I told you I'm interested in how things are constructed..."
"But I'm not sure I want you learning how stereo record players are made by dissecting mine!"
"I'm not learning on yours. I learned on mine!" "Do you think you'll find a place for all those pieces when you try putting it back together?" she worried, sipping her coffee and watching intently.
"If I can't find a spot for it, that will only mean it wasn't necessary in the first place!" he grinned, reaching for one of the cups. "You remembered I prefer mine with cream," he added, pleased. He took a swallow and nodded. "Good. You make it strong enough for me, too."
"I made it the way I like it," she informed him sweetly. "You're just lucky you happen to like it the same way!"
"If it hadn't been right I would have given you instructions," he told her absently, bending closer to the delicate piece on which he was now concentrating.
For a long time there was silence as Adam worked carefully and with an air of great attention. Janna watched him, making one or two comments, but generally keeping still. She had plenty on her mind to occupy her own attention.
The stereo, surprisingly, went back together without a single leftover component. On top of that, it worked. Adam played a record to test the machine, choosing an album of Mozart music which caused Janna to wonder about his tastes.
"Well, thanks," she managed, unable to hide her relief and pleasure.
"I told you, have some faith in me. I don't attempt anything I can't handle!"
"Is there anything you haven't attempted on the grounds that you didn't think you could handle it?" Janna asked wryly, watching as he got to his feet and straightened his clothes. He raked his hand through the crisp blackness of his hair and looked straight at her.
"I've always gotten everything I've wanted when I've wanted it badly enough to go after it. Remember that, Janna," he said, a curious thread of warning replacing the earlier conversational tone of his voice. "It's four o'clock now. I'm going to check into the motel and change clothes. I'll be back for you around six-thirty. You will be here, won't you, sweetheart?" he added with such casual threat that Janna winced in fleeting alarm.
"Six...six-thirty?" she repeated, feeling foolish but not quite daring to tell him she had a date and would, with any luck, be gone by six-thirty. It would be easier to let him remove himself now and simply not be in the apartment when he returned.
Adam took two, slow, menacing strides which brought him directly in front of Janna who sat very still on the couch and met his eyes with what she hoped was a look of unconcern. Reaching down one large hand he lifted her easily to her feet. Both rough palms moved to cup her face. "I was going to wait until later this evening when you'd had a little wine and were feeling mellow before giving you the next lesson in the course of instruction I've decided you need..." he began, the velvet in his words making Janna give an involuntary shiver, "but I have an idea it wouldn't hurt to provide a small reminder..." His mouth hovered over her lips, ready to swoop and take them prisoner.
"Wha...what course of instruction?" Janna squeaked, wishing she could stop the sudden trembling sensation in her limbs. She had to find the strength to fight this man. She had to!
"The one in which I'm going to teach you what surrender to me means, silly little queen. Weren't you listening this morning at the reception?" he whispered with mocking reproach and then he kissed her.
Janna, knowing it was much too late
"If you wreck my stereo," she began threateningly, thinking of how much it had cost.
"I'll replace it. But I'm not going to break it. Have some faith, honey. I usually know what I'm doing. I told you I'm interested in how things are constructed..."
"But I'm not sure I want you learning how stereo record players are made by dissecting mine!"
"I'm not learning on yours. I learned on mine!" "Do you think you'll find a place for all those pieces when you try putting it back together?" she worried, sipping her coffee and watching intently.
"If I can't find a spot for it, that will only mean it wasn't necessary in the first place!" he grinned, reaching for one of the cups. "You remembered I prefer mine with cream," he added, pleased. He took a swallow and nodded. "Good. You make it strong enough for me, too."
"I made it the way I like it," she informed him sweetly. "You're just lucky you happen to like it the same way!"
"If it hadn't been right I would have given you instructions," he told her absently, bending closer to the delicate piece on which he was now concentrating.
For a long time there was silence as Adam worked carefully and with an air of great attention. Janna watched him, making one or two comments, but generally keeping still. She had plenty on her mind to occupy her own attention.
The stereo, surprisingly, went back together without a single leftover component. On top of that, it worked. Adam played a record to test the machine, choosing an album of Mozart music which caused Janna to wonder about his tastes.
"Well, thanks," she managed, unable to hide her relief and pleasure.
"I told you, have some faith in me. I don't attempt anything I can't handle!"
"Is there anything you haven't attempted on the grounds that you didn't think you could handle it?" Janna asked wryly, watching as he got to his feet and straightened his clothes. He raked his hand through the crisp blackness of his hair and looked straight at her.
"I've always gotten everything I've wanted when I've wanted it badly enough to go after it. Remember that, Janna," he said, a curious thread of warning replacing the earlier conversational tone of his voice. "It's four o'clock now. I'm going to check into the motel and change clothes. I'll be back for you around six-thirty. You will be here, won't you, sweetheart?" he added with such casual threat that Janna winced in fleeting alarm.
"Six...six-thirty?" she repeated, feeling foolish but not quite daring to tell him she had a date and would, with any luck, be gone by six-thirty. It would be easier to let him remove himself now and simply not be in the apartment when he returned.
Adam took two, slow, menacing strides which brought him directly in front of Janna who sat very still on the couch and met his eyes with what she hoped was a look of unconcern. Reaching down one large hand he lifted her easily to her feet. Both rough palms moved to cup her face. "I was going to wait until later this evening when you'd had a little wine and were feeling mellow before giving you the next lesson in the course of instruction I've decided you need..." he began, the velvet in his words making Janna give an involuntary shiver, "but I have an idea it wouldn't hurt to provide a small reminder..." His mouth hovered over her lips, ready to swoop and take them prisoner.
"Wha...what course of instruction?" Janna squeaked, wishing she could stop the sudden trembling sensation in her limbs. She had to find the strength to fight this man. She had to!
"The one in which I'm going to teach you what surrender to me means, silly little queen. Weren't you listening this morning at the reception?" he whispered with mocking reproach and then he kissed her.
Janna, knowing it was much too late
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