The Time Traveler's Boyfriend by Annabelle Costa Read Free Book Online Page B

. Yes, it was a really nice, expensive tie. But it was just a tie. It wasn’t, like, a machine that made ties then sorted them by color or some crazy thing like that. I spent less than an hour picking it out, not fifty hours slaving away in a lab.
    Sometimes I’d wrack my brain, trying to think of something I could do for Adam to let him know how deeply I cared about him. But I just couldn’t think of anything as great as the things he did for me.
    And now, of course, he’s offering me an opportunity to make a grand romantic gesture for him. The more I think about it, the harder it is to say no.
     
    ***
     
    Due to my insomnia the night before, I oversleep a bit the next morning. When I wake up, Adam isn’t next to me in bed. As I sit up and yawn, he wheels into the room with a plate on his lap, which contains an omelet and crisp buttered toast. It smells incredible.
    “I brought you breakfast in bed,” he says with a crooked smile. “To make up for being a jerk last night.”
    “You weren’t a jerk,” I say as I take the plate from him and put it on my lap.
    “I was,” he insists. “I just wanted to try to make it up to you. I love you, Claudia.”
    I watch him as he transfers to get back into bed next to me. I can’t help but notice the way he winces and then grabs his left shoulder as he settles into bed. “What’s wrong?” I ask.
    “Just my stupid shoulders.” He shrugs. “They’re acting up a little more than usual today.”
    I swallow a small bite of toast. Adam’s mentioned his shoulders before. Aside from his sleeping pill, he takes a prescription painkiller for the aches associated with being in a wheelchair for sixteen years. I think of him being in pain this morning yet still going to the kitchen to make me breakfast.
    I push the eggs around my plate, my appetite suddenly gone. “Adam …” I say.
    “Did I overcook them?” he asks, concerned.
    “No,” I say. “They’re perfect.”
    I know I said before I don’t usually take risks. But sometimes, if you want something bad enough, it might be worth it.
    “All right,” I say. “I’ll do it.”

CHAPTER SIX
     
    Adam just stares at me, a smile spreading across his face. “You will? Really?”
    It ’s hard to swallow because of a big lump in my throat. “Yeah, I will. I’ll do it.”
    “ Are you sure?”
    Now it ’s my turn to stare at him. “Seriously? You just begged me to do it yesterday and now you’re asking if I’m sure?” I heave a sigh. “I’m sure. As long as you’re sure it’s safe.” Even though there’s really no way he can guarantee anything like that, and I know it as well as anyone.
    “ It’s safe,” he says, with more assurance than I’d expect, considering we’ve had only one test subject so far. And that subject wasn’t even human. “Albert is doing great. I just checked on him. His insides aren’t scrambled or anything like that.”
    His insides aren ’t scrambled. Fantastic. “You’re not exactly instilling me with confidence right now.”
    “ Sorry.” He seems unable to keep the huge grin off his face though. “I’m just really happy you’re doing this, that’s all.” He adds: “I knew you would.”
    He did? Because I sure as hell didn’t see this coming.
    Adam tugs the plate of eggs and toast off my lap and puts it on the night table. And then he starts kissing me in a way that he hasn’t kissed me since that anniversary dinner that I completely screwed up. He whispers that he loves me into my hair and I whisper that I love him back. “I’m going to show you how much I love you, Claudia,” he breathes.
    I feel his kisses going down my belly and I know what’s coming. He quickly moves back into his wheelchair because that’s the easiest position for him, and I feel him sliding my panties off. I have dated many men in my life, and not all of them are willing to go down on a woman (all of them are quite willing to be on the receiving end, though), but Adam is by far the