(Mercy Thompson)

A/N - I did one for Samuel, so you know I needed to do one for Adam. Had this sitting on my computer forever, needing to be finished. I hope you like it. Contains SMUT, so if you don't like reading that, please skip! Thanks!

Let me know what you think! Thanks!

DISCLAIMER: I do not own the Mercy Thompson series. That honor belongs to Patricia Briggs, and I receive no compensation for this work.

Adam's Ardor

(Excerpt from pages 201 & 202, Iron Kissed – Patricia Briggs)

He paused when he came to my belly. He let the towel drop away and dropped to one knee until his face was on level with my navel. He closed his brilliant eyes and pressed his forehead against the vulnerable softness under my rib cage.

…

Adam pressed his head against me until all I could see was the top of his head. His cheek and chin were prickly, which should have tickled or hurt, but that wasn't the sensation that I was feeling. His hands slid up my legs to my rump, where they tightened, pulling me harder against his face.

His lips were soft, but not as soft as his tongue.

Electricity traveled from where his lips were working against my stomach, his tongue paying special attention to my tattoo, all the way up my spine. His hands squeezed my backside, pulled me even further against his mouth.

I felt his teeth nipping lightly, but thankfully he wasn't thinking of food when he tasted me, even though his wolf was lurking so close to the surface. My hands ran through the thick hair on his head, and I felt myself being swept away in his embrace.

It was amazing, this feeling. My body was high on it, my eyes closing on their own.

He was making it hard to remember I shouldn't do this. Adam was old-fashioned, his mind on marriage when he held a woman, when he held me. His wolf was similar but more instinctual, wanting to mate me now and forever.

And the wolf was more in control than the man at the moment.

But for the life of me, I couldn't stop him. The night had been more than a little traumatic for me, being chased by the equivalent of a swamp monster who had clearly stated how very badly he had wanted to eat me.

If I hadn't made it to Adams house, Adams protection…

I wouldn't think of that now. To be honest, it was getting harder to think at all, really, what with his mouth igniting fire across my abdomen, through my whole body. His hands had started to knead my bottom, caressing the backs of my legs and wandering wherever they could.

"Soft," his wolf-roughened voice whispered.

It was when one hand slipped behind my knee, lifting my leg up to settle over his shoulder that I knew what Adam meant to do, right here, in the bathroom. I was caught off balance a little, and it caused me to lean back against the cool linoleum of the shower stall.

He breathed deeply, tasting my scent moments before his mouth followed. His lips were hot and soft, his tongue stabbing and licking, reaching places that hadn't known such attention in a very long time.

It happened so fast. One moment, he had been drying me off after my shower. Now, he was pleasuring me against the wall.

I'd find room to feel guilty for that later. After all, I didn't behave this way, not usually. Right now, my hands found comfort and stability in his hair, on his shoulder, in holding on to something.

My feet had been cut by the glass from a shattered window, but the stinging pain only added to the building pressure between my legs. As the wave of sensations began to crest, I put back my head, sliding a little against the water droplets on the wall. My knees weren't holding up too well either, and my legs began to shake.

It didn't seem to deter Adam, who lifted me from the shower, walking over to set me down on the counter between the sinks. He came back to me immediately, pulling me forward so my bottom nearly hung off the edge, resuming his oral assault.

He was as relentless a man as he was a wolf when there was something he wanted. And for a long time, that thing had been me. When he'd finally realized I wanted him too, even before I had, there was no hope for me.

There was no stopping him, not that I wanted to. My mind was too much jelly to form any words of protest. He had wrapped an arm around each thigh, my legs over his shoulders, his hands grasping me firmly as he indulged.

All I could do was brace against the mirror, trying to stay as quiet as I could. We had an audience after all, albeit only an auditory one.

Adam's house was still abuzz after the earlier commotion. Jesse would be waiting to see me. But more importantly, many of Adams pack were still here, calming down from their fight, complete with wolf hearing.

If they heard me cry out, they'd know exactly what was transpiring here, in a bathroom shower of all places. Maybe they already did.

I didn't think I could face down such embarrassment. Still, I failed to keep completely quiet, my breathing hard and loud, low cries squeezing through parched lips.

Finally I felt the onset of an orgasm and knew that I needed to stay as quiet as possible, or face the most awkward moment of my life.

It was impossible. It felt amazing, and Adam wouldn't let up. He knew what he was doing, and when I came, it was hard, wracking my body, my hair sliding against the mirror as my whimpering breaths shuddered from my lungs in a rush.

He didn't stop, not until I stilled, aftershocks making me spasm sporadically as he climbed to his feet, stopping at my breasts to lay a kiss between them his hands holding my hips where they still lay on the edge of the counter.

I thought he would give me his lips, but then he brought his hands to my breasts, suckling one while fondling the other. I gasped, the scrape of his teeth and suction of his mouth and lips making me wither once again against the mirror.

His arm reached around me, supporting my torso, supporting me and imprisoning me at the same time.

This went on for a moment, or more. I couldn't be depended on to guess. His ministrations caused intensifying levels of arousal to run through me. But then he stopped.

As I came out of my sex stupor, he caught my gaze with his, golden yellow eyes lowering to his pants and back to mine, asking silently.

I looked nervously to the bathroom door, wanting this despite myself but cautious. He smirked at me, his sexy lips drawing my eyes. "Are you scared?" he asked half-jokingly.

But I was serious. "They're out there," I protested weakly, when we both knew what I wanted, what we wanted. "We can't do this, not here."

"They know better," Adam said with the certainty that came with being Alpha. "No one will come in, I promise you." He took one of my hands from where I was bracing myself on the counter, moving it to the button of his jeans.

When I hesitated, he leveled sex-drunken eyes on me. "Please, Mercy." I never thought I would hear him beg, not me, not anyone, for anything. But his eyes were so piercing, pleading with me. "I need you." He caressed my thigh with eager fingertips.

So I decided. I'd do this now, and worry about my reputation later. My fingers shaking, I fumbled a bit with his button, but finally slipped it free. The zipper was easy enough, and I saw that he hadn't worried with underwear when he'd changed from wolf.

It made things all the easier as I slid them over his hips.

When they were pooled around his feet, Adam kicked off his tennis shoes and stepped out of them, moving in again. His lips were soft as he kissed me, eager and aggressive. His hand cradled my chin, controlling my head as his tongue delved, sharing my taste with me.

My head was fuzzy. All I could process was pleasure, closeness, heat. "Touch me," he murmured against my mouth. I hadn't realized I'd been still, accepting and not giving.

I reached a hand up to his chest, caressing the hardened planes, the flattened nipples, heading lower. His abs, always an attraction to me, tensed when I reached them, scoring my nails gently across them.

But there was something else I was eager to touch, and the need he had for me made me bold.

Reaching down, I encircled him, marveling at the velvety skin enwrapping hardness. He sucked a breath in through his teeth, moving his mouth to my neck.

I gave him a tentative stroke, slowly. He breathed harshly against my neck. When I did it a few more times, he nipped me for playing with him. I finally grabbed the base of him, giving him a tug to urge him closer.

Adam understood. His fingers dug into my hip as his other hand rubbed and delved, finding slickness and heat. Satisfied, he moved in closer. I closed my eyes. I was damned near panting, and as I prepared myself for what was about to happen, Adam pulled back to look at me.

"Look at me, Mercy," he breathed. When I did so, he searched my face. It seemed he found what he was looking for, because in the next moment, he pushed inside me slowly, molding himself against me.

I was unable to hold his molten gaze. My breaths shuddered, and my arms wound about his neck.

He was gentle, at first, keeping his movements slow. As things began to heat up though, he started to get more excited, frenzied. All I could do was cling to him and try to move with him, try to breathe. My body felt like it was on fire, floating, my head swimming.

It was all I could do not to fall over backwards, I was so boneless. I knew my cries were too loud, but couldn't summon enough to care. When my climax hit me, it was sudden and intense, and my fingers dug into Adams arms.

He waited for my tremors to pass then started again. His breathing was all that betrayed his excitement, his golden eyes closed in pleasure.

I don't know how much time passed, how many times I came, but the last time I cried out, Adam tensed, gritting his teeth and growling lowly against my neck, his hands holding my hips with rough hands.

When our breathing and heartrates were back to normal, he eased back, helping to steady me as I came off the counter to my feet. I reached for the towel, wrapping it back around my body. When I looked up again, Adam was securing his pants.

When he raised his gaze, now returned to his usual chocolate brown, to meet mine, we smiled. "Well," I started awkwardly. "I guess I can put on my clothes and—"

"No," Adam interjected. "You'll stay here tonight." His tone brooked no argument, and usually, I wouldn't argue with him, particularly when he was on edge from tonight's events. But his tone irked me despite the afterglow.

"I'm not one of your wolves, Adam," I said with mock contempt before walking up to him and laying a quick kiss on his lips. "But I'll stay, because I want to."

He smiled that sexy smile that always turned my insides into hot mush. "I'm not even near done with you." He took my hand, leading me to the bathroom door.

I suddenly remember that we hadn't been along in the house. "Adam, what about…" It was quiet as death in the house.

I listened for the slightest sound. There was nothing. "Where is everyone?" I asked.

Adam didn't seem to be surprised. "Darryl is very perceptive. He must have rounded everyone up and herded them out. If anyone still needs the help of someone more dominant, they'll stay at his house."

So, somehow Darryl had known that Adam had needed some private time…how shrewd. "What about Jessie?"

He began to guide me toward his bedroom. "She's there too. Jessie has spent time at Darryl's before. She and Auriele get along very well, which is working out to my advantage tonight."

When we got to the master bedroom, I looked at the bed. It seemed a lot bigger and more foreboding than before, even if I knew that nothing would happen with Adam that I wouldn't like.

"It's taken forever to get you here, coyote," Adam murmured, smile still in place. "But my patience is finally paying off."

His room, the rumble of his voice near my ear, all of it was coming together for a sexy mix of fresh arousal. I was relaxed with Adam, felt at home with him, and if there was anywhere I belonged after a crisis, it was here, with him.

My mind relaxed with that thought, and as he closed the door behind us, his hand gently slipping the towel from round me, I knew this night would change everything.

I'd care about that later.