“Tonight. Let me be yours.” She whispers it and I want that, so badly I fucking want that, but it doesn’t feel right after what she just shared with me.
I pull my lips away and rest my cheek against hers. “Tonight’s not enough for me, Addison. I won’t be able to stop at just one night.”
Pulling her face away from mine, her eyes squint in confusion, but she doesn’t say anything as she takes in my statement. It’s calm and quiet on her balcony, the night surrounding us and I can’t help but smile into her beautiful eyes, watching her mind process what I said. And suddenly it’s as if everything falls into place and she smiles back, her eyes lighting up in understanding of what I need from her. “I’ll be yours tomorrow too.”
Slightly chuckling, I lean forward, my check brushing against hers, my lips grazing her ear. “One night Addison . . . one night I’m going to make you mine and you’ll never question your heart again, but it’s not going to be tonight.”
Her body deflates and her hands grip my biceps. “Will you at least drink with me?” she finally asks.
I stand and pull her with me. We climb over to my apartment. “I’ll do one better, I’ll drink with you and I’ll make you dinner.”
We are on my favorite dark blue lounge chair, she’s settled between my legs, her back resting on my chest. We’ve eaten, we’ve talked and we’ve drunk—a lot. I’d laid it on the line as best I knew how; I’m looking for a lot more than one night. She’d processed that information, and had been unreadable since.
She’s holding her wine glass in one hand and gripping my thigh with the other as she leans back and looks towards the dark, star filled sky. The wind has kicked up and is bringing the smell of ocean air around us.
“Would you rather go a year without coffee or a year without television?”
Addison sits up and stares at me. “Are we playing ‘Would You Rather?’”
I shrug. “Yeah, you game?”
She sits back down, her free hand tapping my thigh as she thinks. “Television. I can’t live without my coffee. Would you rather go a year without working out or a year without sex?”
“Sex.” I say without a second thought. She sits back up and stares at me horrified. “What?” I ask. “You can’t live without sex? Is this something new I should know about you, Green Eyes?”
Laughing she lays back down, “Oh, I can live without sex, Christ, I just got out of a five year dry spell, but I wouldn’t have pegged you as someone to deny themselves.”
Crap, Matt’s the only man she’s ever had sex with. No wonder she’s so hung up on the dude.
“Guess, you just learned something new about me,” I say, as I squeeze her tighter.
“Yeah, I guess I did.”
We sit in comfortable silence for a little while longer, her hand still firmly placed on my thigh and my arms secure around her small frame.
“I’m in love with tonight.” Her voice is slow and husky, her body relaxed and resting comfortably on top of mine.
Entwining her fingers with my own, I gently run my thumb along her soft skin, feeling the delicate bones underneath. “Always love your life, Addison, It’s the only one you’ve got.”
“There hasn’t been much to love about it lately.” She finishes her wine and leans forward to pour herself another glass, her fingers leaving mine cold and empty. We’re on our third bottle and I know I’m feeling it, I’m sure she’s beyond buzzed at this point.
After refilling both our empty glasses, she’s snuggling back down, her head fitting right under my chin and my arms instantly wrapping around her. “You met me, Green Eyes, that should be reason enough to love your life.”
Her gentle laugh vibrates through my chest and I hold her tighter, my lips coming down on the top of her head.
“You’re not allowed to kiss me, Offside.”
“I didn’t.”
“You did, and it’s a tease to kiss my head and not my lips.”
After kissing her head again, I lean forward and slide her hair away from her neck. My lips grace the area right below her hairline, bringing her soft skin between my teeth and gently biting. She shivers and her body scrunches up smaller in my arms. “I’m not a tease, Addison. Only a realist and I really wanted to taste you.” I gently bite her again.