to throw open this damn door and pull her into my arms. I’m out of my league here and not sure how to react. There’s too much going on, my feelings for her, my feelings for Emily. I don’t want Addison working for Thomas Feeley, and I don’t want her calling us a mistake.
Not opening the door any further, I quietly say, “Addison, go home.”
She doesn’t move her foot. “No.”
The toe of her white running shoe shines brilliantly against the dark paint. I rest my head on the cool wood of the door as I hold it firmly in place, preventing her from opening it further.
“Take me running.”
Is she serious? “I already worked out.”
“That’s never stopped you before.”
Clenching my jaw, I move my foot to hers. With every ounce of inner strength I have, I nudge her toe back outside and close the door, sliding the lock in place.
Pretending that didn’t just cut a hole right through my heart, I grab a dark gray T-shirt from my closet and throw on a black hoodie. Reed and I settled on a dive bar at the outskirts of town. Nothing fancy, and somewhere we can be nobodies.
Pulling on my beanie, I throw on my best ‘I don’t give a shit attitude’ and leave my place.
She’s still standing outside my door.
“I’m not leaving until you talk to me.”
It takes me a moment to register that she is going to make this night very difficult for me. Her defiant eyes are blazing brighter than usual, her dark hair pulled up exposing her neck, and those lips, which I can’t get enough of, tease me.
Her arms are laced tensely across her stomach, her biceps slightly pronounced with the effort it’s taking her to keep this tough girl act up. I don’t want to go out and pick up some random girl tonight, I want to stay home and watch TV with Addison. Find out who the Salmon Ladder takes out this time. Tell her all about Emily and everything she means to me, what she needs when she’s released from the hospital. I want to be with Addison, but I don’t want to be another one of her regrets, once in a week is enough.
Stepping into her space, I place my hands on either side of her throat, my fingers feeling her rapidly beating pulse. My thumb tilts her head upwards and I lower my lips to hers.
I kiss her. My tongue, slipping into her warm inviting mouth, her knees buckle and I back her against the railing, keeping her upright as she whimpers into our joined lips. My hands never leave her silken neck, feeling her heartbeat intensify as I deepen the kiss.
Damn, she tastes so good.
Releasing her arms, she wraps them around me and pulls me closer. I’m insanely hard and pressed right up against her body.
Her hands find the hem of my shirt and roam over the bare skin on my back. Pulling away, I keep my fingers on her beating pulse as I stare into her eyes. “Go inside, Addison. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
She begins to protest, and I give her one more peck on the lips as I quickly walk down the stairs and get into the waiting cab.
I give the address to the cab driver, but what I really want to do is bang on her door and go back to Sunday night. I want a restart on us, because while for the past few days I’ve placed all the blame on her, I’m the one who agreed to drunk sex, I’m the one who wasn’t strong enough to make us wait until she was one hundred percent convinced I was who she wanted. I’ve known all along that she was it for me, but Addison needed more time and I screwed it up.
Next time around, I’m going to do it right. And while leaving her on my doorstep with swollen red lips feels all sorts of wrong, it was my only option.
The cabbie drops me off on a dark corner in front of a rundown looking shack. Reed’s already inside drinking a rum and coke and I join him.
“You don’t look much better than you did an hour ago. This is a very bad idea, Damian.”
“Leave then.” I nod towards the exit. “Not like I need your permission or your company. I’m pretty sure I can get laid all on my own.” The words fall out of my mouth, but they are meaningless. My interest lies with one