Forbidden Harmony (Harmony Falls #3) - Elizabeth Kelly Page 0,78
do with her own body is not a great idea, buddy.”
“I know,” he said. “It just fucking shot out of my goddamn mouth before I could stop it. I lose my fucking mind when I’m around her now.”
“I can tell you how to stop being jealous around her,” Gideon said.
Preacher stared at him and Gideon set his fork down. “End this thing you have going on with her. Stop giving her lessons, stop being with her. I know you like her but now’s the time to end it. Because trust me, the longer this goes on, the harder it’ll be when it’s finished.”
Preacher didn’t reply and Gideon leaned closer. “Addison is a sweet girl and I’ve no doubt she doesn’t mean to hurt you, but she’s also not over Harrison yet. She can’t be. You don’t get over the person you loved for over a decade in just a few months. And you deserve better than being the rebound guy. Okay?”
“Yeah,” Preacher said.
“You’re not going to stop, are you?” Gideon said.
He shrugged. “I told her I’d give her lessons for a month. That isn’t that long.”
“Preacher -”
“Look, you’re right. She isn’t over her dick ex-fiancé, and when she is over him, I’m not the man she’s going to be looking at. I just needed to hear someone else say it.”
“That isn’t what I said,” Gideon said.
“But it’s the truth,” Preacher said. “I’ll give her the month I promised and that’ll be it for us. And if she wants to start dating that fucking gamer dude or some other guy before the month is up, more power to her.”
“So, your little jealousy problem is finished. Just like that, huh?” Gideon said.
“Just like that,” Preacher said.
* * *
Just like that, his fucking ass.
He walked toward Addison’s building. His stomach was still churning, and the sip of beer, bite of steak, and mouthful of salad were all bobbing around in his stomach acid and having a grand fucking time doing it.
He stared at the panel above the door, at the neatly typed ‘Moore, A’ next to number 427.
Go home, Simon.
Yeah, he would. This was a mistake. Going home and getting some sleep before the niggling headache became a migraine was exactly what he needed to do.
He reached out and pushed Addison’s apartment button. His hands were sweating, and he wiped them on his jeans. It was almost six and still hot and muggy as shit. More sweat beaded up on his temples when Addison’s voice came out of the speaker.
“Hello?”
“Hey, it’s me.”
When she didn’t reply, he said, “It’s Preacher,” and then winced at how fucking stupid he was.
“What do you want?” she said.
“Can I come up?”
The pause was excruciatingly long. He was just about to buzz her apartment door again when the front door buzzed. He grabbed it and yanked it open before she could change her mind and took the stairs up to the fourth floor.
He knocked on her door and she immediately yanked it open and glared at him. He took one look at her and forgot to goddamn breathe.
Fuck.
Double fuck.
She was wearing the same pajama bottoms from last night and a thin white tank top without – fuck, he was getting a semi– a bra. He stared at her perfect nipples pressing against the thin fabric and could see the outline of the barbell in the right one. She backed up and he stepped into her apartment, closing the door behind him.
She crossed her arms over her tits, and he mourned the loss of those perfect nipples. “What do you want?”
He cleared his throat. “It, uh, smells good in here.”
It did smell good. So good in fact that for the first time all day, he felt a thread of hunger.
“I’m cooking chili in the slow cooker. Is that why you’re here? To tell me that my place smells good?”
“No,” he said.
Her look was frosty enough to make him lose his semi. Before he could say anything, she said, “I’m really mad at you.”
“I know.”
“You had no right to say what you did to Lucas. It’s my body and if I want to show him my damn tattoo, I will. You don’t get a say in it, Preacher.”
“You’re right. I apologize.”
“And if you think – wait, what?”
“I’m sorry,” he said.
She blinked at him, her stiff body softening as she slumped against the wall. “Did you just say you were sorry?”
“Yes,” he said. “I fucked up. It won’t happen again.”
He didn’t get why she looked so shocked at his apology until she