Chapter 35
Chapter Thirty-Five
"Are we on a date?" Addison asked mischievously. "Because I'm not really the dating type, you know."
Daniel grunted as he pulled the truck to a stop. He turned to her and tapped her cheek with two fingers. "Watch it, woman, or I'll push you out of my truck and let you find your own way back."
She grinned and waited while he made his way around the truck to help her out.
It usually annoyed her when people did things for her that she could do for herself, but it was different with Daniel.
He was a single unit, a solitary man, with Addison as the only exception.
He did things for her because he wanted to, not because she was blind.
She went into his arms and laughed in surprise as he lifted her right out of the truck and up into the air before lowering her slowly down his length.
He placed her next to his solid body and took her hand, smoothing her slim fingers along his strong forearm.
She inhaled his scent, savouring the wonderful subtle male smell that was so uniquely him. She would recognize it anywhere.
"Won't you tell me where we are?" she asked curiously. "You know I hate surprises.”
“It’s not a surprise, just something I want to show you,” he said gruffly. “There’s a guy here to help us.”
“Okay, now I’m intrigued,” Addison said with a laugh. “Since when do you need help with anything?”
Daniel grunted. “Still can't do your damn hair.”
“Mr. Mercer? Ms. Sterling?” A man’s voice interrupted their banter. “Thanks for coming out here on this beautiful afternoon, I’m Trevor Milton.”
He shook their hands and then asked them to follow him inside. Addison leaned up on her toes and whispered to Daniel with a giggle, “He sounds like a real estate agent.”
“That’s because he is,” Daniel responded gruffly.
Addison’s jaw dropped and she stood rooted to the spot until Daniel hooked an arm around her waist and lifted her off her feet and up the stairs.
She barely spoke as the man led them through each room, showing them all the wonderful perks of the one hundred and fifteen year old character home.
He pointed out all of the original fixtures as well as the recent upgrades and additions.
He was careful to point out only the positives of the home and none of the flaws to his potential clients.
After about twenty minutes of listening to himself speak, he finally seemed to realize neither of his new clients were speaking, let alone showing even a tiny spark of interest in the home.
“Uh, so that’s the home. It’s been on the market for several weeks, but it’s definitely not going to last. It’s only a matter of time until the right buyers come along and snap it up!” he announced, like Addison and Daniel would be idiots to let it pass them by.
Daniel was staring hard at Addison, trying to discern her mood. “Leave,” he said to Milton.
“I’m afraid I can’t do that,” the agent said, jumping a little.
Addison felt the tension in the room go up a few notches and reached out to catch Daniel’s arm in case he planned on doing something irreversible to the poor real estate agent. “It’s okay, Daniel,” she whispered.
He ignored her and said to Milton, “Will you leave for $3000?”
Milton apparently had a shrewder mind than he’d thus far exhibited, and balls of steel to go up against Daniel. He thought for a moment and said, “Make it $5000 and call it a deposit on the house and we have a deal.”
Addison felt Daniel tense under her fingertips, then he let out a short bark of laughter. “Deal,” he growled, “now get the fuck out.”
“I’ll go draw up the papers. You can meet me at my office tomorrow to sign for the house.”
Daniel didn’t say anything until Trevor Milton left, then he turned to Addison and said, “Talk to me.”
“You just bought a house,” she said faintly, shaking her head.
“For you.”
“But… you can’t just buy a house for me, Daniel,” she said, hesitantly. “It’s too much, it’s too soon. What if… what if you change your mind about me… about us?”
His arms tightened around her until he was holding her tightly against his body.
“Addison,” he said quietly against the side of her head, “when that bitch took you and I thought I might lose you, I was ready to follow you into death. I knew I didn’t want to live if you weren't in this world with me.”
“Oh, Daniel,” Addison whispered reaching out to touch his face, her palms caressing his bearded cheeks lovingly. “Don’t say that, I can’t stand it.”
“Can’t stand a world without you in it. I promise you, I won’t ever leave you, and you won’t leave me. Understand?” he demanded gruffly.
“I understand,” she said through tears.
He hugged her tightly then set her away from him and wiped the tears from beneath her eyes with his thumbs. “Can’t stay in my place. It isn’t a proper apartment. And your place looks like the fucking Mad Hatter had an acid trip paint brush party.”
Addison laughed and hiccuped at the same time. “I let Anya paint it.”
“Pretty sure even you would have done a better job.”
“Was that a blind joke?” she demanded, poking him in the ribs. She rubbed the rest of her tears away using the sleeve of her cardigan. “I want a tour of my new house.”
He took her hand and led her through the house.
First, the spacious backyard which he assured her was fenced and big enough to house a dog if she wanted one.
Addison stood for a moment with her mouth open and fresh tears in her eyes.
Her parents had never let her have pets because of the mess and then, by the time she could afford it herself, she just didn’t feel it was fair to keep a dog in her city apartment.
“Oh, yes please!” she squealed, throwing herself into his arms and hugging him tight.
“I want a dog, a little terrier or a Chihuahua that’s missing a leg or an eye and down on its luck like me!
Actually, let’s just go to the pound and ask for the dog that's been there the longest, poor little thing. Can we go pick one up tomorrow? Can I name him or her Yo-Yo Ma?”
He picked her up, her arms still wrapped around him, and carried her back inside for the rest of the tour.
He explained that it was just outside of the downtown district on the other side of the river, about a five minute drive from King Tower.
She teased him about wanting to be so close to work, but was secretly impressed that he was willing to stay offsite in order to live with her in a place of their own.
She knew he was dedicated to his job. It showed how much he cared about her and their life together that he was willing to live outside of the Tower.
He described the area to her as being affluent, but quiet with an extremely low crime rate.
He said the house had a third floor studio that apparently had excellent acoustics that could be used as a practice space for her cello.
He then showed her up to the second floor and led her from room to room describing which could be his office, which would be the guest room and which would be their room.
“Which one will be our room again?” she asked huskily.
He gave her a little push into a room. “This one.”
“Is it big?” she asked, mischievously, dropping her cardigan on the floor.
“Big enough,” he assured her, reaching out to capture her good wrist and pulling it behind her back. She brought her other hand up and curved it under his T-shirt, flattening her palm against the hard plane of his stomach.
“Describe it to me,” she whispered.
“It’ll fit our bed,” he growled down at her.
“Which one?”
“Mine. Definitely mine.” He leaned down and licked her bare shoulder, biting at the thin strap of her top and snapping it against her skin. Then, using his teeth, he slid the strap over her shoulder and licked his way back up her neck, causing her to shiver and squirm.
“So you can tie me up to the posts?” she whispered.
“That’s why I bought the damn thing to begin with.”
She gasped. “I knew it! You pervert!”
“You love it,” he growled, gripping her jaw and shoving his tongue into her mouth. He kissed her thoroughly before letting her surface for air.
“I love it,” she agreed breathlessly. “What else… the room.”
“Has a walk-in closet, one of those old creepy ones with a hanging light you have to pull to turn on,” he said.
“Really?” she asked excitedly. “Do you think the closet locks from the outside?”
“If it doesn’t, I can fix that,” he said, pulling her top and padded bra off in one move and dropping them to the floor. “Fuck, your gorgeous tits make me want to fucking devour you every damn time, Addison.”
Putting truth to words, he bent her backwards over his arm and sucked her breast into his mouth until she was moaning in delight and clutching his hair.
She used to feel self-conscious about her smaller than average chest size, especially in comparison to her backside, but Daniel never gave her a chance to feel any kind of self-doubt.
He worshipped her too well for her to think she possibly had any flaws.
Her moans turned to screams as he started using his teeth against her nipples, turning the soft nubs into diamonds. Moisture flooded her pussy, making Addison squirm against him and beg for the release only he could give her. “Please, Daniel… please… I need…”
He lifted his head from her breast and pulled her down until his mouth hovered over hers. “What do you need, baby?” he growled.
“I need you, Daniel!” she wailed.
“Always,” he promised, reaching down to pull her soft cotton skirt down her legs.
He spread it on the dusty floor beneath them and laid her down on top of it, gently pulling her cotton panties down her thighs. “So fucking beautiful.”
“Tell me,” she whispered shyly.