Chapter 7
SEVEN
WE’RE NOT FRIENDS
Addison
For several seconds, nothing happened, and had I not been able to feel him behind me, I would have assumed he’d left. His shoes were almost silent against the carpet beneath our feet, but if I listened carefully, I could hear the faintest brush.
I counted each step and reminded myself of the reasons why I’d run out of our room at Abditory in the first place: our age difference, my recent breakup, my chaotic family life, my lack of free time.
The one reason I’d wished I would forget, though, was the one that kept wiggling its way to the front of my mind: how he’d made me feel like I was the most beautiful woman he’d ever had the pleasure of touching and made me fall apart over and over again.
How I worried that nothing would ever live up to that one night with a man who didn’t even know my name.
Memories flashed behind my closed eyes as I counted his fourth step and felt the heat of his body at my back.
His fingers grazed the vascular birthmark on the side of my neck as he brushed my hair over my shoulder.
Not only had I dyed it pink, but I’d cut it, too.
The classic breakup cut that I wasn’t immune to.
Although I didn’t regret it at all. Pretty sure cotton candy pink hair was my final form.
But my short hair didn’t stay over my shoulder very well. It fell back almost immediately, so he tucked it behind my ear instead. The second brush of his fingers against my bare skin was enough to make a shiver whip down my spine. One that I couldn’t suppress or contain.
“I’ve been looking for you every day for weeks,” he said next to my ear.
His breath was hot, his voice low, and I squeezed my eyes shut against every sensation he elicited with just a few words and the softest touch.
“I can’t think about anything but you, Bubbles.
You’ve consumed every single one of my thoughts since you left me in that room. ”
My breath caught in my throat, and I fought the urge to rub my thighs together.
“Now, please, baby girl. Tell me your name.”
I choked out a surprised laugh, and my eyes popped open. I didn’t turn, but I did peer slightly over my left shoulder. I caught a glimpse of his stubble-covered chin and full lower lip.
Peering down at my shirt, I realized my name tag that was usually clipped on the left side of my shirt was missing. That was going to be fun to find later.
“What does it matter now?”
He laughed, and I straightened, disapproving of my body’s reaction to the husky sound.
“It matters for several reasons,” he began, running his fingertips gingerly down my arm.
So slowly, in fact, I knew he wouldn’t miss the goose bumps that appeared in his wake.
“It matters because I’ve already been inside you.
It matters because I remember the way your pretty little cunt mercilessly squeezed my cock as you begged me to let you come.
It matters because every time I’ve jacked off to the memory of you moaning ‘Daddy,’ I wonder if I’ll only ever know you as Bubbles.
It matters because one night with you ruined me. ”
I sucked in a shaky breath, and those memories from before were so much more poignant with his dirty words to remind me.
He gripped my left hand and wrapped his right around my hip, stepping forward until there was no space left between us. Until I could feel the thick outline of his cock against my lower back.
He felt better than I remembered, and when he dropped his lips to my exposed neck, I finally gave him what he wanted.
“Addison,” I whispered, and the pattern he’d been drawing with his thumb on the back of my hand stopped. His mouth hovered above my skin, and I thought about how good it would feel to tip my head back against his chest.
I didn’t mean to actually do it, but one second the thought crossed my mind, and in the next my head fell against him. He exhaled softly as I added, “But my friends call me Addie.”
He hummed and left a lingering kiss against my birthmark. In the few interactions we’d had, he’d paid it more attention than anyone else. Most of the time guys would just ignore it, acting like that side of my neck didn’t exist.
“Well,” he said against my skin. “I’m not interested in just being friends, so Addison it is.”
Words escaped me, which felt ironic when he absolutely didn’t mince his. I envied how confident he sounded and was slightly in awe that it was when he was talking about me.
My emotions were going haywire, and the longer he touched me, the easier it was to forget every reason why I’d left that very beautiful room on Halloween night.
I was on the verge of saying “screw it” and begging for him to bend me over my desk immediately, but we were interrupted by a sharp knock on the door.
Like we had in his aunt’s new apartment, we quickly parted, and I straightened my dress as the door opened. Our assistant, Jen, peeked inside with a soft smile.
“Sorry to disturb you.”
“You didn’t—we aren’t—” I took a breath and tried once more. “Not a disturbance. What’s up?”
Beckett scrubbed a hand over his face to hide his smile, but he kept his body angled toward me since his very prominent erection was still making itself known behind his slacks.
“I was just going to let you know that Ms. Crawford’s movers are here. I was going to open the gate so they could go around and use the back entrance.”
“Sure, no problem,” I said quickly. “We’re just finalizing the rest of her paperwork, and then I can help supervise, if needed.”
She gave me a thumbs-up and quickly glanced at the back of Beckett’s head before she shut the door.
I sighed in relief and hurried around my desk, eager to put some distance between us because I knew he was going to pick up right where we’d left off if I didn’t.
Standing in front of my chair, I ignored his tempting smile and motioned to the guest chair on the opposite side. The one that was several feet away, and hopefully far enough that we could get through the paperwork without another incident.
I held my hand out until he moved to sit. When he finally did, I sat as well, shuffling papers across my desk and pulling out the final few items that required his signature.
“Addison,” he said, and my hand froze as I reached for a pen. “I can’t believe I found you.”
I licked my lips and continued shuffling the papers into a neat stack and setting them on the desk across from him with a pen. “Technically, you didn’t find me, you happened upon me. It was luck.”
“Semantics.”
I caught his eyes and shook my head. “You’re an attorney. I’m pretty sure you’re paid to worry about semantics.”
He smiled, and my stomach flipped when he flashed that dimple at me.
“I am. I like details. So, I think it’s also important to mention that although I didn’t find you, it was not for lack of trying. And I think us running into each other proves that the universe might also be on my side.”
And maybe I’d messed with the universe when I’d pretended I didn’t know who he was when he called at my other job.
“We do have paperwork to finish, and I’m sure your aunt would like to see you back upstairs eventually,” I said, ignoring his comment about the universe.
He leaned forward and glanced down at the paperwork. He skimmed through it quickly, page-by-page, and picked up the pen. But before he signed, he glanced back up at me.
“I sign this, then we talk.”
There was no room for negotiation. His warm brown eyes were intent on my face, and I realized I didn’t want to argue.
“Fine.”
He quickly signed each page and recapped the pen, sliding it across to me and leaning back in his chair. He braced his elbows on the armrests and steepled his fingers beneath his chin.
“Why did you leave?”
Although I expected the question, I still didn’t know how to answer it. I shuffled the papers, slipped them into a folder to scan into our system later, and used those few seconds to gather my thoughts.
“The truth?” I asked, and he nodded.
“Always.”
“It was one night. Just one…night.” The last word sounded forced, and I knew he hadn’t missed it. I cringed internally as his smile widened.
“Try again. I think if you practice, eventually, it’ll sound believable.”
I rolled my eyes and busied myself with other work. I jiggled my mouse and logged into my computer just for something to do.
“We agreed. One night, so you couldn’t have been surprised that I left.”
“And one night was enough for you?”
I stopped and looked back at him.
He readjusted in his chair, letting his elbows drop to his knees. His dark blue suit jacket pulled taut over his thick arms, and I noticed the muscle in his jaw jump as he ground his teeth together.
“You don’t think it was?” I asked quietly.
“No,” he stated. “There was no way it was enough.”
I shook my head, but he tsked me before I could lie through my teeth and tell him it wasn’t true.
“Don’t lie to me, Addison.”
The command in his voice made me blush all the way down my neck. I could feel it bloom over my chest and heat my ears. And for some reason, I loved it. Loved the rough timbre of his voice and the level of authority he exuded.
“It wasn’t,” I agreed. “It wasn’t enough. But we can’t—”
The lines around his eyes deepened as he smiled softly at my admission. He tilted his head slightly to one side like he was appraising my every reaction.
“We can’t, what? What is it we can’t do?”
“I’m not a one-night-stand or a random hookup kind of girl.”
“That’s not groundbreaking information, baby girl. You seemed a little too sweet and innocent from the start. Honestly, I was a little shocked when you asked me how we could get one of the rooms. But I’m not sure what that has to do with us moving forward.”
“Moving forward?” I scoffed.
“Yes, moving forward. I told you, one night wasn’t enough. You’re not a one-night-stand kind of person, and I don’t want just one night.”
Tucking my hair behind my ears, I straightened in my seat and considered what he was telling me.
“A two-night-stand isn’t much different than a one-night-stand,” I reasoned, and I knew Beckett didn’t agree the second the words left my lips.
A smile, more devious than before, tilted his mouth, and my skin felt warm under his lust-filled gaze.
“Do you really think I’ve been looking for you for weeks because I want just one more night?”