21. Crow
CHAPTER 21
CROW
Kissing her is like breathing, and stopping is impossible.
Addison sits on the opposite end of the couch, and she’s fidgety. She has been ever since she got home from work. Despite her insisting that she’s okay, I know she’s not.
“Talk to me,” I encourage.
“There’s nothing to talk about.”
“That’s crap, and you know it.”
She sighs deeply before twisting and pulling her leg up to tuck it beneath her. “I know I said it’d be okay back at the courthouse, but…” She shakes her head. “Crow, he’s guilty.”
“And he’s going to pay.”
“I get that, I really do. But my justice system failed a victim today. That’s not sitting well with me.”
“It shouldn’t sit well with you. Hell, it shouldn’t sit well with anyone. But it is what it is.”
“Are you…”
“Am I what?” I ask when she doesn’t finish her question.
“Are you gonna kill him?”
“Me personally, no.”
“Dammit, Crow,” she snaps. “Is Kenny going to be killed or not?”
“He’ll be dealt with.”
“You mean he’ll be dead.”
I don’t know why she’s pushing me all of a sudden. We’ve come to an understanding over the course of our time together. She doesn’t ask too much, and I don’t tell her too much. Our mutual respect allows us to have the same agenda with a very different path to get there.
“Addison, do you really want me to answer that?”
She hesitates, seemingly debating on how to respond. “Yeah, I do.”
“Kenny’ll be dead by the end of the day.”
“Okay.”
“Okay?” I arch a brow. “That’s it, just okay?”
She shrugs. “Good people doing bad things for good reasons, right?”
I smile. “Yeah, something like that.”
“At least Sunny can feel safe again, knowing he can’t hurt her anymore.” Addison sucks her bottom lip between her teeth for a moment before continuing. “We still don’t know who paid him, though.”
“I know. But we’ll figure it out.”
“And if we don’t?”
I stand, grabbing her hand as I do to pull her to her feet. “C’mon, let’s go for a ride. Nothing like the wind in your hair to clear your mind.”
“Are you trying to distract me, Crow?”
“Absolutely,” I quip. “Are you gonna let me?”
“I think I am.”
Ten minutes later, Addison’s changed into jeans, boots, and a hoodie, and I’m leading her outside to my Harley. I hand her the helmet, and she straps it on.
“Hold on tight, Ace,” I instruct when I’m situated in front of her. “I’m not taking it slow today.”
She wraps her arms around my waist and tightens her thighs against mine. My cock stirs at the contact. I’ve wanted her for a while now, but it’s never been the right time.
Maybe today will. She needs distracting after all.
I back out of her driveway and tear off down the street. It doesn’t take long to get outside of town, and once we’re on a less traveled road, I open up the throttle. Addison’s chest rises and falls with her laughter, and I know she’s enjoying herself.
When we reach a more rural area, I slow down a little and rest my hand on the side of her thigh. Her muscles jump beneath my palm, and I smile to myself. She can pretend all she wants that she’s not affected by me, but her body tells an entirely different story.
An hour passes, then two hours. I start heading back toward her place, and the closer we get, the tighter she holds onto me.
Rather than end the evening, I pull into a mostly empty lot on the edge of town and cut the engine.
“What’re we doing?” she asks.
“Figured we could stretch our legs a bit.”
“We’re only ten minutes from my house, ya know?”
“I know.” I grin. “I also know if we go back, you’ll start thinking again.”
“And you don’t want me to think?”
I reach out to cup her cheek. Addison leans into my touch, and her body trembles.
“What’s happening?” she asks, her tone raspy.
“Say the word,” I whisper as I move my mouth to her ear. “And I’ll stop.”
She sighs, and I strike. Capturing her lips with mine, I slip my tongue past the seam and swirl it around hers. Addison moans as she throws her arms around my neck and gives as good as she gets.
I bend slightly and lift her into my arms so she can straddle my hips. We’re out in the open, on full display for anyone to see, but I don’t care. She’s mine, and at this moment, I’m hers.
I don’t know how we got here, but I know I never want to leave. Kissing her is like breathing, and stopping is impossible.
But not for her.
Addison breaks the kiss, forcing me to lower her to her feet. She rests her hands against
my chest, and I cover them with my own.
“I won’t apologize for that,” I say roughly.
“I don’t want you to.”
“I want more than just a kiss, Addison,” I admit, trying like hell to keep the desperation out of my tone.
“So do I.” She smiles sadly. “But not today, not under these circumstances.”
“What circumstances?”
“The ones where you’re trying to cheer me up. I don’t want pity sex.”
I bark out a laugh. “Pity sex? That’s what you think it’d be?”
“It wouldn’t?”
“Fuck no! When we sleep together, pity will be the last thing on either of our minds, I promise you that.”
“Oh.”
“And Addison?”
“Hmm?”
“We are going to sleep together, and there will be zero sleeping involved.”