Chapter Nine #3
She peeked up and her eyes widened, and she quickly nodded.
She was taking the time to find out about a life that wasn’t hers.
Cross was definitely seeing her in a different light.
Addison wasn’t entitled to know his brother, but she wanted to because she respected and appreciated her connection to him.
It was the thing he hadn’t considered when she’d shown up.
Yeah, she was a stranger, but Knox was a part of her.
And she wanted to get to know that part.
“I vouched for Knox. That’s how he started prospecting in the club.”
“Cleo mentioned that. It’s like sponsoring him, right? You’re responsible if he messes up.”
Someone had done their homework. There was more to it, but Addison seemed to know the basics.
“You find that out on the internet?”
She blushed. “I might’ve done a little research.”
Cross gave in to his smile. “Started prospecting when he was nineteen. Had this beat-up, loud as fuck bike that he was always fixing outside of a bar we hung out at. Owner comes out and tells him he’s got to haul it outta there.
Knox says he’ll get it running. Owner gets pissed, calls the bouncers. Three big guys.”
“Did he move it?”
Cross smirked, thinking back. “No. Told them the same thing he told the owner. And then he took them all on.”
Her brows spiked. “He fought three guys?”
“Yeah.”
“Did he win?” She smirked.
“He held his own for a while but eventually got the shit kicked outta him.”
“Oh,” she muttered, clearly rooting for the underdog.
“A couple months later, I vouched for him, and he was prospecting.”
“Because you felt bad for him?”
Cross scoffed. “’Cause after they beat his ass and left him, he got himself up” —he cocked his brow— “and continued to work on his fucking bike.”
Her lips twitched. “It showed you what he was made of?”
Exactly.
“Thanks for sharing that. It gives me a different idea of who he was outside of Cleo’s version of her brother.” She smiled. “I guess the real Knox is somewhere between both.”
Yeah.
“She said you two were really close.”
Cross stared back at her. He’d give her a little, but he wasn’t diving into his personal emotions. Those were only his.
“I’m sorry for your loss,” she whispered.
No one had ever said that to him. For the club and Cleo, they’d all lost him.
Outsiders didn’t dare speak of Knox unless one of them brought him up, and even then they just listened.
It was an unspoken rule. One that Addison had broken.
He’d never told that story of Knox before, and for some reason he wanted her to hear it.
Cross stalked toward her, and unlike the other time when she’d stood her ground, Addison retreated, pressing her back against the wall. He stopped a foot away, crowding her space. Intentionally, but not to scare her. He felt an unexplainable need to be close.
“I’m going to leave,” she whispered.
It took everything in him to batten down his reaction. What the fuck was she talking about? She wasn’t going anywhere. Not now.
“I’ll pack up tonight and book a flight home.
No argument.” She gulped. “I didn’t come here to upset anyone.
I wanted to meet Cleo.” Her voice cracked.
“And now I’ve done that, so I should go.
I’m sorry for how all this worked out for you and the club.
I should’ve taken into account how this would affect everyone, not just Cleo.
” She glanced up. “But I didn’t, and for that I am really sorry, Cross. ”
And she was. Cross felt it to his core. He was seeing everything clearly with her. Cue and Ghost, even Cleo, had nailed it with Addison. She was in dire need of healing. So am I.
“You’re staying,” he said without an ounce of hesitation.
“Why?” she whispered. “You all hate me.”
No, I don’t. But Cross wasn’t ready to open himself up more. Not yet. He settled for the next best thing in admitting anything.
“Cleo doesn’t.”
“I think…”
He pressed his hands against the wall, caging her in and shutting her down from finishing her sentence. He didn’t want to hear it. “You told her you were staying for a month. You sold her a dream. And now you’re going to fucking deliver.”
Surprise marred her features. “What dream?”
Without thinking, he lifted his hand, tracing a heart shape over her breast. This had taken a hard turn.
Her nipple immediately beaded, and she gasped but didn’t pull away.
From his view above her, her chest rose and fell at an accelerated speed.
It could’ve been fear. He glanced over, meeting her gaze.
But it isn’t. Addison’s attraction, much like his own, had been obvious from the moment they’d seen each other.
Even his harsh words to her and her revival of his grief hadn’t changed the mutual desire on both sides.
“You’re her only physical connection to Knox. You ain’t taking that from her.”
Addison drew in a deep breath. “You want me to stay for Cleo?”
Cross slid his finger over her collar bone and up her neck, curving his palm around her jaw. He refused to answer her, but if she read his body language, she’d know.
“Look, I don’t know what’s happening right now, but…”
“We’re eye fucking again, baby.”
Her lips twitched.
“You’re gonna come to the club party tomorrow night. You’re gonna be there by ten.”
She knitted her brows. “Is that an invitation?”
“No.” He leaned closer. “It’s me telling you, you’re gonna be there.”
She squinted and sucked in a breath when he dragged his thumb over her jawline.
“I can’t.”
“Yes, you will.”
“No, I mean, I’m working.”
“No, you’re not.”
She snorted with a smile. “Ask Barry, I’m on the schedule.”
“And I’m gonna tell Barry you’re not.”
“Cross.” She pressed her hand against his chest. “What are we doing here? Besides the eye fucking.”
He fought against a smile and lost. But she was serious.
“You want to know Knox better, right? Then I’m offering you time with his family.”
Her throat bobbed. “And you?”
He lowered his chin. “Yeah.”
Her cheeks pinkened and the corner of her mouth spiked.
“Okay, but I’d still appreciate an invite as opposed to an order.”
Cross smirked, leaning even closer with their lips only a breath away, whispering. “Yeah?”
“Uh-huh.”
He wouldn’t give her what she wanted. But he was going to take what he wanted.
Cross closed the gap between them, taking her mouth for a kiss.
Her soft, full lips moved over his without hesitation.
Kissing had never been on his list of things he enjoyed with women.
It was merely foreplay leading up to the real entertainment.
Until now. This wouldn’t lead anywhere. At least, not tonight. But he wasn’t stopping anytime soon. Kissing her had his blood rushing through his veins and an incessant need to have her closer. He wasn’t the only one with that thought.
Addison grabbed his waist, tugging him closer when he dipped his tongue between her lips.
A soft moan sounded, and he tightened his hold over her jaw.
It usually took a lot more than a kiss to get him hard, but his cock strained against his zipper, and he pressed her body flat against the wall.
He shifted his angle over her mouth and sunk deeper between her lips, tangling his tongue with hers and tasting her warm breath.
Fuck! If they kept this up much longer, one of two things would happen.
He’d embarrass himself. Not fucking happening.
Or? He’d be occupying one of the private rooms. Neither was an option, and he knew it. Not with her.
“Shit!
Cross had her pinned against the wall and didn’t let go, but whipped his head down the hallway to find a bouncer in the opening. He held up his hands.
“Sorry, man. Ava wanted me to check on her.” He gestured to Addison, who hadn’t uttered a word. “But I see you got this.” He quickly disappeared out of sight.
Her fingers dug into his waist, and he lowered his mouth to her cheek, grazing his scruff against her skin and licking the outline of her ear. She grasped a fistful of his shirt, and the corner of his mouth curled.
“I’ll see you tomorrow at the clubhouse. Yeah?”
“Yes,” she whispered and glanced up. He slid his hand down her neck, over her breasts, and watched her tremble slightly before straightening. He stepped back and turned, walking down the hall. When he got to the end, he glanced over his shoulder. Addison hadn’t moved, but she was watching him.
He smirked and walked out the back exit of the strip club, heading toward his bike.
It was going to be a long fucking twenty-four hours until he saw her again.