I opened the door and hurried into the hall gazing toward the condo Paxton was staying in. As I shut my door, I gasped at the sight below me. There was the man himself, sitting on the floor right beside me. At first my pulse kicked up at a figure there and I worried someone had found me. Then it beat double time knowing it was Paxton because he wasn’t going to be easy to get rid of a second time.
My pulse went into warp speed when I asked myself,Do I want to get rid of him?
With raised brows, he asked, “Going somewhere, darlin’?”
Busted.
ChapterEight
PAXTON
Something hadn’t felt right.
Capri was emotionally spent and she may have just wanted to be alone, but last night that wasn’t the case. The urgency and uncertainty in her voice had me on edge, while suspicion consumed me.
But it was the kiss that truly gave her away. It was filled with desperation and sadness, even if itwasspectacular. I knew that Capri didn’t hand out kisses like they were candy. And to just anyone. I’d been the lucky one on the receiving end and I planned on collecting more from her. Truth was, Capri tasted as sweet as any candy ever made.
And I was already addicted.
So, I parked my butt on the floor of the hall outside her door and waited. My skin tingled, telling me I couldn’t truly let her leave my sight. I didn’t want to force myself in her place so where I was would have to do.
Those Spidey-Senses came through again.
When she came through the door, bag in hand a short time later, I knew she planned on running. I may not have known exactly why but intended to find out real damn soon. Right then, my job was to get her to stay. To let her know she could trust and confide in me. Not only me—our whole group of friends too.
Hand placed to her chest, she looked at me with wide, panicked eyes. “You scared the crap out of me. What are you doing there?”
After raising to my feet in one fluid motion, I walked right up into her personal space. “I’m sorry I scared you, but I can’t let you leave.” With no reason to beat around the bush, I spoke the truth. “Whatever is going on, we’re going to deal with it together. No more hiding, got it? And no more lies.” I cocked my head and raised a brow as I waited for her response.
Would it be awful for me to say that my cock jumped in my pants and took notice when the gorgeous, intriguing woman in front of me let her temper fly?
She dropped her bag and started waving her hands in the air.
“Oh no you don’t, not again. You don’t get to tell me where to go, what to do, and who to confide in. I wouldn’t tell you anything after that bullshit.” She took a heaving breath and began again. “You should have minded your own business. I have been alone for some time now and that is exactly how it needs to be. Why don’t you—”
Once again to stop her panicked tirade I wrapped my arms around her waist and pulled her closer.
“You’re my business and there is no reason to be alone when you have me, as well as a whole big group of friends that care about you. Especially me, darlin’. There is something here between us that we haven’t even got to explore yet.”
I planted my mouth against hers and kissed her for all I was worth to show her I meant everything I said. Who needed candy when the sweetest thing my mouth would ever taste was Capri. She was definitely becoming my kryptonite and my only addiction.
I backed her up to the door and explored every inch of her lips, her mouth and then down the column of her neck. While doing so, I reached out, arm still behind her back and opened the door she hadn’t had a chance to lock, then slowly pushed it open while simultaneously also pushing her inside.
My foot shut the door behind us with a bang. Bad move on my part because that was what had Capri’s mouth yanking free of mine. She was breathing as heavy as I was and staring at me with a dazed expression.
When we kissed it confused the hell out of me too because the rest of the world seemed to disappear, but now it was time to get back to why the sweet thing was running. I decided to take a less demanding approach.
“Babe…” The endearment slipped free on its own and caused another gasp from Capri, but I carried on. “Please let me help you. I’m not ready to let you go.” My jaw clenched at the thought of her scared, on the run, and no longer being around. “I can help you.Wecan all help you. Let us in.”
My eyes pleaded with her to hear what I was saying and let go of the silly notion she had to be on her own any longer.
When she spoke I could hear it in her voice, her temper had come down a notch but she wasn’t quite ready to give it up totally.
“You can’t be all demanding and arrogant one minute and ten seconds later kiss me breathless, say sweet things and flash those damn dimples. It muddies my brain.”
I couldn’t help the smirk on my face.
She groaned. “Geez, it’s like they’re twinkling at me for heaven's sake.”
