The intimacy of our predicament and a couple of drinks are responsible for the horny gleam in her eyes. God, why is she always under the influence when she’s willing? I won’t take advantage of that no matter how thick the sexual tension.
Right now, we both want the cards to fall where they may, but she’d regret it tomorrow, and regret is the last thing I want her to feel after a night with me.
“Deep breath, Addie,” I say, marshaling the desire running rampant inside my every cell. A shadow of confusion flits across her face, but she draws a steady, deep breath. I follow suit, our chests rising together. “Good, one more.”
Her eyes shift to where the swell of her beautiful, full breasts, hidden under her summer dress, brushes against my pecs. A blush of embarrassment and lingering arousal fills her cheeks.
“I’m sorry,” she whispers.
“There’s nothing to be sorry about.”
“I just thought...” She bites her cheek, then fills her lungs back up to the brim. “Never mind. I understand.” Bracing both hands against my shoulders, she pushes me away.
Or tries, but I don’t budge.
“What do you understand, Addie?”
She turns her head, refusing to answer, but her eyes snap back to mine at thethud thudof approaching footsteps.
“Grant,” she mouths, her face falling further. “Shit...”
I don’t like the swift change from blissfully happy to quiet and reserved. More than that, I don’t like that crypticI understand.
“Stop shaking me off,” I whisper. “Stage face on.”
With a tiny nod, she blinks twice, then gets in character while I grab some spotted dick to feed her.
“Ahem...” A voice—Grant’s voice—draws our attention, his heavy footfalls halting nearby. “Sorry to interrupt.”
Ignoring the feeling of holes being burned in the back of my head, I press a kiss to Addie’s forehead before peeling myself off her. “Next time don’t interrupt. Then you won’t have to apologize.”
“Right...” He scratches the back of his neck. “Ben thought you should join us upstairs. Amara’s drawing teams for tomorrow’s task. Too bad you’re not available, pumpkin.”
“Don’t call me that,” Addie clips, deliberately adjusting her dress. “We have phones. Ben could’ve called.”
“I was heading this way anyway. Need to grab my suitcase,” he explains, eyes roving her body. “Anyway, whenever you’re ready.”
Addie sighs, reluctantly rising to her feet. “I suppose we should join them, at least for a little while.”
No. What we should do is talk. What the hell did she mean byI understand? Unfortunately, the itinerary isn’t mine to decide.
Grant forgets the luggage he was fetching from the helicopter as we fall into step. He boasts about his work, and how he could barely claw a few days off because he’s so fucking busy managing his empire.
“Addie didn’t let you answer before,” he says, matching my strides. “What do you do? I mean, unless it’s a touchy subject then forget I asked.”
And to thinkthisis what Nico could’ve become when he made bank. I’d have drowned him in his own fucking pool.
“Business management,” I say. “Bars, restaurants, clubs.”
His eyebrows pull together, cogs whirring in his brain. I guess he can’t belittle this, so he changes tactics. “I don’t mean to sound rude, man, but you should probably stash the beer out of sight if you want to fit in with the crowd. It’s considered tacky to chug from the bottle around here.”
“Thanks for the tip,” I say and make a show of chugging from the bottle. “I couldn’t care less about fitting in.”
“Clearly.”
Addie tenses like a bow. She’s so fucking sexy when she slips into combat mode. I can tell she’s not far off lashing out, so I send her a message by squeezing her hand.
Grant could waste a week coming up with new ways to annoy me, but he won’t put a dent in the shell I’ve built around me since the accident.
