Page 64 of Sweet Addiction
Guess that’s what I’m going with.
I turn on shaky legs and force a smile because this son of a bitch looks as good holding a fluffy white towel wrapped around lean hips, leaving just enough of that beautiful V showing for my mouth to run dry. Water drips down his abs and under the towel, taunting me. He looks as good now as he did in the damn shower. How is that fair?
“Oh good. You’re out of the shower. Hope you left some hot water. Give me an hour, and I should be ready. Thanks.” I don’t stop to give Rome time to respond before I brush by him and let myself into the bathroom.
Though, unlike Rome, I lock the door.
Rome
Oh, princess. You can run, but you can’t hide.
Dillan scurries into the bathroom, and I feel her loss every-fucking-where.
This woman is an addiction I haven’t been able to kick for fucking years. One hit was never going to be enough. Not once I had her. And one way or the other, it’s going to stop.
But can I give her up?
Who hurt you?
You did.
The words from the night at her parents haunt me. What did she mean? How did I hurt her when she threw me out? And if I hurt her so badly, why the hell didn’t she turn around and walk away tonight instead of staying and watching?
There’s a fine fucking line between love and hate, and we’re walking it like a goddamned tightrope.
The bathroom lock clicks in place, like that would keep me out if I wanted in.
And I do want in, but not like this.
Game on, princess.
Over an hour later, I’m texting the damn limo driver to let him know we’ll be out soon. Who the fuck knows if that’s true or not. Dillan is still in the bathroom and hasn’t acknowledged me since she locked herself in there.
I crack my neck and adjust my tie. I should have gotten a new tux for tonight but wasn’t thinking about the fact I’ve put on muscle since the last time I wore this. The damn thing is too tight, and the tie’s got to go. But if I show up and walk the damn white carpet without a tie on, I don’t care how fucking old I am, Ma will lose her shit. She doesn’t make us do a ton of these Kingston events, but this one matters to her. Anything that benefits kids matters to her, and this is one of the biggest fundraisers of the year.
I loosen my tie and look up at the first creak of the stairs alerting me to her. To all of her. Damn... She’s... just ...Damn.
She’s . . .
Dillan carefully makes her way down the stairs, a small satin purse in one hand and a pair of heels in the other. Without thinking, I step up to the bottom of the stairs and hold my hand out to her.
Does she take it?
Fuck no. That would be too easy, and this woman is anything but easy.
She moves around me, drops her heels and balances against the railing as she slips her feet inside. And she does it all without looking at me. “I’m ready.”
“You look?—”
“Don’t, Rome,” she stops me. “Just don’t talk, okay. Let’s just get through tonight, for both our sakes.”
“Yeah... That’s not gonna work for me,”—I lift her face up to mine, deciding just how far I can push her—“principessa.”
“Seriously?” Her eyes dart away from mine, nerves etched in each tight muscle of her face. “Can we just not?”
I slide my other hand to the small of her back and lean down, ghosting my lips over the shell of her ear. “Oh, we’re going to. And when we do, you’re going to fucking scream my name while you’re looking right into my eyes,stellina.”
A shiver works its way down her gorgeous body, and she blows out a sweet breath. “You use too many nicknames, psycho.”
