Look After Me (14 page)

“Yeah, but I didn’t mean porn!”

Addison can hardly breathe she’s laughing so hard. “This isn’t porn. It’s
Magic Mike.
”

“Yeah and the guy probably has a dick the size of Mount Everest.” Her laughter is uncontrollable at this point and it’s so incredibly contagious that I laugh along with her.

“How did you not know what the film was about? I was literally joking when I asked if you wanted to watch it. I was just seeing how long it took you to actually realize,” she says once her laughter has calmed down enough to speak in coherent sentences.

With a smirk, I grab the remote control from her. “You, my friend, have just lost all television privileges.”

She grabs the remote control from my hands, still laughing. “Don’t get your panties in a twist.” She flicks through the app until she stops at
Forrest Gump.

“How about
Forrest Gump?
”

“Much better. I don’t have to worry that Forrest is going to whip his dick out.” She laughs again before she gets up to use the bathroom.

Once the movie gets started, I find myself watching Addison instead of the screen. She does this cute little thing where she imitates the words, copying everything
Forrest Gump
says. I smile as I watch her lips move as a younger Jenny shouts, “Run Forrest run.” Addison’s eyes light up as little Forrest runs like the wind, his leg braces breaking apart with each step he takes until he’s running without them. I watch the film through her eyes and, quite frankly, it’s the most entertaining film I’ve watched in a long time.

Once the film ends, I feel a pang of disappointment when I have to drag my eyes away from her and pretend that I haven’t spent the last two hours watching her instead of the film. She sighs in contentment as she stretches.

“I just love that film. It’s like
Friends.
No matter how many times you watch it, it never loses its charm.” She yawns, to the point her eyes begin to water. She takes a look at the time on the watch attached to her wrist then suddenly gasps in shock.

“Jesus, it’s one in the morning. I should get going. Especially since I need to get up in five hours.”

I smirk as I stand. “Well, at five am be sure to think of me when I’m still in my luxurious bed, sleeping soundly.”

“You’re such an ass,” Addison says with humor.

“I’m kidding. I’m an early bird too. After years of military wake up calls, my internal clock is accustomed to waking up at five every morning. So, in fact, you’ll get an extra hour of sleep.”

Addison slips her shoes on and reaches over for her jacket. My eyes can’t help but trace over her smooth stomach as her sweater rides up a little when she shrugs her jacket on. My eyes continue upwards until they stop on her perfectly round tits. By the time my eyes finally meet hers, the glint in her eyes and the smile on her face tells me she caught me checking her out.

“Um, do you need me to take you home?”

“No, I’m just going to call a cab.” She grabs her phone from her purse and dials the number as I start to clean the coffee table. As I’m putting the leftover crusts into the trash, I feel her approach from behind.

“The cab should be here in a few minutes. Do you need any help cleaning up?”

I give her a quick glance before continuing with the work at hand. “No, I’ve got it covered.” Once I finish, I turn back to Addison, who is looking straight at me. “You okay?” I ask when she doesn’t blink.

She suddenly seems to wake from her trance with a smile. “Sorry, what did you say?”

“I was just asking if you were okay. You looked a little out of it.”

“Sorry, I guess I’m just tired.”

“Come on, your cab should be here now. I’ll walk you down.”

Just as we exit the foyer downstairs, the cab pulls up.

“I had fun tonight. It didn’t suck to watch a movie with a chick.”

She chuckles. “You wouldn’t have been saying that if I made you watch all of
Magic Mike.
”

“I wouldn’t have let it get as far as full frontal nudity. However, if there were women strippers, then I would have been all for the nudity.”

I chuckle when she hits me across the chest. “God, you are such a guy!”

“Yep, pretty much.”

She opens the cab door and tells the driver she’ll just be a minute before turning back to me.

“Thanks for tonight and the pizza. It was nice to just hang out.”

“And don’t forget celebrating your new job,” she reminds me.

“And celebrating my new job. It’s been a long time since I celebrated anything.”

“Well, we’ll be celebrating a lot more in time to come.” She gives me a brief hug and for just that split second I’m engulfed by the incredible smell that radiates from her. “I’ll see you tomorrow at the NA meeting.”

She gets into the cab, and just as she’s about to shut the door, I grab it, poking my head inside. “Text me when you get home, so I know that you got home safely.”

“Text you?” she chuckles with disbelief.

“Just do it.”

“You and your bodyguard tendencies,” she says, rolling her eyes. “Okay, I’ll text you.”

I smile, then gently shut the car door and watch as the cab drives away. Once I’m back upstairs in my apartment, and everything has been switched off, I head to bed, finally feeling the day catch up with me as my eyes struggle to stay open. Just as I’m about to drift off to sleep, my phone alerts me to a text message. I grab it from the bedside table and smile when I see it’s a message from Addison.

Addison:
I made it home okay, and now I’m getting into bed. Don’t worry, I’ve checked my closet and under the bed for any bedside monsters and all is clear. Now if that is all, I’m going to try and get some sleep. I hope you do the same since you need a clear head for your bodyguard duties ;) xoxo

I chuckle. My eyes trace over the
xoxo
for a second time and my heart does a strange flutter. Jesus, what am I? Twelve?

Me:
Good girl, just what I like to hear. I can relax and replenish my energy for tomorrow’s ‘bodyguard duties.’ Now I won’t have to worry about any scary teddy bears attacking you in your sleep.

After a few seconds, another text message comes through.

Addison:
LOL xoxo

Smiling, I click the phone off and close my eyes.

As I drift off to sleep, the usual nightly weight of my suffocating pain doesn’t pierce through my heart like it has done since Ava incarcerated me to a life of hell. Instead, my mind is consumed with Addison and my heart feels lighter.

My breaths even out until I fall into a deep filled sleep.

THE NEXT EVENING AS I enter the basement of the church for the weekly group session I feel upbeat and happy. Happiness is a foreign concept to me, so it’s hardly surprising that I feel like I’ve had some kind of personality transplant during the night. Addison seems to be my calm in the storm, comforting me with her soothing essence. I almost want to crawl inside her inner goodness in order to push away the bad that I’ve spent the last eight months battling with.

I walk through the door to the basement, immediately being greeted by Blaize, the rocker wannabe who I almost pummeled during my first group session. My eyes go straight to his bright mohawk, which has now been changed from slime green to an intense—and not in the good sense—flaming orange. It’s a hairstyle that matches perfectly with his name that’s for sure.

“Hi, dude.”

I try to smile, but all I manage is a smirk. “Hey, Blaize, how’s it going?” I ask, humoring him.

“Good man, good. Just chillin’ you know.”

I nod in mocked agreement. “I do.” I clap him on the shoulder then step away, wanting to get as far away from him as possible. The guy is a first-class idiot. Last week he tried to get me to say, ‘Drop down and give me hundred,’ in my best military voice. How I haven’t swung for the guy yet is beyond me. As I enter the circle, my eyes automatically seek Addison’s.

Wow, she looks . . .

“Looking mighty fine today, Mrs. S,” Blaize says as he plops himself in the seat beside her with a huge ass smile on his face.

Yep, what he said.

Fuck, she looks incredible. She’s wearing a pair of tight skinny jeans, a strappy white tank top which accentuates her breasts amazingly, and a black leather biker jacket, giving her an edgy look. Her ankle boots are the kind that scream
sex,
and when my eyes finally reach her face, she looks done up to perfection with glossy lips that begged to be kissed.

She just looks hot. Smoking hot.

“Thank you, Blaize, but I’d prefer it if you wouldn’t call me Mrs. S. Also, I’m Miss, not Mrs. I’m not married.”

“In my dreams you are.”

Her eyes strain with shock, and it takes all the power within me not to laugh at his flirtatious come on. She coughs uncomfortably and the way she frantically darts her eyes gives me the impression she wishes she were sitting anywhere but next to Blaize. I find a seat opposite, unable to take my eyes off her. I try to look away, but it’s impossible.

Once everybody is seated, she briefly glances in my direction but quickly looks away, blushing furiously. It’s only when I register the pinkness rising along her cheeks that I realize I’m outright staring at her like a man possessed. The atmosphere suddenly becomes intense and we spend the next hour trying to avoid each other like the plague, except when she asks me a direct question.

Once the group session comes to an end, I sigh a breath of relief when I see Blaize stand and leave without a word. I chance a look at Addison and blink in surprise when I see her looking between Blaize and me with a distinctive smile etched at the corner of her mouth. I raise my eyebrow as she laughs. Once everybody has left the basement, leaving only Addison and myself, I stand and meet her halfway.

“Hi.”

“Hi,” she repeats, looking up at me. I take the opportunity to check her out again, and I have to say she looks even more breathtaking up close. I feel as though I’m looking at her through a fresh set of eyes, only just realizing how incredibly sexy she is.

“You look amazing, by the way. You heading out?”

She blushes at my statement, gripping her clutch purse against her chest. “Thanks. Yeah, I kind of have a date tonight.”

My stomach plummets all the way to my feet at the mention of a date and the very sensation confuses the hell out of me. “Oh.” I hear the deflated tone to my own voice, and I almost want to slap myself senseless for sounding almost disappointed.
Why the fuck should I care if she has a date?
“That’s great,” I say, plastering on the biggest smile. “So I guess I don’t need to be your escort tonight?”

“No, I guess not.” She almost sounds sad, but she quickly recovers with a blinding smile, one that almost knocks me on my ass.

“So where’s your date taking you?”

“I’m not too sure. He said he’d meet me here and see where the night takes us.”

I inwardly frown. I’m no expert in the dating field but isn’t a date supposed to be more planned out, with more of a romantic vibe? This guy sounds like a douche, especially if he thinks that’s enough to win over a girl’s affections. It seems this douchebag is only after one thing, and he’s not even putting up an effort to get her in the sack by romancing her. Not that I want her to jump in the sack with him; the fucking thought has my chest tightening with discomfort.

“What?” she asks a little warily, obviously sensing my displeasure.

I shake my head, plastering on yet another smile. “Nothing.”

She narrows her eyes, looking berate. “No, you obviously have something to say, so you might as well come out with it.”

I’m taken aback by her snappy tone, this being my first encounter with a fiery Addison Scott. Is it odd to be totally aroused right now? Women seem to be the sexiest when they’re angry. It’s just a known fact. She reads me too well to even attempt to lie, so I lay it down to her straight. “He sounds like a douche.”

She gives me a perplexed look, a flash of anger flitting across her eyes. “A douche? On what basis exactly?” she accuses, sounding even more pissed.

“Well, the lack of romance for one. He sounds like he’s only after one thing, and you deserve better than that. You deserve hearts and flowers and what he’s giving you is more like a one-way ticket straight to his bed.” I wanted to be honest, but Jesus not that honest. She looks a little taken back by my words, obviously not expecting that kind of straight-talking honesty.

“What’s to say that’s not what I want?” she questions provokingly. My nostrils flare at the very thought, but I know she’s not like that. She’s too damn sweet to degrade herself by having a one-night-stand with a random stranger.

“Because you wouldn’t ask that question if you did.”

She sighs. “You have no idea what I want. And no offense, Sebastian, but people are hardly queuing up to ask for romance advice from the guy who has sworn off all women for good. So excuse me if I don’t listen to yours.”

Whoa, where the hell did that come from? I hold my hands up in surrender and take a couple of steps back. “You’re right. I have no right to have a say in your romantic life when I clearly don’t have one myself and never will again.” I pause for a moment. “I’m going to head on out. Have fun on your
date.
”