Addicted to You (20 page)

“Well, if that's not love, I don't know what is,” he teased, then reached for my hand and tugged me to him.

“My life has come completely unhinged lately, yet when I think about a life without you—all the security and happiness and excitement are gone. You're important to me in a way no one else could be.”

He cupped my cheek again in that way only he could, and whispered, “I feel the same way, Isla, and
had
you let me finish earlier”—he grinned—“I would have told you that you are, by far, the best part of my life. I've liked you for a long time.”

“Except you said
but
…”

He nodded. “Because I was going to say that I like you
but
I want more.”

Leave it to me to jump the gun and almost ruin his heart-to-heart. I bit my lip to prevent any more words from slipping out.

His fingers glided into my hair and his smile softened right along with his gaze. “I've been trying so hard lately to make others happy at my expense, but last night I finally realized I deserve to be happy too. And the thing that's missing is
you
. I need you in my life, Isla. Right by my side. Now and always, because I love you. So much it's crazy.”

I laughed because when it came to crazy…“I'm certifiable, lock-me-up, crazy in love with you.”

“I'd expect nothing less from my Isla.”

And if that didn't have the power to do me in, nothing would. Tears that I didn't even know I was capable of producing sprung to life and flooded my eyes, blurring the perfect vision before me. Crying had always seemed a form of weakness. Tears arose only from anger or sadness. Who would have ever known that happiness could produce the biggest tears of all? I laughed and wiped at them.

“I'm a mess.”

“You're beautiful.”

“Can we have sex on your kitchen table?”

He laughed. “Sure, but I'd prefer the bed.”

“I'm kind of serious.”

He grinned. “So am I.”

He took my hand and led me down the hall just as he'd done the first time. But this time there were no what ifs or worry. He glanced back and smiled at me and I beamed in return. Because this was right. How it always should've been. Our first time together should have been filled with these exact same emotions.

I'd loved him just as much back then as I did now, but I'd stifled all that and sold myself short. I'd been willing to take one night with Colby rather than ask for more. But never again. From here on out, we'd be honest.

He closed the door behind me and led me to the bed. “It's not the kitchen table, but…”

I laughed, loving that we could be Colby and Isla again. “Just trying to break down those walls and help you explore other possibilities.”

“Baby steps. Let's start with the bed and then we can work our way through the house.”

I tossed his hat on the bed then tugged at his shirt, sliding it over his stomach. “Sounds fun.”

He helped pull it over his head and off. “It does.” Then he worked up my shirt, pulling it off as well.

He sat on the bed and pulled me down with him. I lay back and he angled himself over me. “I love your hair.” He ran his hand through it, twirling a lock around his finger. “And your nose.” He kissed it. “You scrunch it a lot.”

“I do?”

He laughed “You just did. It's adorable.”

“It was you.” I ran my fingers along his neck, finding those long overgrown wisps of hair I loved. “My favorite color, the note with the flowers, the croissants. It was all you.”

He shrugged.

“You paid attention when no one else was watching.”

“It's impossible not to.”

I urged his mouth down to mine. “Colby Callahan, you are by far the most perfect guy in the history of all guys. It is no wonder I have spent almost ten years of my life in love with you.”

He pulled back. “Ten years?”

Oops. Maybe I admitted too much, too soon.

His mouth tugged up a tiny bit on one side. “You were wearing blue.” Then the smile stretched its way to the other side.

I yanked him down and kissed him, because holy shit, how could I not just eat him up right then?

It was funny how I'd always been certain it was impossible to love anyone more than I loved him, then about ten minutes ago he proved me wrong. Because I could love more than that. I could love
him
more. But for sure that was it. The swelling heart. The happy tears. That was as good as it got, right? Then he did it again. He blew me out of the water and I fell in love with him even
more.
And I doubted that this would be the last time. I had a pretty strong feeling that with each passing day, just when I didn't think it was possible, I'd somehow find it in me to love him more than I did the moment before.

His hand ran down my side, tracing the lines of my body, and then slowly back up. Everything seemed to be slower this time. Not that we'd rushed the first time, but maybe we'd feared the moment would be lost if we gave it a chance to be. But this time, we seemed to savor it more. With each brush of his hand or touch of his lips, I relished in it. We might have a million more kisses in our lifetime but we'd never have this one again. Or that one. Or the next one. So why not make them all special?

“I love you,” I whispered.

I felt his lips curve up against mine. “I'll never get tired of hearing that.”

“Good, because I plan to say it a lot.”

“Promise?” His mouth lowered down my neck and made its way to my chest. He grinned up at me as his lips brushed along the edge of my bra.

I nodded. “Because I love you.”

He planted a kiss on my collarbone. “I love you most.”

“You skipped more.”

“It wasn't enough.”

I grinned down at him, then reached around and unhooked my bra. When he looked at me, I said, “Thought you might need a little encouragement.”

He twisted his mouth like he was fighting back a smile. “Hmm, how about in life you take the reins. Pull me out of my comfort zone. Make things a little crazy. But in the bedroom, I get to call the shots.”

I shrugged. “Okay. Fine. I'll give you that. You can have the bedroom, but the kitchen table is all mine.”

This time he laughed. “Deal.” He sat up on his knees and untied my borrowed sweatpants and slowly pulled them down, but then paused and reached for my panties as well, then pulled them both down together.

I stared at him, a little surprised, but fully appreciating the fact that he really was going to make the first moves. It was definitely a side of Colby I'd enjoy getting to know.

He grinned—no, wait, that was most definitely a smirk. And, It. Was. Hot. I sat up and reached for his pants, needing to get them down faster than he'd done with mine.

“I guess we'll work on this in baby steps?”

I laughed and pushed at his shorts. He lay down next to me and pulled them off himself, then I slipped my leg over him and pressed my body to his. “Fifty/fifty split?”

He ran his hands up my sides then back down, settling them on my hips. “I'm really not in a position to argue.”

“Good point. I think I'm in a position to win.”

“Hang on now.” He flipped over, leaving me on the bed and him above me. “This is no kitchen table.”

“You're right. I'm all yours.” I grinned up at him and his gaze lowered down my body, then slowly came back up.

He kissed my lips, then my neck. His mouth dipped lower into the hollow of my collarbone while his hand skimmed down my body. The leg that he'd positioned over me nudged at mine, spreading them as he slipped his fingers between my thighs.

I let out a sigh as his lips moved lightly over my breast, his tongue flicking softly against my nipple. And, yeah, this was a side of Colby I
definitely
loved.

My hand went to his head, my fingers threading into his hair. I fought the urge to pull him forward as my chest arched against his mouth.

He teased with his tongue while his fingers glided over my slick skin.

I moaned and squirmed and tried my hardest not to flip him over and straddle him. Then his finger slid into me, and my knees buckled together before slowly releasing and allowing him to move deeper into me.

“Colby…” My whole body was on fire. The buildup hadn't just happened in the last few minutes. We were working with weeks—no, years of anticipation. I moaned and wriggled my hips, trying to find the spot that would send me spiraling. Sure I should wait for him, but how could I when he was making me so crazy?

Then his hand was gone. His lips on mine. His tongue probed at my mouth, hungrier than before. I pulled him to me and tilted my head, trying to taste more of him, knowing I'd never get enough.

He shifted, his full weight coming down on me for a second before he'd adjusted himself on to his elbows. He pressed one into the mattress, then reached between us.

I widened my hips and tilted them forward, eager to feel him inside of me.

And then he was. Slowly at first. The aching between my legs subsided and became a deliciously painful kind of pleasure. It was impossible to describe; nothing on earth compared to that moment when he first slid into me. Neither of us moved for a second, as if we could extend the sensation for just a moment longer, but then he pulled back slightly and my body arched. He tilted forward and I pressed my hips back up. Our pace was unhurried, but perfectly matched.

We kissed and touched and practically worshipped each other's bodies while time seemed to slow, but it wasn't too long before the knot started to form low in my belly. My toes started to press into the mattress. My hips found their own rhythm and there was no stopping it. My breathing felt erratic and I simultaneously never wanted this moment to end and needed to find release or I'd surely burn up.

Colby matched my pace, and his chest tightened under my hands. I ran my fingers down his back, then grabbed his waist, wrapped both my legs around him, and tugged him to me, needing to feel him deeper and harder. Everything became a blur and my body was on autopilot, knowing exactly what it needed and wanted.

The burning started in my thighs, spreading down my legs. Tingles rushed up my belly and my chest heated. I rolled my hips upward and then my body tightened while a thousand sparks set my body on fire. I trembled and moaned, and possibly even died, before finally collapsing back on the bed.

Hands down. Best. Sex. Ever.

Colby lowered onto me, his chest slick with the tiniest bit of moisture. It was incredibly hot, and if I hadn't been completely spent, I probably would have begged for round two right then and there.

He took a deep breath, then finally planted a soft kiss on my lips. “You have no idea how many nights I've wished you were right here with me.”

I smiled back. “Well, the good thing is, now that I am, I'm not going anywhere.”

And I didn't. We spent the rest of the day alternating between his room and the couch. We kissed, we cuddled, we did more. Everything that had always been a part of our friendship, combined with everything that had been missing from our relationship. And it was perfect.

As the day wound down and the sun started to set, Colby glanced over at me. His fingers had been slowly sliding up and down my arm while I rested my head on his chest. “Don't leave tonight.”

Our nights together were limited. I felt the weight of that too. And in his arms was the only place I wanted to be. “I have no plans to.”

He kissed my forehead and whispered, “I love you.”

“I love you.” I smiled up at him, and his expression went from that sweet Colby who I adored to the one who was probably going to keep me up all night.

And I had zero complaints.

The next morning, I woke before Colby, but didn't panic or become weighed down with regret. In fact, it was quite the opposite. I relished the fact that this was our new normal. Sleepovers, intimacy, happiness, and love. We'd taken best friend up a notch. Best friend 2.0. I had all the perks of a friend topped with the love of a boyfriend. Things couldn't get much better than that.

“You're still here.” Colby stretched his arms up and smiled at me, his expression playful and teasing.

“I'm sorry I left the first time. I guess I was trying to prove something. Kind of failed hard on that one.” I offered a sheepish smile, knowing it had been shitty to do. And, of course, I couldn't help but wonder if we might have taken a different path had I stuck around to talk about things. But what was done was done. And at least we had now.

“I'm not going to lie. I was pretty devastated to find my bed empty that morning.”

“I'll make it up to you.” I smiled. “I'll never leave your bed again. Okay? You can't get rid of me!”

He chuckled. “You'd get no argument from me.” His smile faded. “Except you
are
leaving.”

“I won't be far. Clyne's only an hour away.”

“You're too far away right this second and there's only about eight inches between us.”

I knew he teased, but it still hurt to think we wouldn't have the luxury of seeing each other every day. We'd wasted all this time we could have had together; now we'd finally gotten our shit worked out, and it was time for me to leave.

He smiled. “It's okay though. I'll visit all the time. Let's face it, you won't be able to get rid of
me.
”

“I'd love that.”

“Remember the other night how I mentioned that I've been thinking about getting away for a while?”

“Yeah?”

“Well.” He put his hands under his head and stared up at the ceiling. “I really just don't know if the deep-sea fishing thing is for me anymore. Or ever will be.”

“It's okay if it's not.”

He rolled onto his side and propped his head on his hand. “But is it really? I mean what happens to Dad's business if I don't take it over?”