Sweet Addiction (16 page)

“Maybe. And I’m okay.
I’m just still in shock over the engagement news.” I swallow the lump in my
throat. 
Christ, cheer the fuck up, Dylan. This hot man has chosen you
over all other women in line to play with.
He chose you.
“So, are
you coming out to celebrate with us tonight? I have a few nicknames I’d like to
throw at you once I get all kinds of tipsy.” The timer on the oven sounds and I
walk over to it, clamping my phone between my ear and my shoulder to retrieve
the cake.

He laughs softly and I
can picture my favorite smile lines next to his eyes.  “Yeah but probably
not till late. I have some stuff I need to take care of first.” He pauses and
the sound of crunching fills the receiver again. “Should I be concerned that
you’re going to get shit faced without me there? Because a part of me is
concerned. Actually, isn’t there some rule that says you can’t get drunk
without me?”

I laugh and poke the
center of the cake with a knife, pulling it out clean. The idea of seeing him
in a few short hours has blanketed all of my stupid girl concerns and I’m now
my usual drunk on Reese self. I wouldn’t even need alcohol tonight. “First of
all, I’m not going to get drunk. If I did, I would completely blow my chances
of riding you later on because I would pass out.” I turn the oven off and grab
a mixing bowl for the frosting. “And secondly, my friends know how to handle me
and know when to cut me off. I think you forget that I’m twenty-six and not
twenty-one. I’ve been doing this for a few years you know.”

He grunts and I
automatically roll my eyes into the phone. “None of what you just said gives me
any comfort. I’ll just make sure to get my shit done quickly so I can cut you
off myself.”

My hand not holding the
phone goes to my hip. “If you storm into that bar and throw me over your
shoulder like some caveman, Carroll, we will be having words when I sober up.”

“Hmm, thanks for the
idea, Sparks.”

“Reese.” The sound of
the dial tone blares in my ear and I stuff my phone back into my pocket. 
Oh
for Christ’s sake.
He would do something embarrassing like that. I can just
see myself getting hauled out of there tonight with my face stuck in his ass
again. Well, two can play at that game. If he’s going to manhandle me in front
of my friends then I’ll just have to make sure I’m wearing something to make
him lose his shit. That’s my only defense really, causing him to stumble at the
sight of me and giving me hopefully enough time to run away from him. But did I
even have an outfit that could pull that off?

“Joey, we’re closing up
early so we can go shopping.” I begin throwing the ingredients for the icing
together into a bowl. I register his elated response and focus on my task at
hand. Finish making the frosting, ice the cake, and blow Reese’s fucking mind.
I grin mischievously at myself. He has no idea who he’s messing with.

**

After perusing the
racks at La Bella for over an hour, I finally settled on a sleeveless coral
dress with a deep v neck and exposed back. It wasn’t too clingy, allowing me
for movement and hiding the lines of my white garter with matching bra and
panties. But it was short, really fucking short. I had decided on the garter
immediately after our phone call ended, that and the fact that I would be
picking out some sort of dress for the evening. Reese looked at me differently
when I wore dresses. He still had that raw animalistic stare that could melt
the panties right off me, but there was also this sweetness behind it, a
gentleness that I saw when I’d worn them around him. He looked at me like I was
delicate and I liked that.

Joey had gotten his car
back from the shop and drove us to meet Juls at The Tavern, not failing to
remind me that we both looked better in his ride than in mine.
All this Sam
hate.
I was already two rum and cokes in when Ian and Billy showed up, my
heart pounding at the anticipation of Reese’s arrival.

“I would just like to
say Ian that you did an amaaazziinngg job on the ring. Like fucking brilliant,
dude. You’re like the lord of the rings now. Ooohhh, you’re Frodo.”
Yup. I am
definitely in the nickname giving stage of my night.
I bop around on my
stool, tapping my hands lightly on the bar in rhythm with the song playing
overhead.

“Wow, how many drinks
have you had?” he asks as Juls wiggles in his lap. She can’t stop looking at
her ring and it’s absolutely adorable. I’m certain she’s shown it to me fifty
times since we’ve arrived as if I haven’t seen it already.

“Psst, like none,” I
reply. “So have you two thought of a honeymoon spot?”

“Fiji!” Juls yells and
Ian barks a laugh.

“I don’t really care,
just as long as I get my sexy wife in a bikini and then quickly out of it,” he
says and I feel my face flush. “I can’t
fucking wait
to marry you.” He
speaks so low, I almost didn’t hear him. But I did. Tears fill my eyes and I meet
Juls’ rapidly blinking teary-eyed stare.

“Ladies room?” I ask
and she nods.

“Babe, will you get me
another drink please?” she shouts back at Ian who gives her a quick wink. 
We walk arm in arm to the bathrooms and slip inside, the sound of the bar crowd
dying down as the door closes behind us. Stepping in front of the mirror, I
smooth my dress out and fluff up my hair as Juls reapplies her lipstick.

“By the way, this
Saturday I’m holding you hostage after your cake delivery,” she says as she
hands me the tube she’s just used. I take it and shake my head, slowing
applying the nude color onto my lips and then quickly wiping it off.

I grunt in annoyance.
“I can’t pull off lipstick. It makes me look like a hooker. And why am I being
held hostage on Saturday?” I hand her back the tube and she sticks it into her
purse.

“Excuse you. Maid of
honor duties.” I screech and jump on my heels. “We’ve got some dress shopping
to do.” She wraps me up in a hug as we giggle against each other.

“I’m going to lose it
when I see you in a wedding dress. Fair warning,” I say as we let go of each
other.

She grabs both of my
hands and beams, taking in a deep breath before she slowly lets it out. “I’m so
happy, sweets.  I can’t believe he chose me.” She pulls her bottom lip
into her mouth and bites it to stop it from quivering.

I squeeze her hands
with both of mine. “Who wouldn’t choose you?” I drop her hands and turn back
towards the mirror, wiping under my eyes. “Is, uh, Reese in the wedding party?”
Please say yes.
The sight of him in a tux is something I would pay to
see.

“Of course, he’s the
best man. Which means that you two will be paired up. You’re welcome.” She
giggles at me and I watch in the mirror as my cheeks burn up.

We exit the bathroom
together, Juls walking ahead of me and blocking my view but it doesn’t matter.
I could have been blindfolded and I’d have known he was here. I always feel his
presence before I see him. As she steps through the crowd, my eyes lock onto
Reese who is standing at the bar talking to Ian. My stomach tightens and I
clench my fists as I walk slowly, studying him and waiting for him to notice
me. He’s in his work attire, dress shirt and tie with khakis, his hair sticking
out all over the place and I decide that walking slowly is for morons. Pushing
my way through the crowd, his eyes turn to mine and he smiles sweetly before
his mouth drops at my appearance. I pick up my pace and run straight at him,
jumping up into his arms and hearing Juls and Ian’s collective laughs as I
cling to him like a vine. His smell hits me and I softly moan.

“Handsome,” I whisper
into his ear as I squeeze him tightly, no intention of letting go any time
soon. “I thought you’d never get here.”

“I came as soon as I
could, love.” He inhales me deeply, holding my body against his as I keep a
solid grip around his neck. Shifting me against his body, he turns and lowers
himself onto a stool, pulling me into his lap. I lean back and study him. Green
eyes blazing, parted full lips, and smile lines.
Man he is lethal
. He
opens his mouth to speak when his eyes trail down my body and stop on my
thighs.

“Fuck, Dylan.” I glance
down quickly at what’s possibly caused his outburst and curse loudly at the
sight of my exposed garter.
Shit. This dress was not meant to be sat down
in.
“What are you wearing?” I’m quickly placed on my feet in front of him
as he begins tugging at the material, frantically attempting to bring it down
to a more appropriate length. The giggling from me comes naturally at his
flustered state.

“Are you trying to give
me a heart attack? What the hell is with the dress?” he asks through clenched
teeth as I quickly scan the red faces of Ian and Juls who are watching in
amusement. Joey squeals on the dance floor as Billy dips him and kisses him deeply
in front of everyone. The relentless tugging of my dress brings my eyes back
down in front of me.

“You don’t like it? I
thought you liked me in dresses,” I tease.

“This shouldn’t be
allowed in public. Seriously what the fuck? You’ve been here for how long in
this shit?” He glowers at me and runs his hands down his face, bringing my
attention to his right hand that looks like he’s spent the night dragging it
against bricks. His knuckles are cut up and slightly swollen and dried blood
stains his skin.

“Jesus Christ. What the
hell happened to your hand?” I reach for it to examine it more closely when he
quickly pulls away from me.

“Don’t worry about it.
The dress, Dylan. Why are you wearing that?”

Oh no fucking way is he
going to react like this and not give me any answers.
I grab my clutch off the table and make to turn away from him. “Fuck you. I
wore this for you, you stupid asshole.” His hand grabs my elbow but I somehow
manage to snatch it out of his grip. “Let go of me. How dare you come in here
with your hand looking like you beat the shit out of somebody and give me a
hard time about my outfit. You have no fucking right to act like that.”
What
the hell?
This is not the reaction I was hoping to get out of him for
wearing this.
I push through the crowd of people and see the exit but feel
his hands on my waist before I can get very far.
Figures. Engage barbarian
mode.
I am turned sharply and pulled against his chest, his mouth pressing
firmly to my temple.

“I have
every
fucking
right to act like this,” he growls.

“No you don’t. What the
fuck happened to your hand?” I push away from him and take a step back, sternly
staring him down for an explanation.

He steps closer to me,
eliminating the gap I just created. “Your ex is what happened to my hand. I
told you that I’d make sure he never touched you again and I fucking did. Now
explain to me why the fuck you’re wearing that? You knew I wouldn’t be here
until later so don’t fucking say it was for me.”

I move quickly, there
is no thought behind it just pure shock and slap him hard across his face. The
sound of the crack echoes through the bar but no one seems to pay us any mind,
except for Juls and Ian. Apparently, lovers quarrels are common in
establishments like this.

“Are you
actually
trying to insinuate that I’m wearing this for somebody else? Fuck you. You
drive me fucking crazy.” I bring my hand back again but Reese reaches out and
stops it, bringing it down to my side and pulling me against him. His chest is
heaving rapidly and when I press my lower body against his, I feel his need for
me digging into my hip.
Fuck, he’s turned on by this?

“You drive
me
fucking
crazy. Now, say your goodbyes so I can take you home and fuck some sense into you.”
I catch my breath at his words but know right then, even before he said it that
I want it just as much as he does. He knows how and when to push my buttons and
he does it better than anyone.

“Juls, I’m leaving.
Love you,” I yell but keep my eyes on Reese.

“Holy hell. That was
crazy hot. Bye, sweets,” she yells back and before I can object, I am being
dragged out of the bar by a very hot and bothered CPA.
But who am I kidding
here? Like I’d ever object.

“I hope you realize
just how pissed off I am at you right now,” I say as I sit in the passenger
seat of his Range Rover, watching him weave easily in and out of traffic. We’ve
been driving in silence for eight long-ass minutes and my annoyance level is
through the roof.

He turns the radio down
and clears his throat before glancing over at me. “Why, because I don’t want
other men looking at you? Tough shit. That dress should be illegal.” His hand
grips the center consul and I stare at his red cut up knuckles.

Crossing my legs and
letting my dress ride up on purpose, I cross my arms over my chest and stare
him down. “What happened? You didn’t kill him, did you? I’d prefer it if I
didn’t have to visit you in prison.”
Although, a conjugal visit with Reese
might be worth Justin’s demise. Mmmm, he could rock the hell out of some jail
attire.

Stopping at a red
light, he flexes his injured hand before he reaches over and slips his finger
under my garter, snapping it against my skin and making me yelp. “No, I didn’t
kill him but he probably wishes he was dead right now. He won’t bother you
again.” I bat his hand away to keep him from pulling at it as the red light
turns to green. “Did you have fun tonight?”

Forcing out a laugh, I
turn to him and see a hint of teasing in his set profile, his lip twitching
slightly. “Oh yeah, I was having a blast until this crazy man showed up and
freaked out over my wardrobe selection. Which, by the way,
was
for your
eyes only. You owe me multiple orgasms for that little tirade.”

He lets out a laugh as
he pulls into the parking garage of his building. “Oh, I think I’m the one who
is in need of multiple orgasms. It is
my
birthday after all.”
Wait,
what?

“It’s your birthday?
Today?” He nods with a smile and parks the car, stepping out as I stay frozen
in my seat.
Why didn’t he tell me?
  My door is opened for me and
his hand grabs mine, pulling me quickly out of the vehicle. “Is it really?” The
man could be lying just to get his multiple orgasms.

 He reaches in his
back pocket, pulls out his wallet and hands it to me. I flip it open and stare
at his license, which of course contains a picture of him looking annoyingly
good.
Who the hell takes a good driver’s license photo?
Focusing on his
birthday, I confirm what he has just revealed to me.

“Why didn’t you tell
me?” I ask, handing him back his wallet as we walk into his building. His hand
rests on my lower back as he walks me towards the elevators, nodding politely
at the people we pass.

“I just did,” he
replies, pulling me into the elevators and pressing the tenth floor button. I
wrap my arms around his neck and press my body against his as we ride up to his
floor. His scent fills my lungs and I swoon.

“But you should have
told me sooner. I would have made you a cake. It’s what I do you know.”

His hands grip my waist
as he presses quick kisses into my hair. “Well you can make me a cake now.” The
doors open and he quickly pulls me with him down the hallway and into his
condo.
Jeez is he in a rush?

Flipping on the lights,
I follow behind him as he sets his keys down on the counter and walks into the
kitchen. I slip out of my heels, set my purse down, and begin rummaging through
his cabinets, praying for ingredients.

“Do you have any
flour?” I ask as he closes the fridge and hops up onto the counter. Unscrewing the
cap, he takes a sip of his water and looks to be in deep thought, his eyes
staring at the cabinets. “You’re in my spot,” I say as I watch him with
amusement. 

“Umm, no. I don’t think
I have any flour. And yes, I am in your spot. But it’s my birthday so I’ll do
whatever the fuck I want.” He smirks at me and I give it right back to him,
turning and glancing up on a high shelf.

“Can you reach me the
Bisquick please?” I ask as I open the fridge and pull out the eggs. He hands it
to me with a kiss and hops back up.

“Are you making me
birthday pancakes?”

I pull out a bowl and
grab a fork. “Nope, I’m making you my four ingredient banana cake that I used
to whip up in college. Juls and I roomed together and I would create desserts
out of whatever crap we had lying around. Bisquick was always on hand because
she’s a breakfast junkie.” I grab the sugar bowl and set the oven temperature.
“You’ve given me little choice here. I’d be set if I wanted to make you a cake
made out of ramen noodles and chunky soup.” He watches me intently as I mash up
the banana and begin mixing the ingredients together in the bowl, occasionally
glancing up and seeing him studying me. He always seems so fascinated by
whatever it is that I’m doing and I wonder if he looks at every girl like this.
Ugh.
The thought makes me whip the eggs viciously.

“So you’re thirty-two
today,” I state, sucking the batter that has splashed up onto my knuckle off
with a soft moan.

“I am.” My eyes go to
his and he winks. “I’m six years older than you now. Does that bother you?”

His question baffles me
so I decide to really give it some thought. Our age difference doesn’t bother
me at all. If he was ten years older than me I wouldn’t care. Scrunching up my
face and thinking hard, I see his grin widen as he waits for me, a soft breathy
laugh escaping him. I shake my head. “Nah, but that’s mainly because you act
half your age.” His eyebrow arches. “Besides, I have a thing for older men.”
Tipping the bowl, I pour the cake batter into his one and only baking dish and
shuffle it to even out the distribution. 

He hops down and comes
up behind me, his hands spreading across my stomach. “Do you? I had no idea,”
he says as he pulls my hair over one shoulder and kisses down my neck. I close
my eyes and grip the baking dish tightly.
Lord this man knows how to wind me
up in no time.

“Well, I have a thing
for you.” He growls into my ear, his hands sliding up the front of my dress and
molding to my breasts. My head falls back against his shoulder and I groan. “I need
to put this in the oven.” He grumbles in protest but finally steps back,
allowing me to place the dish into the oven and set the timer. 

 “Okay, birthday
boy, you’ve got twelve minutes to play with me until it’s ready.” I turn to see
his wicked grin and he wastes little time, grabbing my hand and pulling me into
the living room.  Stopping in front of the couch, he pulls me into his
arms and runs his hands up my spine as his face drops to bring our lips
together. He opens my mouth with his and snakes his tongue around mine, coaxing
me to move with him and I obey. My hands fumble with his tie, loosening it and
dropping it to the floor as his mouth assaults mine, teasing and tasting every
inch of me. I feel his arm muscles flex around me and then the sound of a loud
rip comes from behind me as the fabric of my dress is torn from my body.

“Did you just, I can’t
believe you just did that.” I spin around quickly and step back and out of his
arms, seeing the handful of material clutched between both fists before he
drops it at his feet.
Are you fucking serious
? “Dick. Do you have any
idea how much that dress cost me?” I step into him and deliver a sharp poke to
his chest with my finger.
Yeah. That’ll show him.

He cocks his head to
the side and narrows his eyes at me. “If you say more than five dollars, you
got ripped off. That thing was the size of a handkerchief.” His arms wrap me up
and he tosses me onto the couch like I’m some sort of rag doll. I yelp in
protest as the cold leather hits my skin, but am only momentarily chilled
before his body is pressing against mine, warming me instantly.

“You are ridiculous.
What the hell am I supposed to wear now when I leave?” I grumble between
kisses. His mouth met mine the moment he relaxed down on me. I moan as his tongue
dips into my mouth, delivering long strokes against mine and filling me with
his minty flavor. “Fuck, I’m so mad at you,” I grunt as he laughs against me,
moving his lips down my neck and licking a trail to the top of my breasts.
Stay
mad, Dylan. Don’t give in. Don’t lose it. That was a $250 dress.

“I love it when you’re
mad at me. You’re so fucking sexy I can barely contain myself here.” He molds
his hands over my breasts and pulls my bra down, slipping a nipple into his
mouth as I grab his head. “Mmmm, these are always on my mind. So fucking
beautiful.” He licks and sucks me, drawing loud moans from my mouth. Brushing
his nose against the mark next to my left nipple that is slightly faded, he
sucks on the small patch of skin. My hands grip his hair and hold him against
me. I hate that his marks are fading on me and am more than happy to let him
bring them back out. Moving to my other breast, he freshens the mark there and
then plants a soft kiss to it before he glances up at me. His smirk makes me grunt.

“You’re an asshole.” I
groan as he moves lower, licking and nibbling at my stomach. Wrapping my legs
tightly around his waist, I push him up and grip his dress shirt with both
hands tightly before I rip it apart, tiny buttons flying out in every direction.
My hands push it off his big shoulders and down his arms, pulling his T-shirt
quickly over his head.

“Impatient much? We
have all night, love,” he says as he works his belt, sitting back between my
legs.

“You started it.”
All
night?
My hands stretch out and rub his ripped chest, brushing down his
stomach along the tight muscles.
God, I love touching this man.
My index
finger plays in the patch of hair that runs below his belly button
.
“What
do you want for your birthday?”

He reaches into his
pants, pulls himself out and leans forward, rubbing himself along the length of
my wet panties. I groan and dig my nails into his back.
Wasn’t I mad about
something?
“You in my bed.” He says against my mouth. Our lips are close,
our heavy breathing mixing together and I tremble against him, his words
bringing out my fears. “Nothing has to change.  This is still just sex. I
just need to have you in there.” Seconds, minutes go by and he stills against
me, waiting for my response. I don’t know what to do. I want to do this for
him, for me, more than anything. Being in his bed, surrounded by his smell and
imagining what it would be like to stay there with him was a thought that was
constantly running through my mind. But could I do this? He said nothing had to
change but could I keep it from changing for me? I think long and hard and make
my decision. Yes, I could. Because this is worth it. He is worth it. I close my
eyes tightly and nod, hearing a small sound escape him and I’m quickly lifted
to my feet. We round the couch together when the oven alarms, causing me to
dash in and pull the cake out.

“Jesus, you should only
be allowed to wear
that
in my kitchen,” he says as I insert a knife
quickly into the top and pull it out clean. Glancing down out my attire, I
smile at him as I meet him in the dining room where he stands waiting for me.
My hand is placed in his as he leads me down the hallway and opens the last
door on the left. Stepping aside for me, I walk ahead of him and take in my
surroundings.

His bedroom is big and
spacious containing a large four poster bed with two nightstands on each side,
a tall dresser and a chair in the corner next to a small bookshelf. I scurry
over to it and glance at his reading material, all educational and way the hell
out of my depth. “Wow, you’re a bigger nerd than I thought.” Pulling out a
massive textbook with the words
Corporate Accounting
on the front, I sit
in the chair and flip through it, feeling his eyes on me as he moves into the
room. The sound of his clothing removal catches my attention and I glance up at
him from under my lashes. He is now standing completely naked and staring at
me, holding out his hand and arching his brow.

“I’m reading,” I mutter
through a grin and am quickly yanked from my chair, book crashing to the floor
in the process as he lifts me up and tosses me on the bed. The smell of him
hits me like a truck and I whimper.
Crap, this is going to wreck me.
Wrapping his hand around the back of me, I am moved up the bed so that my head
is resting on his pillow, his body settling between my legs. I watch intently
as he slides my panties down and tosses them, leaving my garter on and tracing
the clips with his fingers.

“So fucking sexy,” he
says against my thigh, kissing the skin along my garter. “You’re so soft, love,
and you always shake when I’m right here.” His lips brush against the skin of
my inner thigh and I gasp, trembling on cue. “I love that I do that to you.”

I quickly remove my bra
and reach out for him. “Come here. I need you.” I grip his shoulders and pull
him up as he shifts above me, pushing straight into me in one quick motion.

“I’ve dreamed of this.
You, in my bed. Fuck, Dylan.” His words ring through my ears as he strokes me
with long slow movements. Pulling almost all the way out before he glides back
in. My legs tighten around him and I pull his mouth to mine, needing his kiss,
needing his breath on me and in me.

“Me too. Oh God.”

He groans loudly and I
pull his lip into my mouth, dragging my teeth along his skin. My hands are
brought over my head and held above me with one of his. His eyes burn into mine
with such raw emotion that it rips through me, crippling me. I turn my head to
break the contact.