“Are you tired, baby?” I asked. “I can leave if you need to get some sleep.”
“No, don’t leave yet,” she said. “Is Jax asleep?”
“He barely made it under the covers before he was out. I was toying with coming out here and stealing all his giant chocolate bars,” I said, looking around the room. “But he guilted me out of it when he said Austin never used to steal any of his candy.”
She giggled. “He actually did steal some candy. But I think the kind he stole is in your ‘to be sold’ pile.”
“Ew. I can see why you were thinking of leaving him. How could you ever respect a man who likes strawberry Tootsie Rolls?” I asked with a grimace.
She rolled her eyes. “You say some of the weirdest things. It’s a good thing you’re hot.” She laid her head back on the armrest as I rubbed the pads of her toes with my thumbs.
“So, I’ve been thinking about something,” I started.
“Mmm-hmmm,” she said, not bothering to lift her head up or open her eyes.
“Every year I go to this giant fundraiser for the American Cancer Society. It’s a real high-class event. Black tie, formal dinner, silent auction, the works,” I put her foot down and picked up the other one to work on it. “I was wondering if you’d want to go with me.”
“Will Deuce and Vanessa be there?” she asked.
“Probably,” I said. “But don’t answer yet. There’s more you need to know.”
She lifted her head and looked at me, eyebrows furrowed as she listened to what I had to say.
“It’s always treated as a red carpet event.”
“So I’d really need to go get a new dress and get my hair done and stuff.”
“Well yes,” I said. “But I’ll pay for all that so don’t even worry about that part. It’s the other part of a red carpet experience I’m asking about.”
She cocked her head in question. “What part are you talking about?”
I took a deep breath. “The press,” I said, locking eyes with her. “We would be expected to walk down a real red carpet when we got there, take some pictures together, do some interviews. Real public relations stuff.”
I stopped the foot rub to watch her reaction.
“So you’re not just wanting to take me to a fancy gala,” she said. “You’re wanting to take me out in public.”
I nodded.
“Jason Hart,” she said playfully, sitting up and crisscrossing her legs. “Are you asking me to come out of hiding?”
I smiled. “I’m kind of asking if you would go public . . . as my girlfriend.”
She smiled so wide it about lit up the room. “Really?”
“Yeah,” I said. “I like you, Addison. A lot. And I want everyone to know.”
She bit her lip before crawling over to me and climbing onto my lap, straddling me and putting her arms around my neck.
“I think,” she started, “that as much as I love being anonymous, I would be honored to go out in public as your girlfriend. I’m ready.”
She kissed me with so much passion that I thought I would combust. As I slid my tongue against hers I ran my hands down her back and cupped her ass, pulling her harder against me. When our bodies met, I couldn’t help but grab her hips and rock her against the bulge in my jeans a few times. Her breath caught and she moaned just slightly.
I pulled my mouth away from hers as I stopped moving her hips.
“Addison,” I said quietly.
“Yeah?”
“If I don’t leave right now, I’m not sure I’ll be able to.”
We didn’t move from that position, but our eyes opened, looking at each other, trying to assess what the other person wanted. When neither of us moved one way or the other for a few seconds and we just kept panting, I knew there was still too much internal struggle for it to be right just yet. So I did what any man in my position would do.
I grabbed her thighs, stood up and tossed her back onto the couch, making her squeal.
“Sorry, baby,” I said as I bent down and pecked her on the lips one last time before backing away. “You’ve got me really, really hot and bothered. I’ve gotta go.”
She giggled as I walked away.
“Hey Jason,” she called after me. I turned around to see her lounging on her back on the couch. It took everything in me not to jump on top of her and take her right there. “The night of the gala . . .”
“Uh huh?”
“Make sure your apartment is clean.”
I cocked my head, not quite understanding.
“I’m sure I can get Mick to watch Jaxon overnight. And I want you to take me on a tour of your place. Starting and ending in the bedroom.”