In front of the bathroom door, I paced while Addison peed on a stick. Full breath in. Full breath out. In the last hour, I’d lost the ability to inflate my lungs on my own without reminding myself to. All my thoughts were a tight, disordered weave inside my head. My heart must have done a dozen flip-flops in my chest in the same amount of time.
I not only had proclaimed my love to the woman who might be bearing my child, but also announced my feelings in front of my best friend. Dahlia and Nick promising to love each other forever earlier had turned me into a soppy version of myself.
Fear crawled along my spine. I was just getting my head around being in a steady relationship and now I had to consider I might also become a dad.
Every word I spoke to Addison earlier sent my heart into overdrive as I replayed them in my head. On a loop. I meant them. Didn’t mean they didn’t terrorize me.
It wasn’t normal for me to be this obsessed with a woman. Being in love and the sentimental shit was Nick’s thing. Never had been mine before.
I snapped out of my restless state and focused on the door.
For how long had Addison been in there? Who took more than one minute to pee?
I rapped on the wooden panel. “Wilde, come on. Give a man some slack. I’m dying here. Are you okay? Do you need anything? Can I come in?"
Not a word. Nothing. Resting my forehead against the closed door, I pleaded, “Addison? Let me in. And be there for you.” Still nothing. Some heavy breathing sound—kind of a leaden snore—reverberated from the other side. My pulse throbbed. “I’m coming in, sweetheart. You ain’t keeping me in the dark.”
The doorknob turned in my hand, and I stepped inside the room.
The sight before me turned my blood to ice. Addison was curled in a ball on the tiled floor, her maid of honor gown spread around her in a chiffon puddle. At first, I thought she was crying. But when I realized she was actually asleep, my blood warmed up, and my heart swelled.
She made a perfect vision. Half her hair was braided in a fancy updo. A rosy flush covered her cheeks. Long, mascara-coated lashes rimmed her eyes. She resembled a doll. Her full lips formed a pout, one I was dying to tug between my teeth. And kiss senseless.
Black streaks lined her cheeks.
Fight had left her. She seemed at peace.
After going to war.
With my back against the wall, I slid down until my ass hit the floor, lifting her limp body into my lap. She stirred but didn’t wake up. We stayed there for a long time while I brushed her hair away from her delicate face, my mind spinning. In her hand, Addison clutched the stick. Carefully, I tugged at it, the urge to know what it indicated strong. And wondering if life was about to send me on a ride I had never seen coming. One I wasn’t sure I was prepared for.
She let go of the test when my fingers curled around it, and I pulled it free. A dark pink line appeared in one window. My throat closed, and it pained to swallow the lump growing there. My gaze scanned the second window, where I noted an almost invisible pink line. Was my vision playing tricks on me, or was it really there? That was the moment I stopped breathing. The moment I got dizzy and pressed the floor beside me with one palm to keep my balance, as if I were at risk of falling into a bottomless well and never seeing daylight ever again. I dragged a hand over my face. Fuck. I had no idea how this thing worked, but my gut told me my apprehensions would turn out to be real. With an extended arm, I grabbed the packaging set on the counter. Even after reading the instructions twice, I still couldn’t confirm with certainty what the almost-invisible line meant. Deep down, I was aware I did know the meaning. But it was like my brain refused to acknowledge it.
Relishing her presence and craving her touch, I cradled Addison’s body to my heart and closed my eyes, my head supported by the wall behind me.
With my eyes shut, I prayed the entire day was a dream, and Nick and Dahlia’s wedding hadn’t happened just yet. That I’d get a do-over. To make everything right.
“Here you are,” a male voice said, bringing me out of my slumber. Did I fall asleep too? It took me a few seconds to realize the voice had addressed me. As if they had been glued together, I pried my lids open, wondering where I was when my vision returned. The sight of Addison, still deep asleep in my arms, dressed in her yellow gown, rebooted my brain. I stretched my neck, perused the room, and met my best friend’s gaze.
He cleared his throat as he sat before me.
“So?”
I shrugged. “I can’t tell. It’s ambiguous.” I pushed the stick I’d been strangling in my hand into his and watched him as he rubbed his jaw and twisted it between his fingers.
“How do women understand this?” he asked with a frown.
I sighed. “No idea. I read the instructions many times. I’m still not one hundred percent sure.”
He sighed, looked at me, and breathed out. “Do you love her for real? What I mean is, what’s going on between you two?”
“It’s complicated.” My eyes drifted to Addison, and I studied the pattern of her breathing. A lopsided smile grazed my lips. “There’s something strong simmering between us. We’ve spent some time together. The connection is real.”
“Wow. But I thought she annoyed the shit out of ya.”
“She does. Most of the time. Or rather, she did. Now I can’t resist her. I thought I’d seen everything. But she’s wilder than me. And I never believed it could be possible. Her kind of crazy unleashed mine. I don’t know how to explain it. It isn’t just physical. It’s chemical. I spent all my evenings at home in the last six weeks, waiting for her to call. One weekend, she surprised me and flew to Chicago. When she left, I missed her scent on my pillow, the way she tied her messy hair after she woke up, or her heartbeat when I held her at night. We spent another long weekend together. A jerk was all over her, and it drove me nuts. Never felt that kind of jealousy before. We met with Barry and the guys, and even they fell under her charm. She’s special. All this time, it wasn’t even about sex. So, yeah, I think this is real.” I paused to order my thoughts. “Jesus, listen to me. I’m turning into you, man.” I ran my free hand over my face as realization set in. “Damn it.”
Nick furrowed his brows and offered me a pointed look. “Is it such a bad thing? Being me, I mean. Look, I’m happy. I just got married today to the most amazing woman I know. I have a family of my own now, a great business, an incredible little boy, friends. Being me is great, actually.”
I tilted my head back and let out a silent chuckle. “Yeah. It could be worse. I guess.” My laughter died. “What am I gonna do? I’m clueless when it comes to women.”
Nick smirked. “No, you’re not. You’ve been studying them for years. I think you’ll figure it out. Just be honest if you can’t commit, okay? She doesn’t deserve to be misled.”
I shook my head. “I would never. She’s the first woman I’m not trying to get into her pants every time we see each other. Well, yeah, I do, obviously. But I like that we can chat for hours about other things. That our connection is even stronger outside the bedroom. It’s not only about sex all the time. Just so you know, I may have broken rule number one back in Nashville, but in my defense, I don’t recall it at all.”
“How?”
“It’s a long story, but we kinda bet we would each bring a woman back to the hotel. I have no idea how it happened, but when we woke up the next morning, we had hooked up together. You know the morning you barged in—”
“Fuck. She was the woman you trashed the hotel room with?”
“Yep. And neither of us can recall anything.”
“And that unbelievable shower story?"
“That was part true. I helped her with her speech, we fell asleep, and I had to drag her to the shower to wake her up. But we spent the next day together. In bed. That’s the only time I broke the rules willingly. Sorry I lied to you.”
Nick flicked his hand. “You’re both old enough to make your own decisions. I shouldn’t have given you those rules to start with. It just—I don’t know. Somehow, I feared the day you two would meet. You’re very much alike. Dynamite. Amazing people. Loyal friends. But sometimes unpredictable.” His eyes trained on us for a moment. “For what it’s worth, Dahlia said you two are a match made in heaven. I have to agree. No pressure, man.”
I snickered and shook my head.
“Anyway, it’s almost dinner time. We would very much like for you two to join us. If Addi feels all right. She looked exhausted earlier. Heard pregnancy can do that.”
“Give us a few minutes. I know she’ll request some time to fix her makeup and stuff.” I held my breath. “And I have no idea how she’ll react to this,” I said, pointing to the pregnancy test still in Nick’s hand.
My friend handed it back to me and rose to his feet. “If you two are meant to be, I’m glad you’re the one for her. She’s amazing. And you’re my best friend.” He stopped on his way out and spun around. “Never would I have thought I’d see you sitting on a bathroom floor one day, caring for a woman with stars in your eyes. Somehow, it suits you.”
He mumbled something else I didn’t quite catch and left.
I blinked, still wondering if this entire day had been a dream after all.
Addison and I joined the rest of the wedding party, still unsure if she was pregnant or not. After she woke up, she read the instructions herself and stared at me with doubts in her eyes. Instead of panicking, we’d decided to take another test the next day. Besides, there was nothing we could really do about it tonight.
We sat by our best friends for dinner. Gave speeches. Stole glances. Kissed. And danced under the stars when the band started playing one of Carter Hills’s hits. Our song.
I pressed my hand on her lower back, enjoying the feel of her body nestled against mine. “Whatever the test says, I’m not going anywhere. We’ll find a way to be together. To work it out. If that’s what you wish too.”
Addison nodded against my chest as my lips skimmed the top of her head. “Thanks. For being here with me,” she whispered.
My insides clenched at the sound of her voice. “Are you feeling better? I’m glad you ate. Mrs. Ellis warned me to keep an eye out on you.”
“She did, huh? She worries about me. But I’m fine. Or I will be. There’s still something bothering me, though.”
I lifted her chin with one finger. “What is it? Ask me anything. I’ll be your loyal servant.”
She detached herself from me and rose to her tiptoes until her lips graced my earlobe. “I’m still horny. For you. Are you coming home with me afterward? My nap felt amazing, and now I’m ready to have some fun. And there’s no point in avoiding you any longer. All my arguments are baseless now.”
“Wilde, you sure?”
She nodded, her irises swimming in lust.
“You won’t have to ask me twice. I’ll be whatever you want me to be as long as you’ll have me.” I kissed the tip of her nose and pulled her closer to my chest, wondering what would happen next. And if our lives would forever be entangled—and changed—by the next morning.
“Two weeks without you was torture. I’m obsessed with that pretty mouth of yours.” I slapped her ass, and she yelped. “And we succeeded in not tearing each other’s clothes off for over a month. I’ve been patient so far. But every second I’m not inside you is agony.”
“I know. And I’m aching for you.”
“That’s what I’m talking about, sweetheart.” I held her hand in mine and brought it to my crotch. “Feel the effect you have on me.”
She was flustered, her eyes flaring.
“Take me home, Tuck. I need you tonight. I don’t wanna be alone. Rumor has it I may have a surprise for you,” she said, mischief in her eyes.
Around midnight, Addison could barely stay up on her feet. We said our goodbyes before we both climbed into my rental car. My hand reached for her thigh and gave it a squeeze.
Her head rested on my shoulder, and I felt whole at that moment. As if, for once, the pieces of my life had a purpose when positioned next to one another.
I parked in the driveway of Dahlia’s old house and turned off the engine. Unable to resist the maid of honor for another second, I pulled her to me over the console between our seats. My mouth found hers, our lips taking their sweet time, memorizing every detail. My hand curled behind her head, holding her in place as my mouth devoured hers.
She purred before pushing back, one hand attached to my biceps.
“Gimme five minutes, okay? This surprise I told you about. It’s my best man gift to you.”
I arched a brow. “I thought it was that T-shirt?"
A heartfelt laugh broke free. “Yes. And this. You’ll see; you’ll like it.”
She exited the truck cab and waving at me, entered the house, turning the lights on as she made her way to the second floor.
I caught a glimpse of my ridiculous grin in the rearview mirror and shook my head at myself. I was becoming everything I always swore I wouldn’t.
But somehow, right now, the idea suited me.
It only enlarged my smile. And calmed the thumping of my heart.
When the longest five minutes of my life ended, I made my way inside and locked the door behind me. I followed the trail of lights to the master bedroom upstairs.
In the doorway, I swallowed. Hard. And swallowed again. Addison was every man’s wet dream, all sexy in the skimpy red lingerie I’d gifted her, tied to the bed, a selection of accessories lying around her barely covered body. I had no idea what the rules were, but now that I got sight of the playground, I was more than ready to have some fun.
Like a hunter, I stalked my prey. The one I knew the taste of, as it had lingered in my mouth for over a month. Her red-painted lips, resembling juicy berries, looked enticing. And forbidden.
My dick twitched in my pants, so thick and rigid that I had to push it down with an open palm to prevent it from dying from strangulation. Desire circulated freely inside me.
“Wilde, you’re something else. I thought I had seen everything.” I almost ripped my shirt apart as I removed it, the fabric burning my skin, and held my breath.
Unable to look away, I padded in her direction, losing myself in her mesmerizing blue eyes as they swallowed me whole.
“You can’t ask a guy to not think about you when you do shit like this, sweetheart. You’re perfect, and I can already predict we both won’t be getting much sleep tonight.” I blew out a long breath as I neared the bed, my knuckles sliding along her jaw. “I thought you were tired?”
She shrugged. “I was. But my need for you is stronger.”
Now bare-chested and about to combust, I smoothed her bottom lip with my thumb. She shivered on the bed and moaned, making her even more irresistible. A guttural groan left my mouth in response. She sucked on my finger before releasing it with a pop. Spasms woke up in my spine, tightening my balls and firing through my body.
“Ready to play with me, Tuuuck?"
My throat worked as I tried to form coherent words.
My voice, sounding more like a growl, sent fresh, wicked twinkles to her eyes. “Tell me the rules, Wilde. I’ve been ready the past six weeks for a do-over.”
I leaned forward, my lips finding hers, my hands on her hipbones, holding her in place as she wiggled underneath me.
She bit my lower lip, and I blinked when reality hit me.
“Wilde, we can’t do this."
I stumbled backward, trying to escape her allure. With her hands tied over her head, there wasn’t much she could do to keep me from moving away.
Her lips pursed as she watched me, hurt painting her face.
“Tuck. Don’t go. We can talk about it. I thought—doesn’t matter. We can just sleep. Or cuddle. Be with me tonight.”
Was she thinking I didn’t long for her? That I wouldn’t do anything, short of selling my soul, for a taste of her. I scratched my temple and sat beside her, brushing her hair back. I didn’t have enough eyes to admire her the way she deserved to be. And the way I craved to.
“No, it’s not that. I haven’t changed my mind. But if you’re pregnant, we’ll hurt the baby—I’ll hurt the baby.”
After a beat, Addison’s clear laughter broke the silence of the night. “Tuck, if it does exist, it’s like chickpea size.” She almost pinched her thumb and forefinger together above her head. “This big. And even when it gets bigger, I don’t know a lot about babies, but I know sex can’t hurt them. No matter how impressive your manhood is. Stop fighting this.”
I huffed, wondering if she spoke the truth.
“Tucker. Listen to me. You can’t poke the baby. And there’s a reason why pregnant women are horny all the time. It wouldn’t be fair if we couldn’t indulge in sex. Let’s play now, okay? You can’t leave a woman all tied up on a bed and do nothing about it.”
A naughty grin formed on her lips, and it broke my restraints. Forgetting all about my fears for a few hours, I plunged forward with the intent of rocking her night. And making up for the things we hadn’t done since the last time we had sex.
Later, entangled in the shower, our bodies were still vibrating with lust and endorphins. And contentment.
“Where did you learn that thing with your finger?” I asked Addison, still mesmerized by everything we had just done.
She shrugged. She just gave me the most erotic experience of my life, and she fucking shrugged. I shook my head, the tip of my spine still tingling, and my chafed cock aching for more. Usually a straightforward lover, I wasn’t used to sex with toys, but Addison made the game enticing and exciting.
“In college, I experimented a lot,” she said, motioning to the bedroom. “Hope I didn’t traumatize you.”
“Sweetheart, it’ll take more than some balls and chains to scare me away. You should know that by now.” My tongue trailed kisses down the length of her throat. “I think I could get used to this. With you.”
She spun in my embrace and looped her arms around my neck, her eyes glistening.
“Want to go for a second round? We haven’t tried the hot candle wax yet.”
“We should get some sleep. Never thought I’d say that, but my dick is begging for some rest. You should too. Today has been quite an emotional ride.”
She stared at me and sighed, her smile never faltering.
I kissed her pouty mouth as flashes of everything those lips had done to me in the last two hours danced before my eyes.
“We’ll have a re-match tomorrow. I’m in town for another week at least."
“Tucker Philips, are you taking a vacation?”
I snickered. “Trying to. We’ll see how it goes. Nick suggested I stay here for some time. I wanna indulge in a change of air.”
“Awesome. Because, technically, I’m here for two more days. You better be a man of your word. I’m not done with you just yet.”
My squeeze around her tightened. “Watch out, Wilde, or I’ll fall for you.” I winked, and we both grinned.
“I thought you already had?”
I palmed my chest with one hand. “Touché.”
“Tuck, you don’t need to sweet talk me. Or promise things.”
“I’m not. I just want to be there for you. With you. No matter what, don’t fight it.”
I twirled her around and enveloped her with my arms, resting my chin in the crook of her neck. My hands lowered to her breasts. “I think these bad girls missed me.”
Addison slapped my arm. She cocked her head to the side, and I leaned down, meeting her mouth halfway and forgetting about everything outside this shower.
For now.