Passionate Addiction

by Eden Summers

  Her chest swelled to the point of pain, and she knew if she glanced up to his face, she’d blubber uncontrollably. Instead, she reached for the necklace, letting the heaviness of the piece sink into her palm.

  “You wear white gold, right? I didn’t screw that part up, did I?”

  White. Gold. Her lips mimed the words. Holy smokes, it must’ve cost him a fortune. She yanked her hand back and shook her head. “I can’t accept this. It’s too much.”

  She met his gaze and felt her heart stutter. He peered down at her, his face aglow with what she hoped was pride. “You saved my life, and you’re my best friend. Nothing is too much for you.”

  She blinked rapidly, batting away the forming moisture. “If you make me cry, Blake Kennedy, I will hurt you.”

  He chuckled and broke eye contact to focus on releasing the necklace from the clasp holding it in place. “Turn around,” he whispered.

  She did as requested, her throat drying, her flesh breaking out in goose bumps while she lifted her hair for him to place the necklace around her neck. His fingers grazed her shoulders, the slightest brush making her nipples tighten. When the heavy weight of gold rested against her skin, she turned and reached for the charms now lying against her sternum.

  “How does it look?” She fingered the guitar pick, feeling the smooth gold.

  “Beautiful.” His voice was husky, completely seductive, and entirely not fair.

  His attention was on the necklace, and she swallowed, hoping he couldn’t see her hardened nipples through her tight dress and thin lace bra.

  They were so close, almost toe to toe, and all she wanted to do was kiss him. Slowly. Brushing her lips over his in a delicate caress. She wanted to show him how much she loved him. To pour her heart out in the intimate connection.

  To hell with it. It was her birthday!

  Reaching on tiptoes, she slid her hand over his muscled chest to his shoulders. She peered into his eyes, waiting for him to react or retreat. He didn’t, so she inched closer, his heated breath brushing her face, and pressed her mouth against his.

  It wasn’t a scorching kiss, merely a soft joining of lips, and still her blood ignited, every inch of her skin burning for his touch.

  His hands came to rest on her hips, lightly grasping. She yearned to moan, to voice the need building inside her, yet she remained quiet, hoping she could use the excuse of a friendly thank you kiss if he pulled away again, but his tongue stroked the seam of her lips, and she was done for.

  She whimpered, clutched tighter to his shoulders, and brushed her body against him. The skin at the small of her back pulled from the dry stickiness of lemonade and she ignored it. There was nothing else in the world except the two of them. She matched the stroke of his tongue with her own, sparring, teasing, devouring. No man had ever kissed her so thoroughly, touching her from the inside out, right down to the tips of her toes.

  They joined at the hips, her pelvis grinding into him, rubbing the hardness of his erection against the low of her belly. He growled, sinking his tongue deeper into her mouth. Strong hands moved to her ass, up over her waist, and paused at the side of her aching breasts. God, she wanted him to go further, to mold his hands around her flesh and tweak her nipples through the material.

  Then everything stopped.

  Déjà vu.

  He pulled back and peered down at her. Her throat tightened while they panted heavily into each other.

  Say something.

  She swallowed and rested back on the soles of her feet.

  Please don’t apologize and act as though nothing happened. Again.

  “Gab, I don’t think I can do this and not lose my heart to you.”

  His words hit her like a thousand tiny sparks of delight. She bit her lip to contain her excitement. Nothing would be more wonderful than holding the most precious part of him. “You’ve held my heart for so long, Blake, that it feels strange to have it so close.”

  “Really?” His eyes searched hers.

  “Really.”

  He brushed the hair back from her face, trailing his thumb along her jaw. “What did I do to deserve you?”

  She stepped into him, leaving no space between their bodies. “You deserve the world. I just hope I can give it to you.”

  He trailed his hand down her waist and rested them at the small of her back. She cringed, her sticky skin now clinging to her dress.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “I need to wash off the lemonade. Do you mind if I take a shower?”

  “No, of course not.” He jerked his head toward what she assumed was the master bedroom. “There’s a bag of your clothes on the bed in there.”

  She stiffened, causing her skin to pull. “Ah, how did you get my clothes?” Holy shit. If he’d broken into her apartment, she would be mortified. Not only at the breach of privacy, but there were pictures of him performing posted all over her spare bedroom.

  “Not a fan of me going through your drawers?” He chuckled and raised a brow. “Tammy organized the clothes. She said she had a spare key and could sneak into your apartment while you were at school.”

  The negative side of working and living in the same beachside holiday apartments with your close friend.

  “Tonight was meant to be about celebrating your birthday. Meeting you for the first time, the penthouse suite, room service.”

  She grinned up at him. “You planned on—”

  “I had, and still have, every intention of sleeping on the sofa.” He narrowed his gaze. “So wipe that sly smile off your face.” He leaned in and gave her a peck on the lips. “I didn’t plan to be unable to keep my hands off you. Strength against temptation has never been my best attribute.”

  She hated when he got like this. He’d never acknowledged the determination it took to overcome his drug addiction. It didn’t matter that he wasn’t a heavy user or took the initial steps to handle his problem as soon as he realized cocaine had a hold on him. Addiction was addiction. Yet Blake always thought himself weak.

  “You’re the strongest man I know.” She cupped his cheek and tried to convey her sincerity with the gentle touch. He gave a derisive laugh, and she ignored it. “And I thank you for everything you’ve done for me. I couldn’t ask for a better...” Friend seemed inappropriate seeing as though they’d been groping each other for the last fifteen minutes.

  He smirked. “The whole feverish lust and raging erection kinda puts a new spin on our friendship, doesn’t it?”

  “Yeah, it kinda does.” Happiness overwhelmed her, making her giddy.

  He moved into her, the barest hint of his stubble rubbing against her cheek, his breath brushing her ear. “You wanna see where it takes us?”

  She pressed her lips together and closed her eyes. That was exactly what she wanted. To break free and finally share her feelings, the bottled up desire, admiration and love. “Yes.” The word came out on a gasp.

  His teeth grazed her earlobe, sending a shot of pleasure through her nipples, then straight down to pool in her sex. “Well then, go have a shower. Patience isn’t one of my virtues.”

  Blake paced the kitchen as the echo from the shower taunted him. He was such a weak prick. Any form of temptation and his brain closed up shop, his actions entirely ruled by his base desires. He needed to be in there with her, washing her smooth skin, learning her curves. To show her the things he’d been fantasizing about doing to her body for over a thousand days.

  He rubbed the back of his neck and stepped toward the door. She was humming, the barely audible noise giving him an excuse to move closer. Over the rush of water, he listened to her, the tune unfamiliar. The feminine sound called to him, every note demanding his approach, and at this moment, any excuse would do. When he reached the bathroom door, he rested his forehead against the cold wood and held back from banging against it.

  “Bright idea this was,” he mumbled to himself. “Go see Gabi. Find out if she’s hot. That won’t complicate things at all.” He was such a jackass. He
couldn’t even blame the influence of drugs for this fuck up.

  The devil on his shoulder insisted he walk in there and take what she rightly offered. On the other shoulder sat a poor excuse for an angel who shrugged and said, “Why the hell not?”

  “Exactly.” He straightened. “Why the hell not?”

  He vaguely remembered having great reasons against going in there only a few moments earlier. Now, for the life of him, he couldn’t think over the image of her wet body in his mind.

  Grasping the door handle, he turned the lever and pushed forward. Warm steam hit him like a physical blow. It was nothing in comparison to what the sight before him did to his body. His knees weakened and his thighs tightened. Even his gut did a freaky little flip that had him swallowing hard as he stumbled into the room and moved back to rest against the door.

  Gabi stood with her tanned back to him, the rush of water running over her shoulders and down her spine. Steam fogged the glass, restricting the view to her lower half, but he could still make out the roundness of her ass and the outline of the gorgeous legs he soon hoped to have wrapped around him. Her body defied logic—a mix of heavenly temptation and delicious sin—not a flaw to be seen.

  With natural seduction, she glanced over her shoulder, scorched him with her wanton perusal, then turned back to face the taps. “Are you going to stare, or are you getting in?”

  Green light. Go, go, go, buddy.

  Normally, he would’ve had his clothes off faster than you could say “instant erection,” but this was his angel. There was no room for error. If tonight’s test of their relationship proved to be too much, he needed to make sure what they shared was perfect. Unforgettable. Not rushed and riddled with regrets.

  “You sure this is what you want?” he asked and had no idea why. If she changed her mind, it would bring him to his knees. “There’s no going back from this.”

  She chuckled, the feminine sound penetrating his heart. “I think it’s a little late for that.” She shot him another glance over her shoulder. “And besides, you’ve seen me naked now. I won’t be letting you outta here until we’re equal on that tally.”

  He raised a brow, and she turned away with a grin.

  Far be it for him to let a woman down, especially one so important. The only thing that made him pause with his hands at the hem of his shirt, was the knowledge of what his nakedness would reveal…a lot more than just his mighty Johnson. He had tattoos. Lots of them. And all held special meaning. Gabi knew about most of them, hell, the entire world knew about most of them, but there was one she definitely wouldn’t be aware of. One he didn’t flaunt. One that kept his hands poised at the bottom of his shirt, contemplating if this really was the right thing to do.

  To hell with it. He was finally here with his angel and he wouldn’t pussy-foot it now. Grow a set, Kennedy.

  In seconds, his shirt was on the floor and kicked to the corner, followed by his boots, socks, boxers, and jeans. His cock stood proud, hard as stone and eager as all hell to reach nirvana. He walked to the shower unfazed by his nudity, yet his insides churned with vulnerability. His body had never been a weakness. It was everything else—his mind, his heart, his soul. It all seemed tainted from the stupid choices of his past. And he’d made many.

  The one thing that gave him strength to carry on was knowing Gabi knew all his mistakes and continued to be his friend regardless. He would never lie to her. Not even about his feelings. If she asked him what he wanted out of this encounter, he would tell her—no doubt freaking her out in the process. Settling down with a woman didn’t scare him. In fact, it was the opposite. He may not deserve love, but it didn’t stop him from craving it. From her.

  When the fuck did he turn into a chick?

  He swallowed his nervousness, clenched his fists a few times, and then opened the screen to paradise. The shower was large, roughly the size of the one in his apartment back home, with shiny black tiles and two showerheads at either end. He had no interest in standing under a spray by himself, though. His place was beside Gabi.

  She kept her back to him, not noticing or maybe not caring that he now stood behind her with waning restraint. He paused inside the screen door, staring at the trail of water cascading down her spine, over the indentations at the small of her back, covering the lush ass he itched to palm. He shook his head and convinced himself that tonight wouldn’t end well. Anyone who knew the secrets of his life would know he hadn’t worked up enough brownie points to earn the pleasure of having this woman in his life on an intimate level. He didn’t deserve her.

  It was probably why Michelle kept calling him. The viper of a woman was a constant reminder of his lapses in judgment. The coked up heiress-wannabe-celebrity resembled more of the type of woman he would end up with.

  But until his past caught up with him, he would take and cherish every piece of heaven he could get his hands on. Pushing the haunting memories to the back of his mind, he stepped forward, leaving an inch between them—one his dick eagerly jerked to fulfill. That’s when she turned and stopped his heart completely.

  He had a glimpse of her full breasts, the rosy red nipples straining toward him before he dragged his gaze to her face. She peered up at him through flickering lashes, her blue eyes now darker as she grinned.

  “Do you know how many times I’ve imagined you naked?” He couldn’t help the smile that tilted his lips when her eyes widened.

  “Liar.”

  He raked his gaze down her body, trying hard not to focus on the petite patch of curls between her thighs. Then he closed the distance between them, the hardness of his erection resting against the low of her belly. Her skin was so soft, so smooth. “It’s true. Even though I had no clue what you looked like, I fantasized about you all the time.”

  She narrowed her gaze, her hands coming to rest on his biceps.

  “Still don’t believe me?” he asked.

  She raised her brows and shook her head. “Not in the slightest. I’ve had the image of you taunting me for years. I’m the one who’s been going through hell wanting to see you up close…and completely naked,” she finished with a cheeky grin.

  He leaned in to nuzzle her neck, hiding his shock. The warmth from her body sunk under his skin and warmed his frigid soul. He was the drug abusing rock star from a deadbeat family. He didn’t deserve her friendship, let alone her interest.

  Her hands found his hips and trailed up the muscled groove running from his groin to his abdomen. Light fingers ran up the middle of his stomach, fanning out, her fingertips searching his skin, finding the tiny discolored battle scar on his side.

  “Gunshot wound,” he murmured and loved the way she chuckled in reply. She knew all his stories, all the challenges and achievements that made him who he was today.

  When she reached his left pectoral muscle, she paused. A sharp inhale of breath sounded over the running water and he tensed, knowing exactly why she’d done it. Words escaped him while she studied the plane of skin.

  His chest pounded as he waited for her to pull away, to flee. She didn’t. She stood before him, her eyes focused on the tribal angel design with Gabrielle’s name inscribed along the top of one outstretched wing.

  Her gaze snapped to his, her eyes wide, her mouth slightly ajar. Fearing the worst, he swallowed, his Adam’s apple convulsing uncomfortably. All his tattoos had a meaning, and none of them were more monumental than the one over his heart. “You’re my angel, Gabi.”

  Her mouth closed and her nose scrunched as she began blinking, faster and faster.

  “Hey, don’t cry.” He cupped her chin, tilting it up to place a soft kiss on her lips. When he leaned back, he was smiling. If she hadn’t fled by now, with all the awkward insanity and intense emotion, then he was confident she never would. It didn’t get much crazier than inking your skin with the name of someone you’d never met.

  “You saved my life. I never want to forget that. Even when I’m old and senile. Even if we drift apart. No matter what happens, I will al
ways hold you close to my heart.”

  ***

  Gabi stared at the swirled lines that made up the angel adorning Blake’s chest. Each second that passed made her eyes burn hotter and her heart pound harder. A scream tightened her lungs, one of pure happiness and excitement, and she fought not to let it out.

  They’d been through so much together. She’d helped him battle his addiction, fight the demons that kept trying to tear him down, and in return, he was her rock. He comforted her through the grief of losing her brother, listened to her pain, and not once had he turned his back.

  “Say something,” he asked, his voice rough.

  “I love you.” The words burst free without thought. She’d loved him for so long, as a friend and much, much more. It wasn’t the first time she’d made the admission. The words had been shared between them for years in a friendly manner.

  This was different. This was a declaration from the very heart of her, and it was a relief to let it out.

  She lifted her gaze to his dark, smoldering eyes and felt the undiluted passion coming off him in waves. He growled low, and on instinct, they leaned into each other, their mouths meeting in the middle. His tongue swept her bottom lip, smooth and fluid, making her knees weak and her heart stutter.

  He was so strong, so commanding, and she needed to be closer. She undulated against him, making her desire known. He gripped her ass in response, causing tiny whimpers to escape her throat. Their kiss became faster, harder, until she was too delirious from passion to make a sound.

  He broke the connection, leaving her reeling and clutching his chest for support. “I want to make love to you,” he said between breathless nips to her lips. “I want to spend all night inside you. Touching you. Tasting you.” His arms circled her back, hugging her close. “I’m never going to want to stop.”

  She nodded, running her hands around his neck, stroking the short hair at his nape. Damn, she loved this man, with his black as night eyes and his heart of gold. He had the exterior of a hellion and the soul of the divine—a tangled combination that she had never been able to resist.