Addictive Lunacy

by N. Isabelle Blanco

  “Well, I’m sorry you had to hear that. I was just...annoyed.” She wouldn’t meet my eyes.

  Something about seeing such an outspoken girl semi–shy got to me. I found myself biting the inside of my cheek to keep myself from smiling.

  “It’s ok. From what I gathered, you got stood up.”

  Anger flared in her eyes for a second. “Yeah. So annoying, too. I went out of my way to be here. Kinda needed to have some fun, too.” And she pouted.

  She fucking pouted.

  I’m going to come. I’m going to come and all because of just looking at those lips.

  Perhaps it was time to get away.

  No, it had been time to get away awhile ago. Now that I was talking to her, a part of me was actually hesitant to go. I tried to keep my tone conversational even as my lower abs tightened with heat. “I know the feeling. I got stood up, as well.”

  Her eyes moved back towards me and between their color and those eyelashes, I was almost what you would call enchanted.

  Like a damned moth.

  “Who stood you up? Friends?”

  “My friend and my annoying brother. Good for nothing idiot that he is.”

  Liv giggled out of nowhere.

  I kind of wanted to fling myself off a building.

  Or onto her.

  Holy fuck.

  “Well, that sucks. Both of us here and stood up.” She paused after that, a pensive look coming over her face. Then, those big eyes brightened and nearly killed me. She looked back up at me, neck tilted back, and offered me the one thing I knew I wouldn’t be able to refuse. “Wanna hang out upstairs and have a few drinks? At least we both get to say the night won’t be a complete waste, then.”

  2

  “My name’s Liv, by the way. Nice to meet you.”

  I heard her words but it’s as if they were spoken from far away. Far, far away. We were walking up the stairs and she had decided to take the front.

  I was barely stopping myself from tripping and tumbling back down. Somehow, her ass was small but unbelievably plump and it swung side to side right in front of my face with each step she took. Just side to side.

  Side to side...

  She stopped before we made it to the landing and turned to look at me. “Not gonna tell me your name?”

  I shook my head, schooling my expression back to normal right before her eyes landed on mine. Another swallow passed through my tightened throat. Another involuntary look at her body followed right after. “I’m...I’m Calum. It’s nice to meet you, too.”

  She stared down at me with an inscrutable expression. I was two steps below her, staring up at her, and grabbing onto the railing so hard I was afraid that she would notice. I could feel my skin heating up under her stare. When Liv turned from me and continued up the stairs, I was stuck between being relieved and losing my balance all over again.

  We reached the landing. I ended up standing right next to her and my head fell when I looked down at her. I was 6’ 1”. She had to be no more than 5’ 3”, if that and I found myself fighting back a smile as I looked down at her.

  Liv walked in front of me, leading me back towards the bar. The place was the same as it had been before I went to the bathroom, three men ordering drinks at the bar and a few other people sitting in the small tables and booths scattered throughout.

  “Let me have a dry martini, please.” Liv leaned towards the bartender across the bar and handed him her ID. She had to get up on the tips of her toes to do it and I was almost distracted by the curve of her ass.

  Almost.

  The man behind the bar took one look at her ID, handed it back and smirked down at her, his eyes falling momentarily to her breasts. I’d heard of the feeling that overcame me next but had never experienced it.

  My eyes were ripped from her body and I felt myself frowning as I stared the man down. His eyes met mine, bounced between me and her, and I could see the conclusion he came to.

  Liv pushed away from the bar and landed back on her feet. I forced myself to once more control my expression while inside, the panic was returning. Because...because I’d just been bothered. For the first time in my life, I’d felt territorial. And all over a girl I’d just met a few minutes prior.

  Liv looked up at me. “What are you having?”

  I stared down into her eyes, trying to make sense of what it was about her that was doing this to me. Aside from her obvious good looks, of course. I’d been around extremely attractive women before and none had ever made me react this way.

  “Get me a brandy on the rocks,” I was going to say but then I remembered the way the fool behind the bar had stared at her. So, instead, I walked up to the bar and leaned forward. When he returned with her drink, took my order and stared at my ID, I could see how tense he was.

  Good.

  Don’t encroach on my territory.

  That didn’t just happen.

  Yes, it did. And there’s another one down the bar staring at her.

  I needed my drink. I was seriously questioning my decision, wondering why I was letting myself get into this whole situation. Liv hopped up onto one of the bar stools and crossed her legs.

  Homing devices. I’d never known that my eyes could behave like them. Saddest part of it all? Liv gave a little cough after taking a sip of her drink and I knew it was because she’d caught me looking at her legs.

  Swallowing uncomfortably, I forced myself to look away. I rubbed the back of my neck with my free hand, sipping my own drink and trying to cool my face back down. Fucking hell, it’s not like I was blushing, I’m pretty sure I wasn’t –I think– but I was still too damned flustered for my liking.

  When I finally managed to look back at Liv, she was staring at me with an analytical look. Her hair fell over one shoulder as she tilted her head.

  “Sorry.” I was scared I’d offended her with my too obvious stares.

  Those lips twitched and it took all of my self-control not to become fixated once more.

  Maybe I should just finish this drink and get the hell out of here. Go back home where things are still normal.

  “It’s ok.” Liv actually smiled at me. “You don’t have to apologize. Most guys wouldn’t.”

  I stared at her, not knowing what to say.

  “So, Calum. Tell me, what do you do for a living?”

  I took another drink, trying to get myself to calm down before answering her. “I’m the president of Agathon Designs.”

  “You guys work alongside Sorenson Architecture, right?”

  Her comment surprised me. “You know of us?” I leaned against the bar and studied her.

  “I have a friend that works at Sorenson. Besides, the company I work for hired you guys to redesign one of our office buildings last year.” Liv mimicked my pose and leaned one elbow against the bar even though she had to sit all the way at the end of the bar stool to do it.

  I fought the urge to smile at her, knowing that I was in deep. I found her adorable. Again, I’m sure my reaction was normal and considering the many stares being thrown her way, I was convinced that I could react no other way.

  This didn’t mean that I couldn’t enjoy just talking to her, right?

  Tread carefully. I’m sure this kind of rationale is what has led many men astray.

  “Who do you work for?” I was truly interested. She seemed young but she was obviously old enough to order alcohol, as I’d already seen.

  “Cannon Graphics.” Her lips wrapped around the edge of her glass. Her throat jumped when she took her next drink and I swear I saw her bottom lip stick to the glass for a second longer than the rest of her mouth when she pulled away.

  I frowned in contemplation. “I’ve heard of you guys. Actually, I think we had you guys help on some advertising campaigns.”

  Liv smiled at me, obviously unaware of the fact that the way her lips stretched over her teeth could rob me of my breath. “My dad owns the company. Damned slave driver. Made me work my ass off just to get to manage my own di
vision even though I finished college early.”

  She said this as if complaining but something about the tone of her voice and the look on her face spoke otherwise.

  If I hadn’t been interested before, I would’ve definitely been interested now. Burning with questions –and other things I was trying hard to ignore– I leaned towards her, ready to ask away.

  Liv looked over her shoulder, calling my attention to the fact that more people were starting to wander into the bar. She jumped off her bar stool, nearly landing right against my chest. I looked down at her, heart thundering as I registered how close she had been to colliding with me.

  And how much I just might have been okay with it.

  More than okay with it.

  “Want to grab a seat at one of the booths before they’re all taken? I hate sitting at a crowded as fuck bar and trying to talk.” She was already walking towards the back.

  I truly had no choice but to follow her. And as I did, I was subjected to the view of her ass as it swung with each step. She had a unique but not exaggerated walk that drew one too many stares.

  My own and that of others.

  A tick started in my jaw and I eyed one of the men staring at her over the rim of my glass. He caught my stare and I don’t know what he saw in it, but he turned away immediately.

  I swallowed the alcohol in my mouth. Liv made her way over to a round booth in the back, one with a high backed end that curved and hid most of the booth from view of the bar.

  She slid into it like a quick little nymph, moving fluidly and I followed her down into the seat. Liv gave me a cute, closed mouthed smile that oddly enough seemed to be filled with pride.

  I smirked and raised an eyebrow, completely at a loss as to what to talk about.

  “So, your brother left you hanging, huh?” she asked.

  I rolled my eyes even though I wasn’t so sure it was a bad thing anymore.

  Wait...did I really just think that?

  “Yes, he did. He lives to make my life impossible.” I felt an absurd feeling come over me when she giggled at that. Pride. It was pride. Making the girl in front of giggle had filled my chest with a heady sensation.

  One that just might be addictive.

  Liv asked me to tell her more about my brother as we drank. Eventually, when I saw that her drink had been finished and mine as well, I offered to go back to the bar and get us more. She went to hand me cash for her drink, at which point I sat back down long enough to give her an “are you serious?” look.

  She bit her lip, thanking me in an almost shy manner as she put away her cash. I confirmed that she wanted the same drink then made my way back to the front of the bar.

  The skin along my back prickled slightly, not an unpleasant sensation just one that was warm. Once I got to the bar and ordered our drinks, I turned back and looked at our table.

  Liv had inched all the way to the left side, the one part of the booth not hidden from the rest of the bar. The sensation I’d felt was her eyes, watching me the entire time. I couldn’t decipher the look on her face. Regardless, I couldn’t break away and when I locked eyes with her, she made no move to break our stare, either.

  The bartender came back with our drinks. I was still staring at Liv and trying to figure out what outside of her beauty had me so intrigued. The bartender cleared his throat, making me turn to him with a scowl. I paid him, watching as his eyes moved back towards the table where Liv was at.

  My scowl grew.

  Had I been an asshole, I would have withheld my tip. As it is, I almost flung it at him, taking our drinks and heading back to Liv. Her eyes were still following my every move. She seemed to be studying me, trying to see something, and I found myself curious as to how she saw me.

  She was obviously nothing like the women I was usually around. She was easy-going and open. I couldn’t help but wonder if I was coming across as “stuck-up” or any of the other things my brother had always accused me of being.

  “Thank you,” she repeated again, taking her drink from me once I was seated.

  I smiled down at her. “You’re welcome.” She seemed truly grateful that I had paid her drink, the smile on her face was warm. I knew that a lot of guys must have offered to buy her drinks in her lifetime. I’d gotten enough glares thrown my way to know that any of the idiots in that bar would have loved to take my place.

  “Guys buy you drinks all the time, don’t they? So, why are you so surprised that I’d buy you one?” I surprised the fuck out of myself when I asked her that. I wasn’t normally so blunt with women. Men, yes. Women, no. But the curiosity I was feeling was bigger than any reservations I might have had.

  Luckily, Liv didn’t seem insulted at all. She just took another drink from of her martini and shrugged her shoulders before answering. “Most guys would be hitting on me while doing it. Most guys would have tried to get me into bed by now. I can tell you’re interested but you’re not pushing it. I appreciate that.”

  My bluntness was nothing compared to hers. Her response shocked me and embarrassed me a bit. She could obviously tell I found her attractive. What really had questions flying through my head was how easily she said she appreciated me not flirting with her.

  Did she appreciate it because it gave her a break? Or did she appreciate it because she wasn’t attracted to me that way? She must be. I remembered the way she had looked at me in the hallway downstairs...

  Why was I even pondering this?

  Liv turned to me, her next comment almost sending me into a panic. “So, Calum. Tell me, is there some girl that’s going to be pissed off because you’re sitting here talking to me at a bar?”

  3

  Tell her the truth. Tell her the truth. Tell her the fucking truth!

  “No.”

  What? It was the truth.

  Not all of it!

  I understood what my conscience was trying to tell me, but aside from sitting there and enjoying a good conversation with her, I had no intentions of taking it further. Yes, the girl was sexy and attractive to me but I couldn’t let myself fall victim to any of that.

  And if I had no plans of going further than talking with her, what was the point of bringing up my damned ex? Just thinking about her was threatening to ruin my mood and though Liv had me on edge, she also was relaxing to be around.

  Easy to talk to.

  What I didn’t count on was the fact that Liv just might be attracted to me. It didn’t cross my mind that she might take my affirmation of being single as an opening.

  The first hour we hung out together, she asked me to tell her more about my brother. She told me about her mom and dad, how she was an only child.

  I learned that her name was actually Livana Payne but yes, she rather her friends call her “Liv.” Sometime after that, she insisted that I had to call her Liv. When she did, I couldn’t hold back the smile on my face. I found myself ridiculously wishing that I had a nickname that she could call me by.

  By my sixth drink, things were getting bad. I had kept on drinking, and while six drinks weren’t enough to get me drunk right away, it was enough to start getting me tipsy.

  Blood warming even more, I leaned back against the booth, too relaxed for my own good as I watched Liv with heavy lidded eyes.

  “Why are you single?” I couldn’t hold back from asking her. The question had become too much to hold in.

  Seriously, why? She was fun, beautiful, easy to be around when one ignored the whole “arousal-that’s-too-much-to-bear” situation. Why was she unattached?

  “Because most men are idiots,” came her honest, unapologetic reply. “I’ve dated before, don’t get me wrong, but it’s usually a headache. I haven’t met anyone I can honestly say I really got along with and I’m just not the type of girl that can be with a guy for the sake of being with him.”

  I watched her shrug, finishing my drink. My brain liked and didn’t like this reply. Diane had seemingly been with me for the sake of just being with me. I had done the same thing wit
h her. It had all been founded on something that was wrong and for the first time I was allowing myself to admit that.

  “Hey there big guy.” Liv slided up to me and nudged my shoulder softly. “You ok there? You’re looking like a chocolate melting into that seat.”

  “A chocolate?” I asked, amused and unwilling to move. I had one arm draped against the back of the booth’s seat while my other arm lay on the table.

  “Yeah.” Liv’s eyelids lowered, seeming to become heavy. “A chocolate. Definitely. A nice, edible Hershey’s Kiss.”

  And the way her eyes traveled over me destroyed all of my calm, tension shooting like spirals through me and forcing me upright. My body thrummed from the alcohol and her appraisal. Being compared to chocolate by her had me imagining things.

  Things that featured her lips.

  Lips that, in the dim light of that bar, I was dying to lean over and taste and I couldn’t deny it to myself any longer.

  Holy shit.

  “Another drink?” I was already standing up.

  Liv nodded at me, her eyes traveling up and down my body.

  I swear to God, I think they might have frozen for a second too long on my ass.

  Jeans. Jeans are good. Must buy more.

  No! This is bad! I should go.

  But I wasn’t going to. God help me, I wasn’t.

  When I returned with my drinks, Liv was leaning against the back of the booth and still giving me that look.

  I swallowed, my abs clenching. I sat down and handed her the drink, taking a large sip of my own and hoping to high hell she wouldn’t see how nervous I was.

  Liv’s cheeks seemed to be darkening even in the dim light and the relaxed, glazed look in her eyes told me that her own drinks were starting to hit her. She sat up and actually moved a little closer.

  I almost choked on my drink, my body tensing even more.

  Urges. Bad urges. Urges that felt good but were asking me to do things that would be bad. I didn’t want to go; I wanted to keep talking to her, but I just might have to force myself to leave.

  I couldn’t give into what my body wanted from her. I’d have to tell her the truth before I did and once I did, I’d look like the biggest asshole in the world.