Luke had that stubborn look in his eyes. It was the same one he got anytime he didn’t understand where I was coming from. This was nearly all the time. Despite this, the man always thought he knew what was best for me.
“It’s not going to work out that way. She wanted me right up to the point I told her I had just become single. She might not be shy but she does have issues with sharing her body with a man that was recently engaged.” And I respected that.
It also made my situation worse. I wasn’t sure if she was in the habit of freely sharing her body but at the least, she wasn’t the type to just jump in no matter what the circumstances were.
“I really don’t understand why the fuck you had to let her know that.”
I glared up at my “little” brother, feeling like I wasn’t going to get anywhere with him. Which was most likely the truth. I should have just called Dorian.
“Okay, Mr. Honest-to-a-damned-fault. If it’s hopeless with this Liv chick, then you can go out there and find someone else to sleep with.”
“This isn’t just about that,” I snapped, letting my pen fall onto my desk. The resulting sound seemed to echo throughout my suddenly too quiet office. I swear to God, if Luke didn’t get that look off his face in two seconds...
Luke’s face twisted with confusion. “But you barely spent a few hours with the girl.”
I stared up at him, reaffirming in that moment something that I had always believed about him. Luke was probably the only man I knew that had definitely never had any type of relationship outside of the sexual.
He’d once admitted that he’d never felt anything for a woman other than lust. To him, women really were nothing more than bodies to use. He could never possibly understand what I was going through.
I honestly had to wonder which one of us was better off.
“I never said it wasn’t ridiculously stupid and although I understand I am attracted to this girl too much, I have no logical explanation for it. But I still blame you for this. This would’ve never happened if you hadn’t invited me, convinced me, and then ditched me.” I didn’t really blame him for it; after all, it’s not his fault Liv existed.
But the outraged look on his face did make me feel a little bit better about my situation.
He liked to annoy the shit out of me. Time had come for me to do the same to him.
Luke opened his mouth, looking comically annoyed.
The door to my office opened before he could say anything else. One of the new girls I’d hired as an intern walked in. She was a family friend from long ago, the daughter of one of my mom’s best friends, and she’d recently moved back from France with her mom.
Angelina had a folder in her hand and as she walked towards my desk, I was surprised that there was no recognition on Luke’s face.
No, wait. There was something on his face but it sure as hell didn’t look like recognition and I couldn’t place what the look on his face meant.
“This just arrived from accounting, Mons—sir.” Angelina spoke slowly, her French accent slightly bleeding through. Her mom had moved to France with her when she’d been only four. She spoke English fluently, albeit with a trace of an accent. An accent she was trying really hard to eliminate, I could tell.
I accepted the folder from her. “Thank you, Ms. Molyneux. Anything else?”
“No, Monsie—I mean, sir,” she said, catching herself again.
Not only was her accent still around, she seemed to be trying to speak only English words. Useful in the business world but not necessary. Almost everyone we dealt with knew French.
“Angelina, please. There’s nothing wrong with your accent or vocabulary and I do think your mom would have an apoplexy if she found out that you were trying to get rid of both.”
Angelina looked down at me, her hands on her hips. “And who’s going to tell her, Monsieur Alexander?”
I knew the child she’d once been. I remembered how stubborn, impetuous, and out of control she had been when she was young. I managed to hold back my smirk when I answered her. “I will, if you give me reason to.”
She merely raised an eyebrow at me, somehow still looking polite while that one brow screamed “insolence”.
Sigh. The things I do for family friends.
Not that it bothered me having her here. She’d only started a few days before and she was already showing promise. I’d known her mother since Luke and I had been kids. Her mom and my own had been inseparable, even when they had resided in two separate countries. That is, until my mom died five years ago.
“Do you need anything else?” Angelina asked.
“Tell Janelle I said hi when you speak to her.”
“Wait. Janelle? Molyneux?” Lucas’ eyes went wide as he stared between Angelina and I. “Shit...Angie? That’s you?”
6
Angelina gave Luke a smile. “I was wondering if you’d ever recognize me.”
“Recognize you? No. I don’t think I recognize you at all. But, damn...it’s really you, isn’t it?”
“No, Monsieur Alexander. I am merely a fantôme born inside your mind due to all of your partying.” Angelina gazed stoically at Luke as I tried to hide my laugh behind my hand.
I failed, naturally.
Luke, meanwhile, was staring at her with a shocked look. His mouth kept opening and closing as if he wanted to say something but didn’t exactly know what.
Had I paid more attention, I would have realized what the look in his eyes meant. I would have noticed that his face was actually turning red.
But I realized none of this. I had actually stopped looking at him, my eyes falling to my desk as my mind let go of the small distraction before me in favor of returning to my large fixation.
I have her number. I can possibly see where this goes given time.
I heard Luke growl under his breath. “Calum.”
I responded absently, not bothering to look up at him. “What? Don’t look at me. Talk to Janelle. Apparently, your ‘ways’ are so legendary, our family acquaintances hear about them all the way across the Atlantic. Actually, I think Evaline and Nathan Warlow were mentioning something about you. And they’re all the way in Brazil. Really, Luke, considering you’re you, I’d thought you’d be proud.”
Angelina’s muffled laugh reached my ears making me smirk.
“Well, it was nice seeing you again, Lucas. Let me know if you need anything else, Monsieur Alexander.” Angelina gave a nod to the both of us before walking out of my office.
Luke half turned, watching Angelina walk out the door. As soon as she closed it, he turned back to me, his brows low.
He narrowed his eyes until they appeared to be no more than slits in his face and pointed with his thumb over his shoulder. “Is this some type of sick revenge?”
“What the fuck are you talking about?” I asked, honestly confused.
“She’s working for you now?”
“Yes. Janelle just got back a few months ago while you were in L.A. Angelina finished college in France and now needs work experience here.” I eyed him. Something was off.
That look was still on his face. “And she’s now your intern?”
I looked side to side, wondering if we were suddenly speaking different languages. “Yes. Janelle asked for a favor and I said yes.”
Luke glared down at me as if I had done something to him.
“What?”
“Nothing. I have shit to attend to. Do us both a favor and either figure out a way to bang the girl or find another. I am not shouldering the blame for your sexual frustration.”
I was about to fling my glass paperweight at his annoying ass when he turned and stormed out of my office.
What the hell was his problem?
I ran a hand down my face, determined to get back to work and forget about him. I’d figure out what his issue was later on.
I tried my hardest to concentrate on my work instead of thinking about Liv. I’d been drunk by the end of the night but that fact did nothing
to dull what I’d experienced with her.
The feel of her lips tormented me, the memory so detailed that anytime I caught myself thinking about it, my finger came up to rub across my lips.
Like right now.
Exhaling, I moved my hand away from my mouth and let my head fall back. Relaxation was becoming almost impossible and I knew very well that it had a lot to do with the fact that I refused to give into my need and masturbate. The demands of my dick were getting worse and I knew it was only a matter of time.
Why hadn’t I done it? I had no real idea why. Maybe it had something to do with the fact that if I did do it, I’d end up having to admit just how badly the girl had messed with my brain.
I heard my phone go off with a notification. I reached for it, not expecting the text that was waiting for me.
‘Hey. Busy?’ - L.
Seeing a text from her had me sitting up straight. Confused, I sent her a text back, staring down at my phone while I waited for her response.
‘No. Not right now. Why?’ -C.
‘Ended up by your main office. Taking lunch.’ –L
I was out of my chair before I even realized it. Scowling, I forced myself to stay in the office while I sent her one more text just to make sure she was saying what I thought she was saying.
‘Where?’ -C.
‘Don’t laugh. But I’m thinking of getting a sandwich and heading down to the park. Wanna come with?’ -L.
‘Get me anything Italian.’ -C.
And I was already walking out of my office, my body humming. Any misgivings I would’ve had about seeing her went right out the window when I reminded myself that she had text me first.
I stopped by Angelina and Jessica’s desks and informed them that I would be leaving for lunch.
‘Where do you want to meet up?’ -C.
‘I’ll be by the fountain.’ -L.
Ten minutes later, I found her exactly where she’d said she would be. I was less than fifteen feet away, close enough to take in every detail of her. Liv was seated at the edge of the fountain, her hair falling over her shoulders in waves while she looked down at her phone.
I paused, swallowing heavily and feeling my blood race. Any doubts I might have had over the effect she on me melted away and almost took my skin with them.
She was wearing a knee-length blue skirt that I could tell hugged her hips too tight. A matching blazer, a white button down, and sexy black heels finished off the outfit.
I couldn’t even remember when was the last time I paid that much attention to what any woman wore but one thing was for certain: my brain hadn’t been exaggerating how attractive she was.
All the lust that had been hounding me for the last week roared back to life. My heart pounded with the mere idea of being close to her again.
Calum, get yourself together. This is becoming lamentable, and that’s putting it mildly.
Agreed. Still, it was a lot easier said than done. Liv looked up just then, her eyes landing on me. The smile she gave me sent a numb rush through my legs. She waved at me and stood up as I got close.
Don’t look at how that skirt fits her. Don’t. But I did. It was nearly impossible not to. Christ...
“Hey,” Liv greeted, stepping forward and offering me her cheek.
Thanks to her heels, I didn’t have to lean down quite as much. I murmured my own greeting in a tone that wasn’t lost on me, and brushed my lips across her cheek. Soft skin, that hunger inducing scent of vanilla.
Unwittingly, my nose followed the path my lips had just taken, sucking in so much of her scent that I could taste her on the back of my tongue.
Just kiss her. Grab her head and taste her again.
She stepped back, eyes wide and slightly glazed as she looked up at me. I could only look back, knowing that my inner struggle could probably be seen all over my face.
Liv bent down to retrieve the bag and her purse, completely oblivious to how, in that moment, she had almost killed me. “I bought a foot long with prosciutto, mozzarella, and red peppers. That okay?”
“I’m sure it’s more than fine.” My eyes were glued on her backside as I followed her towards one of the benches lining the sides of the fountain. I couldn’t decide whether to curse those heels or not but one thing was obvious: they exaggerated that already dangerous walk of hers.
One thing was obvious to me now that I was in front of her again after a week. This “situation” I was in was only going to get worse. I wanted Liv and it was evident that I wasn’t going to be alright until I had her.
So what the hell was I going to do about it?
7
“How have you been?” Liv asked.
I accepted the sandwich she was holding out to me. “Good,” I replied.
No, I’m lying. I’ve been slowly losing my mind wondering if the rest of your body is as amazing as your lips.
I couldn’t tell her that without sounding like the depraved maniac she was turning me into so I pressed my lips together and remained silent.
Liv unwrapped her sandwich, her eyes on my face. They had that glint again, the one that made me feel like she was reading my mind. “Good?” was all she asked, the inflection behind that one word saying it all.
I smiled ruefully, refusing to elaborate. When I reached into my pocket and pulled out my wallet, Liv glared at it with a look that froze my hand in midair.
“Don’t even think about it. I was more than happy to buy you that sandwich.”
“Liv. Just let me pay you back. It’s just a sandwich.”
“Exactly. It’s just a sandwich. It doesn’t even begin to equal how many drinks you bought me the other night.” Liv took a small bite of her sandwich, eyes daring me to continue.
“Liv—”
“Calum Alexander, I am a woman with her own money, a lot of it, and I bought you that sandwich because I wanted to. It made me happy to do so. I do not need you to pay me back. Now, thank me, shut up and eat.”
“Thank you.” I acquiesced, barely holding back a smile at the angry little pout on her face. A pout that promptly transformed into a blinding smile.
“You’re welcome.” And she took another bite, looking ridiculously pleased with herself.
I put my wallet back in my pocket, trying really hard to ignore how much I liked this new bit of info I’d just gleaned. All the women I’d ever dated had had a lot of their own money, too, but they’d always expected the man to pay for everything.
Refreshing and intriguing.
Curiosity that should have been tamed was expanded, making the woman next to me seem that much more appealing.
“So, you’re really holding up alright? I mean, your engagement ending can’t be easy to get through.”
I didn’t really want to talk to her about that, but I could also understand why she’d be curious. I swallowed a bite and thanked her when she handed me a bottle of water. “Actually, it’s been easier after the last few days. I found out why she ended it.”
Liv looked clearly confused. “Wait. She ended it? Okay. What did she say was her reason?”
I shrugged, taking another drink of my water. “She didn’t say anything. But news does travel fast, especially when you leave one man and get engaged to another in the span of a few days.”
Liv’s brow tensed, an angry look flitting across her face. “Who was your fiancé again?”
I was confused by the look on her face. “Diane Allingham.”
Recognition flared in her eyes. “Oh...oh. I’d heard a bit about that but didn’t pay much attention. I didn’t realize you were the guy she dumped. What an idiot! Mr. Hamilton is pushing sixty.” Liv shook her head, lips pursed as she picked on her sandwich.
I shrugged again, truly beyond the point of caring. “Yes, well, he also comes with the guarantee of no pre-nup, something that I would never agree to. Not after the nasty things I’ve seen when it comes to divorces.”
“But she’s rich. Why does she care about a pre-nup?”
The hone
st confusion on Liv’s face made me smile.
She gave me that assessing side–eye stare again. “You’re not even a little beat up about this, are you?”
“I told you I never truly felt that way about her. I thought we were suitable...and I almost made a huge mistake in marrying her. That’s pathetically obvious. Now that I know what I know, I can’t help but feel kind of grateful. I got ‘saved’. Literally. But let’s talk about something else. What brought you around here?”
Liv’s eyes continued to study me as she shrugged and answered. “I usually end up around here once a month. Business and all that. I love coming to this park to eat when I’m around here. Or to be honest, any park I can find. It’s peaceful compared to the craziness of everyday life.”
Now it was my turn to study her. Everything about her lured me in, dragging my curiosity deeper into her against my will. “I’ve never done this. It is nice, I agree. I should take time out like this more often. I have to ask, though, why did you invite me?”
Liv threw her empty sandwich wrapper into the plastic bag. “ I wanted to see the man that is keeping my hat hostage. How’s it faring without mommy, by the way? I bet it’s desperate to return home,” she said with a serious look.
I laughed, shaking my head. “Not really. It said it likes my house better...and my head, too. Definitely my head.”
Liv laughed, slapping my arm. “Oh, shut up!” My cheeks were starting to hurt and I couldn’t stop smiling. “Shit. I gotta go,” she said once she saw what time it was on her phone.
I grabbed the plastic bag and walked with her out of the park. Once we were outside on the sidewalk, she turned and smiled up at me.
She gave me a wink. “This was nice. Thanks for meeting up with me. Oh, and your ex sucks balls for what she did to you.”
Something about her tone made that hard mass slip back into my throat. “No, thank you Liv.”
Her smile grew wider and she stepped closer. Surprised, I felt her small arms wrap around my neck as she hugged me. My lids slid closed of their own accord and my arms moved, wrapping around her and bringing her closer.
Addictive Lunacy Page 4
