“Gate?” I blinked a few times confused. “Since when does Starbucks have a gate?”
She laughed and sidestepped, shifting her weight. “We’re going to mine and Sebastian’s house, silly.”
This was getting weirder and weirder by the second. First Addison is asking me to coffee, now her house. What next? A threesome with her and Sebastian. “House?” I croaked.
“Yeah, house. You all right?”
“Fine.” I cleared my throat.
“You sure? You act like I just asked you to have a threesome or something.”
I began to cough and sputter, choking on my own saliva. The woman practically read my mind.
“Brix!” She pounded on my back, trying to help me breathe. “I was kidding. Really! That’s not mine and Sebastian’s thing. Contrary to what the tabloids say, we’re in a monogamous relationship.”
Slowly I began to breathe. When I found I could speak again, I made my apologies, feeling like a complete fool.
Addison began to laugh. “Stop. You’re cute. And if we were into that kind of thing, I would so ask you.”
Heat flooded my face at such a thought. “I didn’t mean to imply…”
“I know.” She flattened her hands against her stomach, her laughter rolling out in peels. “Everyone wonders about our sex life, Brix. You don’t know how many times we’ve been asked in interviews about our sexual excursions. It’s quite comical, really.”
Sorrow engulfed me. Evidence of her newly developed thick skin resurfaced. Sure, it was good for her, but it hurt me to think as to the nature of that skin. Sebastian had to have it as a writer. Let’s face it, critics can be vicious. But Addison? She didn’t deserve to be subjected to people’s twisted perceptions.
Over Addison’s shoulder I caught sight of Gable diligently scoping the premises. He was doing his best to protect her. With that knowledge, my respect for the man deepened, as it did for Sebastian. They both made sure Addison was protected to the best of their abilities. That had to account for something.
“Right,” she said, soft and low. “Shall we go?”
I jingled the keys in my hand. “Lead the way and I’ll follow. But you better have a Starbucks in that house of yours, or I’ll be highly disappointed.”
Addison wiggled her brows. “We do, equipped with our own barista.”
My mouth dropped in awe. “Seriously?”
Addison turned her back on me, masking her face by the night. “You’ll just have to wait and see.”
Wait and see─what an understatement.
I had no clue what to expect upon arriving at Sebastian and Addison’s home. I figured they wouldn’t live in the Indulgence house, but when we turned down that road my stomach did a somersault. Much to my relief we passed right by the mansion. That would’ve been awkward. But I couldn’t deny I was curious as to where a high profiled author and an executive would live.
In truth, their house, while elaborate, was nothing like I’d expected. There was a huge gate that guarded the property, security cameras everywhere, and while the house was enormous and highly secure, it was oddly approachable. I had the distinct impression that real people lived there rather than walking in on an episode of Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous.
Addison took me on a tour of the house. While there was no Starbucks inside, I was still served an amazing cup of coffee by their executive chef. The tour ended in the basement where Sebastian had a single lane bowling alley established.
For the third time in my life, I found myself bowling. It started out as a joke, me ribbing Addison for being so posh that she had a bowling alley in her house. Then it became a wager. My manhood was on the line. Sadly, I should’ve left it there, because as expected, I wasn’t a good bowler. The gutter quickly became my sweet spot.
Addison, on the other hand, was a strike making machine. I sat back, sipping my coffee, amazed by her concentration. She shifted from one foot to the other, adjusted the angle of her ball, and before I could figure out what she was doing, the sound of the hard plastic hitting wood echoed in the confined space. She stepped backward, keeping her eye on the ball as it sped down the lane toward the pins. A loud clap of thunder reverberated around us as her ball made contact with the pins, sending them flying to the ground in fear.
“Yes,” she hissed, pumping her fist in victory.
I covered my face and moaned. “How do you do that every single time?”
Addison plopped down in the seat beside me. “Not every time.”
“Nearly,” I grumbled.
“Just good, I guess.” She gave me a coy wink, pulling her knees to her chest.
“It doesn’t hurt having a bowling alley in your basement, either,” I noted.
“You’re right.” She nudged me in the shoulder, pushing me from my seat. “It’s amazing how good one can get when they practice daily.”
“Thank goodness we didn’t put money on this game.”
Before tonight, Addison and I had never spent much time together outside my studio, so I had no idea what to expect. It was refreshing how easily we fell in sync with each other, as though we’d always been friends.
I made my way to the ball holder-thingy. Don’t ask me what it was called, all I knew was it collected my ball after I landed it in the gutter so it could vomit it back at me in disgust.
I drove my fingers into the holes of the ball and shuffled to the dots on the floor. I hated sucking so bad, especially since math was my thing. It should’ve been a simple geometric equation to land me straight into those pins each time, but alas, my old friend, math, failed me.
“Make sure to line it up. Find your shot. See the throw,” Addison instructed. “See the ball. Be the ball.”
I cut my eyes to her over my shoulder. “Thanks, Chevy Chase,” I snarked.
Addison perched herself to the edge of her seat and whispered, “Be the ball.”
I tried hard not to laugh as I moved forward, placing my weight on my right foot the way she’d earlier suggested and released the ball. Instead of landing in the gutter, however, it split the pins right down the middle.
“Damn the luck,” Addison chortled.
“Hey! That’s a win! I knocked down some pins.”
Addison fell back into her chair, laughing. “There you go, Mr. Optimist!” She pointed at me and clicked her tongue.
I waited for the ball thingy to spit out my ball again. I could almost hear it mocking me as I grabbed my ball and headed back to the line. This time, when I released the ball, it made a beeline straight for the gutter.
Frustrated, I plopped down next to Addison. She pushed a beer toward me with a smile. “Thought you might need this.” I glanced around for my coffee but it had disappeared. The woman was quick.
I chuckled, grabbing the long neck bottle. “Thanks. Maybe a little liquor will help me play better.”
“Well, if we’re sticking to your positive outlook on life, it can’t make you any worse.”
I groaned and nudged her with my shoulder. “Very true.”
Addison glanced down at her phone, but didn’t touch it. “He’s supposed to be here by now, I assume,” I blurted without thinking. While she was giving me a tour of the house, she’d mentioned Sebastian would be home soon. Two hours later, he was still missing.
“Yeah, I’m not surprised, though.”
I took a swig from my beer. “Why’s that?”
“Well, I told you he was with Mercy, right?”
“You did.”
“You see, Sebastian is fighting something I personally find silly to argue.” She slinked down into the chair, crossing her arms over her chest. “Mercy suggested that I be made part of Indulgence and Sebastian is hell bent on them not parading me around like another prop.”
I nodded. Not that I blamed him. Sebastian obviously cared for her deeply.
“You see, to me, I think it’s a great idea to bring me in. It would take some of the stress off him and it would kill some of the press’ assumptions about u
s.” Addison shoved her fingers through her hair in frustration.
“I can understand that. It would also allow you to revisit the first time you met,” I suggested.
Addison lifted her head and grinned. “Yes! See. You get it. Why can’t he?”
“I only want to take care of you, Red,” a deep voice sounded from behind us. Addison and I both jerked around to face our newcomer. Sebastian stood in the doorway, his hands pushed deep into his jean pockets. He wore a ball cap over his blonde hair and a pair of black rimmed glasses sat on his nose. He took two steps into the room as Addison bounced out of her chair and rushed toward him, welcoming him in a warm embrace.
I stood up, a little uneasy under his glare. The thought occurred to me that maybe she hadn’t informed him I’d be here. Should I stay or should I go?
“Hey, Red,” he muttered against her lips. I dropped my eyes for fear of intruding on their personal moment.
“Bass, you remember Brix.” My gazed popped up to the happy couple moving toward me.
Sebastian thrust his hand into mine. “Of course I do. How are you? I see our Red, here, is kicking your ass.”
I laughed and nodded, the heat of my embarrassment rising ever so high. “She’s a hustler.”
“That she is,” Sebastian agreed, kissing her temple. “I’ve yet to beat her myself.”
“Really?” My brow furrowed. “How’s that possible when you own all this?” I waved my hand outward toward the alley.
Sebastian laughed. “Because, like you said, she’s a hustler.”
Addison popped Sebastian on the chest and then playfully pushed my shoulder. “I can’t help it you both suck.”
Sebastian dropped into the chair Addison had vacated and watched as she made her way toward the ball-thingy. I took a seat beside him and groaned when Addison managed a spare. “The woman’s a beast!” I exclaimed, thankful we were in the tenth frame. She rolled again, making a strike.
She puffed with pride and her stride could give a peacock a run for its money. “Your go, Brixie.” My breath caught in my throat. Addison would never know how much I hated that name. Mother was the only person who called me that and it curdled my stomach. I allowed it to roll off of me, but from the corner of my eye, I caught Sebastian's gaze. He seemed well aware of my discomfort.
As I moved into position to finish my losing streak, I heard Addison say, “So, I guess Mercy’s finally on board with your plan.”
I rolled the ball, not really paying attention to where it landed.
“Yes and no. She feels you should be there when I welcome everyone, but thinks it would be best if you stay out of sight afterward. It’s a compromise of sorts.”
“I can handle that.” She sighed.
“You seem disappointed.”
Again I rolled, not caring where the ball fell. Gutter meet my balls. The end. Thank God!
“I want to share this experience with you again. That’s all.”
I whipped around to find the two of them snuggled close together. They were like magnets, drawn to one another. “I tend to agree with Addison,” I put in my two cents worth.
“Excuse me?” Sebastian snapped.
“Look,” ─I leaned against the ball-thingy─ “I was there last year with you and Addison.”
“I recall,” he snarled.
“Exactly!” A sense of aggravation gripped me, but I pushed it back. It would help no one if I engaged in a man-to-man standoff with Sebastian. While I respected Sebastian for wanting to take care of Addison, my gut told me she was capable of handling anything thrown at her. There was nothing wrong with her wanting to recapture the experience she had with Sebastian last year. “As does the rest of the world. Don’t think of this as a publicity stunt. You didn’t last year.”
“Last year was different. I never expected─”
“No one ever does, do they? Don’t they say when you least expect it, to expect it.”
Addison’s grin grew. When she invited me into her home, I bet she never expected me to defend her.
“It’s different now. People look at her like a piece of meat. You wouldn’t understand.”
“Actually, I do.” I drummed my fingers against the cool metal of the ball-thingy. “You want to keep her from dealing with the crap you’ve endured. Your name splashed all over the front pages of some tabloid, dissecting your every move.”
Sebastian pulled his cap from his head and tossed it on the table. “Exactly.”
“But you know if you hide her they’re going to think something strange is up.”
“You sound like Mercy,” he huffed in defeat.
“They’re both right, and you know it,” Addison agreed.
Sebastian cupped the side of Addison’s face, peering into her eyes. “I just don’t want some horny fucker drooling over you.”
“As if the women there aren’t fantasizing about you?” I countered, energized by my sudden bout of courage. “And some men, even.”
“True,” Sebastian acknowledged. He dropped his hand and rested it on Addison’s thigh.
“Let them dream of being the two of you together,” I encouraged. “Let’s face it, there’s nothing hotter than a little role play. Being the power couple of Sebastian Hawk and Addison George, well, that’s the kind of stuff Indulgence is all about.”
“You truly seem to understand the nature of desire,” Sebastian complimented. At least I considered it was a compliment.
I rubbed my hands against my jeans. “One must first understand desire before he can control it.”
Sebastian pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. “How very Zen of you.”
“Besides, her being there with you promotes equality.”
“Oh, I like that,” Addison chimed in, sounding excited.
“You have a Grand Master and Mistress. The crowd will go wild. They’ll eat that up.”
Addison dropped her feet to the floor, leaning forward. Sebastian placed his hand on her back and began to rub softly. “Hold on a second. You talk as though you don’t intend on returning to Indulgence this year.”
I licked my lips and dropped my eyes. “I don’t.”
“Why not?” Sebastian’s deep voice pierced me.
“No reason, really.” That, of course, was a lie. Last year ended in such a shamble I wasn’t about to bring myself to go through that again. I could be rejected on my own time. Forget being at a party where all my sexual desires were supposed to come true.
“I think you should be there,” Addison noted.
“What? Seeing me naked once wasn’t enough for you?” I bit my tongue as soon as the words fell from my lips. I never intended to insult Sebastian or Addison in their own home, yet there I was, flaunting the fact that we’d nearly had sex.
I dared to look at Sebastian who, for a moment, appeared as though he might explode. Then suddenly he was laughing. Really hard.
Addison joined him and it became so contagious that I soon followed. When the laughter finally died down, Addison said, “I doubt anyone could get enough of looking at a handsome, naked man.” She gave Sebastian a wink.
“Flattery will get you everywhere.”
“Good!” She clapped her hands. “Then I’ll flatter you right into Indulgence.”
“Anywhere but there.”
“C’mon.” She tugged on Sebastian’s arm. “Help me out here.”
I glanced down at my thumb, picking at my cuticle. “It doesn’t matter what he says. I’m too late to request an application, and if I recall, the deadline has already passed.”
Sebastian grabbed my beer from the table where I’d left it and took a swig. “You do realize who you’re talking to, right?”
“We decide who makes it in and who doesn’t,” Addison included.
“You’re helping him decide this year?” I was intrigued by this development. I’d often wondered how they chose who made it in and who was cut.
“Yes, and I say if you complete the form, you’re in.”
“Just like that?” I teased.
“You heard the lady.”
“Brix, you need to be there,” Addison spurred.
“I don’t know. I mean, it’s nice and all, but I want─”
“More,” Addison finished my sentence.
“Yes.”
“I know the feeling. But sometimes you have to let go and take a chance in order to find more.”
I clamped my hands in front of me and watched as Sebastian finished off my beer. Addison had a valid point. It was all about taking chances, of letting go, and discovering one’s natural desire. I sighed and shrugged. “All right. On one condition.”
“What’s that?” Addison questioned.
“That I can bring a friend.”
“A girlfriend?” Sebastian wondered.
“A best friend. She was with me last year. She decided not to go this year because I wasn’t going back.”
“Done,” Sebastian agreed.
“Now.” I crossed my legs out in front of me, practically sitting on the ball-thingy. “Tell me how you choose through all the applicants.”
Sebastian dropped his head back in laughter. “Can’t. It’s a trade secret.”
“No!” I cried out, laughing. “I have to know.”
“We could tell you, but then we’d have to kill you,” Addison teased.
“That’s fine. I’d die a happy man.”
They both broke into laughter and escorted me upstairs where they dished out the secrets of the trade.
I left the house that night amazed at what they went through to set up such an event and a better understanding of Sebastian Hawk himself. More than that, I left feeling I now had two new friends.
Up in the sky, the sun rose, basking heat onto another summer day.
Stationed on a park bench, waiting for Autumn, I doodled on the napkin that was once wrapped around my coffee cup. Limbs that could be roots sprouted along the flimsy, makeshift canvas. My blue pen sketched the image that was forever burned into my memory.
I grabbed my coffee cup and took a long pull from its caffeinated goodness. Autumn was late, as usual. After all these years, I pretty much thought nothing of her inability to be on time. Nanna once told me to never question a woman’s punctuality. That it wasn’t for a gentleman to know a lady’s secrets.
Satisfaction (Taking Chances #2) Page 5
