From his position on the bench, he was at the perfect height to press his face against her, teasing her with kisses over her thin dress. She could feel the heat of his breath and his lips working against the fabric like they were searching.
For a moment, Addison forgot where she was and the risk of them being discovered together. Or maybe she reveled in it.
The gamble, the excitement, the rush. It heightened her need for Felix, made her want to rip off his clothes right there and see if she could have him before their time was up. Like a race against the clock, only there was no way to know when the alarm was set to go off.
It seemed to be a common occurrence with the two of them. Maybe it was their thing, or maybe Addison just wanted Felix anywhere, any way.
“No,” she panted. “Phillip will be back soon. He’ll catch you here,” she said, even as she ran her fingers through his hair. She felt like Juliet urging her Romeo away to safety. The forbidden feeling of their meeting at war with their undeniable attraction.
But that wasn’t the only thing to consider. She needed to make the smart decision, to use her head. Wasn’t that what she’d set out to do with Phillip in the first place? To choose the right guy?
However, that was when she’d written Felix off as just another bad choice. Then she actually got to know him. And Naia. It didn’t feel so cut and dry anymore. But standing with Felix on Phillip’s terrace while on a date wasn’t exactly the best place to weigh her options.
“Wait. Stop.” Addison pushed Felix away. “You have to go.”
“Why?” He stared up at her in surprise, like what could possibly be so wrong about the situation? “I haven’t had time to look around.”
She glanced back through the French doors into the mansion, afraid she’d see Phillip returning any second. “Because this is a date.”
Felix’s shoulders dropped. He leaned back so he could really look at her. “You’re not serious.”
The ironic look on his face ignited something inside of her. She recalled his words from the last time they spoke. How he thought Phillip was just using her, like she wouldn’t actually be able to get a guy like him interested in her otherwise. Suddenly she was as angry as the night they fought at his house.
“I’m perfectly serious. Why wouldn’t I be on a date?” She crossed her arms. “And it’s not like it’s any of your business anyway.”
But she wasn’t sure that was true anymore. She rubbed her temples. She had so much to think about. For now, she had to get him out of there.
Addison hovered over him, ready to throw Felix back over the bannister if Phillip returned.
Felix’s face screwed up. “A date? At his house? Isn’t it a little early for a sleepover?”
But Addison didn’t think that was any of his business either, and her irritation spiked. “Well, when it’s right, it’s right,” she said vaguely.
“What makes him right?” He stood up, towering over her.
Despite their whispers, she could hear the anger behind his words. But she didn’t think he was angry with her. Frustrated maybe.
“Is it because he’s rich? Because every year The Gate lists him as one of San Francisco’s most eligible bachelors?” That little vein in his forehead pulsed. His eyes narrowed. “Because you’re so desperate you’ll fall for any man?”
She inhaled sharply, clenching her fists at her sides. “I’m not desperate enough to fall for you.”
The moment it flew out of her mouth, she regretted it. Both because his face flinched like she’d shoved a hot curling iron against his stomach and because she felt that same pain, in answer to his own. Because she knew it wasn’t true.
The anger faded from Felix’s face and his breathing slowed like the fight was leaving him. “Fine,” he said flatly. “Enjoy your date. But I’m not relying on your fantasy obsession to tell if he’s innocent or not. I’m scoping the place out myself.”
“Felix.” Her voice wavered with building tears. “I—”
Footsteps thumped in the hall, echoing down the cavernous expanse. Addison’s apology caught in her throat. She began shoving Felix back toward the bannister.
“Someone’s coming. Go back down the wall,” she hissed.
Felix’s eyes went wide. “I can’t. The chef and butler were down there. They heard me earlier and searched the grounds. I was backed into a corner. That’s why I came up here.”
“Then hide,” she urged. “Quick.”
Felix’s head whipped back and forth, looking for a place to hide. Racing through the French doors, he dove for the thick, floor-length curtains draped on either side. Once he was hidden behind them, Addison rearranged them to look natural again.
“I’ll distract him,” she told the curtains. “You can sneak out.”
Felix peeked his head out. “How are you going to—”
“I hope you like crème brûlée,” Phillip called out as he swept into the room with two small dishes on a silver tray.
Felix whipped the curtain back into place just as Phillip entered the room.
Addison jumped away from Felix. “Sounds delicious,” she said, her voice a little too high-pitched. She cleared her throat.
“Sorry I took so long,” he said. “Apparently the maid thought she saw someone sneaking around on the grounds, so Hugh went to check into it.”
“You’re kidding?” Addison opened her mouth in what she hoped looked like shock. She might have loved movies, but she’d never be nominated for an Emmy, that was for sure. “Should we call the cops?”
The curtain twitched, and Addison could practically feel the agitation building behind them.
“No. No.” Phillip was busy arranging the dishes and dessert forks on the coffee table, clearly not used to serving himself. “I’m sure it’s just a stray animal or something. Nothing to worry about. I wouldn’t want to ruin our night together.”
Addison’s body felt stiff and unnatural. All she could think about was trying not to look at the curtain, so of course that was all she wanted to do. She was paranoid, certain Phillip would somehow see Felix or hear him breathing behind the drapes.
“Shall we go back out on the balcony for a while?” she asked. If she could just get Phillip out of the room, Felix could make a run for it.
But Phillip sat down on the leather sofa. “I was thinking we would be more comfortable in here. I wouldn’t want you to get too cold.”
His usual polite and mild demeanor shifted, and his voice became throaty with lust. Addison could see it in his half-lidded eyes, taking in the sight of her standing in the doorway. She suddenly felt self-conscious. Was she still flushed from Felix’s touch?
Phillip patted the seat next to him. “I’m sure I could keep you warm in here.”
There was a soft snort from behind the curtain—too soft for Phillip to hear across the room, Addison hoped.
“That sounds even better.” Addison smiled coyly, but cursed in her head. It would appear strange if she argued, so she had no choice but to sashay across the room and cozy up next to him. By the way Phillip watched her hips move beneath her dress, she doubted it would be very hard to distract him.
Addison took a seat, close enough to Phillip that her body rubbed against his. She crossed her legs, and the slit in her skirt fell open, revealing a whole lot of thigh.
Phillip slipped an arm around the backrest behind her. She caught his gaze drinking in the view down her neckline.
“See?” he said. “Isn’t that better?”
“Much warmer,” she agreed.
He caressed her exposed knee with a shy fingertip, sliding it slowly up her thigh. “I’m feeling a little warm myself.”
There was another snort, this time loud enough for the both of them to hear. Addison froze. When Phillip pulled away, she knew he’d heard it too.
His focus shifted across the room, and he moved to stand. She couldn’t let him near those curtains.
Addison practically lunged at Phillip. Grabbing his chiseled jaw in her
hands, she planted her lips on his, desperate to keep him there.
His kiss wasn’t exactly how she imagined, not warm and luscious, not falling into step with hers like two professional flamingo dancers. In fact, his lips were a little cold and thin, slipping over hers like wet hands trying to grasp a slimy bar of soap in a bathtub.
Phillip grabbed her bare shoulders and gently pushed her away, but she resisted.
“Did you hear something a second ago?” he asked against her mouth.
“Nu-uh,” she mumbled.
She shoved her tongue in his mouth, effectively shutting him up. Her leg swung around until she straddled him on the couch, pinning him there. Now all he could focus on was her and her tongue caressing his, her hips grinding his lap. What strange man behind the curtain?
Phillip’s hands were no longer pushing her away, they were groping, tugging her skirt out of the way, exploring. He gyrated beneath her, inviting her swirling tongue into his mouth with his own. He gripped her thighs, pulling her against his moving hips, and grinded against her.
Soon Addison began to feel him stiffen beneath her, digging hard between her legs. His breaths came harder, faster. He let out an eager grunt in her mouth. Cupping her butt, he flipped her onto her back. She yelped in surprise as her back hit the sofa.
The desserts lay forgotten on the table. Phillip practically dove on top of her, nestling between her legs. His cool lips slithered their way across her cheek and down to her neck, over her collarbone.
Addison moaned and squirmed beneath him, encouraging him to keep going, but her focus was on the curtain across the room. She shifted her head to the side to see over Phillip’s hunched back. He obviously took this as a sign to begin nuzzling her neck.
It tickled a little. In fact, it felt gross as his tongue ran and flicked in annoying circles over her skin. She cringed, but continued to encourage him.
“Yes,” she purred. “Oh yeah.”
His awkward hand slid up the slit in her dress, crawling against her bare skin until he reached her panties. He ran a finger over the smooth material.
The curtain shifted a fraction, and Felix’s head poked out. When his searching eyes fell on the sofa, he froze. He didn’t look angry. His jaw didn’t so much as clench, and his eyelash didn’t even bat.
Finally Addison waved him on, as in Go, while faking another,“Yes. Oooh, right there.”
Phillip rubbed a finger over the silk between her legs, where Felix had been exploring not long before. He groaned as he did so, rubbing with a new fervor.
Addison realized with embarrassment that it was because she felt wet. He must have thought he excited her.
But it had been Felix’s doing on the balcony. It had been him that her body reacted to. While her brain had been telling her Phillip was the one from the start, her body couldn’t lie.
Perhaps, she thought, it was time to let her heart speak up.
Felix took his chance. Darting out from behind the curtain, he dashed across the room, stepping light as a burglar. When he made it to the door, Addison’s body relaxed in relief. That is, until Felix caught her eye.
They locked gazes and just stared at each other as her so-called Prince Charming grinded on top of her. Suddenly, she snapped out of the fantasy she was trying to hold on to, the stars, the candles, the wine, and fell back to reality.
It was like when someone munched on popcorn in the theater behind you, pulling you from the trance of the big screen. No matter how hard you tried to ignore it, you just couldn’t return to that place of ignorant bliss. The mindset that you escaped to during a movie, allowing yourself to believe that anything was possible.
When Felix turned away for the last time, she saw a grimace contort his handsome face. She felt her heart contract painfully. Her eyes began to sting and a single sob escaped her.
Phillip must have interpreted this as frustrated pleasure, like she just couldn’t wait any longer, because his fumbling fingers tugged her panties aside. Her body automatically recoiled. It suddenly felt so wrong.
Clamping her legs shut, she pushed him away. Phillip stared down at her in shock as she struggled to find something to say.
“What about dessert?” she asked, as airily as she could.
“I’ve got dessert right here.” He descended on her again, but she forced him back, unable to stand another second of his kisses and touch.
Phillip drew away, kneeling on the sofa between her parted legs, staring down in confusion.
She shook her head as though waking from a really long dream and sat up. “I’m sorry.” She tugged her skirt back down. “It’s getting a bit late. I should go.”
She couldn’t look him in the eye. Heck, she didn’t even know how she’d look at her own reflection in the eye when she got home.
“Of course,” he said, clearly abashed. “I’m sorry.”
“No. Don’t be sorry.” She smiled warmly at him. It wasn’t him; it was her. “I had a wonderful time tonight, but I should get going.”
“I’ll show you out.” But Phillip still looked confused. Maybe as confused as she felt. “Will you still be going to the gala?” he asked as they headed down his sweeping staircase to the foyer.
“I will.” She smiled again, but couldn’t seem to make it reach her eyes. “I’ll see you there.”
He looked disappointed but tried to hide it with a gracious smile as he opened the front door for her. “Great. I’ll see you there.”
She’d agreed to be his date, but she was so flustered at the moment. It wasn’t a yes, but it wasn’t a no. She needed time to think.
“Thank you for a nice evening.” To make sure he knew she meant it, she stood on her tiptoes and kissed him goodnight on the cheek. “I look forward to seeing you again.” Because she did. She just didn’t know in what capacity any more.
Outside, the night felt colder. She wrapped her arms around herself and headed for her Mini. Once inside, she sighed and checked her phone. There was a text from Felix.
Checked the house. Your boyfriend, Prince Charming, appears to be clean. Enjoy your fantasy.
23
A Dog’s Chance
The princess was supposed to run to the prince and his castle, not away from it. But that’s exactly what Addison was doing, speeding away in her Mini. No. Not away from Phillip, well, not permanently, anyway. Or maybe she was. She didn’t know what to think anymore.
Seeing Felix there threw her off, and it wasn’t just because three’s a crowd. She couldn’t deny it anymore. She had feelings for Felix. Strong ones, and that wasn’t just her hormones talking. They were real feelings that she’d been pushing away from the start. And why? Because he wasn’t the Prince Charming she’d always imagined she’d end up with?
Although Felix was certainly charming, he wasn’t rich, or well spoken, not ivy league, or poised, or fashionable like a Ralph Lauren poster boy. Not a knight in shining armor who came to her rescue from the start. He was a different kind of hero. One that battled the nine-to-five workweek, vanquished utility bills, and conquered the home-cooked meal.
Of course, when Felix had told Addison that he wouldn’t help her find the dognapper, it was because he had to look out for “number one.” At the time she thought he’d been referring to himself, but he was talking about Naia. He was afraid of losing his job, his ability to support Naia and take care of her. Addison couldn’t blame him for that. If anything, she admired him for it.
Addison gripped the steering wheel until it hurt. How wrong she’d had it. Right from the moment she met him. She’d pegged Felix as the court jester, but maybe he’d been the prince all along. Well, in his own way.
Each new thing she’d learned about him opened her eyes to a different man, so different from her usual fantasy. But this wasn’t a fantasy. This was reality, and Felix, as rough around the edges as he was, was a real man. One who hadn’t been looking to use her as a one-night stand at the bar. He was looking for “something more.”
But what did that
mean? Maybe he wanted a girlfriend, someone to share that “number one” status with Naia.
Addison paused at the next stop sign and considered what it would feel like to hold that title in his life, to share that crown. It would mean picnics in the park with Felix and Naia, nights spent watching Disney movies in pillow forts, eating bubble-gum ice cream, and more showers with Felix. Addison hadn’t noticed the smile spreading across her face until her cheeks began to hurt, but it wouldn’t go away.
She didn’t know yet if it was right for her. This could be life’s way of offering her what she really needed, something she’d been denying herself because she thought it impossible. She just had to stop being so obstinate and reach out and grab it.
Addison needed time to think. Her emotions were in turmoil, chaotic like an apocalypse movie. The dust in her mind had to settle before she could rebuild her thoughts.
However, those big decisions would have to wait. For now, there was work to do. She’d spent the night on what she thought would be a magical date with Phillip when she should have been helping Felix solve the mystery of the disappearing dogs.
Addison drove blindly through the rolling streets of San Francisco, considering what her next move should be. All signs led to more dogs being taken at the gala on Friday night. She knew Zoe had pulled out all the stops for security measures or no one would have even thought about attending her bash. But what if someone managed to crash the party and get to the rest of the show dogs?
If that was the culprit’s true motive, then they would have accomplished what they set out to do and Addison’s leads would go cold. Then their chance of catching the criminal would be gone, and Addison and Felix would forever be dog show pariahs.
Ever since their meeting with Felix’s friend Charlotte, something had been eating away at Addison. Okay, some of that she could now admit had been jealousy, but that wasn’t the only reason. Charlotte had been edgy when they’d questioned her. She’d been hiding something; Addison was sure of it. Felix was just too close to truly see.
Pulling into a 7-Eleven, Addison parked to check her trusty notebook. She still had Charlotte’s address from her previous research. She punched it into her phone and found it on the map. It was on the way home.
Beauty and the Wiener Page 24
