Addicted to You

by Belinda Boring

  The gasp.

  The pop that I imagined would happen once my spoon broke through her skin became all I could focus on.

  That and the sense of satisfaction.

  Instead, I took a large piece of the cake and crammed it in my face.

  I was a lover, not a fighter.

  I would just ignore my wayward thoughts. Perhaps they weren’t even mine, and I’d somehow locked onto someone else’s emotions, which was terrifying. Who was here that would delight in stabbing someone?

  I glanced around nervously, hoping that I’d get some kind of revelation that I wasn’t going crazy.

  Just crazy in love.

  “You’re quiet,” Micah murmured softly, leaning forward to grab my hand. The mere touch of his fingers sent chills trickling through me. He traced a circle with his thumb, shooting fire down to my toes, all while staring at me, watching for even the smallest of hints.

  “I’m just enjoying my dessert,” I answered with a smile that I hoped resembled something seductive. “Unless . . .” I was about to be the boldest I’d ever been and pushed away my plate. “You’d rather just go back to my place now and cut to the chase.”

  He took it in stride. “I’ve never seen you not finish something sweet.”

  I locked gazes with him and stretched my foot out underneath the table. I traced the tip of my shoe up his leg until I reached his knee. “There’s a first time for everything, right?”

  My comment must’ve confused him, because I didn’t get the smile I was hoping for. “Are you sure you’re feeling fine? You haven’t pushed yourself too much with coming out tonight and planning for the book swap?” He studied me until I squirmed in my seat.

  “I’ve never felt more alive in my life.” It was the truth. Sure, I’d just collapsed a few hours ago, but I didn’t want to focus on the things I couldn’t control. There was no doubt I could conquer the world if I simply set my mind to it, and right now, I was all about conquering the man in front of me.

  Hell, forget what I wanted. I needed to wrap myself up in him and forget the outside world existed.

  Scooping up a dollop of the icing, I savored the taste that flooded my mouth. “Maybe we should get the waitress to box up the entire cake, so we can take it home.”

  Micah waved to the nearest staff member and made our request. Moments later, the box was at our table, and the check was being paid. He had understood my meaning. I was done with being out and about. I wanted to be home.

  Immediately.

  The air’s chill felt like heaven against my heated skin. It was a beautiful star-filled night in Havenwood Falls, and I craned my neck back to stare up at the sky. Everything was perfect.

  “Let’s get you home,” Micah whispered in my ear after kissing it. He threaded his fingers through mine, and our hands swung between us.

  Chocolate and sex. I wondered if Callie had seen that in my future way back at the fair when she’d read my cards.

  “You’re still quiet.” Damn, the man was perceptive. “You’d tell me if anything was wrong, right?” He squeezed my hand. I loved how affectionate Micah could be. Right now, it was driving me insane, because we were still quite a walk from my apartment.

  As we passed by the town square, I caught a glimpse of my store. So much had happened in such a short period of time. Taking over the store had made sense back then. It was somewhere safe that I could be free to be myself. I was able to surround myself with the words I loved. I could hide away when reality became too tough and retreat into books.

  For a moment there, I’d worried that the incident with Austin had tainted my little niche here in town. I’d been terrified that I wouldn’t be able to look past the trauma and reclaim my power. I didn’t want to be a victim all my life, and I sure as hell didn’t want everyone else viewing me like that either.

  Through it all, I’d managed to find a confidence that lit me up from the inside. It was finally my turn to live happily ever after. Tonight was just more evidence that my life truly was magical.

  “I promise you I’m fine,” I answered, plastering the happiest smile on my face that I could. “In fact, I’m more than fine.” A hint of a breeze danced with the hair at the back of my neck. It sent a tickling sensation down through me until it stopped in the pit of my stomach. Then it burst into molten desire.

  I tugged on his hand, making him stop. An urgency had taken over as lust drummed a steady beat within my veins. All I could think about was Micah with his mouth all over me, and my mouth—my lips—all over his skin.

  “Desperate times call for desperate measures,” I mumbled, taking a quick scan of the square for any other pedestrians. It was a quiet night in town. Thankfully, most people were at home, relaxing after a hard day at work. This might work, and I’d be able to cross something off my newly formed bucket list.

  Micah stared at me, wearing a quizzical expression. “You’re starting to worry me, Sedona.”

  I placed my finger over his mouth and shushed him. “Trust me. I just had a wicked idea.” I slowly started leading him across the street to one of the alleyways that cut between streets. People usually kept to the more well-lit areas in town, and for the most part, the alleyway was reserved for deliveries and dumpsters.

  And in this case, a quick pitstop because with each step I took, I felt like I would combust. Something was stirring inside me, and it made me want to scream.

  To his credit, Micah didn’t argue, and seemed willing to see what crazy plan I was plotting. When we were deep enough in the dimly lit corridor, I whipped about and pushed him hard. I kept pushing him until he backed up against the wall—eyes wide, expectant.

  “Sedona.” My name on his lips felt like a prayer. He was the only one who’d ever been able to make me react this way from simply speaking my name. It made what I was about to do all the more urgent and necessary.

  I took a few steps toward him. “I can’t get enough of you, Micah.”

  His gaze dropped to where I’d placed my hand over his chest.

  “There’s been something I’ve wanted to do all evening.”

  He nodded slightly and licked his lips. I wet mine, too.

  “Sedona, I don’t think this is the right place for that.” He stopped looking at me and peered back to the opening we’d just come from. “Someone might walk past . . . see us. What if the police get a report?”

  Sheriff Kasun was a wolf shifter, as were some of his officers. They’d definitely be able to smell the sex in the air.

  I didn’t care.

  “Let them watch.”

  I waved my hand through the air and uttered a small spell. It was a basic cloaking shield to keep us hidden from prying eyes. It was enough to appease Micah’s caution. What I didn’t disclose was it didn’t prevent those with preternatural senses from knowing something sexual was going on. They could hear.

  I silenced Micah with my mouth, my tongue tracing the seam of his lips. Any questions he might have had evaporated into thin air as he snaked his arm around me, anchoring my body to his. The kiss was hot and intense, his fingers digging into my hip. The pain sizzled through my head, and I welcomed it with an outpouring of desire. Every second pushed me closer and closer to losing my mind.

  Sex.

  It had never been this exciting. It was as though I’d never experienced it before Micah. Perhaps it was his angelic nature, or the fact that I could finally just let go and embrace the moment.

  I ground myself against him, feeling him harden beneath my hand as I slid it between us. I couldn’t stop myself as I unzipped his pants and freed his erection. The sight of him standing there with his pants to his knees, a hunger blazing from his face, made the risk worth it.

  “I came prepared.” Lifting the hem of my dress, I revealed a surprise I’d been dying to reveal.

  Micah whistled low and long.

  I wasn’t wearing any panties.

  “Sedona.” There was so much longing in that one word. “Are you . . .”

  I did
n’t let him finish. With our lips locked and my arms around his neck, I wrapped my legs around his waist. Micah then turned me about so my back was against the cold brick wall.

  “Please,” I asked.

  He answered with a grunt as he slid into me.

  We were a perfect fit.

  “Don’t hold back,” I gasped, needing him to throw his protective nature to the side. I wanted to chase this sensation and see where it could take us. Feeling his thickness inside me, I needed him to move. “Now’s not the time for gentleness.”

  I gripped him tightly and rocked forward. Micah’s eyes widened, and when I repeated the motion, I witnessed the exact moment he threw caution to the wind as well.

  He was magnificent.

  As we found the rhythm, the air stilled around us and our muffled cries grew louder. It became easier to forget where we were. The harder and faster he pounded into my body, the more fevered I felt. I relished the soft noise from our bodies hitting each other. It was the most beautiful sound I’d ever heard.

  It soon became too much. Titling my head back, I gave in to the magic he was weaving, and held on for dear life. This was transformational. It was epic. It was being etched so deeply into my psyche that I would never forget even the smallest details.

  The slickness of his body and mine.

  The feel of the bricks against my exposed butt.

  The way he leaned into me like I was his salvation.

  The way I clung to him like I was drowning.

  If this was what addiction felt like—that incessant need and hunger for the one thing that left you feeling alive—then I was addicted to Micah Westbrook.

  “Hold on,” he warned, before finding some source of energy that had him thrusting harder than before. It was intoxicating. It was exhilarating. It was surreal.

  I shattered so hard that there was no catching my breath. I couldn’t speak if my life depended on it. All I could do was rest my head forward, completely sheltered by Micah’s body. I prayed to God that I wouldn’t have to move and place my feet on solid ground again. I didn’t want this to end.

  “Wow.”

  It took me a good five minutes to muster the strength to utter it.

  “I agree,” Micah countered. I loved the wonder that filled his voice. “We can’t stay here forever, though. Not like this, at least.”

  As if to prove his point, a moving shadow caught my eye from my peripheral vision. There was someone paused at the alleyway entrance. “We’ll wait for them to leave.”

  Micah cussed beneath his breath. “You’re going to be the death of me,” he countered. He slowly lowered me to the ground, careful to make sure I had my balance.

  The shadow moved, and whoever it was disappeared from view.

  I straightened my dress. “Tell me you don’t think this was worth it.” I loved teasing him, which was strange, because never in a million years did I think this would be me—completely sexed up in the side street.

  Micah grabbed my face and cradled it between his hands. “You will always be worth it.” He feathered one more kiss against my lips. “Let me get you home.”

  Adrenaline coursed through me as we snuck out of the alleyway and continued on our way back to the apartment. The second the door was locked behind us, my dress dropped to the ground. It felt empowering to be naked and carefree.

  Micah pulled his shirt off, his eyes never once straying.

  He was close enough to catch me when another familiar wave crashed through me.

  Pain.

  And with that came a scream.

  Chapter 9

  The day had arrived.

  Micah and Callie had both tried to tag team me—both equally adamant that no one would be upset if I moved the book swap event back a week. I’d been watched like a hawk after waking up in my apartment, tucked into bed. I’d found a worried boyfriend sitting on a chair he’d dragged in from the kitchen so he could monitor me. When I argued that he could’ve easily supported me lying beside me under the covers, he’d kindly refuted that it wasn’t the time for jokes.

  I’d been completely serious. While I had no clue what had taken over my body, I did know how good I would feel with his pressing against mine. He had exactly the right cure for what ailed me. He didn’t agree with that, either.

  I refused to let their worry sour my excitement. I’d always wanted to do something like this as a way to get the community reading and visiting Shelf Indulgence. In a day and age where books often had to compete with video games, favorite TV show binging, and movie franchises, I needed every advantage I could take.

  The imagination was a gift not to be squandered.

  As I took care of the last minute details and made sure I had a wide variety of books to choose from, an idea surfaced that actually made me laugh out loud. It would remain a secret that only I knew about, and it would be my gift to the town I loved.

  Now the day had arrived, and I was bursting with eagerness. They’d be talking about this small event for years to come. Even the library had offered to donate some of their outdated stock—pairing together with my store to make it a grander affair.

  “Sit down for a moment,” Micah urged, pushing a glass of water toward me. He was all about keeping me hydrated the past few days. I think that’s where we’d kind of landed in diagnosing the pain I’d experienced. While there had been flickers of nausea and dizziness off and on, I’d kept those moments to myself.

  It had passed.

  Today was a new day, one that I hoped ended with Micah finally seeing that there was no danger, so I could seduce him back into my bed again.

  Now that I’d had a taste, I was insatiable.

  I tipped the glass backward and drained it. I was tempted to open my mouth and stick out my tongue to prove I’d swallowed it all. There was a layer of annoyance that I couldn’t quite shake—I didn’t like the attention and people wanting to take care of me.

  “Satisfied?” I cocked my brow at him and then returned my focus to the checklist I’d created. Everything was in place. All that was left was officially starting the event. “I gotta go and welcome everyone.”

  People had started forming groups outside in the town square while they waited. It had warmed my heart to see them holding books, and some had even brought bags filled with them. It was with that confidence that I quickly pecked Micah’s cheek and headed toward the door.

  My lips were still tingling, my stomach fluttering with nerves.

  “Wait, one more for good luck!” Whipping around, I grabbed Micah’s face and kissed him hotly. My tongue didn’t wait for him to part his lips. It dipped inside, and I moaned, squirming against him. “Okay, maybe two.”

  My fingers threaded through his hair, curling so I could tug a little. My god, the sensations that coursed through me were intoxicating.

  “I’m addicted to you,” I murmured against his mouth. “I can’t get enough. Is it always like this?” The last part was more for me than him. I didn’t really want to hear that he’d had sex like this with someone else. There was a good chance I wouldn’t survive the intense jealousy that would follow.

  He leaned down until our foreheads touched. His voice was filled with . . . reverence. “I don’t think so, Sedona. I think this is just for us.”

  For us.

  Those two words sent my stomach tumbling again, my need to kiss him returning.

  A sharp rap at the window broke the moment.

  Holly was peering inside, her hands cupped to block out any interfering glare. She pointed to her watch and motioned that it was time.

  “Raincheck?” I whispered, grabbing hold of his belt loop.

  “Raincheck.” He kissed my brow and threw his arms around me for one more hug. “Until then, behave yourself.” Micah slapped my butt and led the way to the store’s entrance. “And have fun.”

  “Oh, I plan on it.” My gaze shot over to the books I’d wrapped in brown paper and displayed on a large wire shelf.

  Then, stepping outside
, I welcomed the crowd to Shelf Indulgence.

  “Umm, Sedona?” Holly looked like she was terrified as she inched toward me. One of the brown covered books was in her hand, and it looked like it had been hastily rewrapped.

  So it begins, I mused. I was surprised it had taken over an hour before someone had brought it to my attention. I wasn’t ignorant to the different emotions that swirled about Havenwood Falls. The town had its fair share of scandals and risqué behavior. I also knew that there were some who were a lot more frigid in their views. It was to this group that I’d wanted to cater.

  Kind of my way of welcoming them to a world where vanilla was only one flavor in the midst of many.

  “What’s going on?” I asked, thanking the customer I’d been serving and handing her the bag. We’d had a steady stream of people perusing in and out of the store, and I was ready to call the day a success. My gaze dropped to the package in her hand. “Something wrong?”

  “I’ll say there’s a problem.” The screeching voice belonged to Irene Beckett, which was interesting. I’d expected a reaction from one of her cohorts, not her. Irene had always come across as a lady with a colorful past. I’d imagined her huffing and puffing at first, only to drop the book back in her bag before heading home for a night of guilty pleasure reading.

  “You didn’t find what you wanted?” I looked around them to see if there was anyone else needing my attention. Micah caught my gaze from across the room and mouthed, you okay? I waved him off. This wasn’t something to worry about.

  “What is your excuse for tricking good, upstanding, virtuous members of the community into purchasing such . . .” She sneered at the paper-covered book still in Holly’s hands. “Smut.” To prove her point, she snatched it out from the young teen’s grasp, and held up the cover for all to see. “I heard all about what happens in this story. I’m shocked that you would offer it, Sedona Mathews.”