Running Mate

by Katie Ashley

  We dropped our hands, and thankfully Addison didn’t pull some smartass move like wiping her hands off on her pants like she was de-germing herself. With a deep breath, I stepped even closer to her than before. Even though the top of Addison’s chin hit at chin level on me, I somehow felt like I was looming over her.

  Slowly, I reached out to wrap my arms around Addison’s back. When I drew her against me, she remained limp like a rag doll with her arms pinned at her sides. “Come on, Addie. You gotta work with me here.”

  She scowled up at me. “Don’t call me Addie. Only my family calls me that.”

  “Newsflash, sweetcheeks, I’m your fiancé. Therefore, I am family.”

  Her huff of frustration fanned against my shirt. Reluctantly, she brought her arms up to encircle my neck. She took a quick, deep breath, as if to prepare herself.

  “It’s really not so bad, is it?”

  “Actually no, not really.”

  Although I hated myself for it, I kinda liked the way Addison felt pressed against me, the way her soft curves fit against the harder angles of my body. I especially enjoyed the way her soft tits pressed against my chest. I was sure if anyone could have seen us there, locked in an embrace, they would have thought we were a real a couple. I slid one of my hands down to the small of her back.

  “Okay, I think that’s good,” Addison murmured.

  “Yeah, it does feel good.”

  “No, I meant that’s good, like enough.”

  “Oh, yeah, right. Got it.” I jerked my arms away. “Guess the only thing left now is the kissing thing.”

  She chewed her bottom lip apprehensively. “Uh, I guess.”

  Jabbing a finger at Addison, I said, “Don’t act like you’re some condemned woman on death row. I’ll have you know that a large part of the female population actually likes kissing me, and an even greater portion would give their eyeteeth just to be in your shoes.”

  With a smirk, Addison replied, “You really are to be pitied for having such an inflated ego and delusional sense of self.”

  “Listen sweetheart, if anyone is to be pitied, it’s you and your inability to experience the pleasures of the physical side of life.” Reaching out, I grabbed her arm and yanked her to me. “But get ready, because you’re about to get one hell of a pleasurable experience!”

  When she opened her mouth to protest, I slammed my lips against hers. I momentarily braced myself for Addison to physically assault me for manhandling her the way I was. Instead, her reaction shocked the hell out of me. As her body melted into mine, the warmth of her tongue brushed against my lips. Opening my mouth, my tongue sought out hers.

  Holy.

  Fucking.

  Hell.

  It was meant to be the thrill of Addison’s life. It was meant to prove that we could do this if needed. It was meant to be like kissing a wall for me.

  It wasn’t meant to be a kiss that would completely reshape my opinion of the brunette in my arms.

  Fuck.

  ADDISON

  Holy. Shit.

  Barrett Callahan was one hell of a kisser. His lips had the combustive ability to melt your thong right off while simultaneously sending a rushing geyser between your legs—but it wasn’t just his lips. It was the feel of his hard, muscled body pressing against mine, and the way his fingers tangled through the strands of my hair, slightly tugging on the ends. I loved a good hair pulling from time to time. Most of the guys I knew took a little while to work up to it, but not Barrett.

  In the movies, this was when the girl would clasp the back of her hand to her forehead before swooning into a puddle on the floor. After my many manless months, I’d forgotten how incredible kissing could be, but this most definitely exceeded all expectation, not to mention blowing all my prior experiences out of the water.

  I didn’t know who exactly broke the kiss the first—we both seemed to just pop away from the other at the same time, like a suction cup coming unhinged. We both stood there, our bodies swaying slightly as we stared at each other. After blinking a few times, I brought my fingers to my swelling lips. “Um, I…”

  Yes, ladies and gentleman, one kiss from Barrett had stripped me of all coherent thought and the ability to form sentences.

  “Uh…yeah, well…” Barrett replied before clearing his throat several times. “I’m glad we took care of that.”

  “Me too.”

  “Everything in that department works fine.”

  “Yep.”

  Another awkward silence permeated the air around us. When Barrett finally spoke, I jumped. “I’m hungry,” he blurted out. He cocked his brows at me. “Are you hungry?”

  It took me a moment after the abrupt subject change to get my wits about me to respond. “Yeah.” Considering it was almost seven, it had been a long time since my lunch in the Jefferson’s restaurant. Even then, my stomach had been tied in such anxious knots that I’d ended up mostly pushing my salad around rather than eating it.

  “Let’s go grab some dinner.”

  “Can we do that?”

  Barrett laughed. “I don’t think they intend for us to starve during this hokey get-to-know you bullshit.”

  “I just assumed they meant for us to eat here in the hotel restaurant. You know, on the premises.”

  “It’s not like they put ankle monitors on us.”

  I rolled my eyes. “Yes, I’m aware of that.”

  Cocking his head at me, Barrett said, “I wouldn’t have taken you for someone afraid to break the rules.”

  “I’m not.”

  “Then let’s get the hell out of here and get something to eat.”

  “Fine.” I glanced down at my yoga pants and Duke sweatshirt. “I would need to change.”

  “I say we go somewhere low-key without a dress code. I’m not a big fan of highbrow shit.”

  “You’re not?”

  With a smirk, Barrett replied, “Surprising, isn’t it?”

  “A little. I guess I just imagined you sitting around eating caviar and drinking Cristal.”

  “Caviar is fucking disgusting, and while Cristal is good, I’m not a big champagne fan. Makes me burp.”

  I snorted. “Yeah, me too—on the champagne. I’ve never had caviar before.”

  “Trust me, you’re not missing anything. It doesn’t taste good, and it makes this gross popping noise in your mouth.”

  “Ew.”

  “There’s a great Italian place on the corner. Do you like Italian food?”

  “Adore it.”

  Barrett grinned. “I’ll be damned, we just agreed on two things.”

  “Cue the halleluiah chorus, it must be a miracle,” I quipped.

  After shooting off a quick text and grabbing the room key, Barrett jerked his thumb at the door. “We better hurry before the moment passes.” A mischievous glint burned in his eyes. “Race you to the elevator?”

  “You’re on.”

  With a squeal, I pushed past him and threw open the door. Just as I was about to dart out into the hallway, I slammed into a wall of flesh. “Oof.”

  Removing my face from the man’s rock-hard chest, I gazed up into a gorgeous face. “Oh my,” I murmured. As I continued staring at him, my nipples had the audacity to harden. I knew the reason for my extreme horniness came from Barrett getting my motor running moments earlier—the guy could have been Shrek and I still would have wanted to climb him.

  “I’m sorry about that. Are you okay?” a heavy British accent questioned.

  “I, uh, yeah, I-I’m fine,” I stammered.

  Barrett snickered behind you. “I think she’s more shell-shocked from the way you look than because of the fact that she smacked into you, Ty.”

  Embarrassment singed my cheeks at Barrett’s words. “That’s not it at all,” I argued feebly.

  Barrett stepped out into the hallway. “Addison, this is Ty Frasier. He’s my bodyguard.”

  Refusing to look at Ty, I held my hand out to shake his. “Nice to meet you.”

  �
��It’s nice meeting you, too, Miss Monroe. Now that you and Barrett are together, I won’t just be his bodyguard, I’ll be yours as well.”

  Oh man, that accent. It wasn’t fair to women anywhere that someone so good-looking should also have a sexy accent. Add in the fact that he was there to protect me, and holy freakin’ swoon. With both Ty and Barrett around, I thought I should probably check with Everett to see if he could order me some Shamwow-strength panties to wear.

  “Ty tends to take his job a little too seriously,” Barrett remarked.

  “Oh?” I questioned as I glanced between the two of them.

  Barrett nodded. “He likes to stick to me like a wet shirt.”

  I licked my lips at the thought of Ty in a wet shirt—the way it would stretch across what I imagined was a perfect six-pack. I wondered if he was one of those guys who had the perma-hard nipples. There was something about a man with diamond hard nipples that made me weak-kneed and wet-thonged. Earlier, when I had been rubbing myself against Barrett’s chest, I had begun to feel his nipples. We won’t even begin to comment on what state mine had been in.

  Get a grip, Addison, and not on Barrett or Ty’s cock. You’re acting like some vapid sorority girl whose only major goal in life is pinging from one hot guy to another.

  I cleared my suddenly dry throat. “It’s nice that he takes such good care of you.”

  “You have my word that I’ll take just as good care of you.”

  Trying to ignore the blatant innuendo racing through my mind, I plastered a smile on my face. “I appreciate that very much.”

  Ty’s gaze zeroed in on Barrett. “Are you two going somewhere?”

  “Just down the street for some Italian.”

  “Okay, I’ll come along.”

  Barrett rolled his eyes. “Ty, I think the greatest danger awaiting me at Russo’s is gluttony or heartburn.”

  “I’m still coming,” Ty insisted.

  “Fine. Have it your way. I’m not paying for your pizza or beer though,” Barrett replied with a grin.

  Ty laughed. “We’ll see about that.”

  The three of us headed down the hallway and then onto the elevator. It was probably the first time in my life I’d ever been alone in an elevator with two so impossibly good-looking men. I was pretty sure the scenario qualified for some porn fantasy.

  When the doors opened on the ground floor, Ty hopped off first, I supposed to shield us from any nut-jobs. Barrett and I trailed behind him through the hotel lobby and I started for the revolving doors, but Ty stopped me. “Go through the regular door.”

  “Let me guess—like Barrett, your favorite movie is The Godfather?”

  Ty’s brows scrunched in confusion. “No. Why?”

  “Oh, I just thought you didn’t want me to go through the revolving doors because of that part where the guy gets trapped and shot.”

  Ty held open the door for me. “While it has nothing to do with a movie, you’re right that it is a safety precaution.”

  “Ah, I see.”

  Once we got outside, Barrett took my hand in his. “Do we really have to do this now?” I asked.

  “Take it from me and my vast experience, you never know when and where a lens will be. What better way to sell our relationship than if the first picture taken of us has us holding hands?”

  I sighed. “Good point.”

  With Ty walking a discreet few steps behind us, we made our way across the crosswalk. Glancing over my shoulder at him, I observed how Ty’s gaze swept back and forth like he was always on alert for someone to come tackle Barrett. It was both bizarre and comforting.

  “Have you always had a bodyguard?” I asked.

  “Not one personally, but my family has always had one, mainly when we went on vacations. When I started becoming well-known outside of my family, I would occasionally bring someone out with me when I was partying, but I didn’t warrant anyone full-time until Dad announced his candidacy.”

  “And since you’re always surrounded by attractive people, you had to go and hire Thor?”

  Barrett laughed. “Ty’s looks had nothing to do with it.”

  “Mmmhmm.”

  “For your information, we’ve been friends since prep school. After he was wounded and discharged from the army, he started working in security.” Holding the door to Russo’s open, Barrett questioned, “Besides, if I was truly that superficial, wouldn’t I have hired someone unattractive who wouldn’t take any women away from me?”

  “You do have a point.”

  As I started to the counter to order, Barrett grinned at Ty. “She thinks you look like Thor.”

  While I threw a death glare at Barrett, Ty had the decency not to gloat. “Thank you, Miss Monroe. I’ve gotten the Hemsworth comparison a few times before. It’s always nice to hear.”

  “Uh, well, you’re welcome,” I mumbled before focusing on the menu above me.

  When Ty leaned forward, I fought the urge to back away—though I feared if I didn’t, I might throw my arms around him. Why must he smell so good too? “Just ignore Barrett. He hasn’t quite achieved emotional maturity yet.”

  A laugh erupted from my lips. “I’ll keep that in mind.

  Barrett scowled at Ty, but he didn’t argue. Instead, he motioned for me to give the cashier my order. The growling of my stomach outweighed my rational mind, and I ended up ordering a Caesar salad, lasagna, and a chocolate chip cannoli.

  Part of me expected Barrett to make some asinine remark about me not watching my figure. After all, he usually dated willowy girls, ones my petty side would have called stick-figures-with-no-souls, but he didn’t even blink an eye.

  After our order was ready, we took it over to a somewhat secluded booth in the corner, and I couldn’t hide my surprise when Ty bypassed us for a table next to the door. “Does he always do that when you’re out with women?”

  Barrett nodded as he sat down. “He’s being paid to protect me, not throw a cold one back.”

  “I know. It just seems odd considering you’re friends.”

  With a shrug, Barrett replied, “It’s just the way we do things.” After taking a bite of pizza, an amused look twinkled in his eyes. “You sure are concerned about Ty. Am I going to have to worry about you hitting on him behind my back?”

  “Of course not! Why would you even suggest that?”

  “Cause I can tell you’re hot for him.”

  With a roll of my eyes, I began cutting up my salad a little more forcefully than necessary. “Just because I think he is an attractive man, that doesn’t mean I want to screw his brains out.” Okay, so maybe that was a tiny white lie. “Besides, not only am I a woman of my word, I just signed a binding contract to be your tried and true fiancée.”

  “I believe you. More than that, I know Ty, and you aren’t his type.”

  My eyes bulged. “Excuse me?”

  “Easy there. There’s no need to get your panties in a twist because you think I’m insulting you physically, because I’m not.”

  “Do enlighten me then.”

  “Ty’s a protector. It’s why he entered the military and why he went into security. He isn’t drawn to strong, independent women like you. He wants to find someone he can save.”

  “That’s very commendable of him.”

  “He’s a good guy.”

  “And very profound of you to be able to see.”

  Barrett grinned at me over his beer mug. “I can be very deep.”

  “Don’t ruin the moment.”

  “Okay. Fine. Tell me something.”

  “As long as it isn’t sexual.”

  Barrett snickered. “Not this time.” After swiping his mouth with a napkin, he asked, “How exactly does someone who has been raised in the jungles decide to become a political science major?

  “I wasn’t raised in the jungles, as you say. Sure, I spent my summers in foreign countries, but the rest of the year was here in the States. And we weren’t always out in the jungle.”

  “I stand corre
cted, but still, it certainly had to shape who you were and what you wanted to do.”

  I nodded. “We saw a lot a poverty both here and in other countries. I wanted to find a way to help them. Since I get nauseous at the sight of blood, I knew I couldn’t be a doctor or a nurse. Then, freshman year, there was a political rally on campus for one of the candidates running for governor. Standing there watching all the people, I knew I’d found a way to help people. I could put my support behind the politicians who would help them.”

  “You haven’t ever gotten disillusioned?”

  I shrugged. “Sometimes. In the end, I just try to focus on the good that has been done, rather than what hasn’t.”

  “And that’s how you ended up as the volunteer coordinator for my dad’s campaign?”

  “Actually, that happened because I desperately needed a job.”

  With a frown, Barrett said, “That’s it?”

  “Well, it’s a long and somewhat seedy story that led me to your dad’s campaign.”

  His blue eyes lit up. “I’ve got all night.”

  I laughed. “Only because you like the idea of something sordid.”

  “You already know me so well.”

  After drawing in a deep breath, I unburdened myself of the story of Walt and his father. When I finished, Barrett slowly shook his head. “What a douchebag, or I guess I should say douchebags.”

  “That’s interesting coming from you.”

  “Hey, I’ll have you know I’ve never cheated on a woman,” he protested.

  “Is that out of moral responsibility or the fact that you never date one long enough to cheat?”

  “Touché,” Barrett murmured with a smile.

  I pushed my half-empty lasagna plate aside and moved my cannoli in front of me. “That looks good,” Barrett remarked.

  “Yeah, it does,” I murmured before taking a bite. At his continued covetous stare at the dessert, I laughed. “Would you like some?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Yeah? That the kind of manners your prep school taught you?” I teasingly asked.

  Barrett glowered at me. “Please?”

  “Much better.” After cutting off another bite, I brought my fork across the table to Barrett’s waiting mouth.