Anchor Line (14 page)

 
            Stretching over to her bedside table for her phone, she felt the pull of her muscles in her abdomen and her legs. Then she felt the wetness between her legs. Falling in place on her face with her arm still stretched out toward her phone, the realization hit her and then the images of her and Conrad last night. Not once, not twice, but three times, he’d given her orgasms. And he made her scream his name. Thank God she was on the end of the building and that there was a storm.

 
            No, this was not happening. She’d been touched by the same guy who had a date at Messosotto tonight. She wasn’t going to let this rule her. She’d wanted him. She wasn’t going to deny him. Now, at least she knew what the hype was all about. And if he was like that all the time, who wouldn’t want to have sex with him. This didn’t affect her. She wasn’t into all that Dom/sub stuff anyhow. She’d done it for Charles a few times, but she had the feeling it wasn’t what went on at Messosotto. Once. Just one time. That was it. He didn’t do relationships that was clear. His staying in her bed wasn’t going to happen again.

 
            Deciding that she really needed to get up before her parents got there with the movers, she’d sort this out later. So she stretched out a bit further and grabbed her phone, swiping the screen to see what time it was. Six forty-three. Breathing a sigh of relief, she put her phone down and rolled over on her back looking for the energy that she was going to need to get up and get a shower and get coffee. She should at least do that before her parents got there. At least she wouldn’t have to explain Conrad to them.

 
            “Ah. You’re up.”

 
            Oh hell. He was still here. She’d have to rethink that last part.

 
            “Up is a relative term at this point.” Addie commented, pulling the comforter up over her breasts.

 
            “Well, I got breakfast. Coffee and bagels.” Conrad walked around to Addie’s side of the bed and waived a paper cup of coffee above her.

 
            “You are God among men.” She sat up, careful to keep herself covered with the comforter.

 
            “So I’ve heard.” He chuckled.

 
           "Don't let it go to your head."

 
           “What time is everyone supposed to be here?” Conrad ignored her jab.

 
           Taking a sip first, she looked at him and tilted her head. “Eight. Why?”

 
            “You better get up and get a shower.” Conrad said, taking her cup of coffee back and going into the bathroom.

 
            Addie heard the water turn on, and watched in stunned silence as Conrad walked back out of the bathroom and then down the hall. He was wearing a Steelers t-shirt and tan cargo pants. What the hell? He’d already changed, left and came back. Looking at her phone again, it was now seven oh-one. Shit! She threw back the comforter and ran into the bathroom slamming the door. The heat from the water was steaming up the small bathroom. Sweeping the shower curtain to the side, she noticed a fluffy black towel on the towel rack. She didn’t own black towels.

             
Conrad.

 
            Smiling, she got in the shower and washed quickly enjoying the short hot shower. Cranking the water off, she grabbed the towel and wrapped it around her. It was a huge bath towel. She sighed in content and started to dry off. Stepping out of the shower and toweling her hair dry, she pulled it back into a bun to keep it out of her way. Opening the door, she noticed jeans and a t-shirt on her bed with the bra she’d worn yesterday next to it. The sleeping bag and the comforter were missing from the bed. Sliding her bra on, she slid her t-shirt on over her head and put on her jeans when she spied a pair of Steelers socks on top of her black Dr Marten’s boots.

 
            Finished dressing, she folded the towel and walked down the hall to get her coffee that Conrad had taken away after her one sip. Walking in the kitchen, she saw Conrad had put her bagel on a napkin and had taken out condiments of cream cheese, jelly and butter on the counter next to it with a plastic butter knife. And her coffee. But no sign of Conrad. Quickly spreading cream cheese on her bagel, she took a bite to stave off her hunger and took a long sip of her coffee when the front door opened and male laughter followed.

 
            “I made sure she got her coffee Sergeant Major. She shouldn’t be too grumpy.” Conrad chuckled.

 
           "Takes after her father that one does." Addie's father laughed.

 
               “But she’s so mild tempered.”  Conrad joked.

 
           Deep belly laughter came after that comment and soon after, Addie’s father was standing in the doorway to her small kitchen. He was wearing his usual out of uniform attire; a pair of khaki pants, Polo shirt and his casual loafers. A six foot tall man of comfort.

 
           “There she is.” Samuel Marshall said as he took his daughter into his arms. “Are you ready?”

 
           “Yes sir.” She mumbled in his shirt.

 
           “Mama got called this morning to help at a luncheon, so she said she’d stop by and see the apartment later this evening.” Samuel eyed the coffee and bagel on the counter and smiled. “I see that Renner has you taken care of.”

 
           In more ways than one. Addie blushed. “Yes, he does.”

 
           “You finish eating. I’m going to see if the movers are here yet.” He smiled down at his daughter and walked out of the apartment.

 
           Conrad stepped into the kitchen then, with a smirk on his face.

 
           “What?” Addie asked.

 
           “Nothing.” Conrad smiled and shrugged his shoulders.

 
           “How is it that my father knows you, that he didn’t give you the third degree for being here?”

 
           “Oh…you noticed that.” His smile turned sly now. “He was my PSG when I was a young buck sergeant. I also served under him when he was my First Sergeant.” His smile was positively gleaming now. “We deployed together. He likes me.”

 
           “Great.” Addie mumbled popping another piece of her bagel in her mouth before she said anything she’d regret.

 
           “Oh, hey, I couldn’t find any of your underwear in the boxes you packed. So…”

 
           “I don’t wear underwear.” She answered.

 
           Conrad’s eyes got huge, his eyebrows almost hitting his hairline. “You don’t? I thought that was just a sleeping thing.”

 
           “Only time I wear those damn things is when it’s that time of the month.” She rolled up her napkin from her now finished bagel and took her coffee cup and slid past a stunned Conrad.

 
           Samuel Marshall had the three workers eating out of the palm of his hand. They were quick and efficient. It also helped that everything was in boxes too. The only thing Addie had to do was sit back and watch. Bored, after an hour, she decided that she was going to go to her new apartment and open the door and turn on the air conditioning, but her car was blocked. Again, her father saved the day. Saying that Conrad could take her, she just needed to leave her key to this apartment here. Samuell could take care of locking up the apartment while she and Conrad took care of everything forward, as he was so fond of saying. The movers knew which apartment complex to go to, so he’d follow them there.

 
           Defeated, Addie huffed a disgusted sigh and grabbed her purse. The last thing that she needed was more time with Conrad and his sexual prowess. She gave her dad her keys after she’d taken the new apartment key off the chain and kissed her dad on the cheek. Following Conrad out to his truck, she thought now…now he’d open the door for her while her father was here. Nope. He got in and pushed the door open for her, which just made her mood even shittier. Mumbling to herself, she jumped in the truck and watched as Conrad backed from the space and made his way to her new apartment.

 
           Neither said anything on the way there until they’d pulled into the complex and he asked Addie which way. She’d directed him to the right and all the way to the newest building on the back side to her building. He parked to leave room for the moving truck to pull up into the spaces in front of the stairs. They got out and Conrad had to stop himself to let Addie lead him to her apartment. Pushing open the burgundy door, Addie swept an arm in front of her directing Conrad in first.

 
           “Give me the tour.” He said as he made his way into the wide hallway.

 
           Addie stepped in and closed the front door. Arms spread wide she shrugged, “Hallway.” Then opened a door a few feet from them and opened it to reveal a closet. Closing that door, and walked into a huge living room that faced Conrad’s building not fifty yards from hers. The dining room was large as well, and the kitchen was open to the rest of the room with a granite bar top. He walked toward the kitchen and flicked the light on and took in the new white cabinets and stainless steel appliances. Further back was what he assumed was the laundry room. Yep. Between the kitchen and living room was another short hallway that showed three doors.

 
           She opened the first door on the right and showed him the smaller of the two bedrooms. The next was a pretty average bathroom. The door at the end of the hallway was the large master bedroom. Addie pushed open another door that revealed a large on-suite bathroom with a large jacuzzi tub with a separate glass enclosed shower. She waited until he looked around and turned back toward her nodding.

 
           “I like it.” He said walking past her. “It suits you. It’s on the end too which is nice. Do you have neighbors yet?”

 
           What an odd question. “Not many. The pool is on the other side. So, only on the first and third floor.”  She answered as she made her way out of the bedroom and out to the kitchen and dug her phone out of her purse hoping that her dad would phone and say he was on the way.

 
           Conrad slid his hands to her hips and leaned down so that he whispered in her ear. “Want to make sure they can’t hear you?”

 
           Addie froze. The front of his body was pressed up against the back of hers.  

 
           “Not particularly, no.” She was surprised that she didn’t stutter through it as turned on as she was. “My dad and the movers will be here soon.

 
           Conrad chuckled as he kissed the top of her head and took her hand and walked to the patio. He opened the french doors and looked out across to his building. He was able to look straight into his apartment. He didn’t want to tell her yet. He would wait until she was sitting out on her patio one day, and then he’d go out on his and waive to her, then gauge her reaction. In the meantime, he had this weekend and had already decided to blow Susan off at the Messo. They’d done a few scenes before. She could wait. His priority was Addie. He wanted to get to know her more. Besides, if the way she was last night was how they’d have sex every time, he’d be marking time in her bed and less at the Messo anyway.

             
“You have an outside storage room.” He noticed, still not letting go of her hand, but noting at the same time that she wasn’t pulling away from him.

 
           Addie’s ringing phone made her let go of Conrad’s hand and run back inside to answer it.

 
           “Ciao Papa…ce.” Hanging up, she made her way back to Conrad on the patio. “They are on their way.”

 
           Conrad nodded his head.

 
           “Listen…um. I know that you have plans for this evening. You don’t have to stay here. My dad will help me hang anything heavy.” Addie found herself wringing her hands as she stood in the doorway of the patio. “So, if you want to go…”

 
           Conrad had turned around to watch her when she answered her phone. And now as he heard her stammer through a half assed explanation to get him to leave, he was getting mad because he really wanted to spend time with her and not with Susan. What the fuck was it with this girl? He couldn’t figure it out. Yet.

 
           “I wasn’t planning on doing anything else but helping you.” Conrad walked closer so that he stood in front of her now.

 
           Addie’s mouth opened and closed not sure what to say. “If you’d like to stay, I’d appreciate the help.” She smiled up at him.

 
           Conrad’s only response was to grab her by the hips and pull her close, then lean down in her face and look into her eyes.

 
            Please kiss me, please kiss me, please kiss me. That was the only thing running through Addie’s brain as Conrad’s hazel eyes took in hers. He was so close, she could feel his breath on her face.