Under His Skin (10 page)

“I just think you’ve met some crappy guys, not all men cheat.”

“I just haven’t found him yet.” She looked up and realized what she said.  “Oh my goodness, I’m so sorry.  I’ve just brought this evening down haven’t I?  I didn’t mean to.”

“Gorgeous, you didn’t bring anything down.  I asked a question and you answered it.   That’s all.  Plus their loss is hopefully my gain.”  That brought her smile back.

“Are you really this great or are you just pretending?”

“You think I’m great now, baby you haven’t seen anything yet.”  That made her laugh. 

She looked so amazing when she laughed.  I don’t know how I didn’t reach across the table and kiss her.  I wanted to take her out to my car, sit her in the back seat and bury my head up her dress.  I hardened at the thought and slid further under the table.  I asked her more about her daughter to help lighten the mood again.  She loved talking about her daughter.  She had the same look on her face talking about Chandi that mom got when she was talking about me. 
It must be a mom thing,
I thought.

Time had flown by, I glanced at my watch and it reads, “7:15.”

“What time did you say your daughter would get home?”

“He’s dropping her off at eight.  What time is it?” She said, looking for her cell phone.

“It’s seven-fifteen.  I better get you home.  If we leave now I can get you home by seven-forty-five.”

“Ok, thank you!”

We got up from the booth and I grabbed our trash and threw it away on the way out.  After I held the door open for her, she grabbed my arm as we walked to the car.  The feel of her soft skin on my body instantly made my groin jerk.   As I helped her into the car, I watched her toned legs slide into the seat and turn her body forward.  The bottom of her dress rose up to reveal her upper thigh before she adjusted it. I would need another shower when I got home.  I took another quick peek and closed the door.

Once we were on the road, she told me what a wonderful time she had and that she hoped that we could go out again.

“I’m already planning,” I said with a chuckle.

We pulled into her driveway and I immediately recognized the man leaning up against the black BMW watching a little girl play in the yard.  It was Chad Reynolds.  The very same Chad that threatened me in high school.  The one that tormented me the last few weeks of my senior year.  Every fiber in my being wanted to jump out of the car and kick his ass right there where he stood.  I pulled into the driveway next to his, parked and got out to open the door for Addison.

“You’re late,” he growled while sizing me up.

“I’m not late, you’re early,” she said.  “I told you eight o’clock.”

“And I told you I had shit to do, you’re late.”

“Whatever Chad!  Hi baby,” she yelled to the little one playing, completely oblivious to the growing tension between us.

“Hi Mama!”

“Did you have fun with your daddy?”

“I did,” Chandi said running toward Addison.  Chad was still leaning on his car, and I was standing next to mine.  “We just had ice cream mama.  It was yummy.”

“It was?  You’ll have to tell me all about it.  Tell your daddy bye.”

“Bye daddy,” Chandi said, her eyes shaped like Addison’s but the color was definitely her father’s.

“Bye baby girl.  See you on Wednesday ok.”

“Okay daddy.  I love you.”

“Love you too, kiddo,” Chad said with not making any moves to get into his car.

“Chandi baby, go inside and pick out your pajamas.  Movie tonight.  Your choice okay?”

“Okay mama!  Bye,” she said, waving at everyone, including me.

“Chad I thought you had shit to do?”

“I’m about to.”

“Well, maybe you should go do it.”

“Maybe you should shut the hell up,” he gets in her face.

“I suggest you calm down,” I said as I stepped between them, looking down at him.

“Who the fuck are you?”

“Nobody as long as you leave now without any problems, otherwise I’m your worst fucking nightmare.”  I easily had two inches and twenty pounds on him.  It would be nothing for me to beat the shit out of him and I was itching for him to make a move.  We stood there toe-to-toe, while he sized me up again and I saw in his eyes the exact moment he realized that he was defeated.  It felt fucking amazing.

“Whatever asshole,” he sneered. “Addison, I’ll talk to you later.  You better answer your damn phone.”

“Bye Chad,” she said, giggling in delight that someone had put him in his place.

Chad got in his car and pulled the car out of the driveway watching me the entire time.   As soon as he hit the street he sped off like an idiot.
Fucking moron,
I thought. 
I always hated you asshole. 
I felt Addison put her hand on my shoulder and I realized how tense I was.  I relaxed my shoulders.

“Thank you,” she said.

“He gets a little jealous when he sees me with someone.  I guess he thinks that he can just come and go as he pleases.  That’s my fault really.  I let him after we divorced and right after Travis and I broke up.”

“Oh are you two still…”  I stopped and let the question linger in the air.

“No! Oh no, no!  It’s not like that anymore, but he still thinks he has the right to be involved in my life.”

“It’s none of my business, but you need to be careful.”

“He’s an ass, but I don’t think he’d ever hurt me.  Not physically,” she said, but I wasn’t convinced.

“I’ll break him in half if he ever lays a finger on you,” I said and placing my hand on her cheek and wrapping my fingers in her hair.  I leaned in to kiss her and just as our lips were about to touch a little voice interrupted us.

“Mama,” the little voice yelled out an open door as she ran down the hallway. 

“Mama, I picked out my pink Doc McStuffins pj’s.”  She ran outside and grabbed her mother’s hand.

“Ok Doc McStuffins it is, what about the movie?  Which one would you like?”

“Mama,” she said in a voice that implied
‘That was a dumb question mom.’ 
“Elsa and Anna.”

“Ah, of course, ‘Frozen’ again.” Addison said, sounding less than excited.

“Mama, who’s that?” She asked, pointing in my direction.

“Chandi, what did I tell you about pointing?”

“Oops, sorry mama.”

“It’s ok.  This is my friend Mr. Stephen, can you say hello?”

“Hi Mr. Stephen.”

“Hello Chandi.  It’s nice to meet you.  You are very beautiful like your mother.”

“Thank you Mr. Stephen.  Do you like ‘Frozen’?”

“I don’t know.  I have never seen it.”

“It’s my favorite movie,” she said excitedly. 

“I love when they sing,” she broke out in song that I assumed was from the movie.

“Wow! That’s a great song.  I will have to rent it sometime.”

“You can watch and with me and mama if you want.  Can he watch it with us mama?”

“Chandi that’s up to Mr. Stephen but I think he has to get home.”

“Your mom is right, but can I come back and watch it another day?”

“Yaaaayyyy,” Chandi cheered in her adorable little voice.  She was the spitting image of her mother.  I had never really had the desire to have children before, but this little girl was priceless.

“Okay Chandi, can you go get your bath toys out of my bathroom and get ready for your bath.  Don’t turn on the water without me! Just get ready. I’ll be in in just a second.”

“Okay mama, bye Mr. Stephen.”

“Bye Chandi, it was nice meeting you.”

“You too,” she said as she ran back inside.

“Thank you,” Addison said.

“For what?” I asked, confused.

“For everything.  I’ve had an amazing last two days and you helped with Chad and Chandi never takes to people like that.  Usually she’s a hi/bye type.”

“Well, it’s easy to like her.  She takes after her mom.”  She blushed.

“I better get in there she’ll be singing about snowmen in her birthday suit jumping off of furniture,” she laughed.  “Kids,” she said exasperated and shaking her head.  “I wouldn’t trade her for the world.”

“Looks like the feeling is mutual.  I hope I get to see you again Addison.”

“I would like that.”

“Great.  I’ll call you tomorrow.  Enjoy your snowmen.”

“Thanks, I will.”

I leaned in and placed one hand on her hip and the other on her neck and kissed her.  It was a deep slow kiss.  I tasted a hint of her cherry chapstick. 
Did she reapply in the car?  How is that possible?
  I pulled away and looked her in the eyes, then leaned in and kissed her again.

“Wow,” she whispered.

“Good night Addison.” 

She cleared her throat.

“Good night Stephen.”

Chapter 18

Addison

After watching “Frozen,” for the billion and tenth time and hearing about her weekend adventures with her jerk father, I tucked Chandi in and kissed her good night.  Then I went into the kitchen and poured myself a glass of the wine that Stephen had purchased for me and went back into the living room.  I curled up on the couch with a book that I had been reading.  It was a paranormal romance novel by an indie author named AnaBeth Setliff, called “Her Night Hunter.”  Chelsea raved about it the other day at work so I asked her to borrow it.  The main character Dragan was described as a pure sex whether in man form or his natural beast state.  I was really skeptical about reading it at first, but she assured me that all the hot scenes took place with Dragan as a man.  I opened up to my bookmark and read.

Oriana had gone against her instincts when she drove out to Marcovici manor. She had received a letter from Mr. Marcovici’s attorney in that mail that informed her that if she wanted help in saving her bakery she would need to talk to Mr. Marcovici in person.   On her drive to the mansion a terrible storm brewed and by the time she arrived the roads behind her were flooded.  She was stuck.  He had graciously set her up in a room and had his staff make sure she had all that she needed.  He told her to feel free to wander the premises.  She had taken him up on his offer and was now lost in the massive estates. 

As she walked cautiously through the long hallway looking for the door back to her room when she heard what sounded like weights coming from a room in front of her.  She knew she shouldn’t, but her curiosity had gotten the best of her, the thought of her extremely intimidating and sexy host lifting weights had sparked something in her.  She went in search of the sound and saw a door that was cracked just ahead of her to the left.  When she peeked in her breath caught in her chest.  There stood Dragan Marcovici shirtless and dripping in sweat.  He must have just finished whatever he was doing because he was standing there drinking water.  Every inch of him was pure muscle, and she felt something in her stomach stir.  She knew she should turn and walk away, but she couldn’t.  At that moment he looked up and saw her through the crack in the door.  He smiled.  She tried to move, but she couldn’t, it was like he had a hold over her.  She opened her mouth to say something, but nothing would come out.  She closed her eyes for less than a second and when she opened them he was standing right in front of her.  His gaze had her locked in place.  He was just watching her, but she felt his hands in her hair, pushing it to the side.  She felt his lips on her neck.  ‘How is that possible,’ she thought.  She felt his hands under her shirt and her bra clasp opened.  She felt his hands on her breasts, teasing her nipples.  She felt his lips trail down her neck, across her shoulder and down to her breasts.  She couldn’t move.  All she could do was stand there, locked in place watching him, watch her as he somehow pleasured her in ways she had never experienced.

I put the book down and realized I was breathing heavily.  In my mind Dragan Marcovici looked exactly like Stephen.  I took a quick break from my book to get up and pour myself more wine.  I took my book into the bathroom and ran a hot bath.  With my wine, and book in hand, I stepped into the tub. I had recently gone to one of those parties where you can buy toys and picked myself up something that looked like a loofah but it vibrated.  I figured that would be safe enough for me to leave in my bathroom and not worry about Chandi finding it. 

I grabbed my special “loofah” and continued reading about Dragan and Oriana, imaging that it was really Stephen and I.  I got about three more pages before I had to put the book aside and let the loofah work its magic. 
At this rate, it’ll take me a year to finish this damn book,
I thought.  I stepped out of the tub and wrapped myself in a towel.  After letting the water out of the tub I grabbed my book and glass and walked back out into my bedroom.  It was late, and I was definitely relaxed.  I threw on an old T-shirt and some shorts and climbed into bed.  I barely remember my head hitting the pillow before I fell asleep.