Текст книги "Right Next Door"

Автор книги: A. J. Pryor

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Текущая страница: 9 (всего у книги 19 страниц)

I should call in sick today. I’m still not feeling great, but my boss would not be happy. We’ve had a ton of cases lately. I have to go in.

I think about heading in early, avoiding the coffee morning routine that has become our neighborly thing. But, if I do that, the tension that’s already building will become tighter, and it will make it harder to move forward with whatever relationship we can salvage.

I slept for twelve straight hours last night. Falling into bed the minute I knew he was home from the track. I’d heard his shower turn on and finally relaxed under my comforter, content that he was home.

The evidence of our night still marks my skin and I’d be lying to myself if my heart hadn’t been slightly marked as well. It feels as though I left a piece of it behind when I snuck out, and I need to figure out how to get it back. I’m not ready to hand it out just yet.

Opening my cupboard, I carefully look over all the mugs. I pick a plain white ceramic one that says, “I’m a douche” on the bottom. It’s a way of apologizing without having to admit that I was wrong, because at this point, drunk sex with my neighbor wasn’t a good idea, even if it was the best sex I’ve ever experienced.

I’m stirring my milk into my coffee when I hear his front door slam closed. He’s either coming or going and I’m not sure which scenario I’d rather have.

Only one way to find out. Taking a deep slow breath, I calm my racing heart and head out to the balcony, sliding the door to the side and carefully stepping outside. Sitting down in one of my white chairs, I slowly sip my coffee. It’s eerily quiet, and I’m sure he’s ditched me, when his door slides open. I close my eyes and tell my heart to chill; it’s going to be fine.

Opening one eye at a time I find is a big mistake. His hair seems extra messy, his shirt is off and the track shorts he’s wearing are pulled down low on his hips, causing my breath to hitch and my fingers and toes to curl. I know what that skin feels like, I can practically still taste him on my tongue and the desire that’s been here for weeks hasn’t vanished, if anything, it’s stronger.

He’s playing with something in his hand—his coffee cup, that plain black boring one he sometimes uses is abandoned on the table. I can’t see what he’s holding, but suddenly he straightens and turns, his dark eyes intense as they take me in.

“Addison.” It’s an acknowledgement that I’m here. There’s no emotion in his voice, no kind eyes to wish me good morning, no teasing joke about my white mug.

He advances towards me, his hands still busy with whatever he’s holding. I’m cemented in place, slightly afraid, slightly curious but mostly mesmerized by a man who looks the same as Damian, but strangely, seems to be someone else.

Reaching his hand in my direction, I break my eyes away to see what he’s holding. “Can you please put this on my back.”

A deep burning blush crawls over my cheeks as I take the Neosporin from his fingers. “Sure.”

He turns and the angry welts from my nails are healing but look red and painful. A stark reminder that I can call it a mistake all I want, but the cold facts say something different.

The tip of my index finger touches the top of the largest and deepest cut and he stiffens.

“Sorry.”

His back is expanding with each breath he takes, his muscles flexing and relaxing under his smooth olive skin. Gently I slide a lubricated finger down the first mark, the tip of my finger the only part of me touching his skin. He shivers slightly on a large exhale, and I leave my finger at the bottom of that scratch, my hand beginning to shake with the urge to touch him more. To rub my hands over his shoulders and down to his fingers that only days ago made my body tremble and my insides shake.

Standing perfectly erect, he’s barely breathing, as my finger stays put, not in control enough to move on to the other marks.

Inhaling sharply, I remove my finger. The slightest release of his shoulders tells me this is as painful for him as it is for me. I can’t help but wonder if he now considers that night a mistake as well. If it were possible, would he want to erase it from his memory? I continue my first aide on each of the subsequent scratches, his shoulders tense again, and he’s barely breathing, his body wound tightly until I get to the final one. When I’m finished he turns, his eyes softer, his lips slightly parted as he takes the tube from my hand.

“Thanks.” Then he’s gone, and I’m left outside, unease creeping all over my skin.

Work sucks. I can’t concentrate, I have a slight headache, and I’m checking my phone constantly for any text from Damian. I am hoping for an apology for the distant behavior this morning, an invite to the track or a run this afternoon. Anything to let me know we are going to be okay. But my phone stays deafeningly silent. The only incoming messages I’m receiving are from Paige wanting to know exactly what went down with the sexy neighbor.

Paige: You can’t ignore me forever. I want details.

Me: I’m not ready to talk.

Paige: Mia started talking multiples.

Me: Don’t remind me.

I should have expected this. Damian couldn’t have been clearer that he wasn’t looking for anything easy. He knew I wasn’t ready, told me hours before I begged him that I’d better be prepared for a lot more than just one night. This is entirely my fault.

“Hey, Addison.” I look up to see Veronica Allen in my doorway. She’s the only other female associate in this office and while we’re not exactly friends, we do have each other’s backs. “How was your weekend?” she asks.

“Good, busy. Yours?” I say too quickly hoping she’ll move on from this topic. My weekend is the last thing I want to discuss.

“Fine.” She looks over her shoulder, her red hair falling into her face. “Wanted to warn you Thomas is on a war path this morning and your name was mentioned.”

My shoulders fall forward. I really don’t want to deal with him today.

“Sorry to deliver the bad news.” Her nose scrunches up in genuine sympathy. “I think he wants you to start working on that pro bono case.”

“Ugh, Thanks for the warning.”

“Addison!” Thomas begins shouting through my intercom and I jump.

“Here we go,” I say to Veronica as she nods and takes off.

“I need you in my office.”

Gathering a notepad and pen I make my way down the hall. It’s a small office. Five attorneys in total and two of them are partners. For the most part, I keep to myself, do my job, then go home and have my other life. The one that was pretty pathetic and boring until recently.

I walk in to find Thomas sitting behind his desk, reading some sort of legal brief.

“I need you to go to Children’s hospital today and check on a little girl named Emily Jones. Get a firsthand account on how she’s doing.”

“Sure. Why is she there? Anything I should be aware of before I go?”

He looks back down at his paperwork. “She has cancer and as if her life isn’t shitty enough, she’s also an orphan.”

I gasp, “That’s awful. Is she the case everyone has been working on around here?”

“Yes Addison, of course she’s the case. Now get going, time is money and you’re wasting mine.”

Sometimes I really hate that man.

Pushing Thomas to the back of my mind, I get in my car, knowing this assignment is going to break my heart. Seeing my dad suffer from a terrible disease was crushing, having to visit a child fighting something similar is going to be the end of me.

Starting up my Jeep and hating every second of the drive to Children’s Hospital, I’m sick to my stomach. I don’t want to do this. I don’t want to have to see a child in so much pain. I’m not strong enough to deal with it.

Finding the nurse’s station and asking about a little girl named Emily, I’m ushered down a corridor by Susie Springer, a bright-eyed nurse with curly blonde hair who looks like she’s been working here a long time.

She’s leading me to a room at the end of the hall, and the entire two-minute walk down the white corridor feels like it takes an hour.

I hear giggling and my dark mood lifts slightly. “Her room is in the far corner. She has a visitor right now, but he’s set to leave in five minutes. You can go in when he comes out.”

I nod and lean against the wall, waiting my turn as Susie leaves me alone. I’m taken off guard when a deep male voice talking in a gentle tone ripples out of that room.

“Would you rather swim with sharks or killer whales?” he asks.

“That’s too easy. Of course I’d rather swim with the whales. Who wants to swim with a big fish that tries to eat you?”

I smile to myself then peer into the room to see who has this orphaned girl in uncontrollable giggles. It’s impossible to miss the sight of Damian, sitting next to the bed of a little girl who can’t be older than eight. She’s lost her hair and her big blue eyes are round with wonder as his attention is focused solely on her. His feet are propped up on her bed, his shoes off and he looks relaxed and content.

His face lights up in amusement and he belts out a laugh. “Your turn.”

“Would you rather eat a chewed up piece of gum stuck to the bottom of a desk, or lick a dirty diaper?”

“Emily, that’s disgusting.” Damian’s forehead wrinkles with a horrified look, and I stifle a giggle.

Emily. He was going to meet an Emily the first day I’d met him.

“I never said this game was pretty, answer the question.”

“I’d have to say the gum.” The girl coughs and Damian is instantly on his feet, his voice laced with concern. “You okay?”

“Yeah, I just choked on a little of my spit.” His shoulders shake in silent laughter at her honesty. “Can I have another turn?”

Rubbing her back gently, he sits down. “Go for it.”

I’m holding my hand over my mouth trying not to laugh. Damian looks so big compared to this little girl and she’s got him completely wrapped around her tiny finger. Why has he never told me about her before?

“Would you rather walk around with no pants or no shirt?” the girl asks.

His lips turn up in a knowing grin. “No shirt. It seems to catch the attention of a pretty woman who lives next door to me.”

“That’s weird. Why would she want to look at you without a shirt?”

Ha! How is he going to get out of this one?

“No clue. She’s a difficult woman to figure out.”

“Well please don’t come in here without a shirt. That would be highly inappropriate.”

He straightens her pillow for her. “Don’t worry Sweet Pea, I will always have a shirt on when I visit you.”

She wipes the back of her hand across her forehead and sighs out a big, “Phew. I was worried for a second.”

They both giggle and my insides melt. Flooded with emotions for this man and immersed in a feeling of warmth that’s running through my veins. Clearly there’s been a physical attraction, but I’m mesmerized at his awesomeness. He . . . he’s magnificent in every way. “Excuse me ma’am, I need to get into the room.” A nurse says from behind.

“Of course. I’m so sorry.”

As I turn to leave them in private, Damian’s calm voice stops me. “Well, what do you know? Emily, this is my neighbor.”

Emily’s eyes grow wide. “Hi,” she says with a giggle.

I hesitantly step towards her, wondering if I should be wearing a facemask or protective gear so I don’t spread any germs to this sweet girl. But the nurse waves me in.

“Hi, I’m Addison.” I walk towards Emily and hold out my hand, she shakes it softly, her small fingers weak, her bones noticeable through her slight frame.

“Emily and I were just playing a round of Would You Rather? Do you want to join us?”

“I’d love to, but I have to get back to work. Can I take a rain check?” I can’t be here. I didn’t get any of the information Thomas wanted except that this girl is so lovely and she doesn’t need a family to adopt her when she has Damian to take care of her.

“What’s a rain check?” Emily asks innocently.

“It means she has to come back or something evil will happen to her.” Damian’s face is scrunched up and his teeth are bared like a villain. We both laugh at his silly face.

“Bye Addison. I’ll see you soon and you can tell me why you like Damian shirtless.”

The nurse covers her laugh with a cough and Damian sends a wink my way.

“I promise I’ll come back as soon as I can.” With a slight wave in Damian’s direction, I head towards the exit.

“Sweet Pea, let Nurse Mary do her thing. I’m going to talk to Addison for a minute.” Emily yawns and snuggles into her bed as the nurse takes her temperature.

Damian ushers me out of the room, his hand placed firmly on the small of my back.

His smile vanishes the minute we are out of sight. “What are you doing here?” His voice is cold and hard and I want to throw myself at his feet and beg for forgiveness, but not here. This isn’t the right place for that.

“My boss asked me to visit an Emily Jones. I had no idea you’d be here.” I stop and study him. “Why are you here?”

“Your boss is an asshole.” He runs his hands over his face. “I’m here because that little girl needs someone to love her, and right now, I’m it. Tell your boss to go to hell, he has no idea who he’s messing with.”

He talks like he knows Thomas, has known him for a while, and my brain starts to scatter in a million different directions, until it lands on one very important fact.

“Wait a second. How long have you known I work for Thomas Feeley?”

His blank stare and deep breathing does the talking for him.

“Is that why you moved next door to me? To get an inside track on her case?”

He shakes his head and begins to speak, but I don’t hear much of what he says. I’m so angry my pulse is beating between my ears. I make out words like after, no clue, bad situation, but this only confirms my gut reaction as to what a monumental mistake sleeping with Damian really was.

“You do know I could get fired right? That you, me and my job have just become a huge conflict of interest.” I can’t see straight I’m so angry. He had to have known this and yet he still tried to pursue a relationship with me. What a selfish bastard. “I’ve already lost enough in my life Damian, did you want me to lose my job too, the only other part of my life that’s all mine?”

I’m seeing red, furious that he would put me in this position. If Thomas found out I had some sort of connection with Damian, let alone started dating him, he’d fire me on the spot.

“You could have had me.”

“What?” I spit out.

“I could have been something that was all yours, but if you choose your job over a little girl who needs someone on her side, then you’re just as bad as he is. I didn’t know you worked for Thomas when I moved in. I didn’t know you were on the case until five minutes ago, but go ahead and assume the worst. You seem to be good at that.”

His eyes narrow and his lips form a tight line as he lowers his voice so only I can hear. “If I wanted to go through you to get what I wanted, I would have fucked you months ago. You’re right. Sunday night was a mistake. One I’ll make sure to never make again.”

Standing tall, he storms off.

“Can you fucking believe it? Thomas is trying to put Addison on Emily’s case.” I can’t go home, and I can’t go to the hospital, so I’m at the track, running myself ragged with Reed by my side.

“You knew she worked for the fucker.”

“She wasn’t on the case. Now she is.”

My lungs are beginning to burn and my legs are feeling the pain, but I don’t care. Addison wasn’t on Em’s case when I moved in, she wasn’t on her case when I decided I needed Addison in my life and I’m feeling a little sick inside at the fact that in addition to now working on helping Thomas out, she’s also emotionally farther away from me than I’d like.

“You should tell Addison why Thomas hates you so much.”

“That he thinks I killed Emily’s mom? I’m not telling Addison that.”

“I want to adopt her. Take over all her medical expenses and make sure she has the best care possible.” We are in a conference room at my attorney’s office, Thomas Feeley sitting across from me, and my personal attorney by my side.

“No.” Thomas is staring at me with complete hate in his eyes and I have no idea what I did to make him despise me so much.

Standing with such force that my chair falls over, I meet his dark beady gaze. “You can’t outright deny the request. I have the funds, I can take care of her.”

My attorney puts his hand on my chest and nods his head for me to quiet down, he’ll handle it. “Mr. Feeley, there’s no reason why we can’t come to some agreement on what is best for the child. Damian comes from a good family, and certainly has the means to take care of her.”

Feeley’s eyebrows rise. “I know how that accident affected your life Mr. Walker. You’ve only recently pulled yourself together. You’re not fit to take care of a sick little girl.”

“I’m not that person anymore,” I blurt.

He shrugs. “Maybe, but I can’t in good conscience concede to you adopting my client. I’ll allow you to visit her, I’ll allow you to pay for whatever you see fit with regard to her medical care. But I plan on finding a good home for Emily,” his dark beady gaze is locked onto mine, “one that doesn’t involve the person directly responsible for orphaning her in the first place.”

Fuck, he’s blaming me for Megan’s death? “I was cleared of any wrong doing in that crash, Mr. Feeley.”

“That doesn’t mean you’re innocent, Mr. Walker. You are not getting custody of Emily, and that’s final.”

I’d hated every single one of Thomas’s words, mostly because I knew they were true, but I wasn’t going to stop fighting. I know I’m not the best person to permanently adopt Emily, but I want her in my family, I want her in my life. And I will stop at nothing to figure out a way to make that happen.

“Damian! Stop!” Reed’s shouting at me, and I halt in my tracks staring at him. What the fuck is his problem?

He jogs towards me. “Man, you’re kind of freaking me out. You look like you’re about to lose it.”

Running my hands over my face and head, I shake like a wet dog. “I think I already lost it. Are you still seeing that girl from Starbucks?”

The way his face scrunches up in confusion tells me he’s not. “Good, we’re going out.”

“Going out and doing what?” He’s walking beside me as we head towards the car.

“Whatever the hell we feel like. I’m done playing the nice guy when it seems to get me nowhere.”

I assumed the let down in my moral compass would thrill him, but he’s looking very hesitant. “Dude, you’ve already woken up once this week knowing you royally fucked up, you really want to go through that again?”

I shake my head. “No, you’re wrong. I woke up once this week convinced I’d found the answer to life. So sure my future was living next door, only to discover, I don’t know shit.”

My mind is made up. I’m hitting the town, and Reed can either come with me or I’m going by myself, but I can guarantee you, I won’t wake up alone in bed tomorrow morning.

“Damian, can we talk?” My jeans are resting comfortably low on my hips, the top button yet to be secured. No shirt and water is still dripping off my hair and onto my shoulders. Addison is in my doorway, her eyes big and round focusing on my face and doing their best not to travel over my bare chest.

Not saying a word, my eyes roam from hers, down to her parted lips, eyeing her silken neck and resting on her breasts, which just days ago were nestled comfortably in the palms of my hands. Now they’re perched up in a workout top that is making my head dizzy. My body reacts to her, but I tamper it down.

Running a finger along her perfectly smooth cheek, I make our situation very clear. “I wanted to talk two days ago. I have plans tonight, so unless you need to borrow an egg or something, you best get back to your television, I hear it’s a great night on the Kardashians.” Resting both of my hands on her shoulders, I turn her and give a slight nudge in the direction of her own apartment.

Shrugging my hands off her body she looks back and narrows her eyes, her fists curled up on either side of her. I’ve pissed her off. Good. She can stew in her own anger for a night, I certainly have.

As I’m waving goodbye and closing the door, she sticks her foot in the doorway, preventing it from shutting all the way. My hand is shaking on the handle, my body tense and coiled tight. Sweat is trickling down my neck and onto my back as I resist the urge to throw open this damn door and pull her into my arms. I’m out of my league here and not sure how to react. There’s too much going on, my feelings for her, my feelings for Emily. I don’t want Addison working for Thomas Feeley, and I don’t want her calling us a mistake.

Not opening the door any further, I quietly say, “Addison, go home.”

She doesn’t move her foot. “No.”

The toe of her white running shoe shines brilliantly against the dark paint. I rest my head on the cool wood of the door as I hold it firmly in place, preventing her from opening it further.

“Take me running.”

Is she serious? “I already worked out.”

“That’s never stopped you before.”

Clenching my jaw, I move my foot to hers. With every ounce of inner strength I have, I nudge her toe back outside and close the door, sliding the lock in place.

Pretending that didn’t just cut a hole right through my heart, I grab a dark gray T-shirt from my closet and throw on a black hoodie. Reed and I settled on a dive bar at the outskirts of town. Nothing fancy, and somewhere we can be nobodies.

Pulling on my beanie, I throw on my best ‘I don’t give a shit attitude’ and leave my place.

She’s still standing outside my door.

“I’m not leaving until you talk to me.”

It takes me a moment to register that she is going to make this night very difficult for me. Her defiant eyes are blazing brighter than usual, her dark hair pulled up exposing her neck, and those lips, which I can’t get enough of, tease me.

Her arms are laced tensely across her stomach, her biceps slightly pronounced with the effort it’s taking her to keep this tough girl act up. I don’t want to go out and pick up some random girl tonight, I want to stay home and watch TV with Addison. Find out who the Salmon Ladder takes out this time. Tell her all about Emily and everything she means to me, what she needs when she’s released from the hospital. I want to be with Addison, but I don’t want to be another one of her regrets, once in a week is enough.

Stepping into her space, I place my hands on either side of her throat, my fingers feeling her rapidly beating pulse. My thumb tilts her head upwards and I lower my lips to hers.

I kiss her. My tongue, slipping into her warm inviting mouth, her knees buckle and I back her against the railing, keeping her upright as she whimpers into our joined lips. My hands never leave her silken neck, feeling her heartbeat intensify as I deepen the kiss.

Damn, she tastes so good.

Releasing her arms, she wraps them around me and pulls me closer. I’m insanely hard and pressed right up against her body.

Her hands find the hem of my shirt and roam over the bare skin on my back. Pulling away, I keep my fingers on her beating pulse as I stare into her eyes. “Go inside, Addison. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

She begins to protest, and I give her one more peck on the lips as I quickly walk down the stairs and get into the waiting cab.

I give the address to the cab driver, but what I really want to do is bang on her door and go back to Sunday night. I want a restart on us, because while for the past few days I’ve placed all the blame on her, I’m the one who agreed to drunk sex, I’m the one who wasn’t strong enough to make us wait until she was one hundred percent convinced I was who she wanted. I’ve known all along that she was it for me, but Addison needed more time and I screwed it up.

Next time around, I’m going to do it right. And while leaving her on my doorstep with swollen red lips feels all sorts of wrong, it was my only option.

The cabbie drops me off on a dark corner in front of a rundown looking shack. Reed’s already inside drinking a rum and coke and I join him.

“You don’t look much better than you did an hour ago. This is a very bad idea, Damian.”

“Leave then.” I nod towards the exit. “Not like I need your permission or your company. I’m pretty sure I can get laid all on my own.” The words fall out of my mouth, but they are meaningless. My interest lies with one woman and one woman only. I just don’t like Reed giving me orders anywhere but at the track.

Reed’s eyes go cold. “What exactly are you trying to accomplish?”

I take a sip of my drink and stare straight ahead. Shaking my head, I turn to him. “Fuck, I don’t know. I feel like I’ve lost control. Emily’s situation sucks, Addison is killing me and for once, I want to know exactly what’s going to happen next. I want to be in control of the next day, not freak out every time my phone rings that it’s the hospital telling me something’s wrong with Em or wonder what the fuck is going on in Addison’s mind.”

“Dude, you know more than anyone you can’t control life, you just have to ride it. Addison will come around.”

A cold blast of air enters the bar. We look up to see a group of girls we used to hang with at the doorway. They spot us and the mood instantly changes.

“And if she doesn’t, we can come back here and I promise, I’ll be your wingman,” Reed says, right before he waves the women over to our side of the bar.