Addicted

by Claire Adams

  Her eyes remained on me as if trying to work through how I was going to fit all that food in my stomach. She glanced down and finished ringing us up without another word.

  I took our drinks and sat down in the booth Casey had for us. "People will always judge each other, Casey. It's just part of life. You do it, I do it. Everyone does it."

  "Yeah, well I hate it. If I want to be a social worker and spend my life giving back to society, but making little to nothing doing it, then it's my damn prerogative." She grabbed her orange juice, spilling a little on the table between us.

  "What happened? I assume something went down last night while I was out?" I picked up a napkin and cleaned up the mess.

  She let out a long sigh and pressed her hands to her face. "I need a Masters to do what I want to do, and my parents aren't willing to help me pay for it. It's just upsetting. When I have kids, I'm going to support their dreams and aspirations. I'm not going to shit all over them."

  "We'll figure out a way to pay for it. We can room together in that little studio apartment off campus that we've talked about a million times. I'll help pay for your tuition, and you can get a part-time job at that little coffee shop you love so much. Besides, you've been drooling after that blonde-haired cashier for two years. What better way to meet him?" I offered her a friendly smile and reached across the table to squeeze her hand.

  "We can't live in that studio, or neither of us will meet anyone. Asking the other to leave for the night so we can sleep with someone is ridiculous." She lifted her eyebrow at me.

  "We've been doing just that for the last four years. We'll figure it out. If you want this future, then we make it happen. Life's too short to do what's expected of you. No one is going to have to live your life day to day but you. So choose what you love and we'll figure out the rest. Got it?" I squeezed her hand once more before sitting back and taking the plate the server offered me.

  "That should be the same for you then, Viv. If you want to be a food critic, then don't settle for anything less." She picked up her napkin. "When is the last time you submitted one of your articles to the newspaper for review?"

  She was right, but she always was.

  "It's been a while. When we get back, you apply for your Master’s program, and I'll submit the articles from this trip to them. Deal?" I offered her my hand to shake.

  "Deal, and if that hottie takes you out again this week, you're at least getting a kiss from him so I can hear about it. Double deal?"

  "Double deal, and if we go to this thing on Thursday–”

  "I'm getting laid," she butted in and gave me a toothy grin.

  "No. We're leaving if it gets too stupid. Promise me."

  "I promise, but one of us has to have some wild-ass stories from this week. It's you or me." She took a big bite of her sandwich and nodded. "This is divine."

  "We already have stories, and good. Hush so I can enjoy it without you badgering me." I smiled and let my eyes move across the three plates that belonged to me. If I was going to force Casey to live her dreams, then it was only fair that I started living mine.

  Maybe bumping into Easton wasn't by chance at all. He could help with my career if we became good friends. I resigned myself to texting him after shopping if he hadn't contacted me.

  If we kept things on a friend level then I would be good. Besides, not all men were cheating asses, but I'd lay the wager that most were. As good-looking as Easton was, he was teetering toward the dark side, and that was a bet I wasn't willing to take.

  Chapter 12

  Easton

  After wrapping up a few meetings with various hotel managers, I was ready to find Viv and see if she wanted to head to the beach with me. It had been a really long time since I'd wanted to spend time with anyone, but the pretty girl was all I could think about. My dreams the night before had gone far beyond a long fuck in the shower and had moved into marriage and kids...all the things I'd never really contemplated before.

  "And you're not now," I grumbled and pulled my phone from my pocket as I headed back to my room. I waited until I got to my room to call her, but the second I did, my heart started to race and nervousness filled my stomach.

  "This is Vivian."

  "Hey. It's Easton. I'm done with my duties for the day. Just wanted to see where you and Casey were. I thought maybe you might want some company for the afternoon." I pressed my back to the door and closed my eyes, wanting to visualize her as I listened to her voice.

  "That would be great. We've just wrapped up our shopping and are almost back to the hotel. You wanna go to the beach with us? We were hoping to swim for a little bit before going out tonight."

  "Yeah, that sounds great. I'll change and meet you both in the lobby in fifteen minutes?"

  "Sounds good. See you then." She hung up and I couldn't help but appreciate how professional she was. It wasn't a cold, unattached professionalism, but an unassuming nature that still held up appropriate boundaries. She left me in control and quite comfortable.

  "Don't let me fall in love with you, beautiful," I murmured before walking to the bedroom and changing into swim trunks and a t-shirt.

  I made my way to the lobby and grabbed three beers from the bar before moving back out about the time they walked from the elevator. Where Casey was cute, Vivian was breathtaking. It was the difference between looking at a girl and admiring a woman. Cute had great appeal, but Vivian's beauty had me wrapped up tightly. It was even more attractive because the girl had no clue of her power.

  "Hey. I got you guys a beer, though I'm not sure what you like, Casey. Viv here can take it out for you if you don't like it. She's a heavyweight." I handed Vivian one of the beers and leaned in, kissing her cheek before moving back.

  "Heavyweight? She's been lying to you. She's the cheapest date in the universe." Casey took the beer, hit it against Viv’s and mine and moved toward the door. "Let's go soak up the sun and find me a man."

  "Speaking of..." Vivian glanced at me as she lifted her beer to her lips. "How old are your brothers?"

  I chuckled and shook my head. "The middle one is twenty-one and the youngest is nineteen, but they're scoundrels of the worst type. You girls need to find good men who'll treat you right."

  "Like you?" Casey asked as she glanced over her shoulder and gave me a flirty look.

  "Exactly like me." I pressed my shoulder to Viv's as we walked out into the fray. "Let's go straight. Right here across the street is some of the most beautiful beach in all of Miami."

  "Sounds good to me. Lead the way, Case." Vivian took another drink of her beer as I watched her out of the corner of my eye. Her red hair danced about, tickling my arm as I walked beside her.

  "Did you sleep good last night? You didn't have any bad dreams from our dark alley event, right?" I glanced over at her, not wanting to let on just how excited I was to be beside her. We were just friends, and if I went over the line, I was pretty damn sure that she wouldn't let it go far, but I wanted more.

  "It was okay. I had bad dreams, but more about family shit than the guy in the alley. Sometimes that can be worse, I guess." She chuckled and moved across the street, shifting to walk in front of me as the crowds thickened.

  "How long are you guys here for?" I couldn't help but ask.

  "Through Saturday morning. We're actually hoping to go to Black's Beach on Thursday night, though. Everyone keeps talking about a big event or something that's going on there." She paused on the other side of the street, and I moved up next to her.

  The tank tops she wore left a little of her creamy white midriff showing, but with any luck at all, she would strip down to her bikini once we reached the water. I wanted to lay on the sand and get more acquainted with the view that was sure to steal my thoughts for weeks to come.

  "Black's Beach is one of the nude beaches around here. It's relatively new, but I think they're just trying to keep up with San Diego, which has the same thing." I shrugged and stopped to pull off my sandals. "A new club is opening Thursday n
ight. That's the only thing I know of."

  "Maybe that's it then. We'd love for you to come with us if you're up for it?" She gave me an innocent look that melted my resolve.

  "I should be able to. I just have to take the week day by day thanks to my schedule shifting." I paused by a small open patch of sand and reached for her towel. "Leave your stuff here, and I'll get everything set up. You guys go enjoy the surf."

  "I like him more already." Casey pulled off her top and worked herself out of her shorts.

  I turned my attention toward the water, not wanting either of them to feel uncomfortable undressing in front of me. I might have nefarious thoughts about my newest obsession, but that didn't mean she needed to be made aware of it.

  Vivian turned her back to me and pulled off her tank tops before wiggling out of her shorts quickly, shivering and jogging toward the water.

  "You like her?" Casey's question surprised me.

  "Yeah. A bit more than I want to talk about actually." I shrugged and tugged my shirt off. Her friend gave me a quick once-over and nodded approvingly.

  "She's a good person who's had her heart stomped on too many times. Don't push anything unless you want everything. Got it?" Casey's sweet expression turned hard, and I almost fell in love a little with the girl simply for being ballsy enough to protect Viv. She was a good friend to have.

  "I understand." I pointed to Vivian. "She's waving for us to join her. I'll beat you out there?"

  "Not happening mister. I might look small, but I pack a punch." Casey turned and took off for the water, hurdling over several people who were laid out sunbathing.

  I apologized casually to them as I jogged around the maze of bodies and stopped at the water’s edge, putting my hands on my hips.

  Casey was laughing loudly as she pointed at me. "I totally beat you! See? Told you that I was fast."

  I couldn't help but smile. "Yeah, you better be. You have ten girls back there with sand in their faces from you doing the high jump over their heads. Looks like I'm going to have to pull out my self-defense moves from the alley the other night to fight them back for you."

  "Yeah, Viv told me about that. I'm glad you were there, but don't do that shit again. She's my only friend and if something happens to her, I'll come looking for you." Casey gave me a cocky smirk.

  "I do feel properly threatened. Can we have some fun now?" I lifted my hands playfully in the air and turned my gaze back to Vivian.

  She chuckled and looked around us, but not before her eyes moved down my chest and rested on the front of my shorts.

  I bent my knees to catch her gaze and pointed to my eyes with two of my fingers. "I'm up here, pretty girl. He'll talk to you if you want him to, but I'd rather that be behind closed doors."

  Her cheeks turned pink as she swatted at me. "Stop it. I was just wondering if you stuff your pants with a sock."

  "Has to be a tube sock, right?" Casey put her hands on her hips, the smirk tugging at her lips almost comical. "We should definitely find out."

  "I think you should find out, too." I moved out into the water and grabbed Vivian's narrow wrist, pulling her with me. "Come get in the water with me, and I'll let you pet my eel if you promise to be gentle."

  "Oh my God. You did not just..." she glanced back as Casey moved up behind us. "He did not.”

  "He did. Wicked hot. I wanna pet it." Casey clapped her hands and laughed before wading out into the deeper part of the water with us. I stopped as it covered the top of my trunks and turned to face Viv as Casey moved past us. "I want the results on my desk by ten in the morning!"

  "Stop it," Vivian grumbled at her friend before turning a hard stare onto me. There was no way she was bending beneath our combined pressure. She was too much woman for that.

  "All yours, Viv. Come test out the theory." I lifted my hands to the side as if inviting her to do what she wanted to me. "Just don't get upset when I say that I told you so."

  "There is no way in hell I'm sticking my hand down your shorts." She moved up to almost press her chest to mine. "You're just pulling my chain. If I reached for your cock you would jerk back and run like a girl to the shoreline."

  My breath caught in my chest as I lowered my arms, wrapping them around her instead. "Never. I'd groan a little and maybe moan a lot, but that would depend on your skill set."

  "It's not happening, handsome." Her eyes moved around my face as her breathing got a little off kilter.

  "But you want to. I can see it written all over your face." I chuckled low in my chest, enjoying the expression on her face far more than I should have. She was mortified that I'd called her out.

  "I want to!" Casey yelled from just behind us, and we broke up into laughter. I started to push the subject a little more with Vivian, but a scream ripped from her friend, which stole my attention.

  Turning, I rushed toward Casey and reached for her. "What's the matter?"

  "Something bit me." She jumped toward me, and I caught her, turning and nodding to Viv. "Probably a jellyfish, but let's make sure. We'll get someone to check it out. There's a minute clinic right beside the showers over there."

  Casey's eyes filled with tears as she clung to me. "It hurts like a bitch. Check it and make sure my ankle isn't torn open."

  Vivian moved up beside us and ran her hand down Casey's leg. "It's red but–”

  "Ouch! That fucking hurts!" Casey screamed as Vivian jerked her hand back.

  "It's okay. We'll get it fixed up. Just grind your teeth together and try and relax." I jogged toward the minute clinic and moved back as Vivian opened the door. Casey couldn't have weighed more than a hundred pounds, which was appreciated seeing that I was jogging through sand with wet feet.

  We got Casey checked in and situated in the back before making our way back to the tiny waiting room. I sat down and let out a long sigh, realizing that our towels, clothes and room keys were still on the beach. My pretty cohort sat down beside me and ran her fingers through her hair.

  "She's okay, right?" Vivian looked a little shaken.

  "Yeah, just a jelly sting. They'll get the stinger out and give her a little bit of ointment. No big deal. Come here." I wrapped my arm around her shoulder and tugged her closer on the cold bench seat. "You didn't get stung, did you?"

  "No. I was too concerned with testing out your sock theory." She gave me a saucy smile.

  "You wanted to. I knew it." I licked my lips playfully.

  Her laughter warmed me, but her persona drove me to reach up and touched the side of her face.

  "You have no idea how beautiful you are." I brushed my thumb over her lip as my entire body lit on fire.

  "Easton. Please." She glanced down, but returned her gaze to mine. I could see a hint of the desire that pumped through me pumping through her as well. It was all I needed.

  "Hush." I leaned in and pulled her face toward mine, pressing my lips to hers as our noses brushed by each other. She opened her mouth and moaned softly, inviting me in as her tongue slid past mine.

  I wanted to dominate her completely, but I forced my desires back and returned her soft exploring kiss. Not wanting it to end, I moved closer and continued to kiss and lick at her pretty mouth until she pulled back. Her eyes were glossy, lips wet, and the soft pants that left her almost sent me over the edge of desire.

  "Don't do that again," she whispered.

  I pulled her back toward me, kissing her again for good measure. I cupped her face in both of my hands and worked my tongue in and out of her mouth, wanting her to suck on it so damn bad. As if she could hear my inner thoughts, she began to suck softly, and then harder. We emulated the sex that it seemed we both wanted, and the room grew faint as I gave myself over to her. I wasn't one to put on a public display of affection, but something about this girl had me breaking all my rules.

  I pulled back as the room started to spin and I got a little light-headed.

  "Fuck," I grumbled and brushed my fingers over my lips. "Don't you know that telling a dominant male not
to do something is an invitation to have him do it? Do they not teach you girls these things?"

  "Of course I do," she whispered seductively and got up, walking to the counter as if to check on Casey.

  I leaned back against the bench seat and watched her as my body hardened. One night. Just one night was all I needed to convince her that maybe we could be a bit more than friends.

  Wait. All you want is friends.

  Right.

  Chapter 13

  Vivian

  "I just wanted to check on my friend." I glanced up at the nurse at the front desk of the minute clinic as she scowled at me.

  "She'll be out any minute. Have a seat, miss."

  I figured as much, but needed a reason to break away from Easton. A large part of me wanted to crawl into his lap and forget that we were in public. It was a damn good thing that we were. His kisses were capable of breaking down my reserve fast.

  Butterflies danced in my stomach as I turned and let my eyes move across him. The thick swell of his chest and stomach were beyond delicious. The bulge at the front of his shorts was bigger than it had been back at the beach, but after making out for the last few minutes, he'd better be turned on.

  "You don't have to stay here. I'll be good just waiting on Casey myself." I stood in front of him.

  He rose to his feet and ran his hands over my shoulders and down my arms. "I don't mind. Let's grab her and get her back to the hotel, then I can go back out to get our stuff."

  "My room key was in the pocket of my shorts. I don't have an id or anything to get back to my room with." I tried not to enjoy the warmth of just having his hands on me.

  "I'm well-known at the hotel, which should work in my favor today. We'll have them get you a new key, or you can just stay with me while I get your stuff." He squeezed my shoulders and looked past me. "There she is."

  I smiled and turned, moving to wrap an arm around Casey as she hobbled toward us.