Addiction

by Angela McPherson

  Yeah, I was kinda screwed.

  Not that I expected anything less, but I swear to goodness, Tristan used every excuse he could think of to touch me. He was not helping me stick to my guns about taking things slow. In fact, I was slipping…

  His words, though at times it seemed he'd said them forever ago, replayed in my mind. "If you fall, I'll catch you. Always."

  Alyssa rolled the car through a four-way stop. Luckily no one else was around.

  "So, Tristan copped a feel tonight." Leave it to Alyssa to break me out of the naughty ideas flashing through my mind.

  I scooted up, squirming in my seat. Damn, every inch of me yearned with desire. "Ya think?" I looked over, attempted to keep a straight face, but failed. Miserably. My skin had turned into a furnace since being near Tristan.

  "Someone's gonna get lucky," she joked.

  My face was already on fire, but it grew hotter if that were possible. "Shut the hell up. Seriously can't believe you said that."

  We both glanced at each other and busted out laughing.

  I shifted in my seat again and shook my head. "Okay, I can believe it, but still."

  "You've had sex, Elle. And from the hundred-watt smile on your face, I'd say you wanted to get it on sooner rather than later."

  Alyssa was never one to hold back.

  "Soooo, this plan of yours may not work out." This time Alyssa slowed to a stop, waiting at a red light. She faced me, her blue eyes serious. "It's okay. You know that, right?" My stomach jumped and then proceeded to fall.

  "Not yet. I think…" Shit, she was right. Touching him, feeling his warmth was all I could think about since leaving him less than five minutes ago… yeah, I was screwed.

  When we parked, I added another layer of gloss, ran my fingers through my hair, and checked my breath. Damn onions. I popped a piece of spearmint gum in my mouth.

  Alyssa and I came to this club when we needed a girls' night of dancing and drinking without having to worry about being hit on. Club Mystique never disappointed. Not many people knew about it, and since Bret was putty in Alyssa's manipulative hands, he agreed to come without questions asked.

  "Ya know, Bret is going to flip when he figures out what kind of place this is." I watched her, wondering if she would change her mind.

  Nope. Alyssa shrugged her shoulder and chuckled. "I bet it takes him a good thirty minutes before he suspects anything, um, different." She raised her brow, grinning like the devil.

  "I think it'll take a little longer." Bret was a great guy, just not always the brightest.

  "This is going to be fun." Alyssa rubbed her hands together. "Let's grab a table before they get here. I want to see the look on their faces when they walk in."

  Alyssa and I found a table near the front. Once situated, we were greeted. "Would you ladies care for a shot?" The waitress held an assortment of fruity flavored shots on a tray.

  "I'll take two Kamikazes." I turned to Alyssa. "How many for you."

  She grinned. "About damn time." Still smiling, Alyssa handed our waitress her credit card and said, "Open up a tab, and give us three each."

  I laughed. "Okay, I'm in." For one night I wanted to let my mind run free. I didn't want to think everything to death. Figured I deserved that much.

  Our waitress handed us a Screaming Orgasm, Kamikaze, and a Slippery Nipple. Good thing I'd eaten.

  "To us!" Alyssa beamed. We clinked our plastic cups together and downed the first round.

  "Wow, this one is really good." I licked my lips, savoring the taste.

  "Screaming Orgasms always are." Alyssa winked. Heat washed over my face. "Round two, sista." We tossed back the Slippery Nipple and followed up with our Kamikazes.

  "I'm proud of you, Elle."

  I shook my head, amused. "For turning into you?"

  "Girl, you've a while to go. But seriously, I'm glad you're starting to come back around." That stupid thinking thing weaseled its way in. Second guessing if I should be there, while being aware that I wasn't ready to fully jump back into it with Tristan, made me nauseous.

  About that time, the guys walked in, scanning the room. As always, women flocked to Tristan's side the second they laid eyes on him. I sat back, enjoying his reaction. He was charming, smiling and laughing at something one girl had said.

  As if sensing me, he looked my way. His mouth lifted in the corner. Winking, he then directed his attention back to the tall woman with overly large breast implants.

  Poor thing, I could tell the minute he turned her down. She pouted but slipped a small piece of paper in his front jean pocket anyway. Tristan shook his head, pointed in my direction, and waved. The very tall lady glared and let him go, her friends following behind.

  Bret stood, smiling and chatting to two other women, all the while oblivious. Tristan left him to fend for himself and headed over to me.

  "He has no idea, does he?" Alyssa asked, staring at her boyfriend, shocked.

  "None," Tristan and I answered in unison.

  Alyssa sighed. "I guess I should go save his ass."

  "Nah, let him live it up… wait till we leave."

  I laughed at unsuspecting Bret. "I'm going to dance. I can't watch this."

  "I'm coming with you." Tristan stood and without another word, grabbed my hand and led me to the dance floor. My body came alive when he laced his fingers with mine.

  Tristan pushed our way through to the middle. Surrounded by people, it was near impossible not to be on top of each other. Wrapping his arm around my waist, Tristan pulled me to him. I pressed my palms on his chest to steady myself. His soft brown eyes held mine. My breathing increased. I chewed on my lip, nervous and insecure. My eyes fell to his lips.

  "Do you want me to kiss you?"

  I nodded, aware of my inability to distance myself any longer. Only he didn't kiss me. Instead, he lifted my chin and bent down to eye level.

  "I want to hear you say it. I want you to say you want me to kiss you. Taste you. Because that's all I want. You're what I need, but I have to hear you admit it."

  Yes, I wanted to scream… but couldn't. My shoulders tensed. My heart pounded. The hope in his eyes dimmed, and his hold loosened around my waist.

  "Please," I barely spoke. "Please, I want you, Tristan. So bad it's killing me." My cheeks heated and my eyes watered. "I want you in every way, but I need this to move slow. I–" I was losing him.

  Tristan started to pull away. I did the only thing I could to keep him with me. I grabbed the front of his shirt and crashed my lips to his.

  God, I missed the feel of his lips against mine. Braving on, I skimmed my tongue across his mouth.

  Tristan came to life. Weaving his hand in my hair, he held me tight. I groaned, pressing myself closer. I wanted more. He was right. I needed him as much as he needed me.

  The heaviness holding me down lifted. I couldn't get my fingers to work fast enough at the buttons on Tristan's shirt. I was suddenly a starved woman, desperately racing to quench the need to have him buried deep inside me.

  We ignored the people bumping into us all around us. His breath ran hot against my neck, his tongue skating a path to my ear.

  I was coming up with a plan to unbutton his jeans when we were interrupted.

  Reality was a bitch, also known as Alyssa.

  "Should we clear the area before you two get it on here in the middle of the dance floor?"

  Without breaking apart, "Yes," we said, breathless. I was hot and ached for him to take me, and before Alyssa stepped in, I was fully prepared for him to do so on the dance floor.

  Tristan rested his forehead against mine, cupping my face in his hands. I wrapped my arms around his waist, eyes closed, not yet ready to face the world.

  "That was one hell of a kiss." Tristan's minty breathe blew across my face.

  "This is one hell of a first date."

  Tristan

  "Shots," Alyssa shouted, breaking us apart again.

  "Only a couple more," Elle said, surprising me. When we k
issed, the sweet, fruit-infused flavor in her mouth sent a jolt of heightened anticipation to my groin. Hot, delicious, and ready to be eaten. Fuck, I wanted her.

  "All right, I'll meet you at the bar. Hurry the hell up." Alyssa turned, pushing past people grinding on the dance floor.

  Elle directed her attention back to me and smiled. Her smile, damn, and her body glowing. We'd only been on the dance floor a short while, but her skin glistened under the moving lights. The floral-scented shampoo that tortured me these past few weeks drove me insane now.

  Elle pulled away, but I had to taste her once more. With my arm shifting to her waist, I brought her chest to mine.

  She shook her head and chuckled. "I'll be back. Shots, remember."

  "Hold on." I combed my fingers through her hair, bent forward, and slid my tongue up her neck.

  She tilted her head, allowing for more access.

  Didn't want to disappoint. "God, I missed you," I breathed, reaching her ear. Goosebumps covered her skin, and she moved in closer. "Okay, I'm done." I paused, knowing I was anything but done. "For now."

  Her nails dug through my shirt, and her breathing increased. "You never play fair."

  The desperation in her voice made me clench my teeth, holding back from taking her to a dark corner. Filling her, taking her to the edge, and holding her as she came.

  Smiling, I said. "I play to win." I backed up, but didn't release her. "And I don't lose. Ever."

  Her lips parted. She sucked in a few disconnected gasps. "We'll see about that." She then spun around, heading to meet Alyssa at the bar.

  I stood still, enjoying the view of Elle in those black boots when Bret walked up. "Hey."

  He frowned, eyeing the crowded room. "You notice anything weird about these chicks?"

  I laughed. "Nah, man." Goofy fuck was one brick shy of a load some days. "Hey, the girls are getting drinks at the bar."

  "All right, let's go get ‘em."

  Elle and Alyssa threw back more than a few shots. Elle wasn't a big drinker, and given the amount of weight she'd lost, I imagined she was coming up on her limit.

  "Spud, you think you've had enough?"

  "No." The girls disagreed with me at the same time.

  "To good times," Alyssa belted, clinking her glass with Elle's.

  "Yup," Elle slurred, her elbow sliding off the bar. Had I not been paying attention, I would've missed the look of pain cross over her face. She wasn't ready for this. Going out, drinking, this wasn't her.

  "Spud, you ready to get outta here?" I took her arm when she swayed.

  "I'm fine, and no, I'm not ready."

  "Aww, Tristan." Alyssa stumbled over to me. "You're so cute."

  Bret and I exchanged an uneasy glance. Damn, how many drinks had they downed before we showed up?

  "Babe, you wanna dance?" Bret reached for Alyssa's arm, holding her steady.

  "Let's do one more shot." Alyssa grabbed a glass and emptied its contents before Bret could take it away.

  I took Alyssa's chair, sitting next to Elle. "Hey." I reached across, threading my fingers through her hair. When she looked up, her eyes were glassy.

  "Hey." She smiled, leaning into my hand.

  "How ‘bout a water?"

  The sadness I noticed moments ago changed. Her brow lifted, and she slid off the stool to fit between my legs.

  "Water's boring." Elle traced a finger along my jaw, her passion-filled eyes trained on my lips. "I'm not looking for boring tonight."

  The anticipation of wanting her jumped to fucking needing her as she rolled her hips into the pressure against my zipper. "What is it you're looking for?"

  Elle bent forward, lips teasing mine, and whispered, "You." As if she were a practiced predator, she crashed her lips to mine, claiming her prize. The moment her tongue rolled with mine, I lost my control. Without breaking our lips apart, I stood, weaving my fingers through her soft hair. She kissed with a desperation I understood. She was just as starved as I was.

  "That's bullshit, Alyssa," Bret hollered over the crowd and blaring music.

  Elle and I broke away, breathless. Their fucking timing sucked.

  "What's the big deal?" Alyssa scowled at Bret, hands on both hips.

  "What's the–?" Bret stepped closer, leaning inches away from Alyssa. She tensed her shoulders, but refused to cower away. Typical. "It's a pretty big fucking deal, Alyssa," Bret pronounced each syllable of her name. "You're too fucking drunk to notice. Hell, you're too goddamn into yourself to notice any fucking one else. Ever."

  Alyssa's brows scrunched together, and her eyes watered. Dammit. I couldn't stand there letting Bret be a dick to her. Besides that, they were causing a scene and no one needed to spend a night in jail.

  "Hey. Calm down, man."

  Bret jerked his head toward me, moving away from Alyssa. "Give me my keys. I'm done with this shit."

  Alyssa jumped in before I could answer Bret. "You're being ridiculous," she shouted.

  Bret turned to her, eyes blazing. "You're being a bitch." His face brightened, and the vein in his forehead bulged.

  Alyssa pounced, but I grabbed her waist before the attack. "Calm down," I repeated as she wiggled in my arms.

  "Give me the keys," Bret seethed, standing in front of me. Working around Alyssa's thrashing, I finally managed to dislodge his keys from my front pocket. I tossed them in the air. Bret caught them one-handed, spun around, and pushed his way out the club.

  Shit. Elle. I'd forgotten about her while making sure Alyssa was okay. Looking over Alyssa's head, I found her. She stood with wide, shock-filled eyes and covered her mouth with her hands. Our eyes locked. She stayed put. Goddammit. Tomorrow, I would kick Bret's ass if he'd messed shit up for me with Elle.

  Alyssa stilled once Bret had gone. I said, "It's time to go. You gonna be all right?" She nodded. "Go close out your tab so I can drive y'all home."

  "Okay," she said with a tremble in her voice. I let go of her and looked up to see Elle was back at the bar.

  "Fuck," I murmured under my breath.

  By the time I'd made it across the room to the bar, Elle had taken two more shots. What the hell? I intercepted the third, taking the glass from her hand. She turned, and when I looked into her eyes, my heart ached. She was broken, hiding, replacing the grief with alcohol. I set the shot glass down, grabbed the back of her head, and kissed her. She opened up, kissing me back with hunger, kick-starting my ache for her all over again.

  "Can we get out of this shithole?" Alyssa broke us apart.

  "Yeah." Elle's voice was low, husky. She hopped off the stool and walked over to Alyssa.

  Tonight was going to suck harder than a bad case of blue balls. Long and miserable. As much as I wanted Elle, I didn't want her like this. Not in the condition she was in. She wasn't ready.

  Alyssa threw me her keys and we headed out. The girls laughed and sang, terribly out of key, on our way through the parking lot. Once we made it to Alyssa's car, they both climbed into the back seat. Better off this way, but I stood in the freezing-ass cold night air before getting inside. I closed my eyes, breathing in deeply. My own timeout.

  "Tristan, hurry the fuck up. It's colder than a witch's tit in here."

  Alyssa, like Bret said, was kind of a bitch. She hadn't deserved the way he treated her, which I continued to repeat to myself to avoid blowing up.

  I got inside, turned the car on, cranked the heater up, and proceeded to drive them home. The ride was quiet, oddly enough. My mind wandered back to Elle. The way she tasted, felt. So good. So. Damn. Hot.

  "What the hell, Tristan?" I looked in the rearview mirror. Alyssa rolled her eyes, while Elle… her gaze, the intent I found in it drew me to her sweet pouty lips.

  "You passed our house. Shit. And I'm the drunk one."

  I darted my eyes back to the road. "Fuck, hold on." I flipped a bitch in the middle of their street and crept down to their house. I parked in the driveway, letting it idle.

  "I'll drop your car off in the mornin
g." The back door opened and then closed. I didn't watch, not in the mood to see Elle walk into her house and not in mine.

  "Fine, whatever, Shrimp. See ya," Alyssa slurred.

  The passenger door opened and then closed. I looked over at Elle. "What are you doing?" Honestly, I had no idea what she was doing.

  "I'm going home." Her words were clear, but she wasn't all there.

  "Spud, you are home." I pointed to her house.

  She straightened her shoulders, raised her chin, and said, "No, I want to go home, with you."

  I swallowed the lump in my throat. "Okay."

  Elle turned in the seat, staring out her window all the way back to my house. My heart pumped out of control. Maybe she was lonely, missed us? I made up my mind. I'd leave her be and take the couch. Picturing her naked, stretched out in my bed… fucking A. Son of a bitch.

  The drive back to my house took less time than usual. Next thing I knew, we were out of the car and inside my living room.

  "So, um, I'll let you take my room."

  Elle ignored me.

  I followed behind her down the hall. Inside my bedroom doorway, she flipped the lights on, walked to my bed, and sat at the edge. I continued to watch, unable to speak. Again, her bright green eyes held mine.

  Slowly, she unzipped her boots and tossed them to the side. The most erotic thing I'd ever seen. I thought she was finished, but God, I was wrong. She tortured me further, discarding her shirt and then slowly slid her jeans down before tossing them to the side. Frozen, afraid if I moved I'd lose my will to… fuck it, by that point I didn't know what I was trying to protect her from.

  Elle walked to me, resting her hands on my chest.

  "Tristan." Her breath rushed over me.

  "Elle, I think you should sleep it off."

  "No."

  "Yes," my voice dropped, defying me.

  "I want you." Her eyes filled with tears. "I need you. I need this." She blinked, and wetness dripped down her cheeks. Her lips quivered. "For one night, I just… please." She exhaled, closing her eyes. Her shoulders shook as she cried.