Addictive Lunacy (2 page)

But the part of her outfit that was completely different was the black fedora hat on her head. It was obviously a man’s hat but on her it looked...cute.

She was sexy and too fucking cute.

The woman turned, not catching sight of me as she continued pacing. The side of her face hit me like a slap to my own. Big lashes, small upturned nose, and a matching chin. All of it was beyond attractive.

Yes.

But it was her lips...dear God, those lips. I’ve never seen lips like that in my life. My lips parted in surprise, air rushing out. It took me a few seconds to realize that the pounding I was hearing in my ears was my heart. It roared in my chest, pummeling blood through my veins.

Blood that was...

Oh, fuck no.

Are you fucking serious right now? An erection? Really?

Yes.

Not that I was stranger to them, but this one hit me hard and out of nowhere. I actually took a step back, panting with shock and
hunger.

The beauty before me continued, still oblivious to my existence. An existence that now felt like it was being somehow consumed by her.

“You made me get all ready and now you’re leaving me hanging.”

The tiny woman stomped her foot in her frustration.

“Yeah, well, you told me, ‘Liv, get sexy as fuck, we’re going out.’ So what did Liv do? Liv did her hair...yes, I straightened out my wavy as fuck locks for your ass. I even got waxed. Of course I got
everything
waxed...I know my pussy’s not for you. No, I wasn’t hoping to hook up with someone tonight, you insufferable shrew. Point is, you told me to be here and be sexy while doing it and now you’re leaving me hanging!”

I should have cleared my throat, asked her to move, and gotten the hell out of there. But there was no way I could do any of those things. I was frozen and somehow on the verge of breaking out into a sweat.

At no point of my life could I claim that I’d ever had an overly active imagination.

Until then.

The moment the words
“
waxed
”
and
“
pussy
”
registered in my mind, my knees nearly became useless.

I silently yelled at my mind to get the hell out of there and ignore what I’d just heard. A warning dismissed. My mouth had gone desert-dry, images running through my head that had no business being there.

I ran the back of my hand across my mouth, realizing that it was shaking.

Badly.

What the hell was happening to me?

This was...it was...visceral. That was the only damned word that came to mind.

It was also wrong! My dick was rock hard for a sexy little stranger that I’d never seen before in my life. This could be considered normal but I’d been engaged to another woman up to yesterday, and on top of that, I hadn’t reacted to a woman like this since I was a teenager.

No. Not even then.

Fuck!

“Ugh, you know what? Fuck you and your damned boss, Dem. Yeah, yeah. Whatever. No, I don’t forgive you.” There was a playful tone behind her words. A smile was playing at the corner of her lips.

Someway, somehow, I found myself jealous of that smile.

You’re definitely going insane. A smile? Really? You want to be a
smile?

Those luscious lips twitched again and I found myself mutely nodding.

So full. God, just look at the bottom one...

She’d stopped her pacing and now stood with her side facing me. Against my will, my eyes traveled from head to toe, drinking in every detail.

My mouth felt bone dry but somehow, it felt like drool was about to leak out of the corner of my lips. I heard the woman say goodbye and saw her hang up the phone. That was my moment. My moment to move.

Did I take it? Fuck no. I was paralyzed.

Completely so.

A part of me hoped that she would just turn around and walk up the stairs. That she’d ignore me and leave me to deal with the thing that was suddenly eating at me. No such luck. All it took for her to notice me was her hanging up her phone.

The moment this beautiful creature named Liv turned to look at me, I knew I was done for.

I knew it.

She had to tilt her head all the way back to look at me. Huge, dark blue eyes blinked in confusion. I could see shock there. Then, a look I’d seen before in women’s eyes crossed her own.

Considering what she was doing to me, it should have come as no surprise that seeing
that
look on her face nearly sent me into a rage. Not the type that had to do with anger, although that simmered beneath everything. But seeing those huge eyes falling to my feet and slowly,
very
slowly, crawling their way back up, getting hotter and hotter all the while...

This time, I did clear my throat. Not because I wanted to interrupt her. Hell no.  Her gaze felt like a physical touch beneath my clothes and most of my idiotic body was loving it. The clearing of my throat came about simply because I couldn’t really breathe anymore.

Not really.

My throat was closing in on me, intent on ending my life.

The woman heard me and her eyes snapped up to meet my own. Nothing could have surprised me more than when she narrowed them, one eyebrow raising as she threw me an annoyed look.

She huffed, crossing her arms. “Oh what? You can stand there and eavesdrop on my convo, which I totally know you did, and I can’t take something in return?”

I blinked, completely confused. Then, because my eyes truly were against me, they decided to give her one more very thorough once-over.

God. As Luke would say, she’s fucking hot.

That dark blond eyebrow remained raised. Then, God help me, she pursed her lips, tilting her head and studying me. “How much of that did you actually hear?” she asked, her small hand raising to adjust the hat on her head.

I swallowed, trying to find my voice. “A...quite a bit,” I finally said, not wanting to lie to her.

A sheepish look came over her face for about a second.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to eavesdrop. I was just leaving the bathroom and...yeah.” I was feeling completely out of my element as I motioned uselessly behind me.

She looked away, her cheeks actually turning pink.

Fuck my life and everything in it.

“Well, I’m sorry you had to hear that. I was just...annoyed.” She wouldn’t meet my eyes.

Something about seeing such an outspoken girl semi
–
shy got to me. I found myself biting the inside of my cheek to keep myself from smiling.

“It’s ok. From what I gathered, you got stood up.”

Anger flared in her eyes for a second. “Yeah. So annoying, too. I went out of my way to be here. Kinda needed to have some fun, too.” And she pouted.

She fucking
pouted.

I’m going to come. I’m going to come and all because of just
looking
at those lips.

Perhaps it was time to get away.

No, it had been time to get away awhile ago. Now that I was talking to her, a part of me was actually hesitant to go. I tried to keep my tone conversational even as my lower abs tightened with heat. “I know the feeling. I got stood up, as well.”

Her eyes moved back towards me and between their color and those eyelashes, I was almost what you would call
enchanted.

Like a damned moth.

“Who stood you up? Friends?”

“My friend and my annoying brother. Good for nothing idiot that he is.”

Liv giggled out of nowhere.

I kind of wanted to fling myself off a building.

Or onto her.

Holy fuck.

“Well, that sucks. Both of us here and stood up.” She paused after that, a pensive look coming over her face. Then, those big eyes brightened and nearly killed me. She looked back up at me, neck tilted back, and offered me the one thing I knew I wouldn’t be able to refuse. “Wanna hang out upstairs and have a few drinks? At least we both get to say the night won’t be a complete waste, then.”

2

“M
y name’s Liv, by the way. Nice to meet you.”

I heard her words but it’s as if they were spoken from far away. Far, far away. We were walking up the stairs and she had decided to take the front.

I was barely stopping myself from tripping and tumbling back down. Somehow, her ass was small but unbelievably plump and it swung side to side right in front of my face with each step she took. Just side to side.

Side to side...

She stopped before we made it to the landing and turned to look at me. “Not gonna tell me your name?”

I shook my head, schooling my expression back to normal right before her eyes landed on mine. Another swallow passed through my tightened throat. Another involuntary look at her body followed
right
after. “I’m...I’m Calum. It’s nice to meet you, too.”

She stared down at me with an inscrutable expression. I was two steps below her, staring up at her, and grabbing onto the railing so hard I was afraid that she would notice. I could feel my skin heating up under her stare. When Liv turned from me and continued up the stairs, I was stuck between being relieved and losing my balance all over again.

We reached the landing. I ended up standing right next to her and my head fell when I looked down at her. I was 6’ 1”. She had to be no more than 5’ 3”, if that and
I found myself fighting back a smile as I looked down at her.

Liv walked in front of me, leading me back towards the bar. The place was the same as it had been before I went to the bathroom, three men ordering drinks at the bar and a few other people sitting in the small tables and booths scattered throughout. 

“Let me have a dry martini, please.” Liv leaned towards the bartender across the bar and hand
ed
him her ID. She had to get up on
the tips of her toes to do it and
I was almost distracted by the curve of her ass.

Almost.

The man behind the bar took one look at her ID, handed it back and smirked down at her, his eyes falling momentarily to her breasts. I’d heard of the feeling that overcame me next but had never experienced it.

My eyes were ripped from her body and I felt myself frowning as I stared the man down. His eyes met mine, bounced between me and her, and I could see the conclusion he came to.

Liv pushed away from the bar and landed back on her feet. I forced myself to once more control my expression while inside, the panic was returning. Because...because I’d just been bothered. For the first time in my life, I’d felt territorial. And all over a girl I’d just met a few minutes prior.

Liv looked up at me. “What are you having?”

I stared down into her eyes, trying to make sense of what it was about her that was doing this to me. Aside from her obvious good looks, of course. I’d been around extremely attractive women before and none had ever made me react this way.

“Get me a brandy on the rocks,” I was going to say but then I remembered the way the fool behind the bar had stared at her. So, instead, I walked up to the bar and leaned forward. When he returned with her drink, took my order and stared at my ID, I could see how tense he was.

Good.

Don’t encroach on my territory.

That didn’t just happen.

Yes, it did. And there’s another one down the bar staring at her.

I needed my drink. I was seriously questioning my decision, wondering why I was letting myself get into this whole situation. Liv hopped up onto one of the bar stools and crossed her legs.

Homing devices. I’d never known that my eyes could behave like them. Saddest part of it all? Liv gave a little cough after taking a sip of her drink and I knew it was because she’d caught me looking at her legs.

Swallowing uncomfortably, I forced myself to look away. I rubbed the back of my neck with my free hand, sipping my own drink and trying to cool my face back down. Fucking hell, it’s not like I was blushing, I’m pretty sure I wasn’t
–
I think
–
but I was still too damned flustered for my liking.

When I finally managed to look back at Liv, she was staring at me with an analytical look. Her hair fell over one shoulder as she tilted her head.

“Sorry.” I was scared I’d offended her with my too obvious stares.

Those lips twitched and it took all of my self-control not to become fixated once more.

Maybe I should just finish this drink and get the hell out of here. Go back home where things are still normal.

“It’s ok.” Liv actually smiled at me. “You don’t have to apologize. Most guys wouldn’t.”

I stared at her, not knowing what to say.

“So, Calum. Tell me, what do you do for a living?”

I took another drink, trying to get myself to calm down before answering her. “I’m the president of Agathon Designs.”