Evan's Addiction (56 page)

     “Having that many televisions would make more sense if they were
for lacrosse parties and not gamer parties.” Laying some ham over the eggs Evan
gave me a sideways glance way. “You never made it to any of our games so I
assume sports aren’t anywhere on your radar of fun?”

     He actually looked dejected that I hadn’t seen any of his games.
“Why do you think I never made it to any of your games?”

     He frowned. “I never saw you sitting next to Carrie at any of
them.”

     I shrugged nonchalantly as I walked over to the cupboard to grab
some glasses. “Back then I didn’t want to interact with other people, but after
spending all those lunches with you I ended up stopping into a few games for a
short while to check out how good you were.” 

     There was a couple seconds of silence and I twisted to glance over
at him to see that he was staring at me in astonishment. “Are you serious?”

     Behind his surprised expression was a probing look that had me
shifting uncomfortably and my face turning red. “Well sure, you made yourself
out to be such a
player
…” I couldn’t stop myself from stressing that
word, but it was with amusement rather than disgust this time. “I had to go and
see for myself.”

     He narrowed his eyes on me before turning his attention back to
the eggs. They were done and he began sectioning them for the sandwiches. “You
never said anything before now about seeing any of the games.”

     I shrugged again. “It never came up.” I also hadn’t wanted him to
know back then that I’d gone out of my way to see him play.

     Even now I made light of it. My time with Evan back when we first
met had left a lasting mark, and while I’d been able to turn down Carrie’s
invitations I’d been unable to hold myself back from sneaking in to watch him
for a little bit during each home game. When he’d quit part way into the season
to help out Landon’s dad I’d stopped going. 

     The third muffin popped up and I set it next to Evan’s first one.
He began assembling the sandwiches as I poured us some milk. We sat down at the
small kitchen table together, and his naked chest was the best morning view I’d
ever witnessed.

     “And what did you think? Did I live up to my hype?” Evan asked
with an eager smile at me as he picked up his sandwich.

     “Oh definitely,” I said animatedly. “You were awesome on that
field. I couldn’t take my eyes off your number fifty-three.” I took a small bite
trying to hide my smile.

     Evan scowled. Narrowing his eyes on me he growled. “That’s not my
number. That was Jax’s number.”

     I rounded my eyes in mock dismay and swallowed my food. “Oh…my
bad.”

     He speared me with a glare and grumbled. “You’re not funny…at
all.”

     “Really, because I’m feeling pretty hilarious.” I grinned.

     “I’m going to make you scream my number tonight.” He threatened
before taking an aggressive bite of his sandwich.

     My inside quaked with anticipation. “Just make sure you remind me
what it was again so I don’t scream the wrong one, because that would be sooo
embarrassing.”

     That appeared to be Evan’s breaking point because he reached out
and hauled me from my chair into his lap, and then he kept me there and made me
eat my breakfast while torturing me with his hands. It was agonizing…and one of
the greatest morning meals I ever had.   

CHAPTER
TWENTY-EIGHT

EVAN

     After breakfast I headed back to the house so Shaw could get her
work done unhindered by my presence, because I
would have
been a big
hindrance if I’d stayed. Although I’d had her all night my hands and hard-on
still itched be all over and in her.

     It was crazy. I should be relaxed, sated and ready to take a break
from her, and while I was somewhat unwound after a night of gorging on Shaw, I
couldn’t wait to get back to her. It just didn’t feel right being away from
her. It was mind-boggling.

     I walked into the house at a quarter past eleven and found Carrie
and Amanda in the living room. Carrie had papers strewn out in front of her on
the coffee table…most likely homework…but she appeared more interested in
chatting with Amanda than accomplishing any work.

     They both turned what seemed like excessively animated expressions
my way.

     “Evan!” Carrie exclaimed. Her gaze flickered past me and she
frowned slightly. “No Shaw? Is she okay?”

     I knew she was inquiring about what happened last night. “She’s
great, but she had some work to get done.”

     Carrie’s frown lifted and she rolled her eyes. “Of course.” 

     “I’m going to head back over in a few hours and take her over to
David’s to finish up moving his stuff into his condo and get it ready for
tonight. Amanda, you and Noah coming?”

     “Yep.” She chirped, in particularly high spirits.

     I cocked my head and yo-yo’d my gaze back and forth between them.
“What’s going on?”

     Amanda’s expression turned all innocent, but her flushed face
ruined it. “Nothings wrong. Why would you think anything was wrong? The guys
are all working out if you’re wondering where they are.”

     “Ooookay.” She was acting really strange and was definitely hiding
something.

     Dropping my bag at the bottom of the stairs I headed for our
exercise room. It was where I planned to head anyway, and I was already in my
workout clothes. When I walked in the only guys missing were Seth and Landon.
Landon was living with his new family so of course he wasn’t here. We all still
saw him regularly though. He was over during the week in discussions with Nic
on their new business venture, and I saw him twice a week at work. Blake was
here in his place taking us up on our offer of taking over Landon’s bedroom.

     Seth, I’m sure was off doing something with Nadia…or doing Nadia.

     I didn’t waste any time when I walked in the room. “What’s going;
Amanda’s acting really strange?”

     They all busted out laughing and all heads turned to Noah who
halted his burpees to grin at me breathing hard. “I proposed last night.”

     I stared at him in shock. “Are you shitting me?” 

     He bent down and grabbed a towel while shaking his head. “I am
not. I’m engaged.”

     “You gave her a ring and everything?” 

     “I did the whole dinner and ring in the champagne glass.” He wiped
his sweaty face.

     Shaking off my astonishment I stepped forward and slugged him in
the shoulder. “Shit, that’s lame, Noah. Congratulations though, man, but what’s
with the no heads up?”

     “I didn’t want to tell anyone incase she said ‘no’.”

     “Was there really a concern of that?” I snorted. “I’d have thought
Amanda would have been hinting for it at this point. You guys have been going
out for four years.”

     Noah was shaking his head again. “We discussed it a while ago and
made a tentative decision to wait until we finished school, but I couldn’t hold
back any longer. Landon getting married put a fire under my ass. I wanted my
ring on her finger, but I figured we could have a long engagement until we
finish grad school.”

   I was the one shaking my head this time as I head for the Mountain
Climber. “You guys are dropping like flies. I’ve no doubt that Nic or Seth will
be next.” I glanced over at Nic lifting weights with Blake and saw him grinning
like he completely agreed with my prediction. He and Seth were already
ball-n-chained without the official paperwork and loving it.

     I just started my climb and almost fell off when Blake commented
drolly, “Are we taking bets, and are we adding you to the roster?”

     My heart rate increased and it wasn’t from the exercise. “You’re
getting a little ahead of yourself. I haven’t even passed my month mark.” I
didn’t doubt any longer that I would be with Shaw for more than a month, but I
still didn’t know if the relationship was durable.

     “Maybe, but we can all see that you’re different with Shaw. You
two are like arid straw dipped in gasoline and a flame torch.” Blake chuckled.

     That was the problem. Were we a fire that was destined to flame
hot and fast and then snuff out swiftly, or something closer resembling Greek
Fire? The thought that it might be the former highly agitated me on a level that
was agitating in itself.

     Nic was staring at me fixedly at me. Time to change the subject.
“Are all you planning to head over to David’s tonight?”

     “I’m in,” Blake says as he and Nic switched places. “A change up
in parties sounds like a good idea because the same old-same old gets pretty
tedious, and David’s always seemed cool the few times I’ve met him.”  

     I already knew Nic’s answer. Noah confirmed he was going too. He’d
never met David but that didn’t bother him; a party
was
a party.

     Noah’s philosophy was hard to argue with.  

∞                   
∞                    ∞

     “I feel like I’m walking around in Best Buy. I’ve never known
anyone who had four televisions in one room…times three.” Noah walked out of
the dinning room into the living room shaking his head in amazement. “Is this
what Heaven is like?”

     I found the idea of four televisions to a room more quirky than
amazing. A hundred inch screen television…now that was amazing.

     Each of the four walls in David’s living room, dining room, and
rec room has a television mounted on it…I’d been the one to help David get each
one up there. There was also one in each of the three bedrooms. Thankfully, we
weren’t the ones that had to wire all of them for cable and other electronic
boxes because that would have been a bitch. David had hired a professional to
fix them all up with cable, and they all had some kind of game system attached
to them as well; Playstation-4, X-Box, and WII-U.

     The condo David bought was huge and while he lived alone he liked
all the extra square feet for his gamer parties. He also informed me that one
of the rooms was designated just for Shaw for when she stayed with him. Watching
them interact today had further illustrated to me how close they were. If she
considered Carrie her sister, than David was her brother.

     “So what’s with the girls disappearing into the bedroom together?”
Seth asked drinking from his beer bottle and eating a handful of pretzels as he
slouched back in one of the black leather plush chairs.

     “There must be a bathroom in there they’re all congregating in.
That’s what they do, right?” Luka chimed in from the couch as he made a dent in
the appetizers on the coffee table in front of him.

     Landon didn’t pause in his examination of David’s game collection
to ask, “But what are they doing in there? Maya’s had a mad twinkle in her eye
the whole day, and what was in the bags they were all carrying? Maya growled
anytime my hand went near it on the way over here.”

     “Gabby did the same thing.” Lon declared and chugged some of his
beer.

     “Hillary didn’t bring a bag but they dragged her back there with
them, and they don’t even know her. She looked pretty freaked out about it.”
Blake walked into the room opening a beer of his own and didn’t appear all that
concerned that his date had been freaked out.

     Five other guests had arrived within the last ten minutes that I
didn’t know. David had introduced each one; Tim, Matt, Deck, Leslie, and Trick.
Trick and Seth appeared to be acquainted; greeting each other with fist bumps.
The five guys were regulars at David’s parties from what I’d been told, and somewhat
friendly with Shaw. Not real close, but people she was fairly comfortable being
around.

     Everyone that was invited appeared to have arrived, but eight of
us guys were too wound up to start any games as we waited to find out what the
nine girls were doing in the bathroom together. Sam was the only one without a
guy wondering what the hell she was doing.

     My gaze slid over Luka…unless he was wondering. I wasn’t sure what
was going on between those two…if anything. And then there was the way Sam and
Cole, Nadia’s half-brother tip-toes around each other when they were in the
same room together. But that guy was quite a few years older than her.   

     My gaze skimmed past David; the smug smile on his face told me he
knew what the girls were up to. 

     A door opening down the hall, giggling, and heels clacking on the
floor had us all straightening in expectation. And when the girls came into
view there was a collective indrawn breath. Then…

     “Holy shit!”

     “Hot Daaamnn!”

     “Fuuuckkk!”

     “Ooohhh Momma!”

     “Okay, now I know I’m in Heaven.”

     We all stared in shocked incredulity, because the girls were
dressed up in outrageously sexy outfits, wigs, and dramatic eye make-up. They
were all outfitted in attire like Shaw had been wearing that time I’d crashed
David’s party looking for her; gamer girl anime.

     “Hey, Halloween’s not for another week; was this supposed to be a costume
party and I wasn’t told?” Greg asked as his date sauntered over to loop her
arms around his neck and press up against him.

     Even though my body no longer seemed to be working in regards to
other women since Shaw, it didn’t stop me from recognizing their
attractiveness, and this woman was a beauty. Greg should have been drooling
over her but he only appeared mildly interested as his hand settled on her back.
He had definitely looked way more interested in the girl he’d brought to the
wedding and race track.