Addicted (The Addicted Series, #1)(25)

Holding back my crocodile tears, I explained what happened when I'd confronted Christine. "She doesn't want me to work for anyone else," I said as I finished my tale. "She revels in my misery."

"What a sadistic cunt," growled Tyler.

He still wasn't breaking down in tears. Not that I’d expected that, but I was hoping for a little more disappointment at least.

"Tell me about it," I muttered. "I felt like such an idiot when I remembered my contract. I should've known I'd forgotten something."

"Don’t beat yourself up over it," Tyler soothed. "You were in the heat of the moment. You couldn't have known."

But you should be more upset about this, I thought. You seemed so excited this morning, but now you seem . . . subdued. It pissed me off that I didn’t have the courage to come right out and tell him that.

The cabin fell silent as our driver, Jonathan, rolled to a stop at a stoplight.

"So what are we going to do?" I asked a moment later. "I must admit, I was totally looking forward to working with you.” I flashed a nervous smile at him. "And then later on, maybe be your partner."

Tyler hesitated, and for a second I saw indecision flicker in his eyes.

Is he having second thoughts? I wondered. I hated that about myself. I’m a pretty headstrong girl most of the time, but I do have my insecurity issues too. The thought bothered me more than I wanted to admit. It meant that I'd been a fool all along.

When Tyler didn't respond right away, I shifted in my seat, feeling an almost overwhelming panic take control of my limbs. "Are you okay?" I asked, trying my hardest to keep my voice level and firm.

Tyler coughed and shook his head. "Uh, yeah. I was just thinking."

"About what?" my voice cracked.

Damnit. Another moment longer and I was sure I'd burst into tears. If that happens, I thought, I'm jumping out at the next stop light and never looking back.

Tyler finally seemed to sense my anxiety and wrapped a consoling arm over my shoulder. "Don't worry, babe. I think I know who can help."

"Who?" I wondered, trying not to cry.

"Brad, a lawyer friend of mine," Tyler replied confidently. "I had a meeting planned with him at Bixby's diner tomorrow during lunch."

"Bixby's," I muttered. I thought I’d heard of that one, a trendy restaurant near Christine’s. It was a little upscale and out of my league.

"Yeah. Anyway, we were going to go over the legal options I have if I’m removed. How about you stop by on your lunch break tomorrow? We'll talk to him about it, see if there's anything you can do to get out of it. If not, we’ll just have to wait.”

"He'd do that?" I asked, swallowing back the lump in my throat. Just Tyler having his arm around me was doing a lot to calm my nerves. The man was out of this world. He could make me suspicious of him, doubt myself, and love him all at once.

Tyler chuckled. “Yeah. He owes me big time.”

"For what?"

Tyler grinned. "You remember where we first met?"

I rolled my eyes. "How could I forget?" Images of Tyler's chiseled thighs and enormous bulge flashed in front of my eyes, making the heat rise within my body.

Your lips would look good wrapped around my . . .

"Well those guests you guys were fitting were for Brad's wedding, and guess who’s footing the bill?"

"Okay," I said, smiling. It was nice to know that Tyler would do that for someone, even if it was a drop in the bucket for him.

Tyler planted a kiss on my cheek. “Everything will be all right, baby.”

My breath quickened at his words and his hand that was now on my thigh.

"What are you doing?" I demanded

Tyler's beautiful eyes sparkled with mischief. "You left me hanging this morning. I'm just getting what I've been waiting for all day."

I glanced uneasily up at the front of the limo. There was a glass window separating us and Jonathan, but I wasn't sure if he could see through it.

"In here? While he's driving?"

My breath quickened as Tyler’s eyes bore into me with an intensity that made my thighs quiver like Jell-O.

Tyler pushed my legs open wide and winked at me, giving me a grin that said, I'm about to f*ck you and you're going to love it. Who could resist?





* * *



The next day, after a grueling morning with Christine, who'd sent me around the building like a chicken with my head cut off, running errand after impossible errand, I stopped by Bixby’s to meet up with Tyler and his friend, Brad, to have lunch.

After the hot session I’d been treated to in the back of Tyler’s limo, I was anxious to see my beautiful boyfriend again and to meet his childhood best friend. Tyler seemed to limit those he called friends, and I was curious to see what he was like.

"Looks like you’re in a bit of a pickle,” Brad announced, closing the last page of the form and sliding it across the smooth, marble table to me. “She’s right. I’d recommend going ahead and giving your notice.”

Though not as handsome as Tyler, Brad was a very attractive guy. When I’d arrived at the restaurant, he greeted me like the utmost gentleman, pulling out my seat and giving my hand a kiss, which had prompted a jealous warning from Tyler. The two began bickering back and forth over it, and I thought for a minute that they’d come to blows when I finally realized that they were just playing.