Addicted (The Addicted Series, #1)(90)

"You're better," I said, "but it is the best thing I've ever cooked."

The approving look she gave me was the best reward I'd ever had for doing something, and her smile was just the cherry on top. We tore into the omelet together, devouring it in less than two minutes, and I dutifully took the plate into the kitchen, washing it along with all of the utensils we had used before drying them and putting them away exactly where they had come from. After I did, I washed my hands and dried them, turning to see Krystal looking at me from the couch with a look in her eyes. "What?"

"Watching you wash dishes is sexy," she said, and I could see the stiff bumps of her nipples outlined against my t-shirt. "I am so having you do that more often."

As aroused as seeing her like that made me, I forced myself to put that aside and say what had been on my mind even before we made love. "I'll be happy to," I said, coming over and kneeling in front of her. "But we need to talk about something. Krystal, I need to go back to Los Angeles for a few days."

"Why?" she asked, her eyes suddenly filled with worry. I kissed her knuckles and smiled.

"Because I need to close out some things there. I've got a car to put into storage, utilities to close out, things like that. A lot of it I can do from here, but there are a few things I need to do in person, including paying some parking fines. It shouldn't take me more than four or five days, but I want to leave California mostly clean. Also, there's a test I need to take."

"Why?" Krystal repeated, and I realized I was doing a horrible job of trying to say what I wanted to say.

"Because I want a new life here in Chicago with you. I talked with a buddy of mine in Los Angeles, he runs the gym that I used to go to. He said he can get me into a weekend long course where I can take the test to become a personal trainer through one of the national bodies. Now, it's not much, it's barely a start, but I was thinking . . . well, I want to follow in your footsteps, Krystal. You've stood on your own two feet, and I want to do that too. I want to become the man that you deserve, and I want to move on past a long overextended adolescence. Although, I was kind of hoping you'd still let me stay here with you. If you want, I'll pay rent for my room and you can sub-let it to me."

Krystal blinked, then smiled. "Julian Castelbon, are you asking to move in with me?"

I nodded and kissed her knuckles. "Yeah, I guess I am."

"Permanently?"

"That's what I was thinking," I replied, "although maybe someday we can get a bigger place than this."

Krystal leaned forward and kissed me again, her tongue tracing my lips until I opened up and we were soon making out again. "Then your rent is to take me, right now, and make love to me again," she said, wrapping her arms around my neck. "But this time, I want it a bit different."

"Oh? How so?" I asked, eager to please. My cock was already straining my shorts, and I knew I was more than up to the challenge.

"Shower, gel, and wash me from behind," she said.

"Yes milady," I said, grinning. "Just lead the way."





Chapter 16


Krystal




It was a weird sense of mirror deja vu as I watched Julian get on the bus that was going to take him to the airport. Part of me was impressed, trying to do it the same way I did. I watched the bus disappear around the corner and headed towards the El train station. I had planned to meet up with Kim for a coffee, and we were going to meet at a little place near Alinea before prep started for dinner service. It was a Friday night, which meant things were going to be hopping. I was so glad to be off the prep monkey squad and into the line, even though that too had plenty of hard work to go along with it.

I saw Kim waiting for me outside the Starbucks, already sitting at one of the tables that dotted the sidewalk, a green tea smoothie in her hand. "Hey Krystal," she said, raising her cup before pausing. She stood up and looked me up and down, a smile breaking out on her face. "Congratulations."

"What is it about our faces that gives it away?" I said, perplexed. "Julian was saying you told him the same thing."

"For a computer geek, I'm pretty good at reading people's faces," Kim replied. "Go get your drink, and you can tell me all about it."

I went inside and got my go-to, an iced dark roast coffee, and joined Kim outside. It was getting later in the year, and the warm sun was welcome. There would be too many upcoming days without it. "So what do you want to know?"

I'd known Kim for too long not to be honest with her, and she was as close as any sister to me. "So are you two together?"

"Yes we are," I replied after taking a sip. "He met me at the airport coming back from New York yesterday, and it was just magic."

Kim nodded and took a deep drink from her frozen concoction. How she stayed so slim with sucking down a venti sized one of those three times I week I had no idea. "Magic, huh? And just how magic was it?"

"You so need to find a man in your life," I groaned, taking another sip. We sat side by side and watched the sidewalk traffic go by, with Kim flashing me looks from time to time. I knew that expression, she wasn't going to stop. "Okay, okay, fine. Four times."

I think it was the first time in our entire acquaintance that I'd seen Kimberly surprised. In fact, she was more than surprised, she shot a stream of green tea gloop about three feet out into the sidewalk, just missing a pigeon that was bugging customers for crumbs from their scones and sandwiches. "Four times? FOUR times? I haven't had four times this year!"