Addison (The Mitchell/Healy Family #6)(19)
“Why do you do that?”
“What? Speak the truth? I told you I wouldn’t flirt. I didn’t say anything about ignoring what you were doing with those suggestive, gorgeous green eyes.”
It was already hot outside, but I could feel my body overheating. I tried to take deep breaths to steady myself. “Fine. You have a nice body. I’m sure you know that.”
“I work hard at it. I try to eat healthy, aside from the occasional breakfast binge. I’m a sucker for pancakes.”
“So you’ve said.” I played with my hair, putting it up in a bun to get it off my shoulders.
I looked out at the lake. A few people were swimming in what appeared to be underwear. There was no way lace was included in any bathing suits around where we lived.
“I’m getting in. You should join me.” He jumped to his feet quickly, extending a hand for me to come with him.
“You’re crazy. I’m not dressed for it. It’s not like I can just take off my clothes like you.”
“Well, you could, but it’s not what I’m asking. Come on. Live a little. For once think about something other than being good. I bet there was a time when you were adventurous.”
I smirked. If he only knew.
“See, I’m right ain’t I? Come on. Wear your clothes if you need to. Let me see the real Addison, the one who throws caution to the wind and has fun, because we’re young and we can.”
I thought about it. What would it hurt if I swam in a lake? I wasn’t breaking any laws.
He bent over and tucked his wallet under the blanket. I’d left my things in the car and locked it. Lucky for me I had a touch pad to unlock them from the outside of the vehicle.
I stood up slowly, unsure if I wanted to get wet and have my already tight clothes showing off every curve of my body. “I don’t know.”
“Please. I want to know the real you. Show me what you’re hiding from everyone else. I won’t tell a soul.”
I don’t know why it felt so easy to place my hand in his. While Cole watched me I lifted my tank top over my head. My bra wasn’t anything fancy. It resembled a bathing suit enough. When I dropped my shorts I swear I saw him crack a smile. “It’s not fair you get to keep your shorts on.”
“I won’t look.” He turned around, not that I cared at this point. He was bringing something out in me that I’d kept hidden. I wanted to feel alive again; the rush of being adventurous.
My bra and panties didn’t match. Obviously I hadn’t seen the day going like this. My red bottoms and black top were plain enough where I didn’t feel like everyone would be staring, but I still ran into the murky water to hide myself. Cole stood there for only a second watching me, before finally running in until we were face to face, chest deep in the water.
He went under and came up behind me. I spun around again, watching as he disappeared underneath. The sound of bubbles emerging let me know he was behind me again, this time not giving me time to twist and catch him. I felt hands on my hips. I should have swam away, or at least stood my ground. I should have told him he was going against his promise, but I didn’t. I think he was testing me. When I placed my hands over his, still holding my sides, he brought me back against his chest and whispered in my ear. “Being with you is like being high. The closer you get the better it feels.” His lips drug over the lobe of my ear, causing my head to fall back and eyes to close. “Tell me to stop and I will.”
“This is crazy,” I whispered as his lips found my neck.
His hands began to rise, taking mine with them. Just under the wire to my bra he stopped. A million different feelings were running through my head, but none of them were fear. In this moment I knew exactly what I was doing, and I wouldn’t have been able to stop it if I tried. “Just go with it. Don’t be afraid of me. I won’t hurt you.”
I turned my body around, now face to face with Cole. His eyes up close were so undefined. They weren’t green, or blue – not even gray. Every color was speckled together to make a hazel tone. I stared in them, breathless and prepared for what I knew was about to happen. “I’m not afraid of you, Cole. I’m more afraid of not being able to stop myself.”
“I’m not a drug, Addison. I’m just a guy, who likes a girl that happens to share a common struggle in life. Just because we’re addicts doesn’t mean we can’t live. In the years I’ve been taking pills, nothing has felt more real to me than being around you. We’re strangers, I get it. Except, being around you, especially like this, it feels right. Let’s go with it. We don’t have to tell anyone. It can be our secret.”
I don’t know who made the first move. I felt my lips closing in on his and let my eyes shut. I wanted this to happen; so bad I could feel it before it did. The seconds our lips brushed for the first time I was crumbling. My values were tossed aside because this man; this handsome, crazy man, took my breath away. Cole placed small kisses around my lips before our first full-fledged lip-lock. It intensified quickly after that, to the point where my legs were wrapped around his waist and his hands were holding my ass. I didn’t want it to end. Our tongues played against one another, perfectly dancing together like we’d done this a million times. Everything around us disappeared. There were no other people, no critters, not even the water around us. Even though we were cooled off, my body was on fire, and he was both the ignition and the extinguisher.