Page 14 of Falling for Fury

“I could accuse you of the same thing, seeing as I live around here?”

“And how do you know I don’t live around here?” he accuses with a playful challenge in his eyes.

“Well, do you?” Addison, do you hear yourself?

“Why? Eager to get out of here, are you?” He winks at me then, and his smirk turns into a full watt smile. I scoff at him and roll my eyes as I make to push past him. He steps in front of me with his arm out, reaching across the width of the hall, blocking my path. Six feet is so much taller in person. I have to crane my neck to look at his face.

“What are you doing here, shortcake?” His expression remains playful, and I move back a step, putting some much-needed distance between us as I cross my arms. He takes a step forward, closing the space I just opened.

“I was having a drink with friends and watching the game. Why do you care?”

“Magic fan?”

“Bulls.”

“Really?” His eyes glitter intensely, and he takes another half step. I take a step back and my back is pressed against the wall. He remains where he is and moves his arm as his eyes make a quick glance to the wall behind me.

“What? Hard to believe a woman could like basketball?” My words are laced with venom, but my efforts fail to dissuade him, and his smile grows.

“Not at all, just hasn’t been my luck to find a woman like you who actually roots for my team.”

A woman like you.

He has known me for five seconds. What does that even mean?

I am suddenly lost for a retort as he inches ever so slightly closer to me, his scent of spring and whisky flooding my senses. Intertwined with espresso, his glazed eyes probably being his buzz and the relaxed lean a likely effect of the alcohol. Warmth grows toward my lower belly as I rake my eyes over him. God, it should be illegal to have men looking like him just walking around. He really is a Greek god. In all his tanned, tall muscle, his clothes cling to him. It isn’t until his eyes darken and he places his hands on the wall above my head that I realize my breathing has quickened and my heart is pounding louder than a drum in my chest. His sudden proximity seems to slap me out of my stupor, and I bring my hands up to my chest in a barricade.

“What are you doing?” I ask with way more fear than I usually allow. He blinks and his smirk is instantly gone. He shakes his head and backs up a step.

“I—”

“Stop following me, Noah.” I push him aside and finally go to the bathroom.

“Wait, Addis—”

His sentence is cut off by me going into the bathroom.

What the fuck just happened?

On my way out of the bathroom, I try to shake it off, not letting this ignite me further. I managed to bury the doom and gloom from earlier today with the distraction of a girls’ night, and I’m not going to waste all of that hard work on a guy. I will also not analyze any of the feelings that arose out of his proximity. I will go home with Rosie and Casey, and we will watch TV and be friends and I will go to bed happy.

As I leave the bar and turn left to head back up the street, I see Rosie and Casey a few steps up staring at me. Casey with concerned eyes, but a semi-smile, and Rosie with a look that terrifies the crap out of me. I stop dead and look at them, and then check my shoes and clothes for something out of place to explain their faces.

“What are you g—”

“Addison?” My spine snaps straight at the low caramel voice from behind me.

“Oh, God,” I grunt. “Noah, what do you want?” At this point, I am so exhausted by this fucking guy.

“I think we got off on the wrong foot. I want to apologize and start fresh.” He throws me his biggest smouldering smile that I am sure has a 100% panty-melting strike rate. I study his expression, not letting him see my walls dropping as I try to hold them in place.

Damn you, espresso martinis.

I search his eyes. Is that guilt? “You apologize a lot.” I turn back to walk with Casey and Rosie, whose faces still look the same.

“Addison wait. Can you just put down the pitchfork and talk to me?”

“Pitchfork? I don’t know you. I don’t owe you anything. What is it that makes you think that because you are…” I stutter on finding the right words and instantly regret the next ones that come out, “…sex personified, that you are entitled to my attention?“ I lace my words with venom, and I swear I can hear Rosie hiss uncomfortably from behind me. But I am left disappointed as my blow doesn’t land, and in fact, he steps towards me, eyes narrowing with devious challenge, and his grin grows.