ADDICTED

44

"You two are sickeningly cute," Julia said.

She crept over and snatched a piece of bacon from the plate.

"Bro, aren't you supposed to be in a wheelchair or something?" she asked.

I arched a brow at him.

"Crutches," he corrected her. "I'll be damned if anyone expects me to wear crutches with a tux."

"Which is why I also got you a gift," I chimed in. "It's a little more stylish than crutches."

James folded his arms over his chest.

I grinned and then slipped away to grab his gift. My nerves were staticky from anticipation.

I hoped he liked this or I'd be crushed.

When I returned to the kitchen, the Muller siblings were eating bacon in companionable silence.

They faced me with suspicious glances.

"For our cripple," I declared, holding up the vintage, hand-crafted cane I'd found a few days ago.

James approached with his usual limp, masking a grimace under his bold eyes.

He took a long breath and then held out his hands. I placed the black wood in his grasp.

"I hope it fits you," I mumbled.

My eyes were glued to his hands. Anxious thoughts swarmed my mind, warning me that he might not like it.

He examined the cane carefully.

At the top of the curved wood, he paused to touch the stone-carved bear print.

His jaw ticked.

"Too much?" I pouted.

"No," he said instantly. He shook his head and looked up at the ceiling. "It's perfect, love. Perfect."

Julia exchanged a look of surprise with me.

"Oh, good!" I said and then suggested, "Why don't you test it out?"

The cane clicked as its butte tapped down on the wood floor.

James straightened his posture and proceeded to walk forward.

He wobbled a bit, uncertain how to cast his weight onto the walking aide. After moving about for another minute, his hobbling evened out the slightest.

"Well," he huffed. "It's better than the damn crutches."

I sighed in relief while Julia snickered.

Limping over to me, James tilted my head back with the stone tip of the cane.

"Thank you, Leah," he told me. "This was very thoughtful of you."

I shrugged with a smug smile.

"As your assistant, it's my job to know you're not only vain but also stubborn," I said. "I thought this would be a good way to doctor up both of your bad habits."

He rolled his eyes but a smile toyed at his lips.

"Also," I continued, spinning to look at Julia, "we have a surprise for you."

Her brows rose but she said nothing.

"I don't know if you want to go to the gala, but I think you might enjoy it," I said. "So I picked out a gown and heels for you that your brother so lovingly purchased. They're hanging in a fabric cover in my closet."

Julia's hands flew to her mouth. Her eyes budded with tears.

"No you didn't!" she cried.

I just beamed.

James wrapped his arm around my waist as Julia ran over to embrace us.

"There's going to be alcohol, right?" she mumbled into my shoulder.

"Here we go," James snorted.

"You think I'd be going if there wasn't?" I spoke, ignoring him.

Content with our answers, she sprinted off to see the dress.

I peered up at James' face.

His jaw and chin were lined with a thin dark beard, his full lips pink and chapped. To make matters even better, his hair curled along his ears from how grown out it was.

He looked feral and sexy as fuck.

"You should come to the spa with me," I said, rubbing my hands along his stubble.

"I know, I need to shave and get a haircut." He touched his espresso-brown locks self-consciously.

"They can do all that there, I'm sure. We've been working our asses off. We deserve to relax today."

He guided his hands around my hips to firmly grasp each of my butt cheeks. The space between our bodies evaporated.

His erection poked at my belly. My ovaries jumped around inside me.

"I know how I'd like to relax," he purred.

I arched a challenging brow. "Doesn't sound like much relaxing to me," I teased.

"Exactly."

Rolling my eyes, I kissed his chin and then wiggled free.

I fixed three plates of food, though there was no telling when Julia would eat. My nerves felt staticky as we ate.

Within a few hours, months of labor and time would pay off.

I'd get to see Isabelle after what already feels like forever.

My mind devolved to the thought of her date. A wave of nausea clutched my stomach.

Get over it, I thought to myself. You don't know that anything happened, so just forget it.

"Ready, darling?"

I looked up in time to see James rise from his seat.

The t-shirt he threw on hung loosely around his lean, square frame. His muscular arms rippled below the short sleeves.

I wanted to lose myself in him again.

"I guess," I said with a sigh.

We could have sex all night long after we saw tonight through to completion.

Nodding, I stood with him and readied for the spa.