Payton
He pushed out of the chair and moved toward . I stepped back, grabbing for the edge of the bed when I tripped on the rug... not that I needed to. He caught , which ant he also pulled against him. The hand attached to the arm not holding like a vice grip around my waist, slid to my neck and stroked my pulse, and he studied , his eyes dropping to my mouth, which of course made them dry, so I just had to lick my lips. He smiled again. Damn it!
"What are you doing?" I demanded... okay, demand wasn’t the word, because there was nothing demand-y about my voice. It was shaky and breathy... and might I add, sowhat turned on? God, I was insane!
"Do friends cut off other friends so they can’t get a word in edgewise when trying to explain sothin’ to the other one?" he asked.
"I wasn’t—"
He raised an eyebrow. "Do friends jump to conclusions before askin’ questions in order to understand a situation fully?"
"I didn’t—"
"And tell , Payton. What kind of friend is consud twenty-four, seven with the desire to fuck the other one?"
Ohmigod! "I—"
His mouth landed on mine and I was transported sowhere so far out of the friend zone, it might as well have been the moon and this pissed off, so I pushed at his shoulders and broke the kiss. I laid my fingers against my lips trying to ignore the tingle.
"In answer to your question, handso. No, friends aren’t consud with the need to fuck each other," I snapped. "So maybe we can’t be friends after all."
"Fuck , Payton, what the hell do you want to do?"
"I want you to stop kissing every ti you want to get your point across!"
"Damn it, woman!" He dragged his hands down his face. "You make fuckin’ crazy, you know that?"
I threw my hands up. "Bite !"
His gaze swept my body from tip to toe and I shivered.
"Not literally," I rushed to say.
"Fuckin’ sha, baby. I’d make it good for you."
"I hate you so much right now."
He sighed and his face softened. "I’m just askin’ you to talk it out with , Payton. Can you do that?"
"Honestly, Alex? I don’t know. You’re not what I expected. You’re sure as hell nothing like anyone I’ve ever t, so I’m kind of lost as to what to do."
He smiled gently and held his hand out to . "Break it down for ."
I took his hand and he led back to the chairs. I sat in the one I’d been in before, and he did the sa. I couldn’t help looking over my shoulder and staring out at the view of the water. It was so incredibly calming and I needed that right now. "Relationships have always been easy for ," I admitted. "In the past, I’ve been friends with soone for a while, then we’d go on a few dates and decide if there was sothing to develop. If there was, we’d see each other for a period of ti exclusively, then if we fell in love, we’d take it to the next level." I focused on Alex again. "There has never been drama. Ever. Even when the relationships didn’t work out, we’d separate amicably and go on with our lives."
"Sounds pretty fuckin’ borin’, baby."
"Well, it wasn’t. It was great," I countered. "I always knew where I stood, always understood where we were going. No guessing."
"Because it was all on your terms."
"It was not!"
"Babe, it was," he said. "Sounds like you dated a shit ton of pussies, none of them willing to fight for you or make you feel anything real. They let you run everything... afraid to disappoint the great Payton Williams."
I rolled my eyes. "You have no idea what you’re talking about."
A Macey sounding giggle ca from the hallway and I shot out of my seat to find my best friend with her hand over her mouth, standing about a foot from the open door.
"Eavesdropping now, Mace?" I snapped. "Nice."
"I was coming to find out if you still wanted to co with us or if we should go without you. I didn’t an to catch that last bit of the conversation," she said, and then raised her voice and added, "Even if he is totally right."
"He is not right! And, yes, I’m coming with you."
"Okay, well we need to get going."
I nodded. "Let’s go."
"Give us a minute, babe," Alex said to Macey from right behind . Again, I hadn’t heard him move.
"Do you float?" I snapped.
"I’ll give you a minute," Macey said, and walked away.
"I have to go," I said, and faced Alex.
He closed the bedroom door and stroked my cheek. "One minute."
I let out a frustrated sigh. "Fifty-eight seconds, handso. Make ’em count."
"No one conspired against you, Payton. When I was at the club earlier, Booker did say Dani was joining you, but it was after you and I spoke, and you said you were busy. He didn’t say anything about Kim or driving them." He smiled. "I just wanted to see you, baby, and, yeah, I want to know you’re safe. If I’m driving, then I can guarantee it."
I bit my lip. "You really didn’t plan it?"
"Can’t speak for the others, but no, I really didn’t plan it."
I lted. "I still hate you."
He chuckled and ran his nose against mine. "No you don’t."
"Yes I do," I whispered.
He kissed gently. "No you don’t."
I licked my lips. "Um, yeah, I do."
He grinned and kissed again. "Um, no, you don’t."
I wrinkled my nose, mostly because I didn’t want to smile.
"I can keep doing this," he said.
"I bet you can."
Alex chuckled. "Forgive ?"
"For which part?" I retorted.
"All of it, baby. That way I’m covered."
I rolled my eyes. "I guess I should probably apologize too."
"What for? You’re perfect, Payton."
"I never said I was perfect," I snapped.
"Don’t get mad, baby." He smiled again. "I’m just fuckin’ with ya. Don’t get your panties in a wad."
"Don’t tell not to get my panties in a wad, then."
He raised an eyebrow. "We’ll work on your sense of humor."
"Bite... never mind."
Alex laughed and I couldn’t help but smile.
"We friends?" he asked, and I punched his arm. "Shit, baby, that fuckin’ hurt."
"Yeah, well, my brother taught how to hit," I said smugly, but when I saw him rubbing his arm, I felt bad. "I didn’t really hurt you, did I?" When he gave an irritating smirk, I wanted to hit him again. "I’m back to hating you."
At that, he dropped his head back and let out a roar of a laugh. "Fuck , baby, you’re gorgeous."
"I’m going now," I said in a sing-songy voice, and pulled open the door.
Before I could step into the hallway, I was dragged up against Alex and kissed senseless. How was it possible kissing him just got better and better?
"Payton," Macey called, although, she was sounding a little less patient than before.
I pushed against Alex and he broke the kiss. "You’re killing ," I complained.
"Told you I’d wear you down, baby."
"Co on," I said, and headed back to the living room. "Dallas and Brock left already?"
"Honey, you’ve been in there for like an hour," Macey said.
"Bite , Mace." I heard Alex clear his throat behind , but I didn’t react. My body did though, and I had to take a few deep breaths to calm myself. "We ready?" I asked.
At the murmurs of assent, we locked up the apartnt and headed to Mississippi Studios.
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