Page 40 of Count On Me

I hold back the growl that wants to rip through my chest and out of my mouth, clenching my teeth so tightly together I’m definitely gonna need a trip to the dentist after this.

“Not jealous. Eddie can have as many friends as she wants. I don’t have to like them though,” I grumble at her.

She cackles back. “You love me and you know it. One day, I’ll tell you exactly why as well. Remember, I’m an ally.”

I begin to question her when I hear a throat clear behind me and spin on my heels to see my Eddie. I stop dead in my tracks, my jaw gapes open and my dick jumps at the sight that greets us. Edie is dressed in a skintight, floor length, red dress, a hooded cape pulled up over her wild red curls. The dress dips low to show the swell of her breasts, and I run my eyes over the curve of her hips. The thigh-high split shows off her smooth, creamy leg, and my gaze devours her. Saliva pools in my mouth as I avert my stare from the bright red, sexy-as-sin stilettos on her delicate feet, and gulp when she smiles at me, flashing her white teeth behind her ruby red lips. FUCK!

“Hi, Jaxson. You okay?” A hint of unease comes over her face and I realise I haven’t uttered a word since she stepped out of her room.

“You look… You’re… I want…”

“Well I hope the ends of these sentences are more riveting than the beginnings,” Angie deadpans behind me, but I can’t take my eyes off Edie to offer a comeback.

She’s a goddess standing in front of me.

“Edie, You’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.” I growl the words always on my mind and let my eyes meet hers before whispering, “Hawaii.” The red blush that creeps over her cheeks tells me she's embarrassed, but the curve of her grin tells me she likes what I said.

“Thank you, Jaxson. I think we pull off Red Riding Hood and the Wolf well. Don’t you?”

She steps closer to me and I want nothing more than to stalk over to her, sweep her off her feet, and take her back to her bedroom. But I don’t. I stand frozen in front of her. Still trying to understand how I’m supposed to spend the entire night with her looking like that without kissing the life out of her and telling her I want her to be my be-all and end-all?

“Shall we go? Or have you changed your mind?” she asks me, and I hesitate a second.

Because I have changed my mind. But I can’t tell her that because she’d want to know why. And I can’t tell her that either.

“Um, yeah. Okay. Yeah. Cool. You ready?” I stutter out, and I swear I hear Angie say ‘fucking idiot’ again.

I brush it off as Edie’s phone lets her know she has a text message. I watch as her face lights up as she reads it.

“Who’s texting you, Edie?” My stomach turns and I know my ears are redder than anything with anger, because I have a hunch who’s texting and getting smiles like that frommyEddie.

“Just Tom. He wanted to see my outfit. Do you mind if we take a photo to send to him?”

She hands Angie her phone, and I frown at the whole world. Because right now, I want to hurt a motherfucker, but instead, I grit my teeth and nod my head.

She stands next to me and tells me to smile, but instead of standing side by side like she wanted, I step behind her, wrapping my arms around her waist. I lay my palms flat on her stomach and pull her back against me. I hold her tightly and my shoulders drop in relief when she laughs and rests her head back onto my chest. I place my chin on top of her crown and watch as Angie positions the phone.

After a few seconds, she turns while still in my arms and looks up into my eyes. She giggles as my hands ride dangerously low on her back, and I fight the urge to slide them down to her ass, settling for a quick kiss on her forehead instead. When she’ssmiling at me, her hazel eyes twinkling and her freckles dancing across her nose, the world stops existing. It’s just me and her. And it feels so damn right.

My head starts to lower on its own accord, wanting to taste those ruby red lips of hers, when a flash stops me in my tracks. I blink a few times and turn my head to see where the offending light is coming from.

Angie smirks at me. “Sorry. It was a cute pic. Old Wolfy looked like he wanted to gobble Little Red right up. Very fitting for your costumes. You’re welcome by the way,friend.” She keeps her eyes on me as she hands Edie the phone and stalks off to her bedroom.

“Let’s go Wolfy, before you eat me up. Not that I’d mind that at all,” Edie throws back at me as she walks out of the apartment.

I groan inwardly, images assaulting my mind of her laid out on a table, legs spread open and that red dress bunched around her waist, while I devour her pussy. Shit. Thankfully this costume’s a little roomy so I can hide the fact that my cock is hard and aching for her. Her beautiful curvy ass sways from side to side and I gulp again, knowing tonight is gonna be nothing but trouble.

24

EDIE

“Do you like my shoes, Jaxson?” I hold my foot up for him and watch as his eyes take in my bare leg whilst we wait for the lights to turn green. Our driver clears his throat a little and I banish the embarrassment away. I don’t care if he can hear me flirting. This night is our turning point, and embarrassment be damned.

“Uh-huh,” he murmurs, and I smirk as he clenches his jaw again, the tick in the side of it showing me how much restraint he’s using.

“Did you see the little accessories I put on them?” He frowns and shakes his head. I slip one of the highest heels I’ve ever worn off and show him the tiny football dangling from the strap that goes around my ankle.

“Did you put them on there for me?” He flicks his gaze back to the driver as we move slowly through the London traffic.

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