Page 91 of Somebody to Save
“You do,” she agreed. “But I need you to know that I don’t need somebody to save me.” My stomach twisted at the sincerity and pain in her voice. “You make my life better and easier, but I don’t need a savior. I don’t need you to save me, but I love how safe you make me feel.”
Fuck, I knew that. My strong, confident woman didn’t need me to rescue her. She didn’t need me at all.
“You’re always safe with me, baby girl. And never once did I believe you needed saving. If anything, you’ve saved me.”
She scoffed a disbelieving chuckle and screwed up her brows. Her hands covered mine, still steadfast against her cheeks.
“Saved you? From what?”
“From a lonely, miserable, Addison-less existence.”
She tossed her head back and laughed, and my smile widened with the lifting tension.
“Whatever you say,” she mused. “We’re just a really fun pair, I guess. Mr. Fix-It and Ms. Has-a-Hard-Time-Accepting-Help. A match made in heaven.”
I knew she was joking. Our tendencies didn’t make that part of our relationship simple or easy. But in my opinion, we were a match made in fucking heaven.
Leaning forward, I kissed her hard. I swiped my tongue against her lips, and she yielded instantly, parting her mouth and letting my tongue sweep against hers. Her fingers wrapped around my jacket, and a small sound of contentment vibrated against my tongue.
One of my hands stayed against her cheek, directing the kiss as I saw fit, while the other slipped down her side. She sucked in a shaky breath when I brushed against the side of her breasts then released it in a satisfied exhale when I palmed her ass.
“Perfect match or not,” I whispered against her lips, “you’re my version of heaven and the closest to it I’ll ever be.”
“Fuck, Beckett. You can’t say stuff like that,” she groaned.
I pulled back with a laugh and one more soft kiss. “What do you mean?”
She sucked in a breath and shook her head. She flattened her hands against my chest and tilted her head back to maintain eye contact.
“Because I’ve already fallen for you. But when you say stuff like that, it just pulls me in deeper.”
God, I’d fallen for her, too, and I was about to tell her as much when there was a knock on the door. Ripped from the moment, we reluctantly stepped apart as someone pushed it open.
“Sorry, Caroline is ready for you both whenever.”
“Oh, awesome. Thanks so much,” Addison said, and the woman quickly left, closing the door behind her. “Guess we should head to her office then.” She closed her laptop and unplugged it from the monitors before she grabbed the notebook she always brought with her, too.
While she gathered her supplies and the hot chocolate I’d brought, I tried to calm my raging erection. I closed my eyes and thought about anything and everything I could to make it go down a little quicker. But she was still in the room with her sweet scent curling around me, so it was hopeless. It wasn’t going to disappear entirely.
“Ready?” Addison asked, and I opened my eyes to see her knowing, mischievous smile.
“Almost, and actually—how did you figure out I was paying Mary?”
She held her belongings against her chest, and I wasn’t prepared for the sullen expression that passed over her features.
“I had to call the insurance company about the opioid patches and the possibility of…” Her words trailed off, and she glanced to her right, out the window overlooking a small courtyard and the gloomy day. She took a deep breath and straightened, like she was fortifying herself. “We talked about the possibility of hospice, so I needed some more information. When they didn’t know anything about Mary, the pieces fit together pretty easily.”
“Addison—” I started, reaching for her, but she quickly shook her head.
“I can’t talk about it right now,” she said quietly. “If I talk about it, I’m going to lose it, and I already spent all morning trying to get it together. We can talk about it later. Okay?”
My heart constricted at the pain in her voice and the gravity of her words. I couldn’t believe they were already there. Wasn’t there more that could be done?
But none of that mattered in that moment.
Clenching my fists, I shoved them in the pockets of my slacks and nodded once. Whatever she wanted, whenever she wanted it, she’d get it. I’d be there when she needed to talk or for any comfort I could provide.
It may not be enough, but I’d do my best.
