Page 19 of Celebrity Dirt

“Okay…well, bye. I’ll see ya around.”

“Keep walking, Addy.”

I walk up the first flight of stairs, still hoping he goes away. “Fine, but you don’t really need to walk me to my door. I can handle it.” He doesn’t speak as we round another flight of stairs. I really need to go inside and write down everything that happened today so I don’t forget. Speaking of, I need my darn phone back. “Don’t you have things to do? Deal drugs? Shoot innocent girls and throw them off boats—schnikey!”

He grabs me and pushes me up against the wall. His large hand covers my mouth, his fury springing back to life. Maybe pointing out he’s a murderer wasn’t all that necessary. I stare back at him, hating to admit how undeniably sexy he is when he’s mad. Not that I would know what to do with a man like him. I’m still reading How to Swoon a Man: 101. I’m sure he’s the muse for the bestselling book The Expert Level Lover.

I accidentally snicker.

“What. The. Fuck is so funny?”

I labeled you as an expert lover. “Nothing. I remembered a joke from…the comics…you know, in the newspaper…yeah, I don’t even think people read those—”

I’m up and over his shoulder as he storms the rest of the way to my door. “Where are your keys?”

It’s hard to answer him when all my blood is rushing to my head. “In my pocket. Maybe if you jiggle me, they’ll fall—oh my god, that’s not where my keys are!” I squeal as he shoves his hands inside the front of my pants.

“Well, where the hell are your damn pockets?”

“Where all pockets are!”

“Jesus Christ,” he growls, flipping me upward. My feet smack onto the ground. “Get ’em.”

I huff, making it clear how ridiculous he is, and dig into my pocket for my keys. My keys…my… “Shoot!”

“What is it now?”

“I left them on my desk. My purse…it fell and—”

“You’re kidding me right now.”

“No, I’m not kidding you. If you care to remember, you just showed up at my work, uninvited, and practically dragged me out of there. Between your unwanted kiss and the manhandling, I guess I forgot to grab my damn keys!”

“Unwanted, huh?”

If there is any time I wish I was an expert liar, it’s right now.

“Yes.”

His laugh is so darn sexy. I have to rip my eyes away from his lips and stare at a crack in the wall to stop the burning in my cheeks from starting on fire.

“You’re a horrible liar.”

“Am not!” Still staring at the wall.

He lifts an eyebrow, and his chuckle is felt in all the special places on my body. “Look at me and tell me you didn’t enjoy that kiss.” I’m doomed. If I look, I’m totally busted. Not only did I enjoy that kiss, I enjoyed the first one and the second one, and I’m secretly praying to enjoy a ton more. “You can’t do it, can you?”

Time to completely dodge his question. “You know, this is absurd. You should just leave.”

“No, admit it.”

“I will not.”

“Admit it, and I’ll leave.”

I hold my breath and turn to him. “It was okay at best. I wouldn’t even write in my diary about it.” Blasted! Why do I open my mouth? “For the record, I do not own a diary.”

“Yes, you do.”

“No, I don’t!” They’re called journals nowadays. “You know what, this is ridiculous. I have better things to do than play childish games with you.” We have a stare-off, the message between us clear. He knows I have nothing better to do, and I also know I have nothing better to do. “Okay, so, good day. Or night—whatever.” I turn my back to him and stand, facing my door. The one I don’t have the keys to. Drats! I can only hope he gets the hint and leaves.

“Move over.” A small yelp escapes my lips when two hands grip my waist and set me to the side.

“What? What are you doing…?”

He bends down, magically appearing with a set of tiny tools, and starts working on my door. I begin to open my mouth to tell him he’s not going to be able to get it open when the pop of my lock sounds, and he turns the knob. “What—how’d you do that?” He straightens out and pushes my door open.

“Thug mob life, remember? I’ve learned a few things.” Ugh! I should have just kept my mouth shut. I storm past him into my apartment. He doesn’t turn around and leave but welcomes himself inside and shuts the door behind him. I stomp toward my bedroom when he stops me. “Where the hell are you going? We’re not done talkin’ about what happened back there.”

I whip around. “Oh, I’m sorry, what exactly is it you want to harp on me about now?”

“Stop getting involved. If I tell you to stay fucking quiet, you do it.”

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