The Sweet Addiction Series Collection: Sweet Addiction, Sweet Possession & Sweet Obsession (18 page)

“I should probably go,” he says, running his hands up my arms and holding me at my elbows. I yawn again.
Damn it, I really don’t want him to leave, but he can’t stay. No fucking way. No sleepovers.
“What are you doing tomorrow?”

I lick my dry lips and place my hands on his chest. “Juls and I are having a girls’ day. We’re going to the spa to get massages and facials and talk about boys.” He smirks at me and I give it right back to him. “I feel like I haven’t had her all to myself since she met Ian, which I totally get. She’s crazy about him.”

His hands grip my hips. “I’m sure the feeling’s mutual. He talks about her constantly and I give him all kinds of shit for it.” I smile at his admission.
Definitely telling Juls that tomorrow.
After a brief moment, his face scrunches and he runs his hand through his hair quickly, looking a bit unsure of himself. “Uh, when you get massages, is it a girl who does it?”

I roll my eyes. “And you call
me
the pervert?”

“What? Oh, no that’s not what I meant. Pervert.” He snorts and I shrug.
Yup, that’s me.
“I mean, is a guy going to be giving it to you, because I don’t think I’m okay with that.”

Wait, what?
I answer honestly. “Actually, I have no idea. Juls booked them weeks ago. But, why does it matter? It’s a massage; it’s not sexual.”

“It just does. If you want a guy to massage you, I’ll give you a massage. I’d prefer it if it was a girl and not for the perverted reasons your mind is thinking.”

I step back and stare at him.
Seriously?
“Okay, well, I just don’t understand why this bothers you.”
If this is just casual, then it shouldn’t. Right?

He throws his hands up and looks exasperated. “You’re right. Never mind, it doesn’t bother me. I should go.” He leans in quickly and kisses me on my temple before turning for the stairs.

“Reese.” He looks over at me, stopping on the stairs. My head is full with things I want to say to him.
I want to ask him to be honest with me, to tell me exactly why it bothers him to have a man massage me. I want to ask him if this is becoming more for him than how it started out. But I don’t. I don’t ask him anything.
“Goodnight.”

He smiles slightly and continues walking away. “Goodnight, love.” I watch him disappear down the stairs and hear the door close shut behind him as I’m left to ponder what just happened.

I wake up feeling just as confused as I did before I passed out last night. Plus, on top of that fun emotion, I’m also completely exhausted after the shitty night’s sleep I got. His words played on repeat in my mind, seeping into my dreams and leaving me full of questions. Questions I want desperately to have answered by him, but don’t have the guts to ask. I don’t get it. Why would me having a massage from a man bother him? Massages aren’t sexual at all in that setting. I’m sure they could be if Reese was to give me one, and the thought of that gives me chills, but at the spa I’m currently driving to with Juls? No fucking way.

I’ve had men give me massages before and I enjoy them a bit more than from women because they are stronger and their hands are bigger. I like my muscles to be worked deeply, and not with little dainty woman hands. But never, not ever have I once felt anything during a massage from a man other than pure relaxation. Christ, most of the time I pass out and have to be woken up, drool sticking to my face and looking like a hot mess.

I grunt as I look out the window. I’m tense and anxious and I need to fucking relax.

“You’re awfully quiet, sweets. Not looking forward to our day of beauty?” Juls asks after giving me my alone time to contemplate what the hell happened last night. Not that it helped any.

I sigh heavily. “Something strange happened last night with Reese and I’m not really sure what to make of it.” I turn my attention to her. “Do you know if my massage is booked with a man or a woman?”

She laughs a bit. “Uh oh. Did someone voice his opinion of not wanting another man touching you?”

“Sort of? I don’t know. He said he’d prefer if it was a woman and when I asked him why it mattered so much because it wasn’t like I was getting a happy ending out of it, he said it
didn’t
matter and then he left.” I rest my head back and rack my brain. “I just don’t get why he cares if this is just sex between us.”

She makes a sound of amusement before answering. “You, my lovely best friend, are an idiot.”

“What? Why?” The car slows as she pulls into the parking lot of Tranquility Day Spa and my stomach tightens.
Fuck. Do I really want to go through with this if it’s booked with a guy and I can’t switch it?
Do I even want a massage anymore?

She pulls into a parking spot, shuts the car off, and turns toward me in her seat. “Dylan, seriously? What if Reese was the one getting a massage and some fucking hot chick was rubbing her hands all over his body and giving him pleasure. Would
you
be okay with that?”

Well, shit, I didn’t think about it like that.
“No, I definitely wouldn’t be okay with that.” I cover my face quickly and rub it. “Damn it. I’m such an asshole.”

She laughs and pulls my hands down. “No, you’re not. You’re expecting him to not care about you because what you two are doing is what you keep foolishly referring to as
casual
. But you’re very hard not to care about.” Her thumb softly strokes my hand and I smile weakly at her. “Even if you guys are just having fun, he’s allowed to want to keep you to himself and so are you.”
God, I miss these talks with Juls. She always makes perfect sense out of any situation.
She stops lovingly caressing me and slaps my hand, causing me to shriek. “Now buck up and put your girl talk game face on. You are mine today.”

The massage is, of course, booked with a man, but I quickly protest and am able to switch to an available woman who had a client cancel on her. I relax immediately after that is taken care of and enjoy my facial first, laughing with Juls as we lie next to each other on a doublewide table and get pampered together. I hadn’t realized she has made it so we will be attached at the hip all day, but am instantly grateful. As we are left alone to let our masks dry, I take her silence as my opportunity to spill my juice.

“So, Reese told me last night that Ian talks about you constantly. Just thought you should know.” I crack a smile and hear her react next to me, a soft gasp coming from her lips.

“Oh, man, I think I love him, Dylan. Like totally head over heels, I want to spend the rest of my life with him kind of love. Is that crazy? I mean, we’ve only known each other a few months and I’ve already picked out my fucking wedding colors.”

I let out a hearty laugh and grab her hand, squeezing it tightly. “And what color will I be wearing? If you say something pastel, I’m pushing you off this table.”

“Oh, fuck no. You know I’ve always dreamed of a fall wedding.” She grunts in annoyance. “Jesus, why are we even talking about this? It’s not like Ian is anywhere close to proposing to me. He hasn’t said he loves me, if he even does, which he probably doesn’t. And I am not going to be the fool who says it first and stands there like an idiot waiting for his response. No fucking way.”

“Maybe he’s just waiting for the perfect moment. You said he’s romantic as hell. Maybe he wants to make sure you’re ready to hear everything he has to say.”

The door opens and our two estheticians return as I scrunch my face up and feel the mask crack. Juls sighs. “I don’t know, maybe. Whatever, I refuse to say it first, that’s all I’m saying.”

“Me, too,” I respond without any thought at all and hear a loud gasp from my right.
No. No way. I am not in love with Reese. Nope.

“Oh, my…” she starts, but I squeeze her hand tightly and hear a yelp instead of the rest of her sentence.

I stammer, “That’s not what I meant. I didn’t… I mean, I don’t. Shit.” I turn my head and see her wide eyes, a smile cracking open her face. “You mention a word of this conversation to Joey and I will tell Ian myself that you’ve picked out the names of your children.” She begins to silently giggle and I slowly join her.
Jesus Christ. Note to self, don’t go to spa days with Juls anymore because you lose your fucking mind.

We settle in for our massages and once again, I completely forget about the state of my upper body after I strip and sprawl out on my stomach, waiting for my masseuse. “The fuck is that?” My best friend screeches as she settles in next to me. I grunt into the open headrest I’m staring at the floor through.
Well, I might as well spill it since her reaction can’t be any worse than Reese’s.

I exhale loudly before I explain. “Justin stopped by the shop yesterday, drunk out of his mind, and came on to me. I wasn’t very receptive and he didn’t handle it well.” I can feel her body tense next to me as I keep my head down.
Here it comes.
If you haven’t had the pleasure of being introduced to hurricane Juls, consider yourself lucky.

“WHAT THE FUCK, DYLAN! That sorry ass motherfucker will
wish
he was dead when I’m done with him!” Her voice is so loud; I’m certain every person at the spa is getting a taste of this.

“You sound like Reese.”

“Fuck that. Reese can have him
after
I get my hands on him first. No guy should ever put his hands on a girl.” She pauses and I hear her tense breathing. “He hasn’t… Dylan, please tell me he’s never done this before.”

I push up and rest on my elbows. “Are you serious? He has
never
touched me before, ever. I would have killed him and you know it. Now can we drop this please? I want to relax and you freaking out next to me isn’t helping.”

“I’m going to cut his balls off and mail them to his mother.” Juls scowls at me as the door opens and two older ladies come in. She settles down on her stomach and curses under her breath.

“Oh, my. Honey, those bruises.” The one masseuse states and I grunt, resting my head back down.

“Yeah, yeah. Just work my lower back and my legs please,” I say flatly and in a way to let everyone in this fucking room know I am done talking about this. Because I am. If Justin ever touches me again, I won’t have to worry about Reese getting into trouble for retaliating or Juls ripping his heart out of his chest, because I will end him myself.