Teaming Up

Chapter 3

WANT

Addison: Sooo… this does not under any circumstances get back to Bonzo…

Bree: Well this certainly sounds juicy… and no worries, he knows the only secrets I keep from him are the ones between you and me and that's never going to change. I loved you first.

Addison: Remember that you love me, please

Bree: Uhoh. What happened?

Addison: I think I made a pass at Necrodopolus last night…

Bree: WHAT?!

Addison: shrug emoji, facepalm emoji, crazy face emoji

Bree: Are you fucking kidding me?

Addison: grimacing emoji

Bree: Stop with the fucking emojis! WTF happened?! I WANT THE TEA WOMAN!

Addison: I started drinking with the Harvard team… and… it's all kinds of fuzzy after that. Except I woke up in Necrodopolus' arms, wearing nothing but his hotel robe.

Bree: O_O….. Did you finally do the deed with Superman, Man of Steel?!

Addison: I don't think so?

Bree: You don't think so?! That was a yes or no question!

Addison: I know… but I don't remember. Grimace emoji, facepalm emoji, head exploding emoji

Bree: You and the fucking emojis… Jesus, I swear you're doing that shit on purpose to distract me

Addison: Ya think?

Bree: Wait… what else haven't you told me?!

Addison: Well, aside from the fact that I'm pretty sure I puked all over the both of us, and I might still be buzzed… I got into an argument with his hotness.

Bree: Oh? Continue…

Addison: It's too much to go over in text form, and this bus is hitting every goddamn bump on the road and it's kinda making me want to puke… again, but… I might have goaded him into staying celibate for a year… And then he goaded me into agreeing to a one-night fling if he does it.

Bree: ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR FUCKING MIND?!

Addison: Apparently. But there's no way he'll last a whole year. This is Zed Necrodopolus we're talking about.

Bree: DETAILS! I want every goddamn detail when you get back here! Do you understand me Wells!

Addison: I'll see you in a few hours. Kissing emoji, heart eyes emoji.

Zed sat across the aisle from Addison analyzing every expression that crossed her face as she texted with someone. Not even the music pouring out of the air pods in his ears could distract his thoughts from the fact that he'd just made a wager with her to A) stay celibate for a year, and B) if he did manage to pull off the miracle of all miracles, give her the best night of her life. What the fuck was I thinking.

Addison felt a set of eyes on her and looked up from her phone, catching him starting at her. If he thought she was going to back down, he was sorely mistaken. Her mouth twitched and the corners lifted in an amused smirk. Then her phone buzzed with another message. Reluctantly, she looked back down at it.

Zed felt a sense of panic wash over him. Was she talking to her boyfriend? Or ex-boyfriend as the case may be. For a sick-second, he wondered if she was going to take the asshole back. To be fair, he didn't really know the guy, but if he cheated on Addie that guy had to be an asshole. Before he could stop himself, he pushed out of his seat and crossed the aisle, dropping into the empty seat next to her. It was barely seven a.m. and he could tell she was still hurting from the amount of alcohol she had consumed and the lack of a full night's sleep. "You okay?" he asked, half-needling and half concerned. "You're looking a little green. Need a juice? Maybe another beer if you're going for the whole hair of the dog thing?"

Addison narrowed her eyes and shot a sideways glance in his direction. "I can see through your feeble attempt to get to know me."

He laughed, unable to help himself before he leaned in closer so no one could overhear. At the same time that Wyatt squeezed his way in front of them to sit on the other side of her.

"So… how ya feeling this morning? I don't think I've ever seen you that drunk before Addie. Do you need me to have the bus stop for coffee?" He winked over her head at Zed.

Wyatt might be a great guy, but in that moment, Zed wanted to throat punch him.

Addison shut her eyes and groaned. "I thought you'd never ask."

"My pleasure, I just saw a sign for a Starbucks. Iced Americano with almond milk and sugar free cinnamon dulce?"

She nodded and waved as he stood up. "Thanks, Wy."

Zed forcibly shut his jaw. "How come he knows what you like and I don't?" he hissed. "Why is it that everyone on this team knows you better than I do? And don't give me the crap about me being the newest member, Jacks joined a week before me and I know for a fact he knows more than I do."

Addison let out a deep breath through her nose, trying to ignore the pounding in her head. She really hadn't tried to make it so obvious she had shut him out from getting to know her, but she knew it had been for the best. The team meant everything to her and her getting friendly with Zed was not good for anything. The man was far too tempting for his own good. "I really don't want to talk about this right now, Necrodopolus."

"But I do."

She slumped down further in the seat and laid her head back while she pinched the bridge of her nose. "Nope. You're just going to have to wait."

Zed had no idea how to respond. He had no experience with rejection. Getting to know her was definitely going to be a challenge.

Zed

Day 10 of enforced celibacy

What. The. Fuck?

Seriously.

What the fuck kind of dumb ass game did I get conned into playing?

I have needs!

Zed

Day 22 of enforced celibacy

I hate this. Fucking hate this.

The redhead at the bar? Total prospect. And she's staring right at me.

She's coming over, and it takes everything in me to ignore her. Who the fuck thinks of hairy backs and armpit hair when a beautiful woman is making a pass at them? Jesus Christ on a pogo stick. Noooooo.

Day 23

Addison smirked as she settled herself onto the cox box. "Rough night last night?"

Zed grunted and checked his grip, knowing damn well that she knew exactly how rough it was.

She laughed quietly. "I think you need to up your workouts. Add in more bicep curls maybe?"

He glared in response.

With a tsk and a shake of her head, she adjusted her headset. "Nothing stopping you from getting laid, Necrodopolus."

Except for our fucking wager, he thought to himself.

Addison turned on the mic. "Let's go. An easy five-hundred to warm up." Her eyes sparkled with amusement as they met Zeds. "Ready, stroke?"

Zed pulled too hard, eliciting grumbles from the bow.

"Easy there, Superman," she chastised, forcing herself not to giggle at the murderous glare he was currently directing her way.

He took a deep breath, forcing his roiling emotions to the bottom of the boat.

"On my count. Ten… nine… eight…"

He let the sound of her voice lull him into the mental space where he'd become a pulling machine, blunting the razor-sharp edges of his anger, and narrowing his focus to the rhythm of breath, push with the legs, lean back, pull with the arms, lift, feather, reach, repeat. There was a mind-numbing comfort in the repetition, the familiar ache that entered his muscles as they glided to the middle of the lake.

"Way enough," Addison called. "Let's review the race plan."

Tomorrow afternoon, they fly out to Oregon for another race. The team knew the score. They'd done this hundreds of times, and it was part of what made Addison so great at what she does. Quiet descended on the boat as they shut their eyes and concentrated on the story she weaved.

"Two warm-up laps, taking it nice and easy until we line up in lucky lane three with the covered bridge at my back." She didn't know why the team liked lane three, but they did. Some teams like the outside, they liked the middle. "There's only a light breeze, and there's just enough cloud cover, we lose the glare on the water. The starting gun fires, and we pull away, a nice slow twenty-five."

Zed smiled to himself. This was the same tactic they'd employed against Harvard, a slow start, picking up the pace every hundred meters until they were five hundred from the end, and then an all-out sprint.

Addison led the team through every transition in perfect detail, down to the level of chop on the water.

Zed tried to shut his eyes so he could focus on her words, but his thoughts kept drifting back to her mouth… the way it twitched in the corner when she was amused, like she was trying not to smile…

"Necrodopolus? Necrodopolus," she hissed, finger covering her mic. "Are you ready?"

"Of course," he answered, wondering what the hell he missed while his mind was wandering.

"Did you even hear what I said?"

"Of course."

Wyatt laughed from behind him. "Bullshit," he coughed, then cleared his throat. "She asked when was the last time you'd gotten a BJ."

Addison's lips twitched as his eyes snapped up to hers. She knew exactly how long it had been. Teasing him was way too much fun sometimes.

Zed rolled his eyes. As infuriating as her little jab was, it did give him an idea. She hadn't said anything about fooling around. Only sex. His dick gave him a fist pump. He was getting something tonight, even if it wasn't sex. His mood lightened considerably. In fact, by the time he and Bonzo headed over to the ZOM house to prep for that night's party, there was a spring in his step and he was fully on the prowl…

Until prospect one left him cold.

Bonzo cocked his head. "You feel all right? You haven't been your typical cocky self lately."

Zed shrugged. He wasn't about to explain why.

With a shrug of his own, Bonzo draped his arm over Bree's shoulder and walked off.

Wyatt, however, wasn't as easily dissuaded. "In the year that I have known you, I have never seen you turn down a woman, and in the last month, I've seen you turn down, what…" he counts on his fingers. "Ten?"

Zed flashed him a tight smile. "I'm taking a break. No big deal."

"No big deal? What in the hell for?"

"Why in the hell not?"

"Because you're… well, you."

Zed got his implication. As a team, they'd agreed to never speak of that night. Addie would die if she knew how out of hand she'd been that night back in Cambridge, and they didn't want to risk the havoc it would create in the boat if they lost her. She was one of a kind… He lost himself in the memory of her voice earlier in the day. It was always on the husky side from yelling at them, but something hooked deep inside of him this afternoon as she was calling strokes. He pulled for her, just like he always did. But this time he had to shut his eyes because all he could see was her pushed up against a wall, legs wrapped around him as she called stroke into his ear while he filled her with his cock. When he had opened his eyes, her eyes were locked on him like a laser beam. He swore he could see the electricity jump between them, and there was no way in hell he could tell Bonzo or Wyatt or anyone else in the boat. They'd skin him alive.

For a split second, he considered going to confession. But then prospect number two sat down next to him. Wyatt flirted with her briefly, but it was clear that Zed was the one she was after. She was a stunner. Long black hair cascading down her back, wide hazel eyes, and the legs of a dancer... legs that at any other time, he would take upstairs to his room and wrap around his neck. But something was definitely wrong with his dick because she left him cold.

Wyatt arched a brow and threw him a lifeline. "We'd love to stay and chat, but…" he stood with an easy grin. "Catch you another time? Maybe?"

It wasn't until they were halfway across the backyard that he stopped.

"You're full of shit if you tell me this isn't about a woman."

Zed opened his hands. "To be honest, I don't know what it is."

And then it hit him like a freight train. He wanted Addie. Without another word, he turned around and walked back inside and straight to his room. He grabbed his running shoes and ran out of the house.

A fast 10k did nothing to erase the desire in his mouth. To make matters worse, his splits were so fast that he wanted to call Addie. He was never the kind of guy to brag about his split time, but Addie would totally get why it was a big deal. The faster he ran, the faster the entire boat pulled. He was the human fucking metronome. If he drove the pace, they'd follow. He was so pumped, he wanted to hit the gym, even though it was well past midnight. The secret to rowing was both insane cardio and forcing your lactic acid-laden muscles to perform, even when they had nothing left.

He was pacing the now empty common room of the ZOM house for a full minute before he abandoned the idea of the gym. The team was supposed to rest so they were fresh for Saturday's Covered Bridge race in Oregon, but he had too much energy. He circled his room like a caged lion, thumb twitching. After a beer and three more circles through his empty room, he gave in.

He texted Addie.

Zed: Hey…

Not the best opener he could have come up with, but it was late, and clearly he was out of his mind.

Addie: …

Addie:

Addie: …

Addie:

"Fucking say something already!" he muttered, watching the dots appear and disappear.

Addie: Is everything okay?

"No. Everything most certainly is not okay," he snapped. It wasn't any wonder that's what she asked. He'd never texted her for any reason other than to confirm workouts and practices. But how the hell was he supposed to tell her that? His thumbs tapped out a quick reply.

Zed: Yup. Fine.

"This is awkward as fuck…" he mumbled as he called her instead.

"Are you sure everything is okay?"

Her husky voice sent a ripple of arousal down his spine. He cleared his throat. "Uh… yeah… Um… I ran a thirty-four 10k." He couldn't help the smile that spread across his face, or the pride that crept into his voice.

"Just now? At twelve-forty-two when you're supposed to be sleeping?"

"You're not sleeping."

"I'm also not running. The only thing I need to rest is my voice."

"I'd hate for it to lose that sexy scratch," he blurted out before he could censor himself. He caught the quick intake of breath before the silence stretched out between them. Fuuuuuck. I should have stuck to the texting. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that." His gut clenched in the silence. He was a fucking idiot. Reason 678 why he didn't do relationships.

Then she laughed. A throaty, rich sound that sent another ripple shooting through his body. "Have you been drinking?"

"No," he scoffed.

"Then it must be your dick talking," her voice turned sympathetic. "Are you having trouble being celibate?" she teased.

Of course, I am. My balls are so blue they're violet! He wanted to scream, but he'd die before he admitted that to her.

"You can just give up you know."

"So I can lose a few thousand dollars, or however much it is you have in your bank account? I don't think so."

She laughed again, more softly this time. "It'd be the easiest money I ever made."

"I bet. And what would you do with said money?"

"Put it towards paying off some of my student loans."

Her answer surprised him. Crew was helping to send him to school for basically free. The scholarship was the only reason he even made the switch. "But I thought…"

"Scholarships only cover so much. Especially when you have a double major."

"Double major? Huh…" He had never once considered what Addison would be studying, much less the possibility of her having two majors. She had always just been a female jock who he works out with, rows with, and drinks with. A tight feeling spread through his chest. What he knew about the guys in the boat could fill a library. The boat worked because their trust in each other ran deep. They were his brothers… But what he knew about her could barely fill a thimble. Guilt nagged at him. She'd obviously confided in some of the other guys, but not him. That also nagged him. "What are you studying?" he asked, trying to keep his voice light.

"Biology and Physics."

"Whoa… seriously?"

"Yeah."

"And what are you planning on doing with degrees in Biology and Physics?" he asked, genuinely interested.

"Eventually get my doctorate in Oceanography… hopefully."

"Damn, Addie… I never would have guessed."

She yawned into the phone. "We've got an early flight tomorrow. Get some sleep Necrodopolus."

"Did you just fake a yawn to get me off the phone?"

Her breathy laugh sent ripples down his spine.

"Maybe."

His dick snapped to attention. "You wouldn't fake anything else, would you?" he couldn't help but ask, because again, a picture of her in the throes of ecstasy hovered at the edge of his mind.

She snorted. "That's for me to know and for you to never to find out. But for the record," she continued after an awkward silence. "I never fake anything."

He went to sleep with the picture of her face firmly entrenched in his mind.

"On my count," Jacey called, swinging Addison's ankles. "One, two, three."

They let go and she flew into the water with a squeal.

Zed remained on the deck while Jacey, Tracey, and Jackson follow her in. It was tradition to dunk the cox after a win, and normally he'd be right there in the water with the rest of his teammates, but something had subtly shifted between him and Addison, and now their glances were loaded with something else. Something more than the general camaraderie they'd enjoyed until now. He was afraid that if he touched her, he'd be found out. One of the guys was sure to notice. In fact, from the way Wyatt was eyeing him, he was sure he noticed. Zed looked away, hoping like fuck Wyatt wouldn't bring it up later when they have celebratory beers.

"Here," he said gruffly, handing Addison a towel and demanding that his dick stand down when he caught a glimpse of her nipples pushing against her wet top.

"Thanks," she answered, her voice hoarse from shouting.

It tickled his insides like fingernails raking across heated skin. And when their hands collided as she took the towel, he heard her sharp gasp. The sound shooting straight to his groin, pulling everything tight.

"Great race today," Addison said, her eyes sparkling. "We can check with the officials, but I'm pretty sure that last five-hundred was our fastest split ever."

"Damn straight it was!" Bonzo exclaimed. "You took off like a bat out of hell when Addie called for ten big ones. What the fuck happened?"

"Right?" Tracey added, wrapping a towel around his waist. "I could barely keep up."

Zed didn't know how to tell them he was working to get away. That the heat in Addie's eyes when she called for ten big ones, pulled his balls tight with a breath-stealing ache. He couldn't look away. Her eyes trapped him, burned through him, saw into the dirtiest, filthiest part of his soul. So he did something he'd never done before and should never do again. He didn't pull for the team. He didn't push with his legs and dig deep for himself either, not for some kind of a lofty purpose or a higher calling. He rowed for something much baser. He pulled for her. He burned out his quads and his glutes and laid back with everything he had, for every fantasy involving her that had kept him from sleep, he pulled with laser focus praying that exhaustion would take over and smother the flame burning inside him.

It didn't.

It was the most exhilarating athletic feat he had ever experienced. Even more so than the state championship football game his senior year. But unlike that game, he'd be marking this occasion with a cold shower and a handful of ibuprofen instead of an all-night romp with a couple of cheerleaders.

This bet fucking sucked.

He turned away with a noncommittal grunt before he let the cat out of the bag and ruined everything. But he couldn't get away.

Addison followed him down the dock. Her hand was gentle, even tentative, on his arm. "Hey, are you okay?"

"Fine," he said through gritted teeth. "Just tired." He refused to look at her. Part of him was terrified of what he might find in her eyes.

"Back there," she started. "In the boat…"

"It was nothing. You did a great job. I haven't had a performance like that in years, and certainly not since I joined the boat," he added sincerely. The last thing he wanted was weirdness between them.

It was even worse later on at the bar. Everyone congratulated him and clapped him on the back like he was some kind of fucking hero, when really, he was just a dirty bastard hot for his cox. But everyone knows how crewmance can kill a boat, so unless he quit, or Addie did, he was dead in water with no blades, no rudder, and no way to get out of his predicament.

"Hey, Necrodopolus, have you met Willa?" Addison said, her hand once again on his arm.

He turned, coming face to face with one of the women from the OU rowing team. Female rowers are all Amazons, most of them over six feet and as lean as any of the guys in Crew. But Willa was slightly under the average height and blessed with curves, and from the look on her face, a healthy interest in his dick.

His dick should have been doing a goddamned happy dance. But there was something seriously wrong, because… nothing. Nada. Not even a twitch. Until he made eye contact with Addie, who was smirking at him like she was pulling the biggest joke. Now that's hot, he thought to himself. The way the corner of her mouth pulled in and her full lips twitched because she was trying oh, so hard not to burst out laughing.

She cleared her throat. "I think you and Willa have a lot in common."

"Do we," he stated dryly. He couldn't wait to hear how.

Addison's eyebrows lifted and her eyes widened. "Yeah. She's president of her sorority and stroke for her team. She's even a psych major, like you."

"Oh? Tell me more…" Addie had piqued his interest. They did have a lot in common, at least on the surface. He'd never fucked another rower, and he had to admit the prospect was tempting. He knew rowing had helped him, and the rest of the guys, improve in the bedroom. Addison wasn't kidding when she laid into him when they first met. Rowers really did make the best lovers. Why? Sta-mi-na. Rowers don't flame out. They're used to stroking with burning lungs, using every aching muscle in their bodies to propel the boat forward. Compared to that, sex was a cakewalk. Unfortunately, Willa wasn't the rower he wanted. His gaze flicked to Addison who was wearing an almost triumphant expression.

And all the pieces started to fall into place.

Zed extended his hand. "Real nice to meet you, Willa. If you're ever in Seabrook, stop by the ZOM house. We can share war stories of pledges from hell… but you'll have to excuse me, my cox owes me a shot."

Addison's eyes widen.

It was probably the competitor in him, but he fucking loved turning the tables. "You owe me for the pain I'm going to be in tomorrow." He took Addison by the elbow and hustled her to the patio and the outside bar that backed up to a pond with a little fountain. Their teammates were playing darts with the women from Willa's boat, and drinking out of the trophy. Given that he'd drained the trophy not ten minutes ago, it was unlikely they'd miss him anytime soon. He signaled the bartender. "Two Patron."

"Since when did you start drinking Patron?"

He narrowed his eyes. "Since you started doing body shots off the Boston College Rowing Club guys."

"You noticed that?" she asked with a mischievous twinkle in her eyes.

He leaned in. "I noticed a whole helluva lot more than that, Adds."

Her eyes flashed with the heat he had become all too familiar with, and she rolled her lips together, covering a smile.

"Yeah?" she leaned in too, close enough to catch a whiff of his intoxicating cologne, ignoring the warning of danger her mind was trying to signal. "What else?"

Zed hesitated, torn between wanting to lay his cards on the table and the security of keeping them close to the vest. But he couldn't resist the curiosity in her face. Or the challenge. The bartender dropped two shot glasses, a salt shaker, and two limes on a napkin. "Hold out your hand," he said gruffly, salting the space between his thumb and first finger. He did the same for Addison. Without breaking eye contact they both licked the salt from their hands. His body pulled tight as he watched goosebumps erupt on the exposed flesh of her neck. Electricity zipped down his spine. "Ready?"

She nodded, still holding his gaze, and reached for her shot, only breaking eye contact when she tossed back the alcohol and sucked the lime.

Zed was overcome by the need to taste the citrus on her tongue, to sip the bite of tequila from her lips.

"Another?" she asked, voice bordering on hoarse.

He shook his head. "Not yet. First I want to know why you keep pushing women on me."

She pressed her lips together, even when her eyes widened innocently. She cleared her throat. "You seem… lonely." She almost got the last word out without a laugh. Almost.

"Ha. Ha," he punctuated slowly. "It's gonna take a lot more than that to break me."

"We'll see," she said coyly. "But it's probably a good thing you didn't go for Willa… she's Wyatt's sister."

Zed let out a barking laugh. "That was low, Addie... He would have tried to kick my ass."

She smiled and shrugged her shoulders. "Probably… but my previous point remains." Her smile widened. "You know… making out isn't making love. Maybe what you need is a good old-fashioned make-out sesh. Maybe it would take the edge off?"

He couldn't deny he'd had the same thought. The problem was, the only woman he was remotely interested in making out with was the one he couldn't have. And the more he tried to push her from his mind, the more she was all he could think about. He glanced across the bar. A blues band had started up, and Wyatt caught his eye. He nodded, then went back to dirty dancing with a woman Zed didn't recognize. The rest of the team was paired off and kicking it up.

Addison followed his gaze. "You should join them."

"Not interested," he growled.

She rolled her eyes, ignoring the delicious things the sound did to her. "You'd rather pout?"

His heart pounded, feeling too big for his chest. "No."

"Jesus, Necrodopolus. What the fuck is it, then? You've been a grouchy shit lately."

He turned on his heels. If he didn't leave, he'd do something he knew he'd regret.

"Necrodopolus," Addison called after him. "Where in the hell are you going?" She followed him out to the parking lot and to the van that the team had rented.

"I'm going back to the hotel."

"But the guys?"

"They'll be fine. They can Uber." he pulled out the keys and reached for the door.

Addison reached out and grabbed his forearm. "Necrodopolus," she said sharply. "What the fuck gives?"

Her hand was like a branding iron. In quick succession, the keys clattered from his hand, jangling to the asphalt as he spun them both around, caging her in against the side of the van. "You want to know what the fuck gives? I'll give it to you straight, Addie. I can't fucking sleep. I can't fucking breathe without thinking of you. And not the normal kind of thinking about you. The sexy, dirty kind of thinking about you that involves mouths and teeth and fingers and bare skin. I can't get you out of my head. And when you parade other women in front of me in an attempt to get me to break, it fucking pisses me off. Because I don't want to take the edge off with some willing stranger. I want to take the edge off with you."

His chest heaved as he lost himself in her bright blue eyes, the way they widened and searched his face, probably looking for some kind of indicator that he was bullshitting her. He grabbed her hand and pressed it against his racing heart. "I swear I am not fucking with you. Can you feel this?" His throat felt tight, raw. As if he'd been screaming.

"I… we…"

"Can't," he finished for her. "But that doesn't mean I don't want." He shut his eyes with a heavy sigh, anchoring himself to the tiny warm hand beneath his own. "I'm sorry… I shouldn't have said anything."

She flexed her fingers into his skin. Two pink streaks colored her cheekbones and her eyelids fluttered down. She whispered so softly he could barely hear it. "I want, too."

Zed was pretty sure his heart stopped beating for a full three seconds. I felt like he was teetering on the edge of a knife, and he didn't know which direction was worse. On one slide laid ruin, the other, regret. Neither was an acceptable option. He was at a loss because hearing those words from her was the last thing he expected. But now, he didn't know what to do. It wasn't just a question of to kiss or not to kiss. It was a question of how much risk was he willing to live with? How far into the danger zone did he want to step?

His dick pretty much answered for him. All the fucking way.

He slipped a finger under her chin and gently pulled up. "Addie," he warned. "You don't do crewmance."

"And you don't do romance," she whispered.

Her acknowledgment stung. But it was the truth. "I'd do it with you, though."

Addison let out a scoff. "That's cute, Necrodopolus. The road to hell is paved with good intentions, too."

"But it's different with you, Adds. I'd at least try."

"Says the guy who before our stupid bet used to barely make it to class because he was whoring it up with his frat bros six nights a week." She shook her head. "Hard pass."

He both hated and loved that she knew him so well. The good and the bad. "Sooo… no kiss?" he'd be an idiot not to try and he was trying to lighten the mood.

Her nostrils flared as she exhaled through her nose, her mouth pursed. "Probably not."

"Not even one? Just for laughs?"

Her eyes snapped to his. "There's nothing funny about kissing you, Necrodopolus." Her voice was like a razor, sharp with pent-up desire, and the force of it hit him like a ton of bricks.

With a muffled curse, he pushed back from the van and turned his back. "Go back to the bar, Addison," he said, using her full name. "Because I swear to god all I want right now is to kiss you senseless." His insides were in turmoil. His face was hot, his hands and feet cold. All the blood had rushed to his dick, and he needed a fucking moment to get his shit together.

"Zed…"

The way she said his name pulled at something deep inside him, striking a chord of longing he wasn't prepared to face at the moment. "Go, Addie," he said through clenched teeth, reminding himself that kissing his cox was the word idea he'd had… probably ever. "Let's forget this conversation ever happened."

He waited to turn around until he was sure she was gone. Still, a small part of him was disappointed she didn't stay.

Addison: Sooooo…..

Bree: Congrats on the big win!

Addison: Thanks! We set a new course record! Smiley-face emoji, confetti emoji

Bree: And you're back at the hotel already? What kind of lame-o are you?

Addison: A pretty big one, apparently.

Bree: Grrrlll…. Go live it up! And you can keep an eye on Bonz

Addison: Bonzo only has eyes for you and you know it. As for me… I think I'm going to wash my hair and go to bed.

Bree: That sounds like code for something happened. Wanna talk?

Addison: Nah. I know it's late there.

Bree: I'm staying up until Bonzo calls me anyway.

Addison: Fine… I almost kissed Necrodopolus.

Bree: YOU ALMOST KISSED ZED FUCKING NECRODOPOLUS?!

Dots appear. Dots disappear. Dots appear again.

Bree: AND YOU WAITED THIS LONG TO TELL ME?! angry face emoji

Addison: Don't yell at me. It didn't happen.

Bree: … But you wanted it to…

Addison: …...yeah :(

Bree: grllllll… you know you're playing with fire with that one.

Addison: DID I MENTION THAT I DIDN'T KISS HIM?! angry face emoji

Bree: But you wanted to, and that's just as bad. You know he's a player...I love him dearly, but it's true. And after everything that happened with Tripp?! You deserve better.

Addison: But the way he looked at me, B… I think I melted just a little.

Bree: He's not worthy of you. He will break your heart sweetie.

Addison: But I really like him. Heart eye emoji

Bree: broken heart emoji

Bree: Look. You know I'm your biggest fan, and I'm not going to tell you how to live your life, but seriously, be careful, and for fuck's sake, make him work for it.