I took a bite of the pizza after she finished chewing and we continued switching back and forth until we finished both small pizzas. I was actually surprised at how much she ate. Most of the women I’d been around on tour besides Harlan and Ryker’s wives barely ate anything in my presence. I loved that my girl could eat.
My Girl? When did I get from running away last night worried about my best friend’s reaction to putting my stamp on this woman I had practically watched grow up?
I needed to keep reminding myself that we were adults, she was an adult, and Addison could make her own decisions. I was pretty much already gone on her.
“So. . .” I began wondering what Addison wanted to do for the evening. I was certain that she didn’t want to immediately get naked together. But maybe she did. The woman had surprised me more than once since I saw her yesterday.
Reluctantly I allowed her to slide off my lap, immediately feeling the loss. Addison held her hand out expectantly.
“I believe you offered a tour earlier.”
“You’re right. I did.” Hopping down from the stool, I grabbed her hand and tugged her toward the foyer. “Let’s start upstairs and then make our way down.”
I hadn’t intended on the sexual innuendo, but as Addison giggled while we climbed the stairs, I realized my mistake.
The upstairs housed five large bedrooms, all plainly designed in grays, whites, and creams. But the master was created just for me. I released Addison’s hand and pushed open the two black doors and twisted around to get her reaction.
“Wow,” she breathed as she stepped up to me, then crossed over the threshold. “This room is. . .”
“Sexy?” I prompted.
“No,” she said as she stepped farther inside the space. “It’s you. The you I know.”
Most people would have assumed I’d have the room decorated in blacks and reds, and maybe a sex swing off in the corner. A real rock star’s dream. But Addison was right. This room was one hundred percent me.
I’d had a love of history since I was young. If the musician thing didn’t work out for me I wanted a career doing something, anything related to history.
I watched as Addison skimmed her hand across the dark cherry paneling. The bed was set between dark green bookshelves filled to the brim with some of my favorite books and others a friend had recommended to me. The lighting in the room was dim, and the floor lamp arched over a leather reading chair in the corner giving off the only source of light. My bedding was the most luxurious fabric in the room, a mix of maroon and navy silks and Egyptian cotton.
If anyone walked into this room, they’d immediately think they’d stumbled into an old Victorian library. That was exactly what I had described to the designer. Did the room match the rest of the house? No. But this was my safe space and I absolutely loved it.
“This is beautiful, Asher. It’s surprisingly cozy.”
“I’m glad you like it,” I said as I watched her climb the small ladder closest to the master bathroom door to get a peek at the books on the upper shelf. I followed and reached out to hold the ladder in place.
“Have you read all of these?”
“I’ve read some. I’m hoping to stay here more often and tackle the rest.” Just thinking back to the entire reason I was here in the first place made my hands clench up.
“Why don’t you check out the master bathroom?” I asked as I tucked my hands behind my back and waited for her to climb down the rungs of the ladder.
She looked at me strangely as she descended, her brows furrowed in confusion. “Is everything okay?” she asked as her feet planted on the floor.
“Yeah. I just think you’ll really love it.”
“Okay,” she said and pointed to a wooden door set to match the cherry paneling. As she turned the brass knob and opened the door, I shook my hands, hoping for a reprieve from the pain.
“Wow, Asher. My God, it’s like a dream in here.” I didn’t have to go inside to know that she was eyeing the antique-style copper tub I had installed. The material had already started to patina and I was a gorgeous focal point in front of floor-to-ceiling windows that overlooked the backyard. The best part was that the tub was part of a wet room that divided the space. There were two shower heads on either side of the tub. So no matter whether you showered or bathed, you got a view of the waterfall outback.
“I’m in awe,” she mumbled as she stepped up to the tub and ran her fingers along the hammered copper.
We stood in the bathroom for a few minutes, admiring the view out back. The waterfall was illuminated by the spotlights I had installed surrounding the outside garden and pond.
“Can we just stay in here?” Addison asked and I laughed. I was pretty certain she was about to start using me solely for the tub.
“Let me show you the rest of the house and we can come back. If you’re a good girl, I’ll even let you use it.”
“Really?” she said, her eyes glistening in excitement. A kind of Anime eye.