The Husband Beside Me (The Devil Trilogy Book 2) (25 page)

“Not even your fucking teasing is going to ruin my day,” I said happily, smiling from ear-to-ear. Daimon snaked one arm around me and pulled me in for a hug.

“I'm proud of you,” he whispered in my ear. My heart jumped and my body froze. I pulled away not yet comfortable with how our relationship changed.

“So…” Daimon stopped and looked confused. “I guess I should take you out for dinner then.”

“No. Today I'm taking you out. I want to go where I like to eat and at least enjoy myself. I honestly hate going to those haute cuisine places,” I teased, trying to not seem like I pulled away from him out of fear.

“You lead the way, Mrs. University student.” He extended his hand to the elevator.

****

We stood in line at Lombardi’s pizza. Daimon wasn’t too impressed but didn’t say anything.

“Stop making that face. It’s one of the best pizzas in the city and I seriously wanted one,” I warned.

“Thank God, I changed into jeans,” he said under his breath.

He wore a simple pair of jeans and a dark grey t-shirt; he even tied his hair in a low ponytail. It was growing too long now, but I had to admit, he looked so fucking sexy, I’d rather eat him than the pizza.

“I can’t believe you’re seriously looking down your nose at everyone,” I said, surprised at him, but I shouldn’t have been. Daimon was raised differently than me, so I should have known he’d be this way.

“Forget it; let’s go where you want to go.” I gave up and started to get out of the line.

“Shut up and get your sexy ass back here.” He grabbed my arm and yanked me back. He slid his hand down my arm to my palm and intertwined our fingers. “I’ve taken you places; now, it’s your turn,” he said, looking down at me.

We finally sat down at a booth by the windows. A classic Italian New York pizzeria, red was splashed everywhere, the red brick walls, with its red pleather booths and checkered red and white tablecloths. I loved it. It felt so much like home.

“Why are you smiling like that?” Daimon asked.

“Just remembering the early years of the restaurant, when I worked with my mom and dad. It was packed just like this. The line goes right out to the corner. The sounds of plates hitting each other and the hustle and bustle of everyone trying to get their work done; it was crazy stressful and we all loved it. This place just reminds me of it,” I shrugged, reminiscing.

A waiter wearing black pants and a white, well what used to be white, shirt came to ask us our drink orders. Poor guy must have been working all day; red stains were all over him.

“I’ll have the sparkling water,” I said to him.

“Make it two.” Daimon held up two fingers.

“Sure. Do you guys know what you want?” he asked before leaving.

“Actually, yeah. One small original pizza and your Grandma’s Meatballs,” I ordered. Daimon narrowed his eyes at me. “What? You said I'm supposed to take you out.”

“Okay, coming right up,” the waiter said. Daimon continued to look at me suspiciously.

“Sofia and I used to come here when we were younger. My mom and dad didn’t know, since they worked all the time. It was kind of easy to get out of the house without them knowing. Plus staying at home with Sofia would sometimes drive me crazy,” I admitted.

“So Addie was a little bit of a bad girl.” He smiled all sexy like.

“Addie was bored babysitting all the time,” I challenged.

“Your parents worked all day?”

“All day and all night, until nine o’clock that is. They usually got home by ten,” I noted.

“Then who took care of you?” Daimon asked.

“Me. Look, Daimon, this was my reality. Yours was different,” I said earnestly.

“Yeah, I had nannies and butlers,” Daimon said annoyed.

“Well, I was the butler and the nanny.”

The waiter came back with our sparkling waters and placed them down onto the table. “Here you go, guys,” he said, rushing off to his next table that was waiting.

“It’s pretty busy,” Daimon noted.

“It’s always this busy,” I said, cracking open the first bottle of sparking water and pouring for both of us.

A runner came right after and dropped off the meatballs.

“You’ll like them.” I smiled as I put meatballs on a white small plate and placed it in front of him.

“They’re huge,” he stated, looking down at his plate.

“Yeah, I know. You’re used to fine dining with small, elegant portions made to look like art. Here you eat like everyone one else,” I joked.

I cut into the first meatball; faint aromas of herbs and spices hit my nose. My mouth watered anticipating the first bite. To say that I scoffed the whole meatball down would have been understatement. Daimon sat across from me watching in horror.

“Remind me that blow jobs are out of the question,” he said, shaking his head, but the ass was grinning.

“I'm hungry, you ass,” I said, feeling somewhat embarrassed.

“Okay then. That’s fine. I'm still scared of you though,” he said warily, through his smile.

“Screw you, Daimon.” I pushed my plate to the side, angry at his behavior.

“No, it’s true, Addie. Had I known you ate like that I might have not fallen in love with you,” he teased. “If I remember correctly, you didn’t eat like that in high school.”

“Of course not. You made me feel anxious. I was too tense to eat. You sat across from me taunting me,” I said sadly, not wanting to remember that.

“Look, Addie—”

“And here’s your pizza,” the waiter interrupted and placed the pizza in the middle of the table.

“Thanks.” I faintly smiled at the waiter.

“Do you guys need anything else?” he asked.

“No, it’s all good.” I began cutting up the slices of pizza and placing it on our plates.

“Addie…”

“Don’t! Not today at least,” I said under my breath.

“I didn’t know what they were doing to you in high school. I mean I stopped most of it before it happened,” he said regretfully.

It was true; he did. Every time someone tried to pick on me and didn’t see Daimon, he shelled out some heavy bullying to that person. But what he didn’t know was he couldn’t protect me all the time. To them, I was the one way to get back at him and all the shit he did. I was his personal play toy and no matter how much I hated the limelight, no matter how much I didn’t want any attention, it wouldn’t stop.

“Addie just tell me how bad it was,” he asked.

I hung my head low, annoyed that today of all days he had to bring up things I didn’t want to remember or deal with. I’d just been accepted into a great university and I had a chance to advance my life, yet Daimon wanted to talk about high school and all the shit that happened.

“It was stupid shit, like ripping up my gym clothes or not being able to find my books. Sometimes, they would pour spoiled milk in my locker ruining everything that was inside. The guys would follow me around school taunting me until I would be cornered. Somehow, Darren was always there to make sure nothing worse ever happened. Look, Daimon, I don’t want to talk about this today. Today, I was moving forward away from that Addie. I realize you might need to know, but I think I deserve today to be about me getting in NYU,” I murmured, picking at my pizza.

“Fucking horse shit,” he spat out. “I just can’t stand the idea of Darren always being there for you the way you needed.”

“Darren to me was only a friend. A very good friend, but I never once saw him any other way,” I admitted.

“Yeah, sure he was. Anyway, let’s try this pizza you say is the best in the city.” Daimon ended the conversation and began eating his slice.

“Daimon… about Darren…”

“This is good pizza.” He bit into the tomato, cheese and basil pizza.

“Yeah, I guess it is. Daimon?”

“Darren wants you,” he said, putting his slice down and wiping his fingers with the paper napkin.

“God, please not this again,” I muttered under my breath.

“I know it’s wrong for me to act this way. I know it’s selfish of me to keep you to myself. But what if you see Darren once and realize you made a mistake. What if you realize your life can be better with him? I'm a fucking prick; you’ve told me numerous times. I know. Darren is like the white knight and I can’t fucking win,” he hissed.

“Darren is and will always be my friend. You, you are different,” I said, trying to reassure him.

“Yeah, bad different,” he said coldly.

“You made me face my past and gave me a push for a better future. Okay, the way you did it wasn’t the most conventional, but you’re the only one who I feel like I can be myself with. With Darren, there’s this invisible line that I feel like I can never cross,” I said calmly.

“You’re telling me you respect him?” Daimon asked.

“I do,” I said honestly.

“But not me,” he said flatly.

“Darren doesn’t know me. You do. Darren knows an Addie who doesn’t exactly exist, but you, you know me through and through.” I smiled at myself, finally realizing how much Daimon owned my heart.

“You’ve seen me in the worst ways and for some reason, I need you,” I admitted finally.

“Need me?”

“Yeah, like that night, when I showed up at the penthouse. I didn’t know where I was going until I ended up at your place. I knew I needed you. It was like you were the only one who could comfort me the way I wanted.”

“I followed you home,” he said, not looking at me.

“What?” I whispered.

“After you left, I followed you…I was worried,” he said quietly. “That’s how I knew you were in the hospital. Darren didn’t say anything to me.”

“Why did you follow me?” I asked, surprised at him.

“Because, Addie, seeing you like that…look, it’s always been you. I dreamt about fucking you hundreds of time and there you were standing in my penthouse with those eyes of yours, telling me to fuck you. I felt like I crossed a line, like I did something wrong by taking advantage of you,” he said carefully, his face agonizing over what had happened.

“Darren wouldn’t have done that,” I remarked.

“Yeah, I know Darren is the best and I took advantage of you,” Daimon said defeated.

“You didn’t take advantage of me. You gave me what I needed. Daimon, only you know me, not Darren, so stop being jealous of him and thinking he’s better somehow. I'm Addie. I'm
your
Addie.
His
Addie doesn’t exist.” I watched as Daimon eyes shifted to mine.

“So what you need is me and my cock,” he grinned.

“You’re ridiculous.” I shook my head, smiling at him taking another piece of pizza.

“You’ll see when we get home,” he warned.

My pussy clenched at the idea of having sex with him. I bit my lip, stopping myself from saying anything further.

“You should have told me earlier today that you got into NYU. I would have gotten you a present,” he said, still smiling.

“I don’t need anything,” I grimaced.

“Oh, you need something and I can’t wait to give it to you,” he said in a sultry voice.

****

We stood in silence in front of the elevator door, waiting for them to open. When they did and we stepped inside, I knew I was done for the moment they would close. I took a small step back and held onto the brass railing. I watched as Daimon slowly turned and smiled devilishly as the door behind him closed. My heart jumped as I saw him looking at me like he was ready to do what he liked. He inched closer and I tried to back away, but I couldn’t. Daimon placed his one hand onto the brass wall high above me, while the other slowly reached for my hair.

“So you need me,” he murmured. “Tell me you want me.”

I watched as his sky-blue eye turned fierce. My breathing turned erratic. This Daimon I wasn’t quite ready for.

“Say it,” he said slowly as he placed his mouth next to my ear. “Say it, Addie. Tell me you need me.” Intoxicated by his voice, my head fell back. I let out a sigh, content at his power over me.

“I need you, Daimon,” I said softly. “I need you.”

“Hmm. My Addie,” he whispered into my ear. He reached back and slammed onto the red stop button. The elevator halted.

“What are you doing?” I asked, my eyes growing wide.

“What I want,” he bit out.

“Daimon—”

“Stop worrying and let me fuck you here and now.” he said dominantly as he stepped in front of me and began playing with my hair, but I hesitated. “Addie, I own the building. There is no camera here. Beside this is only the beginning. I'm going to make it so fucking good for you,” he smirked. “Now, where were we…oh, you were telling me how you need me.” He placed his hands on either side of me caging me in.

“Daimon—”

“Feel how crazy you make me.” He took my hand and placed it on his cock. “What do you need, Addie?” he asked again. “Tell me,” he ordered.

“You, I want you.” I moved my hand up and down his jeans.

“Fuck, Addie. You have no fucking clue how much I need your touch on me. God, it drives me crazy.” He rolled his head back as I continued to slide my hand. I stopped the moment I felt him grow harder. My belly dropped and my pussy quivered. I dropped onto my knees and began unzipping his jeans.