Picture Perfect Obsession (Best Friends Duet 1)

“I’m starting not to like you,” I grit out.

“Eh, Mads tells me that all the time. Like me or not, I’m not changing, so ha!” She sticks her tongue out at both of us.

My thoughts are still on the hot dad she mentioned. “So, when do you babysit again?” I want to get a look at this guy and find out what his intentions are toward my woman. There better not be any because I’ll fuck him up.

“Tomorrow, but the doctors want me to stay off my feet.”

“I don’t have anything to do tomorrow, I can come over and help.”

“You’d do that?”

“If it means I get to spend more time with you? Hell, yes.”

“You are too perfect, Mister,” she yawns. Her eyes begin to get heavy. She should be resting, so despite wanting to stay with her all day, I think it’s best I get going.

“I think it’s time for you to take a nap. I have to go, but I’ll help you to bed.” I stand and then scoop her up in my arms before she can begin to protest.

“Damn, you’re strong.”

“Thanks, babe, but you’re light as a feather.” She’s slender with ample curves, but I’m twice her size, so I easily carry her into the room Addison leads us to without saying a word. She pulls back the covers for me, and I tuck my woman in.

“I hate to do this, but I really should get going. I have to get some work done for this event. I’m sure that they’re waiting for the first shots.”

“You promise to come back?”

“Damn right. I have a lot I want to do to you,” I growl, kissing her forehead. Quickly, I leave the room, stealing another glance only when I’m just outside her bedroom door. I want to go back in there and lay down with her. My phone buzzes, and I bet it’s my mother again. I pull it out as I grab my camera bag. Ignoring the call, I tuck it back in. I’ll call her later. I don’t have the patience for that woman.

When I get back to my condo, it’s after three. With the traffic and the train being crowded, it takes me a lot longer than I like getting back. Immediately, I boot up my computer and upload the file. Most of the photos I update in Adobe Lightroom, making them pop with the perfect amount of sunshine to color ratio. There are about two dozen photos I keep from the rest. They’re all the ones I took of Madison. As beautiful as she is, I don’t want to share her with the rest of the world. She’s mine.

Chapter 4

Madison

The next morning, I shoot up into a seated position because the pain in my foot is excruciating. I turn, looking for my phone, and that’s when I see a bottle of water and my pills. I pop one and then drink it down until the bottle is empty. I drop my head back on the pillow and groan.

As I think about yesterday and the events that unfolded, Addison bursts through the door. “Ah, you’re finally up. I brought you a peace offering. I’m really sorry about your foot.”

“It’s okay. It’s not like you tripped me.” The bastard that tripped me was myself. I’d been so busy thinking about the guy on the platform that I wasn’t paying attention to my surroundings. Someone else stepped on me, but the initial fall was all on me.

“Well, if I didn’t make you go…”

I cut her off because even after everything that happened, I still feel like I won yesterday. “Then, I would have never met Emmitt.”

“Emmitt, who?” She tilts her head and scrunches her brow.

“The guy who was here all day.”

Her eyes widen and then narrow. She presses her hand to my forehead, looking for a temperature. I don’t feel feverish at all, so she steps back and purses her lips. “Um…no one was here but us two. Damn, you must have had one hell of a dream.”

“Are you freaking serious?” It felt so real.

“Dude, they did load you up on meds.” I can’t believe it. Could I have been that wasted on the drugs that I made up the whole thing?

“Now, tell me about this Emmitt guy you dreamed about. Was he at least hot?”

“Do tell,” Emmitt says from the door.

“Addison, you’re such an asshole.” I swing my pillow at her, slapping it across her arm and the back of her head.

“I know, but you love me anyway. I’m going to entertain myself out there.” She pops off my bed, skipping out of the room, snatching a piece of bacon from Emmitt’s hand.

“So did you spend the night, or did you come back?” I can’t even remember what happened after I passed out.

“I came back. I had to get some of the photos off to the event sponsor. How are you feeling?”