Page 50 of Toni and Addie Go Viral

Addie

The interviews were fine. The flights were fine. Everything was perfectly fine. And Addie was still blue. Aside from her glum mood from knowing she’d be alone in a hotel on Halloween night later that month, Addie’s life was as normal as it ever was.

And I miss Toni.

Over the last week and a half, she had exchanged calls with Eric and with Toni.

She texted a few times with her mother. The reality of it was that she was lonely—but she was torn between wanting to go out and sadness that there was no one in the city to go out with.

She and Eric had lived together for years, so they always went to a party or a bar or something.

Addie had actually debated flying home for Halloween.

But filming was in New Orleans right now, so she didn’t fly back to California or to DC, although both sounded good. There was something disconcerting about having left her life in Scotland behind, and now being away from her new life in LA.

And away from DC, where my heart is, too.

Addie’s frequent email refreshing was proof enough that she had made exactly no progress in keeping her heart safe.

She waited for each message with the impatience she’d felt after they first met.

A part of her thought the yearning to talk to Toni ought to have eased after fifteen months.

Reality was that she had to force herself not to reply the moment she read each email.

Mostly, she managed to wait at least an hour before replying. Tonight, though, she was failing that.

From: History Toni

To: Addie

How’s the filming? How are you? Call tomorrow?

Toni

Briefly she replied:

From: Adelaine

To: History Toni

The French Quarter is lovely. It’s a wild place here with Halloween coming in a week, but I’m in my hotel too tired to go out. Wanna come spend the weekend? YES, on the call.

Addie

Toni didn’t wait an hour before she replied:

From: History Toni

To: Addie

I wish I could, but work is backed up. Some gorgeous woman kept me occupied the other week. I’m almost caught up, but I don’t think I can take the weekend off.

Toni

This time, Addie replied instantly. If Toni was going to reply that fast, maybe it was okay.

From: Adelaine

To: History Toni

I guess I’m going to be left to my own devices.…

Addie

Or maybe they ought to switch to text? Addie took a picture of her vibrator on the bedsheets and sent it to Toni over text. It was the closest she’d come to phone sex.

Is text sex a thing?

Toni replied over text: “Damn it, woman. You test my self-control.”

This time, Addie sent a picture of her hand holding the vibe, angling it so her bare legs were visible.

The phone rang instantly. Addie repressed a smile as she answered, “Hi.”

“Hi yourself.” Toni’s voice sounded like she did when they had been alone and intimate. “Are you serious?”

“About what?”

“About what you’re doing there?” Toni asked.

“Eventually. Since you aren’t here…” Addie felt her cheeks warm, embarrassed by her own boldness.

“Let me see you.”

Addie paused. “I’m not sure that sort of picture is something I ought to be sending. Not that I don’t trust you but—”

“Video?”

Her heart sped at the thought, but Addie wasn’t sure.

“If you don’t want to, that’s fine, too.” Toni had her soothing voice now. “I can listen over the phone or not… whatever you want.”

“I want you,” Addie confessed. “Right here. In this bed. I want to come back from filming and have you here.”

“We are often not going to be in the same city or state, love. You know that.” Toni sighed. “Try this with me. If you don’t like it, I can hang up. Or if you want to try video…”

Addie didn’t reply, but she grabbed her laptop and opened up a video-chat app. “Is this a thing you do a lot?”

“Never tried it. No need. Usually I don’t keep in touch after sex.” Toni sounded matter-of-fact, but the admission was not without weight, and Addie suspected they both knew that.

“Answer your video chat,” Addie finally said.

The phone disconnected, and Toni’s face appeared on Addie’s laptop.

At first she didn’t say anything, but her expression was telling.

Her gaze raked from Addie’s chest to her face, and the look she had as she stared at Addie was not simple lust. Whether or not Toni admitted it, there was a sort of relief in her eyes as she looked at Addie.

“I really like seeing you,” Toni said quietly.

“I wish you could come to New Orleans, but this is nice, too.” Addie smiled. They’d been emailing for almost a year and a half, texting for a few months, calling occasionally, but this video thing was new.

“I guess it’s only fair since I got to watch you in Los Angeles,” Addie murmured.

“Watch me do what, love?” Toni said softly.

“Masturbate,” Addie said, trying not to blush.

“Such a technical term…” Toni teased.

“Are there other words you like?” Addie asked, feeling more curious than she expected. “You are the writer.”

“Words for that?”

“Sex words.” Addie managed to hold Toni’s gaze as she said it.

Toni was walking through the apartment, and when she paused, Addie could see the bedroom behind her. “I think it depends on the person I’m with.”

“Me,” Addie pointed out, a little possessively. “You’re with me, Professor.”

Toni laughed. “Would that I were, love. I like all sorts of words.” She smiled and added, “‘Pussy.’ ‘Cunt.’ I like those best. I couldn’t tell if you would find them too crass, though.”

Addie swallowed. “Maybe. Maybe not.”

Toni nodded. Then she pulled back the bedspread and sat cross-legged on the sheets. “I see you kept my sweatshirt. What else are you wearing, love?”

“Jeans. Underpants. A shirt and a hair tie.”

“No bra?” Toni asked.

Addie stared at the camera and pulled her shirt—well, Toni’s shirt—over her head. “Nope.”

Toni made a low noise of appreciation. So Addie crawled across the hotel-room bed, set the laptop on the nightstand, and unbuttoned her jeans. She said nothing as she slid them and her panties off.

“Take out the ponytail.” Toni was still fully dressed and already giving orders.

“If you take your trousers off,” Addie countered.

Toni matched Addie’s bedside position and did so. She left her button-up shirt on, though. Apparently, she required specific instructions.

Addie stretched out on her bed, facing the laptop, and rolled onto her side. “Buttons undone, please.”

As Toni complied, Addie plucked her nipples, pinching them as Toni liked to do.

“Such a very good girl,” Toni murmured. “Move your leg, so I can see your pussy when you touch yourself.…” Her words faded as Addie obeyed instantly.

Addie smiled. “I think I like that word when you say it. Say the other one.”

Toni rolled onto her back, half seated, so the camera was not showing anything but Toni’s chest and face. “I love the taste of your cunt, Addie. The feel of it, the smell of it, the way you arch against my mouth so I can lick you.”

“I… want to hear that when you’re with me,” Addie said. “I like how much it sounds like you crave me.”

“I do crave you, all the time.” Toni stared at her. “What else do you like?”

“I like the way you’re looking at me right now,” Addie confessed.

“How’s that?”

“Like you are struggling for control,” Addie told her. “It makes me feel powerful when I watch your expressions, and you look ravenous.”

Toni’s gaze was riveted to the hand that Addie had lowered to her sex. “Do you mind if I don’t lower the camera?”

“I want to see you watching me.”

Toni’s voice was increasingly hungry as she asked, “Are you wet?”

Addie shifted so she was on her knees. The camera was capturing only the center of Addie’s body now—belly, hips, parted thighs—and her hand. “Do you see?”

“Yessss.” Toni’s hand was out of the frame, which now only showed her gaping shirt and face, and her voice coming through the connection was breathier.

“Are you touching your… self?” Addie whispered.

“Yes.” Toni’s lips parted. “Seeing you… like this for me makes it impossible not to.”

“Only for you,” Addie reminded her as she lifted the vibe and flicked it on.

The low hum sounded loud in the room, and seeing Toni bite her lip as if to repress a moan made Addie feel like she was wetter than she could ever get when she was on her own.

Watching Toni watch her wasn’t as good as being able to touch Toni, but having her reactions onscreen made it much better than masturbating alone.

Addie didn’t say a word as she angled the device and slid it along her body. She said nothing as she held it to her clit. She kept as silent as she could so she could hear the sounds of Toni’s hand moving against herself.

“Faster,” Toni breathed out. “I know it turns up higher than that.”

So Addie increased the speed and held the vibe against her clit until she was shaking. Seeing herself in the camera—hips moving, body trembling—was surprisingly sexy. Seeing Toni’s reaction to it, though, was more.

“I want to see your face, love,” Toni said. “Can you move so I can watch your expression?”

Addie thought she might bite through her lip at the feeling of joy that request brought. She dropped back to the bed, angling the camera so it was aimed at her face. And Toni caught her gaze instantly.

“I want to look at you as you come for me,” Toni said.

And that was all it took for Addie to do just that. Tremors rolled through her body, and Addie let out a muffled sound. In the next moment, Toni’s expression was sheer bliss. Eyes flickering up, and neck tilted as if a live wire ran through her.

The silence that followed was heavy. Addie stared at her through the camera, and Toni looked back at her like she was a revelation. After a long pause, Toni said, “I could get used to that when you’re not in town.”

“I wish you were here, though. I want to be in your arms now,” Addie said, feeling exposed but closer to Toni despite the physical distance between them.

“Same.” Toni’s voice was so quiet that Addie almost thought she’d imagined the admission. Then Toni grinned and added, “Even if your hair is trying to murder me in my sleep.”

Addie smiled. “It’s self-defense. I had to tuck the covers under me the last night I was there, just so I didn’t freeze.”

Toni looked away. “I ordered a larger top sheet and comforter for when you visit.”

Inside, Addie was squealing at the thought of visiting often enough that she’d need that, but outside all she said was, “That does sound better than sleeping in clothes. Although I did get this new sweatshirt.…”

“You’re going to end up with a collection of my clothes at this rate. Blazer and my sweatshirt, too?”

“Come and get them,” Addie challenged.

Toni chuckled. “I wish I could. I have a late class on Friday, though, and I’m so close to wrapping up the new book. I’ll see if I can pull off Halloween. No promises, love, but I’ll see. The book is already later than my original deadline.”

Addie mock-pouted and sighed. “Fine. Be responsible.”

They chatted about life until Addie had to crash lest she be raccoon-eyed on set. Makeup seemed magical, but it still had its limits.