by Lylah James
“Maddox.” My name spilled from her lips, and my chest squeezed.
“Sorry, ladies. Can I steal my date away for a dance?” I asked, offering Lila my hand. She giggled and took my hand, and I whisked her away.
“My savior,” she whispered as we joined the other couples on the dance floor.
“I thought you didn’t need a savior or protector.”
Her eyes narrowed on me, and she pinched my bicep. I swallowed back my laugh. “Forget I said that. I take it back,” she grumbled.
Beautiful Lila, sweet Lila.
My hands landed on her hips and hers curled around the back of my neck. The second her soft skin touched mine, I realized what a mistake it was.
We were too close, after I’d been trying to put distance between us.
Her body pressed against mine, and my fingers teased the top curve of her ass before I gripped her hips again. She swayed to the music, and we slowly started dancing.
This was a bad decision, and my dick was pissed at me.
Her cheeks were flushed, and I wanted to ask her what she was thinking about.
Was it as forbidden as my own thoughts?
Did her desires match mine?
I shook my head, trying to clear my mind.
“What’s wrong?” Lila asked, her voice delicate. She tilted her head to the side, her eyes sparking with curiosity.
My eyes swept over the ballroom, and my gaze landed on my father’s. He was watching us dance, an unreadable expression on his hard face.
Anger burned like acid in my veins at the fact that we were in the same room. Fuck, I didn’t want him anywhere near my Lila.
I bent my head, my nose brushing over the tip of her ear as I whispered, “Let’s get out of here.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
Lila
His voice was gruff when he spoke, “Let’s get out of here.”
Maddox dragged me out of the ballroom, and I tried to keep up in my heels. I knew he was going to hate tonight. As much as he was cocky and arrogant and he loved the attention from the chicks, he loathed being surrounded by people like his father–talking business and mingling with them.
The subject of him taking over his father’s empire one day as the only heir was something we never discussed. He refused to talk about it, and I knew he had no intention of taking over.
Instead of waiting for the valet, he took me around the building to the parking lot. “There’s our ride,” he said under the moonlight of the California sky.
I halted in my step, forcing Maddox to pause, too, as I took in what was in front of me. Maddox chuckled, and he let go of my hand, striding over to his motorbike. His bike?!
I gaped as Maddox climbed onto the beast of a bike – one that was similar to the one back home -- and offered me a helmet. He looked sinful in a tuxedo, with disheveled hair, straddling a bike. I licked my lips, hating the feeling of my heart racing at the sight of him being so devilishly handsome.
I had never seen a man so overtly masculine, so confident in his own skin and with such a dominant aura. The sensitive area between my legs pulsed with need.
“You coming, Sweet Cheeks? Or do I need to steal you away?”
I blinked, still shocked. “How…where did you find this bike? We came in a limo.”
A crooked smile graced his perfect lips. “I was already planning an early escape.” He winked.
I strode over and took the heavy helmet he offered. Maddox helped me buckle the chin strap, his fingers lingering longer at my jaw.
I swallowed and let out a nervous laugh. “Why does it feel like we’re doing something very, very bad? Like we’re some naughty kids… when in actuality, we have done much worse than running away from a stupid charity gala?”
“Because if my father finds out we ran, he’s gonna skin me alive,” he said with a slight twist of his lips.
My eyes narrowed on him. “Ha. Funny. Very funny.”
I looked down at my long dress and figured this could be a problem. We weren’t really clothed for a bike ride. But thank God for the thigh high split. It allowed me to bunch my dress up and tie a knot at my thighs; this way, the fabric wouldn’t get trapped in the monster wheels.
“Where are we going?” I asked, curiously.
His gaze fell to my bare legs, and I could swear he swallowed, his eyes darkening in the slightest bit.
“Some place not here,” he announced smoothly, the deep baritone of his voice vibrating through my bones, all the way down to my toes. My body temperature spiked, burning with unspoken and forbidden need.
He offered me his tuxedo jacket, and I took it, pulling my arms through the sleeves and wrapping myself in his smell–his cologne and his familiar manly scent.
“Well, let’s go. Steal me away, Coulter.” I pulled down the visor of my helmet, obscuring my face from his gaze, a perfect hideaway for my flushed cheeks.
I straddled the bike behind him and wrapped my arms around his middle. It wasn’t the first time he took me on a bike ride. We had plenty of those during our times together.
We rode for a long time, the breeze in my hair and Maddox’s warm body against my front. It was… comforting.
This… this was exactly why I didn’t want to risk losing him.
This was why I kept my secret and locked away the night we spent together, the heated moment between us. Maddox didn’t remember our time together, and it was better this way. Even though I was the only one left haunted by the memories of us, me fingering myself as he humped me through our clothes.
Every time I stared at him, I remembered the look on his face as he orgasmed. My body tingled at the memory of his lips on my throat and his palms kneading my breasts.
It became harder for me to keep my untamed desires in check.
Maddox eventually came to a stop and the sound of crashing waves filled my ears. “We’re at the beach?”
He helped me off the bike, before straightening up to his full height. Maddox unbuckled the chin strap and pulled the helmet off. Once the weight was gone, I almost groaned in relief.
His thumb stroked my collarbone in a delicate manner before he caught himself and pulled away. “I brought you to my favorite spot. Let’s go.”
He grasped my hand in his and pulled me forward. My heels sank into the sand, and I stumbled forward, a surprised giggle spilling from my lips. Yeah, that wasn’t going to work. I kicked off my heels, my bare feet sinking into the soft sand. It felt so nice.
We walked closer to the waves, hand in hand. I could see the reflection of the full moon in the ocean, and the sound of the waves were melodious to my ears. We came here last year, with the rest of our friend group, on our summer vacation. It was good to be here again, but this time–just the two of us.
I didn’t want to admit it… but it was intimate.
Maddox and I settled on the sand, watching the waves crash against the shore. We fell into a comfortable silence, and I watched him from the corner of my eye. His face was hard and pensive, with shadows under his eyes. Maddox was okay without his parents in his life, but every time they made their presence known… I’ve seen Maddox retreat within himself–a place filled with anger and hate. He battled his inner wars on his own and in silence.
My heart ached because I wanted to hold him.
I wanted to soothe him, save him and to love him in ways he has never been loved before and in ways only I can love him.
If only he’d let me.
If only he was mine.
If only...
“Are you cold?” His voice echoed through my ears, and I shook away the muddling thoughts.
“No, not cold.” I went back to staring at the ocean. The urge to dip into the water was strong. “I want to take a swim.”
“We can, tomorrow.”
“Or…” I left the sentence hanging.
Maddox read my mind, and his eyes narrowed on me. “Lila,” he warned.
“Troublemaker. I learned from the best.” I blinked at him in fak
e innocence. “I dare you to go skinny dipping. Right now.”
He gave me a blank stare, before releasing a sigh. “What am I going to do with you?”
“Well, I don’t think this is that big of a deal. You dared me to wear a fucking potato sack to the club last week! Do you have any idea how embarrassing that was?”
The tension in his shoulders unraveled. Maddox half-shrugged. “Can’t be as embarrassing as you making me wear a fake pregnant belly. I was waddling around campus all fucking day, Lila.”
I pressed my lips together to keep from laughing. Oh, that was a sight to see. I’d never seen Maddox so offended in his life, and Colton still wouldn’t let him live down that fateful day.
Over the years, Maddox and I have done countless dares. Some of them wild and crazy. Some just plain… stupid and embarrassing.
Maddox taught me how to enjoy life, how to let go of fear and the need for control and to just… live.
I wasn’t just surviving any longer or simply going through the motions of life after the death of my parents.
I was… living and breathing life.
“So, do you dare?”
Maddox stood up and slowly unbuttoned his white shirt. He tugged at his bow tie, and it fell on the sand beside me. He peeled off his shirt, and my mouth went dry.
His stomach clenched, his abs rippled, and my stomach pooled with heat. My eyes traveled up the length of his torso up to his chest. His strong pecs and his nipples…
My pussy tightened. The silver nipple piercing shone under the moonlight.
I had to remind myself to breathe. My gaze slid up to his face. Chiseled jaw. Full lips. Nose that was slightly crooked, but it was only noticeable if someone paid close attention and his eyes blazed a deep blue–as deep as the ocean--eyes that could see inside my soul.
“I’ll get in the water on one condition. You have to do it.”
“Is that a dare?”
“No, I’m not wasting a dare on that.”
“You think I’ll get in just because you asked?”
He smirked. “Yes.”
“So cocky.” I rolled my eyes and crossed my arms over my chest.
Maddox toed off his black, shiny dress shoes and kicked off his slacks. He left his boxers on and strode toward the waves. “Don’t be a chicken, Garcia,” he called out over his shoulder.
Oh no, he didn’t.
I held back a growl and came to my feet, glaring at his muscled back. I should have thought more about it… skinny dipping with Maddox was a bad idea, but I didn’t think.
I made silly decisions around Maddox.
I shrugged off my dress and my bra. Covering up my breasts with one arm, I left my lace panties on and jogged toward the water.
Maddox was already waist deep, wading through the cool water, before I jumped on his back. “Boo,” I said in his ear.
It was too late to realize my mistake.
My bare tits pressed against his back. Skin to skin. My eyes widened, and my breath stuttered.
Maddox tensed, inhaling sharply, as my puckered nipples rubbed against his shoulder blades. I squeezed my eyes shut, silently berating myself.
“Troublemaker,” he grumbled without any heat. Maddox reached behind him and grabbed my thighs, keeping a hold of me. I loved swimming, but it was night, and I couldn’t see a thing. The water was too dark, and the ocean wasn’t a place to trust. There could be anything in this water.
I clung to Maddox, already regretting my dare.
Maddox chuckled, his back vibrating with the sound. My nipples hardened into two aching tips, and we both ignored it. I told myself my nipples were only reacting to the cold ocean, not because of Maddox.
“Don’t be a chicken.” He was keeping this from being awkward.
“Asshole,” I hissed, swatting his bicep.
Slowly, I untangled myself from his back and waded through the water, away from him. I kept afloat on my back, looking at the dark sky.
How did this happen…?
How did Maddox and I go from being enemies to friends… to best friends… to this?
Something slimy touched my feet, and I jumped, snapping out of my thoughts with a terrified squeal. Maddox swam over to me, and he pulled me into his arms. “What’s wrong?” he asked urgently, his hands sliding down my bare body, searching for any injuries.
Whatever it was slid over my foot again, and I shuddered. “Something just touched me!”
I wrapped my legs around his waist, peering into the water, as if I could see something, but it was too dark.
Maddox stroke my back. “It might just be a fish, Lila.”
“Um, I want to get out. Now.”
My thighs tightened around his waist, and it was then I realized…
Fuck.
Maddox’s eyes darkened as if he just came to the same realization. My core was seated right above his dick, the thin layers of our underwear the only barrier between us. Chest to chest, hips to hips, skin to skin.
My lungs squeezed, and I forgot how to breathe. My hands curled around his shoulders.
Time halted, and the world came to a stop.
The look on his face was something I’d never seen before, and I wished I knew what he was thinking. His jaw ticked, the muscles twitching. His pupils were dilated and dark, his blue eyes stormy with unreadable emotions. We looked at each other a little too long to be just friends.
“Lila,” he rasped. His head descended toward mine, his breath feathering over my lips.
I saw it in his eyes; Maddox was going to kiss me.
No, don’t.
Yes, please.
His lips parted, captivating me. He pressed me closer to him.
My heart stuttered, and my stomach twisted, butterflies raging inside. I could feel his hardness between my thighs. Maddox, of course, wasn’t unaffected. He was a guy, after all. His dick jerked, pressing against my pussy through the layers. I was hot, my core molten lava, and aching.
He just had to slide my panties to the side and thrust into me.
He could…
I was open to him; my thighs were spread around his hips.
As though unable to stop himself, he rocked against me, slightly thrusting up against my pussy.
A small whimper echoed through my lips, and my eyes fluttered close.
It was then he snapped.
Maddox roughly pulled away, the water rippling around us harshly. He slipped out of my embrace, forcing my legs to fall away from his waist. “It’s cold. We should get out,” he said, his rich voice hoarse. It sounded like he was swallowing the words and having difficulty speaking.
My chest cracked open and a searing pain racked through my body as Maddox swam away from me without another word.
Feeling more alone than ever, I ducked my head under the water and came back up for air, hoping the coldness would ease the heat of my body and clear my mind.
It didn’t work.
Slowly, I got out of the water. Maddox was sitting on the sand, still half naked, with his back to me. My throat seized with emotions I couldn’t explain, and I settled on the sand with him. Back to back, facing opposite directions. I watched the waves, letting it soothe my bleeding heart.
After a while, our breathing had evened out, our bodies no longer wet from our skinny dipping. Maddox cleared his throat. I turned my head to the side, keeping our backs pressed together. His hand came into view.
He was showing me his pinky.
God, Maddox.
Unshed tears blurred my vision.
“Friends?” he asked in a low voice.
I hooked my pinky around his. “Friends.”
We both lied to ourselves, but it was better that way. It had to be.
***
Maddox
A low groan escaped me before I could stop myself. Grabbing my pillow, I stuffed it over my face as my hand strayed toward my cock. This was so wrong; I shouldn't want her. Not like this. Never like this.
So. Fucking. Wrong.
Last night, our bodies pressed together in the water under the night sky – I almost lost control. I almost fucked her, right there.
And for a brief moment, I thought Lila was going to let me.
We were both edging toward something dangerous, and I didn’t know how to stop.
Because all I could think about were her lips–the way they part when she says my name; her eyes–the way they darken when she stares up at me. Her smooth neck – the way I wanted to bite her soft flesh and leave my marks there. Her hands... the way I wondered how they'd feel around my cock. Her goddamn tits, small and perky, perfect for my hands. She was made for me.
Fuuuuck.
I palmed my cock, squeezing at the base before pumping my length in my fist.
She was in the room adjacent to mine. The walls were so thin, she could probably hear me jerking off. But I couldn't stop. I tried, goddamn it. I tried.
I was hard, aching and... I wanted her. More than I had ever wanted anything in my life.
I shuddered as I imagined thrusting two fingers into her sweet cunt. She would clench around me, moaning, and I’d pull out, teasing her until she was writhing with need, before pushing the same two fingers inside her mouth and demanding she taste herself.
Such dirty, filthy thoughts.
Ragged, guttural groans spilled from me, and I muffled them with my pillow. I pumped my cock with my fist, angry for feeling this way but filled with so much need that I couldn’t force myself to stop. The muscles of my thighs tensed, my dick heavy and swollen in my palm as I got closer to my release.
So. Fucking. Wrong.
So. Fucking. Right.
Thick ropes of cum sprayed my stomach and coated my palm as I came, spurt after thick spurt, and I kept fisting my cock, pumping it, until my body twitched and a ragged, breathless groan came from my lips. “Lila.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
Lila
The unmistakable pressure between us was becoming harder to ignore. A month after our time in California, which was tense and awkward, the situation between Maddox and I was still same.
Maddox had become rigid and the distance grew between us.