Her eyes widen, and she purses her lips. Things are getting ugly between us, and that’s something I never wanted. I turn and make my way to my side of the car. Just before I hop in, I flick my gaze up to Rebecca and she’s still staring at me, but the harshness is gone, and I’m sure I see tears in her eyes.
I slide into my seat and slam the door shut behind me. Sure enough, Maddy’s face is pale, and her hand is on the seatbelt like she’s about to unbuckle it and leap from the car any second. I brush my fingers over hers. Feeling her skin beneath mine causes something to stir inside me. I don’t quite know what it is, but whatever it is, I’m desperate to protect her, to take her away from all her problems.
She turns to me, and as soon as our eyes meet, she lets her hand fall to her side. I can see the battle behind her eyes. She’s fighting this, what’s between us, but so am I.
She needs this—a distraction. Protection, someone that is there for her, because I can tell she doesn’t have anyone. She can push me away all she wants, she can burn me with those eyes, but right now, I’m not going anywhere. Right now, I’m going to show her just what it means to have someone.
I rev the car and leave the parking lot with Rebecca in the rearview mirror throwing her hands into the air.
Maddison
We drive for a good twenty minutes before we arrive at a mansion. My jaw drops and I gasp unintentionally. Holy fuck. I thought I’d seen it all, but nope.
Out the corner of my eye, I glance at him. His expression is flat and his gaze is fixed on the road.
We pull up to iron gates and they open automatically. Fields of manicured grass lined with rose bushes guide our path up the concrete driveway towards what looks like a castle. It’s at least three stories high, stone, and covered in vine. Kingsley cuts the engine, but I’m frozen in place. Next thing I know, the door opens and Kingsley tugs me out before I even have time to reconsider. I don’t need to ask. I know exactly where we are. His house.
“Come on.” I love the feeling of his hand. So big, so soft, but strong. Its holding on to mine so tight, like he doesn’t want to let go, and I don’t want him to. We walk down a footpath that intertwines with the flowerbeds. The scent is overwhelmingly beautiful. I find myself staring for too long, then almost tripping as Kingsley drags me behind him. We walk around the house to a view I’ve never been this close to. Soft waves crash against sand. A few mansions are scattered around the shore. Before me is a small beach, and on the horizon the ocean dips off into the oblivion. This guy has a freaking beach in his backyard?
Excitement bubbles inside of me, then Kingsley enters my view and walks backwards. “Never seen the ocean before?” he jokes. When I don’t respond, he stops.
“Are you serious?”
I stutter, “I–I’ve seen it, but not from this close.”
“Do your parents, like, deprive you of all your youth?”
That stings, but I don’t show it. “Something like that,” I murmur.
He clenches his jaw, but as soon as our gaze meets, his face softens. “Well, I plan to change that.” He steps in towards me, and I take in a deep breath and attempt to hide the smile that spreads across my face. His finger brushes the side of my jaw, and I watch his eyes take the time to look me over. My stomach flutters as his gaze rest on my lips. He lets out a rush of air and his eyes snap back to mine. “Well, then first thing—”
Abruptly he kneels down, pulls me over his shoulder, and when he takes off towards the waterfront, I scream, and he laughs.
“Put me down!” I shout, even though I don’t want him to—the view from here is actually not too bad.
“Don’t pretend you don’t like checking out my ass.”
My cheeks warm and my eyes lift as I laugh off the joke. “In your dreams,” I shout but the conviction in my voice is faulty and I inwardly curse myself.
He’s strong. His jog doesn’t slow, and his hold on me doesn’t loosen, even as I squirm around, and then before I can make sense of anything, his roar of laughter does away with everything, and I’m lost in it until the cold water consumes me.
I kick my feet against the sand, and push myself up. As soon as I emerge from the smooth, salty water, I wipe my eyes, gasping for air. The scrapes across my face and arms sting for a few seconds, and then they numb. My heart races as the adrenaline pumps through my system. I laugh. Kingsley is standing on the shoreline. This is all so surreal. He has his hands shoved in his pockets, and as I take in my surroundings, from where I am, he is like the size of my finger compared to the building behind him.
“I can’t believe you just did that!” I shout, and his laugh bounces off the water, rippling through my body. The water is surprisingly warm now. “You have to get in!”
He shakes his head and walks back up the beach. Oh, no. He’s not getting away with this. I stand up, my thick clothes dragging me down, and run towards him. The brightness across his face is something I’ve never seen before, and it’s messing with those butterflies again.
“No, no, no.” He walks backwards with his hands in the air. I have no strength compared to him, but I have to think of something to get him in, it’s only fair. I smile, and his laugh consumes me again. I let out a sigh before I grab his wrists and pull, but like I thought, we don’t get very far, we stumble toward the water, before he plants his feet in the sand and halts our progress. I let go, step forward and engulf him. Pressing as much of my body against him as I can.
He lets out a breath through his teeth. “Fuck, that’s cold.”
“I know, you threw me in!”
“You’ve got to experience these things at least once in your teenage years.”
“Well, there’s a few things I haven’t experienced,” I say under my breath, and then he stops moving under my hold. I take a step back just at the same time he takes a step forward, scooping me up off my feet, and holding me against his chest. I let out a small squeal before training my eyes on his face, examining the dimple in his left cheek, his hard jaw and bright green eyes, which has me softening in his arms. Suddenly, we are both submerged in water. I quickly put my feet down, push myself up and gasp for air. Before I can open my eyes, I feel his hands on my thighs, and then he pulls me towards him and wraps my legs around his waist. My heart is beating so hard, I’m sure it can be heard through my chest. I’m scared to open my eyes, and when I do, I’m startled.
He is so close to me, so freaking close I can probably count his eyelashes, and right now I’m just glad his arms are wrapped around my back because I might have drowned. A few moments pass as we just stare at each other, and then his hands fall to my hips, and a foreign squeeze between my thighs starts. I don’t know what it is, but it’s making me feel giddy. He leans forward, his warm breath brushing against my lips, I try inhaling and exhaling. I so desperately want to move that last inch, to feel his lips against mine again, but I’m stagnant. His eyes flick down to my lips, and I’m sure he’s thinking the same thing. Please do it, I plead in mind, but then he pulls back, and I let out the breath I must have been holding.
“Let’s go out further.” He is holding me, so I have no control over the situation, and before I know it, I’m losing it. My legs tighten around him, and I nestle my head into his neck.
“No. I can’t.”
He stops, and I pull myself off of him, so I’m standing on my own feet. Even though I’m embarrassed, I’m too scared to care. “I can’t swim,” I say.
His face slackens, and that only enhances what I’m sure are bright red cheeks of my own. “You never swam in a pool either?”
“I try to avoid it.”
“No way.”
“Yes way,” I retort, and he smirks.
“I promise I won’t let you go.” He moves towards me, wrapping me around him, and looks into my eyes. “Do you trust me?”
My pulse is erratic and my breathing is coming in short, sharp bursts, but for some reason, I still feel safe in his arms. I nod, and he pulls me in tighter.
The
water brushes my chin, and the panic is idling in the same position at the back of my throat, but he doesn’t let go of me, and the trust I feel is soaring.
“You okay?”
I nod, resting my head on his shoulder.
“I don’t know what it is, but the water seems to make everything better.” He stops. “But I don’t assume it’s helping with that fear of yours.”
I pull myself back so I can see him. He studies my face. “Are you going to tell me what happened yet?” His thumb brushes over a tender spot on my cheek. Shit. My makeup would have washed off, for sure.
“No,” I say.
“Why not?”
“Why do you care?”
He raises one eyebrow, pulls me in tighter, and says, “Isn’t it obvious by now?”
My heart just skipped a beat. Actually, I think it leaped. I purse my lips together and lean forward before the grin flashes across my face. I nestle myself into the crook of his neck, inhaling the smell of the salt water and his cologne. It's my new favorite scent.
“Do you want to know what else you have to do once in your teenage years?”
I lift my head and narrow my eyes suspiciously. “What?”
His hands find the nape of my neck, and my lips part for his. “Make out in the water,” he says against my mouth. A sound somewhere between a moan and groan rumbles through my throat, telling him just how much I like the suggestion, and he laughs. But he doesn’t stop kissing me. He just laughs through the kiss, and it completely dismantles all my remaining barriers.
Once we’re relatively dry, we walk towards his house over the large picturesque lawn. It’s like I freaking stepped into the set of The Great Gatsby.
“Do you have any siblings?” I ask.
“No,” he says quickly.
I stop in my tracks, and he whirls around to face me. “You mean you and your parents are the only people that live here?”
“And some of the staff.”
Staff? I’m just about to burst, but I can’t let him know what is going on in my head. Keep your cool, Maddison. Keep your fucking cool!
“Yeah, I know it’s a bit extravagant—”
“A bit?” I choke out.
His smile grows. “Come on then. Prepare to be dazzled,” he chuckles.
Oh God. Don’t do that. Please.
He grabs me by the hand and tugs me out of a daze. We walk up steps, past a lap pool, pool house, patio, and he slides the door open. We enter the foyer. A large marble table is centered in the middle with a huge bouquet of flowers. To the left, it opens up into a kitchen, and to the right, a lounge. Paintings and photographs line the walls, chandeliers droop from the ceiling, and then I notice the grand staircase, which swoops the outside of the room, and goes above my head. As I look around, I can’t find the words to speak.
“Dazzled yet?”
I can’t respond.
“Come on. I want to show you something.” He pulls me through room after room and I stumble along behind him. Every room is huge, furnished to perfection, and oozing luxury.
“Are your parents here?” I ask.
“No, they’re away.”
We enter an elevator, and he pushes level two. Again, he has to tug me behind him. We reach a room, and he stops, resting his hand on the handle of the double doors, and glances at me. His eyes are deep, hollow—the glint they usually hold is gone. Whatever this room holds, holds a tight fist around his heart. He forces a smile, but it’s too late—those few seconds revealed a world of his past. He pushes the door open, and I step in behind him.
Oh. My. God.
A grand piano is centered in the middle of the room, and behind him are floor-to-ceiling windows showcasing the view of the ocean. The other walls are covered in framed artwork.
“It’s beautiful,” I whisper, and he smiles. I move towards the piano and notice the dust collected on the top. I look over at him, and he is gazing out the windows. In this moment, I realize just how strong my feelings for him are and I can’t deny them any longer.
“Play something for me.”
The muscles in his arms tense, and I move towards him. The beat of my heart increases with each step. I stop a few feet beside him and he turns to meet my gaze. I can see the battle inside him. His jaw twitches and his eyes deepen. I inhale a shaky breath and slowly bring my hand up to his face and cup his cheek. His eyes close, and he takes a breath. When he opens his eyes, whatever clouded his sight has cleared. He places his hand against mine, turning his head and kissing my palm. The feel of his lips against my skin sends my pulse into overdrive.
He moves to the piano, sits in the seat, and I sit beside him. He lifts up the hood, resting his hands on the ivory keys. He gives me a long, exasperated look and I encourage him with a smile. He sighs, then turns back to the keys and plays.
God. I thought I’d heard him play before, but this is different. This is purely mesmerizing. His fingers gently glide up and down the keys, filling the large room with a composure so beautiful, tears form in my eyes. I watch him as he sways lightly from side to side with his eyes closed. His jaw looks tense, and he’s frowning, but as the music continues around us, it begins to soften, and so do his features. His shoulders drop, and the notes become longer, more drawn out, and it’s the most peaceful thing I’ve ever heard.
The melody of notes slowly drift off into the air and he opens his eyes. The room is completely silent, apart from our hard and heavy breaths.
“You’re amazing,” I whisper. His hands are still resting on the keys, and he doesn’t even move to acknowledge me. With the way this is affecting him, combined with the collection of dust on the piano, I know he hasn’t been in here a while.
“Why don’t you play anymore?”
His jaw tightens, he shuts the lid and faces me. “Let’s just say my parents aren’t as supportive as yours must be.”
That composure that had taken over my senses a few seconds ago disappears, and I feel the color draining from my face. He frowns, cocking his head to the side as if he is asking for more. I’ve never had to tell anyone this before and I didn’t know it was going to make me feel this uncomfortable.
I guess it’s better to tell him now than have him find out later, so what the hell. I take a breath, and murmur, “I’m in a foster home.”
His face falls. Yup. That’ll do it. What does he have to do to get me out of here? Make a head movement and guards will come and drag me from the house? He only has to ask me to go, and I’ll leave of my own accord . . . reluctantly. As I sit there waiting for a response, I realize I’m not going to get any. I clear my throat, trying to sound like I don’t care, and add a light tone to my voice. “So no, my parents don’t care because I don’t have any.”
He finally makes a sound, even if it is just stuttering. “You . . . you . . .”
“Yes, I’m a foster kid. Sorry to disappoint. Oh, and by the way, I’m not rich.”
It’s like a switch flicks in his head, and the shock dissipates, replaced with a coy smile.
“What?” I snap.
He chuckles, and his eyes do a once over of my outfit. Immediately my cheeks warm. Of course he knows that.
“I don’t care that you’re not rich, Maddison.” He frowns. “But I do care that you’re a foster kid.”
I don’t know why but whatever that means makes me angry. I stand up, but he grabs my arm, and tugs me back down.
“Because you deserve more than that.”
Those words make me still. I purse my lips and stare into his eyes. “What is this, Kingsley?”
“What’s what?”
I gesture between us. “This.”
His hands fall to my thighs, and we both stare at them for a moment before he pulls me up and into his lap. I gasp, feeling my heart start to race. “I don’t know, but whatever it is, I’m not letting it end.” He leans in until his mouth is beside my ear. I’ve never had someone want me like this, ever. That squeeze starts between my legs again, and I’m desperate to pull his
mouth towards mine, but then abruptly he pulls back, shaking his head. “I’m sorry.”
I’m out of breath, but I manage to whisper. “What are you sorry for?”
“I don’t know what you’ve been through, but I want to be here for you. I want to treat you the way you deserve to be treated.” He releases a breath. “I’ve never felt like this before, and it’s making me crazy.”
A tear slips down my cheek. I never fucking cry. Who is this guy?
I want to tell him I’m going crazy too, but my stupid ego won’t allow it. “Whatever this is,” I stare him deep in the eyes, and I can see how true his words are, so I swallow back the nerves and say, “I want to take it slow.”
His eyes widen, and his smile takes over his face. “Yes, of course. Whatever you want.”
I’m sure he can hear the pounding of my heart and see the throbbing pulse in my neck. My eyes take the time to scan his features, and it’s only getting worse. When I meet his gaze again, I’m startled at the intensity. His hands trail down my arms, my waist, until they find my ass and squeeze. “To some extent,” he murmurs, leaning forward and swallowing my laugh with a kiss.
I’m fine with that, too. More than fine.
“Are you hungry?”
Before I can answer, he stands with me in his arms and walks towards the door, then places me on the ground. I find my feet, but the door is closed behind me, and before I know what’s happening, my back is pressed against it as he boxes me in with his arms and continues kissing me.
God, can this get any better? I’m laughing, and he’s making sure his lips have touched every part of my face, neck, and shoulders.
He finally pulls back, and there’s a wild look in his eye that ignites a flame in my belly. He grins, which only adds to the wickedness in his eyes. “Because I like a girl that can eat.”
I snicker. “Well, you picked the right one.”
He nuzzles his head into my neck again.
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