by A. L. Zaun
My mouth fell open in shock. “You hit Bruce? What’s wrong with you?” I shoved his shoulder.
He was about to say something, and I cut him off again. He’s exasperating.
“Forget I asked. I don’t want to know—not now anyway. I’m going to sleep, and for the record, you need to learn how to take care of yourself. What the hell did you do before you met me?”
“Thank you for taking care of me. Do you really think I believe you’d let my balls freeze and fall off? Not a chance.” He winked. “For the record, I never needed taking care of until I met you. It’s actually your fault I hit Bruce. You’re a magnet for my destruction.” He motioned his head to my bag on the floor. “Do you have gum in your purse? You know, for my ears.”
I reached once more into my purse and tossed him a stick of gum as I rolled my eyes. “I’m too tired for your crap. You need to get your shit together.” I angrily fluffed my pillow once more and closed my eyes as the airplane taxied down the runway. “How on earth is it my fault you hit Bruce? And you’ve been promoted to the king of all assholes.”
“You didn’t answer your phone. That inconsiderate act set all of this in motion. So, yeah, it’s your fault.”
He uncurled my legs and stretched them over his lap, covering us both with the blanket. Slipping his hand under the blanket, he rested it on my hip.
“Hmm.” I closed my eyes, trying to put some imaginary distance between Rick and me, but I failed miserably as his touch kept him ever present. “Do you ever take responsibility for your own actions?” I mumbled.
“Now that you mention it, that’s what we need to talk about—what happens next.”
His hand began caressing my legs gently as his fingers traced circles from my knees to my mid-thigh, sending an electrical current directly to my core.
“Later, Rick. I have my own crisis to deal with,” I mumbled. Keeping my eyes closed, I fought the urge to relax my legs and open them for him. Why is he doing this?
The bastard leaned over toward me, bringing his hand closer to the desired spot. I opened my eyes to find him staring at me.
“And what crisis would that be?”
I sat up and slowly lowered my legs before I grabbed my water and brought it to my lips. A quick glance told me that Rick had a smirk on his face.
“It’s work-related.” I looked out the window. It’s also Rick-related.
He needed to talk about his next step. For the life of me, I couldn’t sit in these close quarters and listen to him go on and on about how wonderful and perfect Daniela was. I knew she was great even though she was a little misguided in her thinking. I wasn’t in the mood for a play-by-play that had become our usual Saturday morning routine regardless of whatever else I was doing. I was also too tired to have a battle of the wits. I needed to clear my head for the war I had ahead of me. Alex was, in fact, a formidable foe. I couldn’t allow this Rick entanglement to distract me. Donovan’s was all I really had left, and I couldn’t lose it. A deep heaviness came over me.
“Maddy,” Rick said gently, leaning toward me and running his left hand along my arm.
I turned my face to him, and his expression changed when he saw the look on my face.
He straightened up. “Hey, are you okay?”
I felt the dam of my emotions cracking. Rick had referred to me as a cold, heartless bitch on more than one occasion, but it was far from the truth. I’d just learned how to keep my feelings in check, not allowing them to influence my decisions.
I had also managed to fuck up being a pathetic, ridiculously weak, and annoying woman, considering the man I was running away from was sitting next to me. The ache was still there, but it was now combined with longing and desire. However, I didn’t have the luxury for an estrogen-induced hysteria. I had bigger problems. I have to be smart. I can’t let my emotions get in the way. I need to be focused.
“Maddy.” Rick nudged me. “Babe, are you okay?”
“I have a lot on my mind,” I answered with a nod.
I laid my head against the window to try to rest. Soon enough, we’d be in New York. I would deal with everything then—Donovan’s and Rick’s drama.
“How’s your hand?” I asked.
He held it up. “I can move my fingers again, so I guess that’s a good sign.”
“You’re on the path to recovery. When you get back to Miami though, I want you to get it checked out.”
“You mean, when we get back to Miami,” he corrected, running his hand along my arm.
He kept touching me. The contact made tiny goose bumps to spring up all over my skin.
“Come here,” he said in a tender voice.
I glanced at him, and he gestured toward his chest.
“Lay your head here.”
“Thank you, but I’m fine where I’m at,” I lied. My neck was already bothering me. I’d have to add a trip to the spa tomorrow to work out all the kinks.
“Don’t give me your bullshit. I know you want to,” he said with an impish grin.
“You’re an arrogant son of a bitch who has no idea what I want. If you did, you’d know that I want you to shut up, so I can relax.”
I felt his arms reach over as he began pulling me toward him.
“Stop being a bitch,” he said tenderly. “For once, go with it, and stop giving me a hard time.”
I let out a deep breath and nestled into his embrace. I wasn’t sure if I heard his heart hammering beneath me or if it was mine pounding in my ears. I lay my hand over his chest. He brought his arms around me and rested his head against mine. In spite of everything going on, being in his arms felt good. I both loved and hated the feeling.
This is a very bad idea.
“Maddy, I’m not used to this personality of yours. I thought I’d met all of them, but I was wrong.”
“You never cease to amaze me. Just when I thought you were the biggest asshole I’d ever known, you open your mouth and elevate yourself to a new stratosphere.” I nestled my head against him and breathed in his scent. God, he smells good. “And which personality is this? The one that isn’t dropping everything immediately to tend to your drama?”
“At least you’re still a mind reader.”
“I’ve spoiled you,” I said with a sigh. “You’re going to have to wait.”
He exhaled. I was asking him to actually put someone before himself, and I could hear the frustration in his voice. “Is this one of your Karate Kid lessons about patience or some bullshit like that? Because the way I see it, I’m here, you’re here, and we’ve got three hours before we land. You’re giving me shit when you should be listening to me. You need to stop with the resistance.”
While his scent was intoxicating, his chest inviting, and his arms enticing, the hard airplane wall and glare from the window seemed more comfortable—safer. I tried to pull away, but he tightened his hold.
I maintained my resolve. Rick would have to wait. “This is generally when I tell you to fuck off, and I hang up on you,” I said dryly.
He placed a kiss on the top of my head. “Babe, that’s foreplay. You know, your fuck-you attitude is a total turn-on.”
“You’re impossible. Bottom line—Madison comes first right now, and Rick needs to wait his turn. After tonight, I promise you, I’m all yours.” I was pretty confident I’d regret that promise, but right now, I needed to clear my head of the Rick clutter.
I couldn’t begin to wrap my head around the events of the past week, starting with New Year’s Eve and culminating in the most bizarre past twelve hours. All I knew was that I was on an airplane, trying to escape the very arms that were now wrapped around me, while also dealing with the newfound threat of my professional dreams going up in smoke.
Chapter 6
Rick
After everything I’d been through to get to her, I sat, muzzled, waiting for my turn. One thing I’d learned in the Madison Stuart School of Castrating Rick was that I had to pick my battles. If she wanted to feel like she had the upper hand and w
as calling the shots, then I’d let her keep thinking that—at least for the time being. It would definitely put her in a better mood, which would in turn work for me. There’s a method to my madness. For now, I’d take her rules and use them to my advantage to build anticipation. She loves this shit.
“Maddy, I don’t want to fight with you. Your need to control me is out of control, but I’ll play by your rules.”
She pulled back and gave me a sideways glance. “You never give in this easily. You must want something.”
“Ah, I see you’re curious now.” I ran my hand along the side of her face and watched as her blue eyes darkened. She wants me. “It’ll have to wait until tonight. Your rules.”
I winked, and she smacked my chest before she laid her head back down.
When I had seen her in the airport, I’d thought I was going to have an aneurysm. I didn’t think I’d ever been so pissed-off at someone before, and technically, I still was. As usual, she had that look that got me. It normally lasted for only a split second, but this time, it lasted longer—maybe an entire minute.
Instead of wanting to strangle her neck, I wanted to run my tongue along it, tasting her. Now I was touching her every chance I got. I’d managed to win one battle, and the prize was that she was laying her head on my shoulder with her hand resting on my chest. Her breathing slowed down, and I kissed the top of her head as I ran my fingers softly up and down her arm. I wasn’t a cuddler. In fact, I usually protected my personal space, but this was actually nice. I hope she doesn’t drool on the jacket, it’s vintage, I thought. What the hell? She can drool all she wants. This had to be what it was like to be a better man. A few months ago, this would not be happening—at all.
She conveniently hadn’t answered my question and had put off our conversation. Why the fuck was she on a plane to New York with that motherfucker? She had agreed to be all mine tonight, and I had every intention of collecting on that promise. I still wasn’t sure what this was between us, but the idea of her getting on this airplane without me was like a swift kick to the gonads. There was just no fucking way I would have let that happen.
I lowered my eyes and could feel the corner of my mouth curl up. Fuck, I’m a pussy.
Her hair was pulled back in some bun thing, but a few strands had fallen out. I was dying to tug on the rest just a little to let her hair fall loose, so I could run my fingers through it. I slid my hand along the side of her body and felt as she pushed up against me. Lowering my hand farther down, I cupped her ass, and she fucking purred. I let my imagination run with it, and before I knew it, my dick was hard. I couldn’t stop thinking of all the things I was going to do to her.
We hit a little turbulence, and reality set in at thirty thousand feet. I was on an airplane, holding Madison in my arms, on my way to New York City. I looked around, taking everything in, and I caught the flight attendant, sitting across from us, eye-fucking me. She smiled as she lowered her eyes to my dick. I wondered if she was imagining a threesome. What else could she be thinking, gawking at me, while I’m holding another woman? Somehow, I knew my conclusion would land me in a new category of asshole. Surprisingly though, I wasn’t the least bit interested in even entertaining the fantasy. I wanted Madison exclusively.
My heart pounded faster, and my mouth went dry. That was the first time I had ever admitted that to myself. I grabbed the bottled water and drank it in one gulp. I can’t stand her half the time. She drives me crazy. She infuriates me like no one else. But I felt something for her I couldn’t describe. It was more than wanting to bury my dick in her and fuck her hard…I couldn’t live without her. Fuck, fuck, fuck.
She shifted against me, sliding her hand inside my jacket. Reclining my head back against the seat, thoughts of her flooded my mind. Somehow, along my quest to win Daniela back, Madison had become my best friend and something more.
Liam Lucas’s words hit me like a tsunami. Your friend is more than a friend. You don’t go up against your brother over a chick unless she’s under your skin, and if you aren’t sleeping with her, then you’ve got it bad.
I lowered my head and ran my lips over her hair. “Maddy, what have you done to me?” I whispered.
I wanted her on my dick and in my bed, but most of all, I wanted her by my side. I chuckled to myself when I realized I hadn’t done half the things I did because she’d cut off my dick. I’d done them because I wanted her. She’d been right. My dick was alive and well, and tonight, he’d be back in action.
“She looks almost angelic,” the former fuck buddy scoffed, looming in front of me.
I peered in the motherfucker’s direction.
He had a sinister smirk on his face. “Very deceiving.” He patted my seat and walked away.
And like that, my five minutes of basking in the realization that I wanted to be with her came to a crashing end. Could I get beyond her past pussy traffic?
***
The plane touched down and Madison stretched, waking from her nap. She tucked her hair back, and the bracelet I gave her for Christmas slid low on her wrist when she rested her hand on her lap. My eyes were glued to her, watching her movements. She was smooth, elegant, and unfortunately, whorish. I couldn’t shake that motherfucker’s comment. She’d never kept her fucking around a secret. There was more to her, though, than just that. The bracelet was my reminder of her humanity. I could still see the look of excitement and happiness in her eyes when she got it.
She reached for her purse and turned in her seat. Our eyes met, and she smiled for a millisecond.
“What?” she asked.
My eyes flashed toward the motherfucker and then looked straight into hers. “Tell me why he’s here.”
She sighed and rolled her eyes. “Not this again.”
I wasn’t backing down. “Yes, this again,” I said with a flat, deadly smile. She might as well just tell me. “I’m not waiting until tonight to get this answer.”
I can’t live with her, and I can’t live without her. I’m officially straight jacket material.
She closed her eyes, and when she opened them, the fucking cold bitch personality made its appearance. “You know what happens when you make assumptions.”
“Don’t give me that bullshit,” I huffed under my breath. “Just answer the question. I hate fucking riddles.”
“Fine, Rick. If one of the many women you’ve fucked walked into Martini Bar on any given day, should I assume she’s there with you even though she’s not sitting at your table or talking to you?”
I shook my head. “Sweetheart, stop with the deflection. Remember, master of sales here. I know all the tricks. Answer the goddamn question.” I steadied my eyes on her. She wasn’t the only one who could turn off emotion.
The airplane door opened, and she made her move to get up. But I stood in front of her. “Just answer the question, Madison.”
She raised her eyebrow. “I did. You’re just not listening.”
Why is it so hard for her to just answer questions like a normal person? She always had to complicate things.
I could feel her death stare trying to move me out of her way. “Why is this so important to you at this very moment? Seriously, Rick, you sound like a jealous lover.”
“I don’t like it when motherfuckers come up to me and give me messages I already know, but to hear it from someone else is like a punch in the fucking face.” I clenched my jaw so tight I thought my teeth my crack. Fuck, not only the hair but now the teeth.
I didn’t realize how ticked-off this had made me. I also resented her dismissing me. Jealous lover? My dick and I knew very well that Maddy and I weren’t lovers. She just didn’t get it. I didn’t want anyone talking about her. I didn’t want them telling me shit about her. I didn’t want her with anyone else.
She looked away, closing her eyes. She ran her teeth over her lower lip as she softly shook her head. Turning back to me, she said, “I’m not with him. Don’t listen to anything he says.”
“Why is he here then?” I
asked as we made our way out of the plane. A burst of freezing air hit me as I stepped onto the jetway. Fuck, it’s cold!
She turned around, pulling me aside. “Look at me. He lives here. Don’t let him get to you. Now, come on, you have bigger things to worry about than Alex.”
I wasn’t so sure about that. “Yeah? Like what?”
Her eyes traveled the length of my body. “Like the fact you’re about to freeze those precious balls off.” She started laughing.
Bitch. “We’re not done with this asshole talk,” I said, leaning into her. “In fact, I don’t want him talking to you, touching you, or ever coming close to you again.” I placed my arm around her shoulder as we walked through the terminal. “I mean it, Maddy.”
We stopped in front of the restroom.
“I’m going to freshen up.” She turned into me, bringing her hand up to my face.
My eyes drifted down to her mouth. As much as she pissed me off, I couldn’t stop wanting her.
She rubbed her lips together as her hand cupped my chin. “Don’t let him get to you. He’s not worth it.”
My hand hooked around her neck, and my fingers laced in her hair, dragging her into me. My lips hovered over hers. “But you are.”
“Rick,” she breathed as her eyes closed.
I lowered my mouth and gently brushed my lips over hers, feeling and tasting her. Her mouth parted, and my tongue ran across her lower lip. Her heart was beating frantically against my chest, and my lips curled at her response. She wants me.
“What are you doing?” she barely got out.
My hand traveled down the side of her face. “He’s not coming near you again.” I winked and turned into the men’s room.
***
As I washed my hands, the motherfucker stood at the sink next to mine. I had no idea what his fucking game was, but it was getting to me. Madison might have told me not to let him get to me, but the idea that he’d fucked her bothered the living shit out of me.