Emilia slowly lowered her hand. “I…I…shit…I have no idea what to say here.” She slapped her hand across her mouth again, eyes huge. “And I just swore,” she mumbled.
“I think you’ve said enough,” Maddox said, voice amused. “Besides, I’ll forgive you since those words are well deserved.” Then his voice shifted, becoming lower, harder. “Joss, look at me.”
The air rushed from her lungs as she slowly spun on her stool, and all those things she’d been saying to Emilia didn’t matter anymore. Logic couldn’t compare to what she felt with Maddox because it wasn’t a logic thing. It was emotional. And it was magical, from day one until now. “Is it a coincidence that you’re here?” She had to know.
He shook his head.
“You came here to see me?”
He nodded, eyes intent on her, flaring hot with emotion.
“How did you know I’d be here?” she asked, locked in all that powerful energy he was tossing her way.
“I overheard Emilia telling someone at work that you were all coming here tonight.”
Joss glanced at Emilia, and her best friend nodded. “I might have said something.” She turned to Maddox. “I didn’t even see you there.”
“He seems to have that spy technique mastered.” Joss smiled at Maddox.
His eyes crinkled, but he wasn’t moving toward her, just standing near the other table. “I heard that you went and saw my father.”
She flinched and recoiled—sure he wouldn’t have found that out. “Sorry, I know I probably shouldn’t have done that, but I….” She stopped short, beginning to wonder how he’d found out she was there. “Wait, did a nurse tell you? I asked them not to bother you with it.”
The pub faded around her as he took a step forward. “My father told me.”
“He remembered me?” She gasped.
Maddox grinned. “He did, and do you honestly believe I’d be upset that you went and gave my father a care package?”
She nodded, barely able to breathe, realizing this was how Maddox looked when all his shields were down. Oh, hell, he looked different, the energy between them felt different. The hairs on her body rose like static electricity between them.
Still, he stood so far away as he said, “Sugar, you’re far sweeter than I think you even realize. Of course, I’m not upset you went there, and of course my father found you unforgettable.” His head tilted then, watching her very carefully. “You won’t let me stop thinking about you, will you? Every time I try to stay away, you do something that draws me right back.”
“Um…” She nibbled her lip, glancing at Emilia, whose mouth was nearly hitting the table, before looking at Maddox again. “I didn’t do that to get your attention or anything.”
He didn’t respond to that but took another step forward, saying instead, “You won’t stop being this woman who does everything and anything to put herself into the spots in my soul no one could ever reach.”
She could barely catch her breath, her heart now in her throat. “I’m not doing that on purpose.”
That left brow of his lifted. “And yet you do it every single time, don’t you? Again and again, somehow you make me forget every rule and make me want things I’ve never wanted before.”
After a quick look around the pub, she noted that they were drawing a crowd. Too many eyes were on them, including Sandy’s, a well-known gossiper in the west. Joss frowned, turning to Maddox, and whispering, “Maybe we shouldn’t talk about this here.”
“There’s nowhere else I’d rather be,” he retorted, freezing her in her seat. His soft, gentle expression said so much without saying anything at all. Something had changed in him. Something big. “I found out yesterday that my mother died a week after she left us. That’s why she never came back. My father never told me because he was too ashamed. Even if I understand his reasons, I can’t live in the same shadow I’ve been living in. And do you know why?”
“Why?” she heard herself whisper, feeling slightly detached.
“I refuse to do what he did and make the same mistakes he made.” Maddox took another step toward her. “I want to be the man you need me to be to make you happy, not a man who disappoints you.”
The world faded around her. Only him, that’s all she saw. “I don’t want to change you.”
A slow smile spread across his face. “And that, sugar, is what makes you, you, but when it comes to this, it’s not up to you.” His voice deepened a little as his gaze roamed over her face, like he was searching for answers and had somehow found them. “I kept wondering what it was about you that made you unforgettable from that first night I touched you.”
She blinked, glancing from side-to-side. He was admitting things very publicly. Sure, she knew both their jobs were no longer at risk, but still, Maddox had to know that the cops would gossip about this. “Um, Maddox, what are you—”
He took another step toward her, the heat of his body closing in on her, stealing her voice, as he asked, “You know what I realized?”
“What?” she barely managed.
“I’m in love with you.” Her mouth dropped open, and he laughed softly at the shock in her expression. “Yeah, I know, it surprised me, too. But that’s what made you so different. You got right into here”—he pointed to his chest—“so easily, I didn’t even see it happening. And once you were there, there was no letting you go.” He paused, shutting his eyes for a moment, and when they reopened, heady emotion filled their depths. “I won’t walk away from the woman I love, and I promise I won’t hurt you for loving me back.”
He lifted his hand, cupping her face, and while she leaned into his touch, tears filled her eyes. “So, Joss, I have one last question to ask you. Will you date me?”
She smiled through the tears, sliding a little more off her stool, getting closer to him. “Date a heartbreaker, would that be wise?”
“Probably not, it’s very risky,” he replied with a grin.
She angled her head and stared into his eyes and saw her future. Not a dull moment, she was sure. Love was messy and crazy and wild, and she knew behind it all, she wanted to experience it with the one guy who made it an adventure. Somehow, he didn’t want to change her. She didn’t want to change him. And yet, they had changed enough to be perfectly imperfect together. “Yes, Maddox, since I’m completely in love with you, too, I guess it would be all right for us to date.”
A smile so big and warm crossed his face before she was in his arms. The crowd in the pub roared, whistled, and clapped, and he kissed her exactly like the first time her lips had met his.
That one time in a nightclub that had changed her life forever.
Chapter 14
After Joss had gotten through the awkwardness of everyone clapping at them on their way out the pub’s door, she followed Maddox to his house. She had apologized profusely to Emilia for bailing on their drinks, but of course, Emilia understood. In fact, she’d pushed Joss toward the door after a hug of a lifetime. There were a thousand things to think of. One being how she was going to tell her parents that she’d gone from single to dating the captain of the east precinct overnight. Her dad would definitely hear about that from his cronies. But she realized as Maddox shut the door behind her and turned to her with a smile that she didn’t have to do this alone, and her parents were going to love him.
She wondered what they would do next? They were entering new territory here, and she was curious if things would change a little between them, but his sexy smile told her things hadn’t changed all that much.
That left eyebrow arched. “Are you ready to play, sugar?”
“Always, sir.” She grinned.
“Wait here for a minute,” he said, leaning forward and kissing her on the forehead.
“What are you up to?” she asked.
His grin turned wicked, and instead of answering her, he said, “Take those clothes off while I’m gone. Bra and panties only.”
As she watched him move up the stairs as if he had all the time in
the world, she set to undressing, leaving her jeans and blouse at the door, remaining in only a white bra and white cotton boyshorts. Hell, given how she’d felt the past few days, she was only too glad she wasn’t wearing granny panties.
Only a handful of minutes later, Maddox appeared on the top landing, shirtless, his pants unbuttoned. Heat flooded her, and when he reached her, she said, “I’m one lucky lady.”
His mouth twitched. “Believe me, I’m the lucky one here. I’m still counting my blessings that you said yes to date me. But since you’ve agreed to be mine now, let me have a look at you.” He lifted his finger and motioned for her to turn in a circle. She obliged him and turned toward the door, and he groaned, low and deep. He squeezed her right butt cheek, then her left. “Your ass looks incredible in these.”
“I thought you only liked fancy, lacy things,” she said, spinning back to him.
“On you?” That eyebrow arched. “I like anything, sugar, and sometimes even better…nothing at all.”
She swallowed the added moisture in her mouth at the way he looked at her—like she was truly his—before he pulled a blindfold from his back pocket. Darkness soon slid over her eyes as the covering settled into place. She shivered when he stepped in behind her, sliding his fingers down her spine before he kissed her shoulder.
“I’m going to hide,” he murmured. “You’re going to find me. Then I’ll reward you.”
She exhaled as the strength and heat at her back vanished when he stepped away. Her eyes were shut beneath the blindfold, but she noticed that she could hear him stride forward. She smiled and listened carefully to his footsteps. Within seconds, it became instantly obvious that he’d gone upstairs.
Thump…thump…thump…
She counted each step, and by the tenth, she knew he hadn’t gone into the bedroom. The footsteps came overhead, telling her that he’d traveled farther down the hallway.
Then silence.
Silence that told her the chase was on. A chase not necessarily easy half-nude. Slowly, barefoot, she made her way up the stairs, holding onto the railing. Once at the top, she counted the steps that she’d heard him make. The silence around her was thick and heavy. All she could hear were her harsh breaths and her heart hammering in her ears.
Soon, she’d find him. Her pussy drenched with anticipation.
She held her hands out in front of her, ensuring she didn’t bump into anything until suddenly those hands touched smooth, warm, and hard skin. “Caught you,” she said with a smile.
“Good girl,” he murmured, sliding his hands around to her ass, squeezing her cheeks. “Now for that reward, sweetheart.” He took her hand, leading her somewhere that took her another seven steps to get there.
Again, the strength of his warm body came at her back when he gathered up her hair, placing it over her shoulder. His hands stroked her body from her face to her neck to the curve of her side to her bottom, there wasn’t a single part of her untouched by him. She moaned when his fingers tickled her inner thighs, traveling higher until he slipped his fingers inside her boyshorts and stroked her soaking-wet sex.
“You like finding me, hmmm?” he observed.
She moaned, dropping her head back on his shoulder. “Now that I have you, I never want to lose you.”
“You never will.” He lowered his lips to her neck, his finger gone from inside her boyshorts. She shivered as his hands traveled over her while he returned to her front. He unhooked her bra, sliding it off her shoulders, then he reached down and removed her boyshorts. His mouth was on hers a moment later, and that’s all she knew…all she cared about as she melted into the promise of pleasure.
When he backed away, the cold void of his departure sank in deep, and she whimpered for his return. Yet again, she stood there in the darkness, waiting for whatever he planned to do next. Which came only a second later when something soft dragged against her arm.
She sighed and softened as he began wrapping the rope around her upper body. First, the soft strands slid across the back of her neck, and then she began to feel the tugs against her torso as he placed knots along her front.
His fingers paused when he kissed her shoulder, saying softly, “Grab your forearms behind your back.” She did as told, and he kissed her neck, “That’s my girl.” He stepped in behind her and began sliding the rope through her arms until they were bound tightly at her back. “Beautiful,” he murmured, sliding his fingers along the curve of her breast.
Again, he moved away.
She tilted her head, hearing a click, then she understood why, as he returned to her and slid a wet silicone object across her slit.
“Spread your legs,” he said, causing her to shiver.
She slid her feet apart, letting him insert the dildo inside her, obviously coated in lube from the container he’d opened. The dildo wasn’t small in nature, by any means, but not as big as Maddox either. He gently pushed the toy up inside her until she felt a flatter piece of silicone press across her clit. The tease of being full and the pressure was enough to make her circle her hips, eager for more.
“Ah, you like this?”
“Yes, sir.”
His low chuckle brushed across her, while he began to fasten straps around her hips and legs until the dildo rested inside her and the vibe pressed tightly against her clit. “I’m sure you’ll like this more,” he said, then the vibe against her clit came to life—a slow, weak buzz tickling her sensitive bud.
Again, he moved away, like before, but now, the pause was longer.
So long that she assumed he watched her while the vibrator teased her and the dildo stretched her. Time passed slowly, and only when she began to breathe deeper and moan a little louder did he return to her. Not to her front, this time he moved behind her, spreading her butt cheeks.
She gasped as sudden wetness spread across her anus and there was pressure pushed against her puckered knot. She knew she could say red and stop this, but she didn’t want to, trusting him. The pressure gave her more, and more was what she wanted.
Her eyes rolled into the back of her head when he kissed her spine, slowly swirling his tongue across her flesh. “Push out a little, sugar.”
She moaned against the pressure, breathing deeply as the new toy pressed against her anus. He stayed silent, being calm and gentle, while her mind fought to understand the discomfort at her bottom, mixed with the pleasure deep inside. She released a long, slow breath as the toy settled inside her, filling her body in ways she’d never been.
“Perfect,” he said, kissing her shoulder.
She wanted to answer him, she did, but at that moment, he chose to remove the blindfold. There were no words. She blinked a couple of times, clearing her eyesight until she realized she stood in his bathroom. And the way he’d positioned her, she was staring at herself, bound in black rope like she wore a black bikini top without the fabric covering her breasts. Her arms were back behind her, with a very naked and erect Maddox next to her.
“See how pretty you are?” He cupped her breast and massaged the one, tweaking her nipple. “How perfect you look?”
Again, she tried to respond, but…click.
In the mirror, she watched her eyes widen and cheeks flush deep in color as the vibrator turned to a higher speed.
“Enjoy this,” he said with a smile, before kissing her shoulder again and stepping in behind her.
With his smoldering eyes locked on hers in the mirror, he clicked the button again and now the dildo began vibrating, too. Her knees went weak, and she had to lock them, ensuring she didn’t fall over. He watched her intently as he clicked the remote again.
“Oh, shit.” She dropped her head back against his shoulder as he pinched her nipple tightly. His hand slid up to her neck, holding a little tighter than before as he began grinding his rock-hard cock against her bottom, taking pleasure he wanted from her.
Click.
She gasped against the harsh buzz on her clit, and his low chuckle only made her shiver harder. She was
barely able to watch him move to the bathroom counter. There, she watched him apply a condom and then add generous amounts of lube to his cock.
When he returned to her, he grasped her chin. “Do I get to have all of you, Joss?”
“Yes, sir,” she barely managed.
He stepped in behind her and slipped his fingers between her butt cheeks, stroking around the butt plug. His low groan told her he liked how she looked, ready and stuffed full, as he slowly withdrew the butt plug, placing it on a towel next to him. Then he stepped in close, held her hip, and looked at her through the mirror. “Ever imagined what it’d be like to be with two men?”
She nodded, gasping and quivering.
A slow smile spread across his face before he buried his face against her neck and licked her from shoulder to ear as he whispered, “I’ll never share you, sugar, but I’ll do my best to fulfill every one of your fantasies.” The tip of his cock pressed against her puckered knot. “Breathe out.” Then he pushed his hips forward, pressing past the tight rim. “Now breathe in.”
She groaned, her legs trembling, as he slowly inched his way inside her, stretching her in ways she’d never been stretched. His fingers dug into her hip as he took his time, being gentle until he settled in deep, past the tight rim. His eyes shut, pleasure washing over his expression. She exhaled the breath she’d be holding, panting, overwhelmed by him. By it all.
When he opened his eyes, he began shifting his hips, slow and gentle.
She moaned, trying to understand the sensations. The intense pleasure on her clit. The fullness in her pussy. The tightness and pressure in her anus. She gasped and moaned and grunted against it all, until he began shifting easier, her body far more accepting, and he moved a little faster now. His one hand slid over her breast, and he massaged her before his fingers moved toward her nipple where he pinched the bud in his tight grip.
Heartbreaker (Filthy Dirty Love #1) Page 17