feel myself glaring at him, my eyes turning into slits as I regarded my nemesis with utter distaste. If I could breathe fire, I would have fumes coming out of my nose.
My jaw clenched at the way he kept grinning. It made me angrier. It unsettled me. “What are you? A psychopath? Because that’s the only explanation. No sane person thinks it's fun to scare someone else to the point they thought they were going to die!”
I fought the urge to punch him and claw his beautiful eyes out. What was it about him that make me lose all my control?
Oh right. Maddox Coulter was an asshole.
He cocked his head to the side, one side of his lip turning up slightly. Maddox then released a deep chuckle, his wide chest vibrating with a decadent sound. “That’s new,” he whispered, his voice raspy. It made the tiny hair on my bare arms stand up.
“What?”
He was still smirking. Fuck you, I mentally slapped him. “I have been called many names before. Been swore at so many times, I lost count about three years ago. But being called a psychopath? That's a first.”
I gaped at him. Was this guy joking or seriously just insane?
Maddox brought his head closer to me, his body leaning into mine. He brought warmth with him, and I didn't like that. He wasn't supposed to be warm. He wasn't supposed to smell nice. He wasn't supposed...
“I like it.”
His lips were only an inch away from mine. His face so close I could feel his minty breath feathering over my skin. I stayed still, completely still. If I moved, our lips would touch.
My fists clenched, and I squeezed them over my thighs. “What?” I breathed.
“I like it. You calling me a psychopath. It’s new. It's different.” He was still too close. He was still grinning like a fucking loon. He was still so warm...he still smelled so good...
My body seemed to overheat with his presence. My heart thudded in my chest. “You are crazy,” I whispered.
His eyes glinted with something mischievous and roguish. “Wanna see just how crazy I am, Sweet Cheeks?”
9
Lila
There always comes a time in your life when your tenacity is tested, and when that happens, you have two choices: you either run away with your tail tucked between your legs, or you stand up for yourself.
Maddox has been playing me, pushing and pushing until I reached the end of my rope and snapped. He wanted to remind me he had the power to make me lose control.
He craved the hunt, to be the hunter – the predator, to be at the top of the food chain, doling out punishments as he deemed necessary.
Being an asshole was his way of living, I guessed he didn’t know how to be anything else.
He knew exactly how to make his victims feel small to the extent that all you can do is cower away.
My blood pumped hot. Shaking away the terror and fury coursing through my veins, I stood up. Maddox pulled away and came up to his feet, too, standing to his full height. The crooked grin plastered on his face infuriated me, but I channeled all my frustration.
“What do you want from me, Maddox?”
He raised one perfect eyebrow, without saying a word, shoving his hands in the pockets of his jeans and rocking back on his feet, quite nonchalantly.
“You’re the most frustrating person I’ve ever come across.”
“Why, thank you. I take that as a compliment.” He was still smirking.
My mother always told me to avoid trouble and look away. The least attention you give to bullies, the more disinterested they’ll become.
Maybe she was right.
Still staring at Maddox, I took a step back. “Have a good night, Coulter.”
I pivoted on my heels to march away, but his taunting voice stopped me. “Giving up so easily, Sweet Cheeks? I must have been wrong about you.”
My fists clenched at my side, and I came to a halt. I really should have listened to my mother’s warning.
But I never, ever turned down a challenge. Maybe that was my mistake…
Show time.
I swiveled around and stalked forward until I stopped in front of him. Maddox’s gaze drifted to my mouth, where I was chewing on my lip – not in nervousness, but to put Maddox exactly where I wanted him.
My hand landed on his firm chest. His eyes widened slightly since this was the first time I've touched him willingly. A roguish smile played on his lips, and I pitied him.