“Go ahead," I hissed under my breath. “I'll tell him how you’ve been harassing me!”
Maddox had the audacity to look innocent. He let out a mock gasp before his bottom lip jutted out in a small pout. “Me? You’re the one who got physical with me, Sweet Cheeks. Every. Single. Time. If I didn’t know better, I would say you’re trying to get me to touch you.”
My stomach dipped, and my frustration bubbled to the point where I thought I’d do something worse than bite him. That’s it. I couldn’t deal with him anymore.
I threw my hands up in defeat. It took everything in me to accept it, but I was done. “You know what? Truce. We’re even with each other. Let's stop here.”
Maddox looked at me for a second longer. His gaze seared into mine, burning through my walls and forcing itself to peek into my soul. I clamped up and met his gaze with a hard look.
He lifted a shoulder, a lazy shrug. “Fine. Truce. But you need to kiss my boo boo better first.”
Is he really serious?
So, this was his game? He really wanted my lips on him, somehow. Jerk. But fine, I’d play. “Fine. I’ll kiss your boo boo better before you go running back to your mommy crying.”
I brought his arm closer and slowly bent my head down to the bite mark. It did look ugly and painful. For the briefest moment, I felt bad and guilt gnawed at me before I pushed it away.
Before my lips could touch him, Maddox crowded into my space. I sucked in a harsh breath when his arm curled around my waist and he pulled me into him. Our bodies collided together softly and time came to a halt. Tick…tock…
His heat seeped through his clothes and mine, and I could feel the flush on my skin. My heart skittered, and I could feel the beat of his own heart against my chest.
Something pulsed between us, electrifying and powerful… a brief moment in time… something that lasted for only a nanosecond.
His other hand came up and his fingers slipped behind my head, curling around my nape.
My brain screamed at me, angry and confused.
His breath feathered over my mouth; I blinked, and his lips crashed against mine.
I gasped into his hungry lips. My hands landed on his chest, and I tried to push him back, but he clutched the back of my neck as he deepened the kiss. With his arm still locked firmly around my waist, he swiveled us around, and my back slammed into the locker. My heart dipped into my stomach when he pushed against me, and he lifted me up, only allowing my toes to touch the ground.
I didn’t know if I should kiss him back… push him away…
My mind went blank as he licked the seams of my lips. His chest rumbled with a small groan when his teeth grazed my bottom lip before he bit down. I hissed into his mouth, even though I was trembling in his arms. The gentle bite stung, and I could feel the blood rushing through my ears. Slowly, he pulled his mouth away. The taste of him, mint and tobacco were heavy on my swollen lips.
“Now we’re even. Truce, baby,” he whispered in my ear, his voice deeper and darker.
My breath caught in my throat as he untangled himself from my body, and I slumped against the locker. I couldn’t… breathe.
Shock and rage coursed through me, a sea of mixed emotions, too deep while the tides were too violent, I was drowning into the bottomless ocean.
Maddox gazed down at me, and he lazily swiped his tongue over his red, swollen lips as if to taste the remnant of our kiss. “You taste sweeter than I thought.”
His lips twitched, and with a ghost of a smile, he strutted backward and away from me. I let out a choked gasp… finally able to breathe.
I inhaled sharply, sucking in desperate breaths as he winked at me, and then rounded the corner out of my sight. My hand slowly crept up to my chest, and I left it there, over my rapidly beating heart.
His lips had tasted like… sin.
And I hated myself for reacting the way I did to his kiss.
12
Lila
I walked through the door of my grandparents’ home and stumbled onto the couch. Gran leaned against the kitchen’s doorway, having heard the door open. She watched me closely. “What’s with that face, sweetie?”