The Love Series Complete Box Set (8 page)

The pool hall is packed and loud and the perfect distraction. We’re on our third game when I see her enter. My mouth goes dry, and my heart plummets in my chest. Gorgeous—simply stunning. Her hair is down in flowing waves; it looks sex-mussed—it looks perfect. Her tight jeans accentuate every single fucking curve of her perfect ass. Low-cut jeans and a midriff-baring top would look slutty on most women in here, but on Maddy it looks hot and oh, so inviting.

Jack nudges me with his pool cue, indicating that it’s my turn to shoot. He chuckles a little when he realizes the cause of my distraction. When I’m done with my shot, he asks, “You’ve got it bad, huh?”

“What do you mean?” I retort.

“Maddy.” He angles his head toward her direction. “You’ve got it bad. That’s why you kicked Logan’s ass and why you’ve been in a mood all week. I didn’t put it together before now, but it’s her. You want her, and you can’t have her.” He’s wearing a smug look on his face, obviously proud of his newfound detective skills. Jerk.

A quick shrug of the shoulders, and the conversation is ended. I think Jack can tell that I just don’t want to get into it. The fact that Cammie walks in right behind Maddy helps to distract him as well.

Lia, Melanie, and some other guy, who I later learn is Melanie’s new computer-lab boyfriend Bryan, follow Maddy and Cammie. What the fuck. Jack didn’t tell me this was a family reunion. I’m so not in the mood for this tonight.

I am in the mood for ripping Maddy’s clothes off and hearing her scream my name. Now, that doesn’t sound like a horrible plan.

“Hey, baby. Up for a real game?” Jack’s words are laced with lust, and I know that he’s just challenging Cammie to a game so he can look at her ass while she plays.

Hmmm, not a bad idea. Not a bad idea at all. Now, if I can only get Maddy to go along with the same plan.

Cammie sneaks a look in Maddy’s direction, obviously unsure whether Maddy wants to play against us. I’ve really pushed this too far. Maybe it’s time for me to give this a shot and see what happens. The chemistry between us is already off-the-charts hot. Maybe it’s time to let some of those walls come down—not all the way, but just a little.

“C’mon, girls. It’ll be fun,” I chime in and wink, hoping that it will lure her in.

Cammie responds with a cheery “sure.” All I get from Maddy is an exasperated sigh and a disinterested “whatever.”

Really dug myself in deep with this one.

I walk up next to Maddy and lean in. I want her to play. I want her to see that I’m not always a jerk. Okay, fine, “jerk” is an understatement. But I have to make things better. It’s time to turn on the charm.

“Please, Maddy? I promise I’ll be a good boy,” I coo into her ear.

“Oh, puuulease. Like you even know what that means!” she snaps.

“It’ll be fine, Mad,” Cammie interrupts. “Jack is here. He’ll keep ass-face . . . um, I mean Reid in line.” I have never liked Cammie more than I do right now.

“Oh, okay, fine.” Maddy huffs. Well, she might not be happy about it, but at least she’s staying.

Lia, Melanie, and Bryan set up at the table next to us, and we all start playing and laughing alongside each other. Maddy quickly forgets her anger at me and relaxes into the game.

Seeing carefree and fun Maddy lightens my spirits and only makes me want her more.

And oh, thank the gods who created low-rise, ass-hugging jeans. Watching her bend over the table for the last few hours has been quite the show, one that I catch some asshole at the next table enjoying as well. Maddy notices him, too, and adds an extra strut to her stuff; there’s more sway in her hips. Damn her. She’s flirting with him, and I’m right here.

When our game is over, he swaggers over and puts his arm around her waist. I can only catch snippets of the conversation, but I see her smiling and giggling like a little girl. She looks happy.

She’s happy because he’s not treating her like a piece of garbage.

“Cam, I’m going to go grab a drink with Mike,” Maddy announces to the group, but I catch the sharp look in her eye as she walks past me.

She’s been at the bar with him for two hours now. She hasn’t had anything but a couple of sodas. They started out just talking, but that quickly grew into playful banter and flirtatious touching.

Part of me is seething in anger that she’s doing this to get back at me. Part of me is enraged with jealousy because I want her to be like that with me. And part of me, a much larger part of me, is concerned for her. There’s just something about this guy that I don’t like.

Jack, Logan, and I have been coming here for years, and I’ve never seen him before. He doesn’t look young enough to be a college student, either. I just don’t like him.

He realizes I’m watching them and occasionally leers over at me; he then leans into Maddy’s ear and whispers something. Her eyes widen in a state of shock, but she quickly recovers. She’s shaking her head “no,” and she points over to where Jack, Cammie, and I are still playing pool. Melanie and Bryan left a little while ago. Lia left with them, too. The pool hall has never been her scene.

Mike quickly recovers from her rejection and resumes his playful flirting. Maddy seems to welcome its return.

I can’t watch any more. I need a break from this scene playing out in front of me. I suddenly realize that Maddy getting together with Logan would have been much better than her hooking up with this guy. Logan is one of the good ones—a fucker for sleeping with her, but a genuine good guy, nonetheless; Mike, not so much.

I hate to leave my watch post, but nature calls. As I walk past them on the way to the bathrooms, Mike leans in to kiss Maddy, even though she clearly said no to his advances earlier. She sees me and kisses him back. I think she sees the look of disgust on my face because her eyes seem to convey some sort of apology.

I push past the exit at the end of the long hallway where the bathrooms are located. I just need some fresh air. I need to clear my head. I need a few minutes to regain what little composure I thought I had.

I sit down on the curb of the sidewalk and hang my head down low. This is all so foreign to me. I feel like a gigantic pussy over all this, but one thing remains clear: I want her.

For the first time ever, I want a girl for more than just one night, for more than just sex. She’s alive and vibrant. I just feel like she sees me, the real me. Scares the shit out of me, but I can’t deny it any longer.

I don’t know how long I’ve been out here, giving myself this little pep talk, but it has definitely strengthened my resolve with all things Maddy-related. The only way for her to know how I feel is to tell her. I have to stop being an asshole, stop being afraid, and just see what happens.

All that shit happened years ago, and Maddy is not Alex. She wouldn’t hurt you like that. Plus, Shane’s already dead, so it’s not even possible for Maddy to hurt you like that.

I bury the sinking feeling of guilt over my dead brother and try to shake the vile thoughts of Alex out of mind. No matter how many times people tell me otherwise, I know I killed him. It was entirely my fault—and hers—Alex’s. My blood goes cold just thinking about her and Shane.

But Maddy is different. I know she sees my pain; I see hers, and I can’t help but wonder what put it there. It’s been five years. Maybe now it’s finally time to heal. Maybe Maddy can help me figure out how.

I push back through the exit, only to be greeted by Mike and Maddy. We’re at opposite ends of the hall, but even from that distance I’m sure that Maddy can see the shock and disgust in my eyes.

She is leaving. With him? What the fuck!?

I stalk past them, and I turn on my heel the second that I make eye contact with Maddy.

Something’s wrong. Really wrong.

Her eyes look all cloudy and faraway. She’s stumbling, so much so that Mike is practically dragging her out.

“Maddy, are you okay?” I can’t hide the genuine concern in my voice.

Mike answers for her. “She’s fine, douchebag. We were just leaving. You can go back to your little friends now.”

I grab her by the shoulders and pull her face up to meet mine. She is definitely not okay. I don’t get it, though. She hasn’t had anything but soda all night. Even if there was rum in those cokes, she wouldn’t be
this
drunk after only three or four.

And then it hits me—the look he gave me when I walked past earlier. It was him. He did something to her drink. He waited for me to leave so he could get her out of here and alone.

“Maddy, please tell me you’re okay. Come on, let’s get out of here. I’ll take you home.” I’m practically begging her to come with me, but she won’t leave his side. I realize at that point that it isn’t so much that she
won’t
leave his side, it’s that she
can’t.
She can’t stand on her own. She’s really fucked up.

“What the fuck do you care, Reid? You don’ wan’ me. Made that perfectly clear. I’m not hot ’nuff for you or whatever.” Her words are slurred, and her eyes start to roll back in her head.

“Let go of her.” My calm, even voice belies my boiling anger and frustration.

“No, fuck-face! You heard the lady. She’s leaving with me. Now get out of my way.” Mike pushes me back in an attempt to get past me.

I size him up. I’ve got a few inches on him and at least twenty pounds of muscle.

Nope—she’s definitely leaving with me, and you’re getting your ass kicked, too.

“Wrong move, asshole. I said, LET GO OF HER!” I push him on each word to accentuate the seriousness of my threat.

He drops his arm from around Maddy’s waist. Thankfully, she is close to the wall and uses it for some support. The second he takes to recover his balance is all I need to knock him on his ass. I knock him further off balance with a quick left hook to the chin and a swift knee to the groin. While he’s bent over in pain, I grab Maddy and run through the back exit.

Running my hands over her face and pushing her hair out of her eyes, I ask if she’s okay. She can’t even form a response. I can feel her slipping away from me into unconsciousness. I’ve got to get her home.

I carry her over to my Mustang and drop her in the front seat. I lean over and buckle her in, and she leans into my neck.

“Hmmm, you smell so good, Reid. You always smell good. Kiss me, please.” She’s obviously regained her voice and her bearings for a minute.

“Soon, baby. I’ll do more than kiss you soon, but right now I just want to get you home and take care of you.” She nods her “okay” and swiftly returns to her nearly comatose state.

I tuck her hair back behind her ear and kiss her forehead. I won’t kiss her how she wants to be kissed right now. I will not take advantage of her, but, well, if she wants a kiss, then a kiss she’ll have.

When I get into the driver’s seat, I shoot off a quick text to Jack, telling him that I’ve got Maddy and that we’re on our way back to the house. I also ask Jack for Melanie’s number. I know she’ll freak if Maddy doesn’t come home. He sends me Mel’s number and responds that he knew I had it bad. I’ll deal with him later. My main concern is that everyone knows she’s okay.

When we pull up to the house, Maddy is completely passed out. I lift her out of the car and carry her up the front steps. It’s not an easy feat to open the door with her in my arms, but it’s a welcome challenge. She’s here with me, and she’s safe. That’s all that matters.

Walking through the living room, I consider letting her sleep on the couch, but I don’t want her to wake up alone. I don’t know what she’ll remember, and I don’t want her to get scared. I decide that her sleeping in my bed is the safest place for her. Upstairs it is, then.

No hidden motives at all.

I lay her down in the middle of the bed and pull off her strappy black sandals. I decide to leave her in her clothes. Not that I don’t want to take them off—oh, God, I want that more than anything—but I want her to be conscious when I undress her.

I crawl in next to her, pull the covers up over us, and fold my arms behind my head. I won’t be able to sleep a wink tonight with her soft, warm body next to mine. I need to stay awake anyway to make sure that she’s okay.

I lean into her ear and whisper, “Goodnight, sweetheart. Don’t worry—I’ll take care of everything.”

She mumbles something, hopefully not in protest, and returns to her deep slumber.

I stare wide-eyed at the ceiling, chuckling on the inside. I wanted Maddy in my bed, that’s for certain, but definitely not like this.

Chapter 7