by Lylah James
"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?”
CHAPTER NINE
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.
Motherfuck–
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.
He thought he won me over. Too bad, Maddox. Don’t play games with a girl who can play them better.
He should have heeded my warning the first time.
I rubbed my hand over his chest, sliding it down toward his stomach. The black hoodie did nothing to hide all the hardness of him. His muscles tensed under my slow, exploring touch, and his eyes glinted with something devilish.
Down and down I went, until my fingers halted on his hips, right over his belt. I hooked a finger into the belt loop and pulled him closer to me, our bodies colliding together softly. Maddox let out a small chuckle, playing along.
Standing on my toes, I brought our faces closer, bringing my lips mere inches from his squared jaw, and I leaned in, so I could whisper in his ear. “I know what you want from me.”
“Oh, do you?”
“You've made it abundantly clear. I can give you what you want. One unforgettable night.”
“See? That wasn't so hard. Don't know why you've been playing so hard to get.” His hands landed on my hips before they curled around my back, squeezing my ass.
“You want a taste of this ass? You can have it. Fuck me sideways, fuck me front and back, put me on my knees, get between my thighs. Put me on your dick, and I’ll ride you until the sun comes up. I’m on the pill. If you're safe, we can ditch the condoms, and you'll feel every inch of me. Have you ever fucked a girl bareback? I can be your first. I'll even show you my deepthroating skills. You want filthy? I can make your filthiest fantasies come true, Maddox. You can have it all, baby.”
My teeth grazed his earlobe before I bit down softly. His throat bobbed with a low groan.
“In your dreams,” I breathed in his ear.
I released him and pushed away from his body. His eyebrows curled together in confusion before realization dawned in his eyes. He reached for me, but I sidestepped him, tsking. It was my turn to taunt him, and by the look on his face, he hadn't expected it.
Oh no, Maddox Coulter underestimated me.
I winked, and my lips curled into a satisfied smirk. “See you tomorrow, Coulter.”
I walked backward, enjoying the look of complete shock on his face. My gaze slid over him, from the top of his messy blond hair down to his brown leather boots.
“Oh. You might want to take a cold shower to help with that,” I said, pointing toward his semi hard-on, which was indecently poking through his jeans.
Whoops.
***
Maddox
I couldn’t remember the last time a girl had knocked me on my ass. Probably never because it was impossible. I played the games, and they were my catch.
How did the table turn?
Lila marched away, shaking her plump ass as if to tempt me further, with her long black hair teasing the curve of her hips. She gave me one last haughty look over her shoulder before she disappeared around the building, and I was left dumbstruck in the middle of the field with a fucking hard-on.
I should have known – she was fierce. I underestimated her, but honestly, I didn’t expect her to give me goddamn blue balls.
With pink lips and a sultry voice, she was a siren with a filthy mouth and I. Was. A. Goner.
There was just something about Lila Garcia that I wanted to explore. I thought she was an interesting plaything at first. Now? I rubbed my thumb over my jaw, still staring at where she had disappeared. Her scent still lingered around me. It was some sweet perfume, nothing too heavy or cheap like the other bitches I had hanging around me. It was soft and sweet, and my tongue slid out over my lips as if I could taste her.
I was spellbound, my palms twitched and my dick – yeah, that bastard was more than interested.
I wanted to see how far I could push before she exploded into tiny little pieces at my feet.
Sure, Lila was feisty and oh, so fucking sassy, but for how long? How long would it take to break her and mold her into a pretty little thing like I’d done with all the others?
She was fucking trouble.
Guess what?
I wasn’t the type to shy away from trouble.
Come at me, Sweet Cheeks.
CHAPTER TEN
Lila
I walked into my grandparents’ grocery store early Sunday morning. We weren’t opened yet, but they had been here for an hour, getting everything ready for a busy day. I usually came in to help them during the rush hour, but otherwise, they had part-timers helping them daily.
I walked further inside toward the back storage. “Gran?”
“In here, sweetie,” she called out.
Smiling, I stepped into the storage room. “Do you need my hel–”
My smile slid from my face as I came to halt at the door, facing the one person I never wanted to see here.
What the hell?
“You,” I said, my voice filled with accusation.
Maddox grinned, still holding one huge box in his ar
ms. “Good morning, Lila.”
My mouth fell open, dumbstruck. No way, no fucking way. “What are you doing here?”
Grandma patted his arm as if she had known him for the longest time. I wasn’t sure I liked the way she was smiling up at him. “I hired him yesterday. He came looking for a part-time job, and since we’re hiring, he got the job. He said he’s from Berkshire. You won’t be bored at work anymore since you two are friends.”
“Friends?” My jaw went slack, and I couldn’t formulate a better sentence. Friends? What? How? Who? What? When?
“Yes. I told Mrs. Wilson how close we are. I didn’t know this store was owned by your grandparents. What a surprise,” Maddox explained, with a shit-eating grin.
Bullshit. The look on his face told me the truth. Maddox knew exactly what he was doing, and he was here on purpose. His mission was to make my life miserable, in every way. I wanted to knock the smile off his face. So he was stalking me now. Great.
“Yes, what a surprise,” I muttered, plastering a fake pleased look on my face. Gran appeared too happy for me to break the news to her.
This is my enemy, and he’s an asshole. Don’t fall for his easy smile and charming looks. This was what I wanted to say, but I bit my tongue and held back any snarky remarks. I’d deal with Maddox on my own.
“I just need help to organize the inventory. Sven will be here soon,” Gran announced, patting me on the back as she walked out of the storage room, leaving Maddox and I alone.
Once she was out of hearing range, I stalked forward. My whole body strummed with anger. I wouldn’t say I was a violent person, but I was feeling quite violent at the moment. “What the hell are you doing here?”
He turned his back to me, lifting another box over his shoulder. He carried it into the walk-in freezer and deposited it on the self. Maddox walked out and went for another box, but I sidestepped into his path.
Leaning back against the wall, he crossed his ankles and his arms over his chest. Today, he was wearing a black shirt and black jeans, ripped around his knees, with brown leather boots like he wore the night at the Haunted House. It was strange seeing him in anything other than the Berkshire uniform.
He looked… normal. Instead of the Berkshire star quarterback I despised.
“I asked you a question. What are you doing here?”
Maddox cocked his head to the side, giving me an amused look. “To work, Garcia. Simple as that.”
Impatiently, I tapped my foot on the ground, not falling for his stupid games. To work? Yeah, right.
“You don’t need to work. Don’t your parents give you an allowance? Your credit card is probably unlimited.”
For a brief second, I noticed the way his eyes darkened as if he was disappointed in me. But it was gone too quickly, leaving me wondering if what I saw was real or just my imagination. He tsked, shaking his head.
“See, that’s your problem. You assume too many things.”
I wasn’t assuming anything. He wasn’t just rich; Maddox was filthy rich. He didn’t need a part-time job, especially not at my Grandparents’ grocery store. He didn’t ever need to work.
In fact, he didn’t even need to be here, in this neighborhood. He didn’t belong.
But no, he had to be here. The only two days I had without Maddox being a jerk every minute – my only two peaceful days, he had to come and ruin.
“How did you get my grandma to agree to this?”
“That was really simple. I smiled.”
A frustrated sound came from my throat, and I rubbed a hand over my face. “Maddox,” I grumbled under my breath.
He pushed away from the wall and walked past me to lift another brown box. His shirt stretched over his shoulders as he placed it on the top shelf and diligently arranged all the boxes in expiration date order. “She thinks I’m charming and sweet. Trust me, this is the first time someone has called me sweet. Shocking, right?”
I didn’t think that was the correct description for Maddox. He was anything but sweet.
“You need to leave. Now.”
He shook his head, his messy hair slowly coming undone from his man bun. “Can’t. I like it here, and I like your Gran. Your grandfather, though, he’s tough. No worries, I’ll figure something out.”
I grabbed the box he was holding and slammed it back on the ground. The storage room was starting to feel hot or maybe my blood was just boiling.
“Damn, Sweet Cheeks. It’s too early for you to be this angry. Are you always this grumpy?” Maddox mocked with a rough laugh.
Yes, since you came into my life.
I stepped closer, lifting my chin up to meet his eyes. “Listen, Maddox,” I said, stabbing a finger into his chest. “This is not a joke. You have a problem with me, then it’s only me. I don’t know what you want but don’t bring my grandparents into this fight between us.”
Maddox leaned forward, into my face. The laughter was gone, and his face was a blank canvas, devoid of any emotions. The change in him was so sudden, confusion clouded my mind. “Why do you always think the worst of me?”
I could’ve been fooled, but I knew better.
It was my turn to laugh; as fake as it was, I really was amused by his question. “Probably because you’ve only ever shown me the worst of you. If there was any good in you, I would have seen it already. Too bad you’re only focus on being a douchebag.”
Maddox opened his mouth, probably to rebuke me, but I was already turning away, ignoring anything else he had to say. I lifted the box next to my feet and started organizing the messy shelves. Inventory days were always crazy and busy.
Maddox and I worked quietly. He didn’t try to speak to me again, and I wasn’t interested in holding a conversation either. The silence was tense and heavy, like an impending thunderstorm looming over our heads, dark and cloudy. An hour later, the storage room was somewhat organized, and all the boxes, old and new, had been put away on their designated shelves.
Lifting one last box, my arms trembled under the weight, but I still pushed it above my head, reaching for the rack. Except, the box was too heavy, the shelf was too high, and I was too short to reach it even with me balancing on my toes.
Damn it.
I cursed under my breath when the box started to wobble in my hands and a surprised shriek came from me when I could feel it tilting back over my head. The box was going to fall, and I didn’t have the strength to keep hold of it.
But before it could slip through my fingers, another pair of hands grabbed the box.
“I got it.” His whisper crept along my neck. “You can let go.”
I did, and he pushed the box onto the shelf with ease. Maddox was too close, and I didn’t like it. Maddox obviously didn’t understand the meaning of personal space. His mere presence annoyed me, and having him this close, had me on edge. I wasn’t sure why, but everything about Maddox just made me feel… irritated.
I was still thankful he saved the box, though, so I uttered a quick thank you as my arms fell down to my sides.
His breath was hot on my skin as he pressed closer, barely touching me. I slid away from under his arms before turning to face him. His gaze moved up and down my body, and the burning intensity of his eyes urged me to cross my arms over my chest.
“You’re tiny,” he grunted.
I hissed under my breath. He insulted my boobs the first time we met and now he had to make me feel small. “I’m not. I’m five foot two.”
He let out a scoff. “And I’m six foot three. A whole head taller than you. You’re literally bite-sized.”
“You’re just a giant, not average.”
His crooked smile should have warned me of what was coming. “You’re right. I’m far from average, Sweet Cheeks.”
Yep, I walked right into that one.
“Wanna see for yourself?” he asked with no shame.
“Keep your dick in your pants and keep your hands to yourself,” I warned. Stalking past him, I took the broom and started sweeping the storag
e room. I expected him to leave now that we were done putting away all the inventory but that wasn’t the case.
He leaned against the wall opposite to me, making himself comfortable. Maddox took a small box of cigarettes from his pocket.
My voice was sharp when I spoke, “You’re not allowed to smoke in here.”
Maddox made a derisive sound in the back of his throat as he flipped the tiny box over his fingers and around in his hand. “I won’t disrespect your grandparents like that. I’m just checking how many I have left.”
I could almost hear his unsaid words. Stop assuming the worst of me, Lila.
Ignoring the silent jab, I continued with my sweeping. Even with me not looking at him, I could feel his stare burning into the back of my head. He was staring hard.
Maddox stalked me with his eyes, and I didn’t like how he could make me feel… small.
“So, are we not going to talk about the elephant in the room?
“What elephant?” I grumbled, distracted.
“The hard-on you gave me two days ago.”
Oh. I had been trying to forget all about that night, but he had to bring it up. Of course, since I left him dumbfounded. Not a lot of people has the chance to push back on Maddox. I gave him a taste of his own medicine, and he obviously didn’t like it.
I stopped sweeping and held the broom up, leaning my arm on it. “Oh that. Did the cold shower help?”
“It didn’t. I had to use my hand.” If I didn’t know better, I’d say there was a note of petulance in his voice.
“I didn’t need to know that.”
He shrugged, quite nonchalantly. “You asked, I answered. Can I borrow your hand next time though?”
Oh, for fuck’s sake. “That’s going to be a no, Coulter.”
His lips twitched, and I almost rolled my eyes. “You’re boring, Garcia,” he taunted once again.
“I’d rather be boring than be your next hookup.”
Anything was better than being his next meal. To put it simply, Maddox was a lion – it was quite easy to see the resemblance. When given meat, lions pounce without a second thought. They devour their meal, messy and savagely. Once they’re done, they spit out the bones, belly full, and walk away.
