“Jesus, Maddie, really?” He shakes his head, letting out a sharp breath. “I don’t even know what to say.”
“I don’t either. I don’t know how you can say you feel that way about me, and then still string me along and play all your stupid games like I’m some kind of toy to you.”
He swallows, wringing his hands out. “Maddie, I didn’t cut things off the other night just to mess with you. I like getting you riled up, yeah, but only when I intend to do something about it.”
“So what was it, then?”
“That was me panicking. It was me realizing that we were about to cross a line that we can’t come back from. You and I are a bad idea. There’s no way we work out. I’m only going to drag you into my darkness if we even try.” He tugs at the end of his hair, words catching in his throat. There’s a bit of emotion there that takes me by surprise. “People around me get hurt, Maddie. You’ve seen that firsthand. And I know myself—one time, one taste of you would never be enough. So I guess I thought if Imade you hate me, it would push you away. Because that’s where it’s safe, Maddie. Away from here. Away from me.”
I take a deep breath, giving his words a second to settle.
“I don’t need you to protect me, Roman. It’s sweet and all, but I can take care of myself and I can make my own choices.” Reaching for his hand, I intertwine our fingers. “Maybe I don’t wantsafe, Roman. Maybe I want passion and impulse and even a bit of your darkness.”
His fingers grip my neck, pulling me in until our foreheads rest against each other. The cool, minty taste of his breath gives me chills as he brushes a kiss across my lips. “I’m not good for you, Madison. I’ve been trying like hell to stay away because I know this is a bad idea.”
“Why don’t you let me be the judge of that?”
Chapter Sixteen
WhenMaddiesmilesatme, it’s an invitation. Permission. Approval.
And it’s exactly what I’ve been waiting for.
Sweeping an arm underneath her, I lay her back against the bed. Her golden curls splay out onto the comforter as I hover over her. A fierce craving settles into my already pulsing cock as she looks up at me with those big doe eyes. I want to take my time with her and savor every second, but after being so tempted the last few weeks, my impatient body has other plans.
My mouth crashes into hers with a rough, possessive kiss. I’ve been on edge ever since the kiss the other night, and the taste of her offers the slightest sense of relief. It’s short-lived, though, because all I want is more.So much more.
Maddie locks eyes with me, a treacherous smirk playing on her lips while she tugs at the wrap on her robe. With a flick of her wrist, the whole thing comes undone and pools around her naked body, and my heart slams into my chest.
Holy fuck.
Out of respect for her, I tried my best not to look when she was cowering in the bathroom, but now that she’s willing and bare beneath me, I devour every inch of her naked body. A low groan rumbles through my chest as my hands trace her vicious curves, each one so flawlessly crafted that it almost hurts. Down her shoulder, across the swell of those perky tits, over her ribcage, and all the way to the dimple of her hips. I settle there, dropping my gaze to the valley between her thighs.
When Maddie lets her knee fall open, my breath snags at the peak of that hot, wet pussy. I can already imagine it stretching around my cock as I’m deep inside of her, but I don’t want to get too far ahead of myself. I’ve waited too fucking long to rush through this.
“So fucking beautiful,” I growl, burying my face in the nape of her neck. The smell of my shower gel lingers on her skin like a possessive mark, and it awakens something primal inside of me. I kiss along her collarbone, dragging my teeth across the sensitive skin as her candy lips bow and she lets out a tiny gasp.
Maddie weaves her arms around my neck, tugging at my hair as I nip and suck at her neck. The noises that she’s making drive me fucking wild, and our bodies grind together. I still have my shorts on, but the fabric is a thin barrier between us and I’m dying to feel her skin against mine.
“You’re sure?” I whisper. “Because if we do this, I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to let you go.”
“I’m sure.” She nods, a rosy blush on her cheeks as she looks up at me. Her eyes pool with desire, desperate and needy and practically begging me to take her.
I roll to the side and work my shorts off, straddling her again once I’m completely naked. Maddie’s breath shallows out as I watch her eyes travel over me, mercilessly checking me out. Her eyes start at my mouth, then fall to my chest, then my abs,and finally settle on my cock that stands at perfect attention. Instinctively, she clenches her thighs in a cute little show of resistance that I know won’t last long. As stubborn as ever, she doesn’t want me to see how wet she is. How hot I’ve already made her.
A flicker of panic pulses through her eyes as what we’re about to do sinks in. It’s not like I know Maddie’s full list of sexual partners, but I can already tell this isn’t something she does very often. For all of her confidence and bravado, she’s a little nervous.
Leaning forward, I press a kiss to the corner of her mouth to calm any self-consciousness she feels. “You’re in charge here, Maddie. You tell me if it’s too much. Or if you need a break. Or if we need to stop. Got it?”
Her teeth sink into her lower lip as she nods. “I’m good, Roman. I promise.”
With her assurance, I pick up where I left off.
Nothingintheworldcould prepare me for the way Roman Molanari looks at me. There’s an intensity and fire that sears straight into my soul, and his touch is even more extreme. His fingers leave a trail of lightning as he traces along my body—through my hair, down my ribcage, across my chest. With a handon either side of my shoulders, he cages me against the bed and I feel so small as his strong, broad body towers above me.
God, he’s sohot.
My chest tightens as I soak in the sight of him. The thick, muscled shoulders, the firm, rippling abs, the larger-than-life erection that presses against my thigh. I can’t stop myself from looking because every inch of Roman looks like it was sculpted from pure granite. When he catches me staring, he smiles, and it steals my breath. He’s so far above anything I’m used to, it makes me anxious, but one reassuring kiss is all it takes to quiet my nerves.
