His eyes harden. “Oh, I’m not nice?”
My mind flashes back to when he took care of me when I was sick, and he made me soup; he even folded my damn clothes. He’s so much more than just nice, but after annoying me about Connor, I can’t let him know that. I cross my arms and breathe out a heavy sigh instead.
His eyes narrow, and he leans in until he’s right in front of me. My arms drop, and my lips part from his proximity. His eyes drop to my lips, licking his own. “Trust me,princesa. Youdon’t know me.” His voice has gone deeper, huskier, and I’m struggling to remember my own name. “I could be so nice,” he says, his thumb lifting my chin to make me look up at him. “So fucking nice to you.”
I hear a soft noise, a whimper of some sort, and I’m horrified to find out it came from me. I know he heard it too, with the way his eyes darken. I see the lust swirling in them, the want, the battling with himself over this, and I think he’s going to kiss me. My heart starts to race faster than ever before, anticipating it.Wanting it.
But he steps away from me and squeezes his eyes shut, cursing under his breath in what I assume is Portuguese. Whenhis eyes open again, he looks away from me, tugging at the strands of his hair. “You should leave,” he says.
“Lucas—”
“Leave, Madeline.” He takes another step away from me again and snaps his head back to me. “You were trying to run away from me, weren’t you? Well then, go.”
I stare back at him, my chest rising and falling. Why does he make me feel things I don’t want to feel? I shake my head, wanting to say something, anything, but when his eyes meet mine, I see the uncertainty swimming in them. He turns around and buries his head in his hands, and I do what he told me to.
I press my lips together and turn around, opening the door. My shoulder hits someone on the way out, but I don’t stop to look, racing back to the party. It’s not until I leave, that I realize we were shut in a dark closet, and I didn’t freak out. I didn’t cry or break down like I did in the elevator. I didn’t even notice where we were.
And even now, all I can think of is, I wish he would have kissed me.
Chapter 20
Catching feelings
I almost kissed her.
In that tiny, empty room with less than two inches between us, I couldn’t help but let my mind wonder and needs take over as I thought about what it would be like to kiss her.
Her lips were slightly parted, glossy this time. That pink bottom lip begging for attention, those chocolate brown eyes so enticing, even in the dimly lit room. I almost did it.
I almost slid my hand across her cheek, almost wrapped my hand around the back of her head, and pulled her into me. Almost leaned down until our lips brushed together.
But then I remembered her no-kissing rule.
It was fucking agony, having her right there breathing hard, looking up at me like she wanted me to. Especially when the soft moan left her lips, I couldn’t think, couldn’t fucking breathe when she was right in front of me. But I couldn’t have her.
I’m not the one she wants.
I’m not Connor.
“Great job.” My head lifts, snapping out of it when I remember I’m at a job right now.
The photographer gives me a thumbs up, telling me our session is done. I rub a hand down my face when I walk off set.I just hope it went well. I was completely in my head, only one thought running through my mind, or more accurately, one person.
James’ moans make me freeze when I walk in the changing rooms, and I lift my head, seeing him devour a plate full of cheese and crackers.
Letting out a laugh, I head toward him, dropping onto the couch. “I’m starting to think you only come to these things for the food.”
He nods, his mouth full of food. “You’d be right.”
I shake my head, a laugh bubbling out of me, while I reach for my phone, subconsciously looking for her name on it. My hand tightens around my phone when I don’t see any messages from her. Fuck. What has this girl done to me? I can’t get her out of my fucking mind.
James lets out a laugh, and I turn to face him, seeing him stare down at his phone.
“Who are you talking to?” I ask him, wondering who has him laughing like that.
“Madi.”
My heart stops at the sound of her name. “Madeline?” I repeat. “My Madeline?”
