Don't Hate the Player...Hate the Game(74)

My head started to dip as I nodded off. At the sound of a soft moan, my eyes snapped open to see Maddie waking up. Her eyelids fluttered as her head slowly moved from side to side. When she opened her eyes, she frantically scanned the room.

“It’s okay. You’re at my house,” I whispered.

At the sound of my voice, she bolted up on the couch—causing the blanket to fall away. The perv in me couldn’t help but noticing how sexy she looked with her hair all wild and the way the satiny spaghetti straps of the gown hung loose on her shoulders. Then I remembered it was my mother’s gown. Damn, a psychiatrist would have a field day with me.

“Noah, what am I doing here?”

“You got drunk at the party, and you passed out. I knew I couldn’t take you home, so I brought you here.”

Her eyebrows shot up in surprise. “I-I got d-drunk?” she stammered.

“Yes, you did.”

“Oh no,” she moaned, her face flushing.

“It’s okay, Maddie. It happens sometimes.”

“Not to me it doesn’t!”

“Well, it did last night.”

Raking her hand through her unkempt hair, Maddie moaned, “But your mom—she must think I’m terrible!”

“Actually, she was more pissed at me.”

She stared down at her hands. That was when she noticed the gown, and she gasped. “M-My clothes?”

I sighed. “The truth?”

“Yes!” she screeched.

“You took them off at the party.”

Mortification filled her face as Maddie covered her mouth with her hand. “I did?”

“Everybody went swimming in Blaine’s pond. When we got here, my mom put the gown on you.”

Maddie nodded. She absentmindedly traced the outline of the design on the blanket. “Um, did I…did we…?”

I held my hands up defensively. “No, of course not.”

Surprise flashed in her eyes. “We didn’t?”

My lips formed a crooked grin. “I’d like to think if you’d been with me, you’d remember it,” I teased.

“Noah,” Maddie pleaded.

I knew I didn’t have to tell her anything about what went on the night before because she would never remember any of it, but I’d been lying to her for so long that I wanted to level with her. “We kissed.”

“Oh we did?”

“Yes,” I answered dutifully. “In case you’re wondering, it was pretty amazing.”

“It was?” Maddie questioned in a whisper.

“Yeah.”

She stared up into my eyes and then smiled slightly. “I wish I could remember.”

I returned her smile. “I wish you could. Maybe we’ll give it a try again.”

Her face flushed again, but she did nod her head. “Did anything else happen?”

Oh f**k. She would have to ask that. Playing with a thread on my shirt, I finally replied, “A little.” When her eyebrows shot up, I quickly replied, “Just a little second base action.” I decided to pace myself and not totally freak her out by admitting I’d gotten to third.

“Did I enjoy it too?”

I snapped my gaze to hers. “I think you did,” I murmured.

“Good.”

We sat staring at each other for a moment before I cleared my throat. “Maddie, I really need to talk to you about something. But first, why don’t you get a shower, and I’ll fix us some breakfast?”

“Okay.”

I took her upstairs. I quickly detoured past my bathroom—afraid for her to see what a slob I was—and got her set up in the guest bathroom. “I’ll leave your clothes outside the door for you.”

“Thanks, Noah.”

When I heard the water turn on, I went back downstairs and out to the Jeep. I quickly fluffed her wrinkled clothes in the dryer along with her underwear, which I tried not to ogle for too long, and then I took them back upstairs.

I met Mom in the hallway. “Morning, honey.”

“Morning.”

“I’ll go start on breakfast, okay?”

I nodded and followed her back downstairs. Mom whipped up a quick batch of bacon, eggs, and toast. She had just finished when Maddie walked shyly into the kitchen. “Good morning, Maddie,” Mom said.

Maddie smiled weakly. “Good morning, Mrs. Anderson.” Playing with the hem on her shirt, she stared down at the kitchen floor. “I want to apologize about my behavior last night,” she began.

Mom shook her head. “No need to apologize. We all have our moments. It doesn’t change who we really are.”

Maddie jerked her head up in surprise as Mom’s answer. A pleased expression formed on her face as she eased into a seat at the kitchen table. Mom made small talk with us through breakfast, but I could tell both Maddie and I were anxious to be alone. As soon as she put her napkin on her plate, I stood up. “Wanna go for a walk before I take you home?”

Maddie nodded. “Thank you for the delicious breakfast and letting me stay last night,” she said politely.

Mom smiled. “You’re welcome.”

I led Maddie outside through the glass door. We walked out in the backyard, and I steered her over to the swing. It was shady there under a canopy of trees.