Stain (Stain #1)(42)

I don’t see him approach. But I know instantly he’s close, standing directly behind me in fact.

“Eh, yo, Max, man, what’s up?” The one flanking Mallory right steps forward at the same time Maddox does. They do the customary handshake of open palm to palm and fist bump that every guy seemingly knows how to do. He’s next to me now but the way he’s positioned is more like he’s standing in front of me, outwardly blocking me from the two men.

“Not a damn thing.” He keeps his response short and clipped. It’s something I’ve noticed he does when he’s on edge about something. He doesn’t look away from the other two men but gives only the slightest incline of his head in my direction to indicate he’s talking to me, “We’re out of here.”

“Mallory, let’s go.” I hate coming out of the shadow of Maddox’s protection but I do so anyway to reach for Mallory’s arm.

“No!” she screams, pushing me away and stumbling backward. “I told you, I’m partying with these guys. I don’t need you to babysit me; I’m fine.”

I wish she wouldn’t make this difficult. “You can party with them some other time, right now you need to come home with me and sober up.”

“Damn it, Aylee, you’re totally f*cking with my vibe right now. Listen, I know you can be a little slow sometimes so I’m going to say this really slowly. I’m. Fine. Leave. Me. Alone.”

“Mallory.”

“This your bitch, Max?” the other one asks with a lewd smirk. He pins me with his stare as he tosses a careless arm around Mallory’s shoulder. “If you’re so worried about your friend here, you’re more than welcome to come with us. I’m sure Max won’t mind sharing you. He’s done it before. What do ya say, Max? We sharing *?”

With complete ease, he slides a hand beneath my hair and grasps my nape, smoothly tucking me against his side. “Not hers.” His voice is quiet. Glacial. Those two little words are saturated with clear possession. “I’ll be seeing you.” Retaining his hold on me as we turn to walk away, he replaces his large hand with his arm.

Looking over my shoulder, I say, “But…Mallory.”

“Your friend’s a whore,” he says, bluntly. “She’s a f*cking drive-thru, not much you can do for her, unless you want to join her?” He stops next to his truck and stares pointedly down at me. “You got fast food * you want to offer?”

My tongue darts out to nervously lick my bottom lip. “No,” I murmur, ducking my head as heat explodes in my cheeks. “Not to them.”

Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god!

Please let me have said those words in my head!

God, please!



When he tucks his fingers beneath my chin to slowly raise my head, I’m beyond mortified to see his expression, afraid I’ll find mocking laughter there. But when I look up at his face, there’s an intense, smoldering blaze in his hooded eyes. “If you’re offering up your * to me, be damn sure it comes with no emotional baggage.” Still holding onto my jaw, he angles my head slightly before leaning in to place his warm lips at the shell of my ear, “I’ll take your *, Aylee, gladly.” An eruption of shivers bursts along every inch of my skin as flames of heat lick between my thighs, liquefying my pulsating flesh. “But I don’t want your heart. You can keep that,” he adds.

I plummet from the height of burning desire and fall into a pit of cool despair. He’s so good at taking me from one spectrum of my emotions to another so quickly that I need to know how he gained this ability. When did I give him the power to hurt me?

“Good.” My attempt at playing cool I’m sure is an epic failure, but I maintain my composure. “It’s not something I’d offer you anyway.”

Curiosity bleeds into his unerring stare before the corner of his mouth lifts into a half smirk. “Let’s keep it that way.”





Chapter 16


Maddox


I read her like a book. She thinks she’s hiding her emotions, but they play across her beautiful face like a silent movie. I have to admire her for trying, though, even if her large, expressive eyes make it impossible for her. But honestly, this is the way it’s going to be. I’m stupid enough to think about going a few rounds in the sheets with her. And I’ll even find someone to complete the trio, but I can’t have this turn into anything that resembles a relationship.

Inside my truck, I can’t keep my eyes off of her. It’s like I’m seeing her for the first time and my brain and dick don’t quite know how to cope. I know she’s pretty, beautiful even, in that helplessly sweet and innocent way that calls to a guy’s protective instinct. It makes you want to wrap her in your arms and fight monsters for her. But right now she’s the furthest thing from vulnerable or sweet and innocent. Right now, she’s sexy as f*ck. Aylee in that outfit is appealing to a far more baser, darker part of my instincts that wants her on her knees in front of me, jacking me off until I spray my cum all over her stunningly beautiful face. Mark her, claim her, right down to the most animalistic level.

The skirt, the top, and those goddamn thigh-high socks, they’re all a working visual for my dick. The only thing keeping my hand from slipping beneath her skirt is knowing if I touch her, I know for damn sure I’m not going to be able to stop until she’s bouncing on my dick.