Page 33

Chapter thirty-three

Maddox

“ I have a confession,” I tell him.

The agonizing expression on his face makes my heart shatter. He’s disappointed to see me, but I don’t care. Not now, not this soon after being in his arms. Our bodies were so close I didn’t know where mine ended and his began; we were nothing more than a blurred line of obsession.

“Okay,” he replies, his eyes shifting nervously, scanning our surroundings.

I glance around, realizing we’re alone, and gulp. My throat tightens with the anticipation of my confession, and my mouth suddenly feels too dry to speak. “It will only take a minute, then you can leave.”

Colt reaches for me, his fingers catch my chin, forcing our gazes to lock. “What’s wrong, Maddox? Tell me why you’re here first.”

“I was planning on it,” I mumble as his thumb brushes across my bottom lip.

He releases my chin, looking around one more time before following me to the table I’d been sitting at. Once he’s seated, he reaches across the table for my hand. “What do you want to tell me?” he asks, as I jerk my fingers out of reach.

Colt catches me by the wrist, pinning my arm to the table. His other hand lazily traces the tattoo on my wrist, slow and deliberate. His grip is possessive. My pulse quickens, and he can probably feel it throbbing against his fingertips. It’s hard to think with him touching me like this, but at last I force myself to find the words I need.

“I’m sorry.” My lip quivers.

“What do you need to be sorry for, beautiful?” His thumb traces a soothing path across my wrist bone.

I can’t bring myself to look at him, so I stare at the street sign behind him. “Haven’t you pieced things together?” I ask him, but it’s more of a rhetorical question. Before he has time to respond, I drop the bomb. “I’m HexXdoll.”

I squeeze my eyes shut, shielding myself from the look of devastation I assume covers his face.

“Open your eyes and look at me, dollface.” His deep voice rumbles.

I cautiously open one eye at a time. “I didn’t want to steal your moment last night, and the guilt was—“

“Stop.” He interrupts with a firm, gentle tone. “Do I look angry?”

Slowly, I drag my eyes up to analyze his face. He doesn’t look furious at all. He’s smiling.

“No,” I reply. “You don’t look upset.”

“If anything,” he says, leaning in closer to me across the table. “I’m relieved. Because I was planning to put HexXdoll in the friend zone tonight, so that I could focus on giving Maddox—the woman of my dreams—my undivided attention. But now, I find out the girl’s heart I came here to break tonight is fifteen steps ahead of me.”

My cheeks heat with embarrassment. Hearing my elaborate scheming being unraveled is unnerving, even if I’m the one controlling the revelations. “I’m sorry I didn’t listen to you when you asked me not to find out who you are in real life,” I confess.

“Don’t be, because then you would’ve never stepped foot into my bar,” he growls.

“It was wrong of me to trick you into sleeping with me, twice.” My voice is barely a whisper.

“Why do you think you tricked me, dollface?” He asks, his voice low and deep.

“Because I let you think I was—“ I stop myself.

He laughs. “Because you let me think you were yourself, Maddox. That’s not tricking me, beautiful.”

“Why aren’t you angry?” I ask.

“Do you want me to be angry?” He tilts his head to one side, studying me.

“No, but Colt…”

“But nothing, Maddox.”

“I stalked you, though. I found out your name and where you worked. When that wasn’t enough, I signed up for trivia night at the bar with my friends. I honestly don’t even know what we were even accomplishing with that—other than spying on you and drooling while having a girls’ night out to bond.” I cover my mouth. “Never mind. Ignore me. I sound fucking insane.”

He turns his smoldering gaze on me, and I melt beneath it. I squeeze my thighs together, trying to hide the wetness pooling in my panties. “Lean over this table and kiss me, little stalker,” he demands.

I do exactly as I’m told without hesitation. My heart thunders in my chest as our lips collide, sending tingling waves of pleasure through my nerves. His tongue drags over my lips, claiming them as his. Callie and Sam are getting quite the show, but fuck it—let those pervs watch. I tilt my head, part my lips, and he’s there. His tongue glides against mine. Colt kisses me like it’s the last time, long and hard, and when we finally part, gasping for air, I’m left dizzy.

“I believe you mentioned there would be ice cream,” he whispers. “And after a kiss like that, I’m going to need something to cool down.”

All I can do is shake my head in disagreement.

“No?” he asks, confused.

“I don’t want to cool down,” I purr.

He checks the time on his phone. “I’m sorry. My date with Maddox doesn’t start for another hour and a half.”

“Stop it.” I giggle.

“But seriously, Maddox, I want you to know I was coming here to friend-zone HexXdoll. I just wanted to be a good friend after all this time of you being there for me. I guess now you understand why I didn’t want you to know anything about me, and why I didn’t want you to get involved with me.” I can feel the sincerity of his words as they tumble off his lips.

“I understand, but it’s too late,” I grin.

“What’s too late?” Colt asks.

“To put HexXdoll in the friend zone.”

“Why’s that?”

“Because I don’t do friends with benefits, and I already made you fall for me,” I tease.

“Oh, you think I fell for you?” He lifts a brow, staring at me with the predatory gaze I love.

“You fell for me,” I taunt.

“Kiss me,” he drawls, his tone suggestive and dangerous.

“No way. I trapped you. If you want a kiss, come and take one. I dare you.”

He leans across the table and kisses me again. Soft and sensual, not at all like the hungry kiss from earlier. This one is more like a submission—allowing himself to be caught up in the moment, lost in nothing but each other. It’s perfect. I never want it to end. And then, it does.