Page 25 of Mr. Irrelevant (Rock City Renegades #1)

TWENTY

LIVVY

Am I dead?

Did my night of slamming vodka cranberries like they were free take me out? Because this feels like heaven. Soft and warm. A delicious heaviness pressing me into the most comfortable cloud. And is that… sandalwood ?

Fuck.

I reluctantly open one eye, a test to make sure the early morning sun doesn’t cause my brain to pound out of my skull.

Surprisingly, the throb is dull and tolerable, making it seem like maybe I didn’t indulge as much as I thought I did last night.

But as I turn my head, finding a sleeping Maddox with absolutely no recollection of how I got into his bed, I realize that I was definitely blackout drunk. So fucking embarrassing.

I do my best to put the puzzle pieces together, remembering a few small details.

We started the night with Fireball shots—a Grant sisters tradition—before I started a tab, ordered my usual, and told the bartender to keep them coming .

We hit the dance floor, and I tried to have fun with some of the guys who approached, but all I could think of when I looked at them was that they weren’t who I wanted them to be.

So, when Syd asked me if she could call Maddox to pick me up, my dumbass rattled off his phone number as fast as my inebriated brain could recall it, giddiness flowing through me at the possibility of seeing him.

After that, it’s all a haze, but obviously, he came when she called.

He picked me up and took care of me all night.

Butterfly wings tickle my stomach at the thought.

It’s starting to get to a point where if I’m not with Maddox, I’m missing him.

That’s not very friends-with-benefits of me, but I can’t help it.

I think he might be my new favorite person.

Cue the internal groan . Becoming a simp for the guy I’m having sex with was not on my bingo card for the year, especially since that guy is the quarterback for the team my family owns, but here we are.

I was supposed to be coaching him so we could win some games, and now look at me—naked in his bed, hoping like hell I didn’t embarrass myself by saying anything stupid last night.

My bladder is screaming at me to get up and go pee, so I carefully lift his arm, just enough to slide out from under him.

I immediately miss the warmth of his body as I emerge from the covers, the room chilly due to the late Ohio fall.

Hustling into the bathroom, I do my business, wash my hands, and brush my teeth, thankful that I left an extra toothbrush here last week because my breath after a night of drinking is what nightmares are made of.

I debate whether I should even get back into bed, since we both have to be out of here in about an hour, but when I see Maddox lying there, wide awake with his hands clasped behind his head and an impressive erection on full display, I seriously reconsider.

“Morning, Dimes,” he says with a cocky grin. “Can I interest you in a ride on the Morning Wood Express? Or do you need Daddy to cuddle you some more?” He waggles his brows suggestively.

My eyes go wide, jaw dropping in bewilderment. “Da—” I cut myself off, my expression pulling tight in confusion. “What?”

He pushes his tongue into his cheek, clearly trying to hold back a smile. “I learned quite a bit about you last night, baby. Not nearly as much as I wanted to, considering you fell asleep before you fulfilled your end of our deal, but I think you may have unlocked a new kink for me.”

My head jerks back, my gaze narrowing, because now all kinds of dirty ideas are running rampant in my mind.

But those will have to wait. “We’ll circle back to that,” I say, trying to keep the warmth I’m feeling all over from pinkening my cheeks…

or any other part of me since I’m butt naked. “What deal?”

He sits up, settling his back against the headboard.

His still-hard cock bobs with the movement, catching my attention as my eyes fall to it like a magnet for just a split second.

My mouth waters uncontrollably with the need to taste him everywhere.

I’m grateful that my hangover is no more than a small headache right now, which would probably fade into nothing if I had some endorphins flowing through me.

Some people think that having another drink is the best way to combat the aftereffects of too much fun—but I’ll take a morning quickie over that any day.

“You promised to show me your kinky checklist, but you were dead to the world by the time I pulled into the driveway. You’re wide awake now, Dimes. So, pay up.”

With his words, our entire conversation from last night begins to replay in my mind, the details becoming clearer with every second that passes.

Me, telling him how the list came about and downplaying it like it isn’t the main reason I’ve called off my search for a serious boyfriend.

Him, teasing me until I caved and agreed to give him a peek when we got back to his place.

I planned on allowing him a quick glance, hoping that he’d only see the first few items before I took it away.

Some of it is on the tamer side—my ex and I just weren’t as sexually compatible as I hoped we’d be once we got more comfortable with each other.

I respected his boundaries, but that didn’t mean my desires changed, which is why I decided my next relationship would serve me just as much as my partner.

The end of the list, though? Those things might surprise him—while simultaneously embarrassing the hell out of me.

“Absolutely not,” I reply, pointing a finger in his direction.

“I was drunk. All deals made while under the influence are null and void. That list was a way to make myself feel better after Deacon and I broke up, but Sydney just refuses to let it go. None of it matters, and I’m taking it to the grave. ”

He huffs a breath, settling back into the pillows, looking like the dirtiest dream anyone’s ever seen.

“ We’ll put a pin in it for the time being,” he says with a cocky grin.

“Now, get the fuck over here.” I roll my eyes, holding back a smile as I crawl across the mattress.

As soon as I’m within his reach, he yanks me on top of him, a loud squeal dying on my lips as he presses his mouth to mine.

I moan into the kiss, getting lost in the sparks that zip along my body and gather in my core as he hardens against me.

“I was dying to do this all night,” he murmurs. “But I couldn’t while you were drunk. I need you to remember every touch, Liv. Every kiss. That way, you’ll never forget me.”

Bringing my hands to his cheeks, I shake my head, my lips still pressed against his so he can fully experience my words. I don’t just want him to hear them. I want him to taste them—to feel their weight as they vibrate along his skin. “I won’t.”

This may only be a temporary arrangement, but I know I’ll never forget this time with him.

From the first midnight meetup to wherever we end, memories of Maddox Dane will be etched into the very fiber of my being.

I wish I could know for certain that recalling them years down the road won’t leave me feeling like I’m missing a piece of myself—but that’s the last thing I want to think about while he’s right here under me.

I have no idea what the future holds for us, but I’d much rather soak up every moment we have before reality comes knocking and he’s gone for good.