It occurred to me that I should be stopping him, but he just tasted too damn good. Despite the cold air around us and the snow landing softly against my face, I felt warm all over.
And safe.
So very safe.
I was panting by the time Maddox pulled back just a little. He kissed me gently, just once, then softly brushed the tips of our noses together. At some point I’d wrapped my arms around his waist beneath his parka. He was just so big and built…
“Isaac,” Maddox whispered, then his mouth was covering mine again. His teeth gently closed over the piercing in my lip. When he gave the metal hoop the softest of tugs, I felt it in my cock. Then I was the one latching onto his lips and plunging my tongue into his mouth.
Kissing wasn’t something I did often, and never with clients. Trey had been the one exception. But I couldn’t remember kissing anyone and having it affect me like this.
Like my body wasn’t mine anymore.
Like I wanted to crawl inside of someone else and bury myself so deep that I never had to feel alone again.
Warning bells were trying to sound off in my head that Maddox was straight and this was all some big mistake, but my hands and mouth weren’t listening to my brain anymore.
They hadn’t been from the moment his mouth had sealed over mine.
Maddox’s hands somehow ended up covering my ass, but just as he began to grip me like he was going to lift me up, I heard Newt calling my name from the direction of the house. Amazingly, the snow had started to fall more heavily, but I hadn’t even noticed. I was covered in thick flakes.
Maddox carefully pushed me back to put some space between us as Newt called for me again.
“You should go,” was all he said. And just like that, he was the one who turned and walked away.
Without another word.
Not even to say it was a mistake or that it was amazing or that it shouldn’t happen again.
Nothing.
And worse, he’d somehow managed to put the envelope back in my hand. The envelope with all the money still in it.
My body turned icy cold as I watched Maddox get swallowed up by the snowfall. The bag with Mrs. Grainger’s pumpkin pie was on the ground at my feet. I felt sick as I leaned over to pick it up.
“Isaac?”
This time it was Sawyer’s voice calling me.
“Coming,” I called as I turned to head back toward the house. I was cold and wet and covered in snow, but it was nothing compared to how frigid I felt on the inside.
And empty.
So very empty.
Again.
Hey, I’m talking to you!”
Ignore them. Just ignore them.
I repeated the words on a loop as I forced myself not to speed up my pace as I made my way back to my car. It was the day after Thanksgiving and I’d taken advantage of Dallas and Nolan’s offer to babysit so I could run to the thrift store in Pelican Bay to pick up a few things. I’d managed to finally find snow pants for Newt, along with an array of winter gear that would keep him warm when he was outside building the snow fort he and Dallas had been designing on paper for the better part of a week. I’d managed to find a coat for me too, though it’d been a little pricier than I would have liked. But it was good quality and fit me well, so I knew I’d get a lot of use out of it, even in Chicago or New York or wherever we ended up. As it stood, though, I didn’t have a ton of cash left.
Unfortunately, in addition to the clothes, I’d picked up a couple of things I hadn’t intended.
And they were currently following me down the sidewalk toward the alley next to the thrift shop where I’d left my car.
I’d dealt with bullies all my life, so it shouldn’t have surprised me that I’d run into them here in Pelican Bay. But these guys were proving to be pretty persistent. They’d already followed me throughout the thrift shop. Fortunately, I’d been on the tail end of my shopping, so I’d only had to put up with them for a few minutes. I’d figured they’d let me go once I left the store, but clearly the bullies in Pelican Bay had been hankering for fresh meat and I was their prey.
I wasn’t particularly scared because I knew most bullies backed off if you ignored them or stood up to them, but admittedly, I was too preoccupied to adequately deal with this shit today.
Maddox kissed me.
That particular phrase had been repeating on a loop from the moment I’d stepped back inside the Grainger house and Sawyer had hurried to get me a towel so I could dry off. I’d lied and told everyone I’d had to run to catch up to Maddox to give him the pie so that’s why I’d been covered in snow. It hadn’t been until Newt had pointed out I still had the bag with the pie in it that I’d had to lie a second time and say I hadn’t been able to find him. I suspected Newt had been the only one to buy my story.