But I can’t bring myself to resent him anymore. Not after what happened yesterday. It feels almost like even though we’ve always competed for the prize, always wanting to one-up the other, that we’ve now found the ultimate prize. The woman we both want. And we want her badly enough that we were willing to share.
Is that something we can do again? Or even make a go of? I have no idea how that would work. But I know I’m not willing to give her up. And I don’t want her to feel hurt over Tristan. If being with both of us like yesterday makes her happy, then I’m okay with that. But I don’t know how to tell her that. Or what she’d think about it. Maybe it was a one time thing for her.
I scrape a hand over my face. I’ve been silent for too long, and the look she’s giving me twists my stomach in knots. Makes my chest tighten. Like me not saying anything at all is hurting her.
“Megan, I want you to be happy. That’s what really matters.”
“No,” she insists. “That’s not all that matters. And that’s not what I asked you.” She starts to pace around the room, getting more and more agitated. “You have no idea how difficult this is for me, Madden. Choosing between you and Tristan is practically impossible.”
I don’t know if that makes me feel good that she obviously wants me just as much, or if it hurts that she doesn’t want me more. The whole situation is fucked up. I wish we weren’t even on this stupid reality show anymore so we could just be together and figure things out without all this pressure. And suddenly, I want to make it clear to her that none of this bullshit from the show really matters.
“Look, Megan, I know this game is important to you. Winning this apartment and the prize money and a
ll that. But I want you to know that you don’t have to worry about that. Do you get what I’m saying?”
She looks at me like she’s afraid to take me seriously, shaking her head slightly.
I go to her and take her in my arms again, pulling her close, tilting her chin up and cupping her jaw in my hand so that she has to look at me.
“You know why?”
“Why?” she whispers, and I can feel her pulse thundering underneath my fingers.
“Because I can take care of you. You don’t need to win. I told you before. I’m a winning bet. If you have me, you don’t need any of it—not the apartment, the money, nothing. I’ll take care of you.”
Her eyes cloud with confusion. “Why would you do that?”
I take a deep breath and prepare myself to take a leap. “You asked me if I wanted to fuck you or if my feelings are real. The answer is yes.”
“Yes…”
“Yes,” I repeat firmly. “I want both. But neither have anything to do with this show. It might have started out as a game, and I was just playing along. But somewhere along the way it stopped being a game. I’ve fallen for you, Megan. Hard. I want to be with you. I want to take care of you.”
She’s looking up at me with such disbelief and uncertainty, but somewhere under there I see a bit of hope and excitement. And I don’t want to say it again, but I have to. Just so she knows. Because it’s the truth. Even if I don’t end up with her.
“I mean everything I just said. But more than anything, I just want you to be happy.” I stroke her cheek with my fingers. “So do what you have to do to be happy, Megan. Fuck everyone else. Make the choice that makes you happy.”
34
Madden
Here we go.
She places her hands on my chest, pushing me back until my knees meet the edge of the bed. She forces me to lay down on the mattress and then climbs on top of me, her movements fast and cat-like. I can feel desire has taken over her, lust pulling her strings, and I’m feeling exactly the same. Our bodies are burning for each other, and there’s no telling what might happen.
Leaning in, she presses her lips against mine and kisses me softly. I close my eyes, savoring her strawberry lips, and run my hands down the side of her body, feeling her perfect curves as my cock hardens up inside my jeans.
“I want you so much,” she purrs, running her fingers over my chest, tracing the contour of my muscles over my tight shirt. Placing one hand on her face, I smile, allowing my fingers to roam over to her neck and then tangling them on her hair. I yank, forcing her head back.
“That’s my line,” I say, craning my neck and placing my mouth on her cleavage, my lips softly brushing against the soft skin there, the warmness of her tender flesh making me even harder..
“We’re in tune then,” she teases me, locking eyes with me and offering me one of her devilish smiles.
“Seems like it,” I whisper and, with that, I push the straps of her dress down her shoulders, baring her black lace bra. Hooking my fingers on one cup, I tug it down, one hard nipple jumping into sight. Before she can even prepare for it, I press my mouth there, my lips wrapped tight around her hard rosy tip.
“Mm,” she purrs, and the sweet sound of her voice wraps itself around my thoughts, injecting desire and lust into each one of them. My cock becomes as hard as a steel rod, boiling blood rushing down to it, and I take my lips off of her mouth to look into her eyes.
Moving fast, I buck my hips and turn aside, rolling on the bed and trapping her between the mattress and my body. I take my hands to her wrists and, curling my fingers around them, I pin them over her head and look into her eyes once more. I remain silent, taking in the soft lines of her face, allowing her beauty to sink its hooks on me.