“No, no, I need something to do,” she says. “Go watch a movie with your brother.”
Lennox stands and holds out a hand to me. “Venga, Sunshine. Let’s take your mind off things, si?”
I nod and let him help me out of my chair and lead me to the living room. Maddox is in the midst of laying down a layer of blankets, pillows, and sleeping bags on the floor.
“What are you doing?” I ask.
“Making you a bed,” he says. “You think I’d sleep on the floor for you? If Lennox wants to give up his bed, though, I’d be happy to share my room.”
“Nobody has to give up their bed,” I insist, hating that I’m imposing so much.
Lennox frowns, but Maddox just smirks and scoots under the blankets on one side of the double bed he’s assembled on the floor. He shoots us a challenging look. “We watching this,o qué?”he asks. “Or are you scared to lay next to a man who hates you, little girl?”
sixteen
Rae West
Lennox picks up two Blockbuster cases from next to the TV and holds them up. “ScreamorTrainspotting?”
“Seems more like aScreamnight,” I say, startled to hear shouting outside.
My eyes widen, and I check Maddox’s reaction, but he doesn’t look at all concerned. Meanwhile, I’m scared out of my mind. Lee has friends in high places, not just the police force but prosecutors and even judges. Maddox didn’t kill him, but he did something my stepdad doesn’t like. Whatever he did, he’s going to pay for it.
And he did it for me.
I quickly cross the room and slide into the makeshift bed next to him. “Thank you,” I say, before I lose my nerve. “For… Whatever you did.”
“Don’t go getting stupid about me over it, little girl,” he says, picking up the remote and fast-forwarding through the previews. “That’s what the crew’s here for. It’s my job.”
“Okay,” I say, nodding. “I get it.”
I slide down between the sheets, trying to get comfortable on the shifting, uneven bed that’s made up of cushions from the couch, pillows, and several sleeping bags. The sheet slides on them as I adjust my position so I’m not touching Maddox but also leaving enough room for Lennox to scoot in on my other side.
Even when Lennox slides in and wraps his arms around me, pulling me close, I’m acutely aware of the animal warmth and nearness of Maddox on my other side, of how nervous he makes me. He’s harsh and violent, a dangerous gangster, and if he can do that kind of thing to other people, he could do it to me.
At the same time, he’s protected me instead of hurting me at every opportunity. Every word out of his mouth reminds me what a dick he is, and yet, he’s fiercely protective of me even when I did nothing to earn his loyalty or protection.
When the movie starts, I snuggle down into Lennox’s arms, grateful for the warmth of his body and the blankets, since I’ve been freezing since I came inside. I can hear pellets of ice hitting the windows along with the rain, and I fix my gaze on the TV screen, studiously ignoring the flashing lights still outside the window. I’m tense, waiting for the knock at the door, for the police to come and drag Maddox away.
I wish I could wrap my arms around him, hold onto him and keep him here with me, but I know he’d just push me away and make some cutting remark about my maturity level if I tried. So I content myself with reveling in the warmth of his brother, who doesn’t confuse the hell out of me, even if I’m a little scared of him too. They both make their feelings for me clear, but Maddox’s words contradict his actions. Lennox has been steadfast since the day Maddox declared me as their property.
I barely breathe, even as the lights outside cease and I hear the tires on pavement as the vehicle pulls away. Lennox cuddles me into his lap, kissing the back of my neck, and I’m impressed to feel that he’s not hard, not rubbing his dick on me. He’s just being here for me. I pull his arms tight around me and cuddle into him, grateful for the comfort. Halfway through the movie, I adjust my position and roll onto my back, my head pillowed on Lennox’s arm. He’s still facing me, but his eyes are closed, his breathing deep.
A minute later, a warm hand slides onto my other thigh. I lay frozen, not sure what to do. I can feel the scalding heat of him through my pajama pants, and every fiber of my being tingles at the contact. Slowly, his hand moves up, until it reaches the apex of my thighs.
I give a little gasp and start to turn to check Lennox, but Maddox’s hand shoots up, coming out from under the blanket to grip my chin. He turns my face towards him instead. For a long moment, we study each other in the blue light flickering from the TV. Then he raises up on his elbow, leaning down over me until he’s only a few inches from my face. My heart is hammering like a drum, and I can’t even breathe.
“Eyes on me, little girl,” Maddox murmurs.
Then he kisses me. His kiss is firm and dominating, leaving no room for argument. His mouth takes mine quickly, without gentleness, without hesitation, like he knows I’m his to take. His tongue sweeps between my lips, tasting mine, taking mine. His hand moves from my chin to my throat, his long fingers wrapping around it and making me suck in a breath. Though he doesn’t squeeze, his position is one of dominance, reminding me he’s in control here. He’s a dangerous animal who could kill with his bare hands as easily as my stepfather, and I’m at his mercy.
The thought should scare me, but as he feasts on my mouth while I lay on his brother’s arm, the only thing I feel is arousal, potent and incinerating. Somehow, the thought of Lennox beside us doesn’t deter me. It makes me feel guilty, like I’m cheating, but also sexy, like I’m doing something naughty.
I squirm on the sheets, making them shift on the sleeping bag underneath. Maddox’s fingers pulse tighter for a second, wordlessly conveying that he’s not done, that I’m to wait for him to make the next move. I’m not the one calling the shots. He’s the one who says when it’s over, who decides what he’s going to do to me. I’m the one having my mouth used, devoured, eaten like he’s eating me out.
He licks and bites and sucks and moans until I’m dizzy, my whole body shimmering with heat. Between my legs throbs with wetness as his tongue strokes mine in a relentless, hungry rhythm. At the same time, he starts to stroke the side of my throat with his thumb, feeling my pulse point. I know he must feel the racing of my heart, how scared and aroused I am as I squirm on the pillows, sure I’ll cum from his kiss alone if he keeps it up.
At last, he pulls back, his blazing gaze falling to my swollen lips. “Dios mío, your mouth is so fucking sexy,” he rasps, his voice thick with lust. “If it were any other night, I’d have you show me what you can do with it.”