“It means something to me,” she says.
“Fine, got it,” I say. “You said your one more thing. You done now?”
“No,” she says, scowling at me. “Stop being a dick and let me say it.”
I sigh. “Then spit it out, little girl. I’m late for an appointment with my fist.”
She swallows and then slowly lifts her eyes to meet mine. “I… I wanted you to know… That I choose you.”
“You… Choose me?” I ask, trying not to laugh.
“Yeah,” she says, squeezing her fists tighter.
I wince, feeling the nails biting in like she’s digging them into my skin. “Would you stop that?” I snap, grabbing her wrists and squeezing until she has to open her hands. “And what the fuck are you even talking about?”
She raises her gaze to mine again, and suddenly I’m aware of how fast her pulse is racing in her wrists, that I can feel her heartbeat in the delicate skin, can smell the shampoo she used—my shampoo—in her wet hair. My cock twitches in my shorts, and I know I’m going to get hard all over again if I don’t get away from her. There’s no way she’ll miss it with what I’m wearing.
She swallows so hard I can hear it, then lifts up and slides onto my knee. I try not to fucking groan out loud like a virgin at the sensation of her soft skin against mine. She tugs her hand from mine and threads her fingers through my hair, and I can’t help but think she’s probably getting blood in the strands. Fucked up as I am, the thought only makes me harder.
“Maddox,” she whispers. “I choose you. I want you.”
As if it’s that simple. As if that will make Lennox magically stop wanting her, and it will all be okay. Nothing is okay. We both promised not to touch her, that neither could have her. It doesn’t matter what she wants.
Before I can stop this shit from going further, she presses her lips to mine. Fuck, they’re so fucking soft I lose my mind. My hands are on her hips before I know how they got there, my mouth taking hers automatically, guided by the instinct to take what I want, to claim her like the spoils of victory.
Victory over my brother.
I tear my mouth from hers, ending the kiss. We’re both breathing hard, and I can see the color in her cheeks, her lips, pinker already from our brief contact. My cock throbs at the sight of her arousal.
“What are you doing?” I ask, my fingers digging into her narrow hips.
“I want you,” she whispers.
I shake my head. “No, you don’t. I don’t do forever. I do right now.”
“I know.”
Her gaze holds mine, bolder than usual. It makes me want to throw her on her back and plow into her, give her what she’s asking for with no questions asked. Fuck. This is a nightmare.
“What do you mean, you know?” I demand.
“You told me,” she says. “On the roof, and other times too, though maybe not in such clear terms. I know what I’m getting into Maddox. I’m not a little girl. Maybe in some ways I was when I met you, but I’m not anymore. I’m ready for this.”
“I heard you on the roof, too,” I say, moving her off me. “It’s not what you want.”
“It is,” she insists. “It’s what I want right now. Not everything has to last forever. That doesn’t mean it’s not worth it.”
“Trust me, little girl,” I say. “It’s not.”
“Maddox North,” she says, a little smile tugging the corners of her pouty lips. “Are you saying you’re not worthy?”
I scowl at her. “No,” I snap. “I’m saying you won’t think it’s worth it when you’re crying your eyes out because you got used like every other bitch who climbed on my dick.”
“Who says I’ll cry over you?” She reaches for the thin strap of her tank, slowly tugging it over one shoulder. Every fucking thought, every shred of decency and morality leaves my mind as I watch the pink strap slide down her pale shoulder. I can’t stop staring, can’t even take a breath as I wait, the anticipation making my cock strain painfully hard against my shorts as she edges it down her arm until the top slips down over her breast. My mouth instantly fills with saliva at the memory of the taste of her skin, imagining how soft her nipple would feel against my tongue.
“Little girl,” I growl. “Cut it out.”
“I’m ready for you Maddox,” she says, her voice that soft, breathy murmur that makes my brain shut off and turns me into the animal that only she can bring out in me. She slips the other shoulder down, baring both breasts to me like an offering. “I’m giving myself to you. Take me. Use me. I’m yours. Do what you want with me.”