Page 9 of Punt My Life

I giggle at his sour expression when he zips his jeans over the wet spot on his boxer briefs.Giggle? The fuck? I don’t giggle…ever.

Maddox’s expression transforms into a full-blown dimpled smile. “That may be my new favorite sound.”

I roll my eyes and turn to sit facing the fireplace as he slides his shoes on. “Don’t get used to it. I don’t know what the hell that was, so you’ll probably never hear it again.”

Maddox squats behind me to rest his chin on my shoulder. “That’s okay,baby doll. It’s tied with the sound you make when you come…and I’m sure I’ll get to hear that plenty.”

He’s out the back door before I can respond.

Maddox

Itwisttheknobon the propane tank and fire up the generator before loading the wheel barrel with firewood and storing it on the screened-in back porch. I load as much as I can carry in my arms and rush back inside, out of the freezing wind.

Lexi is still sitting exactly where I left her with her knees pulled up to her chin and her sweatshirt stretched over her legs. She’s staring into the dimming coals at the bottom of the fireplace like she’s lost in thought. She didn’t even look up when I came in.

She jumps when I step in front of her and drop the wood into the metal cage next to the hearth. I grin and give her a wink before turning my attention back to the fireplace. I put a few logs in and grab a handful of instant light charcoal from the tin box that’s stored beneath the cage, tossing them into the coals under the logs to catch fire and get the fire started. So much easier and faster than kindling.

I wipe my hands on my jeans and turn to bring them up to Lexi’s face. She jumps again when I touch her face with my cold hands. “Shit, Maddox. Your hands are like ice. I should have helped you. I’m sorry,” she says as she puts her hands on top of mine to keep them against her warm skin.

Her concern surprises and elates me. I was worried that she was convincing herself that this is a bad idea—thatweare a bad idea—but that doesn’t seem to be the case at all.

“No way would I have let you go out in this storm again,baby doll. But you can help warm me up if you really want to,” I smile as I lean in until our lips touch.

She shivers as soon as my cold mouth meets hers, but she doesn’t pull back. She runs her tongue across the seam of my lips and moans when I instantly open and meet her tongue with my own. For a guy that doesn’t have much experience kissing, I’m becoming addicted to kissing Lexi.

The thought has me pulling back to tell her, “I like kissing you.”

She gives me one of her rare grins. “I like kissing you, too.”

When she leans forward, I pull back further. “How many guys have you kissed?”

That makes her drop her hands with a scoff as her glare returns. “I may not get around as much as you,Ken doll, but I’m not a prude or a virgin…if that’s what you’re worried about.”

Ignoring her snark, I ask again, “How. Many?”

“I don’t know. A few. How many girls haveyoukissed?” She raises her brow in challenge.

“Before you? One,” I tell her honestly.

She reaches up and pulls my hands from her face. “Whatever, Maddox. I’m not some innocent little twit.” She stands and turns away from me before mumbling, “I knew this was just a game.”

That has me jerking upright and reaching out to pull her back around to face me. “This is not a game to me, Lexi.Youare not a game to me. I may have fucked around plenty, but I haven't kissed anyone since the mother of my son. I swore when that one-night stand cost me my best friend that I’d never let my lips touch another woman—anywhere—if my heart wasn’t in it. Not a single kiss. Not a single taste. Not untilyou.”

Lexi takes a step back and lowers herself to sit on the couch as the scowl on her face softens into confusion.

Chapter 10

Alexis

Maddoxrunshishandover his short hair before shaking his head. “I’m sorry. That’s not how I imagined telling you.”

I look up at him as he steps toward me. “Tell me what, exactly? That you like kissing me?” I smirk as he drops to his knees in front of me.

He’s tall enough that we’re face to face when he smiles and says, “That I love you.”

I shake my head. Not because I don’t believe him, but because I know I can’t keep him. We’re the exact opposite of a grumpy/sunshine romance novel. He’ll get sick of my grumpy attitude, and I don’t want to bring him down. I love his sunny disposition.I love him.

His smile widens. “You love me, too. I can see it. I canfeelit.” When I shake my head again, he cups my face between his hands and leans forward. “It’s okay. Just let go,” he repeats my words from earlier against my lips and I let myself fall…into his kiss...into the feeling stirring in my once cold heart…in love.

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