Page 6 of Madd Love

See? Even Tyson knows she’s my girl.“Yup,” I pop theP.I’m too pissed right now to say much else. I have basically begged this woman to go out with me for months, and she never takesme seriously, but Mister Blue Suit, well, she took him seriously, didn’t she?

She throws her head back and laughs, and I swear the sound of her laughter, even over the din of people milling about in the restaurant, goes straight to my cock. Everything about this woman turns me on. Always has.

She gets up from the table, and I watch from my leaned-back position in my chair. I’m like a caged lion, ready to pounce. I look at my watch, and after one minute, I get up from my chair to the sound of Tyson laughing before he shouts, “Go get your girl!”

I practically steamroll over Huxley Stone, our bassist, and Silas Adler, our rhythm guitarist. “Woah, Madd! What the hell?” Silas asks as he turns sideways and throws an arm out in front of Huxley to clear the path for me.

I don’t have time to explain or apologize. There’s only one thing, person, and woman on my mind. I vaguely hear Beckett as he asks, “Where’s the fire?”

And Tyson, well, he laughs and shouts, “The fire is in his pants! Go get your girl, Case.”

I look over at Mister Blue Suit Jen is here with, and he inclines his head I’m my direction. I have to say he seems like a cool-as-fuck dude, but right now, he’s out with my girl, and I have to put a stop to that bullshit.

I pass through the many tables of diners; some recognize me, and others are annoyed by me, but I’m not stopping. I’m a man on a mission. I turn down the hallway to the restrooms, and Jen steps out.

Fuck, she looks beautiful tonight. Her long, dark-brown hair drapes around one shoulder, and the light-gray dress hugs her every curve.

Her eyes meet mine, and before she can stop me, I’m possessed. I’m a man on a mission.

“Maddox.”

I race down the hall toward her, and before she can even utter more than my name, I grab her by the hand and pull her into an alcove that is home to a plant. I spin her around, backing her up until the wall behind her forces her to stop.

Her scent of sugar and honey surrounds me as I look down into her beautiful hazel eyes. I could die a happy man right now with this woman in my arms. “Hi,” I manage to breathe out.

Jen laughs softly. “Um, hi.”

“Do you come here often?” I ask as I brush a piece of hair behind her ear.

Her tongue darts out, licking at her plump bottom lip. And fuck, that has me on edge. I have to remind myself that we’re in public. I capture her chin between my thumb and forefinger.

“No, actually. So, this is awkward. I’m sort of on a date.”

“With the wrong man.” I smile, and she returns it, and this, this right here, is what it’s like when it’s just us. Easy, uncomplicated, perfect.

“What makes you think he’s the wrong man?”

I lean in closer. My lips hovering over hers, so close that if I moved just the slightest, we’d be kissing. “Because baby, he’s not me.”

Jen sucks in a breath and shakes her head. “As if you want to date me. When have you ever asked me out? I know what we are, what I am to you.”

I place a hand above her head, caging her in because this conversation is long overdue, and I don’t want her to run off. “You have no idea what you are to me. You are ever—”

“Everything okay over here?”

I whip my head and look over my arm that rests above Jen’s head. Of course, there stands Mister Blue Suit.

“Everything is fine,” Jen says as she slides under my arm and over to her date.

I turn and watch as they both walk off. I stand here dumbfounded that everyone got to say the very word that I didn’t.

“Come on, baby girl. Look back.”

I don’t know why it matters or why I need it, but I do. If she looks back at me, I may still stand a chance. They approach the end of the hall, and just as they are about to turn the corner and head back toward their table, Jen looks back at me.

“There’s my girl.”

FIVE

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