Page 81 of 12 Months of Mayhem

Tank laughed softly, and his lips brushed my temple. “Wow doesn’t even cut it, mama. That was fucking amazing.”

I smiled against his skin. “That’s one way to pass the time I’ve never tried before.”

He pulled back just enough to look me in the eyes, his voice low and possessive. “And you’re not going to try it with anyone else.”

“Yeah,” I laughed, still breathless, “Diamond really isn’t my type, so you don’t have anything to worry about.”

Tank grinned and pressed one last lingering kiss to my lips before setting me back on the ground—with a sharp, playful slap to my ass. “Good. Get dressed, mama.”

We both started pulling our clothes back on, grinning like fools in the aftermath. I found my bra first, slipped the straps over my shoulders, and clasped it behind me while he bent to retrieve my shirt from where it had landed near the desk chair.

“Here,” he said and tossed it to me with a lazy smirk.

“Thanks,” I murmured and tugged it over my head.

He tugged his jeans back up, still shirtless, and my eyes trailed down his chest longer than they should have. I didn’t even try to be subtle about it. He caught me looking and winked.

“Like what you see?”

“Maybe,” I teased and laced up my sneakers.

Tank pulled his shirt over his head just as I finished tying my shoes. The bell above the front door jingled and echoed through the quiet store.

He held his jacket in his hand and chuckled. “Good call on your office. I know you said you didn’t want to share, but I sure as hell didn’t want anyone else seeing you either.” He winked, and with one last glance, sauntered back out to the front of the store like he hadn’t just rocked my world five minutes ago.

I exhaled a shaky breath, ran my fingers through my hair to smooth it out, and tried to gather my wits.

The desk was still slightly askew, and everything inside me felt the same way. Shifted. Rewired.

Sex with Tank wasn’t just good—it was toe-curling, world-tilting, and life-altering.

The man was sex on a stick, and I’d just gotten a taste of him.

I already knew I was going to want more.

Chapter Nine

Tank

I watched her drive away. The past eight hours had been amazing—more than amazing—but when the clock struck eight and her shift ended, reality crashed in.

Maddie had a life outside this gas station. A real life. A kid. Responsibilities. A routine that didn’t include a leather-clad wanderer lurking outside her job every night.

I dragged my fingers through my hair and let out a slow breath. Yeah, reality sucked right now.

The last three nights had felt like something out of a dream I hadn’t realized I’d been having. One where the girl was too good, too warm, too sharp to be real. And yet, there she was. Maddie. All fire and softness. Letting me in. Smiling at me like I wasn’t a mess.

I could still feel her. Taste her.

The way she’d looked at me like I was something more than I was. The way she’d touched me like she’d been waiting forever.

I closed my eyes for a second.

Damn, what the hell was I doing?

I wasn’t supposed to get attached. Wasn’t supposed to linger in one place long enough to memorize the curve of someone’s smile. And Maddie? She was the kind of woman who made you forget why you’d ever wanted to leave in the first place.

That terrified me.

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