Page 55 of Slow Burn
"Oh yeah?"
"Yeah." Nodding, I dragged my palm over the back of my neck. "If you're not busy, I thought maybe you couldenlightenme."
That beautiful smile that always touched some deep, dark part of me grew bigger and brighter. "You wanna have a movie night?"
Holding my gaze, she sucked her bottom lip into her mouth, rolling it over her teeth.
My entire body went up in flames because, shit, I wanted to nibble too.
"Something like that." The words came out hoarse, scraping against my throat like sandpaper.
The way her features lit up with excitement was so damn beautiful and infectious; I felt my own lips curve upward in return. Smile still in place she said, "You better get over here quick. School's about to start."
I wasted no time hopping over the fence and quickly stooping to pick up Sheldon. Almost immediately, he attacked my face with his tongue, even managing to lick the inside of my nose.
Maddie laughed when I pulled my head back and groaned. "All right, buddy, I'm happy to see you too." With a chuckle, I scratched behind his ear.
"You know." Maddie nudged my arm with her shoulder. "If you'd shown up five minutes earlier, I could've introduced you to my sister."
The band that'd loosened earlier pulled taut again. Uneasiness crawled down my spine and made my skin feel tight. There were things I couldn't dance around anymore. Things about me Maddie needed to know.
I just didn't have the balls to come right out and tell her.
Choosing to remain silent, I followed her through her front door, down the long hallway, and into the living room. Sucking in a breath, I held it and dropped to my haunches to set Sheldon down. Slowly released it as I pushed to my feet.
Hands perched on my hips, I faced Maddie. But she was already watching me, those eyes of hers filled with curiosity as they roamed over my face.
"You don't like being around people, do you?" There was no judgment in her voice when she asked the question.
"It's not that I don't like it. People, in general, make me uncomfortable." Rocking back on my heels, I slipped my hands inside my pockets. "They're always staring." Her face softened and I hated it. "Don't do it, Maddie," I begged. "Don't pity me." I didn't think I would be able to handle it.
She shook her head, her pony vehemently swinging back and forth. "It's not pity you're seeing." I closed my eyes and almost immediately snapped them open when I felt her palm land on my chest. "I was staring too, but not—"
"I don't mindyoureyes on me," I confessed roughly.
The moment the words left my lips, her gaze tracked up the tattoo on my right arm, over my shoulder and settled on my mouth for a long, hot second. "Good," she finally said when her eyes met mine, "because I don't think I can stop looking."
Good thing my hands were in my pockets, so I could somewhat hide how her words were affecting me. My lack of control over my body was becoming damn annoying. I swear, all she had to do was lick her lips and I was straining against my jeans like a fucking teenager.
So her words coupled with that heated stare had my body going from zero to one-hundred in the space of a breath. "Stop looking at me like that."
Feigning innocence, Maddie's lips lifted into the sweetest smile that had the dirtiest things running through my mind. "Like what?"
"Nothing." I took a step back and her hand fell from my chest. "Are we doing this movie thing, or what?"
Her right shoulder steadily lifted to her ear before falling back down. "If you insist."
Yeah, I insisted all right. Because if we didn't, I might've ended up with my mouth on hers. Or possibly buried deep inside her. A groan threatened to vibrate through my chest at the thought alone.
How would it feel when her body moved with mine? What sounds would she make?
"Are you even listening?"
I blinked a few times until Maddie's snapping fingers came into focus. "Huh?"
Laughter spilled from her lips while she rubbed at her temple with two fingers. "Where the heck did you just go?" Not giving me time to answer, she shook her head. "Never mind. Before you spaced out, I asked you if you'd mind if I took a quick shower before we started the movie?"
I gritted my teeth to keep a curse from rumbling free. I was already having a hard time with my rampant thoughts. How much worse was it going to get now that I could add the idea of her lathering up her naked body?
