Page 12 of Every Sunset
CHAPTER 6
ANNA
I was almost running to keep up with Maddox as he charged through their home like he was as desperate to get this whole thing done as I was.
Inside, what I saw of their place was quite a contrast to the very traditional exterior. Inside it was modern and bright. The walls were painted white and varying shades of gray. The huge windows that seemed to line every wall were covered minimally with blinds they kept pulled up to allow in more natural light. The furniture was all made of what I guessed was very solid and chunky dark oak. It almost had a handmade look to it, but not in a bad way. It looked like the work of a real craftsman and it was beautiful. Typical of the home of two guys, a huge flat screen television hung on the wall before a black leather sectional and several matching armchairs.
Maddox ended up in the kitchen, which was a part of the huge open concept living space the entire ground floor seemed to have been modernized into. The kitchen was made up of white, glossy cabinets and solid, dark wood countertops that matched the furniture I already coveted. On the counters it was very minimalist, with just a coffee machine and a blender in sight. The whole place was immaculately clean and it smelled of some citrus cleaning product.
“This place is amazing,” I said awkwardly. I was standing in the middle of the kitchen, watching Maddox rummage through one of the lower cabinets and I just felt the need to break the silence.
“Logan did it all,” he replied flatly as he continued to search for something.
I tried hard not to ogle his ass as he dropped to his knees on the floor so he could get further into the cabinet, but it was a really good ass. I could see even more clearly now how muscular he was under that t-shirt he wore, the fabric molding to the muscles across his back as he leaned into the cabinet. He and Logan were very much alike, except where Logan had brown, kind of wild hair, Maddox’s was even darker and much shorter. He had the same strong, almost square jaw as Logan, but he also had prominent cheek bones that gave him the look of a movie star, or maybe a sports model for one of those fancy men’s magazines.
In short Maddox and Logan were pretty much my idea of sex on a stick – sex that I was long, long overdue, and completely desperate for. But I couldn’t have them, even if they were interested in me. I’d fucked everything up for me and for Max the last time I tried to find some kind of love life for myself and, no matter what, I could never make that mistake again.
As nice as both of these men seemed – okay, maybe Maddox wasn’t exactly ‘nice’ but I did believe he was good, anyway – I could not risk my instincts being wrong again. Celibacy lay ahead for me and I knew it. Why change the habit of a lifetime anyway?
“Anna?” My name was said sharply, startling me, and when I snapped out of my thoughts I found Maddox on his feet stood just inches before me, a green first aid bag under his arm. Heseemed annoyed and I considered just how long I had been zoned out.
“Sorry,” I uttered, praying he hadn’t caught me ogling him when he was on the floor.
“Did you hit your head when you fell?” he asked as he bobbed down enough to see into my eyes.
“What?” I knew I should be listening, but I was caught up in his eyes. They, like everything else about him, were beautiful. They were green like Logan’s, but where Logan’s were light in shade, Maddox’s were the complete opposite. Green, such a deep, dark, sparkling green, just like two perfect emeralds. There was so much depth in them too. As he met my eyes I felt the need to look away before he saw everything that I worked so hard to hide in just one glance.
“You could have a concussion. Do you feel nauseous?” he asked as he gently placed his hand around the side of my face and tried to tilt my head up to look into my eyes.
A small gasp left me at the heat of his hand as it touched my skin. Just that small contact had me coming alive with tingles, which was insane! I was a thirty-one year old woman, not a horny teenager.
“No…I…I didn’t hit my head. I’m fine. I’m good,” I babbled as I fought to get myself together and reluctantly backed away from his touch.
“So it’s normal for you to space out on people like this then?” he asked as he took a step back too.
“I didn’t space out,” I argued. “I just have a lot on my mind.”
“Like the reason you’re running?” he asked as he stared hard at me, unrelenting. The comment took me so by surprise I floundered for an answer. “Come and sit here,” he told me when I just stood staring at him, likely looking like a deer in the headlights.Way not to give the game away, Anna!
“I…I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I managed to force out. I was such a shitty liar and I knew it.
“Yes you do,” he said nonchalantly. He took hold of my arm gently and led me around the corner of the huge central island that sat in the middle of the vast kitchen. He led me to a stool and I automatically climbed onto it and sat. Maddox sat kitty corner to me and started pulling items out of the first aid bag, which he'd set on the counter.
“You’ve barely even met me. You d-don’t know anything,” I argued.
“I’ve seen enough. You’re jumpy and suspicious. Your kid too, though he’s better at hiding it than you. I know you rented the guest house in a really big fucking hurry, and that you turned up here with only what you could pack quickly and fit in your car. I know you’re scared,” he told me as he grabbed my hand. As he spoke he seemed to assess the damage, not even meeting my eyes.
“You know all of that after meeting me once when you were falling down drunk,” I scoffed, though inside I was starting to freak out. This guy had been a cop. Would he figure everything out? Could he call some contact he had on the force and have us arrested for what we’d done?
“You live on my property. I’ve seen enough,” he shrugged. He pulled some cleaning wipes from small packets and started to wipe away some of the blood from my hand.
“So you’ve been spying on us?”
“Not spying. I’m sure Logan already told you I’m a little paranoid. I like to keep an eye on things,” he shrugged again and it was pissing me off. He was fucking with my entire life and he seemed way too damned relaxed about it.
“You know what? Thanks for your help, but I’m good. I can clean my hands up myself. I...I have to go,” I stuttered as I pulled my hand from his gentle hold and slid from the way too tall stool.
“Come back here and stop freaking out. I don’t care what you’re running from,” he sighed as he lifted his head and finally looked at me. “The only reason I pushed on the subject was because I want to know if you’re in danger. I need to know if someone’s going to come sniffing around looking for you.”
