Page 12 of Skin In the Game (The BlackWater)

It felt like everyone was side glancing at her, like everyone was waiting for her to say something, do something. She was sick of it. It wasn’t even like Rab had been that bad. Yes he was a creep, yes he was a sex pest, but he hadn’t even touched her, at least not really. Hadn’t crossed a line, not really. He was playing it safe, nothing he’d done was really tangibly out of order and part of that was the reason Maddie didn’t want to do anything because deep down while she didn’t like or want his attention she wasn’t going to play the card that meant she’d be marked, forever being the girl that cried to HR. She was tough, she was better than that and sooner or later Rab would move on and get over it.

“He’s on the move.” McCullough said and Maddie had to bite down the giggle at the seriousness of his voice. He was loving this, she thought, loving being out, loving being a real agent. She’d taken him under her wing, moulded him, yes he was still shit at times, still disorganised, and messy but he was getting better and she wanted to help him in that. After Shanghai she felt like it was good karma to help someone else out.

They followed him from the bank, to the supermarket, round the veggie aisle and down the toiletry one and then back out and into a few other insignificant shops. It looked like he was holiday shopping, no doubt preparing for another first class trip.

They followed him home and then Maddie sighed and called it. There was a work party that evening and as much as she wanted to skip it a part of her thought it would be good to just go and have a few drinks.

They walked into the bar together. Maddie had parked the Agent Car back at the office and by the sounds of it people were already getting plastered.

Burke beckoned her over to where he and the rest of the Serious Crime guys were double stacking drinks and about to do a round of shots and she happily got stuck in. These were her people she realised, her friends, her crew. It felt like she belonged and she looked over at Burke grinning because he had helped her to get to this point, to finally feel at home amongst them all.

When she got back to her apartment she was more than a little drunk. It had been a good night, no scrap that, it had been a great night. It felt like McCullough had finally made a breakthrough with everyone too and they were actually warming to him.

She fumbled with her keys and then dropped them cursing her stupid butter fingers. When she stood up she realised he was there, waiting for her.

“Why are you here?” She asked feeling herself sobering up. More to the point, how had he even gotten in the complex, he’d left his keys when he huffed out.

“Don’t be like that.” Grant said leaning against the opposite wall and she sighed looking back at him before opening the door and walking in. She knew he’d follow. Did she care? She wasn’t sure, because part of her was too drunk to consider the consequences and part of her just had an itch she wanted to scratch.

She tossed her coat onto the kitchen island and then walked to the fridge grabbing a bottle of water. He was on her in an instant, his hands running over her, his lips nibbling on her ear.

“I’m trying to drink.” She snapped pulling away and he laughed.

“Lighten up a little Mads.” He muttered before untucking her top from her jeans.

She turned, putting the bottle down and looked at him. If she was going to do this she was going to do it her way she thought.

She kissed him then, not caring that she didn’t even like the way he kissed, the way his tongue felt, she was too drunk to care. He yanked her top up over her head, pushing her back against the fridge and she pushed him right back. She wasn’t going to let him fuck her the same old way, the same boring way that clearly got his rocks off but not hers.

She pushed him against the counter, undoing his jeans as he undid hers and before she could stop him, before she’d even made another move he was in her, thrusting, groaning, breathing hard against her. She groaned too, though not in pleasure, not really in anything. She wanted it to be good, she realised, she wanted him to be better because if he was then maybe she might just start to have feelings for him, start to want him.

He yanked her hips harder, holding her legs to him and thrusting and she moved her hand down to touch herself. He watched her smirking and she avoided his gaze because he clearly thought in that moment she was super turned on by him but in reality she could have been being fucked by a corpse and it would have felt the same.

He thrust more, harder and as she brought herself closer to climax he came. She couldn’t hold back the eyeroll then. Even in that moment, even when he was trying to win her back he couldn’t satisfy her, she thought and she pushed him off before walking away from him.

She felt like she needed a shower then and a cold one at that. Grant followed her and she turned to stop him.

“You’re not staying.” She said and he frowned.

“What are you talking about?” He said.

“Grant, I meant what I said the other day…”

“Yet you just let me fuck you again. Sounds like you don’t really know what you want Mads.” He replied smirking and stepping towards her.

“I know exactly what I want and I already told you. It’s not you.” She snapped holding her hands up to shove him off.

“Come on Mads, we’re good together.” He stated.

“Urgh, please just go already.” Maddie half muttered before walking away again and realising she’d made a really stupid decision in screwing him again. Stupid because he was there, in her space, not taking the hint, and stupid because she wasn’t even satisfied by it in fact she was more frustrated now than before he’d fucked her.

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