Page 52 of Adoring Alejandro

“Breathe, Maeve,” he commanded.

She sucked in a breath and pinched her eyes shut. She would not cry. She would not cry. She’d brought this on herself. On AJ. Denise had won. She had lost. Everything. But she would not cry.

But anger was fucking warranted. Her hands trembling, her body began to shake off the shock as red hot anger surged through her. Anger at herself, her circumstances, and fucking Denise! Anger at life and how it obviously hated her. Anger at AJ for being so goddamn wonderful and beautiful that she’d fallen for him in the first place.

“What the hell happened back there? What did Sally say that made you look like you were going to die on the spot?”

Pushing away from the wall, Maeve began to pace. Her arms swinging madly, her shoulders pulled in to keep her temper in check. Her mind screamed, unhinged. She was breaking apart.

“What the fuck, Maeve—talk to me,” AJ demanded, reaching out to grab her arm and stop her mad pacing.

Crack.She broke.

She glared at him, snatching her arm from his grasp. He recoiled, his eyes wide, his mouth dropping open. So, he wasn’t expecting the pissed off Maeve. Well, she was done being the mouse, it was time to be the lioness.

She spun on her heel, lifted her chin, squared her shoulders, and pinned him with a eyes filled with every atom of hurt and rage.

AJ remained rooted to the spot, his eyes narrowing at her, his hands fisting at his sides, as if bracing for impact.

Boom, motherfucker!

“Is Denise moving to Jackson Key?” she inquired sharply, not caring that she sounded like a bitch. She was a bitch. Circumstances required it.

AJ grit his teeth, his eyes twitching.

Oh, so he was angry now. Goodie.

“Is that what that was about in there? Sally told you that Denise was moving here and you got, what? Mad?” he seethed. “You don’t get to be mad about that, Maeve.”

She didn’t miss how he emphasized her name. What that meant, she had no idea.

She planted her hands on her hips, and growled, “I’m not mad, AJ. Fuck you. Because I’m not allowed to be mad, right? I’m not allowed to care that the biggest bitch in all of Florida is slithering into my town, and touching my—”

She snapped her mouth shut, her chest heaving with shaking breaths. God—she’d almost spilled everything.

Snarling, she gripped her forehead with both hands and spun away from AJ, determined to put several feet and maybe several miles between them. She couldn’t do it. No matter how frustrated and disappointed and hurt she felt, she couldn’t’ sacrifice her friends. Letting anything slip now…AJ would pick at it until he started to figure things out. And then Denise would be unleashed upon her.

AJ’s hand reached out, grabbing her arm and flinging her against the brick wall. She hit it with an oomph before he was there, pinning her in place with one hand on each side of her head. His forearms flexed as he leaned in, his nose an inch from hers.

“Finish it, Maeve. Finish what you were saying,” he urged, his tone as hard as the chest pressed against her and the wall behind her. “Denise is coming into your town and touching your…what?” He leaned in closer, brushing his nose against her cheek. She shuddered, the heat of him, the nearness, the scent of him, it caressed her as no hand ever could. “Tell me, Maeve. What of yours is Denise touching?”

What did he want her to say? He’d been the one to break off any chance of something between them. He’d been the one to come to her home and tell her they could only be friends.

“Move,” she commanded. “I need to get back inside to Callie.” Squeezing her hands in between them to press against his chest. Lord, he was so hard. So hot to the touch. She’d give anything to know what his naked chest felt like beneath her hands.

He didn’t move. She braved looking up into his face, and immediately wished she hadn’t. Fire wrought of fury and desire. Lust and indignation. He was a writhing, vibrating mass of need and frustration—and he was aimed right at her.

She shivered, her body quaking in answering need and rage.

“You’re hiding again. Mouse. Where did the woman from Velvet go, huh? Where did the woman of just a minute ago run off to? What is it that you are hiding? Who are you hiding from, Maeve?”

She pushed at his chest again. Again, he didn’t move.

“Are you hiding from this?”

He took her mouth, violating her lips in a kiss so hard and aggressive, she couldn’t catch her breath—and she didn’t care. Like two animals devouring one another, their kiss turned hotter, harder, more punishing. Reaching down, AJ grabbed Maeve’s thigh, dragging it up until she was forced to wrap her leg around him, her foot lodged firmly against his rock-hard ass.

Breaking the kiss, he growled, “Fuck!”

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