He pressed his warm lips on my bare shoulder, a soft kiss. “Sunset, the Eiffel Tower and dinner.”
My breath hitched. “What did you do?” I whispered, still in shock.
“Wooing you,” he easily responded. “I promised you romance.”
So he did.
And Maddox delivered.
Flowers… romance… sunset… Paris…
What else could I ask for?
Falling in love with my best friend was never meant to happen, but being romanced by my best friend? I guessed, there was no going back after this.
The city of love lived up to its name. Not even Maddox and I could fight it.
We had been told this hotel had the best view of the city and right here...on the rooftop? The view was absolutely magical as the sun began to set behind the Eiffel Tower, and we could see the whole French Capital.
As the sky turned yellow and orange, the sun lowering itself over the horizon, I could only stare and marvel in its beauty.
“Shall we? Dinner awaits.”
Maddox gripped my hand in his, and he tugged me to the table. He pushed my chair in and took a seat across from me. Dinner was served by the same waiter I met at the door.
“Real roses, huh?” I nodded toward the vase on the table. That was a great addition, if not a total surprise. I’d expected dead roses again.
His lips curled up, a teasing smile. “I thought I’d change it up a bit.”
I looked around the terrace, admiring the view. “How did you plan this?”
“I have my ways.” I couldn’t imagine Maddox going to the concierge and asking them to prepare this. It didn’t really suit him and his cocky ways, but I guessed…
He really did surprise me today.
Maddox poured us both a glass of wine. I took a slow sip, nodding in satisfaction, when the red wine hit all my taste buds.
“Since you wouldn’t let me get you a birthday present, we’ll have to go tomorrow,” I started, cutting up my steak into tiny pieces.
Maddox shoved his fork into his mouth, his eyebrows furrowed. “What do you mean?” he asked around a mouthful.
“I thought we could get a tattoo.”
His eyes lit up instantly, and I continued, “Last year, you wanted to get matching tattoos, but I wasn’t ready. I thought this year… we could. Your birthday present.”
Matching tattoos… something that was us.
“Lila,” he said my name in a low growl.
“Yes?” My stomach did another flip, and I loathed how much Maddox could affect me.
That was a lie. I didn’t hate the feeling. In fact, I was starting to love it. Too much.
“If you weren’t eating and across the table from me, I’d have turned you over and fucked you into next week.”
My hand flew to my mouth, as I coughed back the steak that was now stuck in my throat. I clumsily reached for my glass and took a huge gulp. He grinned, before taking a sip of his own wine.
I didn’t realize he’d be that happy about the matching tattoos.
“You have to stop doing that,” I mumbled, after my coughing fit.
“What? Making you blush? It looks cute on you, Sweet Cheeks,” he said, ever so arrogantly.
Damn it, damn him.
The rest of the dinner went by, with Maddox dropping casual dirty remarks and me rolling my eyes. He was absolutely impossible.
But I had four years to get used to all his antics.
Once the table was cleared and while we waited for dessert, I pushed my chair out and walked over to the railing. The sky was dark now, and the Eiffel Tower was lit up for the night.
It was… breathtaking.
From the corner of my eye, I noticed Maddox rising from his seat and striding toward me with purpose. He exuded confidence and arrogance, the way he prowled over to me. His body moved behind me, his wide chest pressing into my back. I could feel the strength of his body against mine.
A shudder rippled through me, as his finger skimmed over my bare back, gently tugging at the lace knot there, but not hard enough to have it come undone. His teasing touch lingered, my skin rising with goosebumps.
His hand slid up, oh so slowly. He brushed my hair aside, and his lips feathered against my nape. My heart thudded.
I suddenly felt really, really warm. All over. Inside, outside… my fingertips… my core.
Oh God. His touch was sweet, sweet torture. A slice of heaven, with a touch of hell.
Maddox kissed his way to the curve of my shoulders. “I knew I had no right to touch you, to want you, to crave you like air, but I did. I knew it was wrong, but I didn’t want to stop. So, I took. And now, I’m obsessed.”
A shiver ran down my spine, and I almost whimpered in need. My body shuddered as his words hit me like a violent tide, sweeping me away. His chest rumbled with a low guttural sound. “I’m a mad fucking man for you, Lila Garcia.”
My sex clenched in response. “It’s not fair,” I whispered. “I can’t push you away if you keep saying things like this, whispering these words… You’re making this so much harder, Maddox.”
His teeth nipped the side of my neck. His hand curled around my throat, and he turned my head to the side, his lips brushing against mine.
Kiss me.
That was the only thought I had before his mouth was on mine. He didn’t pause, didn’t wait for me to think, didn’t wait for me to catch my breath…
Soft but demanding.
Gentle but passionate.
Sweet but all-consuming.
Fire licked through my veins, and my body went soft in his arms. For a short second, my world felt off balance, before it finally felt… right. Every part of me came alive, as the drums crashed and banged in my chest. My soul cried in triumph, as I finally allowed myself to… feel.
Maybe this was the moment I fell for him. Recklessly. Irrevocably. Wholly.
Maybe this was the moment I realized I never wanted to let go.
We kissed, like two drowning lovers lost at sea, our lips seeking each other amidst the crashing waves. Lips. Tongue. Teeth. We kissed like it was the end, and our lips would never meet again. The rhythm of our hearts matched our crazed desperation. Maddox tasted of all things holy and sinful in this world; he tasted like every forbidden thought I had at night coming true.
He tasted like red wine, and I was a little heady, a little drunk on him.
Our lips parted from each other, as we caught our breath, chests heaving.
“Bend over. Pull your dress up,” Maddox rasped in my ear.
I swallowed, my heart racing, and my stomach clenching with anticipation. His fingers unwrapped around my throat, but I could still feel their searing touch on my flesh, as if he had marked me. His hands lowered to my waist, and his fingers gripped my hips. Maddox brushed his nose along the length of my nape.
I exhaled a shuddering breath. “People are going to see.”
The buildings were so close to each other, anyone could see us if they were looking out of their windows. And what if… the waiter walked in on us?
His chest rumbled with a growly sound. “Let them. I want the world to see me owning this sweet pussy. Bend over, Lila. Now. Show me how wet you are for me, and I’ll give you what you need.”
My eyes widened at the command in his voice, and my body bent to his will, before I could really process what was happening.
“I’m waiting.” His voice had hardened, a slight gruff in his tone. “Your dress, Lila,” Maddox reminded me, when I stayed bent over the railing.