Intrigued, I follow her and watch as she grabs one of the cold beers from the fridge we keep stocked for ourselves. She acts as if she owns the place, which is sexy as hell.
Maddie turns and keeps her eyes locked on mine as she twists the cap off, then tosses it onto the counter. Just as she’s about to take a sip, Lennon storms into the kitchen.
“Madelyn! Gimme that!” She yanks it from Maddie’s grip. “You cannot drink. I promised Mom and Dad I’d keep an eye on you.”
That causes Maddie to roll her eyes. “I was actually getting it for Liam.” She plasters on a sweet smile, folding her hands in front of her. Maddie’s a good little Christian girl to her family, but I got a front row ticket to the real Maddie. The one who doesn’t follow the rules but bends them instead. I’m such a sick bastard because my dick gets hard just thinking about it.
“Really? You were grabbing Liam a beer?” Lennon challenges, pointing at me. “This true?”
“Yeah,” I say as casually as possible. “She was closer to the fridge.” I shrug as if that’s the most reasonable explanation.
Lennon stalks over, pushing the bottle into my chest. “Well, my sister isn’t your barmaid, so get your own drinks, okay? In fact, stay away from her.”
“What’s your deal?” I ask, then take a sip of Maddie’s beer. “Brandon not putting out?”
Lennon scowls, cocking her hip. “Don’t be an asshole, Liam. She just got here and doesn’t need guys like you all over her. Besides, shouldn’t you be with one of your weekenders, anyway?”
“I gave them the weekend off.” I smirk, knowing it’ll irritate her more.
“You’re annoying.” She sighs, and as soon as Hunter walks into the kitchen, she leaves.
“What’s she going off about now?” Hunter grunts, grabbing the bottle of whiskey. “I swear, bitchin’ is her favorite pastime. If she isn’t hogging the bathroom, then she’s screaming at me for not cleaning.” He grabs the three shot glasses we used earlier and fills them full.
“Shot time!” Hunter announces, handing me one. “So, Maddie. You want the third? Or should I ask your mother first?” He chuckles, which makes Maddie glare at him.
“I can see why she hates you,” she says. Grabbing the third shot, she downs it with pure ease.
Jesus fuck. Most girls cough or choke on whiskey shots.
“I like her,” Hunter says, smirking. Then we both take ours and slam the glasses down on the counter.
“She’s off-limits,” I remind him. “Keep your dick in your pants.”
“I’m right here, dummy,” Maddie chimes in with brows raised.
Normally, I wouldn’t give two fucking shits about who he touched, but I feel weirdly possessive of Maddie. I have no right to, but now that she’s walked back into my life, I want to protect her.
Protect her from guys like Hunter. Protect her from me.
I wasn’t lying, though. Maddie is off-limits as fuck. Too young, too innocent, too sexy for her own good. Not to mention, she’s Lennon’s sister, and that makes her forbidden fruit. Considering I don’t date, Brandon would have my balls if I created tension between Lennon and him.
Needing to remind myself of these facts, I push off the island, and walk to the back room with my beer. People are still playing and drinking, so I head outside to the back porch because I need a second to breathe.
“So are we just pretending last year didn’t happen?” Maddie asks, coming out a few minutes later.
I set my jaw, willing myself not to look at her. Because I know the minute I do, I’ll want to rip off her jeans.
“Yep.” I toss back my beer, keeping my gaze off her. “Not really wanting to get my ass kicked for nearly taking your virginity.” From Lennon, but I don’t add that bit.
I see her wince. “I’m sorry I lied to you.”
“Had you truly lied to me, we wouldn’t have stopped.” I shrug, thinking of how that would’ve changed things. Her breath hitches as if she’s thinking the same thing. Turning toward her, I lock my eyes with hers. “And if we had, I would’ve felt like a fucking asshole about it, and I don’t feel like that very often.”
“Was it all because of my age?” she asks softly.
“Mostly, yes, but also…I’m not the guy for you. Something like that should be saved for someone special. That ain’t me.”
“And you saved yours for someone special?” she challenges, crossing her arms, which pushes up her tits.
“Nope. Definitely not, which is why you should.”
“I’ve been told what to do my entire life,” she says sharply. “What not to do, how to do things, when to do things. It’s annoying to feel like I have no control or choices. So please, save your bullshit.”
I shrug, not sure what else to say. “It’s just my advice. You can do whatever the hell you want, but it won’t be with me. Better to just realize that now.”
She scoffs, and I can tell she’s getting pissed. “I figured that out the moment you kicked me out of that room like I was a five-cent whore.”
I release a breath. “I’m sorry about that, but—”
“Just shut up,” she cuts me off. “I didn’t tell my sisters because I was embarrassed, but you should know that I’ll be around because of Lennon, and as long as you’re around Brandon, we’re going to run into each other. So it’s best we just pretend tonight is the first time we met. Don’t treat me like glass, Liam, unless you wanna get cut.”
Maddie narrows her eyes at me before turning and walking into the house. My gaze immediately goes to her ass, and I curse under my breath. Even though she’s five years younger than me and isn’t as sexually experienced, she effortlessly put me in my place. Maddie’s the first woman to ever get under my skin, and I need to get her out of my head as soon as fucking possible.
The only way I’m going to survive being around her is to act as if she doesn’t exist. Block out the memories from that night and ignore the undeniable chemistry that crackles between us.
Hopefully, my dick gets the same memo.
Chapter One
Liam
Sliding out of bed in only my boxers, I walk downstairs and enter the kitchen. My roommates are at work already, but it wouldn’t matter if they were here because it’s my house too. Mason and Sophie complain about it sometimes, but they’ve learned to accept and expect it.
Though it’s Wednesday, I’m counting down the days till Friday when I’ll have the place to myself. Sophie and Mason have been official for four months but haven’t had a chance to get away as a couple until now.
As long as I survive Thanksgiving tomorrow, the rest of the weekend will be pure bliss. The Corrigan sisters put together a potluck with Hunter and Mason, but I made plans to visit my dad and stepmom for lunch. I hate the holidays, but I promised I’d stop by and don’t want to let him down.
Grabbing the orange juice from the fridge, I take a drink straight from the bottle, then place it back. I can almost hear Sophie scolding me for being gross and inconsiderate and smirk at the thought. Sometimes pissing her off is too easy and fun. We’ve been friends since her sister Lennon introduced us over three years ago. Lennon was around often because she was dating my friend, Brandon. A year and a half ago, he passed away in a tragic motorcycle accident, and Lennon found solace with Hunter. They grieved the loss of Brandon together, and he helped her when she found out she was pregnant. Though Hunter’s reputation is similar to my own, he changed his manwhore ways to be with Lennon. He treats her like a goddess and loves baby Alison as if she’s his own.