Chapter 1: Still the One
Harper
“Marry him! Marry him!”
I had dreamt of such scenes countless times: My childhood best friend, Grayson Ford on one knee, his love for me shining in his eyes as he held a ring in his hand, and friends cheering all around us. The dream had finally come true, but the one in front of him was Tiffany, the girl who had turned my entire high school life into a nightmare.
I didn’t expect to see him again in that way after being away for four years. We had barely spoken when I left San Francisco to go to college. But the moment his name flashed on my phone screen a few days ago with an invite to his party, I felt sixteen again and wanted to go as soon as possible.
And at that moment, I deeply regretted it. I had no idea they were still together as I hadn’t checked his social media profiles in a long time.
“I love you,” he said to her as he waited.
His words made me peek from behind the wall where I’d been hiding since my arrival. They were surrounded by guests in the living room.
“I love you too, Babe,” she said in that voice that I still found annoying. “Yes!”
Her giggle, his smile and their passionate kiss all cut deeper than I expected. My fingers curled around the strap of my handbag so tightly that I thought it might snap, but I didn’t care. I was already fighting back my tears.
Even though he was the only one I had loved for more than ten years and my heart was breaking, I wasn’t going to cry there. It was his engagement party and I wasn’t about to behave like the clumsy Harper of high school. Not anymore.
Right as the applause began to fade, I held my head high and stepped forward into the living room, the sound of my heels making heads turn. I hadn’t seen any of those people in years, but I never forgot how they mocked my baggy dressing and unappealing presence in school.
Now, all eyes were on me and the room fell silent for a few seconds, everyone trying to study me. One of the girls leaned over to whisper something to her friend, mentioning my name in the process to find out it was really Harper Moore.
Being the center of attention was the one thing I never wanted for as long as I could remember, but it just couldn’t be helped. I also expected this to happen. I wasn’t the girl I used to be. Even the guys looked at me differently.
I played it cool, my lips curving into a smile, and then, my gaze landed on Grayson.
His eyes widened as he pulled his hand away from Tiffany, taking a few steps towards me before he could stop himself. He parted his lips, but no words came out immediately. He looked at me from head to toe a few times, like he couldn’t believe it was me.
“Harp?” he said, pushing past a few people in his way as he pushed back his jet black hair.
I swallowed hard, trying not to get too excited just by how he called my name.
“Yup, that’s me!” I forced a chuckle.
He slowly lifted the corners of his mouth, stunned. “Wow….you look….”
“Different?”
“Beautiful.” He said it too quickly and that compliment left my heart racing. I was now twenty two years old, but felt sixteen again.
Right before I could respond, Tiffany rushed to his side, holding onto his arm. She had this look of amusement on her face, but there was nothing friendly about it.
With an exaggerated gasp, she said, “Oh, it’s really you.”
She looked at me from head to toe with the same fake smile that was always plastered across her face.
There was a time when Grayson and I were very close but when he became popular in junior high school and she showed interest in him, everything changed. She was rich and beautiful, everything I wasn’t back then. I felt invisible and it was because she was in the picture that he and I grew distant even before I left for college.
“It’s so good to see you too,” I said to her with a forced smile.
“You’re really back in town after graduation, huh? It looks like college did wonders. Just look at you. You’re almost unrecognizable in this short emerald green dress, but hey, some things never change. You still have that bookworm vibe despite the makeover.”
“Okay, that’s enough,” Grayson cut in, his tone sharp as he shook his head with disapproval.
She feigned innocence, running the palm of her hand along his jacket. “What? I’m just saying hi.”
He said nothing more, but only gave me an apologetic and soft look, then gently pulled her to the side. He whispered something in her ear, then held her hand as he led her down the hallway.
She looked back at me with a triumphant smile, like she was right where she wanted to be and had been waiting for this exact moment. She was the same old Tiffany.
He wrapped his arm around her waist as he said something to her and she paid attention to him. I didn’t even care what they were talking about, but that arm around her waist shattered something inside of me.
I even wished that time machines existed so I could rewind the last few minutes and stop myself from ever showing up that night.
For as long as I could remember, she always came first and he never noticed me the way I wished he would.
Every step that I took, all eyes were on me and I just wanted to be alone, so I came to the backyard, my arms wrapped around myself as I faced the ground. I wanted to leave, but how could I just walk out when I had only arrived?
When I turned around in a hurry so I could go to the bathroom and hide my face, I ran into a broad and solid chest. I stumbled back, constantly blinking as I looked up and froze at the sight before me. He was tall, dressed in all black with his sleeves rolled halfway. His collar was open enough to show just the right amount of muscle. With his honey blond hair brushed back, that only accentuated his facial features, especially his sharp jawline. His presence was nothing but a dangerous vibe.
Something about him felt familiar, but I couldn’t figure it out.
With a slow grin that only added to his charm, he said. “Maybe if you kept your head up, you’d see where you’re going.”
There was an immediate arrogance in his tone, one which also felt familiar.
Maybe I was just imagining it, so I stepped to the side to leave and be alone again, but he got in the way.
“Leaving so soon when we’re finally seeing each other after so many years?”
I sighed with irritation as I looked up at his gorgeous face. “Do I know you?”
He scoffed. “What’s this? Clingy Harper doesn’t remember me?”
Clingy Harper? I narrowed my eyes. Only one person had ever called me that and I hated it. At that moment, it all came back to me. I just hadn’t realised it sooner as so much had changed about him. At twenty three, he was way more attractive than he was at seventeen. Not only was he the wealthy playboy that the girls wished they could have a chance with, he was also Tiffany’s annoying half-brother. They shared the same father.
“Maddox?”
“There you go,” he said. “You know, I still remember how you used to follow Grayson around like a lost puppy.”
I hated how obvious that had always been, but I laughed at his description of me. “I didn’t think I’d run into you here, but hey, at least I got to see with my own eyes that you’re still an ass.”
His grin twitched a little. “I guess college changed so much about you. You’re quite feisty now. The party is inside, but why would you be there when you’re upset?”
My heart skipped to beat, and I looked to the side. “I’m fine.”
He scoffed. “Oh, Harper, I saw you when you arrived. You were glowing the moment you walked in, but hearing that your childhood crush was engaged to my younger sister got to you, hmm?”
Chapter 2: Truth or Dare
Maddox
Every memory that I had about Harper was when she was a shy and quiet girl who always stayed by Grayson’s side. My sister always complained to our family that her dates with Grayson never went according to plan because Harper was in the way.
Even with that going on, Tiffany was never intimidated by Harper because Grayson always treated her so differently, but I saw it today for the first time. I knew my sister very well and seeing Harper look so breathtaking got to her. Who wouldn’t be shocked? That wasn’t the version of her that everyone knew.
While the sight before me was quite pleasing to look at, especially her toned legs on full display in those heels, the urge to call her out for her reaction at the engagement announcement was much stronger. I just couldn’t help it.
Placing a hand on her hip with her head high after taking a step closer, she boldly said, “You must be so irrelevant at this party that you came out here just to mock me. Nothing else to keep you occupied?”
Damn. She wasn't just pretty now. She was feisty and it was the last thing I expected. She didn't even need to raise her voice to make me feel each word.
The Harper I remembered would have stammered, maybe even ducked her head and rushed off in tears, but this version just stood in front of me like she wasn't scared of anything, especially not me.
I chuckled. “I didn't know you had that kind of-”
“Hold on,” she said, holding up the palm of her hand to my face. “It has just come to my attention that you and I are still talking.”
Did she just indirectly tell me that I wasn't worth her time?
She slowly walked past me to return inside, as if daring me to say something back to her, but I could only look on.
Then, I smiled, not because it was funny, but because it had been a long time since someone spoke to me like that, like they weren't intimidated by who I was.
Everything was so different about her and it left me curious. I wanted to know everything that college had changed about her.
“Everyone shut up! We're about to start the game!”
Tiffany yelled from the living room, screaming above the music.
I rolled my eyes. The two of us had lived under the same roof for years and yet I could never get used to her voice whenever she raised it.
~
Harper
While my feelings were still hurt by the engagement announcement, I realized that isolating myself wouldn’t make me feel any better, so I decided to show up for the rest of the party.
When I returned to join everyone in the living room, some of the guests were already in a circle, including Maddox. I still wasn’t over how he had seen right through me.
Some girls near me swooned over him as they whispered about how wealthier he had become after inheriting his father’s multibillion-dollar company.
Grayson stood by the drinks table, looking like he wasn't about to play the game, but Tiffany wasn't about to allow it. She had her hand wrapped around his arm with a pout, still trying to convince him to play until he gave in.
As the two of them sat together, she spotted me sitting across from her and her eyes lit up and not in a good way. I had seen that look before so many times. She only smiled like that when she was up to something.
With Grayson on one side, her best friend, Kate, sat next to her. Nothing much had changed about her because even after so many years, she didn’t like me.
That being Tiffany’s game, she went first, turning to face Grayson after glancing at me again.
“Truth or dare?” she asked.
“Truth.” He playfully rolled his eyes at her.
She giggled. “Did you fall in love with me at first sight?”
He raised his eyebrows in pleasant surprise and that only made my heart actually race as I also anticipated his response.
Kissing the back of her hand, he said, “Yes, as soon as I saw you, something in my heart told me you were the one.”
She rested her head on his broad shoulder, triumphantly glancing at me as everyone else found the moment to be so sweet.
“My turn!” Kate said. “Harper, truth or dare?”
My eyes widened a little at how she singled me out with a dramatic gesture.
“Uh…truth.”
“Are you currently in love with someone?”
I paused, thinking back to my reaction when I arrived at the moment Grayson made the engagement announcement.
I didn’t even look in his direction when I said, “Yes, I am.”
“Who’s the lucky guy?” Kate leaned forward with fake curiosity.
“Is it Grayson?” Tiffany stepped in before I could even respond.
Almost everyone present knew the type of relationship I had with Grayson even after she came into his life.
“That's enough,” Grayson snapped while still beside her.
She shrugged like it was harmless. “What? It's a valid question and-”
“Cut it out.”
His voice was louder the second time but she didn't back down.
“We all know that you used to love Grayson. I just think that the truth will be refreshing.”
Tiffany wasn't the only one who was curious as everyone leaned toward me, anticipating my response. I couldn't escape even if I wanted to.
Grayson even stopped blinking, no longer wanting to stop the game so he could hear what my answer would be.
In a cool and clear voice, I said, “No, it's not Grayson.”
His expression was unreadable as the others whispered among themselves.
I made it sound so convincing when I knew it was the opposite and it hurt me so badly that I didn’t want to stay for the rest of the game. It was for this reason that I excused myself, glancing at the guy I was never going to have no matter what. He didn’t even look at me as I left, too focused on Tiffany as she kissed his cheek.
I came to the backyard again, deeply regretting my decision to take part in that game. Did I really expect Tiffany and Kate to play nice?
For a while, I was alone but told myself not to cry. Then, I heard footsteps but didn’t turn around to find out who it was. A part of me even wished Grayson had come out to talk but when I heard the voice, it was Maddox and I clenched my jaw.
“I would have thought that after giving such answers to those questions from my sister and Kate, you would have stayed for the rest of the game. Why leave?”
I didn’t immediately turn to face him. “Don't you have a game to get back to?”
“Nah, I have something more interesting going on out here with you.”
With my eyes narrowed, I finally turned around. “And what's that?”
“First of all, what happened back there with those two in front of everyone, you handled it perfectly.”
I shook my head and smiled with disbelief. “Are you always this charming?”
“It only happens when I'm trying to get a girl to forget about another guy.”
My smile faded. “You need to leave.”
His eyes drifted down to my body and then slowly made their way back up. “I saw you curl your fingers on your way out. To me, that meant you lied about not being in love with Grayson. I think you're angry. You've been bottling up your feelings for years and I can help you forget about him.”
I tilted my head. “Yeah?”
He stepped closer, glancing at my busty cleavage. “It's pretty simple. I'm already done with this party. Let's go back to my place and leave the rest to me. It'll be the best night of your life and it doesn't have to end there.”
My blood boiled. It wasn’t just from knowing that Grayson and Tiffany would be together forever, or the triumphant smirk she had. It was also the way Maddox looked at me with his words and cocky mouth.
With the pain in my chest, something in me snapped and I closed the distance between us in just a second and slid one hand up the part of his exposed chest, the other one resting on his shoulder with my eyes locked on his.
He was taken by surprise and I boldly smashed my lips on his before he could even say a word.
He instantly placed his hands on my waist then impatiently slid them down to my hips, pulling me closer until there wasn’t any space between us. His tongue was hot and wild, like he had been waiting for such a moment all night. I held onto the collar of his shirt and gasped when he backed me up against the part of the wall that no light could reach.
He began to roll up my dress just so he could have more access to my thighs and my breath hitched right against his lips.
The moment I felt him hard against my inner thigh and he was about to lift me, I pulled back from his lips and pushed him away, making him stumble backwards.
“What?” he asked, his breath heavy.
Chapter 3: Scraps of Affection
Harper
If I hadn't pulled away from Maddox’s lips, he would’ve had my underwear down to my knees. The thought of it turned my gaze ice-cold.
I smacked my slightly swollen lips and said, “I just wanted to see if kissing you would change anything.”
“And?” He smirked confidently.
Leaning closer to his ear, I said, “What makes you think I have any interest in dating Tiffany's brother?”
He poked his cheek, looking at me in disbelief.
I turned around to leave and he stood in place, not even saying a word. I was actually disappointed that kissing him felt that way. For someone who was a playboy and always charming with the ladies, I expected to feel something, anything.
It was then that I began to wonder. Had that been Grayson touching and kissing me like that, would I have let myself go?
I firmly shook my head, telling myself not even to entertain such thoughts. He was going to marry Tiffany.
My only interactions with him that night had been in the presence of others. It was clear he had no time for me and I didn't want to be there anymore, so without anyone noticing, I made my way back to the car.
It was best to leave before I found myself kissing Maddox again out of anger.
I tightened my grip on the steering wheel, checking my eyes in the mirror. Did I look as much of an idiot as I felt? Yes.
I went from just wanting Grayson to notice me to kissing Maddox so willingly and boldly. I didn't even regret it.
Just as I began to drive away, I held on to the stupid hope that I would see Grayson from the rear view mirror, running outside so he could stop me from leaving, but that wasn't my fairy tale.
I made it home forty five minutes later. It was quite the distance from his place, but I had wanted to go that far just to see him.
I changed my clothes, removed my makeup, freshened up and got into bed, hoping that I would forget it all the following day.
The morning sun filtered through my curtains and I groaned, pulling the covers over my head while trying to convince myself that everything that happened last night was a dream, from the engagement announcement, to the steamy kiss with Maddox.
But the moment my phone buzzed on my nightstand and I reached for it to check the notifications, my eyes widened and I sat up.
The notifications were a mix of tags, group chats and lots of messages. My name was trending.
I had never posted pictures online about how different I now looked, but someone had posted a picture of me that was taken at the party and so many comments flooded the post.
“Who knew nerdy Harper had those damn gorgeous legs?”
“I was there and this picture doesn't even do her justice. She needs to drop her skin care routine because WOW!”
“Wait, is this the girl who used to wear oversized hoodies? She looks like a movie star!”
I wanted to read every comment on that post, but when the ones below began to involve Grayson, I frowned and tossed the phone onto the edge of the bed.
I wanted nothing to do with him that day.
Just then, my phone rang and I felt a knot in my stomach as soon as I saw his name on the screen.
I quickly reached for the phone again, my thumb hovering over the green button before finally pressing it.
“Hello?”
“Hey, Harp.” His voice was soft and warm.
I cleared my throat. “Hey, what's up?”
“I looked for you last night but I couldn't find you. I don't even blame you for leaving. I actually wanted to call you last night, but I was so busy with Tiffany after the party ”
I scrunched my pillow at the thought of them alone.
“I just wanted to apologise for what happened. She shouldn't have done that to you. She crossed the line with the truth-or-dare thing.”
I bit the inside of my cheek. “Yeah, well, she's always been that way towards me. It's nothing new.”
“I really had a long talk with her and told her it wasn't funny. You didn't deserve that at all. She's my fiancée but you're…” he trailed off for a few seconds. “I know we haven't been close for a while now but you've always been important to me.”
I hated how those words made my heart race. I hated how I still wanted to hear him say things like that even when they meant nothing.
“Anyway,” he continued quickly. “I just wanted to make sure you're still coming to the wedding despite what happened with Tiffany.”
My eyes widened as I pointed at myself. “You expect me to come?”
“Of course. You and I go way back. Don’t you remember that we used to say we would be best friends for life?”
That description hit me so hard that I didn't want to go.
“I don't know, Grayson. I have a lot going on right now.”
“Come on.” His voice was gentle. “Please? I want you to be there.”
So much time had passed but I was still the girl who waited for scraps of affection from the boy who never truly chose her.
“Okay.” I sighed.
“Great!” He sounded genuinely relieved. “I'll send you the final details later.”
“Cool.”
Even after we hung up, I could still hear him calling me his best friend and it hurt, but I couldn't change it.
~
Grayson
Ever since we were kids, I knew that Harper was in love with me. She never said it, but she didn't have to. I figured it out from the way she always looked at me, like I was the center of her universe and was already everything to her.
I liked it because it always fed something in me. It was that part of me that liked knowing someone would always be there no matter what. She was reliable, adoring, constant and never asked for anything in return and I never gave her anything. I didn't want to.
I told myself she wasn't for me and I needed someone who was pretty, hot and more noticeable. Harper was just someone who was always in the background. She was quiet and safe.
Then, Tiffany showed up around the time I began to get popular and I made my choice.
It fed my ego even more, having Tiffany as my girl and Harper still by my side, ready to do anything for me.
We began to grow apart before she left for college, but I never forgot about her and still kept in touch. It was for this reason that I invited her to the party when I learned that she was back in town and she now looked like every guy’s desire.
The one thing that hadn’t changed was how she couldn’t say no to me when I asked her to come to the wedding.
The big day arrived and Tiffany was finally going to be mine forever. It felt like the best decision I had ever made in my life.
Despite my regret of missing out on Harper's beauty, she still was nowhere close to the wealthy circle I was in and I wouldn’t have wanted things any other way.
It was all going to plan. Just a few more minutes and we were going to become husband and wife. Then, Tiffany barged into my dressing room, holding onto the sides of her wedding dress while yelling at everyone to get out.
“What’s gotten into you?” I said to her with concern. “Don’t you know it’s bad luck for me to see you like this?”
She rolled her eyes. “Oh, please! Why is Harper attending our wedding?”
“Because I invited her.”
“And you didn’t bother to tell me? Everyone’s looking at her like she’s a goddess or something. She needs to leave.”
“No. She’s my guest and best friend.”
She scoffed. “Best friend? You two have barely spoken in years.”
“I know, but she was always there.”
“So fucking what? I don’t want her here and don’t you dare come to her defense because if she doesn’t leave, this wedding is cancelled!”
Chapter 4: Smile Like It Doesn't Hurt
Harper
When I made it to the wedding venue of the guy I always loved, I was in a long satin dress that clung to my body with a thigh slit, the soft curls of my hair falling over one shoulder.
I was there to smile and clap politely like I was over it.
It was when I stepped into the long corridor that I saw Maddox. He was in a black suit and shirt unbuttoned a little as he leaned against the wall.
As I got closer, he smirked at me, but I didn’t. I walked past him like the hot kissing and touching never happened.
“Red looks good on you,” he said behind me, his voice, low and teasing.
I didn’t even bother to look back, but just as I took another step forward, he spoke again, moving closer to whisper.
“I still remember the taste of your lips from a few weeks ago.”
I looked over my shoulder. “I don’t.”
“Liar.” He circled around me.
He was right. I thought about it from that day, still asking myself why I didn’t regret it.
A few more guests made their way into the corridor, breaking the private moment I had with him and I used it to get away, heading straight to the church.
I found myself in the middle row, nodding at a few former classmates who couldn’t stop looking at me and complimenting my entire look.
Then came a phone call from someone I hadn’t heard from in years, Anna, my older sister. It didn’t even ring for too long but I still wanted to call her back. That just wasn’t the place for it.
There was still some time before the wedding would begin so I made my way out. My heart was still racing faster in disbelief, looking down at her name on the screen.
I was on my way to the restroom to call her back when I began to slow down until my steps came to a halt. It sounded like Grayson and Tiffany were arguing in one of the rooms and I didn’t mean to eavesdrop, but Tiffany called my name, demanding that I should leave.
While Grayson came to my defense, it hurt when he called me his best friend.
Just as she threatened to cancel the wedding if I didn’t leave, approaching footsteps and voices from the other side got louder, so I moved away from that door and proceeded to the restroom.
I wondered what he was going to do since he had already chosen her over me a thousand times.
Finally alone, I called Anna, but she declined my call each time. It made no sense to me that she did that when she was the one who reached out first in so many years.
Then, she sent me a message and it broke my heart.
“I didn’t mean to dial your number. That was a mistake so stop calling me.”
I smiled in disbelief, feeling stupid for even having the hope that things were about to change between us. I was used to this, so I stayed calm and returned to my seat.
I even waited to be thrown out, but nothing like that happened.
Part of me even thought the wedding wouldn’t take place after how explosive Tiffany was in that room, but my heart sank even more when Grayson made his way to the altar. He looked like a prince.
Tiffany walked down the aisle in a gorgeous wedding dress that made so many guests gasp.
He smiled at her as he waited and I figured out that whatever had happened in that room had been resolved. It didn’t make me feel any better as I realized that nothing was going to stop the wedding. He only wanted her and no one else.
I watched them exchange vows and he looked at her like she was his entire world.
Then came the kiss and it was deep and dramatic. I clapped like everyone else did, but when everyone rose to their feet, it took me a while as I just couldn’t stand the sight of that moment.
I gathered the strength I needed to get up, not wanting to stand out from everyone else. I smiled like it was all okay, but it hurt the most when they walked down the aisle and he raised her hand proudly as his wife, Mrs Ford.
I watched from a distance as they took pictures outside, wondering just how much more I could take. He was happy, looking at her the way he never looked at me, yet I still loved him.
When I couldn’t take it anymore, I hurried to the parking lot but couldn’t even make it to my car before tears streamed down my cheeks. I wiped them away as I got in so I’d have a clear vision.
My efforts were in vain as the tears just kept coming and I couldn’t see the road ahead. It was for this reason that I parked by the side of the road and cried my heart out, but it still wasn’t enough. I needed to forget it all.
When my tears dried up, I drove along the city streets and stopped right by a bar. That was just what I needed.
I didn’t even check myself in the mirror before walking in.
I ordered the strongest drink I could think of as I just needed to stop feeling anything. My fingers even shook slightly when I reached for the glass.
I had barely taken a sip when a guy took a seat right next to me. He was tall, attractive and just the right amount of trouble.
“Rough day?” he asked, flashing me a smile.
I laughed under my breath. “Is it that obvious?”
He leaned in slightly. “The messy hair and smudged make up gave it away but you know what? I still like what I see. How about I buy you another drink after this and we can pretend this wasn’t a rough day by making it back to my place and doing whatever we want all night?”
He was hot, charming and didn’t know anything about my past. Just as I considered it and was about to give him my response, a familiar voice came from behind me.
“Don’t you dare.” The tone was low but threatening.
I slowly turned to face the guy and for sure, it was Maddox.
He stood there with his jaw tightened, hands shoved in the pockets of his black suit as he glared right at the guy who had offered to give me a good time all night.
The stranger raised an eyebrow. “Is there a problem?”
Maddox didn’t even look at him when he responded. His eyes were on me.
“There’s definitely a problem.”
I didn’t know why he was there, but he was only getting in the way, so I looked back at the view in front of me with a smile.
Maddox then stepped between me and the stranger and grabbed my wrist. He wasn’t even too rough with it, but just enough to tell me that I was leaving with him.
“Wait!” I hissed. “What’s your problem?”
He didn’t even respond, just focused on pulling me towards the exit without looking back.
I glanced once over my shoulder to see the stranger watching us and he was confused and disappointed.
When Maddox brought me outside, I snapped, trying to twist out of his grip.
“Let me go!”
He roughly dropped my hand and turned to face me. “Were you seriously going to sleep with some random guy just to prove that you’re not in love with someone who married another girl today? Had I not shown up-”
“What? You think that I would have made a mistake by going with him?”
He didn’t respond. Instead, he opened the door to his 2025 black Rolls-Royce Phantom and motioned for me to get in.
“I’m taking you home right now.”
I hesitated. “Just so you can lecture me the whole ride?”
He ruffled his hair, clearly trying not to explode. “No, because I’m not leaving you drunk and furious so you can regret your actions tomorrow morning. Your car will be taken care of.”
I sighed, finally getting in his car.
He shoved the car door on my side so hard that I flinched and wondered why he was so upset. I had never seen him like that.
The ride home was mostly silent, except when I gave him directions. I didn’t even feel like raising my voice. I just constantly watched him. This wasn’t the arrogant guy I knew. I always believed he wasn’t one to care like that.
When he pulled up to my place, he stepped out of the car and came all the way to my side so he could open my door, ruffling his already messy hair in the process.
“Get out.” His tone was so harsh yet filled with concern. I couldn’t understand it.
I stepped out of the car, but stopped right in front of him.
“How did you know where to find me?” I asked.
“I was watching you the whole time, worried that you might do something stupid and then you proved me right when you were about to destroy yourself with that stranger.”
My heart was still racing from the desire to do something wild that night. He shouldn’t have taken me out of that bar.
Leading the way to my doorstep, he said, “Get inside.”
That was it? After dragging me out of that bar like someone who needed to be saved, he was just going to drive off?
I approached the steps, the pain in my chest crawling into my throat. I didn’t want to cry over Grayson and not in front of Maddox or ever again.
Screw everything.
Just as he turned around to leave, I held onto his arm. He didn’t even pull away as his eyes met mine. He was confused at first, then seemed to be searching for something.
My emotions lit a fire in me that made me move my face so close that I could feel his breath.
“You only stopped me at the bar because that was a stranger, but you’re not,” I said. “Tonight, I want to forget about Grayson.”
“And how do you intend to do that?” His lustful eyes and the way he subtly bit his bottom lip gave it away that he knew what I meant, yet he just wanted me to say it with no filter.
Sliding my hand up his arm, I said, “Wanna come in for some hot sex?”
Chapter 5: Longing for His Touch
Harper
For a few seconds, Maddox just stared at me with no smirk or teasing comeback. His silence made me hold my breath.
“No.” His voice was firm.
I blinked in shock, that not being the response I expected from him, but just as I let go of his arm so I could retreat, he grabbed onto my wrist with his eyes dragging over me slowly.
Then, he spun me around and his mouth was right against my ear before I could catch my breath.
“I’m not fucking you here,” he growled, his voice low. “I’m taking you back to my place where I can make you scream without nosy neighbors.”
My pulse shot through my body as I pressed my thighs together.
He pulled back just enough to show me his devilish smirk, then guided me to his car with his arm perfectly placed around my waist.
The moment we hit the road, he possessively placed his hand on my thigh, his thumb drawing slow circles all over my skin and I knew what he was doing. He was giving me a chance to push his hand away and stop this, but I wanted it, all of it.
I rested my back against my seat, letting him know just how comfortable I was.
His phone began to ring but he didn’t pick up. Instead, he slipped his fingers a little higher on my thigh slit while he had his eyes on the road.
I turned to face the window and closed my eyes, slightly parting my legs for him and he slipped his hand towards my inner thigh, paused, then gripped so tightly that my breath hitched.
I didn’t have to look at him to know just how much he couldn’t wait to get to his place. It was in his heavy breathing and that fucking grip on my thigh.
As much as I wanted the silence, his phone just wouldn’t stop ringing and I made the assumption that he wouldn’t pick up any calls, but that was until he received another call and stopped touching me so he could pick up. He put it on speaker, then placed his hand on my inner thigh again.
“Uncle…”
“Where are you?” he asked from the other end of the line. “Your father and Tiffany have been calling you.”
With his middle finger, Maddox teased my clit covered by the fabric of my underwear as he said, “I know. I was watching the screen.”
I pressed my lips together so I wouldn’t moan too loudly.
His uncle chuckled. “Your father was right when he said you’d pick up my call.”
Teasing the hem of my underwear like he was about to slide it to the side so he could expose my clit, he said, “Is my dad with you?”
“No. Why?”
“Tell him you couldn’t reach me. I’m busy tonight.”
“Nope, not tonight. Work can wait. It’s still your sister’s wedding day.”
“Goodnight, Uncle Sebastian.”
“Wait, don’t you dare-”
Just like that, Maddox hung up on his uncle like it was nothing, both his hands now on the steering wheel. I didn’t even close my legs, hoping to feel him touch me during the ride again but it never happened. I hated him for how he made me long for his touch.
He drove all the way to his estate on a secluded hillside and it was like a modern-day palace but I could barely pay attention to all the details in the front yard as he drove faster until he parked right beside his Bugatti La Voiture Noire.
I was about to reach for the door when he squeezed my thigh once and said, “Sit still.”
His tone, breath and my unexpected desire to obey him made me do as instructed.
He stepped out and came to my side, opening the door for me.
As soon as I stepped out, he held onto my wrist tightly and there was no teasing in his touch. He led me inside like he already knew I’d follow.
The moment the door shut and I stood in the foyer with warm lighting, the world outside disappeared. No more Tiffany, no more Grayson, just me and Maddox.
When he locked the front door, he approached me so slowly that the weight of anticipation made me want to jump on him and wrap my legs around his waist.
He then walked past me and silently led the way up the stairs. I followed him, my bare skin longing for his touch.
While making my way down a long dimly-lit hallway with modern artwork, some of which I recognized, he stopped right by a massive door and kept it open for me.
I stepped into his spacious bedroom designed like something out of a dream and the king size bed draped in black and golden silk sheets was the first thing that caught my attention.
I could feel him breathe heavily as he circled around me but before he could even touch me, his phone rang again and he only gestured with his hand that he would be right back.
Now alone, I set my purse on the table and headed to the massive bathroom to not only wash my face and get rid of the smudged makeup, but also to use the cold water to calm down. For someone who wanted nothing to do with Tiffany’s brother before, fucking him at that moment was all I could think about.
I got a few pumps of his facial cleanser and the first rinse wasn’t enough, so I went for another one, the running water so loud that it blocked out every other sound.
A few seconds after I bent over to splash more water onto my face, my breath hitched when a pair of hands grabbed my waist from behind me. The cold water was a temporary fix because when Maddox finally touched me, that only made me crave him more so I could forget.
I stood upright and wanted to turn so I could face him, but he didn’t let me. He gently wrapped his hand around the front part of my neck, meeting my gaze in the mirror.
I even spotted his shirt already unbuttoned to expose his sculpted muscles.
He slipped his other hand into my hair and tilted my head just enough to make me gasp, then leaned in to bring his face closer until his lips were right against my ear.
“Want me to be gentle?” he whispered, his breath hot against my ear.
“Not even a little,” I said, feeling his hard cock rub against my ass.
“Good, because I don’t do gentle.” His lustful gaze turned dark in the mirror.
When he turned me toward him so we could be face to face, his lips didn’t immediately meet mine. They hovered torturously close until my breath hitched in frustration. I trembled, but it wasn’t in fear, it was pure heated anticipation. My heart even pounded in places it shouldn’t have. I felt it in my throat, stomach and right between my legs.
He smirked, then finally kissed me hard and deep with his fingertips on my chin to keep my head up and show me who was in control.
Then, he pulled away just for a moment but still kept his lips real close as he whispered, “Let’s see how well you forget him now.”