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  She turns to me, eyes as round as saucers, surprise evident on her gorgeous face. Then she squints those beautiful eyes a little and replies, “Oh, I can do dirty.” She gives me another shy grin and her eyes light up with mischief. I know she picked up on my not-so-subtle double meaning. Hell yeah.

  I spend the next hour and a half watching Avery bend over the pool table, chat with Holly, and laugh with her brother. I do everything I can not to draw attention to the fact that I’ve been at half mast basically since she walked into the pub tonight. Her laugh, her smile, her body – it just does something to me.

  After she sinks the eight ball to end our fifth game, she celebrates by throwing her arms around me in a victory hug. I catch her mid-leap and hold her close, savoring the feel of her body against mine. I don’t want to let go of her. “We did it! 3 out of 5! We win!”

  “Yeah, yeah. I let you win,” Jake tells her with a chuckle as he returns his pool cue to the rack on the wall. He heads over to the table to meet up with Emma and Heather who, apparently, have been patiently waiting, eyeing us up and down for the past two hours. Shit, they’re still here? I didn’t even realize it. I’ve paid no attention to either girl since Avery walked in.

  She peels herself off of me, and I feeling the loss of her body heat pressed against me; immediately I want to pull her back in. She gives me a shy smile as she thanks me for being her partner and heads over to join Holly at the bar for another drink. I watch her go and then turn my attention back to Jake and the Double D twins. Jake is grabbing Emma’s hand and gathering their jackets.

  He winks at me as he walks by, slaps me on the back, and tells me to enjoy my evening. Yeah, I know exactly what he means by that comment. Jake makes sure to walk over to the bar and hug his sister before he heads out the door. Avery catches my eye just as Heather slides up against me again, arms wrapped tightly around my waist. I see Avery blush and turn away quickly. I don’t really want to sit and chat with Heather so I walk over to James and start talking with him. Unfortunately, Heather never leaves my side and starts cooing about needing another drink.

  I take the bait and use it as an opportunity to put some distance between Heather and me heading up to the bar to get us another round. When I approach, I see Avery slamming shots with Holly and Gabe, the bartender. Tequila - with salt and lime. It’s nearing closing time, and I really don’t think it’s smart of Avery to start pounding tequila shots. I slide up next to her at the bar, and she smiles her beautiful full wattage smile at me. Her eyes are starting to glaze over, and her cheeks are a little rosy. Yep, she’s well on her way to getting plowed.

  I order a round of drinks for my group in back and ice water for myself and look back down at her. She doesn’t break eye contact with me as she licks the salt off the tender flesh between her thumb and pointer finger, grabs the shot glass and tips it back. I reach out and grab the lime chunk from the counter and hold it out for her, but she doesn’t reach for it. Instead she leans forward. First, she sticks out her sexy pink tongue and gives the juicy lime wedge in my hand a little lick before putting it in her mouth and giving it a gentle suck. Watching her suck the lime wedge from my hand may be the sexiest fucking thing I’ve ever seen and my cock thickens almost painfully as I watch.

  “Wanna shot, Maddox?” she asks as she slides the shot that Gabe just set in front of her towards me. We have yet to break eye contact. No matter how hard I try, I can’t look away. Her eyes hold me captive and I’m helpless to their power, their depth. They are so damn lustful and heated at this moment, and I’m pretty sure they probably mirror my own.

  “What are we toasting?” I ask.

  She looks like she’s thinking for a moment and says with a sexy little grin, “To getting dirty.”

  Fuck me, my pants are so tight right now. Avery licks her hand again between her thumb and first finger and drops a little salt from the shaker on her deliciously wet skin. She picks up the shot that she slid in front of me moments ago. I lean forward and take my time licking the tangy salt off her hand, sucking ever so slowly. Then I take the shot glass and slam it back letting the cool alcohol burn its way down my throat towards my stomach. Her other hand holds the lime wedge, the same lime wedge I just watched her suck on. She holds it out for me. I give the lime a little lick as I place my lips around the wedge and suck. Her pupils are so big you almost can’t tell what color her eyes really are. They are dark and full of need and want, and I desperately want to forget about the fact that she’s my best friend’s little sister and go home with her. Hell, I’d take her home with me – I don’t care! That’s how far gone I feel at this moment. This entire exchange has been one big seductive dance that I’d love to carryover to bed.

  Reality starts to set back in when someone drops a beer bottle in the trash, breaking the private trance we are in. I throw some bills on the bar, gather my group’s drinks, and head back towards the back. Heather is looking over my shoulder towards Avery with a curious and jealous expression on her face.

  “Isn’t that Jake’s little sister?” she asks.

  “Yep.”

  She throws her arm back around my waist and gives me another flirty giggle as she takes her drink from my hand. I catch her glare at the back of Avery’s head when she thinks I’m not looking, and I know there is no way in hell I am heading back to Heather’s place. I turn my attention back to James and try to disentangle myself, again, from Heather, but she’s just not budging. I sense I’m going to have to be rude to her which I hate, but enough is enough. Last call is finally announced, and I know that now is the time to get out of here.

  I see Avery stand up from her barstool and give a little sway. Yep, she’s plastered. Holly is giggling next to her as they try to steer each other towards the front door. Gabe hollers at Avery to wait and offers to give her a ride home after he gets the bar closed up. Fuck that! No way in hell is she getting into that douchebag’s car.

  I turn quickly to James and tell him I’m going to give Avery and Holly a lift home. Since it’s my weekend to work, I only had two beers over the past three hours with a lot of water in between, plus that shot with Avery. I don’t feel any effects of the alcohol and know I’m fine to drive.

  Heather looks up at me with a questioning gaze. I peel her arm from my waist one last time, tell her to have a safe night, and head towards the front door without so much as a backwards glance.

  I approach Avery and Holly as they weave towards the front door and tell them to come with me. I hear Gabe speak up as he ensures me that he’ll give Avery a ride home. I’m pretty sure the look I give him tells him he is in no-way going to get Avery in his car. I grab a hold of Avery’s hand, whose other hand has a hold of Holly’s hand, and we head out through the front door into the cold early morning darkness.

  Maddox’s hand feels so big and warm wrapped around mine. He’s pulling me along towards his Silverado which might slightly resemble dragging me since I’m having a hard time getting my legs to work properly. He unlocks it and helps me and Holly inside the cab. It’s a big blue crew cab truck that takes some effort getting up into. He helps us both into the front, me sliding into the middle space. I don’t question the fact that he put us both in the front seat. Despite the slight smell of smoke and alcohol, Maddox smells delicious, and I take the opportunity to sit close and lean against him.

  The entire ride to Holly’s house, we’re chatting about our pool games, Jake and her ultimately losing to Maddox and me. I throw in a few smart aleck remarks about her being a sore loser and laugh at her when she starts hurling them back at me. I love our back and forth banter.

  We pull up in front of Holly’s duplex, and Maddox gets out, helping her out of the truck. I lean into her and give her a big best friend hug, thanking her for talking me into going out. “I love you,” I say into her ear.

  “I love you, too,” she whispers back. She glances over her shoulder at Maddox as he approaches her door to help her out, and turns back to me with a wide grin. “Enjoy your night. Don
’t forget the condoms¸” she says just loud enough that only I can hear. Holly laughs hard as she slides out of the truck and takes Maddox’s hand. He walks her to her front door and makes sure she gets inside safely before heading back towards his truck. That’s one thing I’ve always found attractive about Maddox; he’s always a gentleman.

  As he slides back into his truck, I consider sliding over to the passenger seat. He doesn’t say anything about it so I keep my mouth shut and stay firmly put in the middle of the bench seat.

  “So did you have a good night?” he asks while he’s driving towards my house.

  “I did. It’s been so long since I’ve been able to go out and cut loose a little. Between work and Brooklyn, I just don’t get to do this very often.”

  “You’re a great mom. I can see it every time I see you and Brooklyn together. She’s your first responsibility and you handle it well.”

  I look at him for a moment, not really knowing what to say. So I go with, “I’m sorry I ruined your night.”

  He gives me a questioning look before returning his eyes to the road. “What are you talking about?”

  “Heather. I thought you would be taking her home with you. I’m sorry you are stuck babysitting me tonight.” Maddox must be surprised my comment because he whips his gaze back over to me. I glance quickly away, breaking our brief eye contact, not really wanting to see the truth in his eyes.

  He’s quiet for a few moments until he pulls into my driveway behind my Wrangler and throws it in park. “I wasn’t taking her home with me tonight. Nor am I planning to any night soon for that matter.”

  “Why?” I ask breathlessly, both wanting and not wanting to know the answer.

  He sighs as he opens the driver’s door. He reaches his left hand towards me to help me out of the truck. As I slide over the warm driver’s seat, his right hand snakes around my waist to help guild me down from the truck. I love the feel of one of his hand in mine and the other hand on my hip. I shiver a little, not sure if it’s from the contact or the colder night temperatures.

  Though he drops his hand from my waist, he continues to hold my hand as he steers me up my steps towards my front door. I struggle to get my key to fit in the knob, unsure if it’s from effects of the alcohol or the fact that Maddox is so close to me. I can hear him breathing just over my shoulder which makes me realize he’s close. Very close. He reaches down and takes the key from my shaky hand, places the key in the knob and opens my front door for me. I turn to face him, leaning into the door jam, staring into those beautiful chocolate eyes.

  “Thank you for bringing me home,” I whisper.

  “You’re welcome.”

  I stand there like an idiot for a few moments just looking at him. I want to kiss him. I want him to kiss me so bad that my body almost has a physical ache. “Do you know you were my first kiss?” I ask him, not breaking eye contact.

  His eyebrow rises with his quizzical look he gives me, and I can tell he doesn’t believe me. “Can’t be true. I heard all about your youthful wild streak from Jake. You gave him many sleepless nights.”

  “All rumors. A couple of classmates were each trying to make themselves look cooler than the other one so they made it all up. That day at the river when I was upset and you found me sitting at the edge of the water, I was actually crying because of those rumors and the hurtful things the kids were saying about me at school. I tried to explain to my brothers that the things they were hearing weren’t true, but none of them believed me. So I figured if I tried to come clean at that moment to you that you probably wouldn’t believe me either. I was sixteen and embarrassed that my first kiss was a rumor started by stupid boys trying to look cool.”

  He looks down at me, mouth opening and closing like he wants to say something but doesn’t know how. Then in an instant, his lips crash down on mine. The kiss is hard and sweet all at once. His tongue traces my bottom lip begging me to open my mouth for him. When I do his tongue plunges into me; ravishing me, making me moan. His hands dive deep in my hair, grabbing a hold of my head and holding me in place as if to keep me from going anywhere. But there is no way I can move at this point or even want to. He tastes a little like alcohol mixed with mint, and it is the most delicious kiss ever. Better than it was seven years ago. Better than it has been in my dreams ever since.

  Much sooner than I’m ready for, he pulls away. He is breathing heavy, still holding my head, and gazing deeply into my eyes. I can see the moment he realizes what he has just done. Like a light switch flipped, his eyes change from dark and needy to shocked and worried. He drops his hands like my hair is on fire and backs away from me. I felt the loss instantly, my body craving his touch, his hands to be back on me.

  “Have…have a good night, Avery,” he says as he slowly backs down my stairs, still staring into my eyes.

  I think I touched my lips at that point, but honestly, I could have just dreamt it. This whole thing feels like a dream. A dream where I watch the man I have a crazy crush on walk away from me after realizing he made a very big mistake. It’s a dream I’m all too familiar with. So, I turn and head into my house, alone. I lock the front door and lean against it as I hear him start his truck and slowly pull away. I drop my clutch purse on the floor and head to the couch, cuddling up with my favorite throw blanket my grandma made me when I moved into this place. I’ve become accustomed to sleeping alone in my queen sized bed, but tonight, it just doesn’t sound or feel right. Silent tears streak down my face as I close my eyes and wait for the alcohol haze to take me away into a deep, and hopefully, dreamless sleep.

  *****

  There’s no worse feeling than a hangover. You want to crawl under the covers and hide from the world but you smell funky and your stomach rolls like you’re on a fishing boat at high tide. Why in the world did I drink those tequila shots? For someone who doesn’t drink much, shots are my kryptonite. Tequila and I don’t mix. After rolling out of bed and heading towards the kitchen for some water, I conclude that the only way to feel any better is to jump in the shower.

  After a long, hot shower, I decide to spend the day with my mom. It’s Sunday Family Dinner night so I know she’ll be cooking and baking all day, and I can honestly use a little time with my mom in the kitchen. There’s something soothing about baking for me. Cooking? Not so much. I know enough to get by but my cooking skills are definitely lacking. Thank goodness I only have to cook for a three year old whose favorites include mac and cheese and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.

  I pull up the long drive that leads home and park my jeep by the garage since I’m the first one here for a change. When I step out, I see my dad in the garage, working on his old sixty-five Corvette. He bought it when I was eight years old off of a friend who was going to scrap it. It was in pretty rough shape back then, but now, fourteen years later, he’s put time, hard work, and money into restoring the classic car. It’s in pretty good condition now, and his hard work shows.

  “Hey, Dad. How’s the sixty-five doing today?”

  “Oh, hey, sweetheart. She’s coming along. I just changed the oil in her, getting her ready to be sitting for the winter,” he said as he wipes his hands on a red shop rag.

  “Well, she’s looking great.” I slide my hand along the smooth body of the sports car.

  “I still have a little work to do to the body but she’s coming along nicely. I even convinced your mother to go out for a cruise yesterday morning.”

  “Really?” I try to keep the shock out of my voice, but I’m pretty sure I failed. “I bet she complained the whole time.”

  “The whole time,” he said with a chuckle. “I even have bruises on my right arm from where she latched on and wouldn’t let go.”

  “She just doesn’t understand the love a man has for his machine, Dad. The fact that you even got her in the car should show you that she’s willing to face her fears a little for something you want and love.”

  “Yeah, I know it. I haven’t pushed her at all since day one. She wante
d me to put my energy and free time into something I love, she just wasn’t going to actively participate in it. You were too little to remember, but when your Uncle Mick died in that car crash, it changed her. It took a lot of convincing on my part to prove that I wasn’t going to kill myself in this car. She was scared every time I took it out, but over time, she began to see that not every sports car leads to death. I think she actually enjoyed our ride yesterday, though she’s probably going to deny it if you ask her,” he said with a laugh.

  “Well, I’m glad she did this for you, for something you truly love.”

  “Your mom is my true love. This car is just a car. Though I love it and would be devastated to lose it, your mom means so much more to me. If she really asked me to, I would sell this in a heartbeat for her.” He looks off with a slightly dream-like look on his face. “Hey, that granddaughter of mine was up at the crack of dawn this morning. I think she missed you.”

  “Well, I missed her more than she’ll know. It’s so weird waking up to the complete quiet, knowing that she’s not sleeping in her room. I better go inside and give her some love. I thought I’d come out a little early and spend some time with Mom in the kitchen.”

  “She’ll love that. Head on in and I’ll see ya in a little bit.”

  I turn and head into the house. The familiar aromas of home cooked meals fill the air. It smells like we’re having Italian tonight. I walk into the kitchen and see Brooklyn sitting on the counter next to Mom as she’s whipping up batter in the mixing bowl. I remember sitting in that very spot many times when I was little, and the memory brings a smile to my face.

  “Something smells good,” I say, walking over to Brooklyn to give her a big hug and kiss. “I missed you so much.”

  “Missed you too, Mommy. We’re baking cupcakes!”