Maddie let herself into her condo, feeling deflated compared to when she had left that morning. After the news of who her previous night’s bed partner had been, she couldn’t find the enthusiasm for anything. She was still struggling with her conscience about it.
How could she not have known who he was? Now she really thought about it, he was still the same Jace Howard she knew as a young girl. The same eyes, the same mouth, the same laugh. But they came from the body of a young man who had turned from a small, gangly boy into a gorgeous specimen. And she had tasted the specimen, much to her chagrin.
It now felt like a very nasty taste in her mouth. Maddie had no idea she could react this way about Jace.
The attraction, though. That had been real, even if his intentions weren’t. Surely Jace had felt it as well. The attraction had practically exploded between them. Maddie had felt it, so Jace must have as well. He couldn’t be that callous to have toyed with her.
How had he managed to spend the night with her and not tell her at all who he really was? And how had she not guessed? Maddie’s head was going over and over their night together and she couldn’t figure out how Jace had managed to come in and out of that without letting on that he knew her.
Then again, she wasn’t thinking about what he was saying, more of what his cock was doing for her.
Maddie tossed her bag onto the couch and vaulted over the back, slumping onto the cushions. She felt a real migraine coming on. Thinking about Jace wasn’t doing her any good.
She would have to keep away from the clubhouse for a while until he left. Now Jeremy knew about it, he would understand. It was just going to be a very long few weeks.
Her bag started ringing. Maddie didn’t want to answer her phone; she just wanted to hide away and go to sleep. Maybe watch a few horror movies and imagine she was the villain. Pretending to be the villain and killing other people was a game to her and made her feel better.
But whoever was calling wouldn’t stop, she was sure of it. Maddie picked out her cell phone and answered without looking at the ID.
“Hello?”
“Hey, sweets,” came a southern drawl that Maddie hadn’t heard since that morning. “How’s it going? Fancy coming out to party tonight?”
Maddie sat up. She felt relief swamp her when she realized who it was.
“Beth.”
The woman at the other end laughed.
“Sure it’s Beth, honey. You hadn’t forgotten, had you?”
“Not exactly.”
Maddie waited for her heart to stop pumping so fast. For a moment she’d thought it might be Jace who was calling her. But he didn’t have her number.
“What’s the matter?” Beth’s enthusiasm died away. “You sound down in the dumps.”
Beth Erikson was her best friend and Maddie valued their twenty-five years of friendship. She could tell Beth anything and Beth would be there for her, acting as her staunch defender. They did everything together and Maddie saw her best friend as her sister.
“Do you want me to come over, Maddie?”
“No, don’t.” Maddie sat up. “You see me all day at work. You might as well get a break from me.” She groaned when she heard the doorbell ring. “Hang on, there’s someone at the door.”
She stood up and went around the couch as the doorbell rang again. She opened the door and there was a tall, blonde Amazon wearing a denim jumpsuit with a white vest underneath, her hair spread around her shoulders. She was holding a tub of Maddie’s favorite ice cream in one hand, her cell phone to her ear to the other. She grinned and hung up on her end.
“Too late.”
Maddie hung her. She couldn’t stop herself from smiling as she hugged her friend.
“You’re always around when I need you.”
Beth laughed.
“Good thing, too, or you’d go crazy.”
“You mean I’m not already?”
Beth slapped her shoulder and stepped into the living room.
“That’s my girl and her sass back again,” she declared as she went towards the kitchen. “You want this ice cream in the freezer or shall we eat it now?”
“Freezer for now. I’m about to order Chinese.”
“Oooh, my favorite.” Beth grinned, momentarily disappearing behind the freezer door.
Maddie sighed and shut the door, going into the kitchen and leaning on the counter as Beth shut the freezer and turned to her.
“But I’m not kidding this time, Beth. I really must be crazy.” She rubbed her hands over her face. “At this rate I’m going to need to check every guy’s ID and do a background check before I do anything with them.”
“What are you talking about, girlie?”
Beth looked confused. Maddie then realized she hadn’t said a thing about what had happened the night before, even though Beth had pestered her. She swallowed.
“Do you remember Jace Howard? We went to school with him?”
“Sure, I remember Jace.” Beth frowned. “What’s going on, Maddie? Why are you bringing him up?”
“He’s back in Tucson, Beth.”
“What?”
“He came back yesterday. And I…” Maddie felt herself go red. “I slept with him.”
Beth’s mouth dropped open.
“You did what?”
“I didn’t recognize him and the name Jace didn’t click in my head. He’s changed, Beth. Physically, he’s changed. Hasn’t grown very much but he’s changed.”
“Oh.” Beth’s confusion cleared as understanding dawned. She leant on the counter from the other side. “So, the bully has now become hot and you’re conflicted because you don’t want to be attracted to him.” Her eyes glinted. “How hot?”
“Beth, please.” Maddie’s face was getting hotter. She slumped her head onto her arms. “This is a mess. I hated Jace Howard. But there was a huge spark between us last night and it exploded out of control.”
“So,” Beth nudged Maddie’s arms, “How many times did you do it?”
“Beth!”
“Sorry, just asking.”
Maddie didn’t want to think about the night she’d spent with Jace. It had been an amazing night and she had felt sated from it, but she felt as though it was tainted. All because of their past, which was firmly up between them.
She should be the bigger person and put the past behind her but there were things she couldn’t forget. Jace being a bully was one of them.
Why did the hot ones always end up being the bad ones? And why did Maddie get attracted to bad boys?
“I don’t know what to do, Beth.” Maddie sat up. She felt miserable. “He’s a bastard and I’ve ended up fucking the guy who made my junior and high school years hell. Jeremy doesn’t know about last night and I don’t want him to know.” She began to pace and tugged her hair out of her ponytail. “The problem is he lives in the clubhouse for now and that means I’ll have to see him. I don’t want to see him.”
“Not even for a second round?” Beth asked cheekily.
“Not even then.” Maddie snapped. “I made a mistake already. I’m not going to make another one.”
That was the best thing to do. So why didn’t it feel like it?
Maddie froze when someone rang the doorbell. Beth frowned.
“Are you expecting anyone?”
“No.”
The smiling, laughing woman snapped off. Beth picked up her bag, which lay on the counter, and withdrew her gun. She laid it on the counter and nodded at Maddie. Maddie didn’t want to answer the door. But what if it was one of the Broken Hounds? What if it was Jeremy?
But he would have called first.
Maddie’s door had a spyhole. She looked through it. And saw a man standing on her doorstep, someone she wasn’t sure she wanted there.
Was he looking for another round?
Glancing back at Beth, Maddie opened the door and glared at him.
“What are you doing here?”