It’d been several weeks since the incident in Kings Falls, and so far, I hadn’t noticed anything different about the way Madeline and I continued to sneak looks at each other. Her smile was still as sweet, and she was still keeping the boys at bay whenever she was around a mixed group of guys and girls.
I was fairly certain and relieved to conclude her mother hadn’t mentioned what she’d seen in that alley. Not long afterward, I got confirmation that she had zero knowledge of the incident in the alley.
The usual crowd was out by the lake, hanging around bonfires and drinking beer and wine coolers. So far, I’d only ever seen her hold a wine cooler, but for the most part, she seemed to baby it all night. I’d never seen her act stupid or sillier than her norm when she was just laughing with her girlfriends.
I was kicking it with my brothers and a few other guys, far away enough so it didn’t look like we were trying to hook up with high-school girls but close enough that I could keep an eye on her, and I was often rewarded with one of her sweet smiles.
Shane and two of his pals showed up. His friends were on bikes, but he was in a car. Everyone knew his spiel about the car. He’d made no secret of why some nights he preferred his car over his bike. I’d heard him explain it more than once. “Getting laid in my backseat or at the very least getting way past first base is the next best thing when I can’t afford to get a room.”
As usual, we talked bikes, bike parts, and he examined my latest tattoo. “I just got my first,” he said, showing off the inked snake on his arm.
I was taking a look at it as were the other guys when Madeline’s group had one of its louder moments. They were closer to the water, and there was some splashing, shrieking and a lot of giggling going on.
Of course, that got the attention of our group. I lit up a smoke, trying to act as disinterested as possible and leaned back against my bike. Mason, one of Shane’s friends, was the first to comment. “You see Shelby over there? My eyes are shit at night from this distance.”
“No, but I hear Maddie,” Shane said, smiling big. “I’d recognize that sweet laugh from across the lake. If she’s there, so’s Shelby.”
Mason got off his bike, and I eyed him as he walked around it, staring over at the group with Madeline.
“How’s it running so far?”
I turned to address Quino’s question then looked down at the latest upgraded bike I was sitting on. Even this had me thinking of Madeline and her “that thing between your legs” comment. This was another older model Harley I was working on restoring. So far, the most important part was done—getting her to run. Next up were the cosmetics. But that’d require more money.
Quino and I talked bikes and parts for a bit, but the whole time I was distracted by Shane and Mason’s conversation. They were still talking about Shelby and Madeline.
Thankfully, Nolan was home again for the weekend from his internship. “I heard they’re talking ’bout making a run out to the old barn on Skylight,” he informed us with a big grin as he walked up to our group. “You know what happens up there, right?”
I turned to see Madeline, her sister, and her friends climbing into the back of someone’s pickup truck. Aside from kids going out to the Skylight barn to do some ghost hunting, it was also a well-known make-out spot. There were more girls than guys in the back of the truck. Mason was already starting up his bike, and Shane was walking back to his car.
“Let’s go check it out,” Nolan said. “They were discussing the rumors again about the ghosts and shit over at that old abandoned barn. Some of those girls might need a pair of strong arms to hold onto if anything has them swooning.”
Nolan hadn’t even finished his comment, and Mason and Shane were already out of there, following the pickup truck. I dropped my cigarette butt and shrugged. “Beats sitting around here,” I said, eyeing Shane’s car from a distance.
We all reached the old barn around the same time. Some of the girls, including Madeline and her sister, stayed on the truck. I smiled, wondering if they’d really bought into that haunted barn BS. I’d been out here plenty of times, even lost my virginity here, yet I’d never seen or heard so much as a boo!
Before my fixation with Madeline began, I’d resented that I was nineteen. I was too young to be clubbing with people over twenty-one. Yet, I was too fucking old to be hanging out with this high-school crowd still. Now I’d been here every weekend since I’d met America in Kings Falls with the hopes of running into Madeline.
Here I thought guys like Shane and Mason were pathetic assholes for continually hitting on the high-school chicks. I guess that made me a pathetic asshole as well. But in my defense, there was so much more about Madeline that had me hung up on her. Sure, initially it was nothing more than just physical attraction, but as I’d picked up on each of her quirks—her tenacity despite her usual genuinely vivacious demeanor and the fact that for a girl her age so far she’d played this game to perfection—each new thing I’d picked up on about her had only impressed me further.
Keeping a subtle eye on Madeline, I watched as Shane and Mason approached the truck. The girls continued to stay in the truck, and all I could think was I hope Madeline, being the seemingly braver of the twins, doesn’t suddenly volunteer to be the first into the barn—along with Shane who no doubt would agree to bravely escort her.
But she did the thing again. Our thing now. She glanced my way and smiled so fucking beautifully then noticeably shook her head at whatever it was Shane was saying to her. It had me exhaling, relieved that I might not have to worry about Shane’s ass tonight.
More and more trucks, bikes, and cars arrived as word got out in town about where everyone was hanging tonight. Madeline and her sister, along with a couple of their friends, got off the truck finally and started mingling with some of the other girls and guys arriving. Though it didn’t even surprise me any more than it made me smile like an idiot, but Madeline quickly rid herself of any guys trying to chat privately with her.
She walked away with a few of her friends toward the barn. A few minutes later both Shane and Mason were back to chat with the group I was standing with. One of the guys was in the middle of telling his account of the time he’d come out with a chick and they’d heard heavy breathing and what sounded like eerie whispering in the barn but couldn’t find anyone. I refrained from voicing my opinion about the bullshit story because everyone else was listening intently.
“Check this out,” Shane said, staring at something behind me. “Fresh meat. Any of you know ’em?”
I turned slowly to what everyone was already gawking at. An old but fixed up Volkswagen bus full of girls pulled up next to us. I did a double take when I saw her in the back seat. No sooner had they stopped the van than the two doors on the side popped open and America, along with a couple of other girls, hopped out.
“Must be my lucky night,” America said, smiling big, then proceeded to walk up and wrap her arms around my neck.
With everyone watching, I couldn’t just push her away. “Hey you,” I said, hugging her loosely by the waist with one hand.
“This is Nico?” one of the girls with her asked, staring at me wide-eyed. “My God, you weren’t kidding about his eyes.”
I smirked, trying not to show how anxious it made me to be standing there with America leaning so blatantly against me and one hand playing with my fingers.
“Aren’t they beautiful though?” America looked up into my eyes. She turned to Nolan and Xavier, who chuckled along with some of the other guys at the girl’s exchange. “These must be your brothers. Holy shit.” I nodded as she took them both in and then turned back to me. “Y’all have the same intense green eyes.”
As more of her friends poured out of the bus, the guys got busy introducing themselves and checking out the cherried-out bus. It was disappointing but a huge relief to see the truck Madeline had pulled in on, drive away. I didn’t get a good look at everyone on it, but it looked as full as when they arrived. I could only hope she didn’t witness America’s hands all over me or worse that she did and that was why they were so quick to leave.
I managed to come loose as I walked around the bus, checking out all the detail they’d put into it, before climbing back on my bike. The laughter got my attention, and I turned toward the barn where Madeline, her sister, and their friend Shelby were talking to Mason. Pissed that I’d dropped my guard when I saw the truck drive off, I peered at them then glanced around at the cars still parked in the area where they arrived. Did I mistake the truck that took off for the one she’d come in?
“So, I’m on a road trip to my cousin’s wedding up in Spearfish.” America, who’d followed me back to my bike, leaned against it and ran her fingertips up and down my arm, noticeably fluttering the lashes. “But we’re staying here tonight at the Oaks Motel, right next door to the Smoke Wagon Saloon. I’ve stayed there before. I really liked the atmosphere of that bar. Not all old people like in most small-town bars. We’re headed over there after we hang out here for a while.” Moving her hand down to my inner thigh, she left it there as she gazed at me wickedly. “You should come.”
For once, I was glad I was underage. Even if Kalen, the owner of The Smoke Wagon, never bothered to card any of us when we went in there, America didn’t have to know it. “Not twenty-one yet.”
She shook her head. “That’s right. Oh my God, you’re so damn big.” She stopped to bite her lip and lowered her voice. “In every way. I keep forgetting you’re not twenty-one yet.”
Momentarily distracted by her hand sliding upward over my cock, I closed my eyes for a second. She began saying something about us heading to her room while the girl she was rooming with was at the bar with the rest of the girls, when I noticed Nolan walk away toward where Madeline’s group was earlier. It reminded me suddenly how I’d once again let my guard down about Madeline. It was insanity and I knew it. I’d had one conversation with the girl, and I already felt a sense of responsibility toward her, as if I needed to be watching my girl.
The thought hadn’t even completely registered in my head when I caught the tail end of Madeline having eyed me and America but turned away quickly when I saw her. Nolan was there now talking to Maggie, as was Mason with Shelby. One glance around and I saw it. Shane was already headed their way too.
It appeared the truck the girls arrived there in, had left. I could see Madeline tapping away at her phone, and I pulled mine out. “Give me a sec,” I said, pulling away from America’s touch.
Looking back and forth from my phone screen to Madeline, I tapped away at my screen and read my text to Nolan before sending it.
What’s up? Did those girls get stranded here?
I hit send then looked up to where Shane was now standing with the group of girls. Two other girls joined them, and they all seemed to look around as if wondering where their ride went.
“Something wrong?” America asked.
It wasn’t until that moment that I realized my brows were as furrowed as when something was really wrong. I started to shake my head until I saw Madeline smile but shake her head at Shane, then glance my way where America was fucking snuggling up against me again.
Madeline very noticeably took her eyes off me to take in America among all the other girls Xavier and I and a few other guys were surrounded by now. She then turned back to Shane, glanced at his car, and shrugged.
“Maybe? Was that a maybe?”
“Maybe what?” America asked, glancing around.
Feeling the unreasonable heat race up my spine, I hadn’t even realized nor did I care that I had said that out loud. My phone dinged and I glanced down to read the text message on the screen. It was Nolan’s response.
Yeah, but we got this. At least I do. Maggie just said yes to a ride back to town on my bike. Mason and Shane are still working on the other girls.
To my utter annoyance, I glanced up to see not just Maggie getting on Nolan’s bike, but from the looks of it, Mason had convinced Shelby. The girls turned to say something to Madeline, who was smiling at Shane now.
“Fuck that shit,” I muttered again, not caring that America heard. “I gotta go.”
“Are you coming back?”
“I don’t know.”
I knew it was rude. I knew I should have at least given her some kind of explanation, but truth was I didn’t owe her shit. Heads turned from all directions when I revved my bike up. The only one I cared about glanced over as well. Her eyes went from me to America then back to me.
“No,” I said under my breath, staring straight at her. “She’s not who I’m leaving with, and you’re not getting in that fucking car with him.”
I rolled up to where Shane and Madeline were standing and stopped. “You need a ride back to town?”
She stared at me, jaw slightly dropping, but nodded. “She’s got one,” Shane said before she could answer.
“Do you?” I asked her, not even acknowledging Shane.
As fired up as I felt, I almost hoped Shane said something else. Nothing would have loosened up my tense muscles more than landing a fist into his fucking throat.
“I do,” she said with a nod, but before I could argue, she took a few steps toward my bike and proceeded to climb on behind me. “Thanks, Shane, but—” I pulled away before she could finish explaining anything to the undeserving douche.
As unexpected as my pulling away was, it had her clutching her arms around me tightly. The warmth of her soft body pressed against my back was amazing. I’d had plenty of girls on the back of my bike, but this was Madeline. I breathed in deeply as I was hit with a mixture of excitement and utter alarm at what her touch alone did to me. The heavenly smell of her citrusy perfume, or maybe it was her shampoo as I turned slightly to where her head was against my back, was something my senses wouldn’t be forgetting anytime soon—if ever.
I stopped when we were far enough from the crowd and pulled off my helmet.
“I’m supposed to meet my sister back where Shelby left her car.”
I nodded, getting off the bike. “I’ll take you anywhere you wanna go.”
Tightening the strap on the helmet, I lifted it over her head. Madeline jerked her head back in reaction. “What about you? What’ll you wear?”
“I’ll be fine, but I won’t have you on my bike without it.”
She lifted a stubborn little brow, holding up a hand. “I’ve seen other girls on your bike without it.”
This was true. But it was only because I didn’t care to argue when any of them balked at the helmet. Most didn’t want to mess up their hair, which was stupid because, by the time we got anywhere, it was always a windblown mess. But having Madeline on my bike without a helmet wasn’t happening.
“None of them wanted to wear it,” I explained as I tried again to lift the helmet over her head again.
“Well, I don’t either.” She pulled away again. “If something happens, how’s it fair that I’m wearing one and you’re not?”
“Only reason I let you on without it was so I could get you away from that asshole sooner than later.”
Those lips parted again as her bottom lip dropped open just as it had when I first approached her and Shane. The temptation to lean in and kiss them was a fucking living thing, but I managed to refrain. Instead, I brought my eyes up to meet hers again and lifted my own stubborn brow. “But you’re not staying on without it, and you’re not leaving here with anyone else.”
That last part slipped, and my stomach tightened in reaction. I braced myself for her response. Just then Nolan and Maggie drove by, only to stop for a moment so Nolan could say something to Xavier. We both glanced at them, taking in the fact that, unlike Maddie, her sister had complied with wearing Nolan’s helmet.
To my surprise, Madeline’s delicate shoulders dropped in defeat as she sighed. “Fine. I’ll wear the stupid helmet.”
“Good girl,” I said with a smile as I placed it on her head. “The latch is a tricky one.”
I carefully snapped the latch together, mindful not to pinch her skin. Our eyes met as I finished snapping it, and I was caught in those beautiful eyes for one long moment. “Gads,” she said, breaking the silence and inhaling deeply. “No one’s ever made me as nervous as you do.”
“Nervous?” I asked, even as my own insides were going nuts. “Why do I make you nervous?”
Her anxious expression eased up, making her look even more adorable in my helmet. “It’s a good kind of nervous,” she explained. “Like when you’re getting ready to board a rollercoaster. Maggie’s been known to back out last minute.” She shook her head, staring into my eyes as hers nearly twinkled with excitement. “Not me. I love the thrill, even when my insides feel ready to burst.”
“The thrill, huh?” I said as I climbed back on the motorcycle, heart thumping wildly as she wrapped her arms around my waist again. “Talk about no pressure.”
Even as I chuckled nervously, my heart continued to pound against my ribs. While I was half kidding, it was partly true. Madeline had pretty much made it clear she’d be a willing participant in any kind of thrill ride this might be the start of. As dense as I was to catch on to her game, I was fairly certain she wasn’t being literal.
Having her on my bike alone was already a huge risk. Getting any ideas about anything more would have been playing with fire, and I knew it. But God help me because fighting this now that she’d made it clear this was as thrilling for her as it was for me, was going to be infinitely harder.
The feel of her against my back again was pure heaven—something I already knew I’d never get enough of. As I slowed before jumping onto the highway and my motor idled so it was a little less thunderous, Madeline’s warm breath against my neck when she spoke made me tremble. “All those girls in that bus,” she said, leaning in even closer. “I didn’t recognize any of them. Are they from Huntsville?”
I shook my head. It was as much as I’d offer unless she pushed. “But you and your brothers know them?”
Thankfully, my bike’s motor was too loud once on the highway. I purposely revved it up even more as we turned a corner. Since it was too loud to talk, especially for me since I was facing away from her, there were no more questions or exchanges, except for her telling me where her friends would be waiting for her. When we reached the lake side where she’d be meeting her friends, I braced myself as I turned my bike off.
Even with the stop we made to get the helmet on her, we’d left so abruptly we got there before any of her friends. I was certain they wouldn’t be long since Maggie and Nolan looked ready to take off when we did. I just prayed Nolan hadn’t taken a detour and gone somewhere more private, leaving me no choice but to stay and keep Maddie company until the rest arrived. Not that it’d be a bad thing, but I had to remind myself how much more tempting this just got. More than anything, I did not want to deal with her mama’s wrath.
I got off my bike first. She stayed on the bike as I removed the helmet from her head, and once again, I was caught in those eyes. Jesus Christ, how the fuck was I supposed to keep doing the right thing and just stay away from her now?
Once again, she broke the silence by thanking me for the ride as she got off my bike. I lit up a cigarette because I needed something to keep my hands and mouth busy before they dared do anything else. Then she added another unnerving question. “Did you and your brothers invite those out-of-town girls tonight?”
“Nope.” I shook my head. “At least I didn’t, but if my brothers did, they never mentioned it to me.”
“But you know them?”
Shaking my head again, I glanced away as I let out a stream of smoke.
“Not even the girl holding your hand?”
I had to think about that for a moment. Had America held my hand? Then I remembered her playing with my fingers. No way in hell was I giving Madeline any details about my relationship with America. “I’d met her before.” The cute little brow went up, but before she could comment or ask more, I added, “Listen, just a heads-up about Shane. He’s . . .”
I thought about it before blurting out a fucking douche. I didn’t want my distaste for him to come across as blatant as it felt. Especially because, while I’d always considered him shady as fuck, it had never bothered me until now.
“. . . not as scrupulous as you might think.”
Since I didn’t give her time to comment further about America, the brow was still at attention. “He seems nice enough to me.”
“Yeah, well, consider yourself warned,” I said, looking away as if this was her last warning.
Truth was, if I didn’t before, I now had every intention of doing what I did tonight if I ever saw the guy trying to get her in his car again.
“I wasn’t going to take him up on the offer to drive me into town.” I turned to face her and she smiled. “Mama would kill me if she ever heard I’d gotten into his car—or on a motorcycle.”
Her gaze bore into me with a purpose. She wouldn’t risk getting in trouble with her mama for Shane, yet she did for me.
“Should I be worried about her hunting me down if she finds out about tonight?”
She shook her head, smiling sweetly. “Given my choices, I think she’d agree I made the right one.”
This surprised me. I knew Shane was a douche because of some of the things he’d bragged about doing to girls. Girls too intoxicated who otherwise might not have agreed. But I didn’t think her mom would know about all that. The surprise and confusion must have shown in my expression because she explained further.
“I think deep down inside, Mama knows Mr. Cortez raised respectable young men who just get a bad rap because of their looks and wild reputations.” The sweet smile was replaced with a frown, and she shook her head with a sigh. “Shane’s daddy, on the other hand, has forgotten he’s a married man and tried to persuade Mama to have a drink or dinner with him on more than one occasion. She questions the morals of any boy that man’s raising.” I started to smile until she shrugged and added, “Though he’s been a gentleman with me thus far.”
“Yeah, well, don’t let him fool you. Your mom’s spot on about him.”
She smiled again, only there was something playful—sultry—about it now, as if she knew I’d be making sure she never got in Shane’s car from then on. Just like before, I was sucked into those baby blues for too long, until, mercifully, I remembered something I’d been wondering about for a while now.
“That day last summer at the Stop and Shop,” I said as her brows pinched together curiously. “That couple arguing. Were they friends of yours?”
It took her a second, and then her expression soured, but even that had me smiling. “No, but did you hear what an asshole he was?”
“I was way in the back of the store, so I didn’t catch what they were saying.” I shook my head, confused, but I was even more curious now. “You didn’t know them?”
“Never met them before in my life,” she said very matter-of-factly. “But I couldn’t believe what a dick he was to her. If he’d been my boyfriend, I would’ve told him to go screw himself.”
“You had your friend drive a girl you’d never even met all the way to Fayette?”
“Shelby was all for it. Those two had been driving for over two hours, Nico, and Fayette is what? Almost an hour away? He refused to buy her lunch from the Stop & Shop—a freakin hot dog, chips, and soda—because he’d told her to pack something for the ride and she didn’t listen to him.”
That last part reminded me of Madeline’s retort that day. If she wanted to listen to an asshole, she would’ve farted. This had me chuckling now and refraining from pulling her to me so I could plant one on that animated face.
“You think that’s funny?” She placed her hand on her hip, and I was treated to that same glare I’d only seen on her the day she told that guy off. “She offered to pay him back, but the jerk refused, saying she should’ve listened—”
My finger on her lips stopped her from going on, even though I’d have loved to hear just how fired up she was going to get about this again, but I didn’t like seeing her upset. The glare morphed into a startled wide-eyed stare. “I don’t think it’s funny,” I said calmly as my eyes dropped to that once again falling open lower lip, but I forced them back up to her eyes. “I just remembered what you said to him that day.”
She pondered for a moment, and then everything brightened as I was treated to that beautiful smile once again. “I heard my grandma say that once, and it was the first thing that came to mind when the jerk kept saying she didn’t listen.”
She paused, and for once tonight, a hint of vulnerability showed as she smiled a bit bashfully—a smile I’d seen plenty of times on Margaret, not Madeline. But just like all the other expressions I’d been treated to from her, it suited her just fine.
“Anyway,” she went on with a shrug. “He just made me so mad. At first, I wasn’t going to say anything to him, but when he saw me paying for her lunch, I guess he thought he could convince me of why he was being such a jerk, and I just couldn’t hold back anymore.”
I smiled, getting caught in those eyes once again as I wondered if this girl would ever do or say anything that didn’t have my insides feeling all the fuzzy shit girls were supposed to feel. Not a grown ass man.
The roar of more motorcycles driving into the lakeside area where a lot of the town’s young singles were still hanging out interrupted our stare down, and I took a much-needed breath. Her face brightened instantly when she saw her sister ride in on Nolan’s bike. As if she hadn’t just seen her a few minutes prior.
Maggie got off Nolan’s bike after removing the helmet. She and Nolan talked for a bit, too softly for us to hear. As she walked toward Madeline, she glanced at me timidly then back at her sister. “Bad girl, Maggie.” Madeline giggled.
“Mama better not hear about this,” Maggie said, reaching out to nudge Madeline even as Madeline continued to giggle.
Just then Shelby and Mason pulled in. “That’s why Shelby’s driving us the rest of the way home,” Madeline said.
“We should get going,” Maggie said, looking down at her phone. “If we miss curfew again, Mama will have our hides.”
The rest of the crowd that’d gone out to the barn started to arrive back at the lake as well, including the Volkswagen bus. Instantly, Madeline’s eyes were on it; then she turned to me with that lifted brow again.
Of course, the bus headed straight to us. “I’m outta here,” I said to no one in particular, but then Nolan turned to me in question, so I explained. “I have first shift tomorrow.”
“Dick!” Nolan laughed. “The shop doesn’t open ’til ten.”
“We have inventory tomorrow, ass. And you know what that means.”
Just as the bus approached, I glanced one last time at Madeline, who smiled when I started up my bike. Like a kid given a good ole “Atta boy,” I ate it up. Before I could rev it up and get the hell out of there so I could avoid getting felt up by America, Madeline turned to her sister. “Yeah, we better get going too.”
They looked back at Shelby’s parked car where their friend was still chatting with Mason.
“Don’t forget what I said,” I reminded her though she looked confused. “About Shane.”
She stared at me for a moment, her expression unreadable until she smiled so beautifully I felt the air sucked out of my lungs. “I won’t.”
Madeline glanced around cautiously, stopping when her eyes were on America and staring at her long enough to unnerve me to no end. But she didn’t walk away until she turned back to me and added, “Just remember it’s you I want, not anyone else.”
As she had the very first time we’d ever spoken, she walked away leaving me sitting there speechless. As much as I’d have liked to tell her I felt the same way about her, I couldn’t. Not yet. Only tonight further confirmed what I’d begun to suspect. I was in deep shit. If I’d felt entitled before, this just made those feelings a million times worse.