Sinful Pleasure (Sinful #1)

CHAPTER 5

C HAPTER 5

ALLYN

“One more.”

I down the tequila shot, reaching for the next one.

I’m not a tequila fan—far from it—but tonight, I decided to challenge myself and do things I usually wouldn’t.

The taste of the forbidden liquor is salty and bitter on my tongue, but after three more shots, I stop caring.

We’re at the VIP table, as usual. Tamara invited some of her girlfriends, so it’s a full table right from the start. The club is packed. The Weeknd is blasting at full volume. Everything’s enough to call it a successful night out.

Well, almost.

It would be a thousand times better if Maddox weren’t standing just feet away from our table—arms crossed, tall and proud, staring at us with those creepy eyes.

He doesn’t fit in with the drunk young people dancing and drinking around him. Not that he seems to care, though.

A few girls try to get his attention, smiling and playing with their hair as they pass by, but he doesn’t even bother to glance their way.

And why the hell do I find myself staring at him long enough to notice all this?

I quickly force my gaze away and turn back to Tamara and the girls.

Tamara pinches me from the side, her attention fixed on the table next to ours.

“Do you see those guys?”

I nod. It’s hard not to when they’re at the VIP table right next to ours—a total of four guys, all seeming to be around our age.

“They’ve been staring at us since we got here.”

I’m a little tipsy by now, but it’s hard to miss the way the whole group is smiling at us with their drinks raised.

“What do you say?” she screams in my ear. “Should we invite them to our table?”

That’s probably not the best idea, but right now, I don’t find enough reasons to care. I nod in agreement, and that’s enough for Tamara. She waves her hand, and it’s like the guys have been waiting all night for that signal.

In no time, they’re at our table. All four of them.

We exchange names over the loud music, not that it matters.

I’ll forget them in a few minutes. I’m terrible with names, and now that I’m tipsy? Mission impossible.

The girls and Tamara hug each of them, welcoming them to our table. I’m about to do the same, staring at the tall blonde guy to my right, when I’m suddenly shoved back.

Maddox steps in front of me, blocking my view with his muscular frame like a damn wall.

The guy steps back, raising his hands in the air and saying something about not looking for trouble, but the music drowns him out.

I shove Maddox aside.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?”

My face feels hot, and I’m not sure who’s responsible for that—the alcohol in my system or the man in front of me. My skin burns like there’s liquid fire running across it when all it is, is Maddox’s dead eyes boring into me.

He looks down at me, tilting his head slowly to the side, so slow it almost feels like he’s a serial killer about to strike. It’s terrifying, but at the same time, my skin tingles from something completely different.

“Look, big guy, I don’t know what you think you’re doing, but you won’t ruin our night.” Tamara steps up, just as drunk as I am.

She tilts her head back, trying to look intimidating, but from the side, it’s about as ridiculous as it gets. Maddox is freaking huge—like a literal giant—and Tamara is shorter than me. You can imagine the scene.

She jabbed her finger into his chest.

“Just do whatever the hell your job is without ruining everything,” she scolded. “As you can see, Allyn is perfectly fine.”

He ignored her, turning to me.

“I suggest you tell your drunk friend to stay the hell out of this before I drop my gentleman’s card and handle it myself.”

“Maybe acting like a normal human being would do the trick.”

“Maybe if you acted less like a brat, my job would be easier,” he shot back. “But we don’t always get what we want, do we now, princess?”

Princess.

The way that word rolled off his tongue made it sound filthy, like an insult—yet it still managed to send shivers down my spine with something primal. Savage.

I pursed my lips, reminding myself that slapping him would be the worst- case scenario.

I expected him to cause a scene, to kick the guys out of our table.

But nothing.

He shot them a warning look before returning to his place by the table, without sparing me another glance.

What an asshole.

I took a breath, my face flushed.

“Okay, shots for everyone,” I motioned to the waitress to bring us a whole set of shots.

Even though, honestly, I felt like I’d need a lot more if I wanted to survive the night.

*****

“Cheers.”

I heard voices next to me and reached for yet another glass, but I was too far gone already.

I didn’t even notice when our table of eight suddenly turned into a full-blown after-party, with at least twenty people surrounding us.

The music was loud, vibrating in my ears as I moved my body to the rhythm. I closed my eyes, surrendering to the feeling. I lifted my hands in the air, letting the music guide me.

Hands slid across my body, gripping my waist with a gentle touch. A body collided with mine, and it felt nice.

I turned my head to the side and saw the blonde guy from earlier. The guy who’d had his eyes on me all night.

I never bothered to remember his name—not that it mattered.

The only thing that mattered was how his hands felt, warm and firm on my body.

I wrapped my arms around his neck, leaning my head against his chest, as his hands lowered to my stomach. His head nestled in the crook of my neck. I let the music lead me, rubbing my body against his.

He groaned in my ear.

“You’re so hot.” He gripped my hips, pulling me back against him. “So, so gorgeous.”

It’s always nice to get compliments from guys—it certainly boosts my ego. But at that moment, that wasn’t why my body was so worked up, so hot and bothered.

It was Maddox.

He stood out from the crowd effortlessly. It was impossible not to notice him.

And he was staring at me.

I’m drunk, but I can still recognize the fire burning in his eyes, even though his face remained controlled, neutral.

I decided to push his buttons further. Just for fun.

If he thinks he can tame me, he’s mistaken.

I can’t be tamed. Not by him, or the damn Kings.

I grinned wickedly his way, just to rub it in his face.

I swing my hips, lowering the length of the guy’s body, making sure to rub my ass against him. He groaned, gripping me harder, but he wasn’t my focus.

My eyes were locked on the man I wanted to piss off.

At first, Maddox didn’t seem affected by my actions. He followed my every move, drinking me in with his eyes, a hint of amusement in his gaze. He raised a brow as if to say, “Is that all you’ve got?”

With slow, sexy movements, I swung my hips and stood up, deciding to push it further.

I winked in his direction before turning my back to him, grabbing the guy’s face with both hands and crashing my lips against his.

The kiss was… nice. A bit too much teeth and tongue for my liking, but not awful. I was enjoying it. I could feel the guy was enjoying it a little too much.

And just when I thought the kiss was going on far too long, my body was suddenly yanked away from his.

The next thing I knew, the guy was on the ground, blood pouring from his nose. Maddox stood over him like a hungry shark who’d just smelled blood, ready to strike again.

He looked unhinged, vicious—so much so that no one dared to move. The entire group was now staring at us, mouths hanging open in shock.

His friend kneeled next to him, trying to stop the bleeding, only to paint his hands red as well. I was too stunned to flinch.

Without a word, Maddox straightened his shirt as if he were simply doing business, turning to me with those same deadly eyes.

One moment, I was frozen in place, the next, Maddox was dragging me toward the exit of the club, pushing people aside without a second thought.

I can’t say the kiss was bad, but it definitely wasn’t worth the damage it caused.

Oh God, what if his nose is broken?

Maddox walked fast, dragging me behind him until we finally left the club. Then he pulled me into a dark alley where his car was parked.

“Are you fucking insane?”

The words came out in a harsh mix of a yell and a whisper. I yanked my hand away from his.

“His nose might be broken because of you!”

He turned to me, shooting me a look that sent ice through my veins.

“Are you trying to guilt-trip me?” he sneered, raising a cruel brow. “If that’s the case, you’ve got the wrong man, princess. I don’t give a fuck. I’ve done worse.”

I’ve done worse? What the hell does that mean?

Sadistic asshole.

“You can’t just go around punching people in the face,” I snapped, taking a step closer to him.

I tried to act tough, though it didn’t matter. Not when he towered over me by at least a foot and could crush me without breaking a sweat.

He leaned in, invading my space deliberately, just to make me feel more uncomfortable.

“Says who? You?” he laughed as if the thought was absurd. “He should be thankful he’s still breathing.”

I gasped. The audacity of this man.

He moved an inch closer, his scent washing over me.

“This isn't some fucking game,” he growled.

I shouldn’t feel the warmth spreading through me from his threat. But my body reacted anyway.

Maybe it’s the alcohol in my system.

I didn’t push back as I should have. No, instead, I took a step forward, my voice low as I grinned.

“It is for me.”

If anyone could see us now, it would look… strange.

In the middle of a dark alley, bodies close but not touching, and we maintained eye contact like our very breaths depended on it.

“Do I need to remind you that you’re Angelo’s future wife?” he spat through gritted teeth. “Start acting like one.”

“Future wife,” I repeated, pointing my finger at his chest. “You said it yourself. Right now, I’m nobody’s wife. And I have every right to do whatever I want.”

He laughed, as though my words weren’t even worth a response.

“Is that why you broke that guy’s nose?” I asked, raising an eyebrow. “You protecting The Kings’ honor?”

He shot me a glare. “Why else would I do it?”

I dug my finger into his chest. I felt his muscles tense under the fabric of his shirt.

“I think you’re full of shit, Maddox. I don’t think that’s the real reason you did it.”

He laughed, his face twisting into something dark and sadistic.

“Please, princess, humor me.”

His expression showed no trace of amusement.

His gaze dropped to where my finger touched his chest— just the lightest contact—but he didn’t push me away. It was as if he were waiting to see what I’d do next.

“I think you did it because you’re a sadistic prick who gets off on other people’s misery.”

He raised an eyebrow but didn’t deny it.

“If you wanted me to kiss you instead, you could’ve just asked nicely.” I curled my lips into a smile.

Something flickered in his eyes—something as deep as the color of them, something I couldn’t quite place. He was too good at masking his emotions like it was second nature.

My face flushed, my mind a mess. I tried to rile him up, but instead, I only ended up pulling at my nerves.

He pulled away, and I staggered forward, not realizing how much I had been leaning against him until his proximity disappeared.

“You’re drunk,” he said, his voice as cold as ice. Without a second glance, he opened the passenger door.

“Get in the fucking car, Allyn.”

And I did.

Humiliated and flushed, I suddenly sober enough to want the ground to open up and swallow me whole.

Also, note to self: Avoid Maddox at all costs from now on.