TEN
She sat in silence on the short cab ride home, still feeling the ghost of Hayley’s body pinning her to the mattress.
But that woman, the one who had clung to Maddie with a desperate type of hunger, vanished as quickly as she appeared.
The woman Maddie had just walked away from was nothing more than a stony shell.
Maddie tiptoed into Caitlin’s house around two o’clock in the morning, tossing her things onto the floor before throwing herself into the safe nest of her bed.
Hayley reminded Maddie of mad honey—the dark, blood-red honey produced from the nectar of certain toxic flowers.
Its sweetness draws you in at first taste, but then it quickly turns sour, stinging your tongue and throat.
Within an hour, toxins are pumping through your bloodstream, causing everything from hallucinations to paralysis.
She had heard of people in LA buying it online for fun last summer.
Well, if Hayley was mad honey, then Maddie was a willing addict. She’d savor the fleeting sweetness and welcome the dysphoria that followed, knowing she would do anything just to taste it again. Whatever fragments of herself that Hayley was willing to offer, Maddie decided she would take.
MORNING CAME FASTER THAN MADDIE WOULD have preferred. When the sunlight streaming through her windows became too bright to ignore, she peeled her eyelids open and drew in a long, deep breath through her nose.
Hayley’s scent still clung to her. Notes of sandalwood and cedar mingled with blooms of violets, creating an aroma that was both invigorating and sophisticated.
Maddie closed her eyes, focusing on the smell. If last night was all she was going to get, she wanted to remember every detail. Every curve of Hayley’s body, every lick, every moan—she wanted to brand herself with their memory.
Maddie eventually dragged herself into the kitchen, praying silently that Caitlin and Gemma would be out running errands so she wouldn’t have to face their scrutiny before her coffee.
She grimaced when she turned the corner to find Gemma and Caitlin already seated expectantly at the kitchen table, as if they’d been waiting hours for her to wander in.
“Go ahead, just say it.” Maddie failed to suppress a smile.
“Say what?” Gemma asked, a corner of her mouth twitching upward as she looked at Caitlin in exaggerated, wide-eyed confusion.
“Maybe that her hair is a bird’s nest, her eyes are practically swollen shut, and she’s wearing the same top we saw her leave in yesterday?” Caitlin offered with an innocent shrug. “Squish, am I mistaken, or did Maddie tell us she was meeting Hayley for drinks last night?”
“You are indeed correct, my beautiful fiancée,” Gemma confirmed theatrically, and the two nodded solemnly in agreement.
“Do you two even need me here?” Maddie interjected, rolling her eyes.
Swapping out of the act with a huff, Gemma leveled a look at Maddie. “Did you, or did you not, have sex with Hayley Maddox last night?”
“Oh, that,” Maddie said innocently, stirring her coffee with one hand and waving the other.
“Gemma, she’s your best friend, so maybe you should ask her.
I wouldn’t want to overstep, you know.” She casually plucked a banana from the bunch hanging beside the refrigerator and began to retreat toward her room, shielding her mug against their bewildered stares.
“Wait!” Caitlin called out, suddenly jumping up from the table. “But what about me? I’m your best friend!”
Maddie grinned as she heard the frantic patter of footsteps follow her down the hallway.
She stayed silent until they were safely inside the guest room, the door closed tightly behind them.
The effort was unnecessary. She knew that Caitlin would rehash the details to Gemma as soon as she got the chance.
But it didn’t matter. Maddie just wanted to be a girl talking about girls with her best friend.
“So?” Caitlin pressed, throwing out her arms.
“Cait,” Maddie breathed, instantly feeling nineteen again. “Oh. My. God.”
She set her mug down carefully on the stone coaster on the nightstand before collapsing onto the mattress, one arm thrown across her face with all the flair of a tragic actress.
Caitlin laughed, and Maddie felt the bed dip as she sat down beside her.
“Damn.” Caitlin shook her head, a wistful smile playing on her lips. “Who knew Hayley had it in her?”
Maddie didn’t know what to say. She’d never seen a script like this or encountered someone like Hayley before. The constantly shifting ground beneath them left her feeling off balance, and she still wasn’t sure whether the night had been a success or a catastrophic mistake.
Caitlin and Gemma had warned her not to pursue Hayley. Would they be upset that she did anyway?
Maddie took a jagged breath and told Caitlin everything, from the shots of tequila and the waitress at the bar, to Hayley’s apartment and how she had been unceremoniously dismissed from it.
She kept a few parts to herself, though, like the way Hayley’s fingers had felt inside of her as they’d slowed. How Hayley had made Maddie beg.
“And this was at her place?” Caitlin asked, processing. “Hayley never invites anyone to her place.”
Maddie thought about Caitlin’s words, a quiet thrill sparking in her chest at the possibility that she meant something to Hayley.
Oh, duh. Maddie was living with Gemma and Caitlin. Where else would they have gone? Her shoulders slumped.
Maddie exhaled, the weight of the morning settling back in. “You were right. Hayley made it clear that she plans on staying single—possibly forever. But something casual could be fun for a couple of months, right?”
“Casual?” Caitlin repeated. “Isn’t that why you broke up with Kim?”
Point taken.
“Ugh, I know, I know. But God, there’s just something so exhilarating about her,” Maddie exclaimed, snapping upright.
Caitlin reached out, her gentle hand on Maddie’s shoulder, grounding her. “Just make sure you stay true to yourself, Mads. You deserve to get what you actually want.”
FOUR EMPTY DAYS PASSED WITH NO word from Hayley.
Aside from a brief one-sided attempt from Maddie three days ago, the silence had been absolute.
It was taking an immense amount of effort not to reach out every time Maddie thought about that night, but Hayley had been painstakingly clear about what she was willing to offer.
Still, Maddie found herself holding her breath every time Caitlin’s front door swung open, then sighing dejectedly at the sound of sneakers on the hardwood instead of stilettos.
By day five, Maddie was vibrating with restless energy. A morning run, a surprise deep clean of her hosts’ kitchen, and two loads of laundry hadn’t been enough to settle her. By early evening, she had run out of things to do indoors.
Maddie dug through her closet for a specific outfit—a monochromatic two-piece athletic set.
The tan biker shorts and matching sports bra were a few shades darker than her skin.
She paired the look with white New Balance sneakers and a Yankees baseball hat, which made her feel less like an outsider on the streets of New York.
The sun was on its descent, starting to dip behind the skyscrapers and cast long shadows across the city. It was still nearly eighty degrees, but a slight breeze cut through the NYC heat, making it more bearable than it had been during her last adventure.
As she wandered down the sidewalk, Maddie immediately found herself gravitating toward the East River. The last time she’d crossed over into Brooklyn, the sight of the Manhattan skyline across the water had left her breathless, unable to feel anything except a deep sense of calm.
I could use a healthy dose of calm, she thought.
Plus, the spot was miles away from Hayley’s apartment in the West Village, far enough to prevent Maddie from showing up on her doorstep on a manic whim.
It wasn’t until she was sitting on that bench in Brooklyn Bridge Park, staring out over the water, that Maddie realized her mistake.
Hayley wouldn’t be home right now. She’d been working long hours lately, taking advantage of the unprecedented interest that her new Brooklyn condos had sparked. At least according to Gemma.
Brooklyn. The building was less than a five-minute walk from where she now sat.
Don’t do it, Maddie.
She focused her attention back on the water and the city’s reflection, trying uselessly to force a calm over her mind.
Determined to show some restraint, Maddie kept herself rooted to the wooden slats.
Her right foot began to tap frantically against the ground, slowly picking up speed until the entire bench began to shake.
Within a minute, Maddie was on her feet and moving toward the Maddox building before her brain could even register the betrayal of her body.
She strode into the lobby boldly, channeling the confidence of one of Hayley’s high-end clients. She stepped into the elevator and picked a floor number at random—the top. There was no harm in seeing what all the fuss was about, was there?
When she reached the fourth floor, the silver doors parted. There was still a handful of people milling about, but it was clear to Maddie that the open house was winding to a close. She walked straight into the penthouse, the most coveted apartment in a building full of coveted apartments.
“Wow,” she breathed.
It was incredible. Ten-foot-high ceilings made the space feel boundless, as if you were perched atop a cloud rather than a mass of steel and concrete. An elegantly carved archway framed the hallway, lending an old-money ambiance to a new-money building.
If Maddie were ever to consider trading Los Angeles for Brooklyn, it would only be for a place like this.
She paused in the open kitchen, gazing out at the picturesque view of the Brooklyn Bridge, the East River, and the Manhattan skyline—all framed in this one surreal window.
The sky was a brilliant, clear blue, and the late-afternoon sun cast a bright, metallic glare off the water.
Maddie allowed herself to daydream about waking up to that vista every morning.
The sharp click of heels against the hardwood floor behind her snapped Maddie from her reverie.
“Sorry, I—” Maddie’s voice died in her throat as she turned.
Hayley stood less than a yard away, just close enough that Maddie could have reached out and brushed her fingertips along the front of her vest. Her suit was so dark that it may have looked black from a distance, but up close Maddie could see the subtle hues of individual royal-blue threads.
Maddie scrambled for a reasonable explanation for her presence but came up short.
“In the market for a new apartment?” Hayley asked, a soft smile playing across her lips.
“Maybe,” Maddie said, fighting a grin of her own and grateful for Hayley’s lifeline. “Do you know a good real estate agent who could show me around?”
Hayley shifted, setting her purse on top of the long kitchen island, her eyes never leaving Maddie’s.
“Hmm,” she purred. “I might have one in mind, but you’ll have to decide if she’s the right fit for you.”
“How will I know?” Maddie’s heart pounded against her ribs as Hayley slowly closed the space between them, inch by inch.
“First,” Hayley started, one eyebrow raised, “she has to know what you like. Attention to detail is key.”
In one fluid motion, she gripped Maddie’s hips and hoisted her onto the white marble countertop. “Then, you have to make sure she’s proactive about pleasing her client.”
Maddie draped her arms over Hayley’s shoulders, her fingers tangling in the back of Hayley’s straight dark hair.
“Is that all?” Maddie teased, trying to keep her voice coy and playful, even as her skin crackled with electricity.
There was no mistaking the raw hunger in Hayley’s dark eyes as she parted Maddie’s legs, pressing her body into the space between them.
Hayley’s hands gripped Maddie’s thighs as she trailed hot, open-mouthed kisses across her shoulder and collarbone. Her fingers found the elastic waistband of Maddie’s shorts, and with a sharp tug, Hayley pulled them down in one desperate swoop.
“Well, you’ve checked the first two boxes, then,” Maddie murmured, her bare legs dangling off the edge of the island.
Hayley took a step back, her gaze dropping between Maddie’s legs to the proof of Maddie’s desire for her.
Maddie wet her lips and leaned back, her palms flat against the cold marble as she opened her legs wider with a wicked smile. She had no intention of playing hard to get. Maddie knew exactly what she wanted, and she planned on getting it.
Hayley didn’t hesitate, taking Maddie’s legs over her shoulders.
Maddie gasped, her head falling back until she was staring blindly at the ceiling as Hayley’s lips wrapped around her clit. A low moan escaped her chest.
A week’s worth of uncertainty crumbled under the possessive grip of Hayley’s hands. Her nails dug into Maddie’s hips as if she were trying to get closer. Deeper.
Hayley hummed low in satisfaction, and Maddie whimpered as the sound vibrated inside her.
Hayley’s tongue circled faster and faster, until Maddie felt like she was about to snap.
“Don’t stop,” she begged. Her legs began to shake, and then she was crying out, the sound echoing throughout the staged apartment.
As the aftershocks of her orgasm coursed through her, Maddie felt Hayley’s fingers tighten around the back of her neck. Hayley pulled her forward until she was sitting flush against Hayley’s body at the very edge of the marble slab.
Hayley’s teeth grazed the exposed skin on her throat, sending a fresh jolt through Maddie as Hayley curled three fingers deep inside her.
“My God. Fuck, Hayley!”
Hayley moved with an intense, rhythmic focus until Maddie felt her entire body turn to liquid. A second moan tore from her lips as her limbs collapsed against Hayley, leaving her untethered and breathless.
Hayley pulled back, and Maddie immediately mourned the absence of her mouth. With a gentle flick of her thumb, Hayley teased her swollen clit one last time before slowly licking the trace of Maddie from her own fingers.
And there it was. That cocky, self-satisfied, irresistible grin from the last time proved just how much Hayley enjoyed giving pleasure. It left Maddie reeling.
“So,” Hayley offered smoothly, “should we just share a cab over to the bakery, or would you like to take your own?”
Bakery? What was she talking—
“I don’t know what you’ve told Gemma and Caitlin,” Hayley added, raising an eyebrow as she looked down at her watch. “But we’d better get going. We’re probably going to be late now, anyway.”
Oh no. The cake tasting.