8. Madelyn #2
Miles turns around to look at me and every coherent thought immediately abandons ship.
Ink covers far more of him than I expected.
A moth stretches across his stomach, a skull resting in the center of it.
An anatomical heart sits over the left side of his chest, wrapped in a ribbon with a date in roman numerals etched across it.
It looks important. My eyes linger on the numbers, trying to decipher them.
What happened on that date?
When I finally look back up to meet his eyes, I find Miles already watching me, the corner of his mouth lifting into a knowing smile.
Well shit.
Heat floods my face so fast, I swear I can feel myself turning what I’m sure is a lovely shade of cherry red.
“Are you gonna come in with me or what?”
“I can’t,” I mumble, clasping my hands behind my back as I dig the toe of my shoe into the sand. Glancing back up at him, I spot his amused face and that beaming smile I’m starting to love shining back at me.
“You can’t?” he repeats, taking another step toward me.
I shake my head.
“Why not?”
“Because…”
“Because?” His grin widens.
I sigh dramatically. “Just because.”
“So, you’re scared.”
“Of you?” I ask with a smirk. “Maybe a little.”
He laughs, the sound echoing off the rocks and trees around us.
“I think you’re all talk.”
Before I can fire back, he closes the distance between us, effortlessly hoisting me over his shoulder.
“Oh my god!” I squeal, pounding against his back as he carries me toward the lake. “Miles! Put me down!”
This is it. This is how I die. And it’s not at the hands of my father or some freak accident. It’s all because I was too busy eyeing Miles’ hot body to mention that I don’t know how to swim.
“I can’t swim!”
His laughter dies instantly and he freezes. Slowly, he lowers me from his shoulder, his hands holding me tight against him. Miles wraps my legs around his torso, causing my pulse to kick up even more. We’re so close, I think he might kiss me. Our breathing is heavy, our noses almost touching.
“Can you really not swim or are you just fucking with me so I don’t throw you into this lake?”
“No, I promise. I really can’t swim.”
My legs tighten around him as we stare into each other's eyes, never breaking contact.
He begins to place me back down, my body sliding against his, and my breath catches in my throat when I feel his hard length press against my stomach.
I watch his Adam's apple roll in his throat as he swallows, his face only mere inches from mine.
“Maddie.” His voice comes out husky and needy, wrapping around me like an entrancing melody I can’t help but get lost in. “What are you doing to me?”
“I don’t know,” I confess.
Our eyes lock, and I could feel every nerve in my body buzz, a potent mix of anticipation and vulnerability filling the space between us.
Time seems to slow down, amplifying the sound of our shallow breaths.
It feels as if the world blurs into nothing but insignificance, leaving only the two of us suspended in a moment of electric tension.
I could feel the warmth radiating off of Miles’ hands as they grip my thighs tighter in place.
“I can’t take it anymore,” he pants, right before his lips crash into mine—a collision of passion, sexual tension, and a kaleidoscope of emotions I have never experienced before.
His tongue enters my mouth, and I twirl mine along the length of his, tasting him with each flick.
My fingers instinctively run through his hair, and I grip it firmly, gently pulling at the roots as he grips my ass in his large hands.
Miles hungrily bites my bottom lip, the sting lingering for a moment before he’s sucking on it, healing his assault.
The kiss deepens in intensity and my desire only grows for him. I can feel my pussy aching with need and all I want is for him to touch me.
I need his touch. I need to feel him…everywhere.
As if he can hear my thoughts, Miles lays me down on the cool sand, laying himself between my spread thighs. His lips leave mine, an embarrassingly loud moan escaping me when he does, wanting to taste more of him. My shorts are incredibly thin, and I can feel how hard he is for me.
Fuck, I just want to feel more of him.
He grabs a hold of my curls, pulling and opening my neck up for him as he trails soft, needy kisses along my skin.
Instinctively, I tighten my legs around him, pulling him closer against my center, desperately needing the friction.
I feel his cock twitch at the contact, a low, feral growl escaping his lips, the sound vibrating against my neck.
“Don’t—don’t do that, Maddie. Not unless you want me to fuck you right here on the ground.” His words come out rushed and full of lust.
I look up at him through my haze, panting heavily beneath him. His cheeks are flushed and his lips swollen from the intense kiss.
“You look so damn good beneath me,” Miles says, his voice low and guttural as he gives me a seductive grin.
I shudder, biting back the moan that so desperately wants to escape me.
He laughs slightly, dropping his head to look between us.
Glancing back up at me with one arm holding himself up, he runs his fingers through my hair.
My eyes flutter shut as I revel in this moment, just the two of us together, the cool breeze from the waterfall and the shade from the tall trees.
When I open my eyes and gaze back at him, I notice Miles staring at something towards the cabin.
“What? What is it?” I ask, panic lacing my tone, only he isn’t answering my question.
He’s just…staring. Unease settles in my gut when I feel Miles’ heart rate pick up against mine.
“We need to leave,” he insists, picking himself up off me and quickly throwing his clothes back on, paying no mind to the sand that’s still on them. I stand, looking around frantically for whatever it is that has him so startled, but find nothing.
“What do you mean, we need to leave?” I ask, alarm thick in my tone. “We just got here.”
Miles grabs his boots, tugging them on quickly and grabbing my hand, pulling me back the way we came.
I turn around briefly and look back toward the cabin.
It’s then that I see what he must have seen.
Inside the cabin, peering out the window, is a silhouette of a man.
The moment our gazes meet, the man vanishes from the glass pane and I gasp, tightening my grip on Miles’ hand.
“Holy shit! Who the fuck is that?!” I yell, my heart hammering in my chest.
“C’mon Maddie!”
Miles tugs me towards the direction of the Jeep, causing me to trip slightly over my feet, but I recover quickly.
I don’t know who’s in that cabin, but if this is the reaction Miles has to whoever it is, then I don’t want to be anywhere near it.
I’m just glad he’s not trying to be like those idiots in horror movies that get themselves killed trying to be the big, strong hero because, honestly, I don’t think I could handle that right now.
We make it back to the Jeep and quickly hop in. My heart is beating wildly in my chest, full of adrenaline, and I can’t seem to catch my breath. I look back at the cabin and watch as it gets smaller in the distance as Miles drives off.
There has only been one other time in my life that I felt the wild beat of my heart pounding the way it is now.
Images of my father cloud my vision, and I watch as the blood pours from his head, mixing with the dirt beneath him.
Blood splattered across my face, my chest rising and falling quickly as I hold the heavy rock above my head.
I drop it, watching as it bounces off my father's head and splashes into the pool that’s gathered there.
I scrub at my burning eyes until the ache dulls. As I lower my hands, a sticky warmth clings to my fingertips. My breath catches when I see the deep crimson covering my skin.
His blood.