Page 56 of The Love You Win

She nods, looking slightly dazed. “Okay. Night, Maddox. Thanks for bringing me home.”

I grin, leaning down to steal one last quick kiss before stepping away and tucking my hands in my pants pockets to keep myself from reaching out for her again. “Sweet dreams, Short-Stack.”

Her lips twitch. “Sweet dreams, Ogre.”

ISLA

Oh. My. God. That kiss.

Sagging against the inside of my apartment door, I run my fingers over my tingling lips. No one has ever kissed me the way Maddox Graves just did. I felt it down to my toes. My whole body still vibrates with shock and arousal.

In a daze, I pad into my bedroom, peel the dress from my body, kick off my heels, and flop down onto my bed with a deep, dreamy sigh in nothing but my black lace bra and matching panties. Phantom echoes of his touch light up my skin, and I groan. Despite the flirting we’ve been doing over text this past week, I never expected the night to end this way. With Maddox’s mouth claiming mine as though it was always meant to be his.

In all the years I spent with Alex, thinking we were destined for each other and believing there was no one else out there for me, I have never been kissed so thoroughly that I lost my wits. I totally get what they mean in romance novels when they talk about being claimed by a man when he kisses the heroine. And oh. My. God. I want more.

My phone buzzes in my purse, and I practically leap off the bed to grab it. What if it’s Maddox? Maybe he’s still in the parking lot, obsessing about that kiss the same way I am and he wants to come up? Would I say yes? Could I say no? My body sure as hell doesn’t want the night to end.

But it’s not Maddox’s name that flashes across the screen, it’s Jess’s.

Jess

Are you home? And alone?

Grinning, I reply that I am, and my phone rings almost instantly. I answer, putting it on speakerphone, and both of my best friends pepper me with rapid-fire questions.

“Guys,” I nearly shout. “Chill and I’ll tell you everything.”

And I do. Everything except for the way my heart gets all squishy when I think about Maddox. Everything except for the way I can’t stop wondering if meeting him was fate or destiny or some other epic thing that wouldn’t normally happen to an English teacher from Minneapolis. They’d never let that go, and I’m not entirely sure I’m ready to let myself go there. Not yet. I was too quick to go all-in with Alex and I won’t make that mistake again. I don’t want to fall for someone who doesn’t actually love me for who I am.

Oh my god. Why am I even thinking about this?

“So, is he a good kisser?” Nev demands.

Now that I will talk about. “You guys have no idea.”

twenty-five

MADDOX

She takes my breath away. It doesn’t matter that she’s wearing jeans, sneakers, a hoodie, and a jacket in place of a tight-fitting dress. She’s no less beautiful with her hair pulled into a high ponytail than she is with it spilling over her shoulders and down her back. In fact, I prefer her this way. This feels like the real Isla. No armor, no pretense, no shiny costume or mask. Her eyes sparkle an even richer blue with the light coat of mascara and nothing else.

“Hi,” she says shyly when she opens the door. A twitch of her lips and a pretty flush creeping up her cheeks snap me out of my staring.

Right. I’m being weird. “Hey. You look beautiful.”

Isla shifts her weight from one foot to the other. Her fingers fiddle with the strap of her purse. “Thanks.”

She doesn’t believe me. The realization is a punch in the gut. She doesn’t believe she looks beautiful like this. Screw that. My hands go to her waist, and I tug her toward me. When I lower my face to hers, she sucks in a breath. “You’re always beautiful. No matter what you wear. But for what it’s worth, I think this look is my favorite so far. I can’t wait to see you all bundled up and cheering for me at our games.”

Her eyes widen, but a moment later the insecurity evaporates and a hesitant smile rounds her cheekbones. “You’re so sure I’m going to go to your games, huh?”

I nod, lowering my face more so our noses touch. “I am. I’m very sure about you, Isla.”

Pressing my lips to hers, I swallow her sharp inhalation. The kiss is quick and not nearly as deep as I want it to be, but we’re on the clock right now. Tim, the balloon pilot, is waiting for us in the large field outside his company’s base a short ride from the city. “As much as I want to keep kissing you, we have to get going. Do you have everything you need?”

She nods, and my chest swells with satisfaction when I notice her hands shaking slightly as she locks her apartment door. Isla Harding is just as affected by me as I am by her.

I ask her about her day as we walk hand in hand down to my car, and she asks about mine. It’s mundane and simple and we fall into conversation easily. She listens intently as I tell her about training and seems shocked by how many hours the guys and I spend lifting and conditioning. When I ask her about when school starts, I’m surprised to hear that she’s planning to set up her classroom on Monday, and the first day is the following Tuesday. I remember school starting in September, but it seems they go back at the end of August.

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