Page 61 of Ever With Me

He blinked at her. “So you broke your word?”

Was he angry?

She couldn’t quite tell. If anything, there was a lack of emotion there that worried her.

“I did.”

“Well, I guess that means I won’t have to play for your town fair after all. Good.”

His statement was flat. Empty. None of the anger she’d anticipated.

Yet I don’t doubt he means it.

She set down the bottle and came closer to him. “I may have broken my word with you, but I broke it with them first. I like you, Brooks. But they’re my family. I owe them my loyalty. You’d do the same if it were Kayla.”

His chin jerked up. “Would I?”

“You know you would. You’re a better man than you pretend to be.”

Doubt shone in his eyes. “You don’t really know me, Madison. Just believe everything you’ve heard about me. All those things you used as evidence against me that first night you showed up here. That’s good enough for everyone else. And now you have a few more juicy details about my life to give the media when you decide you want to blackmail me again.”

Oh.

Oh God, is that what’s bothering him?

His behavior suddenly made more sense. He’d been incredibly vulnerable with her last night. Shared something deeply personal.

And I didn’t bother to show up today.

Shit.

“Well, it’s not good enough for me.” She shivered again. “And I don’t believe it. You’re capable of being so much more than you give yourself credit for. I wouldn’t be here tonight if I didn’t think that. I didn’t come earlier because I couldn’t get away and then because I was overwhelmed by how upset my sister was with you.”

She stepped a little closer as his face filled with doubt. “Iwantedto be here with you, believe it or not. I’m sorry I didn’t call or text.”

“Why? You want to fix me?” A sardonic laugh left him. “What makes you think I do a single thing I don’t want to do?”

His belligerence had to be a sign that he was more inebriated than he was letting on.

She set her hand on his. “You’re drunk, Brooks. Let’s go inside. Get you in bed.”

His hand slipped around her waist, and he pulled her close. “Don’t fucking tease me.”

Leave it to a drunk man to take her words the wrong way. But as his fingertips pressed into the small of her back, he lowered his mouth to the sensitive spot on her neck, just below her jawline and ear, his lips brushing her softly.

“Why do you have to smell so fucking amazing, Madison? You have any idea what that smell does to me?”

Any other time, those words would have made her swoon. But he was drunk and didn’t mean it. She set her hands on his chest, pushing back. He clamped her tighter still, his hand splaying across her back, pushing her against his hardened length.

Oh God . . .

She couldn’t help the speeding of her pulse or the way the feel of him made her wet. He was attractive and sexual. And dangerous.So, so dangerous.

Right now, there was a chance that fact was turning her on even more.

“You think I haven’t spent the day daydreaming about your mouth?” Brooks brought his thumb to her lower lip, dragging it across with a featherlight touch, then down so he could feel the wetness of her mouth. Almost involuntarily, her tongue darted against his thumb, a sensual thrill going through her.

“God, Madison.” He held her chin with his forefinger and thumb. “You should get out of here. Because if you don’t, I’m going to kiss you. And if I do that, I won’t want to stop.”

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