Page 50 of Broken Player

He smirked as he caught me checking him out and I grinned right back. I didn't care to hide my interest, even if I didn't know what to do with it. I may be inexperienced, but that didn't mean I was shy. Maddox Everleigh had always been the sexiest guy I'd ever seen, and I didn't see that changing anytime soon.

"Mind if I join you guys?" he drawled, still wearing that hot as hell smirk on his face and reaching back to yank his shirt over his head, knowing neither Quinn nor I planned to say no. As his clothes hit the ground, I saw Quinn's jaw drop next to me, and I couldn't help the giggle that bubbled up and escaped my lips. I pulled my hand out of the water and used my index finger to push up on Quinn's jaw.

"I think you've got a little drool right there," I teased, wiping my hand across his chin. I looked back at Maddox, but his eyes were locked on mine and filled with heat. They were so dark they almost looked black, and as I watched him wade into the water, I was suddenly very aware of the fact I was wearing only a bra and panties.

When he dove under the water, swimming in our direction, Quinn finally tore his gaze off him, and his face broke into a boyish grin. "Like the view?" I asked.

"Fuck, yes. That man is sin personified, and I love every second I get to stare at him," Quinn said wistfully, splashing into the water to float on his back. I followed his lead, floating on the surface of the water, the sound around me muffled as I stared up at the cloudless blue sky before letting my eyes drift closed.

The waves around me gently lapped at my arms and legs as for a few minutes, I was weightless. I let my mind empty of everything before I felt arms wrap around my waist and pull me down into the water. I plugged my nose just before I was pulled under, submerged in the dark water, and held down with a pair of strong arms wrapped around me before he let me go, and I floated back to the surface.

When he popped up a second behind me and flung his wet hair out of his face, my breath caught at the dark beauty of this man. The way the sun glistened off of his wet, tan skin and the way his eyes were dark with intent. He didn't try to hide the desire in his gaze. Oh, no. Instead, his tongue played in the corner of his lips before a sinful smile crept across his face, telling me everything he wanted with just one look.

This was a man who wanted me just as much as I wanted him. Maybe more.

I tore my eyes away from his, shaking my head and trying to remind myself that I was engaged, even if it was bullshit. Maddox didn't know it wasn't real. To him, I was in love with Yates and tying my life to his. I had really and truly created a mess of epic proportions without even trying.

Moving to swim away and put a little distance between us, Maddox moved with me, grabbing my hand and pulling me back so he could wrap his hand around my waist. His thumb stroked the bare skin above my hip, and a shudder rolled through mybody involuntarily at his touch. I wanted to wrap my legs around his waist, but that felt like an invitation to me, one I wasn't ready to extend.

It wasn't that I didn't want Maddox. It was the opposite. I spent my entire life wanting this man to be mine. To come home and claim me, tell me he wanted me as much as I wanted him. But the hurt was still there from what he did. I could tell he was trying to make up for it, and every day he came back and stuck around, showing me that he really had meant his apology, made me trust him a little bit more. But I needed time to figure out what to do with Yates and to be sure I wasn't just some fleeting challenge for Maddox.

"Hey, man. Glad you could make it," Quinn greeted him with a smug smile as he watched the two of us.

I rolled my eyes. "So, that was how he knew we'd be swimming."

Maddox chuckled darkly. "Quinn and I had a discussion after lunch. When he made the suggestion to your fiance, I thought it sounded like a fun walk down memory lane. Remember when we used to do this as kids?"

Nodding my head, I wrapped my arms around his neck so I could stop treading water with them, but I kept my legs firmly pointed toward the bottom, not giving into temptation. "Remember the rope swing?" I wondered.

Maddox lit up and moved his head from side to side, trying to find it. "Yeah, where'd it go?" he asked, adjusting his hold on my hips as he twisted his body back and forth.

Reluctantly pulling my hand off of him, I pointed at Quinn. "This guy thought it could take his very grown-up and muscular weight, and it snapped right off the branch mid-swing."

Quinn shrugged. "I had to test its limits. You never know unless you try, right?" He glanced at Maddox with an unreadable expression on his face.

Maddox smiled knowingly and nodded. "Right. Maybe we'll have to rebuild it."

My eyes lit up. "Can we?"

Maddox turned his attention back to me, his eyes locking on mine as they searched deep into my soul like only he could. I wasn't sure what he was looking for, but I didn't want him to ever look away. "I'll build you anything you want, Freckles." He seemed totally serious, as if he meant more when he said it, and then he leaned in and placed a gentle kiss right on the tip of my nose.

I couldn't help the sigh that escaped my lips, but he didn't seem to mind. If anything, he held me closer to his body and his warm, smooth skin pressed against mine as he closed whatever distance was left between us.

"Okay, I'm starting to feel like a third wheel," Quinn complained. That broke the spell, and I put a little distance between Maddox and me. He seemed reluctant to let me move even a little but did it anyway.

"What do you want to do, Quinny?" I asked.

He grinned at me wickedly. I cringed because I knew whatever he was about to say would probably be something that would embarrass me. My awareness was brought to the fact that Maddox's hands were still holding me close to him but moving up before they stopped just underneath my bra. His thumbs stroked the skin just below my breasts, and electric tension flared between us.

Quinn's deep voice brought my attention back to him. "Truth or dare?"

I groaned, and Maddox let out a low chuckle. "Well played, Quinn," he grinned.

"I thought so."

Men.

Letting go of Maddox completely, I swam between the two of them, so we formed a triangle in the middle of the pond, all of us treading water. They'd roped me into this, and I honestly didn't know what to pick. If I chose truth, Quinn would undoubtedly ask me something embarrassing either about Maddox or about my pathetic love life up to this point. I wasn't sure I wanted Maddox to see how desperately I clung to the idea of my happily ever after being with him.

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