Page 142 of Bossy Hero

I pull her hand down, lacing our fingers together. “What thing?”

“The thing where I lump you in with Travis and my father. The thing where I forget how different you are and how you’d never treat me the way they did. The thing where I assume the worst of you.” She squeezes my hand. “Why do I keep doing that to you?”

“It’s your knee-jerk reaction, Maddie. You’ve been conditioned to view it that way. You’re trying to protect yourself.”

Her cheeks and chin quiver as she struggles to suppress a tearful reaction. “How do I stop doing it?”

“Just keep talking to me like you’re doing now, and I’ll share what I’m thinking. We’ll meet somewhere in the middle. Every time I think you’re painting me with the same brush as them, I’ll ask you to give it a second thought. Same as we just did.”

“Will it ever get easier?”

“I sure hope so. But if it doesn’t, I have another suggestion.”

Her eyes brighten. “Yeah?”

“Start wearing more skirts, and every time you think I have ill intent, I’ll prove you wrong with my tongue on your clit.”

A salacious grin decorates her face. “Alan, that’s the second time you’ve mentioned putting your mouth under my skirt.”

I give our joined hands a tug, bringing her back where she was before she got spooked. “It sure is. And if you’d like, I can bring it up a third time. It’s one of my favorite topics.”

She bats her lashes at me, her tongue moistening her supple lips. “Is there a reason it’s so top of mind?”

“Perhaps.”

She twists her body, angling herself toward me. In the process, her book flops onto the floor at my feet.

I bend down to get it, and my attention catches on an unexpected phrase. Holding that page open, I bring it in for a better look. My eyesmustbe deceiving me. Sweet and proper Madeline would never.

She attempts to snatch the book from my hands, but I deflect.

If her earlier grin was salacious, mine must be downright lewd.

“Maddie, what thehellare you reading?”

“A book. Give it back.”

I shake my head. “Oh no. This looks far too interesting.” I peek at the cover. “Possessed by the Vampire King.Catchy title.”

Feigning offense, I shake my head at her and click my tongue. “When you said you read paranormal stories, I thought you meant like ghosts and witches. Not vampires with bites that can—wait, wait, wait. What did it say the bite does?”

“Alan, come on.”

I find the line that caught my eye earlier, reading it aloud. “His fangs sank into my tender flesh, triggering the most intense orgasm of my life. As my body quivered, something inside me snapped into place like a key slipping into the perfect lock. It happened so fast my simple mortal mind could barely comprehend the onslaught of emotions as they blended with wave after wave of carnal pleasure. My spine bowed off the bed, and my eyes rolled back as I shook and convulsed in his arms. He moaned with pleasure, his hold on me tightening. His throbbing manhood pressed against my core, teasing me with ecstasy that’ll remain out of my grasp until I willingly give myself to him. With each vicious tug at my throat, he pulled my lifeblood deeper into his body. Somehow, his essence flowed into me at the same time. I could feel him take root in my soul as if he were implanting himself there, where he’ll linger forevermore. Through it all, my climax persisted, shaking me to my core and blurring the line between pleasure and pain. I began to fear I wouldn’t stop coming until his thirst was quenched.”

Maddie capitalizes on my shock, yanking the book out of my hand and slamming it shut in a huff.

“Hey, wait. What happens next? It was getting good.”

“Don’t judge me for reading vampire smut. What else am I supposed to do for entertainment around here?”

“I’m not judging you, babe. Just surprised.” I grab for the book, narrowly missing it. “But seriously. What happens next? Does she give herself to him willingly? Will she ever stop climaxing? And how did he drink her blood and inject her with his essence at the same time? What was up with that? Is it dark magic? Is he a magic vampire, Maddie? Wait. No. Don’t spoil it for me.”

“Very funny.” She rolls her eyes and giggles. “It was his bond coming to life. When he bit her, it activated a dormant mating bond. She’s his one true mate. No royal vampire has found his true mate for two centuries.”

“Well, that’s fantastic news. I’m sure they’ll be very happy together. With her simple mortal brain and his throbbing manhood.”

She gently smacks my leg with the book. “You jerk-face butthead. You have officially ruined this story for me.”

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