Page 63 of Dirty Dix

My body temperature spikes as I slip under the covers because I don’t usually wear anything to bed. But seeing as that was highly inappropriate, I’ve thrown on a pair of sweats and a tee. Staying dressed is going to be a miracle, however, as my already heated body doesn’t need any extra warmth.

“Dixon?” Madison says, her voice the only beacon of light in the dark.

“Yes?”

“Thank you for allowing me to stay over. I like being here. I feel…safe,” she professes in a mere whisper.

If that wasn’t the sweetest darn thing I’ve ever heard, then I don’t know what is.

“I like you being here too,” I declare. “I feel…”

Whatdoyou feel, Dixon? I question myself. Thinking of the appropriate phrase, I know that only one word is enough.

“Happy,” I conclude, not feeling like a total pussy for saying my thoughts aloud.

“And you haven’t been before?”

Her simple question strikes a nerve, and I reply honestly. “Not for a long time, no.”

And it’s true. I may have been sexually satisfied, but I always knew what an egotistical asshole I was, sleeping with endless, faceless women and not giving a damn.

“Well, I’m glad I make you happy because you make me happy too,” she confesses, and the strain in her voice reveals just how hard that was for her.

Her petite body wrapped in my huge bed is doing things to my head that I haven’t experienced in a very long time. And I don’t mean the head between my legs. I think I’m falling and falling hard for Madison. Her innocence, purity, and honesty are like a breath of fresh air, and it’s only now I’ve realized how oxygen-deprived I’ve been.

As she shuffles closer, her vanilla scent wraps me in a tight bubble, and I can’t stop myself as I inch forward, wanting to bask in her fragrance.

“If I snore, wake me up, okay?”

I laugh lightly at her sincerity. “I’m sure you don’t. But if by chance you do, I’ll just smother you with my pillow.” She giggles, the bed jolting with her amusement.

“Okay, deal.” There is a pregnant pause before she shyly discloses, “I haven’t slept beside anyone before.”

“Ever?” I ask, taken aback.

Is this beautiful woman telling me she’s a goddamn virgin?

My question is answered when she simply replies, “Never.”

That single word is my undoing, and I slowly bend forward, kissing her on the forehead. I linger a little longer than I should, but I can’t help it.

“Well, I’ll try my best to make it a memorable first time,” I say, pulling away slowly.

I hope my admission doesn’t freak her out because it could be misconstrued. But in a way, I want her to keep that thought in her mind. We’re quiet for a few moments, facing one anotherin the dark, but I can feel her inquisitive eyes on me, no doubt absorbing what I just said.

“Good night, Madison,” I drowsily say, my eyes drifting shut, her gentle breaths lulling me to sleep.

“Dixon?” she whispers.

“Yes.”

“You already have,” she divulges.

I don’t reply because the only way to do so would be smashing my lips to hers. I can’t do that for so many reasons, but the one that stands at the forefront is the fact that, once I start, I don’t think I’ll be able to stop.

And that scares the living hell out of me.

I wake suddenly, a fine sheen of sweat covering my entire body. And it’s not because I’m slowly roasting under my sheets. I have a weird feeling that I heard someone outside my front door. Madison is breathing softly beside me, her exhalations deep and relaxed, so she obviously didn’t hear a thing.

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