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“That was only once,” Maddox said as if that made it any better. “And I apologized.”
I chuckled. “Which I accepted.”
“Okay, good. I don’t normally threaten the lives of every cute guy I meet, by the way.”
Cute guy… he thinks I’m cute.
Interesting.
“Come,” Maddox said, standing up. My eyes dropped to his thick thighs, filling up his jeans. He held out a hand. I grabbed it, and he helped me up onto my feet. “Let me get you something to drink. It’s been a long day.”
“It definitely has.” I followed next to him as he walked me deeper into the castle. I couldn’t help but admire every square inch. There was a mixture of medieval classic vibes seamlessly melded into a more modern aesthetic. Stained glass windows rained down multicolor light on a clean white leather love seat, polished wooden beams, smooth gray stone, flat-screen TVs near ancient-looking fireplaces, doors that were carved with intricate designs that drew the eye, and more stunning tapestries that appeared to be windows into other worlds.
The kitchen was just as impressive as the rest of the castle, huge and open, with a slab of clean white marble as an island that could fit me and Maddox both if we decided to lie down on it.
Which honestly didn’t sound like such a bad idea. I glanced at Maddox’s back as he opened the fridge, its doors meant to look as though they were part of the clean pale wood of the cabinetry. Now that the hardest part of the day was over, I could focus on other, more frivolous things. I felt like I deserved at least that much. A little eye candy never hurt anyone, and I sure did love my candy.
“Beer alright?”
“Yup,” I said, leaning against the island.
Maddox grabbed two bottles and went over to the sink, digging in a drawer and taking out a beer can opener. His forearm flexed with his movement. Fuck, did I love a nice pair of forearms. They were my favorite body part on a man. That and their legs. I loved a good set of legs I could suffocate between, which hadn’t happened to me in, damn, almost a year now. I’d been so focused on work, on trying to dig myself out of this hole, that I didn’t really have time to download any apps and chase down some dick.
“Hope you don’t mind an IPA.” He handed me the red-and-green bottle.
“Love them,” I said as we clinked the bottles together. “Cheers.”
“Cheers,” Maddox said, blue gaze twinkling. There was a heat there. A fire that burned underneath and licked at the air around us. I started getting warmer, even though the window above the large farmhouse sink was cracked open, a salty, cool breeze slipping in from the nearby ocean.
I drank the cool beer, tasting notes of citrus. Maddox set his bottle down on the counter behind him with a clink. His eyes still pinned me in place. Sparks flew up my scene. My lungs tightened, my chest feeling light.
I knew what came next.
His lips crashed against mine. I tensed for the briefest of moments before every ounce of anxiety and worry evaporated off my body, my lips parting and my tongue meeting his. I groaned in delight, the kiss immediately unraveling me. He held the back of my head in one of his massive hands, directing the kiss that began to consume me from the inside out. I melted as the kiss grew more and more intense, Maddox pinning me to the kitchen island, his body weight encompassing me as I kissed him. I pushed my hands under his shirt and felt the soft skin of his strong back, warmth radiating off him.
“You know,” I said, smiling up at those beautiful blue eyes of his. “For an ice dragon, you’re awfully warm.”
“You stoke the fire inside me, Caleb.”
“Maybe I can stoke something else of yours too?” I teased, shifting underneath him so I could run my hand over the growing bulge in his pants.
“So you can be silly?” Maddox said, biting my bottom lip. His breath mingled with mine. “I thought you were just this hard-ass detective all the time.”
I kissed him back. Every single barrier I’d erected began to come tumbling down. I leaned forward, wanting to melt into him. He was a solid brick wall under my hands. The blue scales above his eyebrow glittered, capturing the sensation that filtered through my chest.
“Only when I’m on the clock.”
“So you’re on the clock, now?”
“Yes, and I’m also on…”
“Don’t say it,” he said, eyes narrowing.
“The…”
“Don’t say?—“
“Cock.”
Maddox and I both started laughing, our bodies fitting together like we were tailor made for this. The laughter slowly died down. His lips returned to mine and the glitter swirling between my ribs exploded, covering any of the self-doubt and loathing I had been feeling for myself earlier today.
