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He cocked his head to the side, crossed his arms. “Do you really think I’m capable of judging you?”
I was about to argue with him when I realized it would be futile. “Alright, fine. Lily needs to be walked anyway.”
“Perfect,” Maddox said. I started walking out of his horde room and was surprised by a slap to the ass. I did a little jump and turned around, seeing Maddox flash me a mischievous grin.
Damn. This man was somehow hotter than all these matches thrown together.
Somehow, I managed to keep myself from straddling him on the ride back to my place. I teased him some more about the matches, secretly loving how I was one of the few who got the privilege to even step into the room. He teased me back, mentioning my powers as we parked in front of my building, lucky enough to find street parking right outside. The two-floor, run-down apartment building was a huge contrast to the Malibu castle we had just come from.
“With us having two of the paintings, I don’t think we need to rush stealing the third, don’t want to make any mistakes. But also, with Amelia…” Maddox said as we walked up the creaking steps to my place. Lily must have sensed us because she already scratched at the door.
“I get it,” I said. “And I completely agree. Besides, knowing what happens when all three are united, I really don’t want the Crimson Ring having even one. It’s just, well, if we’re going to get the painting back, I’m going to need to learn how to make illusions that last longer than a sneeze.”
“You will. I believe in you. I trust Claire, too. She’ll be able to teach you everything.”
“I hope so.” I opened the door, and Lily bolted out, jumping on me first before playfully bouncing off Maddox. He got down in a crouch and gave her some good neck scratches, being careful not to get accidentally whacked in the face by one of her curving horns. After introductions, I took her downstairs so she could use the bathroom. When I got back inside, Maddox had already made himself at home, having kicked off his shoes by the door, and was sitting on the couch, flipping through a magazine my roommate had left on the coffee table.
“What the hell is Jared even doing reading magazines anymore? Doesn’t he have an iPad?”
Maddox chuckled and set the car magazine down. “Is that your roommate?”
“Yeah. He’s not home now, or we’d probably smell weed coming from his bedroom.”
Maddox got up from the couch and looked around the messy living room. There were socks scattered around the floor, dog toys spilling out of a cardboard box next to the tiny entertainment console holding up a television that was way too large for it. The trash in the kitchen was overflowing, and the sink had been left a disaster by Jared, who enjoyed cooking a seven-course meal for himself and never doing the dishes after.
I clapped my hands together. “Well, you’ve seen my apartment. Can we go now?”
“I don’t get the full tour?” Maddox asked, flashing those ocean-blue puppy eyes at me. The same ones he gave Macy, except I’m pretty sure they had a different effect on me.
“Fine. So this is the living room, that’s the kitchen, that’s the bathroom we share, and that’s my bedroom. There. Tour done. Let’s go get McDonald’s or something.”
Maddox laughed, stepping over a discarded pair of sweatpants. I groaned. He looked so out of place inside my apartment. His head practically touched the ceiling, his clothes more expensive than my half of the rent for the month. hell, the two silver chains around his neck were probably worth more than this entire building was.
I opened the door to my bedroom. It was the complete opposite of Maddox’s. The bed was small with a frame that I’d bought off someone online, the mattress a size too small to properly fit it. The bed wasn’t made either, Lily having dragged off the comforter when she ran to say hi to us. I pushed it back onto the bed and tried not to die of embarrassment.
“Well,” I said, slapping my thighs and falling back on my bed, the springs protesting. “That’s the grand tour. Not as roomy as your castle, but it does the job.”
Maddox grinned and came to sit down next to me. The mattress dipped, the bed creaking even louder with the added weight. I clearly didn’t bring over many people, or I likely would have gotten a new bed by now.
“I love it. Thank you for having me over.”
“Love is a strong word.”
“I know,” he said. His hand rested on my thigh, nearly encompassing the entire muscle with his size. “I’m just happy to see a piece of you. Same way I showed you my horde room. I want to know all about you, where you’re from, and who you are. Getting to see your place, getting to meet Lily, it makes me happy. So thank you.”
