Page 36 of Make You Beg

I shrug. Can’t deny I’d probably do that.

“Maybe I’m a romantic at heart,” I say to prove her wrong.

“You?” She scoffs. “Come on now, Kayden.”

“Fine, you got me. I’d probably skip to the smut.”

“I mean…” She bites her bottom lip, sneaking another look at me before diverting her gaze. “Sometimes the smut is the best part. Sometimes all you want to read about is two people getting it on. It’s a mood thing and that’s fine, too.”

“Wait.” I draw my eyebrows together. “So you’re grilling me about skipping to the hanky panky, and now you’re saying it’s actually okay?”

“I wasn’t grilling you.” She sets the book on her lap. “I was pointing things out. And I wasn’t wrong, was I?”

Here’s the Maddy I know. The one who’ll never settle for a moment of peace with me.

I roll my eyes. “Right. Anyway, done with your literary porn?”

Her cheeks blush, and she nods.

Her hairstyle’s different today. Her brunette locks are tied back with a red bow, her two pink streaks decorating the sides of her face. Combined with the long cream-colored dress she’s wearing, it gives off innocence and sophistication.

“Saw the puck. You wanted to talk?”

“Yes.” Madelyn’s shoulders relax. She leans back a bit and rests her hands at her sides. “I didn’t want to bother you. You look so busy and stressed these days.”

“You’re welcome to bother me. If you haven’t noticed, I’m into that. I thrive on chaos,” I say. “No, but really, that’s why I gave you the puck, Little Demon. You’re very welcome to push it to my face mid one of my private coding sessions. Would love to see the look on Mr. Higgles’s face when you do.”

My coding tutor is a middle-aged man with zero sense of humor and an all-business attitude. He wouldn’t find it amusing at all, but I would.

She softens. “I’ll take that into account.”

“So, what did you want to talk about?”

She shrugs. “Actually…nothing. I like being here, with you.” She avoids my gaze. “It makes me calm. Away from all the noise in my head.”

“You can always talk to me about all that noise in your head.”

She stares ahead, the night falling, the annoying stars making an appearance, along with a half-moon. The air between us grows thick.

“I knew you were tense, so I brought these.” She picks out what she was resting underneath her book and extends one my way. “Plus, the air here makes your skin dry. These are supposed to be both relaxing and hydrating.”

“What are these?”

“Face masks.”

I examine the package in my hand. It reads ‘Relaxing Devil Mask’, and it’s designed to look like a red devil face.

I cackle and look at hers. ‘Relaxing Angel Mask’. And it’s white with hearts.

She’s still sticking to her signature teasing, I see.

“The fuck?” She’s unbelievable, though. “Now that I don’t have time to bully you twenty-four seven, we’ve suddenly become besties who do skin care together? What’s next? Mani-pedis?”

She gives me a firm smile. “If you want.”

“Hell no.” I stare at her. She opens her pack and unwraps the mask, placing it on her face. It sticks like glue. “Oh, fuck it. Let’s do it.”

I tear mine open.