A.J. Kinsey knew he was never meant to love until he meets the one woman he'll break all the Cheaters Club rules for...even if it leaves him broken.
written by @MarriedtoArod
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We could be the only two people in this bar, New York City, the planet, for all I care—because nothing else exists around us. Just this woman.
Everything around me fades. Maddy inhales. We're so close we share the same breath. The rustle of her jeans as she shifts in her seat fills my ears. The heat of her fingers against my thigh, where my leg presses into the seat of her stool, sears through my pants like a brand. Like I belong to her. Even the scent of her skin has taken over, permeating my hair, my shirt—it's everywhere.
I need to know what her lips taste like.
I lean forward to close the distance, and Maddy ducks her head, so I end up with my lips planted on her forehead.
Rejected. I was pretty sure the attraction wasn't all in my head.
Maddy doesn't pull away, instead she braces herself with her hands splayed across my chest. Those hands. I can't help myself, my cock twitches from each pad of her fingertips sinking into my pecs. The electricity between us surges into my body—she has to feel it, too.
I slip my hand around her face, tucking a few hairs behind her ear. She inhales again, the hitch of her breath obvious, and it ripples through me. My lips press hard against her forehead—it's all I can do not to crush her into me, feel her enclosed in my arms.
"A.J., I can't." Maddy doesn't pull away, but the way her hands press into my chest, she's close to finding her will power.
All it takes are those words to defeat me. They hit me hard, every sense reawakening—a flurry of conversations of surrounding patrons flood my ears, the heavy scent of beer and sweat invade my nostrils, and the heat of the room causes perspiration to dampen my shirt.
I don't test her resolve and pull away. Sure, I've been turned away by enough girls—I've had my fair share of rejections, but this may be the first one I care about. I don't know why. It's not a game of can-I-seal-the-deal. Maybe because her husband is a total dick and I can prove she can do better. Or maybe I've played right into Holden's hand.
I don't know which one it is, but my fucking heart just fell into my stomach. And it sucks.
I pull away and Maddy's gaze meets mine. "Let's get out of here."
Before she has a chance to drop me again, I grab her hand and pull her through the crowded bar. On the streets of New York, the evening air sweeps around us, blocking out the chatter and heat of the bar. We stand on the sidewalk in awkward silence, the City moving past us like we don't exist—buses, cabs, vendors, people, and pets.
And I don't know what to say. I look into Maddy's eyes, and for the first time in my life I don't know how to jump without thinking. This whole fucking moment is so full of I-don't-knows that I'm sure this is one messed up dream.
