𝐃𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭 ✓

15

I wake up with a weight pressed against my chest. Groaning, I open my eyes and relax when I see dark curls splayed all over the pillow we share. Penelope is wrapped around me, and we are sleeping in Maddox's bed. I try not to panic, moving my foot behind me and settling again when I feel nothing, no one, behind me.

Slowly unwrapping Penelope's small limbs from my body, I replace myself with a pillow. Backing away from the bed quietly, I keep my eye on her and end up backing right into the wall. I spin around quickly to face a broad, naked, tattooed chest belonging to Maddox and I look up to stare at his face instead. Not a wall.

Maddox must have just walked in and I blush at the fact that I slept in his bed last night. The same bed that he did things with that girl in. He is blocking the door, and I tilt my head back down so that I don't have to make eye contact anymore. Breathing in his manly scent, the same one from the products in the bathroom, I try not to relish in it too much. We stand there for who knows how long, neither one of us moving, just standing with little space between us.

"Thanks for last night. You made Penny really happy." He says in a raspy just-got-out-of-bed voice that makes me want to keep him talking. I had never imagined American accents could be attractive until I heard Maddox speak.

"You're welcome, she's adorable," I say, not knowing how else to respond. Maddox shifts to the side, moving away from the door and I take my leave, not looking back and entering my own room. Taking one look in the mirror, I groan at my bed head, wrinkled clothes, and overall rumpled appearance.

I strip my clothes off and grab a towel from the back of the door when it suddenly opens. Maddox is standing there, so close, with my bag from the boutique in his tattooed hands. He is staring at me with a mix of surprise and something else I can't recognize and I quickly realize that I am wearing nothing but a white sports bra and a white thong that I usually only wear for dance. Turning around, I wrap the towel around my body and am very aware of the blush that spread all over my body.

Maddox chuckles. "Turning around didn't help much, Princess." I blush from my cheeks to my toes. Besides Faye's bathing suit that I borrowed the other day, nobody has ever seen me in such little clothing. I turn back around and refuse to look Maddox in his smirking face, embarrassment taking over my entire body. "No need to be embarrassed, you have a killer body." He whispers in my ear after taking a few steps closer. I squeeze the towel tighter around me and continue looking at his chest.

"Thanks." I squeak, unable to say another word. Maddox just chuckles, places the bag on the ground, and exits my room with a parting look that tells me that he doesn't want to leave at all. Watching his back as he walks from my room to his adjoining one, I let out a breath that I didn't know I was holding as soon as his bedroom door closes behind him. I practically sprint into the bathroom, checking, and double-checking that the door is locked before stripping fully and climbing into the spray of water.

Wrapping the towel around me again, I dry off quickly and I open the door, screaming when I see Maddox lurking right outside. He quickly shuts my mouth with his hand under my chin and visibly tries not to laugh. "Sorry, Princess. But Penny wants to know if you'll spend the day with us. She's leaving tomorrow." He informs me, leaning against the wall beside the door with arms crossed and a smug look on his face. I hesitantly nod, not having anything else besides homework planned for the day. Who needs sleep, right? "Good, meet us downstairs for breakfast and we'll go." He walks back to his room and shuts the door behind him, leaving me alone to my thoughts.

How on Earth am I going to survive spending the day with Maddox?

I change into a purple tennis skirt and a long-sleeve white shirt after looking at the wind outside. Taking a quick look in the mirror, I wonder when this shirt became so short. Either it shrunk in the wash or I've grown taller since the last time I wore it. Grabbing my wallet and a pair of socks on the way out of my room, I make my way into the kitchen. before meeting

Maddox and Penelope are sat at the bartop eating waffles with nearly everything you could think of piled on top. Strawberries, blueberries, whipped cream, chocolate chips, and syrup to name a few.

I smile at them, watching Penelope laugh at Maddox who has whipped cream on his nose. He attempts to lick it off with no luck, before wiping it off with a napkin. Joining them, I take Maddox's waffle from his plate and bite into it, moaning at the taste. They both watch and I smile when I make eye contact. Penelope starts laughing as I pull the waffle away from my face and Maddox smirks as he watches me shamelessly eat his food.

"You got a little something..." He says and points to my nose, I bring my hand up to wipe whatever it is away and end up adding more whipped cream and syrup that I didn't realize was on my hand. I glare at him and they both start laughing. Penelope begs to be put down and she runs out of the room just as Maddox leans in closer to me. My breath hitches as he brings his hand up to my face slowly and brushes it over my nose to collect the syrupy mixture on his fingertip.

Pulling his finger away, he presses it to my lips and I unconsciously part them. Encouraging me to taste what is on his finger, I wrap my lips around his finger and collect the syrup and whipped cream, sucking it off as he slides it out of my mouth, all the while I look into his eyes the color of storm clouds.

What the hell was that and why did I like it so much?

I lick my lips and dart my eyes away from him, turning the situation into an awkward one with my reaction. He sits back and stares at me with a nonchalant expression on his face and I bite my lip to ease my nerves which are currently wound tight.

What would Chase think if he knew?