The loud slam of her door reverberates throughout the office.
Oh, I am completely fucked.
I swallow hard, the lump in my throat tightening as nerves twist painfully in my gut. My promise to remain professional flew out the window when I saw him—I completely lost my cool. Now, I’ll probably have to pay the consequence.
“Thanks for ruining my shirt,” Maddox snaps.
“You make all that money bouncing balls for a living. You’ll be alright.”
Maddox unbuttons his shirt, revealing the glorious physique only a professional athlete can achieve. I try not to stare but fail miserably, completely captivated by the man standing in front of me. He’s always been in shape, but now he’s even more ripped than ever before.
A dragon tattoo coils around his sculpted arm, the artwork so well done it’s practically coming off his skin. My eyes wander upward, catching on the familiar characters inked on the side of his neck: Japanese Kanji for“never give up.”Those words slam me back to the past, to the day he turned eighteen, when I sat beside him in that dimly lit tattoo parlor, my fingers laced withhis. I’d gotten roses etched into my thigh that day, a quiet rebellion we shared.
My eyes drop lower and a flood of sinful memories surges forward. Like how I once touched him like he was mine. And how we danced, tangled in sheets. Or how we talked about getting more tattoos together. I wonder what the canvas of our bodies would look like if we had kept that promise.
“If you wanted me to take my clothes off, all you had to do was ask.” Maddox smirks, clearly amused by the fact that I’ve been staring at him for what feels like an eternity.
I huff, rolling my eyes. “Please, don’t flatter yourself.”
“So, what brings you back home?” Maddox asks. “I thought you would be on your way to becoming some big-shot fashion designer in New York by now.”
“That’s none of your damn business,” I snap.
“Come on, Monroe. Can you be an adult for a second? We need to talk about what happened.”
“There’s nothing to talk about.”
Maddox takes a step forward, reaching for me. “You can’t stay mad at me.”
“Oh, you have some damn nerve. How the hell are you gonna tell me how I should be feeling?” I jab a finger into his chest. “You have no right, after what you did.”
He lets out a frustrated groan, raking his fingers through his hair. “Damn it, Annalise. How many times do I have to explain myself to you? I didn’t?—”
“Save your breath, Kamado! Everything that comes out of your mouth is a lie anyway.”
“You haven’t changed one bit.” His nostrils flare as he leans in, our faces merely inches apart. “You’re still so fucking stubborn.”
“And you’re still a self-absorbed asshole,” I bite back, shoving him hard in the chest.
“Mr. Kamado, I brought you a—” Veronica drops theshirt she was holding. “Oh my!” She blushes furiously, gawking at Maddox’s half-naked body.
Realizing that her eyes have been lingering on him for far too long, she clears her throat and bends down to pick the shirt up off the floor. “I, uh—I brought you a—a polo. I’m sorry I don’t have a nicer shirt for you. I plan on creating a business casual line with comfortable, sweat-resistant clothing.”
“That sounds incredible, Ms. Zhang. I’m sure it will be a huge success.” He smiles.
“You can call me Veronica,” she drawls, twirling her hair.
So disgusting.
Veronica’s attention snaps to me. “What are you doing still standing here, Alexa? Get out of my office.”
I hold back an eye roll as I leave. For fuckingonce, it would be great if she got my name right.
“You used to date Maddox Kamado, and you didn’t tell me?” Ivy stares at me, her brows knitted together as a mixture of bewilderment and curiosity dances in her eyes.
“Announce it to the whole world, why don’t you?” I grumble. Her mouth stays hanging open for a solid ten seconds.
“Were y’all serious?”
