Page 44 of Ravaged For You

“I’ve got to go,” she says, stuttering over her words.

“But you don’t know about my life yet,” I reply, but she’s already grabbing her backpack and getting ready to leave.

“I’ve read enough on the internet about you, Axel. I know what you’re like…”

“Don’t believe anything you read on there. Sit down and let me tell you about myself.”

Maddie shakes her head. Her movements are jerky. Awkward.

“I’m just tired,” she says as an excuse. “It’s been a long day. I just want my bed. I’ll see you soon.”

“You have to see me soon,” I reply. “You signed a contract.”

“Don’t remind me,” she says.

And then she walks out.

21

MADDIE

There isn’t much for me to pack up inside the dingy motel room, but I still take my time. Most of my things are still in the storage unit that Lucas’ hired, and I don’t have the effort to go and collect them just yet. If I’m going on tour with Ravaged, then I might as well only pack the essentials.

At least I’m not living out of this crappy room. Goodbye.

As I stand next to the motel room’s bed, my phone vibrates in my pocket. I check it. My bank has a new notification for me.

It seems like Lucas has deposited the first half of my payment, and it’s already come through.

My mouth drops as I stare dumbly at my phone. The number on my screen is bigger than I’ve ever seen in any bank account by a long shot. An entire lifetime of earnings is just sitting there in a space where there was nothing just minutes ago, and this is just the first half of what I’m going to receive.

Holy shit.

So. This is all real. Now it dawns on me.

This is actually freaking happening.

This means I’ve definitely got to uphold my end of the deal now. I’ve got to spend the next few months with the most arrogant rockstar on the planet in order to actually earn this massive stinking pile of money that’s just been deposited in my bank.

But then Axel’s words from yesterday on Lucas’ couch echo in my head like they have been doing all day. Those words I did not expect in the slightest to come pouring from his mouth.

There’s nothing average about you, Maddie. I mean it.

As much as I detest Axel and his exasperating bad boy attitude, I have to admit that those words he said made my heart soar. I didn’t know how to process what he whispered to me that I freaked out and almost immediately ran away back to the motel. It was just so unanticipated, especially coming from him. Before the meeting at Lucas’ place, I’d prepared myself mentally for all the ways Axel would and could react to me. All the little infuriating things he might throw at me. I cycled through all the scenarios in my head, just to make sure. But, despite my calculations, I hadn’t expected that he might - at some point - actually be nice to me. That he would compliment me like that.

That he would flirt with me.

And that’s why I scrambled out of there like a terrified little mouse. I just could not handle a gorgeous rockstar like him genuinely seducing me.

Sure, maybe he simply wanted to get into my panties. He is a red-blooded man after all, but I swear that glint in his eye as he whispered those words to me was more than just lust.

It was something more.

I shake my head and put away my phone.

Maybe it all means nothing. Maybe I’m just overthinking things like I usually do. It wouldn’t be the first time.

Stop overthinking, Maddie.