tonight, I’m just going to drop you off,” he repeated, his tone more decisive than the last time. Although, he wasn’t sure who he was trying to convince more.
Madison’s hand immediately went to her lap. “Okay.” She had a hard time disguising the hurt in her voice. Having a man turn down her advances wasn’t something she was used to. In fact, if anyone had been doing the turning down, it was her.
The rest of the ride was filled with tension for an entirely different reason.
When he pulled into the driveway, Declan put the car into park but didn’t turn off the ignition.
“Is it me, Declan?” Madison finally asked, although she wasn’t even sure where the question came from. She was strong and confident, but something about the way he turned her down hit her the wrong way. She had opened up. And cried. It seemed for every brick of wall she had taken down, he had suddenly put them all back up.
Shit. Maybe he thinks I’m some softy that gets all weepy and sappy at shit now.
“No, Madison. Not at all.” He shifted in his seat so he was facing her.
“Then what is it?”
“God, yes ,” he almost groaned.
Madison looked at him, completely confused by his response. “Yes, what ?” she asked, waiting for him to explain.
“I am attracted to you. So damn attracted to you. And I enjoy spending time with you. You’re beautiful and funny and strong …”
“Then what is it, Declan? I don’t understand.”
“I just don’t want to rush into anything.”
“And you coming in tonight would be rushing?”
“Yes …”
Madison nodded. She was lost somewhere between hurt and disbelief.
“Please say something.”
“I’m not sure quite sure what to say, Declan. You want me, but you don’t.”
He sighed, taking her hands in his and running his thumbs over her knuckles. “It’ll happen. Just not tonight.”
For what felt like several long minutes, they sat in silence, looking at each other, past each other, and then back into each other’s eyes again.
“I guess I should go,” Madison finally said, breaking the silence.
Declan nodded, hoping he hadn’t just ruined everything. “I’ll see you tomorrow? At class?”
“Yeh, I’ll see if I can make it.”
Feeling hurt and pissed off, again , Madison removed her hands from his and opened the car door. She got out and walked up to the door, alone. Taking her keys from her purse, she unlocked the door, and walked in the house. And without looking back to him, she closed the door.
Chapter 9
“Seriously. He fucking turned me down, telling me we would be rushing things or some crazy shit like that.”
Jessa looked at Madison, sharing in her friend’s disbelief. She hadn’t known anyone to turn down Madison Quinn before. Never.
“Maybe he has a good reason?” she offered. “Maybe he’s just more cautious, like something happened in his past to make him want to wait.”
“Maybe.” Madison tried to look at the scenario from a different angle. It wasn’t like Jessa to use logic to figure out why someone did or didn’t do something, so she had to give the idea some consideration.
“You don’t think … You don’t think he’s a virgin, do you?”
Madison looked at her friend, completely speechless. Finally finding her voice, she spoke. “No. No way in hell. You’ve seen this guy. There is not a chance.” She took another drink from her glass and her eyebrows shot up at a memory. “No, he’s not. He told me had a one-night stand once.”
“Well, thank God for that!”
Jessa looked at her friend, trying to read her expression and finally seeing something she had been experiencing herself. Someone had finally cracked the barrier. Someone had found their way beneath Madison’s Kevlar exterior and was crawling into her heart.
“You like this guy,” Jessa pointed out, and it nearly sounded like an accusation.
Madison looked quickly to her friend, ready to reject the claim, but couldn’t. There was
Madison’s hand immediately went to her lap. “Okay.” She had a hard time disguising the hurt in her voice. Having a man turn down her advances wasn’t something she was used to. In fact, if anyone had been doing the turning down, it was her.
The rest of the ride was filled with tension for an entirely different reason.
When he pulled into the driveway, Declan put the car into park but didn’t turn off the ignition.
“Is it me, Declan?” Madison finally asked, although she wasn’t even sure where the question came from. She was strong and confident, but something about the way he turned her down hit her the wrong way. She had opened up. And cried. It seemed for every brick of wall she had taken down, he had suddenly put them all back up.
Shit. Maybe he thinks I’m some softy that gets all weepy and sappy at shit now.
“No, Madison. Not at all.” He shifted in his seat so he was facing her.
“Then what is it?”
“God, yes ,” he almost groaned.
Madison looked at him, completely confused by his response. “Yes, what ?” she asked, waiting for him to explain.
“I am attracted to you. So damn attracted to you. And I enjoy spending time with you. You’re beautiful and funny and strong …”
“Then what is it, Declan? I don’t understand.”
“I just don’t want to rush into anything.”
“And you coming in tonight would be rushing?”
“Yes …”
Madison nodded. She was lost somewhere between hurt and disbelief.
“Please say something.”
“I’m not sure quite sure what to say, Declan. You want me, but you don’t.”
He sighed, taking her hands in his and running his thumbs over her knuckles. “It’ll happen. Just not tonight.”
For what felt like several long minutes, they sat in silence, looking at each other, past each other, and then back into each other’s eyes again.
“I guess I should go,” Madison finally said, breaking the silence.
Declan nodded, hoping he hadn’t just ruined everything. “I’ll see you tomorrow? At class?”
“Yeh, I’ll see if I can make it.”
Feeling hurt and pissed off, again , Madison removed her hands from his and opened the car door. She got out and walked up to the door, alone. Taking her keys from her purse, she unlocked the door, and walked in the house. And without looking back to him, she closed the door.
Chapter 9
“Seriously. He fucking turned me down, telling me we would be rushing things or some crazy shit like that.”
Jessa looked at Madison, sharing in her friend’s disbelief. She hadn’t known anyone to turn down Madison Quinn before. Never.
“Maybe he has a good reason?” she offered. “Maybe he’s just more cautious, like something happened in his past to make him want to wait.”
“Maybe.” Madison tried to look at the scenario from a different angle. It wasn’t like Jessa to use logic to figure out why someone did or didn’t do something, so she had to give the idea some consideration.
“You don’t think … You don’t think he’s a virgin, do you?”
Madison looked at her friend, completely speechless. Finally finding her voice, she spoke. “No. No way in hell. You’ve seen this guy. There is not a chance.” She took another drink from her glass and her eyebrows shot up at a memory. “No, he’s not. He told me had a one-night stand once.”
“Well, thank God for that!”
Jessa looked at her friend, trying to read her expression and finally seeing something she had been experiencing herself. Someone had finally cracked the barrier. Someone had found their way beneath Madison’s Kevlar exterior and was crawling into her heart.
“You like this guy,” Jessa pointed out, and it nearly sounded like an accusation.
Madison looked quickly to her friend, ready to reject the claim, but couldn’t. There was
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