Chapter 19: Everything About You Is Against The Rules

••~~CORIAN~~••

I groaned under my breath, “Maddison...” I went to shut it down before it could go anywhere.

She cut me off. “I saw a funeral brochure in the back seat of the car. Had your name on it.”

“Damn it, Ausley…” I hissed under my breath.

“He didn’t say anything. Just went mute like a fish. I’ve been spiraling since. What am I supposed to think?” She shrugged.

Her voice had gone small. Real.

The jokes were gone now. Just her. Scared. Curious. Like a sweet little puppy.

Sweet what?

Fucking glitch!!!

“You are not supposed to think anything. That’s my personal shit. And you were snooping, Maddison.” I growled, pissed to my guts.

She didn’t even try to deny it.

“Are you?”

She looked into me. Like deep.

Like past-the-surface deep.

Fuck.

My fists dug on the edge of the bed.

“You’re breaking the rules. My personal life is off-limits.”

She bit her lip again and I swear to God I blacked out for two seconds.

“So you are dying.”

“Maddison…” I tried again.

“No. Say it. Are you?”

Why the hell should it matter to her if I’m dying? She’s my damn escort, not my priest.

I leaned in, crowding her space. “This is a contract. You’re here to fuck me any way I want it. Not question me every way I don’t.”

Her body jerked and suddenly….

Blaghhh.

Right on my shirt.

She vomited. Full send.

“Shit,” I muttered, looking down. “Sorry…” she wiped her mouth, still wobbly. “My bad…”

“Bathroom. Now.”

I lifted her up, vomit and all, and carried her into the shower.

Set her down gently, even though I was pissed and turned on and confused all at the same time.

Water came on.

She shivered. Then giggled.

Oh boy.

“You think this is funny?” I snapped.

She nodded, giggling like a little menace. “I feel funny.”

“That’s cause you are high.” I growled.

Her grin stretched wider, like she’d just pulled off a heist. “It’s the first time.”

I raised a brow.  “How is that even possible?”

She shrugged, wrapping her arms around me. We were both under the water now.

“You don’t look like you’re dying,” God… she was going there again. “You look so damn irresistible,” she added, her voice soft, sexy, stupid.

“Are you flirting with me, Ms. Summers?”

Because I never flirt. It’s just not something I do.

She smiled. “Is that against the rules?”

Everything about her was against the rules.

Me in here, drenched under the shower enduring her flirt with me, her vomit all over me and still fucking hungry for her.

I was too deep in glitch mode to care.

“Oh baby girl, it’s all against the rules,” I said, pulling her against me.

Her hips moved, felt me hard under my shorts.

She gasped.

Her hands moved into my hair. Gentle. Slow.

I flinched. But I didn’t stop her.

I didn’t want to.

“I think I don’t wanna lose you…” She whispered.

It sounded like drunk words but she had sincere eyes.

“I am stupid, I know. I don’t even know you…” She added with a breathy laugh “…. just the ‘you’ that does nasty things to my body and makes me watch.”

I grabbed her ass full-on.

She had underwear on.

Praise Jesus.

I dropped my face into her neck, letting her warmth pull me in. “You have no idea how nasty I’m gonna be with you after this.”

“I don’t want you to die…” She hushed, her breath ghosting over my back.

Nope.

Nope nope nope.

She was digging in again.

I lifted my head, caught those dreamy eyes. “People die, Maddison. It’s how the world works.”

“So it’s true then. You are dying,” Her twin hazels didn’t blink. Didn’t move. Just locked on me.

“You’re stretching the limit, baby girl.”

My voice dropped. Fingers slid up her neck, tangled into her hair.

Damn.

It feels so fucking soft.

I expected her to back off. Redirect. Change the subject. Fake a cough.

But not Maddison Summers.

Instead, she leaned in, brave little thing, and started lazily toying with my beard like I was her emotional support grizzly.

“Don’t you have… family? Where are they?”

Oh fuck.

Right hook to the gut.

She had no idea how dangerous she was threading.

Oh I am going to get her so bad for this behaviour.

“Way off limits, Maddison, way off.” I grunted, warning.

She blinked, but didn’t stop fiddling. Didn’t stop looking at me like she could fix something.

Her voice dropped to a whisper. “Let’s say you are dying….” She’s not dropping this. “What are you gonna miss? Anyone? Anything? Airplanes? Burgers? Granola?” She giggled.

This girl…. breaking the rules... soaking wet, hair sticking to her cheeks, shirt plastered to her skin… two firm mounds pushing through the fabric like they begging me to touch them. Nipples pointing, waiting and she’s still making jokes.

I was getting dangerously aroused.

Which pissed me off.

She pissed me off.

“I don’t miss a damn thing. Never have.” I said, dropping my head right between her tits, through the soaked fabric and took a bite of one. Hard.

Her back bowed off my arms like her whole body wasn’t expecting it but craved it anyway.

She gasped, fingers flying into my hair, tugging like she wanted more.

“Nothing?” She asked. Still.

“No one’s gonna miss me either,” I added, biting the second one.

She trembled. “I will. I think…”

That made me look up.

For real.

Eyes locked. Heavy breathing.

“No. You’ll miss how I ruined you. And when you wake up sober, I’m gonna show you how bad I can ruin you even more.”

She shuddered. I sniffed her neck.

Alcohol. Soap. Vanilla.

Crack for my brain.

“I wanna take you to my mirror room so bad,” I muttered. “I know I promised not to. But damn it Maddison, I want to break you. And I want to watch you break.”

“Then break me… Corian Van Halen,” she whispered, eyes fluttering and…..

Down she went.

Passed. The. Fuck. Out.

“Fuck,” I breathed.

I had to reboot for like ten seconds. It took a mental picture of Colby Van-Halen’s face to get my erection to retire.

Then I washed her, carefully. Gently.

My first time ever washing someone else.

She was warm. Soft. Trouble.

Got her into clean clothes.

Sweater. Shorts. She mumbled something cute.

And then I felt her cringe in my arms…. a twitch. A pull back, like she was trying to disappear inside herself.

“Stop… Bernie… stop… Mom’s not here…” That fear in that tiny voice ripped a groan out of me.

My arms locked around her without thinking.

Her fists were light but panicked. Pushing me off.

“No… please… I don’t want to Bernie…”

What the actual hell.

Bernie?

My blood boiled instantly.

“Maddison,” I tried to hold her but she only pushed.

“Stop…. no…. stop.” Eyes shut. Lips trembling. She was dreaming. Reliving.

Who the fuck is Bernie?