Do You Dare? by Lylah James

CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

Maddox

A week later

My fingers drummed over my thighs as I waited for Lila to come down the stairs. I left her an hour ago to get dressed, and if we didn’t leave in five minutes, we were going to be late to the gala.

I was in a tuxedo, which was appropriate for the evening gala we were attending. It was an auctioning event and dinner, my parents being the guests of honor. My dad called me last night and demanded me to be present. I told him to fuck off and hung up with absolutely no intention to attend the gala. I didn’t give a fuck if this was important to him or that it was appropriate for me to be there to show my face and support to my parents.

It was Lila who convinced me.

The gala was being held in California, and she wanted to visit the beach. Lila said it was a great opportunity for a small vacation after such a long semester, and I couldn’t say no to her. I could never refuse her of anything.

So, we took a plane here. We’d go to the gala tonight, and tomorrow, I was going to teach her how to surf.

The sound of heels clicking against the hardwood brought my attention to the stairs. Lila came into view, and my breath caught in my throat.

Breathtaking.

She descended the stairs carefully, a silky black off-the-shoulder dress clinging to her slender curves and fluttering around her feet, which were adorned with glittering silver heels. It was plain and simple, yet elegant with a thigh high split. Her creamy thigh was visible through the gap as she walked toward me, a silver clutch in her hand.

Her hair was piled up on her head, in a bun, with a few curly strands of black hair fanning her cheeks. Her dreamcatcher necklace hung between the valley of her breasts, and she wore a smile that made my knees weak.

She did a slow spin. “So, how do I look?”

Her pouty red lips had my dick straining against my black slacks and I stifled a groan.

“Pretty,” I rumbled.

Lila pursed her lips, pouting. “Just pretty?”

I took a step toward her, unable to stop myself. “Gorgeous. Beautiful. Exquisite. Stunning. Lovely. Angelic. Breathtaking. Ravishing. Elegant. Bewitching. Alluring. Heavenly. The angels would bow to you because they can’t compete. So. Fucking. Exquisite.”

Her lips parted, a hitch in her breathing, and she blinked at me through her long, thick lashes that should have been unnatural but everything about Lila was natural. “You said exquisite twice,” she breathed.

My fingers skimmed over her bare arms. Her skin broke into goosebumps and a small shiver racked through her small frame. “Because you’re twice as exquisite,” I confessed, in a raspy croak.

My body burned with a sensation I knew too well, and my pants grew tight around my groin as my dick became harder in her mere presence. I didn’t even have to touch her, and I was already leaking cum at the tip.

It was lust, I told myself.

But I lusted after other women before, and whatever I felt for Lila didn’t come close to lust.

And I hated myself for feeling this way.

Just like I hated myself on that morning, a week ago. I woke up to be an empty bed, but I still felt Lila’s presence next to me. It was a dream; though, it had seemed so real, so vivid.

And my boxers had been sticky with my release. I couldn’t remember the last time I had a wet dream and spilled cum in the middle of the night like a horny teenager, but Lila… fuck, she invaded even my dreams with her sweet voice and sinful touches.

I dreamed of fucking her… my best friend. The same friend I made countless pinky swears with.

Friends?

Friends.

I destroyed the innocence of our relationship–the sweetness of our friendship. I made it into something… dirty, and it was no longer pure and no longer untouched by my forbidden desires. It was my guilt to bear for the rest of our lives.

Little did she know…

Sweet Lila, I fucked up.

Her lips curled. “Such a sweet tongue. I’m almost jealous of all the girls you’ve said those things to.”

My heart squeezed at her words. “Your jealousy is not needed because I’ve never called another woman those words.”

No one had ever measured up to Lila since she came into my life. No other woman had ever been… beautiful or exquisite.

Her eyes widened before she quickly tried to mask her surprise. “Liar.”

I cupped her elbow, steering her away from the stairs. “I don’t lie.”

Lila mumbled something incorrigible under her breath before she rolled her eyes. We walked out of the beach house, which was owned by me–well, my parents. We had a caretaker who cleaned up and kept the house safe while we weren’t here. My parents and I used to spend a lot of time here when I was younger, a child.

Before everything changed and I became a stranger in my own goddamn house and to my own parents.

A limousine was waiting for us outside. Lila let out a breathy laugh. “Seriously, a limo?”

I shrugged, halfheartedly. “The host for the gala tonight arranged it. Apparently, he sent a limo to all his guests.”

Her eyes crinkled to the sides as her smile broadened. “Damn. I don’t what it means to be that rich. Pardon me for being a lowly peasant.”

We climbed into the limo, and the driver peeled out of the parking space, taking off through the neighborhood I was familiar with. The drive to the gala was short, and we were only about fifteen minutes late due to traffic.

We walked into the ballroom, and all eyes fell on us. Lila’s fingers tightened around my elbow, gripping me hard, as though her life depended on it. I got you.

I met my father’s gaze with a hard one, and he jerked his chin at me in greeting. My mother smiled, though it was tight. Probably fake, too, but I didn’t know any longer since I long stopped caring if it was real or fake.

The moment we descended the stairs, I was surrounded. I was Brad Coulter’s son–prestigious, important and held in high honor.

The night ended before it started. My bow tie suddenly felt like it was restricting my air flow, and my skin itched. This was exactly why I didn’t want to attend this gala because all they were talking about was when I’d take over my dad’s company–asking about the future. He built an empire, and I was the only heir.

I was approached by businessmen left and right. They laughed, and we shared a drink, appearing as courteous as I could be.

I loathed it.

Lila stayed by my side until she was pulled away by the wives. I kept my gaze on her, watching her every move. She didn’t know these people, and I knew this was beyond her comfort zone.

But she was here for me.

My date for tonight, my friend and my ally.

A slow song came up, and the couples spilled onto the dance floor. This was my chance. I nodded at the gentlemen and made my brisk escape, stalking toward Lila. Her head snapped up as if we were connected by an invisible thread, and she could feel me coming for her.

Her brown eyes brightened, and a small smile twisted her lips with relief.

“Maddox.” My name spilled from her lips, and my chest squeezed.

“Sorry, ladies. Can I steal my date away for a dance?” I asked, offering Lila my hand. She giggled and took my hand, and I whisked her away.

“My savior,” she whispered as we joined the other couples on the dance floor.

“I thought you didn’t need a savior or protector.”

Her eyes narrowed on me, and she pinched my bicep. I swallowed back my laugh. “Forget I said that. I take it back,” she grumbled.

Beautiful Lila, sweet Lila.

My hands landed on her hips and hers curled around the back of my neck. The second her soft skin touched mine, I realized what a mistake it was.

We were too close, after I’d been trying to put distance between us.

Her body pressed against mine, and my fingers teased the top curve of her ass before I gripped her hips again. She swayed to the music, and we slowly started dancing.

This was a bad decision, and my dick was pissed at me.

Her cheeks were flushed, and I wanted to ask her what she was thinking about.

Was it as forbidden as my own thoughts?

Did her desires match mine?

I shook my head, trying to clear my mind.

“What’s wrong?” Lila asked, her voice delicate. She tilted her head to the side, her eyes sparking with curiosity.

My eyes swept over the ballroom, and my gaze landed on my father’s. He was watching us dance, an unreadable expression on his hard face.

Anger burned like acid in my veins at the fact that we were in the same room. Fuck, I didn’t want him anywhere near my Lila.

I bent my head, my nose brushing over the tip of her ear as I whispered, “Let’s get out of here.”