Maddie wanted to point out that Lexie didn’t even know her all that well, or at least not long enough to call her awesome, but it felt nice having someone stand up for her. But although a part of her knew Lexie was right, that she did deserve better, she couldn’t quite forget about how incredible last night had been. Before the rejection, that is.
Kissing Owen had been a dream come true. Sure, there had been some clumsy moments, noses and teeth bumping, some fumbling around, but the passion had been unmistakable. Or at least she’d thought so.
It’s obvious that you’re new to this sort of thing…
Maddie set her martini glass down with a thump, the pale liquid sluicing over the rim of the glass and staining the wood tabletop. Her heart pounded as she allowed the humiliating notion to settle in the forefront of her brain. She’d been trying so hard not to think about what he’d said, but now it came rushing back, making her second-guess the entire encounter.
Had Owen stopped because she’d been too inexperienced? Because he hadn’t enjoyed it as much as she had? Sure, he’d been hard as a rock, but…but he’d moved her hand away when she’d wrapped her fingers around his erection. She hadn’t thought it odd last night, but now…
Her cheeks went scorching hot.
God, had her inexperience turned him off?
With shaky hands, she picked up her glass again, drained it, and proceeded to signal the waitress for another. Oh God. And she’d thought she couldn’t possibly feel any more mortified. She didn’t want to believe that Owen would completely derail their sex train because she lacked the right moves, but what if he had? She’d only slept with one other man in her life, and that had been four years ago. Being a virgin at twenty-three had made her feel like a total loser, so she’d gone out and lost it to the first guy she’d started dating after college. The relationship had only lasted a few months, and the sex had been kind of bland, so really, she shouldn’t be surprised that Owen might have picked up on her amateur sex status. He’d probably made up all that stuff about not wanting to hurt her so she wouldn’t feel embarrassed.
“Look,” Lexie said with a sigh, evidently taking Maddie’s silence as a sign of depression or something. “I know what it’s like to have someone treat you like a piece of…garbage, I guess.”
The soft remark jolted Maddie from her thoughts. She turned to Lexie with a bewildered look. “Really?”
“Yeah,” Lexie confessed. “I was involved with a guy recently and he totally took me for granted. Just expected me to always be around, even when he treated me like shit. I let it go on for months, until one day I realized I deserved better.”
She couldn’t even imagine Lexie being mistreated. Along with being stunning and utterly elegant, Lexie seemed like the kind of woman who didn’t take crap from anyone. But the vulnerability flashing across the blonde’s face was unmistakable.
“That sounds awful. I’m glad you dumped him.”
“Me too.” Lexie grinned. “He’s not so glad about it, though. He keeps showing up at my door, begging for forgiveness.”
“And you won’t give it to him?”
The other woman slowly shook her head. “I can’t. Not after the way he treated me.”
Maddie paused, wondering what she would do when Owen asked for her forgiveness. She knew he would, when she went into work on Monday. If she went into work. At the moment, the thought of seeing him again made her feel a bit nauseated.
“Lex!”
Charlotte’s voice interrupted them, and both women glanced over to see Charlotte beckoning to Lexie with her martini glass. “Come up and do a duet with me,” the redhead called.
Although Lexie looked less than enthused, she put down her glass and got to her feet. “Can’t say no to the bride,” she said grudgingly before heading off.
Maddie stayed at the table for a moment, then stood up herself and headed for the door. It was times like these when she definitely needed a cigarette, but she’d have to settle for fresh air instead. It was dark when she stepped outside, and when she tipped her head up, she noticed the spattering of shiny stars in the clear inky sky. She welcomed the sight, breathing the cool night air.
When she’d been away at college in Denver, she’d missed seeing the stars. She’d been so happy to come home to Paradise, the beautiful little town she’d lived in all her life. She’d only been back a week when she’d spotted Owen’s job ad in the paper, and she’d instantly printed up a resume. Living with her father after four years on her own had been a total pain in the ass, and she’d been desperate to get her own apartment. She’d remembered Owen from high school—he’d been two years ahead of her—and the memory of his gorgeous face had pushed her to interview for the job. Within days of working for him, she’d fallen head over heels for the man.
For three years she’d fantasized about what it would be like to kiss him, to have sex with him. Last night, she’d found out. Almost, anyway.