Toxic (Addiction #1) by Meghan Quinn Read Free Book Online Page A

was startled by her presence, or more like her snooping, but no matter his reaction, she couldn’t pull herself away from the door. He looked her up and down and then nodded for her to come in. No words, no hand motions, just a nod.  
    She was done for.  
     
    ***
     
    He could feel her the moment she stepped to the back of the bus; he just wasn’t sure if she was actually there. When he looked up and saw her, he was startled because he thought he might have conjured her up in his mind, like a dream, but she really was standing in front of him.  
    When he went to get some coffee and saw her out of the corner of his eye he couldn’t deny himself from introducing himself. He tried to stay in the back of the bus for as long as possible, but it was as if her soul was calling him to the front. He just had to go see her, he needed to hear her voice, and he needed to feel her skin on his.  
    The minute he made eye contact with her, he knew he had made the wrong decision. He should have stayed in the back. She was even more gorgeous up close. Her hair was softer looking than he thought and the color was so vibrantly blonde that it made her big brown eyes stand out against her alabaster skin. She was not like every other woman he had ever bedded, she was something special and at that moment, when they were staring at each other, he knew she could be the downfall of him. Forget the drugs, the alcohol, and the pain he felt every damn day; Maisy Madison was going to be his crutch.
    Why he nodded for her to come to him, he would never know, but when she stepped into the room, it was as if the room shrunk three sizes too small. She was small but the aura she brought with her was almost suffocating. She had an overwhelming presence around him that he was having a hell of a time shaking off.  
    “What are you working on?” she asked, while shifting from side to side. She was nervous, it was almost endearing to watch. Most of the women who spent time around him were ripping his pants off by now. Not that he minded the tenacity of the women, but watching Maisy squirm in her shoes was slowly lowering the wall he was trying erect around her.  
    “Some new stuff. Why are you back here?”
    “Bathroom.”
    He nodded. “That the only reason?”
    She shook her head no. “I wanted to see what you were doing back here.”
    “Why’s that?”
    She shrugged her shoulders. “I don’t know. It just seems like everyone is having fun up front. I didn’t know why you wouldn’t want to be around everyone.”
    “What does it matter to you?”
    He knew he was being a bit of an ass, but he needed to keep her at a distance, even though, at the moment, all he wanted was her in his arms.  
    “It doesn’t…I mean, well I guess I just wanted to make sure everything was okay.”
    “I’m a big boy, Maisy. I can take care of myself.”
    Shock registered across her face from his harsh tone. “I never said you couldn’t, I just…” she stumbled across her words which made him feel like a giant ass. “I just…” Tears started to form in her eyes. He willed himself to stay strong as she continued. “I know what it’s like to feel lonely and left out. I wanted to make sure you were okay.”
    Who the hell would make her feel lonely and left out? If he wasn’t such a dick and scared of actually letting himself open up to someone of the opposite sex, he would make sure she never felt lonely or left out. The moment he saw her, he knew she was something special and she deserved to be treated that way…just not by him.  
    “I’m fine. I like being alone…” He trailed off at the end so she would get the hint. Apparently she didn’t because she didn’t move. “Meaning, you can leave now.”
    “Oh.” She stumbled back into the door. “I’m…I’m sorry for bothering you.”
    She quickly grabbed the door to leave and before she fully closed the door, she leaned back in and said, “For what it’s worth, that song you’re working on