Saving the Villain

"Did you forget?"

Maxen tapped his cheek with his index, a misplaced innocence dominating his face. Cosette blinked multiple times, remembering the same excuse before during their trip to the Quinn's vacation home.

"Oh..." she bit her tongue to stop herself from grinning from ear to ear. 'Hehe~ what a treat.'

Cosette raised her chin and cleared her throat, keeping her dignity as she leaned forward. She couldn't sell herself out now, could she? She puckered her lips and planted a brief peck on his cheek, making his lips curl up subtly in satisfaction.

"Good job, Max," she expressed sincerely as she drew away, watching him turn his head to face her. Without noticing it, their faces only had a palm length distance. Perhaps it was because they were too comfortable with each other or they were simply happy reuniting. That awkwardness was absent from the room.

His lips curled up even more until his beautiful grey eyes were slightly squinting charmingly.

"You too," he replied, ruffling her hair mildly. "Good job of doing well in your company."

"Gosh..." she giggled, raising her brows when his eyes fell on her lips. Her throat instantly bobbed, feeling his gaze on her lips.

'Will he kiss me?' she wondered, pursing her lips into a thin line as if to hide them. Not that she didn't want to, but... she felt a bit shy. Her face was already dyed in red and her breathing slowed down; she could hear her heart drumming in her ears the longer he stared at her lips.

"Maxen," she called under her breath when she couldn't take his silence anymore. "My eyes are up here."

"I know," he replied lazily. "Just... nothing."

Maxen shrugged and cleared his throat, leaning back. For a moment there, he was debating whether to kiss her or not. He nearly did, especially with the thought of Asher butting in and showing interest in her. Not that he blamed Asher; Cosette was just wonderful and anyone would end up liking her.

"Gosh..." Cosette could not help but let out a faint 'tch' when Maxen drew back slightly, leaning his back against the couch. Here she thought Maxen would ravage her lips, only to get disappointed.

'Am I becoming lewd?' she wondered. 'Does this have anything to do in reading too much smut?'

Her shoulders lowered, sighing deeply, sitting in the same spot with her body facing Maxen. She just looked at his side profile, studying him with narrowed eyes.

'But Dad already knew about me and Max,' she told herself. 'He just told me to be careful and get married first before doing the deed. So a kiss is fine, right?'

Cosette mulled about it since she became more open to Conrad about her feelings. Conrad was strict, but at the same time, he was trying his best to understand that his daughter was getting older. And as his father, Conrad preferred Cosette to be more open to him by understanding these sorts of things instead of having his daughter confide in other people.

When Maxen felt his prolonged gaze on his side, his brows furrowed. He cocked his head back, eyes falling on her.

"Hmm?" he hummed a questioning tone, snapping her back from her trance. "Anything wrong?"

"No." Her voice was low, but her expression was oddly relaxed. "It's just that... it's unfair, Max."

"Huh?"

"You have rewards for doing good, but I don't." She frowned, but the luster in her eyes was clear.

Maxen's brows knitted, even more, studying the displeasure on her face. "But sort of reward do you want?" he wondered hesitatingly, listing down of what he could give her as a reward.

In his mind, there was nothing to give Cosette anymore aside from kindness and consideration. She had everything she wanted and she could afford everything that Maxen could and couldn't buy. So, he didn't have any idea what sort of reward she wanted.

Much to his surprise, Cosette smack her lips and planted a finger on the bottom of her lips. His eyes narrowed while the corner of her lips hooked up subtly.

"A kiss," she remarked without a second hesitation. "In here."

"..."

For a moment, Maxen's brain went blank, just like his eyes. He looked at her mischievous and sweet smile, eyes shining with clarity and resolution. Her bright eyes were enough to stop him from wondering if he heard her correctly; he did, and she was serious about it.

"No," he whispered, making her frown instantly.

"What?"

"I said no," he repeated under his breath.

"But..." her frown continued to deepen, lowering her eyes in disappointment. Just when she thought she could exploit Maxen by doing the same trick he did, she was proven wrong. Maxen had matured so fast. When she looked up at him, instead of sadness, all she gave him was a mild glare.

"But why, Max?" she asked, just to hear the explanation instead of wondering why he was refusing her all night. "That's unfair, you know? I mean, you should at least explain to me why you can't reward me --"

Her breath hitched when he slowly drew his back from the couch and then pounced on her. Her pupils went huge, blinking twice, processing what just happened. All she could do was stare at his bewitching face hovering over her, holding her wrist to the side, his mouth falling ajar.

"It's not that I can't," he clarified under his breath, staring at the confusion plastered on her face. His eyes glinted dangerously, etching how she appeared underneath him. She looked better than how he imagined her in his fantasies. Those lustrous hazel eyes, her narrow nose, and those tender plump lips, just looked even better with the natural blush on her cheeks.

Ahh... he was losing his mind once again. Surely, she was the only person who could drive him crazy and throw his rationale out of the window. After all that inner struggle, one word from her and all the defenses he built up crumble down as if they were made of glass.

Cosette bit her inner lip, swallowing down the tension in her throat. "If it's not that you can't... then, what?" came out a whisper, finally recovering from the shock of his sudden aggression.

"You're not stupid, Cozie," he replied with a rasped voice, having his throat dry up — unnaturally so. "You know the reason."

"I don't," she denied, letting her stubbornness take over her. "How would I know if you don't tell me?"

Maxen let out a deep exhale, holding her clear eyes. 'She... is testing me,' he told himself.

"Why... do you always push me on the edge, Cozie?" he asked, lowering his body until his weight blanketed her. When his lips were an inch from hers, inhaling her hot breaths, he whispered. "You want to know why? Then I'll show you why."

Maxen tilted his head and pressed his lips against her, squeezing her wrist upon having a taste of her lips once again. Out of excitement, he bit her lower lips, forcing a faint whimper from her. But that reckless sound that escaped her mouth to his mouth tugged his heartstring until it snapped a string in his head.

His lips guided her lips open, sliding his tongue inside carefully. He kept his eyes partially opened as if that would help him retain the remaining rationality in him. However, when his gaze veered to her eyes, he caught her closing her eyes despite that his body was pressing down on her and his lips were claiming her lips.

'Damn...' he cursed internally, deepening his kiss and shutting his eyes to feel more of her.

His tongue took hers into a dance, exploring the wonders of her mouth. The taste of mint from her toothpaste still lingered in her mouth, with a tang of corn from the popcorn and a bit of salt. It was a strange combination, but an overall pleasant burst of flavors.

Drunk in the plethora of overwhelming euphoria, Maxen adjusted until his knees brushed her leg open. He pressed his body until he could feel her rising heat. Cosette didn't struggle or showed the slightest resistance, but instead, her lips followed his lips clumsily.

His hand carefully let her wrist go, moving down to squeeze her hip lightly. At that point, he expected her to freeze or stop him, but Cosette just flinch and accidentally bit his lips mildly. But she didn't resist and continued to move her lips along with him. And so, without using his head, Maxen slipped his hand inside her shirt and felt the outline of her body with his palm.

Her skin was just as smooth as it appeared, and her curves were no joke. Her rising body temperature sent electricity on his palm down to his groin. He could feel all the tension in his nether region, giving him a bulge to the point it was painful.

He should stop, he thought. Squeezing her waist in an attempt to wake her up from the heat of the moment, but alas, she got the wrong signal. Instead of pushing him away just as he wanted, she arched her back and wrapped her limbs around his neck on instinct.

Maxen lost it.

Shit!