BTS Book Reviews Issue 18 | Page 33

Matt cocked a brow, but there was no doubt in his mind to what Sara was referring. Madison and her married-man drama had been the topic of conversation for over a week now, and quite frankly, it was getting old. Not that it was at all surprising that Jeff had gone back to his wife. He could have told Madison they always go back, but she wouldn’t have listened. “Is she still in that sweatshirt?” “Yes, and it’s time we did something about it.” How did he get roped into this? “What’s this we business?” Sara narrowed her gaze on her brother, a warning tone that he had heard so many times in his youth vibrated through her words. “Matthew Daniel Stratford, you march your butt right on over to that apartment and help me do something with that girl.” Matt stifled a laugh. “God, you sound like Mom.” “March.” She pointed to the front door. He knew when he was licked. No one said no to his baby sister . . . no one. He turned through the open door and stormed across the hall. Sara followed silently behind him as he shoved his way into Madison’s apartment. “Run a bath,” he said as he headed for the bedroom. Sara swept past him and disappeared into the adjoining bathroom. “Maddie, you’ve got to come out of there.” When she gave no response, he gathered the comforter in his hands and yanked it clean from the bed, letting it pool at his feet. His gaze swept up the length of her. Over the rumpled sweatshirt to her mass of blonde locks to the dark smudges of makeup beneath her eyes. “I gotta tell ya, hun. This emo thing you got going on ain’t exactly a turn on.” “Go away,” Madison grumbled as she buried her head beneath the pillow. “Not happening.” He took hold of one of her ankles. “We’re not going anywhere ’til you get out of that awful thing.” She tried to kick his hand away, but Matt refused to release his grip. She wasn’t getting away that easily . . . not again. “You going to take that thing off or am I going to have to do it for you?” Madison peeked at him from beneath the pillow, her emerald eyes alight with a wicked fire. “You wouldn’t dare.” Matt let out a muffled laugh. Oh wouldn’t he? He scooped her into his arms. Her small frame and that ridiculous oversized sweatshirt that smelled of another man’s musk cuddled against his chest. “Put me down, you big brute!” she screamed as she struggled against him. “Gladly.” Matt tightened his grip on her even as she fought him. He stormed past Sara into the bathroom and held Madison over the full tub. “You wouldn’t dare,” she warned again, eyeing the bathtub wearily. “Oh, I think you know me better than that.” Without giving her a chance for further protest, he plopped her down into the water. Madison flailed about in the tub, splashing water over the ledge and soaking the rug beneath his feet. “You jerk!” she cursed as she drew herself upright, wiping away the droplets on her face. Matt picked up the bar of soap on the ledge and tossed it into the bath water. “Why don’t you give yourself a scrub while you are in there? You smell like three-day-old Chinese.” January 2014 | 33