by C. A. Harms
“She’s in bed.” I shifted away from the door when I heard the creaking sounds of the front porch, the boards moving under the weight of my father’s movements. “She hasn’t been out of her old room since last night.”
I started to back away from the door.
“I’m gonna head over to the farm to help out with the stalls.” Oh my God. “I think Maddison needs to hear all the things you’ve told me.” I felt guilty for eavesdropping.
I heard the rattle of the doorknob, and I continued to move backwards until I bumped into the couch behind me. Then the door began to open, and I spun around, sprinting toward the hallway that led to my room. I felt like I did when Colton and I used to sneak into the living room in the late hours of Christmas Eve to sneak through the presents that were left under the tree. The two of us would hear my parents moving around and take off toward our rooms. The difference was then we would squeal in the process; this time, I held my breath.
I jumped into my bed and yanked the blankets over my body and curled up in a ball, trying my best to even out my breathing. I held my eyes together so tightly they began to hurt from the pressure.
Then I heard his boots against the hardwood floor, getting louder and louder as he got closer.
My bedroom door made a creaking sound while being pushed open, and suddenly, I was holding my breath.
“Maddison.” The sound of Mike whispering my name gave me chills. I was excited and fearful at the same time. “Are you awake, pretty girl?”
I loved when he called me that.
Reminding myself to breathe, I let it out slowly and then inhaled once more.
My bed dipped at my head, and I told myself to just remain calm, though it was proving to be one of the hardest things I had ever had to do.
Mike remained quiet, but when I felt him place his hand on my hip, I couldn’t keep my body from reacting. Turning to look back over my shoulder, I noticed how tired he looked. “Hey,” he whispered, a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.
“Hi.” I finished rolling over, causing the hand he had rested upon my hip to rotate around and come to a stop at my waist. I looked down, his own gaze shifted to the same place, and together we sat quietly.
“I don’t know how to fix this thing between us.” I shifted my eyes back to meet his. The sadness that laid there was heartbreaking. “But I know I want to. More than anything, I need to make things right with us.”
I swallowed the large lump, or so it felt, that was lodged in my throat, which made it difficult to speak. So I nodded my head.
“Can I get a do over?”
I wrinkled up my forehead, feeling confused by his question, and for the first time since I looked at him, he gave me a genuine smile. It wasn’t like the one from moments ago that seemed forced and laced with regret. This was a true Mikey smile.
“That kiss, from yesterday,” he began, sliding in a little closer, “if I could go back, I’d change everything about it. A kiss like that would not be my first kiss shared with the girl I’m falling in love with.”
Boom. The air had been knocked from my lungs. Or, at least, that was what it felt like when he spoke those words.
“You’re falling in love with me?” I understood how lame that question sounded, but I was in shock.
“Yes.” He leaned in, resting the weight of his body on one elbow, bringing his gorgeous face even closer to my own. “And I can honestly say that I think it’s been happening over the course of a lot of years and not just over the last few weeks.”
I was a mess—a sprinkler of uncontrollable tears.
“So again, I ask,” he pushed the hair away from my face with his free hand, “can I please have a do-over? Because I want to kiss you the way I should have.”
I was nodding before I spoke the word yes, and he closed the distance between us, brushing his lips over mine in a gentle, delicate move. “I’ve never felt the way I feel whenever you’re around.” He kissed me so softly I swore it was only my imagination before he was pulling back once more. “You are all I see anymore, Mad, all I think about. I tried to ignore it, but it’s bigger than I am, and to be honest, I don’t want it to go away.”
“Neither do I.” He smiled at my confession then pressed his lips to mine more firmly.
This kiss was so much different from our first one. It was slower, more tantalizing. Almost like he was using his lips to memorize everything about my own. The kind of kiss that ran through me from head to toe and back again. The kind that made me feel so lost that it was hard to remember where I was or maybe even who I was.
“That’s how our first kiss should have gone.”
I gripped the back of his neck as he started to pull away and brought him back to me. “More.” I wasn’t even ashamed of my need. I felt his body shake with laughter, but he did just as I asked and kissed me again.
With the teasing glide of his tongue over my lips, I parted mine and accepted his offer.
I knew in that very moment that Mike was going to be trouble, and I couldn’t wait for him to take me down with him.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Mike
“Good morning, nurse.” Maddison tensed as I stepped up behind her and whispered near her ear. With a green apple in one hand and a bottle of water in the other, she stared ahead at the cashier, doing her best to appear unaffected.
The older woman glanced between the two of us, smiling at the exchange.
“Doctor,” Mad finally said as she handed the woman three dollars. It didn’t go unnoticed how her hand shook when doing so. I loved that she grew nervous around me.
“Are you taking a break or hurrying off?”
When she turned around, I didn’t even try to step away. Her chest bumped against my own. I smirked as I leaned in and pretended to look down the front of her scrubs. Note: I wasn’t pretending. Only to my disappointment, she wore a tight tank top beneath.
“Nice try, perv.” Her smile did something amazing to me every single time I saw it. Just like now, I got that racing heart, that light as fucking air feeling.
“A guy has to try.” Shrugging, I finally stepped back to let her pass, and I followed closely behind. The smell of her perfume lingered in the air and felt my nose. I loved how she smelled.
She paused without warning, and I bumped into her back, reaching out to grab her hips. “Are you looking at my ass?” Mad asked, peeking back over her shoulder. “Because if you are, I am completely okay with it.”
“What if I do this?” Sliding my hand over her hip, I placed my palm against her ass and gave it a firm squeeze.
“You are wandering into harassment territory." Her breath was a little less even now. “Are you willing to suffer the consequences, doctor?”
“Depends. Are you the enforcer?”
She tried her best to hide her grin as she watched me. Suddenly, she stepped forward, and before I could reach out once more to grab for her, she sat down quickly.
“Impressive moves.” Teasing her was the best feeling. I absolutely loved the playfulness we had. Much like before, we flirted and taunted one another, only now it was definitely a little more detailed and freer.
“How much longer do you have before you go home?” She brought her apple to her mouth and took a small bit before holding it out for me to do the same. As I bit into it, I looked up at her and ran my tongue over my lip to gather the juice as I pulled back. She narrowed her gaze, and I smirked, knowing what was probably rolling around in her mind.
“I’ve got two more hours. You?” I’d been on for eight already, and before I ran into Maddison, I was feeling really drained. Suddenly, though, it would seem I’d been given a boost of energy.
“I actually just finished the last surgery that was scheduled but…” She paused, taking another bite. She repeated my earlier move but really emphasized the point when she followed it with a gentle suction to her lower lip and then a slight moan.
How in the fuck did eating an apple suddenly become so sexy?
<
br /> “I’m on call.” Disappointed, I tried to hide the shift in my mood. “But only for another hour.”
Little shit thought she was funny.
“And then?” She was going home with me, or I with her. Either way was good for me.
“I was going to go home, run some hot water in my big tub, pour myself some wine, and just relax.” Getting hard in the hospital cafeteria was definitely not a good idea. “You wouldn’t know of anyone that would be willing to wash my back for me, would you?”
Sliding forward, I parted my legs and pinned her knees between them. I gripped her hips and brought my face in closer to hers, staring directly into her gorgeous eyes. “Is that your way of inviting me over, Maddison?” She shrugged, her lips tilting up into that big, beautiful smile of hers. The one that knocked me back a foot, I swore, each time I saw it. “Because if it is, you should know that your back will not be the only thing I’ll be touching.”
The temperature of the room had gone up a few degrees, and had we not been in a room full of doctors, nurses, and even a few visitors of the hospital, I would have lifted her ass up onto the table we sat at and given her a quick preview of what I wanted to do to her body.
I really should dial it down a notch.
“It is most definitely an invite.” She surprised me by pressing a quick kiss to the corner of my mouth. “And I look forward to every single touch you offer, but you should know I, too, plan on touching you.”
With that, she stood, and in the process, her chest grazed the side of my face. She smiled coyly when I narrowed my eyes at her. She knew exactly what she was doing. “Hurry up and get to my place when you’re done. If you’re late, I may just have to start without you.”
She practically skipped away, knowing she had me by the fucking balls. This woman would be the death of me, I just knew it.
***
I thought I would pass out for a few short seconds when Maddison opened her front door in nothing more than a short, silky robe. Tied together loosely at her waist, it gaped open at her chest, and if she shifted just right, I was able to see the sides of her breasts.
Then where it hit her, high on her thigh, it parted too, almost like it was beckoning me to open it up the rest of the way and expose everything that lay beneath.
“I was this close,” she held up her hand with her fingers just barely apart, a smile tugging at her mouth, “to starting without you.”
“Is that so?” Stepping inside her apartment, I ushered her backwards, closing and locking the door behind me. “Why don’t you go ahead and show me how it was you were planning on doing that?”
At first, she seemed a little surprised, and I found satisfaction in the fact that I’d chipped away a small piece of that dominance she held. Until she quickly recovered and again took control. Backing up, she sat down on the arm of the couch and lifted one leg, parting her thighs.
I tried to fight it, but I was unable to as my gaze shifted downward, and I swore to fucking God, my heart about beat right out of my chest. The little vixen didn’t have a stitch of clothing on beneath that tiny-ass little robe. Not a damn thing.
When her palms glided over her thighs, traveling upward, I swallowed so damn hard the sound of it echoed in my ears. It could only be explained by the amount of blood leaving my body and rushing to one central location.
When she reached the apex of her thighs, she paused but only for a second before she teasingly trailed her fingers over her center. “I think I would have started by doing this.” Whispering the words hoarsely, she paused over her clit, pushed, and began rotating her finger in a circular motion.
“That’s good.” I could barely speak. Hell, it took all I had to remember to breathe. “R-really good.”
“Then maybe something a little like this.” She ran her finger downward, parting herself, and my cock jumped in excitement. There was no hiding how turned on she was; her pussy glistened as she widened her legs a little more. “But this feels so good, too.” And with that, she inserted her finger and moaned. In a slow, teasing manner, she pulled back and added a second finger before repeating the motion once again.
“But now that you’re here, maybe you could offer me some help?” My focus was on her movements so intently that I’d missed the flushed look on her face, the reddened glow to her cheeks, and the slow panting of her breaths.
I’d been imagining this moment. Well, not this very moment, but I couldn’t complain. It was pretty damn hot. I had thought of being with Maddison quite a bit over the last few weeks, but never had I imagined it would play out just like this. It would appear she had a side to her that I’d never considered, a temptress side that she wore very well.
“I think I’d love to give it a shot.”
I moved closer, taking the time to drag out my own movements, and I gripped the hem of my shirt and lifted it up and over my shoulder. Her gaze instantly dropped to my right side, scanning over me with heat in her eyes. The word “family” was tattooed there in scripture lettering. It was something I valued, something that I would always treasure. The lust in Maddison’s eyes was new, and it drove me even more. I wanted to see more than anything how it shifted when I touched her intimately for the first time.
Pausing only a few feet before her, I brought my hands to the buckle of my jeans and slowly began to undo them. It was her turn to swallow hard as she watched me, not missing a single move.
Once they were undone and my zipper was lowered, I watched Mad as she homed in on my cock that was rock hard and resting just beneath the light gray material of my boxers. Her little pink tongue sweeping out to moisten her lips triggered a reaction, and without being able to control it, my dick jerked. Her eyes widened, and then it was on. Like a switch had been flipped, we both moved together, our lips colliding.
It was wild, all hands, touching, and taking everything we needed.
Reaching between us, I slipped my finger inside of her wetness, and she gasped against my lips. Mimicking her early movements, I pushed in deep before pulling back over and over. She was so wet, so ready, and though I wanted to give her what she needed, I also wanted to drag it out just a little longer.
“My God.” The words fell from her lips in a sigh, making me smile when she wrapped her hand around my erection. My ego led me to believe it was due to my size, but then again, it could also be related to the way I ensured the palm of my hand glided over her clit each time I pulled my fingers out and pushed them back into her warmth. Her hips continued to shift against me, riding it out.
She hurriedly tried to push my pants and boxers down my thighs, and I allowed her to do all the work. I was enjoying the fact that she seemed frantic to get me naked.
“Condom,” I said, grabbing for my wallet before she slapped my hand away.
“No.” I pulled back, looking into her blazing eyes, and waited for her to explain. “I get the shot,” she panted. “Depo,” she added, “every three months consistently. I’ve never missed one. I’m clean and haven’t been with anyone since my last test over eight months ago.”
Was she honestly saying that—
“I want you.” Her movements paused as she looked at me and nothing else. “I trust you, Mike, and I have never trusted anyone to have this. It’s only you. I want this for us.” Then it was like something hit her as she wrinkled up her brows. “Unless you don’t want that? I meant unless you’re—”
“I’m clean, too.” I was still reeling from this new development. “It’s been a lot longer for me than eight months.” Being in the military didn’t open a lot of windows to meet ladies, the kind that wanted something more than to say they’d been with a soldier, that was. I wasn’t the kind of guy that hooked up often. “I’ve never not used protection, Maddison, but with you, I’d take that step. Only you.” She instantly seemed pleased as she again began to push my boxers lower.
I tried to help. My pants pooled at my feet; I began to lift and pull to get them the rest of the way off.
Once freed, I gr
abbed the belt of her robe, pulled it free, and watched as her entire body came into view. Her tits were the perfect handfuls, and I reached out to run my thumbs over her hardened nipples. Her back arched, pushing them into my hands. When I gave them a gentle squeeze, she moaned, and that was all I could take.
Hooking her around the waist, I lifted her like she weighed next to nothing. Compared to me, she did.
Her legs around my waist, she shifted against me, and her wetness glided over my cock. “Yes,” she groaned out, rotating her hips, causing the head of my cock to hit her exactly where she needed me to.
Then, without any bit of warning, she lifted herself and shifted downward, taking me inside of her. Her warmth engulfed me, and a tingling feeling ran through my legs and groin.
“Damn.” I was not complaining at all. I was just surprised. Backing up, I turned her body and found the nearest wall to gain stability. The sound of her back hitting the wall worried me a bit, but when she started to move, taking me in over and over as she dug her claws in to my shoulders, I knew it was all okay.
In fact, it was a hell of lot more than just okay.
It was fucking shattering, and I understood that after this, there was no going back. This woman was mine. She would always be mine.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Maddison
It was dark outside. The apartment was now silent as I lay on my stomach in the center of my living room floor, sprawled out with my chest feeling slightly itchy from the shag rug beneath me. But I was too exhausted to move.
I wasn’t even sure what happened. Okay, so wait, I knew what happened, but most of it was a complete blur. My legs were still trembling from being wrapped around Mike’s waist so tightly, and the whisker burn on my neck, shoulder, and yes even on my inner thighs, still felt slightly chafed. But I had also never felt this amazing before, this relaxed and well loved.