And then she sank onto him, and he was lost.
He gripped her hips with bruising intensity and forced himself not to thrust into her. She leaned forward, her breasts swinging above his face as she shook.
“You’re so fucking big. Give me a second.”
“Take all the time you need,” he murmured before lapping at her nipples in front of him.
And then he spread her cheeks. When she was ready, he pumped into her hard. There was no need to go slow, no need to take it an inch at a time.
Because they both needed this.
He spread her with one hand, then let his other hand move up her back to tug on her hair. He needed her at the perfect angle to get her neck, her breasts, her mouth.
She met him thrust for thrust, and when his balls tightened, and he came, she climaxed with him, both of them moaning into each other’s mouths, sweat-slick and finally nearly sated.
He rolled to the side, still deep inside her, and kept kissing, kept touching.
“That might’ve been the best fake sex I’ve ever had,” she whispered.
He laughed, still buried balls-deep. Then he held her close, just needing to touch her. Afraid what would happen if he didn’t.
So damn afraid.
“There was nothing fake about that. There better not have been.” He gave her ass a sharp slap, and she laughed again, kissing him hard once more.
“Nothing fake about that.” A look of fear crawled over her face again. It was the same trepidation he had.
They were going into uncharted territory here. Down a path that could hurt them both.
But he ignored it and knew that she needed to ignore it, as well. Then he kissed her again before slowly moving in and out of her, just a bit. They could have fakeness and unreality in what their promises were to each other for the outside world. But right here, right now, this was real.
So real, it scared him.
But he wasn’t going to think about that. Wouldn’t let himself believe.
This was just for tonight. And maybe tomorrow. When she needed him to walk away, he would.
He just didn’t know who he would be when he did.
Chapter 10
Madison’s hips swayed to the music as she focused on her task, the cupcakes in front of her tantalizing, the frosting smelling of strawberry and cream cheese. Her decadent double chocolate fudge cupcakes with strawberry cream cheese frosting were a hit, and one that she could dive into. So, she wouldn’t. If she did, she’d end up with a toothache because she couldn’t stop at just one.
But maybe she’d eat a spoonful of frosting. Or a bowl full. Okay, perhaps not that much.
She focused on the frosting and the song playing through her headphones, humming softly to herself as she worked.
Brynn was up front with her other two staff members, each working on coffee and busing tables, and helping the overall atmosphere of Sin in a Cup.
Madison loved this job, adored the people she worked with.
The only thing that ever dampened her elation was the fact that she could hear her mother calling it nothing and using rude names for her place of business, the people she worked with, and criticizing her weight.
But she pushed those things out of her mind because she had far more important stuff to think about.
Like Aaron.
No, not him. Today, she was only focusing on her cupcakes. That was it—nothing more, nothing less.
She loaded up the last set and started her frosting again, trying not to think about the blush that covered her cheeks at the thought of Aaron.
She’d had sex before.
Phenomenally great sex.
She and her last boyfriend had even done most of the things that she and Aaron had done. She liked things on the kinkier side, yet she also enjoyed things sweet, happy, and playful.
Somehow, Aaron had mixed all of that together to create a night of perfect bliss that scared her.
Because even if she had done each of those things individually before with another person, it hadn’t been the same as it was with Aaron.
And that scared her even more. It should because she hadn’t expected him.
He had been on the periphery of her life for years. Lincoln and Ethan had been best friends for as long as Madison could remember. Honestly, she couldn’t think of a time when the Montgomerys hadn’t been part of her life. When Lincoln wanted to pull her away from her parents a bit more and bring her into his life as much as possible, she had become an honorary Montgomery of sorts. She’d embraced them as much as they embraced her. She knew some of their family secrets, knew their hurts and their likes and dislikes. Just like they knew some of hers.
And Aaron had always been there. The one she laughed with, the one she joked around with.
But she had never let herself think of him as anything more than that. He was Ethan’s baby brother. The one who talked fast, though not as quickly as Ethan. The one who loved Criminal Minds and whose favorite author of all time was Lisa Kleypas. He was the one who always did his best to make sure his siblings were happy, sometimes forgetting to do the same for himself.
She had noticed all of this from the sidelines, and though the Montgomerys had tried their best to pull her from that place, she had always known where she was most comfortable.
And yet, here she was, no longer on the sidelines when it came to Aaron.
She was someone who needed labels, who needed firm examples and boxes to put everybody and everything in. It was the only way she could focus on what she needed to do with the rest of her life. She had a home she loved, a job she adored, and she worked hard to keep both the way she wanted them. There had been many sleepless nights when it came to making her dreams come true. And while finding love had always been on her agenda, it had never truly happened.
Maybe her relationship with her family was part of that. But it was also her. She hadn’t found what she wanted.
She wasn’t saying that she loved Aaron. She didn’t. She wasn’t ready for that. She knew that once their fake relationship or whatever they were calling it ended, she would have to learn how to walk away yet still keep him in her life. Somehow, she’d become part of his family through Lincoln. They’d welcomed her with open arms and treated her far better than most of her own flesh and blood. Once this sham with Aaron ended, she wasn’t sure how she would be able to face them…or him. She’d have to leave completely. Break all ties.
Leaving her a shattered mess of someone who didn’t know their place.
She needed those labels, and she didn’t know what she and Aaron were now. Were they fake engaged? Were they together for real?
Or were they somehow seeing each other casually while she wore his ring?
Finished with the cupcakes, she set down her piping bag and reached under her shirt for the ring that hung on the chain.
She swallowed hard and looked down at the diamond, admiring how it sparkled, almost as if mocking her. She tried to breathe, only she couldn’t quite catch her breath.
She was engaged.
Yet it wasn’t real.
She didn’t know if what she had shared with Aaron in bed was real. It had felt real, the feel of him, the taste of him, his touch.
But what if nothing else was real?
He had said, “just you and me,” and she had agreed. But that wasn’t a label. That wasn’t what she needed. The problem was, she had no idea what she needed. So, asking for a label would likely only end up in an explosion of nothingness with her hurt. Or worse, she would hurt him. He was a nice guy, only trying to help. The idea that she would end up hurting him because of her insecurities scared her more than anything. She would willingly walk alone and into the fire of her mother’s wrath if it meant not hurting Aaron.
“Hey there. Are you done with those cupcakes?” Brynn asked as she hustled to the back. “People are already raving about them, and we just got a new order.”
“This batch is ready,” Madison said, shaking herself out of her reve
rie. She didn’t always do the baking, but today she had wanted to throw herself into her cupcakes and do something routine like filling each cup with part of herself.
Brynn had seemed to understand that and took up the responsibilities up front with ease.
If Madison ever decided to open up a second branch someday, something she had been thinking about, perhaps in Fort Collins, she would definitely send Brynn out there to manage it if she were willing. It scared her to think of losing Brynn or even getting to a point where she was ready for the next phase of her job and career. But it was on her agenda and was something Brynn understood.
Things were changing, and yet Madison felt like she was drowning.
She hated it.
“You look sad, or maybe thoughtful. And you were playing with your ring again. Can I see it?” Brynn asked, coming closer.
Madison nodded, then went to wash her hands before taking the ring off and handing it to Brynn. Brynn oohed and aahed over the diamond and then smiled.
“Aaron has magnificent taste. And it’s totally you. I just wish you could wear it on your hand more.”
Madison looked down at her bare ring finger and wiggled it a bit. “Well, we don’t want to lose it in a cupcake.”
“Unless you’re trying to set up a proposal. And then you don’t put it in the batter, you set it on top of the frosting, so she doesn’t swallow it and die.”
“That’s a morbid way to get engaged,” Madison said with a laugh, taking back the ring when Brynn handed it over.
“Put it on and come up front. Some of your friends are here to see you.”
Madison slid the ring onto her finger, wondering why it felt like it belonged there, and yet shouldn’t be there all the same.
“My friends?”
“The Montgomerys, or the ones that are connected to the Montgomerys anyway. Another friend of theirs that I don’t know yet is here, too. But I will meet them. Come on out. I’ll work back here. You go do your magic up front.”
Madison frowned and then took off her apron, making sure she didn’t have flour or frosting anywhere.
Happy with her quick scan, she headed to the front and grinned at those seated at the table in the corner. Arden, Holland, Bristol, and another woman that Madison didn’t recognize sat with smiles on their faces.
“Can you take a break?” Arden asked. Madison nodded.
“Yes, let me just grab something. Do you want anything?”
“Brynn took care of us. Come on. We’ve got a whole bunch of cupcakes.”
That made Madison laugh, and she grabbed herself some water with cucumber then made her way to the table.
“Water and cucumber?” Bristol asked with a sigh. “I thought you would go for something sweet with lots of whipped cream.”
“I might’ve eaten a lot of frosting in the back before I came out here,” Madison said honestly, and the girls laughed.
“Isn’t that against code?” Holland teased, her eyes bright.
“I had a special frosting bowl in the break room, thank you very much. But please, yell that louder,” she said with a laugh.
“I’m sorry, this is Ethan’s friend Julia,” Holland said. The other woman smiled and waved a bit. “Hi. I actually work with Ethan. And I’m also dating Marcus’s friend, Ronin. If the already complicated situation wasn’t enough.”
Madison did the complicated math and snorted. “I’ve met Ronin, and I know Ethan and Marcus, so you’re technically a Montgomery,” Madison said quickly and froze as the girls gave her a look.
“I mean, you’ve been indoctrinated into the web or the cult or whatever. Oh! Clan’s a good word,” she said quickly, rambling.
“Yes, once you’re friends with the family, apparently, you’re one of them. I hear you’re engaged to Aaron. Lovely ring. I guess you’re really a Montgomery now, huh?”
Guilt swamped Madison, and she did her best not to look at the others. She knew they were aware that it was all fake, but Julia didn’t. Madison hated lying, but the more people who knew it wasn’t real, the harder it would be for her mother to leave it alone.
So, Madison just smiled. She had no idea what to say.
“Okay, tell me about these cupcakes,” Arden said, licking her lips. “I already heard about the double chocolate with strawberry cream cheese frosting, but what else is there?”
“We have a lemon chiffon, a key lime, a birthday cake that has a bit of a champagne twist, and red velvet. Oh, and the carrot cake,” Madison said, grateful she could change the subject quickly.
Thankfully, Julia didn’t look as if anything were awkward.
“We just wanted to say hi and see how you were doing after your date,” Bristol said, practically dancing in her seat.
“Really?” Madison asked. “You’re going to be that blatant?”
“What do you mean? Your date?” Julia asked, looking truly confused.
The other women, however, helped her cover it up. Madison knew she couldn’t keep this charade up for long. Not when she was already overcomplicating things when it came to Aaron.
“We like to get into each other’s business. And Bristol and our cousin were over at Madison’s house earlier to help her get ready for her date with Aaron, much like Bristol likes to do for everybody.”
Julia laughed. “I’m glad I’m already with Ronin, and we don’t need to add a third to our relationship or anything. If we did, I bet Bristol would be there in a minute to help me date.”
The way Julia said that made Madison raise a brow, while Julia blushed. The others didn’t say anything.
There was a story there, but Madison was not going to touch it.
They moved on in their conversation, talking about their families and their jobs, thankfully not bringing up men again so Madison didn’t have to continue lying to everybody and herself about what was going on between Aaron and her.
She left them at their table, needing to go back to work, when the door opened again. She held back a groan.
Guy strode through the door, looking suave and like a million bucks in a custom-tailored suit. Many gazes turned to him, and she did her best to look nonchalant. She didn’t want to talk to him, and she had no idea what to say to him anyway.
“Madison, it’s good to see you again.”
“Since this is my shop, it’s pretty much where you’ll find me most days.”
“Good to know,” he said with a wink.
“Anyway, I need to get in the back and finish baking. Enjoy your day.”
He reached out and grabbed her arm before she could move. She looked down at it, stunned that he would reach over the counter to touch her.
“I’m sorry,” he said, sounding sincere as he let her go, his palm outstretched. “I wanted to talk to you. I didn’t mean to startle you.”
She knew the others were looking at them, and she didn’t want to make a scene because that’s what her family was good at. Since Guy was connected to her mother, apparently, he was good at it, as well.
“I’m working, Guy. But please enjoy a cupcake on me.”
“You don’t have to do that. But thank you. I might just have to taste one of your delectable sweets.”
She did not groan at that horrible double entendre. It wasn’t even clever.
“Enjoy.”
“You should come out with me,” he said.
She heard Brynn sputter beside her, and Madison let out a sigh. “I’m engaged,” she lied, though it didn’t feel like a lie as much as it had before. But that wasn’t something she would be thinking about. “Please tell my mother you tried.”
“This has nothing to do with your mother, Madison.”
“It has everything to do with her. Goodbye, Guy,” she said before walking to the back, not wanting to deal with him anymore.
She threw herself back into her work, grateful that he hadn’t somehow found his way back to the kitchen.
She could not believe his audacity. She didn’t know what her mother had on him or what she’d
told him he would get out of marrying Madison, but she honestly didn’t want any part of it. He might be attractive, they might have things in common, but he was creepy in her book. And the fact that he would go along with whatever her mother said? No, thanks.
She finished up her baking, then went back to her office to work on some paperwork. She already had a headache brewing for the day.
She looked down at her phone and saw that the girls had all texted in their group chat to see if she was okay.
She was surprised that they hadn’t come to the back, but maybe Brynn had kept them from doing so. After all, nobody really wanted a scene, least of all her.
Madison: I’m fine. Just working. Thank you so much for coming today. It was great to see you.
Arden: Are you okay for real?
Bristol: Do we need to hurt someone for you? Because we will. Or we’ll send one of the guys.
Holland: We could totally do it ourselves, Bristol.
Madison smiled.
Madison: I’m fine. Really. It’s just the guy that my mother tried to set me up with.
She looked at the group chat name and was grateful it was only them and not Julia because that would have been another lie she’d have to deal with.
Arden: We’re setting up a girls’ night, and you’re coming. We can all talk about your date and everything else that you might not want to talk about. You’re one of us now, even if you don’t think so.
Tears stung the backs of Madison’s eyes. What could she say?
Bristol: A nice girls’ night, and I promise not to be annoying.
Madison snorted.
Holland: She’ll do her best, haha.
Bristol: You know I’m sitting in the car next to you. I could hurt you, Holland.
That made Madison laugh out loud.
Madison: A girls’ night sounds great. Be safe, and don’t actually hurt each other.
They all said their goodbyes, and she grinned, setting her phone down on her desk near her computer. When it rang, she picked it up without looking, wondering if it was one of them.
“Hello?”
“Madison. I cannot believe you threw Guy out like that. How could you?”
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