by Roxie Ray
“Okay,” I said softly and tucked my hair behind my ear. “That sounds nice.”
“Bring Tiffany,” Maddox said. My heart swelled. “My family loves kids. It’ll be like having a babysitter for her, I promise.”
He wanted Tiffany to come, too. It wasn’t just me meeting his family, it was his family meeting us. The significance was not lost on me. Not at all.
With a final kiss, Maddox said goodbye to the three of us and worked his way out of the diner, saying goodbye to all the people he’d greeted when he arrived.
As soon as he was out of earshot, Kara let out a tiny squeal. “I’m so excited for you!”
My chest fluttered with anticipation. “Oh, my gosh,” I whispered. “What am I going to wear?”
The next day, true to their word, Kara and Abby showed up early to go through my closet. By the time Maddox arrived, I’d tried on about forty outfits and we landed on artfully ripped jeans, a flowy blouse covered in small pink roses, and ballet flats that matched the color of the roses. Abby helped me craft my makeup so it looked natural while Kara put a few extra curls in my hair—up in a ponytail that to most would look casual and quickly done.
Kara checked her watch. “He’ll be here any minute,” she squealed. “Let’s go!”
Tiffany had helped us every step of the way. She’d been the one to pick out the shirt. After my outfit was ready, she’d insisted we all go to her room and help her pick one. She made the choices, of course, landing on her favorite play outfit with princesses on the front of the tee, as I’d known she would.
It didn’t matter what she wore. They’d love her; everyone did. I did put my foot down and make her sit still so Kara could fix her hair and put in a floppy bow. I did love her with a bow in her hair, though it’d be lost before she met everyone.
Oh, well. The first impression would be good, at least.
Kara and Abby left seconds before Maddox turned onto my road. I slammed the door shut so he wouldn’t realize I’d been waiting by the door with bated breath.
Darting into Tiffany’s room, I flitted around and waited for the doorbell to ring. “Mommy?” Tiffany cocked her head at me. “Whatcha doin’?”
“Nothing, sweetie. Just waiting for a second.”
The doorbell saved me from having to answer. Tiffany ran out and to the door, so I had to scramble to catch up to her. “Ask who it is,” I hissed before she could yank the door open.
“Who is it?” she called.
“It’s Maddox!”
Tiffany jerked the door open with a squeal. “Maddoth!”
He held out his arms and she launched into them. “I’m happy to see you, too, pipsqueak.” His grin melted my heart, even more when he turned his big hazel eyes to me. “You ready?”
His gaze burned into me intently, then raked up and down my body. “You look great.”
The weight of his gaze made my spine tingle. “Thanks,” I whispered. “I’m ready.”
I grabbed my purse and keys. “We can drive my car since Tiffany’s car seat is already in there,” I suggested.
He nodded and swung her around on the front walk while I locked the door. “Sounds good!”
Every mile closer to his family’s home made my stomach clench tighter and tighter. He showed me where to turn and within fifteen minutes, we were there.
Maddox took my hand and squeezed while Tiffany unbuckled her belt. “Ready?” His grin could’ve lit up a room. “They’re going to love you.” He must’ve sensed my nerves. “Don’t be scared.” He looked a little sad for a moment. “My family is pretty cool.”
“What’s wrong?” I asked.
“Sometimes I forget how lucky I am to have the family I do,” he said. He jumped out of the car and opened the back door for Tiff, then waited at the front of the car to take my hand before leading us up the stairs and into the enormous manor house.
Without giving me time to marvel at the big foyer or all the dark wood, Maddox pulled me into an empty living room. “Where is everyone?” I wondered in a hushed voice. The living room looked more like a library or study, except huge. It also had multiple couches and chairs and a big television on one wall. More like a den-library-living room. We carried on, out another door into a big kitchen with a very long table and huge island.
A woman turned from the stove. “Maddox,” she said. “There you are.”
She smiled warmly at me. “Bethany,” Maddox said. “This is my grandmother, Carla. Nana, this is Bethany.”
Tiffany clung to my leg. She was always a little bit shy for the first thirty seconds of meeting someone. “And who is this?” Carla bent over and smiled. “You must be the famous Tiffany.”
Tiff nodded.
“Would you like to help me take food out?” Carla asked. “I have a lot of cookies to carry.”
That was all it took for Tiffany to overcome her shyness. She darted forward eagerly. “I love cookies.”
Carla laughed. “I thought you might.”
Maddox pulled gently so I followed him out the back door. And there were all the people. The loud, boisterous talking and laughing stopped when we exited the building. “Hello,” Maddox said. “Everyone, this is Bethany.”
Tiffany appeared behind me with a plate of cookies and wide eyes. “And this is Tiffany,” Maddox continued.
A little girl, barely a teenager, with long dark hair, ran forward. “Hi,” she said. “I’m Maddox’s sister, Hailey. Is it okay if I play with Tiffany?”
I nodded and smiled my thanks, and it turned out Maddox had been right. That was the last I had to worry about my daughter all day. Hailey fawned over her and made sure she was taken care of, as did Carla.
The next person to approach us was Maddox’s mother. I knew her on sight, but we’d never been formally introduced. “Bethany, this is my mother, Ava. Mom, this is Bethany. She’s...” He stared at me for a split second. “She’s special.”
Ava pulled me into a hug. “It’s wonderful to meet you.” She had an awful lot of emotion in her voice for someone just meeting a girl her son was dating.
“Hey, Maddox, come here!” Jury yelled across the yard. “We need one more for touch football.”
Maddox squeezed my arm. “I’ll leave you ladies to get to know each other.”
I was a bit aggravated at him for abandoning me for a second, but Abby appeared as soon as he ran off. “Hey!” she said brightly. “Anybody you need to be introduced to?”
I looked around at all the people, and Maddox’s mom put her arm around me. “You know my husband, Maverick?”
“I met him once at a police department supper,” I said. “It’s been years.”
“Well, he’s out there playing anyway. I’ll introduce the women. Charlotte,” she called. A gorgeous blonde looked up with a toddler on her hip. “Come meet Maddox’s girlfriend.”
I didn’t know if we were at the boyfriend-girlfriend stage, but I wasn’t about to argue that with Maddox’s mother.
The blonde walked across the back deck. “So nice to meet you.” She shifted the baby to the other hip and held out her hand for me to shake. “I’m a nurse at the hospital, so if you ever need anything, you just let me know, okay?”
I nodded. “Thank you. It’s always nice to have medical friends.”
She giggled and gestured to another woman who had just walked up. Ava smiled. “Bethany, this is—”
“Oh, I know Bethany,” Harley exclaimed. As Abby’s sister, we’d ended up at more than one girls’ night together.
“Good to see you, Harley. I didn’t know you were related to the Kingstons, other than through Abby,” I said.
Harley pointed toward the field. “The dark-haired man with glasses is my fiancé, Stefan.”
“From the body shop?” I asked. He’d changed my spark plugs a few months before.
Harley nodded. “He’s sort of adopted into the Kingston family.”
“That’s nice,” I said warmly. They all seemed so kind. I couldn’t help but wonder what it would
be like to be a part of such a large family.
“Okay, everyone!” Carla yelled behind me, making me jump. “Come eat!”
The back yard had several tables set up, one of which was covered with food. Everything from hot dogs to steaks. Potato salad and watermelon, and some sort of fried vegetable that looked Southern and wonderful.
Maddox ran up with a light sheen of sweat on his forehead. “Let’s eat.”
He and I circled the table, loading up our plates, but he did it with one hand on my back as if he couldn’t stand to stop touching me.
I didn’t mind it one bit. Everyone kept me talking all through the meal, and I found myself telling them about my business, about Tiffany—leaving out the more tragic aspects of her past—and even about upcoming projects. I learned about Ava’s online business, Harley’s salon—hello invitation for free services! Yes!
The day passed quickly with a lot of laughter and fun. By the time Tiffany began to yawn, I was content with just being around those wonderful people. They fully supported and loved one another. I couldn’t help but think how nice it could be to marry into the Kingston family.
But it was far, far too soon to think about that.
16
Maddox
Our dinner had gone well. My entire family loved Bethany, and unless I was much mistaken, she loved them, too.
We’d just gotten back to her house, and Tiffany had fallen asleep nearly as soon as we hit my grandparents’ driveway. Bethany carried her to bed while I waited in the living room. I hoped she was going to invite me to stay.
When she walked back into the living room, I held my arms out. Her smile warmed me as she wrapped her arms around my waist, and I hugged her close. She lifted her head so I could press a kiss to her lips. “I’m so happy with how this night went,” I whispered. “I knew they’d love you.”
Bethany beamed at me. “I was so nervous, but it was like I’d been a part of their crowd all my life.” She tucked her head into the crook of my neck. “Thank you.”
We stayed there for a few moments, then she blinked up at me with something in her eyes I hoped was desire. “Come on,” she whispered. “Come to bed.”
Hell, yes. I followed her to her bedroom, my eyes trained to her ass as she seemed to sashay—no, float—across the floor. I could barely believe this woman belonged to me. I was truly the luckiest guy in the world.
She closed the door behind us and smiled at me. The shyest, softest smile I’d ever seen. It was like being in a dream.
“Are you shy?” I tucked a length of hair behind her ear and smoothed her cheek. “Afraid?”
“Not afraid.” She shook her head. “Anticipation?”
“You don’t need to be shy, either. It’s just me.” Moonlight fell through the window, lighting her face, and her pupils were huge as she looked at me. Then she turned and walked across the room to lower the blinds, flicking soft lamps on as she passed them.
In just a few moments, she’d set the stage for romance, for love, and Artemis almost purred in satisfaction. Yes, he loved this human too. That’s why he chose her.
“I feel like I should have brought you something.” I scrubbed my hand across my head.
She chuckled. “Brought me something like what? Happiness? You already did that.”
A rush of pleasure warmed my whole body, and Artemis shifted, making himself comfortable. He was at ease tonight, restful.
“No. Like flowers.” The idea sounded dumb as soon as I voiced it. “Chocolates, maybe.”
“I don’t need anything like that.” She walked slowly toward me before stopping right in front of me. “You said you wanted to show me something?”
I sucked a deep breath and nodded.
“I’ve already seen it,” she blurted, ruining the solemn moment, but I laughed as she clapped her hand over her mouth.
“Maybe I’d like to show you again sometime.”
“I’d like that.” She hooked her fingers into my belt loops and drew me closer until my hips sat flush with her body.
I looked down, my gaze landing on her skin, her eyes, her lips, and her mouth parted as I watched, her breaths coming as soft pants. The temptation was too much, and I bowed my head, leaning into her.
Our lips met and hers were so soft, and her tongue slid against mine with a mixture of innocence and passion. Before I fell too far under, before I all but drowned in her, I moved back a little.
Her eyes flicked open, her startled gaze meeting mine.
I rested my forehead against hers and swallowed, suddenly anxious. It skittered through me, scraping along my nerves like unwanted sand in my ass-crack after a day at the beach. I closed my eyes. That was a dumb thought right before I spoke to Beth.
I took another deep breath, and Bethany parted her lips like she was going to speak, but I couldn’t let her say anything until I did.
“I love you, Bethany.” For a moment, the words hung in the air between us, fragile and easily dismissed.
I waited with my breath tight in my chest.
“I love you, too.” Her voice was so quiet I should have had to strain to hear her, but even Artemis heard, and an intense growl of ownership vibrated through my chest.
I swept her back into my arms, lifting her to me and cradling her to my chest, right against my heart. It beat faster, wildly almost, but I didn’t want to excite Artemis, so I drew a calming breath.
Now wasn’t about my dragon. Now was about showing Beth my love. My devotion. How I’d utterly fallen for her in the few short weeks since I’d met her, even though I resisted it at first.
I laid her on her bed. “I love you,” I said again as I shed my clothes and climbed up beside her. “I’d like to show you how much.”
She nodded, the moment slow and almost uncertain like she’d caught that my tempo was leisurely and more serious. But then she sat up and tugged her dress up her body to take it off, revealing delicate lace underwear with small stitched flowers.
I skimmed my hand across her abdomen. One day, hopefully, my baby would grow in there. Her muscles fluttered delicately under her skin at my touch, and I smiled before pressing a kiss over each of the movements.
She lay back down with her head on her pillows, and I glanced up her body, between her breasts to meet her gaze as she watched me. Then, I lowered my head again and kissed a path to her mouth. Her arms wound around me, holding me close, and I kissed her slowly, reverently, worshiping her with my lips and tongue.
I skimmed a hand across her breasts and lowered the thin straps to create the room to slide my fingers inside, where I could touch her hardening nipples. She gasped a little, and I lowered my head, flicking my tongue across the lace and sucking her nipple through the fabric.
When she wriggled and reached around her back to take her bra off, I chuckled. “It doesn’t matter what speed I go, you’re always impatient.” But as her bra slackened, I drew it away from her body to lay her bare to me and swirled my tongue across her sensitive skin. She pushed her fingers into my hair, and her breath came in pants as she moved her hips, writhing slowly.
I slipped my hand down her waist and played with the band of her panties where it sat against her skin.
“Yes.” She breathed the word, and it was all the permission I needed.
I followed the fabric down and pressed my fingers between her thighs. She widened her legs in answer and arched toward me.
“You’re already so wet.” I could feel it through the lace.
“Because I want you.” She arched again, pushing herself to me.
A rush of love for her filled my chest, and Artemis stirred before settling again, safe in the knowledge we were loving our woman.
I drew her panties down, and nuzzled her thighs, kissing the skin and breathing her scent. When I kissed closer, higher, she shifted away.
“No. Not there. I want you inside me.”
“Just one taste…” I was so close, but I watched for her reaction first.
She nodded, and
lapped my tongue against her, taking it over her clit and listening to her breathing rate change.
“Please, Maddox.”
That was all it took, the sound of my name on her lips, and I shifted over her, maintaining the contact between our bodies as I moved. Awareness of her prickled through me, and my hard cock brushed over her thigh. The heaviness of it excited me.
I dropped another kiss on her breast, taking things slowly, teasing her a little. Teasing myself too, because I wanted her, but I also wanted to hold back. I wanted to love her instead of just fuck her.
I moved my hips, stroking the underside of my shaft against her leg, and the skin of my cock tightened as I hardened further.
Artemis huffed a sigh. He didn’t understand the difference between fucking our mate and loving her when arousal stoked our desire, but as I nestled myself between Beth’s legs, I captured her lips for another slow kiss.
I slid my tongue into her mouth, tasting her, stroking her, and she responded, drawing heat through me until my skin almost burned at her delicate touch.
“I’m ready.” She pressed against me, and I nudged forward, pushing the head of my cock into her wet heat.
But I didn’t want to go too fast. I wanted to enjoy this and prolong her pleasure, too.
I drew out, waiting a moment before pushing back in, and she sighed as she surrendered herself to me. Her head dropped to one side, and I sucked gently at the skin on her neck, passing my tongue over the vein beneath the surface that throbbed with the beat of her heart.
My heart beat for her, and I wanted to show her that.
I kept my movements slow, entering her and retreating until she accepted my whole length inside her, and I paused for a moment to allow her to accommodate me comfortably.
When she began to move beneath me, her hips pressing to mine, I mimicked her, picking up her rhythm as I shared her body.
“It’s an honor.” I voiced the thought quietly, and Artemis scoffed a quiet rumble, but he understood. We were lucky.
“Hmm?” Beth sounded distracted, and I sure the hell hoped she was because I was pretty sure I was nudging her just right.