Homecoming Queen: A Second Chance Romance (Carlisle Cellars Book 2)

by Fabiola Francisco

  “Let me take this,” Madison says when her phone rattles on the counter. I see Sadie’s name on the screen and nod. I’m sure her friend is worried about her and wants to make sure she’s okay. News travels fast, and I wouldn’t be surprised if every media outlet is reporting on Wright’s arrest.

  My own phone alerts me of a message, and I fish it out of my pocket. I read Rafael’s words and smile.

  Rafael: Hey, just wanted to check in and see how Madison is doing. If you need anything, holler

  I type back a quick response telling him she’s dealing as best she can and thank him. I know he’s hesitant about my relationship with Madison, but I’m glad to see he’s not as heartless as he makes himself seem.

  When Madison returns, she looks more relaxed. “Sadie said they won’t go easy on him. She’s making sure that her assault is also documented and not walk away just because he’s arrested.” She drops on a stool, combing through her wet hair.

  “It’s really over, right?” She looks around the kitchen with tears in her eyes. I hug her from behind, kissing her temple.

  “Yeah, babe.” Her hands come over mine as a shaky breath moves past her lips.

  “I’ll drink to that,” Miles raises his glass.

  “Me too,” June smiles.

  Soon we’re all toasting and drinking, and the mood becomes lighter and more relaxed.

  After June and Miles leave and her parents busy themselves, I grab Madison’s face and kiss her. “Come home with me,” I say against her plump lips.

  She looks at me with warm eyes and nods.

  “I don’t want to leave you tonight,” I explain despite her saying yes.

  “I don’t either.”

  With that settled, Madison lets her mom know that she’s going to stay at my place. I watch their interaction, the hug they share, and the sad smile her mom gives her.

  When I feel a hard hand land on my shoulder, I turn to find her dad standing beside me, watching them as well.

  “Take care of her. I know the day will come soon when she’ll be yours instead of mine. Keep her happy. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen her like this despite how many songs she’s recorded or stages she’s sang on.”

  I nod once. “I promise, sir.” I shake his extended hand and look back at my girl walking over to me with a blinding smile.

  “Goodnight, Daddy.” She kisses her dad on the cheek, and I swear I see the big man swallow back tears.

  I can’t imagine the fear and stress they’ve been under knowing their daughter’s in trouble. However, I have a feeling part of his emotion has to do with the fact that she’s moving on in her life, and he feels she’ll need him less.

  The drive home is quiet. Madison looks out the window as soft country music plays in the cab of my truck, and I’m thankful the station isn’t interrupting their airtime with news about Madison’s attack.

  I have so many things to say, but nothing comes out. When we arrive, Madison hops out of my truck while I grab her bag from the back seat.

  This time, I opt for coffee and make us a pot. We’re both still silent, stewing inside our minds. With steaming mugs, we sit on the couch and stare at each other.

  “I don’t know where to go now.” Madison surprises me.

  “What do you mean?” I hear the panic in my voice. Is she leaving again? We promised we wouldn’t leave without the other.

  She shakes her head, collecting her thoughts. After swallowing her sip of coffee, she continues, “With my career. I’m not sure what I want to do. Do I want to continue with my music or not? I feel lost. For as long as I can remember, that was all I wanted to do.”

  I tilt my head and grab her mug, placing both on the coffee table. Tugging her arm, I settle her on my lap.

  “Do you know what I think?” She shakes her head with a frown. “I think that today’s been a crazy, scary day. You don’t have to have it all figured out right now. You need rest. You need to get yourself back to feeling peace and safety. Then, you decide. This isn’t a race. I think your fans will understand if you take time. And if you decide you’re done, they’ll be supportive of your reasons.”

  “You think so?” Her eyes swim with sadness.

  “I know so,” I say with confidence.

  She smiles wider than I’ve seen since this afternoon’s events, her dimples appearing. Her hands come around my face, holding me gently.

  “You bring me peace. I love you so much.” She brings her lips to touch mine in a soft peck. My body reacts to her regardless of how small a kiss it is.

  “You do the same to me, babe. Whatever you decide, I’ll be there, I promise. Whether you want to stay here or move back to Nashville.”

  “You will?” she questions with raised eyebrows.

  “Yup.”

  “Maybe I want to stay here…” Her eyes wander nervously.

  “Then we’ll stay. There’s room for you in my life.”

  The smile she gives me is priceless. It lands in my heart, making it speed up. She shifts so that her legs are on either side of me.

  “Do you know what I want right now?” She gives me a sexy grin.

  “What’s that?” I hold her hips close to mine.

  Leaning forward, so she’s millimeters from my lips, she whispers, “You.”

  I growl possessively, bringing her hips down on mine so she can feel how badly I want her, too. Madison moans when my hard cock rubs against her. Her heavy breaths hit my chin right before I take her lips in mine, claiming her with my mouth. No one else will ever touch her or harm her.

  I move my hands down her back to her ass and feel her tense. Freezing, I lean back and look at her in the eye. “Is this okay? I’ll stop.”

  “No,” she shakes her head furiously. “Never stop. Show me how it’s supposed to feel. Erase the pain.” She slams her mouth to mine, tongue invading my mouth as she deepens the kiss desperately. Lust and panic mix in the kiss, and I grab the back of her head, keeping her in place and kissing her with every ounce of love I have for her to replace the fear.

  Holding under her thighs, I stand from the couch and lead her to my room. I place her on the bed, and she removes her sweater, exposing a soft pink cotton bra. I look for her right arm and snarl. The bruise he left on her is already purple, and her cheek is still marked red. Anger fires through me, burning deep in the pit of my stomach.

  Taking a deep breath, I kneel before her and grab her arm carefully. I drop kisses all around, filling the angry skin with love. Madison’s breath catches, and her chest shakes with emotion. I move my hands down the side of her body, caressing every inch I touch, and trail my lips to her shoulder and collarbone. I leave a path of wet kisses as I move up her neck and find her lips again.

  “I love you,” I murmur before taking her deep.

  My hands tease and taunt her body with each touch. Her whimpers fill the room. I unsnap her bra and look at her perfection. My hands palm her tits and pinch her nipples, reveling in her moans and whimpers. I want to replace every nasty memory with my touch, make her feel so good that nothing will cloud this.

  Laced with desperation, Madison bunches my shirt up my body and tears it off, throwing it on the floor. Her hands trail down my chest, my skin igniting under her touch. I want to bury myself in her and get lost in her warmth, but tonight’s about more than that. Tonight’s about trust, healing, and unconditional love.

  Laying her back, I hold my body over hers, kissing her slowly, my tongue tangling with hers in a lazy dance. Her hands sneak into my pants, and I shiver, feeling her so close to my dick. Frustrated by the constraints, she undoes the button and zipper while I kick off my boots. Standing, I finish undressing and stand before her. Madison’s hungry gaze sweeps down my body as I pump my cock.

  “Me,” she says possessively and kneels on the bed. Her hand reaches out for me, and when I’m close enough, she wraps her hand around me. I hiss at the feel of her.

  “Baby,” I groan.

  “I want to make you feel good.�
�� She licks her pouty lips, and I’m a goner.

  Shaking my head, I say, “Tonight’s about you.”

  She tsks. “No, Tate. You’re always takin’ care of me. Let me do the same for you.” The way she looks at me, strong and empowered, I can’t stop myself from nodding.

  With her lips around my dick, my legs shake. My hands tangle in her hair, holding her against me as her tongue swirls around the head of my cock as she sucks me off.

  When she takes me deeper, I curse. Looking down at her, she’s a wet dream personified. My hands move to her chest, brushing my thumbs over her peaked nipples. Madison trembles, her moan vibrating against my hardness. A gruff groan pushing past my lips, I tease her wherever my hands reach while she brings me pleasure. It’s too much, and if I don’t stop her, I’m going to come. I’d much rather come inside of her. When my dick twitches, I pull her back.

  “Babe, that’s enough…” I lean her back on the bed and ignore her pout. Removing her jeans and underwear, I swipe my finger across her wetness and revel in how ready she is for me.

  “Need a taste,” I say before kneeling and repeating the action with my tongue this time. Madison’s hips buck off the bed as her hands come to my hair.

  “Geez…” she moans. “So fuckin’ good.” I chuckle at her honesty and thrust a finger into her pussy as I suck on her clit. Her entire body thrashes as she begs me to stop. Not a chance.

  “Tate!” she screams. “Not fair.” I laugh against her.

  “Oh, Maddy, trust me… This is fair. I could eat you for every meal. I’m gonna make you feel amazing, and then I’m going to make love to you.” I hook my finger in her pussy, and she spasms.

  Bringing my mouth back down, I don’t stop until I’m tasting her release on my tongue. Then, I crawl up her body, leaving gentle kisses on the way up, and take her mouth in mine. “Taste good?” I taunt.

  She groans and lifts her hips against my hard dick. Having her like this and not yet buried inside of her is painful. I reach for my nightstand, but Madison stops me.

  “I want nothing between us. I’ve never…” she shakes her head. “I’m on the pill, and I promise I’m clean.”

  I kiss her with all I have, everything that is Madison invading my senses. “I am, too. And I’ve also never shared that with anyone else.”

  I hold my breath as I align myself with her and inch into her tight pussy. Fuck, she feels even more amazing, and I’m overwhelmed by the building sensation. She’s my home, my everything.

  “You’re perfect,” I whisper against her neck when I’m buried deep inside her. “Made for me.”

  “And you were made for me,” she says before lifting my chin and kissing me. “Now, make love to me.” I do just that, uniting our bodies and souls, professing my love for her with my kisses and touches, and promising to always care for her with my unwavering gaze.

  She falls apart beneath me, calling out my name. My orgasm follows closely behind as her pussy milks me.

  “You’re mine,” I say quietly as I kiss her and feel our heavy heartbeats banging in our chests.

  Madison hugs me closely. The moment is so perfect that words are unnecessary. Having her in my arms and my bed is something I’ve wanted since I was old enough to know what love felt like. I wanted to build this life with her, wake up and go to bed with her, make love, create a family.

  This was such a foreign thought, an impossibility that drowned me into a monotone existence. We were never supposed to be like this again, and knowing that I have this opportunity makes me want to drop on my knees and thank the Lord for it.

  When Madison returns to bed after using the bathroom, I hold her to me and vow to build the life we thought we lost. We have the rest of our lives to fulfill every dream we’ve had, and I’m going to spend every waking moment cherishing her.

  Chapter 28

  Madison

  I bury my head into Tate’s chest, and his arms tighten around me. Last night was a scene pulled out of my fantasies. Being here with him, sleeping in his arms all night, making love, it’ll inspire music for years to come. Tate is my forever.

  My eyes blur at that thought. My emotions are ever-present as they weigh down on me. Ducking my head more, I inhale his manly scent and blink the wetness from my eyes. It’s a pointless attempt, though.

  “Baby?” Tate leans on his back to look at me. When I shake my head, he hooks a finger under my chin and tilts it up until he’s looking at my eyes. His eyebrows pull together, and his lips press into a line.

  I notice his chest is glistening with my tears, so I wipe it.

  “What’s wrong?” His deep voice rings with alarm.

  “Nothing, just silly…” I shake my head and tuck my lip between my teeth, inhaling and exhaling to the count of four.

  “Nothing you feel is ever silly. Talk to me.” He sits up, the sheets draping by his waist and exposing his defined torso, light hair sprinkled on his broad chest.

  He takes my silence as avoidance instead of ogling. “Maddy, come on.” He nudges me with his foot under the sheets.

  “Just emotional.”

  “About yesterday?” Fear and anger mix in his blue gaze. “I’d kill him if I wouldn’t get thrown in prison for it,” his words are tight.

  “Not about that… I mean, yeah, it may take me a bit to overcome the scare but about us.”

  His body tenses and remains still. “What about us?” His eyes narrow as if trying to read the tiniest font on my face.

  I smile and scoot closer to him, kneeling next to him. Tate growls as his eyes drop to my bare chest.

  “Are you tryin’ to distract me, babe?” His hands instantly move to my breasts, lazily kneading them. A quiet moan passes through my lips as I shake my head.

  “It looks like you are.” His lips land on my neck, trailing soft kisses that make goosebumps pebble my skin.

  “Tell me why you were cryin’.”

  I hold his face with both hands and force his eyes to mine. Blue and green collide, creating an ocean of love.

  “Because I’ve wanted this for so long, thought I’d never have it. Waking up next to you…” I subtly shake my head. “I gave up on that. I broke us, so why would I deserve you again?”

  His jaw ticks beneath my palms. Tate moves his hands over mine, grabbing them and holding them between his strong palms.

  “We’ve talked about this. I hate what happened. I truly do. I try not to think about it because you’re here now. We’re here now.”

  “I wish we’d always had this. That we would’ve been this way years ago.” I trap my bottom lip between my teeth as I look into his eyes.

  “We’ve got years to make up for, but I’m not letting you go. Now that I’ve once again held you in my arms, loved you, tasted you,” he adds darkly, and I shiver, “I’m going to make sure we’re always like this.” A finger trails along my collar bone and down my shoulder.

  “Wherever we go, I want you in my bed every night. Yesterday was the first day of the rest of our lives.”

  “Oh, yeah?” I smile shyly.

  “Yeah, babe.” He nods before kissing me tenderly. “I mean it. I want you here and make this our home. And if we decide to move, we’ll find a place together. No more wasted time.”

  My eyes soften as I look at him, a fresh wave of tears filling to the brim. “So you’re saying—”

  He interrupts me, his face serious yet calm. “Move in with me. Live here, keep my bed filled with your scent, put your girly stuff in my bathroom. Teach me how to cook. I’m tired of living for one when I’ve always wanted you as my plus one in my life.”

  No longer able to bite back, tears stream down my face at his beautiful words. I nod, my lips trembling with emotions.

  “I’m gonna need to hear you say it, Maddy.”

  I laugh through my tears, spluttering. “Sorry!” I wipe his face, but he chuckles.

  “You can spit on me whenever you like so long as you’re by my side.”

  I giggle, heat filling my c
heeks. “Yes, I’ll move in with you. I want this, Tate. I want you and me, a life we should’ve been living a long time ago.”

  “Under one condition.” He brushes my hair behind my ear.

  “What?” I pull my eyebrows down, nerves fluttering around my belly.

  “We stop blaming the past for not having this sooner. We accept that we needed to live our relationship this way. New chapter. Hell, a new book for us.”

  I nod. “Okay,” I whisper.

  “Good. Now,” he puckers his lips. “Give me some sugar.”

  My head falls back as I laugh wildly. Tate’s hands hold my waist, tugging me to him and kissing the laughter straight out of me. I moan and hold on to his shoulders, reveling in the way our tongues dance to their own beat and our lips move in perfect harmony. He’s my favorite song, and I’ll sing it daily no matter where my life takes me. I know he’ll be right by my side.

  Laying me on my back, Tate stares into my eyes, hands brushing my wild hair from my face. The way he looks at me, love swimming in his eyes. It makes my heart burst. It’s too much and not enough.

  My fingers dance over his face, tracing softly. Tate closes his eyes and hums, leaning his face into my touch. His lips drop a kiss on my palm, and he aligns his body over mine. Without breaking eye contact, he inches into me ever so slowly. My legs fall open so that he fits better, a small gasp escaping me when he’s in all the way.

  “I love you,” he says without wavering. His declaration is loud and clear, washing over me.

  We make love slower than last night, soft touches and kisses adding to the way our bodies hum. When he kisses me, I get lost in all that is Tate—his strength, his love, the peace he provides, and the pleasure he brings.

  I want this for the rest of my life—no more running, no more hiding, no more shutting him out.

  ***

  I’m teaching Tate how to make an omelet after we each took a shower. It’s quite entertaining watching him struggle in the kitchen. He’s adorable, with the tip of his tongue slipped out of the side of his mouth as he concentrates while chopping veggies.