by Alta Hensley
Maddox finished with her hair, and gave the same care to lathering up her body. Each move sent fire to her core, but his actions were pure. He was simply taking care of her, not using this opportunity for more sex. Although she wouldn’t have minded more sex at all, she really did enjoy the pampering. As he showered her completely, she just stood in place and allowed him to take full control. The endearing act had her melting inside. Maddox Steele definitely had a firm hand, but at the same time, he had such a gentle and loving one.
“Maddox?” she said as she stood, watching him quickly wash down his own body.
He looked up at her with that devilish grin she had grown to love. “Yes?”
“When we were having sex, you said a word that has me curious.”
“What word was that?”
She paused, second guessing if she should have even brought it up. But the look on his face, and simply knowing what type of man he was, gave her no choice but to continue. “Mine.” Adira had to step out from under the water to cool down. She couldn’t believe she had just asked the question so easily, but she had. There was no turning back now.
Maddox rinsed the soap off his body and moved to stand directly in front of her. Placing both of his hands on each side of her face, he stared directly in her eyes. “Yes, you are mine.” He kissed her directly and pressed his tongue between her pursed lips, claiming her mouth with his. Her head grew light and her knees threatened to buckle. Pulling away from the kiss, Maddox added, “I don’t take that word lightly. I also don’t take the fact that I took your virginity lightly.” He pressed his palms a little more firmly against her cheeks. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Tell you what?”
He scowled. “Adira…”
“Because you would have never done what you did if you knew, right?” When he didn’t respond, she continued. “Exactly. You would have treated me like a piece of fine china, not wanting to use me until a special occasion. But that wasn’t what I wanted.”
“But you deserved something more romantic for your first time. More gentle.”
“Maddox, you aren’t listening to me.” She reached up to pull his hands from her face and held them against her chest. “I wanted you. I wanted our first time to be how you would do it normally. So I pretended to be a little more—”
“I did think you were more experienced by the way you acted,” he interrupted with a stern look. “You were playing a dangerous game with fire.”
Adira nodded. “I know. I’ve never been so… forward before.” She giggled and looked away. “But I liked it. I’m glad I got the courage. Something about Texas and… you, brought it out of me.”
Maddox nodded. “But you better understand that I mean what I said. Things have changed. You are mine now.”
“What does that mean?”
He reached past her and turned off the water. “You’ll see.” He grabbed two towels that were folded neatly on a stand right outside the door and wrapped one around her. “I wish I had more time to show you what I mean, but right now we need to get some breakfast in you. After that, we need to get in the ops room with everyone and video conference with your grandfather. A plan needs to be put in play. I’m sure my brothers and father are anxious to get started.”
“My grandfather! I get to speak with and see my grandfather?” A joy so overwhelming pushed away all thoughts. The need to do this immediately brought tears to her eyes. “When? Can we do it right now?” She bolted past him out of the shower and practically ran out of the room.
“Hold on,” Maddox called. “I don’t think your grandfather would appreciate seeing you dripping wet in nothing but a towel.” He grabbed her by the arm and pulled her back against his wet chest. “And no woman of mine is going to be seen by anyone but me like this.”
She turned into his arms and looked up into his eyes as tears streamed down her face. “What’s going to happen now? What do we do now that I am here?” Her joy blended with the fear of the unknown.
Maddox tightened the towel around her breasts and rubbed her back. “That’s what we will figure out today. But right now, young lady,” he said as he wiped at her tears with his fingertips, “we have to get you dressed, fed, and ready to face this day. We are running out of time.”
When she opened her mouth to protest and to tell him she wasn’t hungry, he silenced her with a finger to her lips.
“Shh,” he said with a reassuring smile. “I promise that you will speak to your grandfather and see his face as quickly as possible.”
She looked up, wrapped her arms around his neck, and sniffed back the tears that could have continued to fall if she allowed them to. “Thank you. Thank you so much for taking care of me.”
“Babe, I’ve only just begun to take care of you.” Warmth flooded through her and she smiled, loving the sound of that. She also loved the fact that his hand was gently pressed at the back of her neck, effortlessly guiding her through the house. Mine. Yes, she definitely felt like his. As they walked through the living room, the sound of voices and laughter rang out from the kitchen and had her smile slipping.
“You all right?”
Adira realized she had stopped walking and looked up to see Maddox’s concerned expression. “Yes… just… you won’t make me go in there alone?”
“No, I’ll come back and get you after I change, but as I said, it’s over, baby. The Steeles do not hold grudges against our own. You have no need to be either worried or embarrassed.”
Several moments passed, and she finally accepted his word and nodded. They continued on and Maddox left her at her door.
“Don’t take too long,” he instructed, bending to give her a kiss.
“I won’t,” she said, missing him the moment he turned to walk away. Entering her room, she walked straight into the bathroom and dropped the towel. Too shy to check out the state of her bottom while he’d been in the other bathroom with her, she turned to stare at it. Her mouth dropped open. How could it not be red, bruised and visibly swollen? From the intensity of both his hand and paddle, she had expected to see her ass a mottled mess. Instead, her skin appeared no worse for wear. Heck, her inner thighs showed more damage than her butt. Reaching for a bottle of lotion on the counter, she rubbed some onto her thighs that were chafed from riding bareback while practically naked. Grinning, she added another dollop to her palms, rubbed them together and then began to cautiously rub her buttocks. Wincing a bit, she discovered that though there was no physical evidence of her spanking, there was indeed tenderness beneath the surface.
It took her a few minutes to comb out her hair and dry it. Only then did she walk into the adjoining closet to find something to wear. As much as she’d like to fit in on the ranch, jeans were out of the question. Even though they were a bit too large, she was sure her butt would not appreciate being encased in thick denim. “Oh, thanks, Jennie,” she said, pulling a simple shift dress from its hanger. After donning the white set of lingerie that Maddox had bought her, she pulled the yellow dress over her head and was just slipping her feet into her sandals when a knock sounded on her door.
“Come in,” she called, moving back into the bathroom to apply a quick brush of blush and a dab of lip gloss.
“You clean up very nicely, Miss Nazar,” Maddox said, leaning up against the door frame.
She met his eyes in the mirror. “I can say the same for you, Mr. Steele,” she said, meaning every word. His black t-shirt stretched across his broad chest and his jeans fit perfectly. The belt around his waist made her shiver and her bottom clench as the possibilities of it being removed and used against her ass filled her mind’s eye. Good grief, Adira, can’t you think of anything else? She almost giggled thinking that yes, she certainly could, as her mind jumped from what his belt might feel like to how his hands would feel while he soothed her ass with a bout of steamy make-up sex.
His chuckle as he pushed himself away from the door to wrap his arms around her waist had her blushing. “Don’t ever play poker with my b
rothers,” he warned, nuzzling her neck. “Your face is as easy to read as an open book.”
Turning in his arms and wrapping her arms around his neck, she gave a long, suggestive look towards the bed before smiling up at him. “Then, Sir, you must know exactly why I’m thinking we can be a little late to breakfast.” A solid whack against her butt had her yelping and dropping her hands to soothe the sting.
“No more stalling. We’ve got things to do.”
“Fine.” She pouted, stepping away.
“Adira…”
“I’m just going to make the bed,” she said over her shoulder. “I don’t want Jennie to think I’m a slob as well as a brat.”
Maddox chuckled and moved towards the opposite side. He’d already pulled the sheet up into place and then looked up as if to see why she wasn’t helping.
She stood, a glimmer of gold in her fingers. “This is… is… how did you find it?”
“You were wearing it that night,” Maddox said, moving around the end of the bed towards her. “It seemed important. I mean, I felt it was something more than just a beautiful necklace. I wanted you to have it.”
She lifted her face, tears making a path down her cheeks. “It is. My father gave this to me when I turned eighteen. He said that it was his heart, and he would be so honored to know it lay against mine whenever I wore it. Thank you, Maddox.”
“You’re welcome, baby.” He bent to kiss each of her wet cheeks. “There’s a safe in the office where you can keep it and the bracelet when you’re not wearing them.” She nodded and returned the necklace to the table, smiling at the sight of the bracelet she hadn’t noticed once she saw the ruby shaped heart. After quickly making up the bed, she went to him, loving the fact that she had more than Zephyr to treasure. She had a ruby shaped heart that would remind her of the love she’d been showered with in the past, and the promise of a future with the man whose hand clasped her so gently and yet so possessively as he walked beside her.
Chapter 17
“Ah, there you are,” Jennie said, coming from the stove to pull Adira away from Maddox and into her arms. “Poor thing, you must be starved. I’ve been waiting to make you a Jennie special.”
Adira returned the hug though she looked at Maddox, her eyes questioning Jennie’s statement.
“She means pancakes… well, what she considers to be pancakes.” He ducked when Jennie twirled towards him, a spatula in her hand. “They are delicious,” Maddox said, backpedaling and grinning once he was out of range. “Even if they are made with buckwheat and not flour.”
“They sound delicious,” Adira said.
“They are wonderful,” Jennie assured her. “Full of blueberries from my garden and, of course, blueberry syrup I made myself.” Jennie smiled and returned to the stove, waving her spatula at Maddox as she did. “Get your girl a cup of coffee,” she said.
Maddox wasn’t surprised when Jennie used the words “your girl”. That woman never missed a thing, and he was happy that he and Adira wouldn’t have to try to hide their growing feelings. “Yes, ma’am,” Maddox said graciously, grinning at Adira, pleased to see the look of panic had disappeared from her face. “What do you take in your coffee, babe?” He hadn’t called a woman “babe” in front of his family before and he liked it. It seemed natural.
“Um, do you have tea?” Adira asked.
Maddox groaned. “You can’t wait to eat fake flapjacks and aren’t even gonna wash them down with true coffee? No wonder Jennie already adores you.”
“Ignore him,” Jennie said. “It’s obvious you have a much better understanding of nutrition that he does. We have a variety of tea as well as either almond, rice or soy milk. None of those fake, chemical sweeteners, of course, but we do have honey from our hives.”
“You have bee hives?” Adira asked, her eyes wide. “That’s amazing!” Choosing a packet from a wooden box that Maddox offered her, she teased, “Almond milk, unless you want me to fix it, seeing how you seem to believe tea is offensive?”
“Nope, I’ve got it. You go on and take a seat,” Maddox said, moving to pull out a chair, noticing that a previously empty seat now had a nice thick cushion on it. After Adira sat, he dropped a kiss on top of her head and moved towards the coffee pot. “I’ll take a couple of those fine flapjacks myself,” he said, grabbing two mugs off a wooden mug tree.
“I don’t know,” Jennie said, shaking her head. “Seems like a nice big bowl of granola or maybe an egg-white and kale omelet would serve you better.”
“Aw, Jennie, you know I love you,” Maddox said, wrapping an arm around her waist and dropping a kiss on her cheek. His voice was much lower as he said, “Thanks,” knowing that she’d understand he didn’t mean anything about pancakes but was thanking her for not only providing the pillow but for making Adira feel so very welcome. She nodded and smiled as he picked up the tea-kettle, pouring hot water into one mug and adding the tea bag, allowing it to steep as he poured his own coffee. Grabbing a carton of almond milk from the refrigerator and a jar of honey from the cabinet, he took them to the table. Returning with their mugs, he set the one containing tea in front of Adira, slipping into the chair beside her. He wasn’t surprised to hear Adira quietly apologizing for her behavior the evening before.
“Don’t worry about it,” Drake said, reaching over to pat her hand. “It’s obvious that everything’s been worked out.”
“Um, thank you, but I do want to apologize to the man at the stables. I was… a little rude.”
“I’m sure Kurt would appreciate that,” Anson said with a nod. “But Pops is right. No need to discuss it any more unless you want to.”
“Or if you have any problems with the way Maddox worked it out?” Stryder said, a grin on his lips that stayed even after Anson gave him an elbow in his ribs.
Maddox grinned when Adira shot him a quick look and then shook her head. “No… I think I’m good.” She busied herself adding milk and honey to her tea and took a sip. “Oh, this is perfect!”
Jennie set a plate in front of her that held a huge pancake with a pile of blueberries mounded on top. Maddox reached for the syrup and poured it over the fruit. Then, leaning towards Adira, one hand moving to hold the nape of her neck, he plucked a huge blueberry from her plate and held it at her lips, whispering, “Look, babe, it’s your favorite color… purple.” She blushed but opened her lips to accept the berry when, suddenly, it fell back to her plate as Maddox yelped, the hand disappearing from the back of her neck to rub the top of his head.
“What the hell was that for?” he demanded, scowling up at Jennie.
“Leave that child alone to eat in peace,” Jennie said. “Lord knows she doesn’t need you mauling her during breakfast.”
Maddox dropped his hand, looking up to see his father shaking his head, and though his brothers were both grinning, their small nods told him that they’d gotten the message. Adira was not just his save—she was his—period.
He’d just taken a big sip of coffee when he saw that Adira had picked up the blueberry, and as the tip of her tongue peeked out between her lips to swipe at the syrup on the berry before curling around it to draw it into her mouth, his cock jerked and he had to fight not to spew hot coffee across the table. This time, his brothers laughed out loud, and Jennie pounded him on the back as he choked a bit before she returned to the stove to finish his pancakes.
Maddox leaned towards Adira again. “Watch it, little girl. It’s not nice to tease.” He grinned as Adira just giggled, seeming totally unconcerned about his warning. Leaning even closer, he said, “Remember that story you were talking about?” At her tiny nod, he continued. “Just know that I’ll be the one writing the script.” Running his fingertip across her lips, he grinned at seeing her eyes widen and her cheeks flush. He had just barely managed to kiss her cheek and sit back before Jennie placed his plate with a stack of three pancakes in front of him. He took several bites before pausing to wash it down with orange juice.
“Do you grow oranges too?”
Adira asked, taking a long sip as well.
“Oranges, apples, pears, grapefruit, just to name a few,” Jennie answered. “I’ll show you the orchards after breakfast.”
“I’m afraid that will have to wait,” Maddox countered. “We’ve got some stuff to do this morning.” Jennie didn’t question him but simply nodded. Maddox turned to his brothers. “I’ve explained to Adira that we’re going to be talking to Hadi. Before we do, have you dug up anything else?”
“I’ve put some feelers out,” Anson said. “Nothing concrete yet but with the identification from the photos you and Pops took, and the film from the camera on the boat right before the yacht…” He stopped speaking, his eyes going from Maddox to Adira.
“Please,” Adira said, looking between the men. “Don’t feel you have to walk on eggshells around me, and please do not keep me in the dark. I have every right to know who murdered my family.”
Maddox nodded. “You do,” he agreed. “I know I asked you before but can you think of anyone specific who might have reason to do this?”
“No,” Adira said. “I know my family made enemies but I can’t imagine anyone doing something so heinous. Even if they wanted my father or grandfather dead, there were so many innocent people on that boat.”
Maddox nodded, explaining that he’d asked Anson to run some photos through his extensive data base. “He was able to put a name to one of the faces. Do you remember hearing anything about a Vasily Poplov? He’s Russian and was at the auction…”
“Yes, he and two others were my father’s guests at dinner that same night.”
“Do you remember their names?” Anson asked, sitting forward in his chair.
Adira closed her eyes as if trying to recall and then said, “I think one was Michael… no, Mikhail Soko… Sokolov, and the other was Nick Orlolov… no, that’s not right but it’s close. I can’t remember exactly. Why?”