Madeleine drew her hand back and grimaced. “Gerry, come on. You don’t mean that.”
“I do,” Geraldine insisted. “And I hate this house. I hate everyone!”
Without warning, Geraldine jumped off the couch, spread her arms out and let out a blood curdling screaming, one that had Madeleine scrambling to her feet and placing her hands on either side of Geraldine’s shoulders.
“Please calm down, Gerry,” Madeleine urged, keeping her voice low and soothing. “It’s going to be okay.”
“Leave me alone!” Geraldine yelled, pushing her arms and taking several steps back. “I want my mommy!”
Suddenly, the door behind them burst open, and Hank strode in, his tie hanging off his neck, and his shirt untucked, his arms stretched out. In an instant, Geraldine pushed past Madeleine and hurled herself into her father’s arms, burying her face in the crook of his neck.
Hank’s arms closed around her. “It’s okay, Gerry. I’ve got you. I’m here.”
Madeleine swallowed and looked away, tears springing to the back of her eyes. Her eyes darted around the room, listless while Hank comforted his daughter in the background before he gently coaxed her away and back to her bedroom.
After a few minutes, Madeleine climbed up the stairs and paused in the hallway, listening to the quiet timber of Hank’s voice, recounting tales of Lily and Geraldine. She listened closely, wishing there was more she could to help until she accepted defeat and shuffled off, her heart heavy inside her chest.
Madeleine perched on the edge of her bed, leaving her door wide open, her hands clasped in front of her. Twenty minutes later, Hank stood in her doorway, leaned against her door and crossed one arm over the other, looking like he just walked out of the pages of a magazine.
God, he was beautiful.
“How is she?” Madeleine asked.
“She’s sleeping,” Hank replied, raking his hands through his hair. “It happened last year, and she had a complete meltdown, freaked out poor Josephine, but this year she’s handling it a lot better.”
“She is?”
“She is,” Hank confirmed. “I know it doesn’t seem like she is, but she is. It’s just that she doesn’t know how to handle her emotions yet, and I think the hardest part is that she remembers Lily.”
“I can’t imagine what that must be like.”
Hank exhaled. “It’s difficult, and it’s hard to console her because she still doesn’t understand loss, but she feels it.”
“Is there anything I can do?”
“You’ve already helped just by being here,” Hank replied, offering her a small smile. “Anyway, I have to get back to work. Good night, Madeleine.”
“Good night, Hank,” Madeleine whispered softly.
Chapter 5
Hank.
He leaned against the counter, a glass in his hand, and his fingers drumming against the counter. Meanwhile, the rest of the house was asleep, the stillness of the night settling in around him, a pale silvery glow pouring in through the open windows, along with the distinct smell of grass and jasmine.
Hank ran his hands over his face and sighed, taking a quick sip of his drink. Days like today were especially difficult because Lily would’ve known exactly what to do. A lot of women had to learn to be mothers, developing the skills over time, and through a period of trial and error, but not his Lily.
No, she was a mother through and through.
And it had amazed him every step of the way, how gentle and nurturing she was, knowing what Geraldine needed just by looking down at her serene face. Of course he used to tease her about it, claiming that she made him look bad, paling in comparison to the great and might Lily, but she’d always shake her head at him, insisting that in time he would learn.
But she was wrong.
Three years later, he still felt off kilter, like he couldn’t quite get his bearings with Geraldine. Each time he thought he had figured her out that the world around him settled into some semblance of normalcy she pulled the wrong out from underneath him, stunning him into silence.
Like today.
His heart nearly stopped when he heard her scream from the other side of the house, and he’d marched to the playroom, stern and critical until he realized what day it was, and how it must’ve hit her, the wave of grief slamming into her like a tidal wave.
His daughter was young, but she already felt so much.
“Penny for your thoughts?”
Hank glanced up, his lips curing into a rueful smile. “How about a nickel?”
“Why a nickel?”
Hank shrugged. “I don’t know. It just sounds better.”
Madeleine smiled and pulled out a chair, hopping onto it and letting her legs dangle. “I couldn’t sleep, so I thought I’d check on Geraldine. She’s sound asleep.”
“I checked on her too,” Hank admitted. “Do you want one?” He asked, lifting his glass up.
Madeleine grinned. “I didn’t take you for the glass of milk kind of guy.”
“I am a man of many hidden talents,” Hank teased. He turned away from her and moved towards the fridge. In an instant, he had a tall glass in front of her and was pouring milk. “Besides, milk usually helps with insomnia.”
“I think that’s supposed to be warm milk,” Madeleine pointed out. “Or is this like the cold pizza all over again?”
Hank slid the glass towards her. “Something like that.”
Madeleine took a sip, set the glass down then wrung her fingers together. “I’m sorry about Geraldine. I’ve never had to deal with that before.”
“It’s okay,” Hank assured her. “It’s not easy to comfort her when she’s like that, but usually telling her stories helps.”
“I’m glad.”
They both lapsed into silence with Madeleine pressing her back against her seat, and Hank resting his elbows on either side of the counter. He had no idea how or why this incredible woman in front of him had walked into his life, but somehow she had, and it terrified the shit out of him.
“Lily was going to leave me,” Hank revealed.
Madeleine jerked back, as if she’d been slapped. “What?”
“Before she found out she was sick, she was going to leave me. She said I worked too much, and she just couldn’t handle it anymore because she wanted a husband and father who was there.”
Madeleine shifted her seat then jumped off, walking around the counter until she reached him. Slowly, she took his hand in hers, brought it up to her lips and kissed his knuckles, her eyes never leaving his face.
“I’m sorry.”
“You shouldn’t be,” Hank reminded her. “Lily was right. It killed me to admit it, but she was. At the time, I couldn’t give her what she needed. Sure, I was finally starting to slow down and relax, but I guess it was too late.”
“But you were working hard to provide,” Madeleine countered. “I’m sure she knew that.”
“She did, but it didn’t change how she felt,” Hank realized. “And I couldn’t blame her. I wanted to make my father proud, so badly that I think I lost sight of a lot of important things, one of them being that I needed to be there for my family.”
Madeleine took a step forward and pressed her face to his chest, breathing deeply. “You shouldn’t blame yourself, Hank. Geraldine knows you love her, and she loves you back.”
Hank wrapped his arm around her shoulder and pressed his forehead to hers. “I do, and I do my best, but there are some things I can’t do for Geraldine, and some holes I can’t fill. I just can’t help but wonder if I would’ve noticed that Lily was sick if I hadn’t been so—“
Madeleine pressed her finger to his lips. “Don’t you dare finish that thought. You can’t blame yourself for that, Hank. You didn’t make Lily sick, and I doubt she blamed you for it either. It was just something horrible that happened, but neither of you had any control over it.”
Hank took a deep shuddering breath. “I don’t know. I hope so because I can’t stand the thought that Ger
ry grew up without a mother because of me.”
“She didn’t,” Madeleine whispered, threading her fingers through his hair. “And I know you’re giving her a great life.”
Hank drew back. “Have you always been this wise?”
“Oh, yeah,” Madeleine deadpanned. “I was born giving out advice. My parents didn’t know what to do with me.”
Hank snorted and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “No? What a shame.”
Chapter 6
Madeleine.
You’re being reckless. This is not a good idea.
Madeleine gritted her teeth, reached for the glass and nearly knocked it over, stumbling. She righted herself and narrowed her eyes, the table swimming in and out of focus, the liquid amber calling out to her, beckoning her forward.
Don’t do it, Madeleine. You’ve already had three drinks, and you’re a lightweight, so it’s time to quit while you’re ahead. Besides, Geraldine is in the next room, and you don’t want her to see you like this.
With that resolve in mind, she downed the rest of her drink and put the cup in the far end of the room. Then, she stretched her arms out on either side and spun around in a circle, puffing her chest out.
The pleasant liquid sloshed around in her body, making her feel lighter than she’d been in a while, but Hank’s face still kept popping up in her mind, his eyes heavy with sadness, his voice determined and resolute.
Yes, he was willing to hold himself accountable for the fact that his marriage was in shambles before the illness, but she didn’t understand why. On the one hand, she knew why Lily wanted to leave, but on the other hand, she also commended both of them being civil and mature about it.
Sometimes, people just fell out of love.
That seemed to be the case with the late Mrs. Lorum, but not so much with Hank, who by the tone of his voice, still held his wife in the highest regard, and supported her even with the knowledge that she would’ve walked out on him had she survived.
To Madeleine, that spoke volumes about his character, the depth and loyalty of it.
She smiled to herself as she lurched towards the door and yanked it open, glanced down both sides of the hall then reached behind her, letting the door fall shut. On the tips of her toes, she crept to Hank’s room at the other end of the hall and lifted her hand up, her heart hammering against her chest.
Before she could change her mind, the door swung open, revealing Hank’s bare chest, droplets of water rolling down his back, and a surprised look in his eyes.
“Madeleine.” Hank smiled. “Are you okay? You smell like a bar.”
“I’m fine.” Madeleine waved his comment away. “I just need to do something.”
“What’s that?’
He stepped back, gestured for her to come in, and she kicked the door shut with the back of her foot, launching herself at Hank in the same breath, her lips finding his. Hank hesitated at first, his hands staying on the small of her waist until she bit down on his bottom lip and moaned.
“You taste so good.” Madeleine breathed, running her fingers over his shoulders, over the smattering off chest hair and stopping near his happy trail. “Like peanut butter and strawberry pancakes.”
Hank smiled and leaned back, helping her out of her shirt. Wordlessly, he pressed his mouth to the base of her neck, drew his lips back and grazed it, her body pressing itself against his, nails digging into the soft flesh on his back.
Her heart sped inside her ribcage, blood singing out his name as he maneuvered them towards the bed, his mouth never leaving her skin, peppering it with feather light kisses until her knees hit the back of the bed.
She gasped and arched her back, her entire body feeling as if it was going to combust into a million tiny little pieces, a fire burning in the pit of her belly. With the tips of her fingers, she touched his skin, moving down until she tugged on his sweatpants and managed to push them down to his ankles.
Hank pushed them away, a low groan escaping his lips as she ran her tongue along his bottom lip before she plunged it into his mouth, beginning a sensual battle for dominance.
Within seconds, they were both naked, their sweaty bodies clinging to each other, with Madeleine’s nails raking across his back until they fell around his hips, and she squeezed.
He answered with a low grunt, confused as she pushed him backwards then climbed on top of him, placing her legs on either side and leaning forward. Hank drew back, his eyes dark full of hunger as he placed his mouth around one nipple and nipped before doing the same to the other one, sending a fresh wave of desire crashing over her.
Slowly, Madeleine felt him ease himself into her, and she tossed her head back and let out a loud moan, her fingers clutching the sheet at her side. “God, that feels good.”
He thrust himself in, filling every inch of her before he pulled out then did it again, setting up a rhythm until she dropped her head into his shoulder, soft little whimpers of delight falling from her lips.
For a while, it was only the two of them, bodies moving against each other, in perfect harmony until she spasmed, coming undone around him, and prompting his own release.
Madeleine sucked in a harsh breath, spots dancing in her field of vision as she rolled off of him. Hank’s chest rose and fell unevenly, his arm curling around her and pressing her into his side.
Wordlessly, he pressed a kiss to the side of her head as she threw one leg atop of his, and traced his features, basking in the warm glow settling atop them. She wriggled to get comfortable and looked up at him, his breathing having evened out as he fell into a deep sleep.
“I really like you, Hank,” Madeleine whispered, her voice scarcely above a whisper. Already fast asleep, he reached for her, murmuring her name as he did.
“I wish we could be together,” Hank mumbled, his voice thick with sleep. “Not in secret, but we can’t. I don’t know if we’ll ever be able to.”
INDUBITABLY YOURS
Chapter 1
Hank.
“You’re going to learn to be quieter,” Hank observed, looking up at her, his lips pressed against her bare stomach, a smattering of goosebumps breaking out across her delicate flesh. She squirmed and tried to move away from him, but he held her in place, his fingers squeezing into her waist.
“You need to stop teasing me,” Madeleine retorted, blowing an errant lock of hair that fell onto her face. With her legs pinned underneath his weight, and her face bathed in the bright glow of the TV turned down in the background, she was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen even flustered, the tips of her ears a bright shade of red.
But she was also being evasive.
Since that night she stumbled into his bedroom, half drunk and giddy, she’d been acting weird, squirming and inching away from him even in private, but he couldn’t for the life of him figure out why.
It wasn’t as if he’d done anything wrong, not to his knowledge at least, and he’d tried confronting her, but she’d chalked it up to nerves, blaming it solely on the fact that they had to sneak around like a bunch of hormonal teenagers.
In all honesty, he was enjoying it a little more than he should’ve, the sneaking around and stealing kisses with her back pressed against the shelves, making him feel young again.
Madeleine was intoxicating.
And being around her made him feel like himself again, the same carefree man he once was in college, dreaming away and imagining that he could be a painter someday, but he couldn’t figure out why she was pulling away.
“Why would I do that?” He pushed up her shirt, drew back his teeth and ran his tongue across her abdomen, starting from the bottom of her bra all the way until the waistline of her jeans, his fingers darting suggestively around the area.
Madeleine swallowed and sucked in a harsh breath. “Because Geraldine could walk in on us.”
“She’s fast asleep,” Hank pointed out. “And we’d be able to hear her before she got here.”
“William could walk in on us,” Madeleine a
rgued, shooting him an annoyed look, her brows furrowed together. “I like him well enough, but I definitely don’t want him seeing me in my bra and underwear.”
Hank smirked. “But it’s such a delectable sight, Ms. Wright. All wicked and naughty.”
Madeleine giggled and shook her head. “You’re hopeless.”
“Me? Never,” Hank insisted, adopting a serious look as he did, and leaning back on his legs. “I’m nothing but a gentleman.”
Madeleine snorted. “Is that why you’ve been trying to seduce me for the past ten minutes?”
“Trying? Are you implying that I’m failing? I must apply myself harder then.”
With that, he leaned forward and pressed his face against her neck, engulfing it with feather light kisses as she laughed, the sound like music to his ears, her legs wrapping themselves around his waist.
“Well, Ms. Wright?” Hank prompted, leaning back, and studying her features, from her flushed cheeks, to the glint in her eyes. “Am I succeeding?”
Madeleine cocked her head to the side and paused. “I’m not sure. Maybe you’d better try that again.”
“Which part?”
“Surprise me.”
Hank’s mouth curved into a wicked grin as he bent over, covering her body with his, his hands snaking underneath the waistband of her jeans and cupping her center, his fingers stroking back and forth.
To his delight, she arched her back and sucked in a harsh breath just as he pressed his lips to hers, nibbling until she parted her mouth with a sigh, and he plunged his tongue in.
Everything about her drew him in, and he wanted nothing more in that moment than to bury himself inside of her, so deep that they wouldn’t be able to tell where one began, and the other ended, but he held himself still, leaning to the sounds of her quiet whimpers as he touched her, driving her closer and closer to the edge.
Suddenly, he drew back, pushed her shirt up, licked the tips of his other fingers and placed them underneath her bra, twisting and stroking. He watched as she threw her head back, her bottom lip drawn between her teeth, eyes squeezed shut as her hips bucked of their own accord, giving herself to him completely.
From Loss To Love Box Set Page 7