“How can I refuse?” I tilt my head and drop a kiss on the underside of his jaw. “You went to battle for me. Now, rest, husband of mine. Tomorrow, we slay a dragon.”
He chuckles. “I love you, baby.”
“I love you, too. Good night.”
“Good night, my love.”
Epilogue
We’re speeding down the interstate with the top down. I raise my hands in the air. Tip my face to the cool breeze. Check out my hot-as-sin husband. He’s driving.
“Best birthday, ever.”
We celebrated at my great-uncle’s home in the Hamptons first, and then Maddox and I took a flight to Montana. We’re staying at my cabin. He did win the cake walk, and I’m good for my word.
“It’s not over yet.”
“It’s not?”
“Nope.”
That butt, he popped the “P.”
I slacken my seat belt and plant a kiss on his cool cheek.
He pulls off the interstate and turns onto a road I’ve never been on before.
“Where are we going?”
“A road less traveled.”
“Is this part of the surprise?”
“One of them, yes.”
“How many surprises are there?” I ask. I sure have a doozy of one for him.
“You’ll just have to wait and find out.”
“Huh.”
“Huh. That’s all you got for me, wifey?”
I laugh. “Wifey? Seriously?”
“The most serious I’ve been.”
I glance sidelong at him. He has a shit-eating grin on his face. I sit back in my seat. God, I love him.
For the rest of the drive, we enjoy the silence and each other’s company. The weeks leading up to my birthday have been busy. Between the media storm, the party, planning with Collins and Gia a party for Dumas’s football team, and the morning sickness, I am due for much needed quiet.
I also wish my cabin had a pool. I would love to go for a swim right now.
“How’s Betty handling the curves?”
“Like a champ. Are you sure she isn’t a boy car?”
“Positive.”
We come up to a gate. Maddox pulls Betty to the gate and types numbers into the keypad.
“Are we visiting a friend of yours?”
“Not that I’m aware of.”
I cross my arms. “You’re being evasive.”
“Guilty.”
“What else are you guilty of?”
“How about wanting you all to myself? I want your smiles, your laughter, your humor, the sparkle in your eyes. I want it all, Blaise, ’cause I’m a selfish bastard that way, baby.”
“You’re not selfish. Who the hell accused you of being selfish?”
“My father,” he admits, his jaw clenched.
“Your father is an ass and wouldn’t know what selfishness was if it hit him in the head. Had I known, I would’ve laced his gravy with laxatives.” When his dad and his dad’s girlfriend came over for Thanksgiving dinner.
I reach for his hand that’s on the gear shift and interlace our fingers. He’s cruising at a steady speed. There’s no need to shift gears yet. We have a ways to go before we get to the house at the end of the road. I see it. It’s a large country-looking home sitting atop a hill. The view from inside must be glorious.
“You are the most selfless man I know, Maddox. Who would’ve known you give so much money to charities? You know why the world doesn’t know? You keep it hidden away well, putting the gifts under your father’s name. He’s an ass yet you still have the heart to try to make him look good in the world’s eyes. He doesn’t deserve a son like you.”
“Aw, Blaise, baby, your words, they undo me.”
“Does that mean you’ll undo my dress later?”
“Do you have to ask?”
I open my mouth. He beats me to our punchline.
“Answering a question with another. Yeah, I know, so not cool of me. Will you punish me good?”
“So good you’ll forget your name.”
He turns to me. Waggles his brows. “I’m looking forward to it.”
Soon, we’re at the house. He lets go of my hand and shifts gears. He puts Betty in park. I wait for him to get out, run around, and open my door. Believe me, I’m not an entitled brat. Maddox insists he opens doors for me.
I wait. He drums his fingers on the steering column. Wipes the back of his hand across his forehead. Is he sweating? How can he be sweating when the top’s down?
“Blaise?”
“Yes?”
“Babe?
“Maddox?”
“Baby?”
I unbuckle my seat belt. “Push the seat back as far as it’ll go.”
He does as I ask. I climb onto his lap. Straddle his thighs. Cup his head in my palms.
“Say what’s in your heart. I won’t judge.”
“Okay, here goes.” He opens the glove compartment and reaches inside. When he pulls out his hand, it’s a small red jewelry box. “Blaise, love, will you do me the honors and say yes to being my friend, my lover, my love, for life?”
My hand goes to my mouth. I tear up. “Yes. Yes, I do. Oh, God, I do, Maddox. I love you so much.”
He slips the ring on my bare finger. The diamond ring looks good nestled next to my wedding band.
“Do you like it?”
I put my hand up and do a mini wave side to side. The stones catch the sunlight and shine bright.
“I love the sapphires and emeralds.” Surrounding the diamond, they are like little stars circling the moon.
“They match the color of your eyes. I had the ring made special for you. Had to go to Italy to get it, though.”
“What? No free shipping?”
“Not this bugger.”
“Cost you a small fortune, didn’t it?”
“You’re worth it.”
“Was the trip to Italy your ‘business trip’?”
“Guilty.” He takes my hand in his. Presses a kiss dead center on my palm. “My apology for showing up late. For not telling you how beautiful you looked that night. Every man’s eyes, young and old, were on you, and I wanted to take them outside and smash their faces to the back of their skulls for looking at you with hunger in their eyes.”
“I’m yours. We are yours. Always, Maddox.”
“We?”
I lean back and rub my belly. “We’re pregnant.”
“Pregnant? You’re having my baby? Our baby?”
“Yes.”
“Aw, sweetheart.” Tears in his eyes. “I’m one lucky bastard. You make me so happy, Blaise.”
“And all because of Betty. Did you know my father, Jack, proposed to my mother, Violet, in this car?”
“I do now. Thank fuck for Betty. And thank fuck for you. I love you, Blaise Stassi.”
“I love you, Maddox. Now let’s get inside. We have more babies to make.”
“Wait a minute. That doesn’t make any sense.”
“It doesn’t. It’s my excuse for you to make love to me utterly and thoroughly.”
“What you want, I’ll give. Always, my love.”
Nine months later, we have a baby girl. Two years later, another girl. We tried again, hoping for a boy. Finally on the fourth try, we did have a boy. We named him Jack Devlin after my father and my grandfather. We named our oldest girl Cillian. Go figure.
Maddox and I lived happily ever after.
Thank you so much for reading Blaise and Maddox’s story. Gia and Granger’s story, Bad Love, will release Summer 2021. Be sure to sign up for my newsletter for my latest book news, sales, and cover reveals. Interested in the stories of the characters mentioned in Mad Love? You can read Syn Winters and Taron Vaughn’s story in Give You Up. Blaise makes a cameo. You can read Seven Shanahan and Leigh Kim’s story in Beautiful Defiance. Maddox makes a cameo. Happy reading!
x.o.
A.M.
Also by Ashlyn Mathews
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