by J. L. Leslie
“I don’t have any money.”
I pull out my wallet and shove some money into her hand as she grabs at Jade, yelling about how she’s a poor excuse for a daughter. I put my arm around Jade and together we walk back to my truck. Jade keeps her gaze focused out the window as I drive back to Hollis. Every few seconds, I see her wipe her hand over her cheeks.
When we get back to her house, she walks inside and doesn’t invite me in but she doesn’t tell me I should leave either. She strips as she heads toward her bathroom, turning her hot water on and stepping straight in. I undress and step in behind her.
She’s scrubbing herself until her skin is pink. I’m sure she feels like she needs to wash the dirt away. I take the washcloth and toss it to the floor.
“You’re clean, Jade. You’re clean,” I promise and pull her against me. She sobs against my chest.
My plans for a fun, easy night have turned to shit. I wasn’t expecting this. This is too much. I’m just passing through.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Jade
Madden holds me until the water pouring down on us turns icy cold. Then, he reaches around and turns it off. We step out, his arms still around me. He grabs a towel and wraps it around my body, drying me off first.
“I’m sorry,” I mumble as he dries off and fixes the towel around his waist.
“You don’t have to apologize.”
I look at him sadly. “I freaked out on you. That’s not what this is supposed to be about.”
“I take it you don’t have a healthy relationship with your mother.”
I walk out of the bathroom, making an attempt to avoid the conversation, but knowing it’s inevitable now that I had a damn breakdown in front of him.
“You saw her, Madden. It’s obvious she’s had a problem for a long time.”
“Is that why you made that comment before? About living on the streets?” he asks, following me into my room.
I make myself look busy by digging in my dresser for some clothes. “When I realized her addiction was more important than I was, I left home. The little bit of cash I had wasn’t enough for me to live off of, so yes, I lived on the streets for a while before coming to Hollis.”
Don’t ask. Please don’t ask.
“What did you do for money?”
My eyes fill with tears and I’m afraid to turn around and face him. I don’t want to see the judgment in his eyes. I remind myself I was young, with no work experience and no options. I didn’t make a career out of it. I sold my body a few times to make the money I needed to survive. I can’t be ashamed of being a survivor. I won’t be.
“Jade?”
“I did what I had to do, Madden.”
I close my eyes as I answer, waiting to hear the sound of his footsteps as he leaves. Waiting to hear the sound of my door slamming. To be left alone like I have been so many times. Instead, I feel his hands at my waist. His lips touch my bare shoulder.
“You are incredible. I can’t imagine facing such an obstacle. I’m sorry you had to go through that.”
I turn around and face him, shocked that he’s still here. That he said those words to me. I don’t see judgment in his eyes. I see admiration.
“You don’t...you don’t think I’m an awful person? I sold my body, Madden.”
I hate admitting it out loud to him, but I want him to fully understand what I did. Who I was. He traces my lips with his thumb and then kisses me softly. I whimper, a tear rolling down my cheek as I close my eyes.
“I think it’s awful that you were put in a situation where you felt you had no choice, Jade. You will never have to do that again. Never.”
As he lifts me, the towel wrapped around his waist drops to the floor. His cock bobs between us as he carries me over to my bed, laying me down gently. He reaches and loosens the towel still tucked around my body and uncovers me.
I feel self-conscious now that he knows my darkest secret, but the admiration that was in his eyes moments ago has turned into pure lust as he buries his face between my legs.
I thread my fingers in his hair, my nails scraping against his scalp as he licks my core. I rise off the bed, bucking and grinding on him as he devours me.
“Oh, please! Madden, yes!” I yell out.
My eyes roll into the back of my head as he sucks my clit, the horror of seeing my mother earlier ebbing away as my orgasm takes over. My legs tremble and my grip on Madden’s hair tightens as he takes me to new heights. When he sits up, his lips glisten with my arousal.
“Condom?” he asks, breathlessly, a slight grin on his face.
I point to my nightstand and he rummages in it before finding one and sheathing himself. When he drives deep inside me, I bite back my feelings. I convince myself I’m only overwhelmed because of tonight’s events. Overwhelmed because he was there for me and I wasn’t expecting him to be. Overwhelmed because he still wants me.
This is only sex.
Great sex.
The best sex I ever had.
Nothing more.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Madden
I stifle a yawn but keep moving. Staying over at Jade’s is kicking my ass, but she’s definitely worth it. At least I haven’t forgotten to set an alarm. Caleb can’t bitch about me being late for work again.
I bring over the last bit of 2x2s and dump them on the pile. Caleb lets out an angry curse and I give him a confused look.
“I needed 2x4s, Madden! Are you fucking kidding me right now?” he yells. “Haven’t you been doing this shit long enough?”
I look down at the pile of lumber and back up at Caleb. Even Brady, Tate, and Logan are looking at him like he’s grown a second head. He slams his fist into the side of his truck and stomps away from the construction site.
“Just ignore him. He got into a fight with Casey and it’s got his head fucked up,” Brady informs me. “He said 2x2s, but looking at the measurements now, we actually do need 2x4s.”
I heave out a sigh of frustration and start picking up the 2x2s. Surprisingly, Brady joins me. We work together in silence until we have the correct supplies delivered over to the site.
The rest of the day is pretty much the same. Caleb is in a foul mood and takes it out on the crew. He gives incorrect orders and then takes it out on the crew for actually following them. By the time five o’clock rolls around, everyone is ready to rip his damn head off.
“I’m going to get tacos. I can’t take another minute around him,” Tate grumbles. “I’ll tell Casey she’s going to have to accept his apology or we’re all going to kill him.”
Taco Tuesday. I almost forgot. How is that possible? Marlene’s tacos are quite possibly the best I’ve ever had.
“Tell your mom to fix twice as many as usual tonight,” Logan calls over to Brady and he laughs.
“Wait, Marlene’s your mom?” I ask and Brady glares over at me.
“Yep. And don’t think I didn’t see that little dance between the two of you before. Hands off,” he says, sternly.
The crew bursts out laughing, and Brady cracks a small smile telling me he’s joking. I raise my hands in defeat. If I didn’t know better, I’d say we actually just had a civilized conversation with each other. Somewhat.
We clean up the job site and I walk inside. Like any other Tuesday night, the parking lot is nearly full. Everyone loves fifty-cent tacos.
Jade is behind the bar and Casey is working the floor. Both look a little frazzled from the heavy crowd. I thought Jack was going to hire another waitress, but that hasn’t happened yet. I steal a quick kiss from Jade before I head up to my apartment to shower.
Once I’m cleaned up and dressed in jeans and a t-shirt, I head back down to the chaos. My stomach is already growling. I’m officially a Taco Tuesday fan. That should be reason enough to stay in Hollis.
I take a seat at the bar and before I can order, Jade puts a beer and a plate with six tacos on it in front of me. I grin at her.
“You read my mind. Thank yo
u.”
“I figured you could handle six tonight.”
I take a bite and nearly groan with how good they are. I’m about to take a second bite when I hear yelling coming from behind me. I glance back and see Casey deliver a slap across Caleb’s cheek. He looks like he wants to say something to her, but he just stomps out of the bar.
“I don’t know what happened between the two of them, but he was a total dick at work. They need to fix it,” I say
“I’m not sure they can fix it this time. They normally would’ve made up already, but she’s not caving,” she says, a frown on her face. “I need to go check on her.”
I nod and focus on the tacos in front of me. There’s no way in hell I’ll be getting involved in Casey and Caleb’s drama. If he fucked up, it’s on him.
I finish up and order another beer from Jack, who informs me the only time he works nights is when it’s Taco Tuesday. Sounds like Marlene.
I chat with Jack, thanking him again for getting me my job. He makes small talk, asking when the new hardware store might open. Apparently, Hollis getting a hardware store is a huge deal. I’m sure it’s the most excitement this town has had in a while. According to Jack, the last place that opened in Hollis was his bar...twenty years ago.
I feel an arm slip around my waist and Jade’s lips against my ear, “You’ve been talking to Jack for over an hour,” she whispers, and I shrug. “Will you play pool with Casey? She’s taking her break and I can’t take mine at the same time. I think she needs some company.”
“She looks like she’s been drinking as much as she’s been serving,” I comment and Jade laughs, her lips tickling my ear and making my dick harden in my pants.
“She probably has. I’m going to have to drive her home,” she says. “But I’ll come back,” she promises. “For you.”
“In that case, I’ll go play pool with your drunk friend.” I turn and capture her lips before standing from the stool and heading over to Casey.
“You want to break?” I ask.
“Are you challenging me?” she grins and starts racking up.
“I doubt you’re a challenge for me,” I joke and let her break. To say Casey is buzzing would be an understatement. To say she’s a little bit flirty would also be an understatement.
It’s like she’s trying to make Caleb jealous ― only Caleb isn’t here. She bends over the table and makes sure her ass is in a perfect pose before she takes her shots. She brushes against me as she walks past. I know she’s had too much to drink, so I don’t say anything. I just play pool. Uncomfortably.
The moment the game is over and I’ve won, she puts on a ridiculous show about being pissed, then pouts, asking for a rematch. Luckily, Jade intervenes, and I take one more taco to go before heading upstairs.
In the safety of my apartment, I eat my seventh taco and grab my phone off the dresser. I power it on and check my messages. I told myself I wouldn’t do this again until the wedding, but I’ve found myself checking it for messages every day since I went to Dallas. Up until today, I haven’t had any.
Madden, it’s me Keegan. I just wanted you to know we’re having fittings Saturday and I’d like for you to come. After all, you’re part of this wedding. If you can make it, you know where to come. Be there at two o’clock.
I turn the phone back off and turn the television on. Saturday. I know it’s only a ploy to get me there. They know my tux size. I don’t need to be fitted.
I pull my shoes off and toss them to the floor. I slip my t-shirt off and then shed my jeans too until I’m only wearing my boxer briefs. I flip through the channels and settle on a marathon of Flipping Vegas. For some reason, since I’ve started working with King Construction, I actually enjoy these kinds of shows.
I watch a few episodes until I hear a light knock on my door. Jade. I welcome her in and ask if she got Casey home okay.
“Yeah. She was pretty wasted,” she answers.
“I noticed.”
Jade crosses the room and takes a seat on my bed. “So, you mean to tell me you didn’t like it when she was flirting with you?” I cock my eyebrows at her. “When she was brushing up against you and sticking her ass out for you?”
“Jade...” I come to her and sit beside her. “I’m not interested in Casey.”
“She’s beautiful.”
“You’re beautiful,” I counter.
“This is crazy,” she says with a slight laugh. “I got jealous of my own best friend. I know she didn’t mean anything by it. She didn’t even know what she was doing. She’s hurt and acting out.”
I lean over and turn Jade’s face toward mine. I dip my head and pull her into a kiss. The fire that’s always there begins to rage and consume us. My skin heats and my cock surges to life.
“Do you really think I want someone else when I have you?”
She opens her eyes and stares up at me. “What about...what about the woman in Dallas?”
I look down at Jade’s lips and back up at the eyes that I’ve thought about since I met her. When Amelia has crept into my mind, Jade’s been there, too. Lately, it’s only been Jade.
“What woman in Dallas?”
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Jade
I wake before Madden’s alarm goes off, which is shocking because I am not an early riser. His arm is draped over my waist, his dark locks a tousled mess. When he first walked into Jack’s, I had no idea we would end up like this. Ever since he pulled me against him last night and snuggled in, I have pushed away those nagging feelings that this is becoming more than casual. More than sex.
People who have casual sex spend the night together, right? Shit, even I know that doesn’t happen all the time. With us, it happens nearly every single night. Then, we have morning sex to start the day off right.
Who am I kidding here? This is so much more than casual and when he leaves, I’ll be the one hurt. Again. Because I’m the idiot who continues believing I’m worth more than a casual fling when I’m not.
“I love waking up like this,” Madden says.
You see? He says things like that and that is exactly why I believe this means more to him when it doesn’t. Annoyed, I roll over onto my side only to have him spoon me, his hardening cock nestling against the crevice of my ass.
“Come to Dallas with me.” He must feel my body stiffen because he tightens his hold on me, trailing kisses over my shoulder. “My brother wants me to come for a fitting on Saturday and I want you there with me.” He slips his hand between my legs, rubbing my clit until I squirm. He definitely isn’t playing fair. “We can stay at a fancy hotel and fuck on expensive sheets.”
“I don’t...I...it’s not a good idea,” I manage to say, biting my bottom lip as he pushes a finger inside me.
Madden strokes deep, his thumb massaging my sensitive bud as he nibbles my earlobe. “Do you not want me to fuck you on expensive sheets, Jade?”
Honestly, he could fuck me anywhere. That’s the problem. I’m all too willing and I know he wants me to tag along because he’s in love with someone else and doesn’t want to face her. I’ll be the distraction. Oh my God. Will he be picturing her while he’s with me?
“I can’t!” I cry out, angry that my orgasm takes over. Angry that I didn’t push his hand away.
He chuckles, kissing my neck. “Sounds like you can.”
“I don’t know,” I say. I climb off the bed, finding my discarded clothes and getting dressed. “You should go make amends with your family. They’ll probably be so happy you’re back home, they won’t even care that you left to begin with.”
“Yeah, I’m not so sure about that.”
He gets up and tugs on a pair of underwear before dragging a bag out from beneath his bed. I recognize it as one he was carrying the night he came here. He tosses it onto the bed and unzips it, revealing a stash of money inside.
“Madden, what is that? Where did that come from?” I ask, staring in disbelief at more money than I’ve ever seen in my entire life.
“Money from my father’s safe.”
“You stole from your father?”
“You understand why he’s not too happy with me right now?” he asks with a laugh. “You do not fuck with Stanton Steele’s money or his business. I’ve done both.”
He zips up the bag and secures it back beneath his bed. I still can’t believe my eyes. He had thousands of dollars in there.
“If he were going to press charges, he would’ve done so. You take his money back and make things right.”
He saunters over to me, a mischievous smirk on his gorgeous face. “Sounds like you’re trying to get rid of me.”
“I’m not!” I argue. “I just―”
I let out a yelp as he scoops me up, tossing me over his shoulder as he walks back to the bed. I bounce as he drops me down and climbs on top of me.
“You’re going to be late for work.”
“I don’t care. We aren’t leaving this bed until you agree to go to Dallas with me.”
I cross my arms over my chest, pretending to play hard to get when I know I’m going to cave. He tickles my midsection playfully and I burst out laughing. I beg him to stop, but he refuses to relent.
“Okay, I’ll go!”
“You promise?”
“Yes! I promise!” I answer, giggling.
He smiles down at me and then seals our deal with a kiss.
Chapter Thirty
Madden
I knock on Jade’s door, but don’t get an answer. I turn the knob and it’s unlocked, so I go inside and call her name. I can hear noises coming from her bedroom. I swallow and feel a little uneasy.
Is this one of those moments where I walk in and find her and Brady screwing?
I have no clue where that thought came from. She hasn’t mentioned Brady at all recently. I’m actually getting along with him at work. I have no reason to believe she’s still using me to make him jealous or is trying to get back with him.
“Jade?” I call out again and push the door open to her room. The sight in front