by Anna Black
Chase was silent for a moment or two and then said, “Well, Hope is not a thorn in our sides anymore. I don’t want to talk about her any longer. I just want to make love to my fiancée.”
“And your fiancée wants to make love to you,” she purred.
He planted kisses on the top of her head and then face, moving down to her neck, massaging and pulling her nipples. She turned over to her side, and his dick swelled, and he slid in easily from behind. They had lazy sex that night, and he came inside of her again.
The next day, he tossed out his jumbo box of Magnums. His condom days were done.
Chapter Twenty
“Go outside and quit running in and out of this house,” Gina yelled at the kids again.
“I am not looking forward to that,” Tasha said.
“Me either,” Madison agreed.
“Well, I love being a mother,” Deena replied. “When I had T.J., my world became complete.”
“Well, I did enjoy motherhood.” Madison smiled, thinking back. “But I had my moments when I needed a break. My boys were very active.”
“I’m sorry,” Tasha said. “I didn’t think when I made that comment, Madison. I wasn’t trying to be insensitive.”
“It’s okay, girl. I’m fine. I miss them, but now I smile more when I think of them.”
“Well, I wish I could have gotten to have known them. I mean, you came home, but not often enough back then.”
“Girl, you know how it is. Life. Work. Routine. And we get less and less personal time,” Madison said.
“True. Travis and I haven’t had a vacation in forever.”
“Oooooh, we should plan something after the wedding. Or a girls’ trip before the wedding. That would be awesome,” Gina said.
“That is a great idea. I think we should go to Las Vegas for your shower,” Tasha suggested.
“It would be so much fun. Without the guys, of course.”
“That does sound fun.”
Chase walked in. “Madison, come out here for a second, baby, and tell these fools that I cook.” The ladies laughed.
“Yes, you’ve learned how to cook, baby,” Madison confirmed.
“Would you come out here and tell them that?”
She stood. “I shall return, ladies.”
When she went out, she found the guys all engaged in a debate about Chase being a house husband.
“Now, ask my baby,” Chase said. “Ask her.”
The men looked at Madison.
“Does this Negro know how to cook?” Damon asked.
“And we’re not talking about no eggs and toast. I mean, can he cook a meal?” Lance asked.
“Yes, Chase does cook now. Between me, Mom, Gina, and our chef, he knows a little something.”
They all laughed at the same time.
“Thank you, baby.” Chase pulled Madison in and kissed her. “Now what? See, I take care of my lady,” he boasted. “Don’t none of y’all cook for y’all women, so I got y’all beat.”
Madison went back inside.
Gina was fussing about the kids again. “Girl, Brandon is so damn lazy. His room stays a mess, and he’s always begging for a new video game or the latest tennis shoes. That boy gon’ make me put his nine-year-old ass out.”
“Girl, let me have him for a week,” Tasha said. “He’ll come back reformed.”
“See, that’s why you need to go on and have a baby because you think this is easy,” Gina said, refilling the ladies’ glasses.
“Girl, I grew up with seven siblings. Kids were the last thing on my mind. I was happy when Damon agreed to wait, but now I think I’m ready.”
“Well, you are close to forty now, Tasha,” Deena said.
“Oh no, I’m only thirty-six. I just turned thirty-six, so forty is four entire years away, boo,” Tasha snapped. They laughed.
“You’re a mess, Tasha, I swear,” Gina said. The doorbell rang, and she glanced at the clock.
It was close to four, so her guests were starting to arrive.
“Okay, ladies, it’s showtime. Y’all know the Storm party rules: keep an eye out for spills and folks’ kids standing on my furniture. If someone even dares to go near the stairs, stop them in their tracks. There is the spare bathroom down the hall, and the guest bedroom on this floor has a bathroom, so if people are in both, the other party has to hold it. I don’t want nobody on my second floor.”
Chase introduced Madison to his cousins and aunts and uncles and friends of the family. There were so many she couldn’t remember everyone’s name. She held babies, fixed plates, wiped noses, and blended in with their family. Her parents came, and her mom and Chase’s mom teamed up to tell them love secrets, recipes, and ingredients for a successful marriage. They weren’t shy about sex talk, either. They were both old-school wives who knew what they were talking about. They both had kept a happy home and husband for over forty years.
As the crowd began to get smaller, the women found themselves inside, while the men remained out. They had talked about everything and somehow talked about the same subjects again.
“Enough talk about these crazy kids of ours,” Gina said. “Let’s talk about this wedding.”
Tasha chimed in, “Yes, Madison, how nervous are you? I mean, you are marrying the infamous Chase, the East Texas Ladies’ Man.” She grinned, and the other ladies exchanged high fives and chortles.
Madison took a sip of her drink and smiled. “I’m fine. I’m not nervous at all. And for the record, Chase has changed. He loves me.” She blushed.
“True,” Deena said, agreeing with a nod.
“Well, if I would not have witnessed this with my own eyes, I’d tell you to run as fast as you can,” Gina said.
“Well, that was my initial reaction when he first asked me out, but after I accepted, he was serious. I discovered he was a great guy,” Madison smiled.
“I guess. In all honesty, I think you changed him. The more he hung with you, I noticed a change in him,” Deena said.
“Well, as you all know, it took me a little to take him seriously after I heard the rumors.”
“Well, good luck, because I’m still not convinced,” Tasha said.
Madison ignored her comments about Chase and got up to refill her glass. They didn’t know him as she knew him, and she believed that their union was real. After all she had gone through and then to meet Chase, she felt blessed. He was not only wealthy, and from a line of great men, but he was also, without a doubt, fine as hell. He stood at six feet, with a set of sexy lips. Eyes dark and brows thick, and long, beautiful lashes. He had a strong jawline and always kept his mustache and beard lined to perfection. Body, right and tight, and he dressed like a million bucks, even on a casual day. Confident was an understatement if one would describe him because when Chase walked into a room, he owned it. He had been with every gorgeous gal in East Texas, one could say, so imagine how the majority of them felt when he settled with Madison Atkins-Morgan. Even Deena, her best friend, thought it had to be a joke when Madison told her he had asked her out.
Now, after only a little over six months, Madison’s left hand housed an engagement ring. And they had set a date for only three more months out. The city of Tyler was still gossiping about the two of them, but finally, the unbelievers were starting to believe.
* * *
“So, this is really it?” Lance asked his little brother. The large crowd had gone, and the only ones left at the party were the brothers and their mates. The women were now outside on the deck off the kitchen, while the men claimed the deck off the den. Lance and Gina had a huge custom-built home with a wraparound porch and three decks. One off their master, one off the kitchen, and the third one off the den.
“Yes, this is it, man. I mean, Madison is the one.”
Head tilted and a brow vaulted, Damon asked, “Chase, seriously, you’re not going to pull a crazy stunt or dump her the night before the wedding, or leave her at the altar, are you?”
“No. Damn, man, why can’t
y’all believe me when I say I’m in love with her? I mean, do you guys think I’d go to this extreme if I didn’t love her?”
His three brothers looked at each other and burst into a roar of laughs. “Yes, you would,” Travis continued to laugh as he spoke.
“Common on, li’l bro, you won the bet. You don’t have anything else to prove,” said Damon.
Lance added, “Yes. We all know that Madison is not your type, so you can drop the act.”
Getting serious, Travis said. “Yeah, Chase. You’re going to hurt that woman. She loves you, and you took this bet thing way too far. We expected you to flee after the first date, but here we are, wondering why you took it there. Why did you ask that woman to marry you?”
“Yes, the three million is yours. I’ll write you a check tonight before you leave,” Lance said.
“Yes, and I’ll have one ready for you tomorrow first thing,” Damon added.
Travis took a swig of his beer. “Yes, I’ll drop my check off tomorrow before I go home.”
“Listen, keep your money, okay? The bet means nothing. I know that was the initial agreement. I know I was an ass, and for you three to bet me a mil apiece to date Madison for six months was a bit much, but—”
“So, it was a joke?” she said.
All the men turned to see Madison standing there with four cold beers locked in between her fingers. The women had taken turns going to check on the guys, and it was her turn. She headed around the porch smiling but paused when she overheard them talking. She shouldn’t have eavesdropped, but when she heard Travis say, “Yes! Unfortunately, you did what we challenged you to do. Going out with Madison is something we all thought you’d never agree to, so you won the bet, bro. I’ll drop my check off tomorrow before I go home.”
Her voice jolted Chase, and he stood up quickly. “Madison!” he said. “Baby, hold on, it’s not what you think.”
“Really?” she said and walked up to him. She put the beers on the table and slid the ring from her finger. “You won the bet, so you might as well collect your cash. Stay the fuck away from me, Chase!” She dropped the ring in his drink and hurried off.
“Fuck!” Chase roared and ran after her.
She passed by the women in a rush, with Chase after her. “Wait, Madison. Wait, baby, hear me out, please.”
She grabbed her purse and headed for the front door. He grabbed her arm, and she yanked away.
“Get away from me!” she roared. Her face was full of tears. “You’re exactly who they said you were, Chase Storm. Everybody warned me, even told me that you were a fraud, but I thought they were all wrong. I let you in. I trusted all the things that you said because I thought you changed. All of those nights when you wooed me, I thought they were real. I fell in love with you,” she cried. She wiped her tears. “But you are a snake, and I want you to stay away from me. You are a liar. You are exactly who everyone warned me about. You haven’t changed one bit.”
“I have, Madison. At first, it was a bet, a wager, but now, I’m for real about you. About us. I love you, Madison. I fell in love with you, and I want you. How things began, I’ll admit, was crazy, but I’m so glad it happened because I’m madly and deeply in love with you.”
She wiped away more tears. “Somehow, I don’t believe that bullshit. Now move, Chase.” He didn’t budge. “Move!” she yelled.
“Chase,” Deena called out. “Just let her—”
He raised a hand, cutting her off. “Madison, I love you. I started this under stupid intentions, but what I shared with you is real. What we have is real. I love you so much, with all of me,” he said. “Please, let’s talk this out. Don’t leave like this. I’m so sorry for hurting you, Madison. I love you. Just, please, let me explain. This is real. Where we are right now is real. Please, I love you. Just let me explain.”
She looked at him and then slapped his face so hard it sounded like a tree branch breaking. He didn’t move, and she turned and rushed out of the kitchen door. She ran to her car, opened the door, and threw her purse so hard it missed the seat and landed on the floor. She pressed the start button and peeled off.
She was humiliated and embarrassed to know that she was a big fat joke. She wondered if the wives were in on it too. “I fell for all of those lying words. All the bullshit, all the lies. You said I was beautiful,” she cried.
When she pulled into her circular drive, she sat in her car and cried before getting out. She felt so damn foolish for falling for his game. Just as she got out to go inside, Chase pulled into her driveway.
“Fuck!” she said.
Chapter Twenty-one
“Go home, Chase; get the fuck away from my house!” she yelled.
He ran after her up on her porch. “No. Will you stop for a second and listen to me?” he asked, blocking her front door.
“It was a lie, Chase. You hooked up with me over a stupid wager. How much was I worth, huh? How much did my heart cost? How on earth did you put a dollar amount on love?” she cried. Her eyes filled with tears.
“Madison, baby, please. Let’s go inside, and I’ll tell you the truth from beginning to end. I swear, if you want me to leave afterward, I will, but you have to know the truth.”
She studied him for a few seconds, then moved by him and opened her door. She walked in, and he followed closely. She tossed her purse and keys onto the sofa and leaned against the wall.
“Can we sit?” he asked.
“Talk, Chase,” she barked.
“Madison, please, we need to sit.”
She hesitated but moved over to the sofa, and he took a seat next to her.
“It all started out as a wager, Madison. I was out of control. I was all over the place, and I wasn’t nowhere near the point of settling down. I was everything that they said I was, baby—a man whore, a womanizer, and a player. I owned up to that, and I walked in that role proudly. I thought I could do what I very well pleased because I was single and, most of all, honest. I didn’t lead any of them on. I told them the deal, and most of the women I involved myself with were cool with that.
“My family was always on me about my behavior and stressing how I should man up and settle down and be the honest man that my folks raised me to be. I guess the only way to get my attention was a challenge. My brothers knew I’d only do exactly what they’d challenge me to do and to make the pot sweeter, they threw in the cash bonus. I had to get to know one woman and be faithful to her for six months.
“I’ll admit, my first thought was this was going to be a piece of cake, but then they threw in that it had to be the woman of their choice and no sleeping with other women on the side. I thought, ‘Hell no, that’s not going to work,’ but then I thought, ‘Why not?’ With that, I agreed, knowing my brothers wouldn’t do me wrong. They chose you. At first, I was like, ‘Hell no, she is not my type’ and ‘I’d never go for a woman like her,’ but Damon introduced us, and after just five minutes of actually holding a conversation with you, Madison, you drew me in.
“You were the first woman that I paid attention to above the neck. I actually listened to what you had to say. Your conversation was engaging and interesting, and I would have talked to you all night because you were just different. You were the smartest woman that I’d ever talked to, and even though I tried to convince myself that I’d never fall for you, it only took one date to realize I was wrong. After our picnic, your singing to me, I went to them and told them that I really liked you, Madison. But I was so bad back then that they didn’t believe me. Every time I tried to convince them that I was falling for you, they’d mock me. Even when I proposed, they still swore I was playing games and that I was going to drop you after I got the money.
“Right before you overheard everything, I swear to you I told them I didn’t want the money, and that none of it mattered because you are the one, Madison. Things started out with the wrong intentions, sweetheart, but I promise you, I’ve changed.
“All I want is you. I need you. I love you, Madison. Six months a
go, I didn’t think I was even capable of loving a woman, but that all changed. You changed me.” He paused as if he wanted her to say something. When she remained silent, he said, “Madi, baby, please say something.”
She stood. “Get out, Chase. This so-called truth or confession of yours should have come months ago. I can’t even recognize who you are right now, and I have a very hard time believing that I was just so intriguing, so beautiful, and so irresistible, that you fell so deeply in love with me. I don’t trust you. What you and your family did to me was bogus. I can’t marry you knowing that I was a ploy in some brotherly wager. Now that you’re reformed, go and find the woman of your choice.”
“No, Madison, no. I choose you. I love you. I’m telling you that you are it. I want to marry you. I want to be with you, Madison. What we did was jacked up, and, baby, I feel you, but what about us now? You can’t stand here and look me in the eyes and tell me that you don’t know that I love you.
“When I make love to you, when I hold you close, when I see your smile, Madison, that is my world. And I need you. I need you. I can’t leave here without you telling me that we can work it out. Baby, I’m sorry about how we started, but I’m not sorry I fell in love with you.
“Please. Madison, baby, I’m sorry. I’m sorry for not telling you. I’m sorry you found out this way. I planned to tell you the truth, but after we were married. Baby, please, don’t call this off. You are my world, Madison.”
“I thought I was. Now leave.”
“No.”
“Come again?”
“I’m not leaving until you say you forgive me, Madison. I’ve never been afraid of anything in my entire life, but right now, the thought of losing you . . . The thought of you and me not being together is scaring the fuck out of me, baby. Please, Madison.” He moved closer to her and grabbed her as if to kiss her.
She pulled away. “You know what, Chase?” she scowled. “I used to defend you every time someone threw your doggish ways in my face. Used to feel like I was the luckiest woman on the planet to have roped this man that everyone thought was impossible to rope. Everyone said that you were incapable of loving someone other than yourself, and I’d say, ‘No, you’re wrong. He is gentle, loving, and kind, and he treats me like silk.’ I thought your actions were truly genuine.” She paused. “How much?”
