The pleasure later would be worth the wait now.
At least, that was what I told myself.
“Best fried chicken in the history of fried chicken,” Aiden declared with a groan, wiping his mouth.
“Are you sure?” I asked dryly. “You only ate eight pieces. Maybe you need to eat another whole chicken to be sure.”
He glared at me. “I was being polite.”
I laughed. “Right.”
Dee patted his shoulder. “I’m glad you enjoyed it. I made enough so you could take some home.”
I pouted as I swiped my napkin across my lips. I had to grin when Dee stood, picking up my plate and murmuring low so only I could hear. “Stop with the lip, Maddox. I saved you some as well.”
I wrapped my hand around her thigh, squeezing the back of her knee in appreciation. It was awesome chicken.
Aiden slouched in his chair, patting his stomach. “How did you make it so juicy and spicy?”
She smiled as she took his plate. “I marinate it in buttermilk, spices, and hot sauce. I deep fry it fast, then finish it in the oven. Comes out perfect every time.”
“I agree.” Aiden thumped the table. “We should have it every week. You know, like a tradition.”
“A tradition?” Dee asked, wrinkling her nose.
“Yes. We’re a family. We should start our own traditions. Tuesdays are Mexican with our friends.” He looked at me, one eyebrow raised. “We have a family dinner. Here.”
Dee smiled, her eyes shining. I was grateful knowing he had listened to me. Dee shocked me again by patting my shoulder.
“Maddox is included in the dinner invitation.”
Aiden’s grin was wide. “Of course.”
I shocked myself with my own words. “I don’t think Dee should have to make dinner every week. What if we compromise and you come to my place sometimes?”
Aiden and Cami were almost dancing in their seats. “Great idea!”
I met Dee’s gaze with a slight shrug. I had no objection to the four of us having dinner once a week. I liked to cook too, so it would be nice to be able to cook for more than just myself on occasion.
I thumped the table as Aiden had. “Okay, settled, then.”
Dee and Cami laughed and finished clearing the table. I watched them work together, talking as they put away the leftovers, turning on the coffeepot, and tidying up. Not that there was much to tidy; I made sure of that. Once Aiden and Cami left, I had other plans for Dee.
Much bigger plans.
“We should get going,” Cami said, standing. “I have a couple of assignments I need to work on.”
Aiden stood with her, his arm going around her waist. “Okay, baby. Let me take you home.”
I watched Dee’s reaction to his words. A small frown floated across her face, but it cleared fast when Cami spoke again.
“Want to do something on Saturday?”
“What about Glad Rags? You’re not working this weekend?”
“Oh.” Cami looked embarrassed. “I, ah, quit.”
“You quit?”
Aiden interjected. “She doesn’t have to work so hard now, Dee. I asked her to give it up so she can concentrate on school—” he paused with a grin “—and me.”
“Oh. You never mentioned it, Cami.”
Cami looked apologetic. “I’m sorry. I forgot to tell you.”
Dee’s smile looked forced. “Of course. Not an issue. Saturday would be great.”
Aiden glanced at me. “You coming, Mad Dog?”
“Nope.” I lifted my mug. “I’m gonna finish my coffee. We’re headed in two different directions anyway.” I smirked. “I’m up, you’re down. I’ll see you in the morning.”
He paused, seeming as if he wanted to say something. I arched my eyebrow at him in question, and he shrugged.
“Okay. Have a good night.”
“You as well.”
They left, and Dee wandered into the living room, sat down, and curled one leg underneath her. She lifted her mug, sipping the coffee.
“That upset you.”
“Sorry?”
“Finding out Cami quit her job. It upset you.”
“No.” She hesitated. “I mean, I was surprised. I suppose I shouldn’t be. I know Aiden is wealthy, and she doesn’t have to worry about money anymore, so that’s great. Less stress for her.”
“It’s okay, Dee,” I assured her. “You’ve been responsible for her almost your entire life. Part of all her decisions. Being excluded from them all of a sudden is going to take some getting used to.”
She looked thoughtful as she shifted, bringing her knees to her chest. She pulled off her socks, rubbing her feet as she mulled over my words in her head. I noticed her bright pink toenails, recalling they had been orange the other night.
“I like the color.” I indicated her feet.
“Oh!” She laughed. “I change them a lot. Cami and I couldn’t afford pedicures so we gave them to each other. I like to switch them up all the time. I paint them every few days.” She wiggled her toes. “No one can see them but me most of the time, but I like them to be pretty.”
“You hide your girlie side.”
She tilted her head, studying me. “You hide your controlling side.”
“Not from you.”
“I like it.”
I smirked. “I know.”
She leaned back, running her fingers through her hair. “I think I owe you something,” she murmured, her voice low and husky.
Looking at her, open and soft, I felt desire thump through my veins.
I stood, staring down at her. “Are you inviting me to your bedroom tonight . . . Deirdre?”
Her breath caught. “Yes.”
I started down the hall. “I suggest you make sure the front door is locked and come join me.”
Her room was also a surprise. Glancing around, I saw another side of Dee. The real one—the person who went along with the sexy lingerie and the passionate woman she hid from the world.
Her room was everything I should have known it would be, yet didn’t suspect. She had her bed piled high with jewel-toned pillows and fluffy blankets. Lace panels hung from the ceiling, draping along the sides of a white four-poster bed. They fell in pools of fabric on the floor. More lace was at the windows. A wingback chair covered in flowered fabric sat in the corner, and an antique dressing table, also painted white, adorned one wall. The main wall was painted in a deep red. Candles scattered around the room and a thick throw rug on the floor all gave it a feminine feel.
Dee’s voice made me turn around. “I found the bed and table at a garage sale.” She ran her hand along the top of the table. “They were in bad shape, but I worked on them for weeks, fixing and painting them.”
“The room suits you.”
She flicked off the light, and instantly the room glowed with small twinkle lights strung around various surfaces. The radiant glow reflected off the red paint, making the room sultry.
She lifted her chin. “It’s my space. I don’t have to be anything but Dee in here.”
I stepped closer, ran my fingers up her arm, and let my hand rest on the nape of her neck, feeling her rapid pulse.
“You don’t have to be anything else but Dee with me.”
She swallowed. “I’ve never had anyone in my room.”
“Never?”
“Never,” she confirmed.
I bent my head, brushing her mouth. “I’m honored.”
She slid her hands around my waist, burrowing them under my shirt. Her fingers clutched at my skin.
“You’re so different tonight,” I murmured, ghosting my mouth along her cheek to her ear. I tugged the lobe with my teeth. “I’m not used to seeing you this vulnerable, my Deirdre.”
“I’m glad you’re here.”
“Tell me what you need.”
“You,” she responded. “I need you to be Maddox and take control. Tell me what you want.”
Grabbing her hips, I pulled them flush to mine, gr
inding into her. “What I want is for you to take me in your mouth. Suck my cock until I tell you to stop. Then I want to toss you on your pretty, lacy bed and fuck you until you come all over me.”
She shivered. “Yes.”
“I’m waiting.”
Her fingers fumbled with my belt, yanking down my pants fast. I stepped out of them and tugged off my shirt, then tore hers over her head.
“I want you naked,” I growled. “Lose the rest.”
In seconds, she was bare in front of me. The dim room didn’t disguise her beautiful body—in fact, it enhanced it. It played over her dips and curves, highlighting her creamy skin. Her breathing picked up as I studied her, circling her. I traced a finger down the elegant line of her back, tracing her delicate vertebrae. I stepped closer, wrapping my arm around her waist and pulling her to my body. She moaned, pushing her ass into my erection.
“I want you on your knees, Deirdre. Now.”
She spun, dropping in front of me. Sliding her hands along my thighs, she held my gaze as she lapped at the crown of my cock, teasing me with her tongue. Fisting my cock, I tapped at her full lips playfully. “Suck me.”
My head fell back with a groan as she did exactly that. Her mouth was warm and wet, her tongue sliding around my shaft, heaven. She knew what I wanted and how I wanted it. She didn’t waste time with small kisses or more licks to tease me. She opened her throat and took me deep—the suction and pressure amazing. Her tongue slid along the underside of my cock, her hands cupping and playing with my balls as she pleasured me. I fisted my hands into her hair, rocking forward into her mouth, groaning at the sensation. Our eyes locked.
“You look so sexy, Deirdre, on your knees with my cock in your mouth.”
She hummed around me, making me groan again.
“This is turning you on, isn’t it? Making you wet for me?”
Her hands curved around my ass, pushing my cock farther down her throat. I hissed in pleasure, my fingers moving restlessly in her hair.
“God, baby, I love your mouth. You’re so good at sucking me off.”
In a sudden blaze of possessiveness, I stilled her movements. “Me, Deirdre. The one person who gets to feel your mouth on his cock is me, do you understand?”
Her eyes widened, and she hummed again. Not satisfied, I pulled back, my cock screaming in protest at the loss of her mouth.
“Say it,” I demanded.
“Only you,” she repeated. Her eyes narrowed. “Only me.” She guided me back into her mouth, her words equally possessive.
“Fuck,” I groaned.
She swallowed around me, the sensation making me gasp. I had never been so deep in her throat. Her movements sped up, my orgasm barreling down on me like a freight train. There was no doubt about who possessed whom in the moment. She was staking her claim as vigorously as I had moments ago.
“Deirdre, baby, you need . . . I’m going to . . .”
I exploded, coming in heavy spurts down her throat, cursing and shouting her name.
Breathing hard, I stepped back, my cock falling from her lips. She smiled at me impishly. Wordlessly, I studied her for a moment, then leaned down, lifting her under her arms and tossing her on her bed. Cushions fell over the side as she bounced, gasping.
“I think I said you had to stop when I told you, Deirdre.”
She lifted her arms, her legs falling open. Her sex beckoned, pink and glistening. “I didn’t hear you. Sorry.”
I crawled up the mattress like a lion going after its prey. “I don’t think you are.” I grasped her knees, spreading her wider for me. “I think you enjoyed unraveling me.”
“Is that what I did?”
“You know you did.”
“You didn’t like it?” she asked, her voice breathy and soft.
I crouched between her legs, nuzzling her thighs. She squirmed at the feel of my scruff on her skin. “I did,” I admitted. “But I’m not sure if you need to be rewarded or punished.”
“Maybe some of both.”
I dragged my lips to her apex, barely touching her with my mouth. “Oh baby, you are soaked.”
She fisted the sheets, twisting them in her hands. “Please,” she whimpered.
I dove in, not wanting to deny her or myself any longer. She cried out when my lips met her core. She was hot and wet, ready for my tongue, my fingers, and my cock.
So I gave them all to her.
She moaned loudly as I teased her. Lapping at her with long, heavy swipes of my tongue.
“You taste so fucking good, Deirdre.”
I added my fingers, one, then two, stroking hard, hitting that place that made her shake and whimper.
“That’s it, baby, feel me,” I urged.
I nipped at her, drawing her clit into my mouth and swirling my tongue on her hard bud. I fucked her with my fingers until she was a writhing mass under me. Then I lunged forward, covering her torso with mine. I stopped long enough to roll on a condom, then buried my cock deep inside her with one thrust.
“You wanted me? Take me. Take all of me,” I demanded.
I set a punishing tempo, frantic and harsh. She met my movements, her gasps and pleas heightening my passion. She clutched at my shoulders, her nails digging into my skin. Her feet pushed on my ass, and she matched my rhythm, our bodies in complete synchronization. Our mouths fused together, our tongues dueling for control. Her breath was hot and heavy in my mouth. Our sweat-soaked skin glided together, the friction and damp welcome.
“With me, Deirdre. I want you coming with me.”
Her nails dug deep, the pain burning in my skin. I shouted, slamming into her once, twice more, as she moaned out her release.
I collapsed on her, unable to move, to feel my body as I drifted in ecstasy.
Maddox
I COULDN’T PINPOINT the exact moment I fell in love with Deirdre Wilson. Thrown together by mutual friendships, I was drawn to her intellect, enjoyed her quiet wit, and I respected her intense drive. It didn’t take me long to realize we were very similar in our views on sex, relationships, and life. Neither of us wanted to depend on another person for anything. We had learned to rely on ourselves, and we were beholden to no one.
The main difference between us was her nurturing side. It was fierce when it came to her beloved sister, Cami, and it extended to Emmy. She was their mother figure, and she watched over the girls with a tenderness and devotion she showed few other people. As our odd group grew closer, she extended that caring toward Bentley, Aiden, and me.
Except with me, there was the addition of the physical pull between us. Once we allowed it to take hold, it became a living, breathing thing we shared passionately.
Somehow, between the tacos and bowling, the Sunday brunches, the laughter and camaraderie we shared, something changed. The affection I felt for Dee morphed into something I had never experienced, especially after the scares of Emmy’s kidnapping and Cami’s stalking incident. I found myself thinking about Dee’s safety, wanting to spend time with her alone—and not only to fuck her. Random texts became daily, which led to phone calls that lasted hours. After having her, I wanted more. I wanted her to stay, to hold her, to know how she was feeling, to delve into her clever mind and understand what she was thinking. To break down her walls and get her to admit she was feeling the same way about me.
When she went out of town on a business trip, I was lost. For the first time in my life, I missed another human being. When she came home, she allowed my comfort at the airport, stressed and anxious over the recent scare with Cami. I had hoped we would move forward, but her walls returned, and again, I was Maddox—her fuck buddy.
I hated it, yet nothing I tried seemed to change my role. Her walls were solid and so high I wasn’t sure I would ever break them down. However, I wanted to. She had effectively disassembled my control without trying, stripped away my defenses, leaving me vulnerable to her. The feelings I had for Dee caused me turmoil and chaos. They were feelings I had avoided all of my adult life. I crave
d being close to her—a first for me. Never one for much physical contact, I wanted to touch her all the time. The detachment I had created so vigilantly vanished when it came to her.
And I was powerless to get it back.
She stirred in my arms and I held my breath, hoping she didn’t wake.
After we had calmed, I had lifted myself from her, disposed of the condom, and returned to her bed, expecting she’d dismiss me.
“I hate those things,” I muttered.
She shocked me when she patted the mattress and smiled at me sleepily. “We can talk about that later. Come to bed.”
I didn’t need to be asked twice. I slid in beside her and pulled her into my arms, letting her curve around my body. She fell asleep right away, and I tucked an arm under my head, trying to adjust to the new development.
It was another first for me. I had never once slept in a bed with someone. I liked the feel of her pressed close. Her breath was warm on my skin, and her hair was soft under my chin. I drifted, ever conscious of her beside me.
Fingers running over my chin startled me, and I opened my eyes to meet her soft, green gaze.
“We fell asleep.”
I smiled. “We did.”
She glanced behind me. “It’s two a.m. Late.”
I held my breath. “Are you kicking me out, Deirdre? Making me do the walk of shame in the middle of the night?”
“Do, uh, do you want to go?”
“No,” I said, surprising myself. “I don’t. I’m quite comfortable.”
She snuggled closer. “I am too.” Her hand drifted over my stomach, teasing. I captured it, kissing her palm regretfully.
“Don’t get any ideas. I only brought one condom with me. I hadn’t expected to use it, to be honest.”
“You really hate them?”
I had never given it much thought. They were necessary, and I never went without one. Ever. But things had changed for me, even if I couldn’t admit it. Since she was asking, though, I was truthful.
Maddox ~ Melanie Moreland Page 5
