by C. A. Harms
“No.” I let my eyes slowly close. “Let her sleep,” I whispered as I began to fade.
***
I woke with extreme discomfort in my left shoulder and winced as I tried to reposition my body.
“Luke.” A soft, sweet whisper made me instantly forget the pain I felt only seconds ago. “Are you hurting?”
I opened my eyes and blinked a few times, and when she came into view, my chest tightened with that hard-to-breathe, deep ache that happened whenever Maddy was near.
“Hi, beautiful girl.” My voice was even raspier than it had been earlier. My body felt like it had been run over more than once, but none of those things mattered now.
“I saw you,” I whispered and she wrinkled up her nose in confusion. “All those times you hid in the crowd during the games,” I clarified, “I saw you. I always knew you were there. I took it for granted, knowing you’d always come. I took us for granted.” I reached out for her and she took my hand, stepping in closer.
“That was a long time ago. I thought we moved past all that.”
“I wanted you to know,” I replied, linking my fingers with hers. “I needed you to.”
She nodded, still looking confused.
“I was on my way to see you at the diner, when….” I trailed off, realizing I still wasn’t sure what had happened before I woke up here.
“When you decided you were above the law and didn’t have to fully stop at a stop sign?” Maddy shot me that sassy look of hers, arching her eyebrow as she tilted her head to the side. “If you weren’t already lying in a hospital bed all banged up, I’d kick your ass, Mr. Rivers.”
“You know when you talk like that—”
She held up her hand, a smile tugging at her lips. “I know.” She rolled her eyes dramatically. “It turns you on.” She leaned over, bringing her face closer to mine and pressed a soft kiss to my dry lips. “It’s exactly why I keep throwing you sass.” She stood and offered me a wink.
“You always make things better, Madelyn,” I confessed. “You always have.”
Chapter 22
MADELYN
I shouldn’t feel so strange in the Rivers’ home, but I did. Even though I practically grew up in this house, I rarely visited after Luke left for college. When he and I lost touch, I just wasn’t sure what to do there or what to say to anyone.
Judy and Lewis Rivers were two of the kindest people in the world, and they welcomed me with open arms the moment I stepped across the threshold. But nerves rolled through me something fierce as Judy led me down the hall toward Lucas’s bedroom.
“I don’t wanna bother him if he’s sleeping,” I insisted. “I just wanted to stop by and see how he was feeling.”
“Oh nonsense.” Judy waved her hand over her shoulder at me. “If I let you leave without letting him see you, I’d never hear the end of it.”
When she pushed open the door to Luke’s room and stepped aside, I couldn’t control my smile as he turned his gaze on me. He sat in his bed, propped up by a stack of pillows and holding a TV controller in midair with his good hand.
“You have company,” his momma said as she stepped around me and left me there in the doorway, patting my hair gently before she walked away.
“You gonna stand all the way over there, or you gonna come closer and let me kiss you?” he asked, and I turned and looked down the hall in the direction Judy had just left. I couldn’t help but feel like a teenager again, crushing on a cute boy.
I shifted my gaze back to Luke, and he must have seen the discomfort in my expression because he chuckled. “She knows I kiss you a lot,” he said with a tilt of his head as he wrinkled up his nose. “I told her.”
“What?” I said in horror.
Okay, I didn’t really think his mom would feel territorially protective of her twenty-two-year-old son. I just didn’t think telling her those types of things was necessary.
“All right, so I didn’t tell her. She just saw me smiling like a loon and knew, but it’s all the same,” he added as he patted the space next to him. “Now get over here and give me one of those kisses.”
“Luke—”
“If you don’t, I’ll tell her all about that spot on the inside of your thigh. You know, the one that when I kiss it, your legs fall open and you let out that sweet little moan.” I narrowed my eyes at him. “Or the dip of your back just as it rolls into that sweet ass I love to touch.”
“You’re ridiculous,” I told him as I crossed my arms over my chest.
“Or how about the space between your breasts that when I trail my tongue over, you—”
I took a step closer. “Okay, smartass,” I said as I moved toward the bed. “I know all about those spots, but no one other than you and I need to.” I sat in the space next to him and poked his good shoulder with a finger. “Got it?”
“I got it, babe,” he said with a smirk as he leaned toward me. “Now kiss me before I holler for Momma and tell her you’re being mean to her boy.”
“Mama’s boy,” I tossed back at him with a roll of my eyes.
“That’s not what you were calling me the other night.” He took my hand and tugged me closer. I fell into him, my chest now pressed firmly against his side. “It was more like, ‘Oh God.’”
“You’re a cocky ass,” I insisted as he ran his hand up my back and cupped my nape.
“Cock-y?” he repeated. “Yes, I believe there was a lot of that involved that night too.”
“Arrogant,” I whispered as he moved in closer and pulled me to him.
“I sorta like you a lot, Madelyn Emery,” he whispered, and his confession completely threw me off-kilter. “More than like, actually.” Before I could reply, his lips pressed to mine.
I had every intention of pulling back since I wanted to avoid being caught making out on his bed, but Luke wouldn’t have it. He held me close, parting my lips with his tongue as he slowly but expertly conquered me. I couldn’t control my body’s reaction to his. Moving in closer, I weaved my hand through his hair and fisted it at the back of his neck.
The way he continued to kiss me reminded me of something else he’d done to my body not too long ago using his tongue. Something told me that was the exact message he was trying to convey as he continued on with a gentle swipe of his tongue before softly sucking on the tip of mine. My heart raced as I trembled. How could a kiss turn me on so much?
“Not that I don’t love the show.”
I jerked away from Luke and turned to look at his still-open door. Liam stood there with the biggest, goofiest smile on his face, holding a tray. “But Momma said to bring you your lunch. Should I tell her you decided to have dessert first?” he asked with a wag of his eyebrows.
I hung my head, covering my face as my chest heated.
Luke chuckled, clearly loving the fact I was embarrassed. “Yeah, tell her that Maddy is already feeding me the only thing I need right now,” he replied, and I sat up straight with a horrified look on my face.
Liam backed away as I jumped up off the bed and pointed at him. “Liam Rivers, I will feed your nuts to my daddy’s bull if you dare tell your momma anything Luke just said.”
Liam tried to hide a smirk as he moved into the room and placed the tray on the nightstand. Holding his hands up in surrender, he backed away and stepped out into the hall. “You never said I couldn’t tell Ma what I found taking place,” he dared me and I took a step toward him. “Hey, Momma,” he hollered, and I swear I felt like my heart leaped out of my chest.
“What?” Her sweet voice echoed down the hall and my stomach tensed.
“Lucas might have a hard time eating his lunch.”
“Don’t do it,” I hissed in irritation, but he ignored me.
“His mouth is connected to Shorty’s, so we may have to microwave his food for later.” Liam waved as he hurried away, and I hung my head in defeat, but Luke’s chuckle made it impossible not to smile.
“Leave those two alone, you Neanderthal,” Judy chastised Liam. “We�
��ve been waiting forever for them to accept their fate. It’s about damn time they figured it all out.”
I shot Luke a concerned stare and he shrugged. “She’s been telling me for years that you and I were gonna one day be more than friends. I guess she was right.”
***
I woke up still wearing my clothes from earlier. I was on my back with something heavy over my legs. It was dark out, but I was still able to see that Lucas was curled up at my side with his leg thrown over both of mine, pinning them to the mattress. He had his good arm across my waist and one of his fingers hooked so tightly through the belt loop of my shorts that I wouldn’t be able to get up without waking him.
The television was off and a blanket had been thrown over us, indicating that Judy had found us like this.
“Don’t go,” Luke whispered. “I’m sleeping better than I have in days, and that’s because of the gorgeous girl next to me. If you even think about taking her away, I’ll tie ya to the bed.”
“You are such a clown,” I said with a laugh as I curled over onto my side, bringing my body closer to his. “And I’m not going anywhere.”
When his lips found mine, I did nothing to stop our kiss. It was as if we’d picked up right where we left off when Liam interrupted us earlier. I knew I should have slowed things down—after all, we were in his parents’ house—but I couldn’t stop myself from wanting more. When his hand trailed along my back and moved lower to cup my ass, I arched my back and he groaned against my lips.
The accident was five days ago, and he’d been home from the hospital for three days. Our first night together was nearly a week ago, which meant I had really missed his hands on me, and from the way he was caressing me and tasting me, I’d say he missed me too.
The gentle graze of his fingertip along my inner thigh had me panting as he slowly slipped it beneath the fabric of my shorts. My breathing picked up, and so did his as he moved it farther, taking what we bother wanted. As he pushed that finger inside me, I buried my face against his chest and did my best not to cry out. We both lay as quietly as possible as he continued to slide his finger in and out of me and my hips moved with the motion.
“I want you,” he confessed.
I nodded against his chest, completely pushing aside the fact we were in his parents’ home.
“There are condoms in the closet, inside my duffel bag,” he told me, but I barely heard the words. I was too focused on the way he curled his finger inside me right before pulling back again. “Can you get one?” he added, but my mind was still hazy.
“Maddy,” he whispered, and I finally looked at him. His lips pressed to mine, and his kiss did nothing to take away the burning fire inside me. I felt mad with need.
When he pulled back from our kiss, a whimper fell from me.
“I want this to continue,” he assured me, still teasing and pleasuring me slowly. “But to do so, we need a condom.”
When he slid his hand from my shorts, I almost clamped my thighs around it to hold him hostage. Instead I took a deep, calming breath before slowly moving from the bed toward the closet.
“The back corner on the left,” he directed me.
I wasn’t quite sure why my hands shook so much. Maybe it was fear of being caught, or the thought of what we were about to share. I just continued to breathe, doing my best to appear unfazed.
I reached into the bag and found the condoms in the side pocket where Luke said they’d be. A box of them, in fact, new and unopened, and I couldn’t help smiling. When I had one in hand, I quickly tucked the box away and hurried back to bed. My eyes had fully adjusted to the dark now, and I noticed Luke had shimmied his shorts down over his hips. He was still working on getting them lower with only his good hand to help, so I tugged on them, regaining his attention. I kept my gaze locked on his as I moved them down his thighs.
“I’m not gonna lie, Mad, I could get used to you undressing me,” he said as I dropped his shorts on the floor.
Without saying a word, I lowered my own shorts and straddled his lap as I moved in closer. I felt empowered when I took his hardness in my hand and rolled the now-opened condom over him. His breath hitched, and his hips jerked as if he had no control over the movement. I looked up at him and found his gaze was locked on the movement of my hands. The way his mouth hung open slightly and his tongue rested against his lower lip sent a rush of excitement through me.
Chapter 23
LUCAS
I gripped Madelyn’s left hip with my good hand and closed my eyes. The gentle rock of her hips as her body moved against mine was intoxicating. I wanted to say a million things to her, but I knew we had to be quiet. The last thing I wanted was for my mom to barge into my room to find Maddy riding me. If Mads had been horrified earlier when Liam found us, that would be nothing compared to our current position.
So I locked those words away for another time and just savored each second, every spike of pleasure, and the erotic sound of her gasps as they filled the space around us.
I wanted so badly to flip her over and take control, but having my arm in a sling made that impossible. So I fought against my animalistic urges and did my very best to give full control to her.
The movement of her hips quickened, and from the way her body tightened around mine, I knew she was close. Her mouth opened slightly as her head tilted back and her hand squeezed the one I had on her hip. My injury was definitely a restriction, because Madelyn loved gripping my shoulders so tightly that her nails dug into my flesh. I couldn’t wait until I healed so neither of us would have to hold back anymore.
My toes curled as I tried to hold back a roar as Maddy’s hips jerked and she rode me faster and harder. As she came, I too became lost in the pleasure we’d created.
Maddy hurried off me so fast, it took me a moment to realize what she was doing. She scrambled into her clothes, tossed a blanket over my lap, and lay down at my side just as the door to my room opened. My mother stood in the threshold, looking concerned.
“Luke,” she said. After the way Madelyn had rocked me, I couldn’t speak, but I lifted my head to indicate I’d heard her. My heart was beating so fast it felt like a jackhammer. “Are you okay?”
I took a deep breath.
“You sounded like you were in pain,” she added.
I didn’t miss the fact that my girl had her face buried against my side, doing her best to hide that she was awake.
“Do you need some pain medicine?” Momma asked as she walked into the room, tightening her bathrobe around her.
“Sure, Ma.” My voice was hoarse, which had nothing to do with sleep.
As she backed away, I pulled Madelyn in closer. “You woke up my mom,” I whispered next to her ear and she giggled. “Maybe I should tell her that I don’t need meds because you help me forget the pain.”
“You better not,” she hissed, but I could sense her smile.
“I think I need to get my own place,” I stated.
Before Madelyn could respond, my mother reappeared with a glass of water and my meds. “I didn’t have the heart to wake her earlier,” she said, sitting next to me on the bed. I prayed she didn’t attempt to adjust my blanket. “I used to watch the two of you play outside, and I’d say time and again that one day, something between the two of you would shift.”
Not that I didn’t want to reminisce about our childhood—those were the stories I loved the most—but in my current position, it was something I could live without.
“I know you had big dreams, Lucas,” she continued. “I know you wanted so much more than a life in Alvord working a nine-to-five job. But sometimes fate has a way of leading us back to the place we belong. I think she’s your fate.”
She patted my leg, stood, and moved toward the door. Just before she pulled it shut, she paused. “Life is full of opportunities, and though you may think your time is over, you can’t give up hope that your happiness may just lie in the hands of something other than football. A place you least expected to find it.
”
I remained quiet after she closed the door, just letting her words sink in.
“Are you settling, Luke?”
Maddy’s question surprised me as it echoed through the darkness. I wasn’t sure if she was asking me if the pain in my shoulder was settling after I took the medication or if she meant something else.
“Because like your mom said, you wanted a life outside Alvord,” she continued. “I just don’t want to be the one holding you back from anything.”
I turned my body to look at her beautiful face. Her relaxed and satisfied expression had been replaced with doubt.
“She also said my happiness could be found in the least expected place.” I tucked a strand of hair that had fallen in her face behind her ear. “I didn’t get the chance to tell her I already found it. I found you.”
I leaned in and pressed my lips to hers, hoping she understood that though my life may not have turned out the way I’d hoped, in no way was I settling. Madelyn was the best part about everything that had happened over the last six months. I was falling for the girl who was a piece of every happy memory I held. Even when I was in Alabama, I thought of our times together.
Life was good, and I couldn’t allow her to doubt that.
***
“You don’t have to move out, Lucas,” my mother said as she placed my folded clothes into the drawers of my dresser. But the fact she was picking up after me was one of the biggest reasons I had to get my own place.
“Momma,” I said as she straightened my sheets and comforter, flashes of what Maddy and I did in that very bed only a few nights ago running through my mind. That was yet another reason I had to get out of my parents’ house. I needed to be able to be with my girl without fear of my ma overhearing us.
“Ma,” I said a little louder, finally gaining her full attention. “You know I love ya, and I appreciate all you and Dad have done for me, but it’s time.”
She stared at me as if she thought that would make me change my mind.
