by Rhian Cahill
Glancing down, Madison opened her hand and saw the shiny silver key Toby had placed in her hand.
He’d given her a key to his house.
She’d been to the doctor’s at the beginning of the week for the contraceptive pill and had already begun taking it.
She might be walking on unfamiliar territory but there was no denying they were treading on Mount Serious.
Smiling, she curled her fingers around Toby’s key once more.
She’d file this in the ‘new experience’ box along with all the other things Toby had shown her in the last week.
God. Was it only a week since they’d returned from the history excursion? Seven days that felt like a lifetime. Seven days and she’d gone from being single, with no social life to speak of, to having a hot boyfriend who loved to indulge her in nights of pleasure—and not all of it in the bedroom, either.
This last week with Toby had been the best of her life. She couldn’t wait to see what happened in the next one. Or the one after that. Or the one after. Or the one after…
Chapter Seventeen
Toby held tight to Mad’s hand. “It’ll be fine. Stop worrying.”
“It’s a family dinner.”
“I’m allowed to bring a date to a family dinner.” He grinned at her but it didn’t alleviate the frown lines from her beautiful face. Tugging her hand, he pulled her closer. “Come here.”
Before she could protest, he kissed her. He breathed in her gasp and stroked his tongue over hers. She opened wider for him, let him taste and tease, and melted in his arms. Running his hands up and down her back, he soothed instead of inflamed. No point getting either of them worked up when they had to walk into his parents’ house.
Letting her up for air, he trailed his lips to her ear. “New experience for today. We’re together. That means we go to each other’s family events. It’s what couples do.”
She shivered. “Oh.”
God, he loved it when he kissed her and slowed that brain of hers. Nuzzling his nose under her jawline, he breathed her in. He could never get enough of her smell. Sweet and fresh with a lingering trace of the coconut water she liked to drink. “Hmm…you always smell like sugar…” He nipped at her chin. “And I’ve got such a sweet tooth.”
“Get a room.”
Toby turned. “You’re just jealous I’ve got a pretty girl to kiss and you don’t.”
“Definitely.”
Tucking Madison against his side, he faced his brother. “Mad, you remember my brother Damian.”
“Ah, yes. Hi.” Her face was flushed red, whether from embarrassment or arousal, he didn’t know—possibly both.
“Hey there, pretty lady, when you’ve had enough of this douchebag, give me a call.” Damian winked before sauntering up to the house.
“Ignore him.” Toby tightened his arm around her. “He’s a dick.”
“Um…”
Toby laughed. “Sorry. Damian’s a shit-stirrer. He’s trying to get a rise out of me.”
“And I got one,” Damian called out.
“Damn.” Toby sighed. “He did.”
Before his brother could open the front door, it swung wide to reveal their mother. “Are you three finished playing in the yard?” she asked, her gaze bouncing between him and Damian.
“Damian’s hitting on my girl,” Toby complained.
“Damian Charles, find your own girl. And you,” she pointed a finger at Toby, “keep your hands and lips to yourself for the next few hours.”
If possible, Mad turned a shade redder and shrank into his side. Toby laughed. “Seriously, Mom, have you seen her? She’s too hard to resist.”
His mom smiled and went on her toes to kiss his cheek. “At least keep it G-rated.”
Mad sucked in a breath and stiffened against him.
“Mom…”
“Sorry.” She held out both her hands. “How are you, Madison? It’s so good to see you again.”
“N-nice to see you too.”
Toby let his mother steal his date as they entered his childhood home. He could hear the rest of the family in the back of the house. They’d be congregated in the big room that opened out to the yard. It was the place they always hung out together. Now and when they were younger. Smiling, he followed two of his favorite women into the melee that was a Moreland family gathering.
“Hey, look who finally showed up,” Cassie called from her seat where she nursed his nephew. “See there, baby boy, that’s your uncle Damian and uncle Toby.”
Walking over, Toby crouched and ran his hand over Bennett’s soft head. “Is he eating?”
“No. Just finished. You want to hold him?”
“Yeah.” Toby slipped his hands beneath the baby and pulled him against his chest. He couldn’t get over how captivated he was by this little guy.
He’d been thinking about babies—kids—ever since his sister had delivered Bennett. When Mad had told him they were in the clear after their slip up, Toby had been disappointed in a way he never would have expected. He knew it wasn’t the right time to be thinking about a family, but he couldn’t help wondering what Mad would look like, her belly swollen with their child.
Humming softly, he rocked on his feet and snuggled the baby-powder-scented bundle against him. He could hear chatter around him but right now, the only thing he could focus on was Bennett.
Would he feel this much love with his own child? More?
Toby glanced over at Mad. She was busy talking to his mom and for once she didn’t look like a deer caught in headlights. Laughing at something his mother said, she turned his way and smiled. He wanted to go to her, pull her into his arms and kiss her smiling mouth.
After her initial nervousness, she seemed to have settled. He’d keep an eye on her but he wanted her to do this on her own. She needed to know that she could talk to people without his help.
“She’s different to your usual type.” Cassie moved beside him, checked Bennett.
“Maybe.” Toby didn’t think she was that different. She was definitely more real. There was no falseness to her affections. None of the usual fawning behavior he seemed to inspire in women.
“She’s not awed by you.”
“What?” He turned to his sister.
“Madison isn’t one of those bimbos looking for a free ride.”
“Is that what you think of the women I’ve dated?”
Cassie laughed. “I’ve only ever known you to date one girl, and that was back in high school, the rest you just fucked.”
“Hey.” He tried to cover Bennett’s little ears.
“Ha. That boy heard more this morning when I still couldn’t get my jeans to do up.”
“It’s been a week. I’m pretty sure you’re not supposed to fit back into them yet.”
“Sue me for trying.” She reached out for the baby. “Let me take him. I’m going to put him in the nursery so Mommy can have some adult time.”
“Stir crazy already?” He handed Bennett to his sister.
“No. But if I don’t make myself put him down, I never will. He’s too precious for words.” Cassie cuddled Bennett close, nuzzled his cheek with her nose.
“He is,” Toby agreed as he watched his sister loving on her son.
When she walked away, Damian stepped up with a beer in each hand. “Thought you’d like a drink.”
“Thanks.”
“I like her,” his brother said, tipping his bottle in Mad’s direction.
“You made that clear outside.”
“Yeah, well, that was a joke, this isn’t. You’re different with her.”
“How?” He tilted his head and studied Damian.
“I don’t know. I can’t work out what it is exactly.” Damian shrugged.
Toby laughed. “Well that’s enlightening. Thanks.”
Damian grinned. “No worries. Glad I could help.”
He shook his head. “I think this is the weirdest conversation we’ve had, big brother, and I’m including the ‘talk’ a
bout safe sex you felt it your duty to give me.”
“Hey, someone had to be sure your pecker didn’t get you in trouble with all those women.”
“I was twenty. My pecker was well versed in the ways of women by then.”
Damian laughed. “God, you probably got lucky before I did.”
“Ah, no, you definitely got lucky first.”
Eyeing him skeptically, Damian mumbled, “You sound pretty sure about that.”
“Bindi Arnold. You were a week past your sixteenth birthday.”
Damian choked on his beer. “What?” he spluttered.
Toby smiled. “The walls in this house are thin.”
“Jesus Christ.”
Toby laughed. “Yeah, I recall her calling out for god’s help.”
“Shut up,” Damian growled before walking away.
***
Madison took the top card and read the words.
Movie: Magic Mike
Okay. That shouldn’t be too hard. Turning to the board, she lifted the marker and drew a magician’s hat.
“Hat,” Toby called out.
She kept drawing, adding a rabbit.
“Mad Hatter.”
Glaring at Toby, she pointed to the hat.
“Hat?”
“Oh, I know!” Cassie jumped to her feet.
“You’re not on their team, Cass.” Luc grabbed his wife’s wrist and pulled her back down beside him.
“But I know what it is,” she whined.
Turning back to the board, Madison added a wand to the picture. She tilted her head and squinted. They were quite good renditions, considering she wasn’t all that artistic.
“Rabbit. Hat. Stick.”
Stick? Glaring at Toby again, she decided to try the second part of the movie title. So far he hadn’t guessed one of her drawings and she’d guess every one of his. And he couldn’t draw to save his life.
The timer ticked down and while she might have done all right with objects and the occasional animal, drawing a man was a completely different—and impossible—achievement.
Standing back, she eyed the stick figure and burst out laughing.
“Hey, no talking!” Damian called out.
“Is that R2D2?” Toby asked.
“Oh god.” Cassie buried her face in her hands.
The buzzer sounded.
“It’s Magic Mike, you idiot!” Cassie tossed a pillow at Toby.
“Really? I don’t see it…”
Madison threw up her hands. “I give up. You suck.”
Toby arched one eyebrow, and one side of his mouth kicked up to match. “Oh really?”
“Gotta admit, brother, she’s right. You guys are in the lead only because Madison has gotten every one of your pictures correct,” Adam said after consulting the point sheet.
“She should have gotten a handicap being paired with you. Not that she needs it.”
Madison smiled at Toby’s sister. “Thank you.”
“You know if we played girls versus boys, we’d still kick their asses and there’s more of them than us,” Cassie added.
“Don’t even think about it, Cassandra Maree,” Mrs. Moreland called out from the kitchen, where she and Mr. Moreland were enjoying some quality time with their grandson.
“Ah, c’mon, mom. I gotta get my thrills somewhere.”
“You are not wiping the floor with those boys tonight,” Mrs. Moreland replied.
“So you agree we’d win?” Cassie grinned.
“Come and get your boy. He’s hungry again.”
“My god. That kid is going on the bottle.” Cassie stood and headed for the kitchen. “I swear it feels like he’s permanently attached to my boob.”
“At least someone’s getting boob around here,” Adam muttered.
“He’s not the only one,” Toby murmured, his hot gaze on Madison.
Fire burst low and deep, heat rushed over her skin, leaving a prickly trail that had goose bumps popping up and her breath stuttering. “Toby!” His name exploded from her throat on a gasp of air.
He grinned.
“At the risk of repeating myself…get a room,” Damian said as he rose from his spot on the floor. “And on that note, I’m out of here. Catch you all later.”
“Yeah, we’re gonna head out too.” Toby stood, held out his hand. “Ready, Mad?”
Ready? Her blood was thrumming, her heart was pounding and the crotch of her undies was wet. Oh yeah, she was ready. And thoroughly mortified to be in this condition at his parents’ house.
“I’ll say goodbye to your parents.” Without making eye contact with any of the remaining people in the room, she strode towards the kitchen.
Hopefully by the time she arrived in front of Toby’s parents, she wouldn’t look like a berry about to burst. And if not, that they at least didn’t work out that she was thinking about doing very inappropriate things to their son.
Chapter Eighteen
A smile tugged at Toby’s mouth as he pulled his car in beside Mad’s. Taking a moment, he just sat there staring at her little compact parked in his driveway. The sight shouldn’t make him this happy but there was no denying the elation that arced through him.
This was the first time she’d come over to his house and used the key he’d given her. Every other visit she’d perfectly coincided with his arrival, so she wouldn’t have to be in his house without him. He’d pushed her the last few days and finally, he’d gotten what he wanted.
He was going to open his front door and come home to Mad.
Damn, that totally made up for his shitty day. Pocketing his keys, Toby got out of the car and walked up the path. Before he reached the door, it opened wide and there she was, all smiles and happy-to-see-him eyes.
His heart pounded in his chest, his body tightened from head to toe and a thrum of anticipation shot through his veins.
“Hi.” Mad’s smile slipped. “What’s wrong?”
Toby arched an eyebrow. “What makes you think something’s wrong?”
She reached up and brushed a finger beside his mouth, then grazed it over the skin at the corner of his left eye. “Your mouth is drawn and your eyes are crinkled at the edges, the way they do when you’re concerned or distressed about something.”
He pulled her into his arms and held her close. “You know all that about me?”
“Of course,” she murmured against his chest, her arms circling his waist. “I’m used to studying things, remember. And lately you’re my favorite subject.”
“Hmm…” The idea of being her favorite anything pleased him. “We lost. The other team took some dirty shots, hurt three of our top players doing so, and we won’t know for a few days how serious those injuries are.”
Mad leaned back in his arms. “Oh, I’m sorry. The boys must be disappointed.”
“No more so than me.”
“Come inside. I’ll get you a beer and something to eat.”
“Sounds good.” He dropped a kiss on her forehead. She smelled of spices and garlic.
“We could cancel tonight if you’re not up to it,” she offered.
“No.” He turned them and guided her into the house. “Definitely not. This is another new experience, and you get the bonus of a moody boyfriend thrown in.”
“Only if you’re sure. I don’t mind.”
“Mad, how much fun have you had getting everything ready for tonight?”
She ducked her head. “A little bit.”
Toby laughed. “That’s an outright lie. You’ve Googled recipes and ingredients and spent hours on YouTube glued to demonstration videos. I know you’re excited about tonight. Plus everyone will kill me if we cancel this late.”
Her smile was blinding. “Okay. And you’re right. Until this week, I never realized how much I love cooking. I mean, I knew I could cook, and enjoyed it, but preparing a meal for only myself is completely different from organizing and making one for fourteen people.”
Excitement sparkled in her eyes and she practically bounc
ed on her toes with suppressed energy. He couldn’t resist kissing her. She tasted sweet and spicy. There was a hint of garlic, possibly cream…
“Hmm…you taste good.” Diving back in, Toby thrust his tongue against hers to find more of the flavors she’d been sampling while making a meal for his family.
He palmed her ass and brought her to her toes. Moaning into his mouth, Mad rubbed herself against him. Toby went from horny to desperate in a heartbeat. It didn’t matter how many times he had her, the thrill that ran though him whenever he got his hands on her sliced him to the bone.
“Do we have time for a quickie?” he growled as he rocked his hard cock into her soft center.
“You’re never satisfied with quick.” She nibbled along his jaw up to his ear, tugged on the lobe. “We’ve got thirty minutes until the timer goes off on the oven.”
Toby grinned. “Bet I can get you off in half that. Twice.”
Mad laughed. “That’s a sucker’s bet. I’m not taking it.” She pushed out of his arms. “Race you.”
He stood gaping as she darted away from him and headed for the master bedroom.
This wasn’t the same woman he’d started seeing four weeks ago. She’d come out of her shell, and the more she revealed, the more Toby wanted to see.
He’d spent every day of those four weeks showing her what she’d missed. He grinned when he thought about the night they’d made out in the back of the movie cinema. The water fight he’d disguised as washing their cars. Riding the ferry over to the zoo. Toby had to admit, he’d had as much fun seeing Mad enthralled with each new adventure as she’d had experiencing them.
“Hey! I thought you wanted a quickie?” A pair of Mad’s sexy underwear flew out his bedroom door and fluttered to the floor not five meters away.
Toby grinned. Oh yeah, definitely not the same woman.
***
Madison hummed as she arranged the fruit she’d sliced earlier around the base of the Pavlova she’d made from scratch. For a first attempt, it didn’t look half bad.
“Can I help with something?” Toby’s mom asked as she came into the kitchen with a tray of dirty dishes.
“Oh. No.” Madison quickly met her. “Let me take those.”
