by Skye, M.
“Okay, princess, I’m done with the dramatics. Thank you for getting me straight.”
“I only do it because I love you. I want you only thinking happy thoughts like how you’re going to be okay once you have this surgery.”
“That won’t be for a while, I just have to cool my heels until then. I’m glad you all know now, I was tired of holding this in.”
“We’re family, you should always be able to come to us. We will always be here.”
“Speaking of family, where is Lexie? I know you weren’t fond of her.”
“She is out at Meg and Alex’s house. You know Meg, always the humanitarian.”
“Yes, that’s her alright. She is always playing the role of savior. Helpful twit,” he laughed. “How is Lexie acting?”
“She is nice enough, I didn’t want to like her, you know I didn’t, but I can’t hate anyone who is going to save my big brother. I’ll just have to swallow my foolish pride and make nice. What’s her story anyways?”
“Well, apparently, she met this man and got married ten years ago, and now he has gone missing, just up and left her. I don’t know what their story is, but Lexie was always impulsive, from what I remember anyways. I don’t think she knew much about him before she jumped into it.”
“Well, that’s ridiculous just to up and leave your wife, any children?”
“No, not that I’m aware of. I didn’t want to pry, it’s been so long since we shared anything, and I wasn’t about to get lost in the madness.”
“I don’t blame you,” she sighed. “It sounds messy.”
“Oh, it is, but on to better topics, tell me about Nathan and the love nest.”
Maddie blushed at the mention of his name. Nathan had awakened something that she never knew was inside her. He had touched her heart and soul with his treatment of her. He wasn’t just saying all the right things, he was showing her in every way possible that he was the man she needed. He was there for every curve ball that had been thrown at her and her family and didn’t hesitate to step in when needed.
“So, it’s that good, huh?” he asked after witnessing her goofy expression.
She patted his hand without breaking her smile. “It’s amazing, he’s amazing. I feel so alive with him, so free.”
“Aawh, my baby girl is in love. You thought you loved that wretch Sean, but I knew it wasn’t the real thing. This, with Nathan, is real. Your eyes shine so brightly when you talk about him. He’s good for you.”
“He is. I needed a man like him. I’ve never been this open, he has me thinking about things I never knew I wanted, like family and marriage.”
“You? Marriage and family? Now I know I’m high,” he reached for his IV. “They must have slipped something extra in my tubes.”
“Quit being dramatic. I’m not some ogre. I just hadn’t found what I needed until now.”
Gio looked up and saw Nathan standing behind them in the doorway and smiled. He didn’t know how long he had been there, but he had a sneaking suspicion that he had heard a great deal of their conversation judging by the way he was smiling. Instead of telling Maddie he was there, he kept her talking.
“So tell me, when did you first discover that you loved him?”
She sighed and grinned. “The first night we spent together, the way he held me after we made love made me feel like the most precious person in the world. The way he looked at me made me feel whole, like I had been missing something all this time.”
“Something like what?” He was enjoying this way too much to let it end. He was loving the look on Nathan’s face as she went into detail about their love story.
“Missing him, he’s the one. He makes me so happy, and I’m not an easy girl to please.”
“More like mission impossible,” Gio huffed.
“Shut up,” she swung at him. “Don’t make fun of me when I’m pouring out my heart. I’m telling you more than I’ve ever told anyone. You should feel privileged.”
“I do,” he smirked. “More than you know, but you’re going to be so pissed at me when you turn around.”
She turned around suddenly and saw Nathan standing there and turned a bright shade of red. “How much did you hear? How long have you been there?”
“Long enough to know that I’m the one,” he grinned. “Come here,” he crooked his finger, drawing her to his side. She laughed, thinking about what he was doing. “Just for the record, I fell in love with you the moment I saw you step out in that blue dress at the wedding. The first night I made love to you only confirmed it for me.”
“Oh god, I never meant for...”
“Shh,” he placed a finger to her lips. “I’m glad I heard you, now shut up and kiss me.”
“Wow,” Gio mumbled. “This is better than cable. Man, I need to get the hell out of this room. I’m missing every damn thing.”
Maddie smiled in remembrance and felt her temperature rising. For a moment in time, she remembered every touch, every kiss, every sincere word whispered in her ear. As she drifted, he watched, holding her close, looking into her sparkling green eyes. He too had the night they first made love on his mind.
***
It was the night of their fifth date, they had just come back to her house from a night of dinner and dancing, and they both had something on their mind. Nathan had been surprisingly quiet on the drive over, and Maddie was nervously fiddling with the keys to her house. When they pulled up, he got out and opened her door like he always did, and leaned in to place a kiss on her lips to bring the night to a close. As soon as his lips touched hers, something was different, she felt the desire and passion she felt dancing within him. When he pulled back, she saw the longing and need in his eyes, and knew it was time.
Without hesitation, she reached her trembling hand out to unlock the door, and he placed his hand over hers to steady it. As soon as they opened the door, the keys fell from her hands and she was up against the door with him kissing her with more intensity than she had ever felt in a lifetime. Her senses were overruled and her body was sensitized everywhere. Every place his hands roamed tingled with excitement. She came to life before his very eyes.
Maddie allowed herself to be taken in by his warm caresses and deep kisses until she remembered the promise she made to herself; after Sean, she had sworn that the next man she gave herself to would have to work to prove that he was worthy. She and Nathan had been spending a large amount of time together, but nothing he had done yet proved him to be that guy. They had been in sync and he was nice enough, but she had to be sure before she crossed over to the point of no return.
When she suddenly stopped kissing him, Nathan straightened in realization. She knew he wanted her so badly, but she also knew he wouldn’t want to rush her into something she wasn’t ready for. He would wait, if he had to, he would wait forever. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to push you. Let’s sit, show me where the kitchen is, and I’ll make you some coffee.” Maddie was stunned by his ability to just shut off his desires to make sure she was comfortable. She pointed him to the kitchen and stood back in amazement.
Within minutes, she heard him banging around in her kitchen and came to her senses. He was everything, sensitive, considerate, and caring; everything Sean wasn’t. She knew she would be a damn fool to let him slip from her grasp. It only took her a split second to race into the kitchen to find him pulling mugs from her cabinet. When she rushed up behind him, she startled him and he dropped the mug he was holding in the sink gently.
Nathan looked in her eyes to see what they held, and she made sure he knew then and there that it was right. He turned and lifted her to the counter, planting kisses all around her face. When she arched to him, he moved to her neck. He stayed on her neck for a few moments, and when he moved lower, she didn’t stop him. When he found himself at her shoulders, he pulled back to get her silent approval on going further.
Maddie inhaled sharply and moved his hand to the back of her dress and let the material drape at her waist. When he saw
her ample charms, he lost his breath. She was more than he could have ever dreamed. When his hands found the way to her perky breasts, he moved in to nibble on her ear. “Are you going to let me make love to you? If not, I have to leave now, I won’t be able to stop myself later.” Her eyes flew open and without a second thought or hesitation, she slid off the counter and into his arms. He chuckled and wrapped her legs and arms around him. “Show me to the bedroom, beautiful.”
She directed him up the stairs and into the room without breaking from the kisses she had initiated. She was overcome with emotion and she knew she wouldn’t be able to last long under the circumstances. When he swung the door open, Maddie felt her insides flutter. She was so ready to connect with him, she thought she might burst. He lowered her feet to the floor and dropped to his knees. He slid his hands up her legs and over her thighs to reach her panties. He slid them down slowly leaving every inch of her legs burning with his touch.
Nathan tossed her panties aside and grabbed her legs, tipping her over on the bed. She let out a beautiful laugh that fed his soul, and he stood to strip his clothes off. As he undressed slowly, she sat up and admired him. When he saw how closely she was watching, he slowed down, removing each article in the most enticing manner she had ever witnessed. By the time he was completely naked, she was spread out on the bed, trembling with anticipation. When he began to address her, she held out her hand, stopping him in midsentence. “Nathan, come here,” she whispered and crooked her finger, drawing him to her. When he hovered above her, she placed her hands on his chest and leaned to his ear. “Shut up and kiss me.”
“I’ll do more than that,” he hissed and planted his lips over hers. He kissed her until she was out of breath while reaching down to spread her legs. “I’ll only do this if you’re sure Maddie, I want you, but I want all of you. Not just your body.”
“You can have my body and whatever else you want,” she panted. “I’m not waiting any longer.” She pulled him down and flipped him over. Before he could react, she was on top of him, surrounding him, suffocating him within her, he was swimming inside her gripping her hips tightly. The first contact was electrifying for Maddie, she placed her hands on his chest and gasped at the feeling of wholeness she felt being connected with him. She threw her head back and began to move above him. He moved his hands up to cup her breasts as she lost herself in the rhythm she created all on her own.
“Maddie,” he uttered holding on to her, cradling her breasts as she moved her hands down and placed them down on both sides of his neck. She closed her eyes, savoring the feeling, and he sat up, kissing the top of her breast. She moaned at the feel of his lips against her skin, and he pulled himself into a sitting position and placed his hands on her back, pulling her closer to his chest. She was still rubbing against him when he took her legs and pulled them around his waist, crossing them behind him.
Nathan had become so encased in the feelings surging through him, that when he felt her tongue on his neck, he snapped. He stood with her still attached and rolled them over. Maddie gasped when she felt his hands cupping her from behind and he buried himself deep within her. He buried his face in her breasts and slid his tongue out to taste her delectable skin pushing himself in and out, shaking with each thrust. She grabbed his shoulders, and he pushed harder holding her tighter. She moaned his name, and he whispered in her ear. “You’re wonderful, so amazing, I can’t believe I waited this long to have you. Oh Maddie!”
“Nathan!” she screamed as all the sensations mounted and ruptured inside her. Just before she hit her powerful orgasm, he pushed her hair from her face and took her lips in a possessive kiss. Her body jerked and she clung to him. Her breathing was labored and he smiled down at her just before giving in to his climax. When he released her, she felt like the life had been sucked out of her. She pulled him back to her and laid her head on his chest. He wrapped his arms around her, and she felt whole again. Nathan caressed her placing his hands all over her back as she laid comfortably in his arms. He looked around her room and felt a sense of ease there, it felt like home.
“Maddie,” he whispered. “How do you feel?”
“About us or about this?”
“All of it. I know we live far apart, but...”
“I enjoyed it, and I enjoy you. Let’s just see where this goes.”
“I won’t hurt you. I just want you to know that.”
“I know,” she sighed and closed her eyes. “Can we sleep now? I’m exhausted.”
“You want me to stay?”
“Of course I do. It’s late, baby,” she whispered and closed her eyes.
Nathan held her, rubbing her back until she drifted off, and when he thought she was fast asleep, he kissed her forehead and whispered in her ear. “I love you, Madeline, and one day you’ll love me too.” She was deep in her dreams, when he finally drifted off, holding her firmly against him. He knew he would have to go back home soon, and was regretful. He wanted to stay, to be around for her, for them.
***
As Maddie came back to the present, she looked at him and smiled. When she reached out to hug him, he pulled her to his ear and whispered, “I love you, Madeline. I told you the day would come when you would love me too.”
She bucked her eyes in realization, she thought she had heard him say it that night, but she had convinced herself it was only a dream until now. “Nathan, that night, the first night, did you tell me you loved me then?”
He took her hand and kissed it gently. “Yes, I thought you were sleeping, I didn’t know you heard me.”
“I thought it was a dream, I didn’t know. I feel so stupid. Before you came to live here, I was so insecure about you, about us.”
“You never have to be insecure about me, I’m yours. I don’t want any other woman. I worked damn hard to tear down those walls you built around yourself, and I’ll be damned if any other man gets to benefit from my hard work,” he laughed.
“Tearing down walls, huh?” Gio smirked. “That sounds about right, or maybe more like obliterating walls. You Hanover boys, you’re just taming the hell out of my sisters.”
“Shut up,” Maddie huffed and pulled Nathan over to him. They both sat down and Nathan presented Gio with the snacks he had come in with. They sat and talked to him for what seemed like forever just enjoying the time together. Gio looked to his sister and then back to the man that had stolen her heart and silently congratulated himself on a job well done. Pushing them together was the best thing he could have ever done for her, she was over the moon.
***
Meg poked her head into the office and laughed when she saw the vacant expression that greeted her. “Well hello, pretty girl, how are you feeling today?”
Melia rolled her eyes and placed her hands on her desk. “How do I look? Your niece or nephew is turning me inside out. I don’t remember being this sick with Cienna. This one is giving me the blues.”
“That’s why I’m here. I brought you ginger ale, crackers, and your favorite soup. Do you think you can hold any of this down?”
Melia smiled at her wonderful sister. She had been having the day from hell at work and seriously needed a retreat. Meg had called her earlier in the day sounding like she needed to talk, but when she heard the distress in Melia’s voice, she rushed right over to take care of her first. Melia patted Meg’s hand and offered her a sweet smile.
“Thank you. I love you for everything you’re doing and everything you’ve done.”
“I couldn’t leave you alone in all this. I know your situation and I don’t agree with doing it by yourself, but I understand. Now, tell me all about your appointment. I want to hear about baby Hanover.”
“Baby Hanover is great, besides making mommy crazy sick, he or she is doing great. I got to hear the heartbeat today.”
“What?” Meg huffed. “You should have called me, I would have been there. I didn’t know you had an appointment until after I called.”
“I know you would have, but you have you
r own problems to deal with. You can’t always step in and protect me. I know there was something else on your mind besides me this morning when you called. How did the session go?”
Meg sat down and placed all the items she brought in on the desk. She wanted to evade her questions for as long as she could, because for as hard as she had tried the night before, she had gotten absolutely nowhere. They thought Allison might have confided in Marisol and when they arrived home, Alex questioned her, hoping for answers, to their dismay, she had no more insight than they did. She actually had a few questions of her own, and they were back to square one. The situation was completely baffling and exhausting.
Meg wished there was a way to get Allison to just open up to her. They had always had such a close relationship, and the fact that they hadn’t been communicating was hard. Despite the awkwardness between them, the ride to school this morning was pleasant. They did their normal routine with their usual stops and their special song. When they pulled up to the school, Allison leaned in and gave her a sweet kiss on the cheek and told her to have a good day. It was funny, Meg knew her day was going to be stressful, and her darling little girl was giving her the encouraging words she needed.
“Meg, are you listening to me? How was the session?”
“It went okay, I guess. We didn’t really get much from her, but she seems to be okay for now. I just don’t know where she could have gotten the idea that we would give her away, it’s ridiculous. Dr. Steinfeld seems to think it’s an imaginary friend. It has to be though, the only time she’s away from us is during school, and it couldn’t be anyone there. They wouldn’t be so stupid.”
“Yeah,” Melia sighed, shoveling the soup in her mouth. “It has to be something she created in her mind. You just have to convince her that it’s not true. We all know how much you love her.”
“I do,” Meg smiled. “I wanted to know if I could ask a favor. I know it’s a school night, but do you think we could keep Cici tonight? I thought that maybe Allison might slip up and mention something about all this to her. I hate to use my niece, but I’m at my wits end.”
