Say It with Roses

by Devon Vaughn Archer

  “You’re killing me,” Stuart said, finding it hard to contain himself and the need to be inside her.

  “Don’t die yet,” Madison teased him. “Not when there’s much better things to do....”

  She put her open mouth on his again, turning up the heat with a passionate kiss before ending the torture for them both by lowering herself onto his manhood. She felt him throbbing inside her core as she moved fluidly up and down him.

  She moaned as he gently rubbed her nipples and pushed himself deeper inside her, bringing their pleasure to new heights. Gripping the headboard for support, Madison was beside herself as she contracted around Stuart’s erection, stimulating her to no end. She brought her face down to his and enveloped his lips with hers, tasting, teasing and tantalizing as they kissed with fervor.

  “Oh...Stuart,” Madison murmured while her orgasm took center stage. Her breath quickened when she reached the apex of utter appeasement, after which she fell onto him, fully expecting him to take over in completing the passion.

  Stuart did not disappoint. Easily flipping them over while still wedged inside her, he wrapped her legs up high around his back and made love to her like a man possessed by the woman beneath him.

  “You’re mine, all mine,” he said in a husky voice.

  “I am,” she said breathlessly. “Make me come again....”

  Stuart was determined to do just that, holding back enough to maintain long and even strokes while stimulating her tender spot.

  When Madison’s body shook violently and she constricted around him, it was the signal he needed to let loose and join her. Spreading her legs wider, Stuart picked up the pace. A guttural wail erupted from his throat with his powerful release.

  Even after the moment had passed, they remained locked in coitus while basking in the afterglow.

  When Stuart finally climbed off her, all Madison wanted to do was fall asleep in his arms.

  Chapter 12

  “Hey, sis,” Stuart said the next day as he video-chatted with Holly.

  “Hey, yourself,” she said. “I was just thinking about you.”

  “Really? What were you thinking about?”

  “Last night, Dad and I were looking at family pictures and remembering the good old days when the family was still intact,” Holly said, smiling. “Guess I just got a little nostalgic and missed my big brother.”

  “I’m still here,” Stuart said. He was moved by the love she had always shown him. “You know you can call me any time the spirit moves you.”

  “I know,” she said. “And as much as I’d like to more often, I have to show some restraint and pay attention to my husband.”

  Stuart laughed. “I understand perfectly.” He grinned, thinking this was a perfect time to say what was on his mind. “Speaking of your husband, I’ve been seeing Madison—”

  Holly’s eyes popped wide open. “By seeing, do you mean dating?”

  “Yes, we’re dating,” he said. He watched her carefully to gauge her reaction.

  “How long has this been going on?”

  “Not long,” he replied.

  “Well, I can’t say it’s a total shock,” she said. “I felt you two would hit it off once you got to know each other.”

  “Guess you were right,” he said. “She’s a beautiful woman with lots of character.”

  “I agree and I’m happy for you both.”

  “You don’t consider any of this kind of weird?” Stuart wondered.

  “You mean weird in that I’m married to her ex-fiancé?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Not at all,” Holly told him. “People have relationships that don’t work out and then they move on. It’s a normal part of life. The fact that I happened to fall for Anderson and you for Madison is no big deal. That’s just the way it worked out.”

  “I suppose you’re right,” he said thoughtfully.

  Holly gazed at him. “So is it serious between you two?”

  Stuart thought about it. “We haven’t made any plans to walk down the aisle or anything, if that’s what you’re asking.”

  “It isn’t,” she said. “I was just wondering what you wanted to come out of this. Or am I asking too many questions?”

  He chuckled. “No, you’re not.” Indeed, he expected as much from her and probably needed it. “I like Madison a lot, but I haven’t looked too far down the road yet. I only know that she makes me happy and I want this to work out.”

  “So do I,” Holly said. “Heaven knows you deserve someone who can be true to you and love your daughters the way their mother never did.”

  Stuart sighed, looking down and then up again. “True.”

  Holly’s eyes narrowed. “You have introduced Madison to the girls, right?”

  “Uh, no, not yet,” he answered.

  “Why not?”

  Stuart shrugged. “I just want to spare them any unnecessary disappointment in case things don’t work out.”

  “They’re not as fragile as you might think,” Holly said. “Besides, you can’t look at it that way. Believe me, Madison isn’t the reincarnation of Fawn. Don’t be afraid to take a chance and let her get to know Carrie and Dottie.”

  “You’re right, she’s not Fawn,” he said, “and I shouldn’t allow fear to get the better of me.”

  “Good! You owe it to them and Madison to see what happens. My guess is that they will all get along splendidly and everything else will take care of itself.”

  Stuart laughed. “My sister, always thinking positively.”

  “And just who do you think I inherited that from, big brother?” she asked, grinning.

  “Not me,” he suggested.

  “Of course it was you! You’ve always done a great job looking at the big picture. And I’m sure you will with this, too, when all is said and done.”

  Stuart rested on that thought. He liked the idea of moving things up a notch in their relationship.

  * * *

  Madison was surprised when she got a call from Holly. Though they had made their peace, neither had gone out of their way to keep in touch. It was something Madison had been planning to rectify, especially now that she was involved with Stuart.

  Freshly showered and still in her bathrobe, Madison sat on the bed and answered her cell phone.

  “Hi, Holly,” she said guardedly.

  “Hey, Madison,” Holly said. “I wanted to see how you’re doing and say that I hope you’re enjoying springtime in Portland. Everything is so green then!”

  “Yes, I am enjoying it,” Madison said. And she could think of a very good reason for that.

  “So, I hear that you and Stuart are dating now,” Holly said.

  “Yes, we’ve started seeing each other.” Madison was not really surprised that Stuart had told her, knowing they were close. “I never expected it when I moved here. It just happened....”

  “Well, I wanted you to know that I think it’s a wonderful thing.”

  “You do?”

  “Sure,” Holly said. “Stuart seems crazy about you, and I suspect you feel the same about him.”

  “I do,” she admitted. “Your brother is a good man with a good head on his shoulders, and he adores his kids.”

  “I agree on all counts,” Holly said. “Speaking of kids, Stuart told me that you haven’t met Dottie and Carrie yet.”

  “Yeah, I’ve been wondering about that,” Madison said. “I know he’s just being overprotective and—”

  “And foolish,” Holly broke in. “I told him to get over it and do the right thing and let his girlfriend meet his girls.”

  “How did he react?” Madison asked, eager to know.

  “Let’s just say the wall he’s built around Carrie and Dottie is coming down.”

 
“That’s good to know,” Madison said.

  “He just needed a little nudge in the right direction,” Holly said.

  Madison smiled. “Thanks for speaking to him on my behalf.”

  “Hey, that’s what friends are for. You would have done the same thing were the situation reversed.”

  Madison thought about that and believed she would have. After a moment, she asked, “How are things with you and Anderson?”

  “They’re good,” Holly said. “We’re good.”

  “I’m glad.” Madison paused. “Listen, I meant what I said the last time we spoke. I’m happy for you guys and want only the best for you.”

  “I appreciate that,” Holly said. “I feel the same way about you and Stuart.”

  “Thanks. We’re still in the early stages of dating, but we do seem to be kindred spirits so...”

  “So enjoy what life throws at you and enjoy each moment.”

  “I intend to,” Madison said. They talked a few more minutes before hanging up. She had gained a whole new respect for Holly. But more importantly, she was excited that she might be getting an invitation from Stuart to meet his children.

  * * *

  Stuart was helping the girls with their homework when he brought up the subject of Madison.

  “I was thinking about inviting Madison over for dinner on Sunday,” he said. “What do you think?”

  “You should do it,” Carrie declared.

  “Yeah?” He looked across the table at her.

  “I’m sure,” she said.

  “You, too?” Stuart asked Dottie.

  She nodded. “You didn’t have to wait so long, Daddy. We’ve been dying to see her since your first date.”

  He smiled. “Is that so?”

  Dottie frowned. “We know Mommy isn’t coming back.”

  Stuart met her eyes. “No, she isn’t....” he said.

  “So you should have someone in your life,” Carrie said. “We want you to be happy.”

  “I’m happy with you two honey bunnies.”

  “We know you are,” Dottie said.

  “And if you fall in love with Madison and want to marry her, you should do it,” Carrie told him. “It’s okay if she becomes our new mom.”

  His brows rose. “Hey, we’re nowhere near that stage yet,” he said, though he could imagine their relationship progressing to that level. “Why don’t you meet her first and find out if you like her? Then we’ll see what the future holds. Even if she only ends up being a good friend, she can still be a part of your lives if you want.”

  Both girls seemed happy with that possibility. Stuart suspected that what they really wanted was a new mom, as the old one had become a distant memory. He wondered if Madison had any desire to be a mother.

  * * *

  “I’d like you to meet my girls,” Stuart told Madison as they lay naked and cuddled in her bed later that week.

  “Are you sure?” She looked up at him, not wanting him to do anything he had reservations about.

  “Yes, I’m sure,” he told her. “It seems like a logical step at this point. They certainly are excited about meeting you.”

  “I feel the same way about meeting them,” Madison said, as she draped her leg across his. “I was beginning to wonder if you felt I wasn’t good enough to hang out with your kids.”

  “It was never about that,” Stuart assured her. “I just wanted them to first get used to the idea that I was seeing someone. Then I wanted to feel that this was going somewhere before introducing you to them and having the girls become too attached to you.”

  Madison tried her best to understand his viewpoint. She supposed that his daughters were vulnerable to attachment at their age, especially after being without a mother in their lives for years now. She wanted to fit into the role of someone who would be there for them, even if this was her first experience with dating a man with children.

  She met Stuart’s eyes. “So you think this is going somewhere then?”

  “Yeah, I think so.”

  Her lashes fluttered. “And where is that exactly?”

  “I think it can go as far as we want to take it,” he said.

  “I believe that, too,” she said.

  “We’re certainly in sync and that means a lot after being with someone who proved to be totally out of sync with me.”

  Madison gave him a thoughtful look. “You’re singing to the band,” she said lightheartedly.

  “Guess I am.” He grinned. “Anyway, I was thinking you could come over for dinner Sunday. The girls insist on helping me cook to make it really special.”

  Madison smiled. “That sounds sweet. I’d love to come for dinner on Sunday.”

  “Then it’s a date.” Stuart slid his hand across her leg and between her thighs. “Right now, there are other things we can do to keep ourselves occupied.”

  She trembled slightly as he stimulated her. “You’re insatiable.”

  “I have you to blame for that,” he said, quickly becoming aroused.

  Madison loved the thought of turning him on at any time. “In that case, it looks like we’ll have to do something about it.”

  Stuart leaned toward her face and kissed Madison’s lips, tasting wine from earlier. “Yes, let’s do something about it....”

  She put her arms around his neck and began to kiss him passionately as he returned the kiss with equal fervor.

  They made love for the second time that evening, cementing in Madison’s mind the reality that they were indeed a couple made for each other in the bedroom. And the connection was also there in the way their personalities clicked. Even their professional lives had intersected successfully.

  Now she wanted to make inroads with Stuart’s family and be a good friend to his girls. Something told Madison it was doable, which gave her a whole new reason to believe she might have finally found Mr. Right, with his offspring as an added bonus.

  Chapter 13

  Madison was a tad nervous about meeting Stuart’s girls for the first time. Oddly enough, she had nearly met them once in Houston when she lived there, but then had had to go out of town on business. I’ll just be myself and trust that I can win them over, she thought.

  She was dressed casually in a blue top, white capri jeans and moc flats. Madison sucked in a breath and rang the doorbell.

  The door opened right away and a thin girl, tall for her age, stood there, smiling. “Hi, you must be Madison.”

  “I sure am.” She smiled back. “And you are...?”

  “Dottie.”

  “Nice to finally meet you, Dottie.”

  “You, too.”

  “May I come in?” Madison asked.

  “Yeah,” Dottie said, giggling.

  Inside, Madison was greeted by Stuart, who looked dashing in a gray shirt and black pants. He kissed her on the cheek. “I see you’ve met Dottie.”

  “Yes.” She grinned at the girl. “And where’s...?”

  “I’m right here,” said a girl as Madison watched her walk out of the kitchen. “I’m Carrie.”

  “Hi, Carrie.” Madison put her hand on the girl’s shoulder, noting she had flour on her top. “Looks like you’ve been busy cooking.”

  She looked a little embarrassed. “We’ve all been busy. Hope you like everything we made for you.”

  “I’m sure I will,” Madison said, relieved to have broken the ice.

  “Why don’t you girls wash up,” Stuart said, “while I give Madison the grand tour.”

  “See you soon,” Dottie said, and she and her sister ran toward the stairs.

  Stuart waited till they had disappeared from sight before putting his hands on Madison’s waist. “So what do you think of my little ones?”

  “I think t
hey’re beautiful,” she said candidly.

  “I’m sure they see you the same way,” he said. “I certainly do.”

  Madison blushed. “Thank you for inviting me over.”

  “Thanks for coming.” Stuart couldn’t resist giving her a kiss on the lips, even though he suspected his girls might be peeking at them. If so, he did not mind, as he had already made it clear to them that he had grown very fond of Madison and wanted her to be part of their lives, too. So far, it seemed to have gotten off to a good start. He took Madison’s hand. “Let me show you around.”

  Madison had already glimpsed the magnificent two-story Victorian and had been awed by its amazing exterior and impressive grounds. She was equally impressed with the interior architecture that appeared to have original woodwork along with some elegant remodeling.

  Each room seemed more impressive than the last with a combination of art deco, contemporary and period furnishings. She loved the girls’ bedrooms—both were colorful and apparently outfitted with their individual tastes in mind.

  When Madison took a look at Stuart’s bedroom, she could see that, though it was charming and well kept with a king-sized platform bed, it still lacked a woman’s touch. Maybe she could do something about that if he let her.

  “It’s fabulous,” she told him as they stood in the upstairs hallway.

  “Thanks,” Stuart said humbly.

  “Did you fix it up yourself?”

  “I wish. I had an expensive decorator take care of that.”

  She wondered if it had been before or after his wife had left them. Not that it mattered. As far as Madison was concerned, the past was staying in the past for both of them. “Well, I commend the decorator.”

  He smiled. “Would you like to freshen up before dinner?”

  Madison nodded. “I would.”

  She was shown to a huge bathroom adjacent to what appeared to be a guest room and told to make herself at home.

  Not too surprisingly, she was already starting to do just that.

  * * *

  “This is delicious,” Madison said as they sat at the formal dining room table beneath a crystal chandelier.