“Didn’t have time. Keep your hands on me, Reece.” I relish in the tinge of desperation laced through her voice. My grip tightens around each breast before releasing to slide over her ribcage and down to her waist to hook into the tops of her jeans. I lower my mouth to latch onto her nipple, and her grip tightens in my hair. My tongue rolls over the hardened nub while I pop the buttons on her jeans.
My cock strains painfully, and as much as I want to prolong this foreplay, I can’t wait to be buried deep inside her. Her jeans ease down as my hands travel down her legs causing her nipple to pull out of my mouth. I spread kisses over her stomach and stop in front of her hips. She raises her leg to step out of her jeans, and I catch her leg over my shoulder.
“I don’t think I need any assistance in that department, Reece,” Madelyn smiles. I lean forward and press my mouth to her opening. My lips slip with her slickness. She leans forward, and my head knocks softly against the wall while she grinds gently on my face. My tongue probes deeper, and I can’t help but smile when I feel her leg shake. “Told you I was ready.” She tugs gently on my hair to get me to my feet. I steal kisses where I can on her body before she pushes me back towards the bed as she pants out, “Need … you … in … me … now.”
She doesn’t have to tell me twice, I felt like I had to tell her. I stand against the wall as I watch her shimmy out of her jeans. Her arm snakes around my stomach, and she pulls me towards the bed. No words are exchanged, we are simply staring at each other, what started out as hot and heavy has now slowed with so many unsaid thoughts. Everything feels different now. A better different. Her lips are puffy and tinged red from our kisses, so I bury my face into the nook of her neck while gently crawling over her, laying her down.
I hiss as she takes hold of my cock. “Madelyn,” my voice cracking at stopping her at this point. Can’t believe I’m stopping myself, I want this to be heard now rather than after. “This isn’t just a thing for me. I want you for as long as you’ll have me. I’ve never felt this way before and even that first time we had sex, it meant more to me than just sex.”
I lean into her palm as she strokes the side of my face. “You rebuilt my fractured heart, Reece. It was once a jaded and suspicious heart, and now it beats for you. When you were hiding out, you showed me that being there wasn’t for a gain. You had more to lose than me.”
“And today, I would have turned my back on it all to have you here. Remember that. You come first.”
In what I was hoping to be a tender, loving, putting my heart on the line kinda moment, has reduced Madelyn to fits of laughter. “You’re damn right I come first.”
“I didn’t mean it like that, pervert, but I’ll do my best.” She continues to laugh until I clamp my mouth around her nipple and elicit an appreciative groan. I roll over and bring her with me, and her legs automatically splay around my hips. The laughter has stopped, and Madelyn stares into my eyes as she lowers herself onto my length. We both groan as she buries me deep inside. Right where I want to be. She leans forward and brings her mouth over mine. Her kiss is soft yet deep and passionate. Madelyn slowly lifts and lowers herself, and each thrust is perfection. My cock tingles as she works me over. My hips rise as she lowers and the sound of skin connecting with skin is drowned out by our moans. It feels like I’m seeing Madelyn on a different level. Being with someone that tells you that out of all the people in the world, she’s chosen you to love, that does something to a man.
One arm loops around her waist while I take hold of her thigh and roll out from under her. I pull out 'til I’m almost out before driving sharply back into her. Within a few thrusts, she’s begging me to keep going. I keep the momentum while she arches off the bed and digs her nails into my back. The smarting spurs me on 'til she’s calling my name and I can’t hold back my release anymore.
I lie on top of her trying to catch my breath as I pull out of her. I loop my arm under Madelyn’s and pull her to her side while I roll onto my back. Her cheek rests against my chest, and my hand runs up and down her arm.
“This. This is where you need to be. Here in my arms. Not hiding from me. I can stand in front of the world when you are next to me. The only people’s opinions that matter about us is you and me. I’m sorry what you overheard. She turned up and wouldn’t take no for an answer. I can only imagine what I would have been like to hear that and think it was directed at you.”
“It hurt like hell, I’ll be honest,” she says. “It couldn’t have been timed worse.”
I nod my head and pull her closer. “Feels nice to say it. I love you. I love you.”
“Feels nice to hear it, even if it was broadcast.”
“Sorry about that—”
“You have nothing to be sorry about. He wanted an exclusive, that’s what he got. As for my sister, she’s pretty tenacious when she wants to be. Let’s not talk about her. She’s rotten to the core and the thought that she tried to put her hands on you again,” Madelyn groans. “Gets me all mad and she’s not worth my anger.”
“Speaking of anger and siblings. I know we just made love, but I’m going to have harsh words with Trent.”
Madelyn bursts out laughing at my empty threat. “He’s a fan.”
“That’s what I told him,” I laugh. “I’m not upset. He’s right. He did a good thing to get that money, I want you to keep it. Put it towards your education fees. I have Hannah working as my manager, and she will look after the press for us.” I feel her stiffen against me. “What is it?”
Madelyn moves and props herself up on her elbow, her heat is instantly missed. “I was thinking about holding my own conference.”
I shift to roll on my side to mirror her stance. “Did you see how well that worked for me?”
“You haven’t heard my idea yet, Reece.”
I lean over and kiss her. “I’m sure whatever you have running around your head will be perfect.”
“We’ll deal with that plan tomorrow. For now, you are mine, and I want to show you how much I love you.”
I thought the stage was where my heart wanted to be, but I know in my soul that I don’t ever want this to end.
Chapter Forty-Eight
MADELYN
Waking in a tangle of arms and legs, I can’t help but smile. If someone had told me a month ago that I’d be dating one of the most famous men on the planet and that my jaded heart had been healed somewhat, I would have laughed in their face. We knew we’d have to come out of hiding eventually, and Hannah loved the interview idea when I pitched it to her. Me interviewing Reece. Reece interviewing me. Just us. We get to dictate how and what gets asked. I run my fingers through my hair one more time as I put the phone on the tripod. She and Deni wanted to help by way of getting me an outfit to wear, and they came armed with hot rollers, heels, and makeup. Thankfully, the makeup was in neutral colours, so I didn’t look like a clown. I make do with the what I have. I have two phones and a willing participant. I can make this work. The hotel room was perfect for the interview. Clean white backgrounds. I set up one phone facing me and the other to face Reece. I shot some filler shots of Reece before he said he’d had enough and demanded that I pay him my full attention.
I look through the footage I’ve taped this morning. It varies from close-ups to distance shots of him looking out the window. Deni was awesome in arranging for one of Reece’s guitars to be brought to the room so there was plenty of footage from him playing one of his songs. Hearing him sing acoustic had me asking why he hadn’t done an acoustic record. I could see the cogs turning as he called me a ‘genius’.
Reece’s phone starts to ring, and he looks to me for an indication of if he can take it or did we need to start the interview.
“Take that while I get this setup,” I tell Reece. I guilted Tristan into finding me the tripods to use, but as soon as I mentioned it was for Reece, he was more than obliging. Getting him to leave the room put us behind schedule. He demanded to know personally if Reece’s breakfast was satisfactory. Reece excused h
imself to take the call while Tristan made an obvious point of looking at my empty plate. “Healthy appetite there. Won’t be able to eat like that for much longer. Your metabolism won’t last forever.” I can’t help but laugh at his catty remarks. “So this is what you look like when you brush your hair.”
I laugh even harder and say, “Who says it’s not a wand?” Tristan tries to compose himself when he lets out a bark of laughter. “Weren’t you working late last night?” I ask.
“Yes, but one girl couldn’t make it in, so I offered to take on the shift.”
“Mmm hmm. And how many times have you done that before?”
“Never.” The words were out of his mouth before he could stop himself. I break out into a smile and point to the door.
“Ahh, checking in on your favourite guest eh?”
“I hate you,” he smirks as he clears the table and places the plates on the trolley. “I’ve been Hulk green with envy but not for your position. You have both hoards of women and men lining up just waiting for you to step aside. Be good to him.”
“Well, they will be waiting a long time. I’ve been waiting a long time for someone like Reece to show me what being in a relationship was really like. Someone that doesn’t judge. Someone that supports. Someone that you trust. Everyone knows my background and if they didn’t, they got a refresher, but as it was all happening, he told me he still wanted to be with me regardless. So everyone else’s opinion is irrelevant.”
Tristan narrowed his gaze as I spoke and when I finished, put his hands on the trolley. “I hate you even more.” This time, his words are playful and not spiteful at all. I move over to get the door for him. Tristan looks at Reece, who’s leaning up against the wall and deeply engrossed in his conversation. The lighting hitting his overnight scruff on his chiselled jaw with his messy mop of blond hair set against his tight black T-shirt had us both sighing in unison.
“All he needs is a camera. Looks like he’s posing for a fucking magazine spread,” Tristan said.
I poke him in the ribs. “Here.” I hand him my phone.
Without hesitation, Tristan snatches it out of my hand, and I watch over his shoulder as photo after photo display on my phone. He’s right. He looks like he’s posing for a magazine. Goddamn, he’s sexy.
Reece looks up as Tristan’s moans gave away what he was doing. “Oh my God, yes, do the smirk. The smirk! Got it. That is just perfection. Can you do one looking up? Oh yeah, go with the puzzled look.”
Turning his back to us and leaning against the wall, he crossed one leg over the other while the tied up his phone call.
“Oh and the second best view. Look at that arse! Tell me. Does he go commando?”
With that, Reece says a curt goodbye before turning to face us both. “What are you doing? Or should I not ask?”
“You just looked …” I said breathlessly. Still knocks me that I am dating Reece Ashton. I join the ranks of others that love him, but I love him for who he really is, and there’s only a handful of people in the world that know that Reece Ashton
“Dreamy.” Tristan finishes for me. “The stance, the lighting, but mostly the subject.”
“Do you mind taking a picture of Madelyn and me?” Reece walks over and takes hold of my hand. I don’t need to see his face to know that Tristan’s jealousy has come to a head. “Come here, my love.”
Wearing heels, that changes the dynamics of reaching possibilities. I come up to his shoulders, and my chest settles comfortably against his. His hands snake behind me. One in the small of my back and the other moves up to my neck.
“Make sure you get lots okay?” Reece asks but doesn’t break eye contact with me. He doesn’t wait for his reply before he kisses me. Deeply and passionately but then eases into a slow but still deep kiss.
Everything around me fades, and it’s just Reece and I. His mouth is possessing mine as he presses his body so that mine is flat against the wall. My arms come up over his shoulders, and one ends in his hair. I love his hair. I love the feel of his prickles on my skin. I gasp as he lowers his arm to hitch my leg up on his hip. I’m about to protest when his hand slides under the hem, but he stops, hopefully making sure that he doesn’t flash anything that Tristan clearly doesn’t want to see.
“Holy shit. I take it back. I thought she was all wrong for you but fuck. You two are a sexy couple. God damn, girl. Normally the female form is not to my taste but hell, you just became my girl crush.”
Reece bursts out laughing as he wipes the edge of my mouth. “I should have shaved. I didn’t mean to mark you. You’ll have to wait for the redness to disappear.”
“Please. Please let me have some of those pictures. They will be just for me and maybe your seventy million followers on Instagram, Reece.”
I step forward to take my phone from him as he clutches it to his chest. “How about I get a photo of you two?”
“Pressed up against the wall like that? Okay!” Tristan pushes the trolley further out of the way as he makes his way to Reece. Reece holds up his hands and gives it clear to Tristan.
“When I said I loved her, that included no touching and certainly no kissing of any other body.”
Tristan’s head whips towards me and he gives me his best death glare. “How about a kiss on the cheek then?” I ask.
“Who kisses who?” Reece asks.
“Sort it out amongst yourself.” I shrug.
I go about lining up the camera when Tristan announces he would like to kiss Reece’s cheek and then have a shot of Reece kissing his cheek.
“There. What’s your phone number and I’ll send them to you.”
Tristan doesn’t let me leave his side until he confirms the photos are on his phone. “You don’t have to worry about these photos. They are for me and my private collection. They already know I met you with those others from last night.”
It takes another ten minutes for Reece to get rid of him so I head to the bathroom and retouch my make-up. Reece is busy looking through the photos when he joins me. I stop with the lipstick when I see his hand drop to adjust himself. “That good huh?”
“Fuck. It’s like I’m looking at one of those magazines. This is killer foreplay, babe.”
“Give me that,” I try to take the phone, and he moves so I miss by a mile. “You know I’m not one to say no to you, but we have to get this done. Then we can look at the photos together.”
“Have you seen those photos though?”
“I don’t need those, I have you.” He hands me the phone and adjusts himself once more. I go back to viewing the footage and checking the setup before I put the phone back on the tripod. My hands move around the clasp as a hot mouth clamps down between my neck and shoulders. Reece’s hands tighten around my forearms before sliding to take hold of my wrists.
“Are you ready for this?”
I bark out a ‘ha!’ while I turn in his arms. “Are you ready? You thought my father was bad. I might not swing my fists, I’m not going to shy away from hard-hitting questions.”
“You can ask me any question you like.”
“How do you think this will work between us?”
Reece tightens his arms around me and lowers his gaze. “Wow, you do hit hard.”
I playful grab him around the waist and tickle him. “I’m serious. Not to be a downer but I want to know your thoughts.”
“There’s no downer about it. I know and have the answer for you. I just got off the phone from a realtor in Dareton. You know there are quite a few houses for sale in Portmouthe that aren’t advertised.”
“Yeah because Ol’ Man Clementine owns most of them and he’s an old fusspot that doesn’t like taking the day trippers through the houses when he knows they have no intention of buy …” I stop myself as I connect the dots.
“Well, I was thinking, Portmouthe has been wonderful to me. I like its pace. The people are friendly enough, even have a fan in the publican. So, I was thinking of buying a place there, and while you finish your studies, I can
do what I think I’d be really good at.”
Taking hold of his hand, I pull him down to take a seat next to me on the bed. “Tell me.”
“Culinary school. I have a real passion for it. I’m still interested in music, never going to get tired of that, but I would like to learn from the best about cooking.”
While staring at him, I’m overwhelmed that he’s making plans not only for himself but that he factors in what I need to do for my career.
“I know I’m still learning the basics, but I think I’d be pretty good at it. I want to be good at it. And I want you to keep going with your studies. The music, I can make work around whatever schedule we have got. If you have to travel, I can travel with you. Be your personal chef.”
I laugh and say, “I’ll hold you to that.” Lifting his hand to press my lips to his calloused fingertips. “You really are something else. And to think, you were lumped in with all the other shallow celebrities.”
“Yes, Ms Judgment.”
“You were pretty hindered in your abilities when we first met weren’t you? Do we need to ever mention the bathroom again?” An involuntary shudder runs down my spine.
“No, we never need to speak of it again,” he laughs as his fingers curl around my neck and tugs me closer so our foreheads touch. “I honestly don’t know how my life would be if I didn’t meet you. Truly. I can only imagine the mess I’d be in if I didn’t have your support. You were so selfless and turned out to be the only friend I had in the world. You were there for me in a very lonely time of my life, and I want to be there for you in what you want to pursue.”
“Likewise. I want to be there for you. I want you to keep adding and ticking things off your list.” I lean forward to give him a kiss. “I’ve seen you at your lowest, Reece, I want to be there when you reach your highest.”
I don’t even get a chance to say anymore as Reece’s mouth seals over mine. “I really should send David a bunch of flowers. From his arseholery, he put me in front of you. I want to see you at your highest too.” He lands another quick peck on my lips. “I’m ready when you are.”
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