by Leddy Harper
Mady nodded and then held out her hand to shake Kyle’s. “Nice to meet you.” When she turned to me again, there was a moment of hesitation before she said, “I didn’t mean to interrupt. I didn’t know you were having anyone over. If you want, I can just leave the contract with you and—”
“Hell no. You’re not going anywhere. And you’re not interrupting anything. Kyle came over to help me move some stuff in the back yard, and Marissa came because she knew we would probably have a few beers.” I cupped my mouth, as if telling a secret, and whispered loud enough for everyone to hear, “She doesn’t trust us together when we’re drinking.”
“Damn straight.” Marissa giggled from the couch. “I could tell you stories that would make your toes curl.”
Mady smiled, though she still appeared a little sheepish. Uncomfortable, maybe.
Then Kyle clapped me on the back. “Well, man, I guess my job here’s done. Better get the missus home and into bed. You two enjoy your night together.” He winked, not at all trying to be discreet about it.
“Oh, no. Please don’t go, I didn’t mean to run you guys off.”
Marissa stood and touched Mady’s arm in a comforting gesture. “Oh, don’t worry about that. We were going to leave when the guys finished anyway, so you’re not running us off at all. Plus, Kyle’s right. I need to get my feet up and relax.”
Mady smiled and glanced down at Marissa’s stomach. “Well, take care. I hope I get to see you again soon. It was really nice chatting with you.”
As they said their goodbyes, I couldn’t help but wonder what they talked about before I came inside. Obviously, Mady knew about the baby, but other than that, I had no clue. And I doubted I’d get the truth even if I asked. I knew how girls were together—gossiping little things. Then again, I had no room to talk. It wasn’t like I hadn’t shared enough with Kyle when it was just the two of us.
I walked Kyle and Marissa out and then came back to find Mady sitting ramrod straight on the couch, her ass practically on the edge of the cushion. She had her hands clasped between her legs, as if preparing herself for an interrogation. To tell the truth, it scared the shit out of me.
“What’s going on?” I asked, slowly making my way toward her.
Once I took a seat on the coffee table, our knees almost touching, she met my stare and sighed. “How come you’ve never told me about them? You said he’s like a brother to you, yet I’ve never even heard you speak his name.”
I thought about it for a moment and shrugged. “I honestly don’t have an answer for you. But I can assure you that it wasn’t on purpose. I guess maybe because I’ve spent so long trying to keep things professional between us that it never occurred to me to bring him up.”
“Okay, but what about after that?”
Even though it was probably not the best time, I laughed. “Mady, we’ve been together for, like, a week. And half of that time, I’ve had to be your assistant, which means remaining professional. As soon as two o’clock rolls around, the last thing I want to do is talk about my friend and his wife.”
Her eyes lifted above my head while she contemplated my answer. Then she huffed and said, “Fine. You’re right. Just as long as you weren’t purposely trying to keep me out of your life or anything.”
“Is that seriously what you think?”
She shrugged and dropped her attention to her clasped hands. “What else was I supposed to think, Finn? I realized tonight that I literally don’t know anything about you. I don’t know crap about your family, yet you’ve met half of mine. The only thing I know about your childhood is that you were chubby and got into fights with other kids who’d make comments about your weight. I know you were married and that she left you, but that’s about it.”
Mady was right—I hadn’t told her much. But it had nothing to do with wanting to keep her out of my life. “As far as my family goes…there’s not much to tell you. I’m an only child, and once I graduated high school, I was pretty much on my own. My parents moved away, and I’ve barely spoken to them since.”
“Really? Why?”
I understood why that was a foreign concept to someone like Mady. After all, she came from a very large family, and from what I could tell, they were all fairly close. “Nothing happened, if that’s what you’re thinking.” I shrugged and added, “I just don’t think they were cut out to be parents. But it’s okay. It doesn’t keep me up at night.”
She hummed to herself, worrying her bottom lip.
“Listen…” I took her hands in mine and made her meet my gaze. “My life is rather simple, quiet, and boring. I haven’t told you much because there’s not a lot to say about it. But I have no problem telling you anything you want to know. Okay?”
She nodded, seemingly content with my answer.
“But right now, I need to take a shower. I’ll be out in two minutes.”
“Would you like some help?” she asked with a coy smile that lit up her eyes.
“As much as I would love that, I know it’ll only make a quick shower take all night. And I’d like to look over that contract—and maybe share some things about myself with you—before we go to bed.”
Excitement brightened her face. “I’m staying the night?”
“Considering it’s the weekend…yeah.” I kissed her once more and then raced out of the room, hollering over my shoulder that I’d only be a couple of minutes. I needed to hurry and get through the social part of the evening so we could move onto more important things.
I couldn’t have been in the shower for more than thirty seconds before the bathroom door creaked open. And a few seconds after that, Mady’s naked body slipped between the curtain and the wall, her eyes shining wickedly. There was no doubt in my mind that I’d find a trail of clothes from the living room to my bathroom where she’d stripped on her way to me.
“You don’t follow directions very well, do you?” I asked, my voice low and throaty, proving just how much she affected me. I kissed her on her nose.
She stood beneath the spray, letting it soak her dark hair, and smiled at me. “I got bored sitting on the couch all by myself.”
Husky laughter flowed through me as an intense, all-consuming happiness filled my entire body. She couldn’t have been on the couch, all by herself, for more than a minute. “What am I going to do with you?”
Mady grabbed the bath sponge off the hanging caddy and held it up, dangling it off her finger between us until I took it from her. “You could start by washing my back.” Then she turned around, facing away from me so that the water ran over her shoulders and cascaded down her back, over the curve of her perfect ass.
Steam filled the room, but not enough to keep me from seeing the perfection that stood before me. Mady Russo was exactly what I’d always dreamt of when it came to a woman. She was perfection in my eyes, and I felt unbelievably lucky to be here, naked in the shower, with her.
The last time I’d felt this way was in high school, when my crush—one of the most popular girls in school—sat next to me in English class. Gemma Berghaus. And now, Mady gave me the same rapid heartbeat and sweaty palms that Gemma had when she took the desk next to mine, flipped her blond hair over her shoulder, and asked if I’d do her homework for her.
I only hoped that Mady wouldn’t leave me feeling as stupid as Gemma had.
My mind flooded with the memory of that day in the lunchroom when Gemma told everyone how I’d asked her to prom. All the insecurities of my teenage years came rushing back, planting themselves in my stomach like a rock. Instantly, I began to doubt myself, wondering how this girl—this goddess—could ever see me as anything but the overweight nerd that I used to be.
The erection I’d sported when Mady first stepped into the shower began to soften as my head filled with the laughter and jokes that I had endured for weeks after the cafeteria revelation. Even though I knew that Mady wasn’t Gemma, nothing like her at all, it didn’t stop the fear from taking hold…the fear that, like Gemma, Mady didn’t actually w
ant me the way I wanted her.
Suddenly, as if sensing my emotional change, Mady turned to face me. After one look at my face, her expression grew more serious. Her brows knitted together, the small creases between them deepening as she studied me with narrowed eyes. A mixture of concern, embarrassment, and, dare I say, self-doubt filled them. “Did I do something wrong?”
Dammit. She thought my change in attitude was because of her. That was the last thing I wanted her to think. “No…” I gently touched her arms, needing some sort of physical contact with her, and managed a smile. “It’s not you at all. It’s just…” I released a rushed sigh before continuing. “You’re just so damn beautiful that I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop. I feel like I’m waiting for the bubble to burst, and… I don't know.”
She smiled and stepped closer to me, closing most of the gap between our bodies. With her hands on my chest, her eyes on mine, she said, “Well, if that’s how you feel, why don’t you just enjoy being in the bubble while it lasts?”
My heart skipped a beat, convinced that I’d never get over the feelings those eyes elicited. “How?” I shook my head, trying to stay focused while trapped in her gaze. “How can I enjoy it while waiting for it to be taken away?”
She grabbed the bottle of body wash off the shelf and squirted some onto the sponge she’d given me, as if that somehow answered my question.
All I could do was stand there, taking in her flawless, olive complexion, the smooth skin of her abdomen. Her wet hair draped over her shoulders, acting as a dark curtain shielding her breasts. My eyes roamed her body, down to the small strip of hair that led to the most amazing pussy I’d ever had the pleasure of tasting.
“Damn…” I managed after a second. “You’re so fucking hot.”
Mady giggled, and my heart skipped another beat. “So you keep saying. Yet here I am waiting for you to touch me, Finn…waiting for you to enjoy me as I intend to enjoy you. So whatever’s going through your mind, forget about it, because I kind of need you here, in this moment, with me.”
She took hold of my hand and held it to her chest.
“I need you here,” she whispered as she guided the sponge over the roundness of her right breast, and then across to the other one. “And here.” She lifted her leg and propped her foot on the rim of the tub while continuing to move my hand down her body. When she reached the apex of her thighs, she rasped into my ear, “And here.”
As soon as she leaned away to look into my eyes, I took over, moving down her inner thigh, then back up, and down the other. When I drifted across her sex, her lips parted with a gasp, making me wish I could spend the rest of my life washing her entire body for no other reason than to bring her endless pleasure.
In a voice so soft I almost couldn’t hear it over the flowing water, she held my stare and asked, “Where are you, Finn? Are you here?”
I nodded, completely in awe at this woman who, with only a few words, managed to rinse away a lifetime of insecurity—insecurity that had fucked me over countless times. Yes, I had talent in the bedroom, but after the clothes were back on, I always waited for the laughter, for the bubble to burst. So, in order to keep that from happening, to protect myself, I’d wind up sabotaging my relationships, seeking the safety of singledom as a shield.
“Good.” A small yet happy—and sexy—smile crossed her lips. “Now stop thinking and start doing. You’ve given me a taste; now I want it all. You’ve pleasured me, I’ve pleasured you, and now…” She grabbed a washcloth from the hook on the wall and poured the same body wash onto it. “Now we need to pleasure each other.”
My heart melted as she began to lather my chest, resting her other hand on my hip.
This was what I wanted—someone to care for me, to show me that I could be loved in spite of my flaws. To see me, as I was, and look at me like I was enough. Make me feel like I was enough. Someone who didn’t look at my body with disappointment, but rather, with complete adoration.
Lost in the euphoric state she’d put me in, I ran the soap over her shoulders and watched the suds dance down her chest, covering her breasts. When I reached the side of her neck, she stilled, closed her eyes, and dropped her head back, clearly enjoying what I was doing to her. And as I slid the sponge along her collarbone, leaving a bubbly trail across her throat, she rolled her neck, giving me access to the other side.
I could’ve done that for hours, just to prolong that look of contentment on her face, but other parts of her body called for my attention. However, before I could get to them, she removed her hand from my hip, dragging her palm up my side and over my shoulder, where she held me by the back of my head and brought my mouth to hers.
The kiss was desperate, fueled by passion and need. Pressing her warm, wet, bare chest against mine, she maneuvered me to stand between her parted legs, her foot still propped on the edge of the tub. I slid my rock-hard cock between her folds, but her heat was almost too much to bear.
I wanted nothing more than to push inside her. And the way she rolled her hips into me, rubbing herself against my shaft, told me that she wanted the same. But before I could, she broke the kiss and glanced down. Breathing heavily, she ran her hand down my chest as I pulled my cock from between her legs. I took my cue and started washing her body again, squeezing the sponge over her breasts as I circled each of her nipples in turn.
Mady practically mirrored my actions, neither of us looking at the other’s faces now. Instead, we reveled in the sight of the suds traveling over my hardness and her softness. With the washcloth covering her hand, she cupped my balls, then lathered the length of my cock, circling the head.
I knew what she was doing—she was trying to break my concentration, like I’d done to her. But with her body at my fingertips, there was no way I’d let that happen. I ran the soapy bath sponge up her inner thigh until I reached her mound, then I ran it through her folds. Mady drew in a little breath every time I touched her clit, and after a few passes, she seemed to have abandoned washing me in favor of pumping my dick.
With all pretenses of washing quickly fading, I repositioned my fingers over the sponge so that every time I moved my hand forward, one of my fingers slid into her. Our breathing became ragged and desperate, neither one of us able to hold off much longer. And as soon as she dropped the washcloth, I released the sponge, letting them fall to our feet.
Without wasting a single second, I ran my hand over her hip, followed the line around the curve of her ass, and shifted forward, pressing my hardness through her folds. When it caught, I bent my knees slightly, lowering myself just enough to get the right angle. Mady reached down with her free hand and took hold of me, guiding me into her as I thrust upward, pushing myself deep into her heat.
Our lips met in a desperate kiss as I buried myself inside her. All thoughts of anything fancy dissipated as my cock slammed into her over and over again. I grabbed ahold of the leg she had propped up and shifted our bodies until I had her pinned against the tiled wall, causing her to drop her face into my neck. Her teeth scraped against my skin while she held on to my shoulders, fingers bent, nails digging into me.
The thought of her leaving deep scratches along my back urged me on. I wanted her to mark me, to claim me as hers. I wanted to feel what I did to her every time I moved. Every time something brushed against my back, that small bite of pain reminding me of how I’d made her feel.
I needed to be closer, so I grabbed her by the ass and stood up straight, encouraging her to lift her other leg. I hadn’t been able to get all the way into her, but now, with her arms wrapped around my shoulders, her ankles locked behind me, I was able to fill her completely, pushing that last inch in until her moan filled my ear.
Her heavy breathing told me that she was close to climax, and I wasn’t far behind.
“Come for me, Finn,” she panted. “Please, come for me.”
That was enough to push me over the edge. I dug my fingers into the soft flesh of her ass cheeks and ground my thick, hard cock into h
er as my orgasm hit me like a tidal wave. I called out at the intensity and felt myself explode inside her.
My climax must’ve driven her over the edge, too, because she gripped me tighter. Pushing her calves into my ass to hold me inside her, her stomach clenched, and her breathing came in ragged gasps. I could feel her core clenching around me, almost pulling me farther into her as our orgasms rolled through us.
As I came down from the most intense high I’d ever experienced, Mady unhooked her ankles and lowered herself slowly onto her feet. I glanced down to watch my cock slowly slide out of her. The evidence of what we’d just done made its way down her thigh, meeting the hot water that ran in clear rivulets down her legs.
We breathed heavily, and the giddiness made us both let out short laughs.
“Well…that was intense.” She lifted herself onto her tiptoes and pressed her lips to mine. The desperation from earlier was now gone, replaced with a comfortable warmth as we gently caressed each other’s wet bodies. “You really are fucking good. But…”
“But what?”
She handed me the body wash and turned away from me. Peering over her shoulder with a lopsided grin, she said, “You still haven’t washed my back.”
Twenty minutes later, we were on the couch, relaxed and completely sated. Mady handed me the folder she’d received from Mickey at dinner and then sat quietly, watching me while I read.
Thank God she’d joined me in the shower. Without that, I would’ve been even angrier after reading the terms that Mickey had included in her contract.
“And this is what you agreed on?” I held up the papers, refraining from shaking them in her face. “The percentage of sales is much lower than you usually get, as well as the length of time the deal will run.”
Her brows knitted together, confusion lining her features. “His products are more expensive than what I normally promote. I don’t know what’s in there, because I haven’t read it yet, but we agreed on thirty days.”
