Guarding What’s Mine (Men of Maddox Security #3)

Chapter 23

Boone

I’m still reeling from her taste—hell, the way she felt wrapped around me—when we finally pull ourselves apart and decide we should eat something. It’s early, like maybe five in the morning. My heart’s thumping an irregular beat in my chest, and my skin still hums in all the places she touched me. It’s crazy how fast this escalated from carefully tiptoeing around each other to full-on fucking. But I’m not complaining.

We toss on some clothes and head into the kitchen. I hang back, still catching my breath. “I’ll cook something for us,” I offer, running a hand over my hair, which feels a little wild after her fingers were tangled in it. “You already did the heavy lifting with dinner last night.”

She sidles closer, and just the heat of her presence sends a pulse of awareness through my body. She must notice my hungry expression and giggles. “Let me cook for you.”

I blink at her. “But you cooked last night.”

She shrugs. “I enjoy cooking. It relaxes me.”

“I can’t argue with that.” I pull eggs out of the fridge, and she gets to work on making an omelet. “I’m starving.” I smile.

Aubree smirks, flipping the omelet expertly. “Yeah, we really worked up an appetite.”

Warmth blooms in my chest at the memory. “That was… unexpected.”

“Good unexpected, I hope,” she says, her voice quieting.

“Definitely,” I murmur, stepping closer to rest a hand on her lower back. She leans into the touch, her body language telling me she’s as affected as I am.

Our moment is cut short by the chime of my phone on the counter. I sigh, letting go of Aubree to check the screen. It’s a text from Dean, and judging by the urgency in his message—“Need to talk. Info on stepfather”—I know it’s not gonna be good. I unlock the phone and scan the details.

Aubree’s brow furrows. “What’s up?”

I glance over at her, torn between telling her outright and trying to soften the blow. But I promised to keep her in the loop, and she deserves that. “Dean says your stepfather, Charles, has had a few large transactions in his bank account recently. They’re suspicious because nobody knows where the money’s coming from, and one of the transactions happened the night before your pizza shop was attacked.”

Her spatula slows as she processes my words. “The night before the brick?” she echoes, eyes widening. “That can’t be a coincidence.”

“Dean doesn’t know for sure if it’s connected,” I add, watching the flicker of anxiety in her expression. “But he wants to dig deeper. See if Charles is funneling money for something shady.”

Aubree turns off the stove and slides the finished omelet onto a plate. I reach out, steadying the plate before it falls from her trembling hand. She busies herself by grabbing a second plate from the cupboard and dividing the omelet, but I can tell her mind’s a million miles away.

Finally, she sets the plates on the small table and gestures for me to sit. “Well,” she says, exhaling sharply, “I can’t say I’m surprised. I’ve always suspected Charles was after money.”

I lower myself into a chair across from her, tension gathering in my shoulders. “You did?”

She nods, looking down at her plate instead of at me. “Yeah. My mom’s… she’s well-off. My father left her a big inheritance when he died, plus she’s got a successful real estate business of her own. Charles came into the picture about a year ago, all smiles and charm. But I never fully trusted him. I don’t think he married her because he loves her.”

I watch her push the omelet around with her fork, appetite seemingly forgotten. “So, you think Charles might be in financial trouble, or something like that?”

“That’s exactly what I think,” she says, glancing up with a bitter twist of her lips. “He supposedly runs a real estate office, but my mom mentioned it was bleeding money. He’s a smooth talker, though, so she wrote it off as temporary problems. He’s always going on about how ‘the next big deal’ is right around the corner.”

I’m quiet for a moment, absorbing what she’s saying. If Charles has money problems, it’s not a huge leap to wonder if he’s capable of something worse—like hiring someone to scare Aubree out of town to get control of her mom’s assets. It’s a stretch, but I’ve seen worse motivations in my line of work.

Aubree sighs, finally forcing a bite of her omelet into her mouth. She chews slowly, her gaze distant. “I just hate thinking my mom could be so easily manipulated. She’s smart, but she always wants to see the best in people.”

“It’s not her fault,” I say gently, crossing an arm over my chest. “Some people are experts at deception. If Charles is one of them, I’m sure he’s very convincing.”

She nods in reluctant agreement, then sets her fork down, apparently giving up on eating. “You think he’s behind it, don’t you?” she asks softly, folding her hands together in her lap.

“I don’t know,” I admit. “Dean wouldn’t have mentioned those transactions if he didn’t think it was worth looking into. It could be a coincidence, or it could be that Charles is funneling money to someone who’s threatening you. We don’t have evidence yet.”

She exhales, leaning back in her chair. “You realize what that means, right? If my stepfather is behind this… It’s not just about me. It’s about my mom too.”

A pang of worry stabs through me at the thought of Aubree’s mother being at risk. If Charles is that desperate for cash, who knows what else he’s capable of? “I know,” I say firmly. “But let’s not jump to conclusions until we have proof. Dean’s good at digging up information. If there’s something to be found, he’ll find it.”

Her eyes flick to the phone. “Could we at least let my mom know I’m okay? Without mentioning any suspicions, I mean.”

The urge to protect her is as strong as ever, but I also need to protect her mother. I chew on my lip, weighing the risks. “I still think we should wait,” I say gently. “At least until Dean finishes looking into Charles. If we contact your mom and he’s monitoring her phone or her messages, it could give away our location. I can’t let that happen.”

Her face falls, and guilt claws at me. But she nods, accepting the logic. “I just hate that she’s in the dark. She’s probably worried sick.”

I reach across the table and cover her hand with mine. “I know. As soon as it’s safe, we’ll figure out a way to let her know you’re okay. But we can’t risk Charles intercepting that call.” My thumb strokes the back of her hand, trying to offer some reassurance. “Trust me. We’ll do this the right way.”

She squeezes my fingers in return, her eyes glistening. “Okay,” she whispers, sounding a little defeated. “Thank you, Boone. For…everything.”

I want to say more, but the words get tangled in my throat. Instead, I give her hand another reassuring squeeze and then clear my throat, turning my attention back to the food. “We should eat before it gets cold. You worked hard on that omelet.”

A flicker of a smile crosses her lips. “Yeah, I did.” She picks up her fork again, taking a small bite.

We lapse into a heavy silence as we eat. The omelet is actually really good—she wasn’t bragging when she said she’s a great cook. But neither of us seems to have much appetite now. Every forkful is forced, the tension pressing in on us like a weight.

Eventually, I push my plate away, half-finished. “I guess we just wait to hear more from Dean,” I say quietly. “In the meantime, we stick to the plan: stay here, stay hidden, stay safe.”

She nods, her eyes dropping to the table. “Yeah. Stay safe,” she echoes, like she’s trying to convince herself it’s possible.

I stand up and start gathering the dishes. A feeling of helplessness swamps me. I hate that we’re stuck in this limbo, depending on other people to uncover the truth. But if Charles is behind this, we need real proof to confront him—or to protect Aubree’s mom from a dangerously desperate man.

As I rinse the plates in the small sink, I hear Aubree move behind me. She slides her arms around my waist, pressing her cheek to my back. The quiet gesture surprises me, but I relax into it, letting the moment soothe some of the tension.

“Thank you,” she repeats, voice muffled against my shirt.

I turn in her arms, resting my hands on her hips. “I promised to keep you safe,” I remind her. “That doesn’t stop at just physical threats. If Charles is involved, I’ll make sure he doesn’t hurt you or your mom. One way or another.”

She looks up at me, eyes brimming with gratitude—and a lingering sadness. “I believe you,” she says.

I nod, wishing I could do more than offer hollow promises. We stand there, locked in a wordless embrace, the faint sound of wind rattling the windows. No matter how chaotic things get, I’m determined to protect her. Even if that means tearing down her stepfather’s schemes to do it.

Eventually, we pull apart, and I give her a small smile, trying to ease the knot in my chest. With every new piece of information, the puzzle gets darker. But one thing’s certain: we won’t get blindsided by Charles or anyone else. Not on my watch.

I glance at her one last time before flipping off the kitchen light. She meets my gaze, and I pull her closer. “I don’t want you to think about any of this right now, okay?”

She nods, her beautiful, big eyes meeting mine. “Okay.” She smiles softly, and I have to fucking kiss her or I’ll die right here.

I lean in, capturing her lips with mine. “I’m going to take your mind off everything.” Together we move into the bedroom and I lean in to press my body against hers. She smells incredible. Good enough to eat… again.

She smiles up at me, gazing at me from under her long lashes. “I’m ready for my dessert,” she whispers in the sultriest voice I’ve ever heard.

My cock goes from semi to full on hard as steel. “I was kidding when I said that. I’d never…” my words die on my lips once she sinks to her knees.

Fuck me.

“Bree, baby. You don’t need…”

She shushes me as she lowers my gray sweatpants. My cock’s already hard as a rock, and she licks her lips. “I’ll never get used to the size of you.” She blinks up at me, and she looks so good down there, about to suck my dick into her mouth.

The way she says she’ll never get used to the size of me has me picturing a life with her. The sentence was probably just something spoken in the moment, but the implications are life-altering. I want her to get used to me. I want to be around long enough.

She darts out her pink tongue, swiping it across the tip of my dick. I groan as soon as her tongue comes into contact with me. It feels so good.

“You keep looking at me like that and this’ll be over a lot quicker than I intend for it to be.”

She smiles wide, and I immediately fall head over heels for this woman. She’s gorgeous. “Noted,” she says, her breath fanning across the heated skin of my balls. She licks her lips once more, blinking up at me.

She opens her mouth and sucks my length in between her lips. Fuck . And then she starts sucking like a porn star, cradling my balls with one hand. With her other hand she wraps it around the base of my cock.

I sink my fingers into her long tresses as she continues to suck me into her mouth, deep down her throat. I fuck her mouth, my groans echoing throughout the room. “You’re so sexy. So fucking sexy sucking on my thick cock.”

My dirty words egg her on, and she works faster… harder …as she bobs her head up and down, working my dick perfectly. Stars explode behind my eyelids, a white-hot heat I can’t ignore.

She massages my balls in one hand, and I’m so close to coming it’s insane. I don’t want to come down her throat. Not tonight. Not right now.

No, I need to be all the way inside her when I unleash. I pull out of her mouth, and turn her around so I can slam into her from behind. I smack her ass as I push deep inside her.

“Take my cock, you dirty girl,” I say, fisting my hand in her hair, tugging her back so I can kiss her swollen lips. “You handle me so well,” I say as I break the kiss.

Then I kiss her again, our tongues desperately tangling together, our breaths mingling as well. My other hand grips her hip, my fingers digging into her flesh.

“Oh, Boone,” she calls out, and I keep pounding into her.

Her pussy grips my cock so perfectly.

“You were made for me.” I keep fucking her, my mind focused on getting her off before me. However, I’m so fucking close. I slide my hand off her hip, moving up her body to fondle her tits.

I pinch one nipple and then the other as she moans. She’s on all fours, pushing her backside up against me as I bottom out inside her. “Fuck, baby. You feel so fucking good.” I could get used to a woman like this in my bed every night. I kiss her again, letting my feelings for her pour into the kiss.

Once I’m done with her nipples, I sink my hand lower, toying with her clit so I can get her off. I’m so fucking close.

“I’m coming,” she yells, and it’s like music to my ears.

My orgasm chases after hers, and once we’re done we fall apart. Out of breath, and completely spent we lay together, trying to calm our bodies in unison.

“That was… amazing.” I roll closer to her, wanting to hold her in my arms.

She rises from the bed before I can grab her. “I need to clean up.”

I take that as an invitation and follow her into the bathroom, turning the shower on. “Care to join me?”

She nods, a sultry smile gracing her face. “Sure.” She giggles lightly, the soft sound filling the emptiness of the bathroom.

Once the water is hot enough, she climbs into the shower. I climb in after her, and shut the glass door. First thing I do is wash her hair. It feels so good to sink my fingers into her thick, auburn hair.

“This feels so good,” she moans.

After the shampoo, I use conditioner on her hair, letting it sit a while as I soap up her body. This is the best part. She does the same thing to me, lathering me up as she raises up on tiptoe to kiss me.

The kiss lingers, both of us taking our time with each other. After we wash ourselves clean, I pin her against the tiled wall, letting my cock sink into her welcoming heat. Fuck this woman feels so fucking good wrapped around me.

Her fingernails sink into my skin as the hot water rushes over us. I push deep inside her, needing to claim her tight body once more. I don’t think I’ll ever get enough of her.

She clings to me as I sink my teeth into the soft skin of her shoulder. My hands dig into her ass as I keep her body in place. “Oh, Boone,” she cries out.

The hot water rains over us as our orgasms crash down around us at the same time. As soon as our bodies have calmed, I lower her back to the shower floor, and we wash up again.

I lather the soap over her body once more, getting turned on all over again. “If I keep washing you I’ll never get out of this shower.”

She laughs lightly, tugging her hands into my hair. “I don’t mind.”

I lean down, kissing her completely. There’s something about this woman that has me thinking of things like forever.