Chapter 28
Chapter Twenty-Eight
T he next morning, Madison’s body was heavy with exhaustion as she shifted beneath the sheets. Her head ached, and her eyes were sore and scratchy from crying herself to sleep.
Exhaling slowly, she stared up at the ceiling, the soft morning light filtering through the curtains.
She hated that she’d allowed herself to break last night. Having what she thought was solid ground yanked from beneath her had hit harder than she would have expected. But more than anything, at the moment she hated that Alex hadn’t come to bed last night.
Madison reminded herself she was still furious with him, that she had every right to be, but…
She rolled onto her side, pressing her face into his empty pillow. The scent of him—spicy, mixed with something clean and masculine, was still there. It was already familiar. Comforting.
She hated that, too.
Because despite her anger, she still wanted him.
“Ugh.” Madison groaned aloud. “You are so pathetic.”
It had only been a short time, but she had already grown used to his presence beside her. The way his body radiated heat, the way he reached for her in his sleep without even realizing it. The way, for a few brief hours, she didn’t feel soalone.
She squeezed her eyes shut, cursing herself for feeling anything at all.
You knew what this was. Don’t be stupid now.
Jax’s babbling over the baby monitor had her forcing herself upright. She pushed the covers off and swung her legs over the side of the bed.
Jax needed breakfast, and she needed to get through the day, focusing on what mattered and not her inconvenient infatuation with her new husband.
The smell of coffee and warm butter filled the kitchen as she stood flipping a pancake in the pan. Perched in his highchair, Jax babbled happily to himself, smearing mashed bananas across the tray and kicking his feet.
“Good job, baby,” Madison murmured, reaching over to swipe a bit of banana off his cheek. “Try to get some in your mouth, okay?”
Jax beamed at her, his blue eyes sparkling with mischief. “Nan nan nan na. More.” His tiny hands slapped happily against the tray.
Madison dropped a few halved blueberries into the banana mess. “Enough playing. Eat.”
Jax giggled, grabbing a piece of banana and holding it out toward her with a proud expression.
“Oh, for me?” she teased, taking the squished piece between her fingers and pretending to eat it before dropping it into a napkin.
Jax clapped his hands in delight and wiggled in the seat. The adorable action loosened the tightness in her chest.
She was pouring her third cup of coffee when a rustling noise made her stiffen. Alex’s energy filled the room before he even said a word. Madison kept her eyes on the coffeepot, inhaling slowly, and willing herself to stay indifferent.
Yeah, right.
He stepped farther inside, hesitating. “Morning.”
Alex’s voice was gravelly—like maybe he hadn’t slept much, either.
“Morning.” She kept her tone cool.
Madison couldn’t pretend everything was fine, even though at some point in the darkness, she’d accepted the situation they’d found themselves in. It had been na?ve of her to think Alex was going to wave a magic wand and suddenly Felix would cease to exist. But it didn’t mean she wasn’t still upset.
She sensed, rather than saw, the way he studied her.
A small giggle broke the tension.
Jax, completely unaware of the charged atmosphere, was holding out a piece of banana toward Alex, his tiny fingers sticky with mashed fruit.
Madison held her breath, waiting. Alex had been sweet with Jax so far, but she knew having a messy toddler in his life was all new. After a long moment, Alex crouched beside the highchair, tilting his head as if considering the offering.
Then, with a completely straight face, he took the banana and popped it into his mouth.
Madison’s eyebrows shot up.
Jax squealed, giggling so hard his entire body shook.
Alex chewed dramatically, then made a face, shaking his head. “That’s terrible.”
Jax howled with laughter, slapping his hands against the tray. Madison pressed her lips together, swallowing down the smile threatening to break free, as warmth flooded her chest.
The man is a menace.
“You want coffee? Pancake?”
Alex glanced up at her. “Just coffee.”
Madison slid the mug across the counter, and their fingers brushed as he took it, a flare of awareness shooting up her arm. She seriously needed to get a hold of her hormones. She was acting like a horny teenager.
Alex’s dark hair was messier than normal, as if he’d repeatedly run his fingers through it, but he was still the most attractive man she’d ever seen, and he’d just eaten a nasty piece of banana to make Jax smile.
Damn it!
Alex took a sip of coffee, watching her. “I called the lawyer this morning.”
Madison blinked. “You did?”
He nodded. “Told her that money is no object, and that it is extremely important to us that we get the outcome we expect. She got the message. I’ll also be putting out feelers,” he continued. “See what other pressure I can put on Felix and the Senator. Plenty of people owe me favors who have nothing to do with my family. They’ll be discreet.”
Her chest squeezed with guilt, and she exhaled slowly, staring down at her coffee. “I’m sorry. For what I said last night. I shouldn’t have lashed out at you like that.”
An unreadable expression crossed Alex’s face. “You had every right to be upset. I won’t let you down, Madison. You can trust me. I just have to be careful.”
Madison nodded, swallowing against the lump in her throat.
“Besides, if I’m dead, I won’t be of much use to you.” He smirked and took a sip of his coffee.
Her stomach lurched as the sudden reality of what he was saying sunk in. The thought that his brother might… that he could be gone…
“I don’t want you to defy your brother.” The words came out in a rush. Alex’s smirk faded slightly. “I understand how fragile this is. And I need you alive . Jax needs you.”
She lifted her gaze, meeting his fully for the first time that morning.
Alex’s shoulders relaxed. “Truce?”
“Truce.” She nodded, placing her empty mug on the counter.
To her surprise, Alex sank into the chair closest to Jax’s highchair.
Madison placed the cut-up pieces of Jax’s pancake on his tray and handed him a plastic fork. “He doesn’t really use one yet, but the books recommend introducing it.”
She wasn’t sure why she felt the need to explain, but when she turned back with her refilled mug, she was shocked to see Alex helping Jax hold the fork properly. Her chest ached as she watched him—this dangerous, scary, and far-too-handsome-for-anyone’s-good man, helping a toddler bring a fork to his mouth with a quiet “good job, little man.”
It might have been the sexiest thing she’d ever seen.
Madison twisted back to face the pan on the stove to hide her reaction. Shoveling two pancakes onto her own plate, she joined them at the island. When Jax’s tray was empty, Alex rose and washed his hands in the sink.
“I better get to work before I end up with banana all over myself.” He paused next to her before leaning down and kissing her forehead. “I’ll see you tonight.”
Madison was proud that she managed a “Have a good day.” When in reality her insides had turned to goo.
How did this man have her turned so inside out already? Last night she’d been ready to kill him, and this morning after watching him with Jax, she wanted to drag him upstairs and get started making more babies.
She groaned and looked over at Jax, who was watching her with wide, curious eyes.
“I’m out of control, buddy.”
Jax blew a raspberry, utterly unconcerned with the bits of banana landing on her blouse.
“Yeah, my sentiments exactly.”
Because no matter how much she tried to convince herself otherwise, the truth was undeniable. She was fallingfor her husband.