Chapter 14
fourteen
. . .
Maddox
Her lips were soft, and I instantly regretted that we were outside, because there were far too many articles of clothing between us.
One and done.
It wouldn’t happen again.
But damn, if it wasn’t the best fucking kiss of my life.
I’d torn her hat off, needing to run my hands through her silky hair.
She was grinding up against me, and my dick was so hard I thought it might burst through the zipper.
A little moan escaped her lips, and I continued to explore her mouth with my tongue, wanting more.
Needing more.
Had I ever wanted a woman the way that I wanted her?
This was dangerous. Reckless. She worked for me.
Thoughts of my father flooded my head, and I quickly reacted. The man was a walking cliché. I’d lost count of the assistants he had crossed the line with over the years.
I placed a hand on each cheek and pulled her back.
Her eyes were wild, and her lips swollen from where I’d kissed her.
I nipped at her bottom lip one last time.
“That’s it. One time. We got it out of our systems.”
Her gaze searched mine. And I saw it all there.
The hurt. The confusion.
And then she quickly rebounded, her face hard. “Yep. It wasn’t even all that great anyway.”
She slid off my lap, and I reached for her hat.
I didn’t correct her because we both knew she was lying.
Hell, I got it. I was doing the same thing.
This shit was not going to happen. I wasn’t that guy.
I pushed to my feet and turned off the fire.
She helped me gather up the desserts, and I glanced over my shoulder to see her looking up at the sky one last time.
And my fucking chest squeezed.
That was the kind of shit I avoided. This had been a massive fuck-up. Sharing so much. Crossing the line.
The pull was too strong, too much.
And it seriously scared the shit out of me.
We made our way inside, and she set down the few containers she’d brought in and reached for her purse and keys. “Thanks for dinner.”
“Yep. Big day tomorrow. Don’t be late.”
She studied me for a minute before nodding. “Never. See you in the morning.”
I walked her to the door and waited until she was in her car before stepping back inside. I thought about all that we’d shared tonight.
I liked hearing about her family, and I’d be lying if I didn’t admit that it felt good to talk about my mother with someone that I wasn’t worried was going to sell me out.
The press loved getting any ounce of gossip about my family.
We’d shielded my mother from the press those last few months, and though people knew that she’d lost her battle to ALS, they didn’t know what she’d gone through.
I guess I’d find out real quick how trustworthy Georgia Reynolds was. Because nothing that I’d told her was public knowledge.
The stargazing was something only Wyle and I knew about.
I picked up my phone. It had been too long. I hated the distance I felt with my brother. It made me resent my father even more. His destructive behavior had cost us all so much.
Hey. How are you doing?
I waited. He normally didn’t respond right away, but the three little dots were moving on the screen, so I figured he was typing something.
Wyle
I’m actually doing well, brother. Looking forward to seeing you on Christmas.
We always spent Christmas at my grandparents’ house.
But it had never been the same since my mother’s passing.
Something about finding your mom without a pulse on Christmas Eve had a way of changing the holiday vibe.
But our grandparents always did their best to make it a celebration.
They were close to our mother, too, and we all grieved hard this time of year.
Aside from my father, who acted as if it were just another day to open presents and eat a fancy meal. The man was heartless.
Me, too. Why don’t you come stay with me in Cottonwood Cove for a few days after? I think you’d like it here.
Wyle
Are there any good-looking women there?
I thought of Georgia, and I growled, even though I was sitting here alone. My brother was a bit of a womanizer, and he’d be all over her. I’d just have to make sure that didn’t happen.
Yes. There are plenty of beautiful women here.
Wyle
Dad has been calling me, but I haven’t picked up. Have you seen him lately?
I was back in the city a few weeks ago, and we had lunch. Same shit. Different day. Yes, I’ve missed a few calls, too, but we’ll see the bastard soon enough.
Wyle
Miss you, brother. I’ll see you soon.
That was the most I’d gotten out of Wyle in a while. He was off traveling this past year, and I was hoping he’d eventually move back to the city or maybe even come work with me here or with my father at the real estate company.
I made my way to the bathroom and turned on the shower. My phone dinged, and I looked down to see a text from Georgia.
Tink
Thanks for trusting me enough to share your mom’s story. I’m happy we’re friends, Bossman.
I thought about bringing up the kiss. Asking if she thought it was as good as I did. But I wasn’t going to play with fire. I’d been burned too many times in my life.
Me, too. Goodnight, Tink.
The next few days were busy as we had things in motion with Mara Skye.
I’d just finished a Zoom call with Paramount and Arthur Hobbs, and things were moving forward there.
Not only were my editors reading submissions, but my personal assistant, who now called herself my “bestie” and also happened to be the woman who starred in every fucking fantasy I had now, was also reading submissions for me.
I went downstairs for the holiday party that Georgia had organized for the office.
It was the day before Christmas Eve, and we’d be closed until the day after New Year’s.
Normally, we just brought in lunch, but, of course, my assistant had decorated the whole place and had turned this into quite the celebration.
Personally, I fucking hated Christmas. It reminded me of sadness and darkness and death.
I highly doubt Hallmark would be putting that sentiment on their cards, but it was how I felt.
Somehow, though, when I came down the stairs and saw Georgia in a green fitted dress with red-and-white-striped tights and a green hat on her head, my hatred for the holidays dissipated a bit.
“What the hell is this?” I asked when I stopped in front of her, and my eyes scanned her gorgeous body. She’d been wearing a different outfit earlier.
“I’m the host, so I just changed into my elf costume.”
If she was an elf, I was going to embrace fucking Christmas by the balls, because she looked like the sexiest bundle of holiday joy I’d ever seen.
“Since when do elves look this good?” I asked, leaning close to her ear before I could stop myself. I’d been really trying to keep my distance since the world’s hottest kiss, but just one look at her in this tight little green number, and I couldn’t see straight.
“Are you actually in a good mood?” she purred. “How about you try to take me out of the ping-pong championship? There’s no one else left to challenge me.”
“You sure you want to risk it? You’re on top right now.”
“I’d be okay with you being on top,” she said as she waggled her brows. How the fuck did this just turn into a sexual conversation?
The pull was just so damn strong with her. I was exhausted from fighting it most days.
“Are you going to challenge her, boss?” Freddy asked as he held a glass of wine in his hand and walked over.
“Sure. I’m up for the challenge.”
Georgia did some sort of little jump and hop and twirl, and everyone laughed as she made her way to her side of the table. I rubbed my hands together before picking up the paddle and tapping it against the table.
“Don’t hold back on me, Bossman,” she said, as everyone stood around the table eating the food from Reynolds’ that she’d ordered and sipping their cocktails. Holiday music played through the speakers, and I glanced over at her.
“No mercy, Tink.” Yes, I called her by her nickname in front of the staff. It was obvious that my relationship with Georgia was a bit different, but she was my personal assistant, so we worked closely together. They didn’t seem fazed by it, nor did I give a fuck if they were.
Her head fell back in laughter just as she bounced the ball on the table and hit it over the net. Back and forth we went.
She’d surprised me with how skilled she was.
But I’d grown up playing every sport under the sun, and I was pretty damn skilled at anything with a ball and a racket.
Everyone watching kept gasping as we just went back and forth for what felt like far too long for a goddamn ping-pong match.
So, I turned up the heat and scored a few points, and she did the same.
It was a tie game, and everyone was far too invested, but I imagined it had a lot more to do with the fact that they were almost on vacation, so they were in a good mood and looking to have a little fun.
Game point.
I’d figured her game out fairly quickly. She was weak on the left side of the table. Every time I wanted to score a point, I just hit it to that side of the table, and she missed it.
Her smile was wide, and her eyes danced with mischief. “Game point, Bossman. One of us is a winner, and one of us is a loser after this one. Are you ready?”
Take her out. Hit it to the left side of the table, dickhead.
But when I looked up one last time and those sapphire eyes locked with mine, I didn’t care about winning. I just wanted to see her smile.
It was just a goddamn ping-pong game. I’d had enough wins in my life.
So, I sent it to the right side, and she quickly responded. I made somewhat of an effort to look like I was trying to get to it just as the ball bounced, and I missed it.
The room erupted in cheers, and I glanced over at her watching me as she set her paddle down.
I walked around the table and extended my arm. “Good game, Tink. You’re the champ.”
She nodded as her small hand slid into mine, and she whispered, “Did you just give me that win?”