Chapter 29
twenty-nine
. . .
Georgia
My legs were gently pushed apart, and I squirmed against the sweetest sensation between my thighs.
My eyes blinked a couple times, and I startled when I realized I wasn’t dreaming.
I glanced down to see a bare-chested Maddox, his eyes hooded as he looked up at me, and he licked his lips as I was sprawled in the middle of his bed.
“Happy Birthday, and Happy Valentine’s Day, Tink.”
Well, this was definitely one for the books, because no one had ever woken me up on my birthday quite like this. And I was here for it.
“Thank you,” I said, my voice sleepy and laced with need as my fingers tangled in his hair.
“I want to start your day off right.” He dropped back down, his tongue flicking and teasing my most sensitive area before his mouth covered my clit.
My head fell back, and I moaned, the sensation so overpowering.
I squirmed and writhed, and he took me right to the edge over and over before pulling back.
His finger slipped inside, moving slowly at first before sliding a second finger in as his tongue continued working its magic. And this time… he didn’t pull back.
My entire body started to shake, and I tugged harder on his hair as stars exploded behind my eyes. I nearly arched off the bed, but he held me there, his hand resting over my lower stomach, as I exploded.
“Maddox!” I shouted, tremors rocking through me.
So powerful.
So strong.
So epically delicious.
Look at me, being all poetic. That was what this man did to me. And he stayed right there, letting me ride out every last bit of pleasure.
Once my body stopped quaking and my breathing settled, he slid up the bed beside me, one hand on my cheek and the other on my waist.
“Happy Valentine’s Day, birthday girl.” He kissed my forehead and then my nose and my cheeks before stopping on my lips.
I never would have guessed this man was such a romantic, but he was.
He’d been acting awfully cocky since my brothers had told him when my birthday was.
I hadn’t intentionally kept it a secret.
It just hadn’t come up yet. Our relationship was a whirlwind in some ways.
And in other ways, it felt like I’d known this man forever.
“Happy Valentine’s Day. I have a present for you.”
“Today is all about you.”
“No. It’s also about us.” He wouldn’t tell me where we were going tonight, but he’d been very distracted the last few days, so I knew he was up to something.
He pressed up against me, and his erection poked me in the lower belly, which made me laugh.
“How about I start out by returning the favor?” I slipped my hand inside the waistband of his joggers and was pleased that there were no briefs to work through, as my fingers wrapped around his thick, hard erection.
“I’d rather be inside you, baby,” he said as I stroked him a few times.
“I told you it’s been thirty days since I got on the pill, and I’ve never been with anyone without protection. You said that you haven’t either, so what if we don’t use a condom?” I whispered because I was dying to feel him with nothing between us.
His hand found my cheek, and he pushed my hair away from my face. “You want my bare cock inside you, don’t you?”
I could feel my cheeks heat. The man had a filthy mouth, and I was embarrassed to admit that I loved it. I bit down on my bottom lip. “I do.”
“I do, too. There is no better gift that you could give me.”
I was already naked, as I’d grown accustomed to sleeping this way now. He pushed to his feet and peeled off his joggers within seconds, which made me laugh, before he dove onto the bed, shoving my legs apart as he settled between my thighs.
“Someone’s eager this morning,” I said.
He smiled this wide grin, with perfect white teeth and sexy scruff peppered around his jaw. “That’s because I have so many surprises for you today.”
My chest squeezed at his words.
“I didn’t know you were so into surprises.”
His eyes softened. “I never have been. Never cared about Valentine’s Day. Never thought birthdays were that big of a deal. But celebrating the day that you came into the world—” He paused and looked away for a moment before his eyes returned to mine. “It’s my new favorite day of the year, Tink.”
My breath lodged in my throat.
The love that I felt for this man was something I never knew was possible. It was everything. I never knew my heart could completely belong to another person, but it did.
He teased my entrance with the tip of his erection before he moved forward, slowly, his dark eyes locked with mine as he filled me. Inch by glorious inch.
The feel of him bare was indescribable.
His hands found mine and intertwined our fingers, holding them just above my head.
My eyes squeezed shut, and I gasped once he was all the way in.
“Eyes on me, baby.” His voice was strained yet commanding.
My gaze snapped open and locked with his.
It was more intense as we watched one another and found our rhythm. His large hands still covered mine, and something shifted between us. A love so strong that I didn’t think either one of us saw this coming.
“I fucking love you,” he said. “You know that, right?”
“Yes, of course. I love you so much,” I whispered.
Sensation built, and our pace quickened. He released one of my hands so he could slide his fingers between our bodies, knowing exactly where to touch me.
Exactly what I needed.
My back arched, and I groaned.
And I exploded again. My body was exhausted and exhilarated all at the same time.
He pumped into me once more.
Twice.
And then he growled my name as he followed me into oblivion.
Our breaths were labored, and once we both calmed down, he pulled out of me and went to the bathroom. He returned with a towel and pressed it between my legs. It was warm and soothing, and he took his time cleaning me up.
The doorbell rang, and I startled. “Who’s here?”
“It’s your first present. Get dressed and meet me out there.” He tugged his joggers on before pulling his Harvard hoodie over his head, glancing over to wink at me as he slipped out of the room.
I hurried to my feet and got dressed as quickly as I could. As I pulled my hair into a bun, I glanced down at my phone to see multiple texts in the sibling group chat.
Brinkley
Happy Birthday to my favorite sister! I hope you and Bossman are doing all sorts of naughty things to kick off your special day. And Happy Valentine’s Day to everyone else.
Cage
Why in the motherfucking hell would you put that in a group text? May you never do naughty things with anyone, Georgie. But Happy Birthday. I’m endlessly proud of you and love you. Happy Valentine’s Day to the rest of you romantic saps.
Finn
I agree with Cage on this one. I’m going to ignore that part of the message, Brinks. Maybe you two can share that kind of shit on a separate thread. Happy Birthday, Georgie.
Hugh
Do whatever makes you happy today, Georgie girl. I love you, and I’m wishing you a kickass year. You deserve all the good in life.
Cage
Wow. That was deep.
Brinkley
Can we please talk about how sappy Hugh is now that he’s in love? Cage, you’re an endless grump. Finn, stop being Cage’s bitch.
Hey, guys! Thank you for the birthday wishes. I can’t believe I’m another year older. I’ll be thirty before I know it.
Finn
You’re twenty-three…
But someday, right? LOL. I’m having a great day so far, but I won’t even tell you all the naughty things I’ve done already.
Cage
Please don’t.
Finn
Some things are better left unsaid.
Hugh
You do you, Georgie girl.
Brinkley
Go girl, go.
Happy Valentine’s Day. I love you.
I tucked my phone into my back pocket and hurried out of the bathroom.
When I padded down the long hallway and out to the great room, I found Maddox in the kitchen with Sal Roberts, a friend of my father’s.
“Hi, Sal,” I said, and it came out as more of a question.
He laughed. “Hey, Georgia. Happy Birthday.”
I moved next to Maddox, who was standing on one side of the kitchen island, while the older man stood on the other side. Sal had a large white roll of paper that he’d just pulled from the kitchen counter.
“Thank you. What’s going on here?”
“I’ll be out back taking some measurements. I’ll let Maddox fill you in.” He smirked and made his way out the door.
A large black box sat on the island with a white bow on it. I reached for my collarbone and rubbed my fingers over my star necklace. This gift would be really hard to top.
“Happy Birthday, baby,” he said, pushing the box toward me.
I untied the ribbon and pulled off the lid, and found four pickleball racquets and several sets of balls inside. My head tipped back as laughter escaped. Damn. He really did pay attention.
“You got me pickleball gear!” I squealed. “You really do love me.”
He tugged me into his arms. “I mean, you’re the county champ, right?”
“Damn straight, Bossman. Thank you. So, what’s Sal doing here?”
“Hugh gave me his number, and we’ve already met a few times before today, but he needed to get a few more measurements before they break ground next week.”
“Measurements for what?”
“I’m having a pickleball court put in the backyard for you. So, you can play whenever you want now.” What in the absolute hell had I done to deserve this man?
He never tried to change me. He loved me just the way I was.
I lunged into his arms as he lifted me off the floor, and my legs wrapped around his waist.
“I don’t know what I did to deserve you, but I feel like the luckiest girl in the world.”
“I’m the lucky one, Tink.” He kissed me. “And you’ll get your Valentine’s gift tonight.”
“I already have everything I want right here.”
And that was the truth.
Maddox and I had picked up takeout from Reynolds’, and he refused to tell me where he was taking me.
We talked and drove up the mountain a bit, and I quickly figured out what he was up to.
“Are you taking me to the pond?” I asked with a chuckle.