Chapter 38
Maddox wiped their sweaty palms on the sides of their jeans for at least the fifth or sixth time. It’s a good thing they were dark wash denim, or the moisture stains might show up. They sucked the cool evening air into their lungs as they made their way to the Cypress Lodge.
What they were about to do was either a terrific idea or the most ridiculous one they’d ever had.
It didn’t help matters that they’d never actually done anything like this before.
They’d spent most of the hours they should have been doing other things around the resort getting ready, and there was a more than a good chance they’d done it all wrong anyway, or that they’d simply crash and burn.
They didn’t even know if Denise was in her room or if she was free. They hadn’t talked to her since this morning.
Holy shit, this morning! The way Denise had wrapped her arms and legs around them and kissed them with all the passion and energy of a woman who hadn’t just slept for only three hours was simply…
Maddox gave their head a good shake and picked up their pace.
They weren’t going to her room for that!
Being with Denise again had been incredible.
More mind-blowing than that first time, even.
But today, they’d found themself yearning for things besides her body.
They wanted to see more of her smile, hear her laughter and thoughts, spend more time in her orbit.
And somehow they’d worked up the gumption to ask.
When they reached Denise’s room, they wiped their hands one more time and raised their fist to knock right as the door swung open and Denise rushed out. Maddox managed to lower their hand before Denise could walk into their fist, but she ended up colliding with their chest instead.
On instinct, Maddox’s hands moved to Denise’s arms to steady her.
For a second, neither of them stirred, then Denise nestled closer and Maddox’s heartrate surged.
They closed their arms around her back with a sigh and murmured into her hair, “You know, if you wanted a hug, you could have asked. You didn’t have to rush me. ”
Denise’s chuckle vibrated against their chest. “Where’s the fun in that?”
When they finally broke apart, Maddox’s whole body was tingly and warm. They rubbed Denise’s arms softly before letting go. “I’m sorry. You were headed somewhere.”
Her face turned a lovely shade of pink. “No, not really.”
Maddox frowned. She’d been in a pretty big hurry for no, not really. “Oh, okay.”
“Did you want something?” A suggestive sparkle flashed through her hazel eyes, making Maddox’s skin heat.
“Dinner?” Their voice sounded too uncertain, so they cleared their throat and tried again. “Would you like to have dinner with me?”
Denise flashed a wide smile that Maddox felt in the center of their chest. “Yes, I’d love to.”
But then she glanced down at her clothes and bit her lip. “But maybe I should change first. I’m not really dressed to go out.”
Maddox dragged their gaze from the leggings that clung to her delicious calves and thighs all the way up to her cozy tan sweater. “There’s no need. We’re not actually going out.”
“Oh.” Denise’s hands clenched once and her smile slipped. “Sorry, I shouldn’t have assumed.”
“Assumed what?”
She averted her eyes. “That you meant like a dinner date type situation.”
“No! T-that’s not why I said…” Maddox sputtered. Shit. They were screwing this up already. “That is, I didn’t not mean a date. I meant that you don’t have to dress up because I set up everything here for just the two of us.”
They shoved their hands in their pockets and squirmed. “Would you have rather gone out to dinner someplace?”
Denise’s glowing expression returned as she shook her head. “No, not at all. Just the two of us sounds perfect.”
Maddox exhaled in relief, and excitement rekindled in their stomach. They pulled their hands from their pockets and, imitating something they’d seen in one of the old movies Gran liked, they offered Denise their arm. “Shall we?”
“Maddox, what is this place?” Denise asked squinting at the glass structure in front of them.
The building was only partially lit by moonlight and the nearest lamppost, which wasn’t all that near.
Maddox had driven them in a golf cart all the way to the outskirts of the resort.
It was a section of the property Denise hadn’t explored yet.
Maddox hopped out of the cart and hurried around to the passenger side to offer Denise a hand. She didn’t really need the help, but she wasn’t about to turn down the sweet gesture.
They continued holding her hand as the two of them approached the building. “This is the old greenhouse. We used to grow some of our own vegetables and herbs here for the kitchen before Oliver decided to start working with local gardeners and farmers more. It’s been sitting empty since then.”
They opened the door to the greenhouse and tugged her inside. “So, I decided to repurpose it for tonight.”
With a squeeze of their fingers around her hand, and a flourish of their other hand, Maddox flipped a switch, and the entire space illuminated with numerous strings of party lights that hung from the ceiling and draped down the glass walls.
Denise gasped as she took in the space. In the center of the room, two chairs were set up on either side of a round table that was draped in a crisp white tablecloth and held plates, glasses, silverware and a small but gorgeous arrangement of fall flowers in the middle.
She was so overwhelmed by the whole setup that it took her a moment to realize there was also music playing from a speaker somewhere. She cocked her head and soon recognized the dulcet tone of Ella Fitzgerald’s voice singing “Misty.”
Her favorite singer.
Maddox had ridden in her car exactly one time, during which they’d been worried out of their mind over their grandmother. Yet they’d actually remembered what music had been playing on the stereo.
A giant lump formed in her throat and moisture coated her eyes, making all the lovely lights meld together into a brilliant sheen. When she blinked it away, she found Maddox watching her intently.
“I-is this okay?” they asked. The palm of the hand that still held hers was a little damp, and they shoved their other hand in their pocket in that adorably nervous gesture they’d shown when they’d asked her to dinner earlier. “Or is it…too much?”
Denise shook her head as she turned to face them. “Maddox, I don’t know what to say. This is…unbelievable. Nobody has ever done something like this for me before.”
She found she didn’t mind admitting that, especially when the tension in Maddox’s face relaxed and they beamed. “Well, they should have. But since they didn’t, I’m glad that I get to.”
Her insides melted even more, if that was possible. She couldn’t find an adequate reply, so she pulled them towards her and stretched up to give them a thorough kiss.
“Thank you for this, Maddox,” she whispered, once she’d managed to tear her lips away from theirs.
Their expression looked a bit dazed, but it soon cleared and they flashed their normal, easygoing smile. “Don’t thank me yet. We haven’t even got to the food part yet!”
With that, they ushered her to one of the chairs and then produced a heated food cart from the corner of the room. They unloaded the cart and distributed the platters and bowls with that efficient, capable energy that always seemed to be Denise’s undoing.
Before long, they were both seated and enjoying the delicious steak, garlic mashed potatoes, and vegetables the kitchen had prepared. Maddox had thoughtfully brought both wine and non-alcoholic beverage choices like raspberry iced tea.
There were certainly some scrumptious perks to dating a hotel event manager.
Denise silently laughed at the thought before stiffening in her chair.
So…was that really what was happening here?
Dating? Was that how Maddox saw it? This setup felt like a lot more than a mere preliminary seduction for another hot night.
While the combination of delectable food, soft music, and Maddox’s devastating smile were probably more than enough to inspire Denise’s panties to drop embarrassingly fast, they both had plenty of evidence to prove it didn’t take nearly that much effort.
“Maddox, what’s going on here?” Denise asked abruptly then tried not to wince. There had to have been a gentler way to begin, but she couldn’t help it. She had to know what Maddox really wanted.
When Maddox’s eyebrows dipped in confusion, Denise continued, “Why did you do all of this?”
Their shoulders raised in a deep inhale and lowered in a shaky exhale, as if they were preparing to skydive from an airplane. Then they met her eyes. “I wanted to show you how special you are to me.”
A spark of joy ignited in Denise’s chest, and she reached across the table and took Maddox’s hand. “You’re special to me too, Maddox.”
Maddox’s eyes brightened, and they interlaced their fingers with Denise’s.
Then for a moment, they simply studied their joined hands.
“I know this is complicated. I do. Especially since you’re going to be overseeing the project.
But do you think we could maybe work out a way to keep that separate from…
us? Just try to find more of these moments together and see where they take us? ”
And there it was: what Denise had been hoping for and fearing in equal measures. Now that she was here, though, grounded by the solid tenderness of Maddox’s hand, and the openness and sincerity in their eyes, she knew she wanted to hang on for the ride. “Yes, I want to try that with you.”
Maddox squeezed her hand and smiled.
Denise considered their hands for a second then glanced in the direction of the music. “Dance with me?”
Soon, they were standing close together and swaying to Ella singing “Cheek to Cheek” with Louis Armstrong. Denise closed her eyes to savor the music and the feel of Maddox’s body near her own.