Chapter 47
Four months later
“I didn’t sign up for this,” Denise whined as she fumbled to pull her outfit from the overstuffed wardrobe, although she was in no hurry to put it on. At least while she was only in her camisole and slip, she was in less danger of overheating from anxious energy.
“Denise, you’re literally the project owner for the new park; the groundbreaking is exactly what you signed up for,” Maddox called from the bathroom.
The screech of the shower curtain rings sliding over the curtain rod announced Maddox was getting out of the shower.
The noise made Denise cringe every time she heard it.
All the other rooms at Middle Waters had been updated with glass shower doors, new flooring, and roomier closets, among other things, but Maddox’s suite had mostly remained untouched since they were still living in it.
Oh well. Hopefully, that would change soon enough. Denise bit her lip. Great. There was something else to be nervous about.
“Yeah, well, I didn’t really envision a glitzy media event with senators and mayors and the entire town of Blueville gathered around watching me parade around in a hardhat with a golden shovel when I started this,” she continued grumbling.
The more she thought of the crowd gathering soon and the speech she’d have to make, the higher her blood pressure crept.
“But you look so damn hot in a hard hat, beautiful. It’s about time everyone else gets to enjoy it too,” Maddox quipped. Their voice was closer now, like they’d left the bathroom.
Denise whirled around to roll her eyes at them, but instead she sucked in a breath. Maddox was standing there, wet hair slicked back, wearing nothing but a towel around their shoulders while water droplets trickled down their tan skin.
It still stunned and delighted her that Maddox had gotten comfortable enough in their relationship to walk around the room naked sometimes when it was just the two of them, despite the fact they didn’t always feel comfortable enough to do that by themself.
But Denise also couldn’t help staring at them because it had been a while since they’d been intimate.
In the four months since they’d gotten together, Denise had split her time between her apartment in Oklahoma City and Maddox’s suite at Middle Waters, with Maddox visiting her apartment when they could.
That system had worked nicely as she’d juggled her responsibilities at the office with the new park project as well as her new literacy nonprofit.
But the groundbreaking had given both of them more work in recent weeks since Denise was the project owner and Maddox’s event planning business was handling the catering and outdoor seating setup.
Denise had loved collaborating with Maddox on the event, but the extra workload had made them both too tired for after-dark activities.
Seeing Maddox now, like this, made Denise feel the absence of those activities acutely.
The fact that Maddox was looking her up and down right now with an absolutely scorching gaze wasn’t helping her frustrated libido at the moment either.
Maddox stepped closer until they were right in her personal space. Heat from the steamy shower still clung to their skin and she was instantly drawn to it. As she looked into their eyes, the intensity in their expression softened.
“Denise,” they said. Their voice was almost a whisper. “Have you any idea how gorgeous you are?”
Her face heated, and she glanced away with a chuckle. “Well, it helps that your pet name for me is actually ‘beautiful.’”
Maddox placed a finger under her chin and raised her head so she could look at them again. “That’s right. Because I never want you to forget it. Not on my watch.”
Denise nearly swooned, but then she was distracted when Maddox raised their other hand, which held a small bottle of lotion.
They squeezed a little into their hand, and she immediately caught the smell of the lavender essential oil that had been infused in the lotion.
Gently, they rubbed it down both sides of her neck and over her collarbones, right where she always liked to put it herself on the days when she needed the scent to help with her anxiety the most.
“I’ll tell you what else I hope you don’t forget,” they murmured as they worked, their warm, capable fingers exciting and soothing her all at once. “You’re a smart, talented, caring woman who knows exactly what she’s doing at that groundbreaking today.”
She smiled into their eyes. “I love you so much.”
Maddox leaned in and pressed a firm, fiery kiss to her lips before quickly pulling away. That glorious grin she adored spread over their face as they said, “I love you too, beautiful.”
Then they turned and moved to the chest of drawers to retrieve their clothes for the day. She watched them with a dreamy sigh. They really knew how to pull out that Maddox Daniels charm when they needed to.
Finally, she snapped to attention and finished getting dressed. “I guess we need to get moving if we’re going to grab breakfast with Trace and Solange before we head to the groundbreaking site to meet Dad.”
Fi would arrive closer to the time for the ceremony to start, but Solange and Trace had come in a few nights before to enjoy a weekend getaway and some couple time away from their busy schedules.
It meant the world to Denise to see them so happy together at last, just like it meant the world for them and Fi to be here today for the groundbreaking.
“Do you think Solange and Trace are going to move in together soon?” Maddox asked as they pulled a dress shirt on over their binder.
Denise paused and bit her lip. “Oh, I don’t know. Neither of them has mentioned it.”
“It’s been four months,” they pointed out.
Just like for us. But Denise didn’t say it even as her heart rate picked up. “You don’t think that’s too soon?”
Maddox hummed thoughtfully. “I guess it all depends on the couple, really.”
Denise steadied her breath and waited until they were finished dressing and their attention was back on her before asking, “So, let’s say I had found a cozy house in Blueville I wanted to live in…would it be too soon to ask you to move there with me?”
Maddox’s jaw dropped as they watched her. “Denise, are you serious? You’re saying you’d really think about getting a house and moving here?”
“Actually, I’m saying I have gotten a house and I’m moving here,” Denise answered, watching them closely.
They rushed forward and put their hands on their arms. “Are you sure about this? Your friends and the company are back in the city.”
“I can still do what I need to with the company with a hybrid schedule, and we can still go hang out with Fi, Solange, and Trace, or they can come here, like they do now. But I also have a lot of work ahead of me here. And your event business is here. Gran is here. Your life is here, Maddox, and I want to share that…if you want it too.”
Maddox breathed out a laugh. “Of course I want it too! Denise, are you kidding me? If you could see how badly I miss you on those nights we have to spend apart, you wouldn’t even have to ask. You’d just come to put me out of my misery.”
Denise laughed and threw herself into Maddox’s arms. They held her close and kissed her ear. “You’re really, really sure about this?”
“Yes, Maddox, I’m sure!” she nestled deeper into their embrace, savoring the sensations of safety and warmth. “I want to spend as many of our moments together as possible.”
The End