Chapter 10
Ten
DARCIE
Country music blasted around me, and I swayed to the music. I had a pair of tall cowboy boots on, cut-off denim shorts, a Dolly Parton tee, and a long cardigan. The leopard print cowboy hat was the final touch. I felt comfortable and sexy, my favorite combination.
“Darcie, come dance!” Candi called from the floor. Rolling my eyes, I sat my glass down and headed toward her. Cutting between people, I squeezed into their line, finding some space. We were at a line dancing bar. It was fun, and I’d been dancing and laughing with my new friends all night.
“This is so much fun. We should do this at the bar!” Candi said, raising her eyebrows seductively.
“Good luck with that,” I teased.
Ever since I’d gone over to her place, Candi and I had become close. She’d been pulling me along with her and her friends ever since. They were easy to like, and I always enjoyed my time with them. It felt nice to be part of a girl group, something I’d never had before. I didn’t know what the teen movies were on about; they were all nice.
The song ended, and we clapped, the instructors announcing they were taking a break. Music came on over the speakers, and we headed off the floor to grab some drinks. Leaning against the counter, I looked around at the crowd. It was mostly people in their twenties with a few older couples who were line dancing die-hards.
Drinks were placed in front of us, and the bartender nodded down to the end where two guys sat, staring at Candi and me. “Courtesy of those gentlemen.”
We raised the drinks, thanking them. “What do you think?” she asked, taking a sip. “You want the blonde or the ginger?”
“Um.” I bit my lip, anxiety crawling up my throat. “Whoever.” I shrugged but didn’t put any effort into it. This was the part I always hated. Guys were constantly hitting on her, and by association, me. They’d buy us drinks, chatting us up. Candi loved it and would go home with a different guy each time. I couldn’t seem to get over that threshold yet. I’d had plenty of sessions online now, but when it came to in person, I was still blocked.
“I’ll take the ginger then. He has something sexy about him,” she said, biting her lip. “Come on.” She pulled me over there, and I went, dread filling me.
“Hello, boys. Thanks for the drinks.” She flirted like the best of them.
“No problem. Two drinks for two of the prettiest girls here,” the blonde guy said. He wasn’t ugly, but he wasn’t doing anything for me either. I smiled kindly, though, not wanting to be rude.
“Want to dance?” Candi asked, pulling the redhead’s arm toward the dance floor before he could answer. The other guy looked at me, and I shrugged, tossing back the drink and headed to the floor.
His hands landed on my hips as we settled on the dance floor. He wasn’t a horrible dancer, and our bodies found a good rhythm together. I guess there were worse ways to spend the time. When the song ended, I turned to ask Candi a question and found her making out with the guy.
“Well, okay then.” The guy I’d been dancing with chuckled, pulling me off the floor. I went, not sure what else to do. He led me to a quieter area and grabbed some water from a passing waiter.
“So, what’s your name, twinkle toes?”
“Darcie. Yours?”
“Rick.”
“Nice to meet you, Rick.”
“You don’t like me, do you?” he asked, smiling.
“No, it’s not that.” Panic rose in me, and I tried to fix the situation.
“Darcie. It’s okay. I kind of like you more because of that, which is bad for me, but you have nothing to worry about. Plus, the tall guy giving me death stares while we danced was a message to keep my paws to myself.”
“Tall guy?” I asked, looking around but couldn’t see anyone. Sometimes it sucked being short.
Rick laughed. “Do you need a ride home or anything? I think our friends are going to hook up, so I didn’t want you to wait on them.”
“Oh. That’s really kind of you. I’m good. Thanks, though. Uh, it was nice meeting you, Rick.” I waved awkwardly and then started to walk off.
“You too, Darcie.” I smiled, respecting him more, and waved bye.
I stepped outside, the night air not much cooler than inside. Summer in the south was like a constant state of stickiness. Humidity—the devil’s favorite punishment.
It wasn’t too late, but I was tired, so I texted the girls that I was heading home so they wouldn’t worry. The streets were still filled, the city full of people looking for someone to spend the night with. My feet were hurting by the time I stomped up to my stairs. I was only on the second floor, thankfully, and the walk hadn’t been too far. The bar we’d been at was only about ten minutes from me.
I pulled out my keys and inserted it into the lock when someone stepped out of the shadows. “Darcie.”
Screaming, I jumped back, dropping everything. I clutched my chest, trying to get my heart to calm. When I realized who it was, I wanted to dive into his arms, but nine months of not seeing someone made me hesitate.
“Maddox. What are you doing here?”
He bent down, grabbed my keys, and put everything into my purse. I noticed the stamp on his hand, and the comment Rick made suddenly made sense.
“You were at Wild Horse Saloon, weren’t you?”
He froze for a moment, but then finished stuffing everything in and stood up, handing it to me. “We need to talk.”
“Fine. I’ve been trying to for months.” I finished unlocking the door and stepped inside, motioning for him to enter. He brushed past, his arm skating across mine, and my whole body came to life. I sucked in a breath, willing my hormones to take a chill pill. Just because he was here didn’t mean he was staying.
Locking the door, I took a moment to collect myself, setting my stuff down by the door and pulling my boots off. My feet instantly felt better once they were free. Maddox wasn’t right in the doorway, so I followed the sound and found him opening cabinets.
“Make yourself at home, why don’t you?” I rolled my eyes, walking to the fridge.
“Thanks, I plan to.”
I pulled out the water pitcher, walked to the cabinet with the glasses, and pulled two down. I filled them both and then put the pitcher back in the fridge.
Handing him one, I watched as he stopped opening drawers. I took a long drink of mine, the cold liquid soothing my dry throat and cooling me off inside.
“So, you’re here. Talk.”
I sat the glass down, crossing my arms. I didn’t want to look at him too closely, but I couldn’t help but notice how much bigger his muscles looked.
“Happy Birthday, Princess.”
I sucked in a breath, not expecting him to say that. I looked at the clock on the stove and saw it read 12:01. He was right. It was my birthday. I was officially twenty-two years old.
“Thanks. You could’ve just sent a card, though.”
He sat his glass down next to mine, walking toward me. My body instantly fell into the memory of him and relaxed, letting him close. Maddox cupped my jaw, and my body betrayed me by falling into his hand, sighing. Stupid, traitorous body.
“I’ve missed you, Princess.”
I snorted, my eyes opening. “You have a funny way of showing it. I haven’t even heard from you in months on the server. It’s been hard enough without you being here, but then to ghost me completely.” I shook my head, tears coming to my eyes. “I don’t get you, Maddox. Why are you here? I can’t have you coming and going from my life like this. It hurts too much.”
He leaned forward, placing his forehead on mine. “I know, Princess. I know. I wish I was here to tell you I was back for good, but things haven’t gone as I’d hoped.”
“Will you tell me your plan or when you’ll be back?”
“I can’t.” He tensed his jaw, biting back his words. “It’s safer if you don’t know.”
My eyes hardened, and I gritted my teeth. “You’re wrong.” His eyes heated, his pupils going wide at the fire coursing through my veins. I gripped his shirt, pulling it between my hands. “I’m not the same girl you left at the motel. I’m not even the same girl who left Mississippi. And if you don’t realize that soon, you’re gonna miss out.”
His hands moved to my hips, gripping me tightly. He moved closer, his bottom half-pressing into me as he towered over me. “Oh, Princess, I know. Why do you think I’m here? I couldn’t stand to be apart from you a moment longer. If you don’t think I haven’t been watching everything you do, then you haven’t been paying attention. My love for you wasn’t conditional or even locational.” He lifted me up, sitting me on the counter, stepping in between my legs. I sucked in a breath, sexual need riding me hard.
“That’s not enough, though. I need more than just your pretty words, Maddox. I won’t even bring up the fact you’re practically stalking me.” I rolled my eyes, trying to dispel my lust.
“What if I could give you tonight? If we had one night where the rest of the shit didn’t matter, would that be enough for now?”
“I don’t know.”
He dipped his head, skating his nose against my neck, licking up to my ear. “Say, yes, Princess. Give us this one night where it’s just you and me. I need it to survive.”
I knew he meant his words to be seductive, but I heard the raw emotion, the pain, and it hit me that I wasn’t being fair to him. I didn’t know what he was doing or having to endure. It had been easier not to ask. Looking up into his eyes, I couldn’t deny the love I saw there.
“Okay. One night. It will be enough for now.”
As soon as I said yes, his lips fell to mine, and it was like time hadn’t existed. His kiss was just as I remembered, and I found myself swept up into the passion between us. My legs wrapped around him, bringing his groin closer to me.
“Watching you dance in these tiny shorts was pure torture. I can’t wait to slip beneath them.” He bit my lip, pulling back. “But I don’t want our first time to be on your kitchen counter. Hold on, Princess.”
I wrapped my arms around him, tightening my legs as he carried me to my bedroom. Surprise flitted through me until I remembered what he said. I should feel creeped out by that, but part of me was used to Maddox being in the shadows, so it felt right.
He laid me on my bed, stopping only to pull his leather jacket and shirt off. He kicked off his boots and slid his pants down, crawling onto the bed in his boxers, hovering over me. His hands slid up my belly, pulling my shirt over my head. He stopped, taking me in with his eyes as he leaned back on his haunches.
“Yep, that’s the image I want in my head forever. You in this red lace bra and your cut-off shorts. Fuck, Darcie. That’s a wet dream right there.”
Leaning up, I slipped my straps off, borrowing some moves I’d learned. “Oh yeah? How about now?” I pulled my bra away, standing in front of him topless. Kneeling on the bed, I ran my hands up his torso, stopping when I spotted a tattoo on his chest. It was a crown with the letters DRC on it. I gasped, looking up. “Is that?”
He nodded, watching me. “It’s how I have you with me always, never forgetting who owns my heart.”
“Fuck.” I wrapped my arms around his neck, needing to kiss him. “One night isn’t ever going to be enough, Maddox.” Tears were in my eyes as I stared at him. “I love you too, but it hurts.”
“I know, Princess. We’ll figure it out. Even if that means I have to let you go for a while, I will. I don’t want to keep you caged. You’re too beautiful for that. But for right now, let’s just pretend.”
I nodded, and he wiped the tears off my cheeks, kissing them away.
Things escalated quickly then. We fell to the bed, and our bottom halves rocked into one another. His fingers unbuttoned my shorts, pulling them off without breaking his kiss. Maddox kissed down my body, sucking my nipples into his mouth. My hands roamed his body, running outside his boxers, feeling him grow in my hand. Pushing the elastic down, I peeked down to see him fully.
Swallowing, I took him into my hand as he massaged and kissed my body. When I wrapped my hand around him, he stilled, taking a breath.
“Okay, new rule. This first time might be quick, but I said all night, so we pack as many times as we can into that. Sound good?”
I laughed, nodding. “That sounds like the best plan you’ve ever had.”
He rolled on a condom, and I watched with heated eyes as he lined himself up with me. I felt the tip of his cock press into me, and he paused, looking at me. “Ready, Princess?”
I nodded, biting my lip. He bent down, kissing me as he pressed in. As he started to fill me, pain spread through me, and I gritted my teeth, breathing through it. Maddox kissed me harder, taking my mind off it.
“Almost there. You feel so good, Princess. Everything I ever dreamed it would be.”
I tangled my fingers through the back of his hair, pulling his head to me, holding on. Once he stopped, I breathed, trying not to freak out. The pain reminded me too much of the other time, and I didn’t like it.
“I need to feel good, Maddox. Please, make it feel good.”
He pulled back, seeing my eyes, and nodded. “I got you.” He started to rock forward, pulling back, and it got a little better each time. He pulled my leg up, pushing himself deeper. His thumb pressed against my clit, helping me not focus on the stretching. Each rock forward and pull backward led us to a rhythm, and I found myself moving with him. Soon, we were rocking together, and it felt better.
Maddox filled me fully, taking his time to feel all of me around him. His thumb on my button made my toes curl, and I found myself forgetting about the pain. “I need more,” I whispered, hoping he’d understand.
He pulled back, gripping my hips, and began to thrust harder, pushing into me deeper.
“Yes, that,” I moaned, the feeling increasing.
“Shit. I can’t…” he stuttered, tensing as he held me. He looked down, shock on his face. “I’m sorry. It just felt too good, and it’s my first time.”
I reached up, rubbing his cheek. “It’s okay, Maddox. We get all night, remember?”
He smiled, sighing in relief. “Yeah, we do. And while we wait for me to be ready, I’m going to take care of you.”
He pulled out and walked into my bathroom, disposing of the condom. I heard the water turn on and wondered what he was doing. He came back out with a washcloth. “I read that this might feel good.”
Carefully, Maddox placed it on my lady parts, and the heat did feel nice. He cleaned me up, taking extra care to be gentle. When he was done, he pulled me into his arms, kissing me softly. His hands kept exploring, and he moved down, kissing me all over.
“I need to map out every inch of you.”
“Feel free.” I laughed, not minding at all. His fingers found their way to my core, and he quickly brought me the orgasm I’d been teetering around.
“Yes, yes,” I screamed, my hands grasping at the sheets. Maddox kissed me, a smug look on his face, and I realized he was ready to go already. This time, he pulled me on top, and it didn’t hurt as much. All night, we tried different positions, only stopping for food and water a couple of times. We went through a whole box of condoms, but it was everything I could've asked for.
Standing at the door, he held me in his arms, his lips on my forehead. “I don’t want to leave.”
“I don’t want you to.”
He kissed me one last time, pulling away. “Will I see you again?”
“Of course, Princess. This isn’t goodbye forever.”
“So until then, we just pretend like we didn’t just fuck each other’s brains out?”
“I’ll never be able to pretend with you. This night has been the best one of my life, and it will be what gets me through the dark days ahead.”
“I wish you’d just tell me. I don’t know if I can do this again.”
“We have to. You promised.”
“I want to hate you. It’s easier then.”
“I know, Princess. I don’t want you to wait, though. Keep living your life, and when it’s our time, I’ll come for you, and we’ll ride off into the sunset. I promise.”
“Fuck, I love you, Maddox. Don’t make me miss you too much.”
He kissed me hard, tears falling from both of our eyes as he stepped away and walked out that door.
I slid to the ground, not even making it a step before it felt like the world was falling apart again.