Chapter 41
Madison
The gravel crunched under our feet as we stepped out of Seth’s truck, the night air still warm but softened by a faint breeze. The moon hung low, casting silver across the yard, and fireflies blinked lazily in the tall grass.
Seth walked beside me, his hand brushing mine once, then again, until finally he let his fingers tangle with mine. It was a small thing, but the weight of it made my chest ache.
We reached the porch of the guesthouse, the light above the door glowing golden against the night. I turned to face him, my heart pounding. “Thank you. For tonight.”
His eyes searched mine, steady and unflinching. “Thank you. For saying yes.”
Silence wrapped around us, not heavy but charged, thick with everything we were both holding back.
I could still taste the sweetness of peach pie, still feel the warmth of his hand on the small of my back as he guided me through the restaurant door.
More than that, I could feel the shift in my chest, the slow unfurling of something I had been afraid to let grow for so long.
I should have told him goodnight. I should have walked inside and left it at that. But instead, I heard myself say, “Do you… want to come in?”
His jaw tightened, like he was fighting himself, but then he nodded once. “Yeah.”
I opened the door, stepping back to let him in.
The living room was dim, with only the soft glow of a lamp in the corner lighting the space.
The air smelled faintly of lavender from the candle I had burned earlier, and suddenly the quiet of the guesthouse felt entirely different with him standing inside it.
I set my purse on the table, my nerves buzzing. He stood near the door for a moment, like he was giving me one last chance to change my mind. I didn’t. I couldn’t.
I moved closer, close enough to feel the heat radiating from him. My voice was barely above a whisper. “Seth.”
He reached for me then, his hand cupped the side of my neck, his thumb brushing the hollow of my jaw.
His lips found mine, slower than they had the night before, but deeper.
There was no hesitation this time, no half-measure.
Just him, steady and warm, kissing me like he had been waiting for this longer than he wanted to admit.
I melted into him, my hands sliding up his chest, feeling the hard plane of muscle beneath his shirt. He tasted faintly of coffee and sugar, and the way he angled his mouth against mine made my knees weaken.
He pulled back just enough to rest his forehead against mine, his breath ragged. “Tell me if this is too much.”
“It’s not,” I whispered, my hands fisting in his shirt. “It’s exactly what I want.”
His answer was another kiss, deeper this time, his arm sliding around my waist to pull me flush against him. I gasped softly, and he swallowed the sound, his hand skimming down my back in a way that made my entire body shiver.
The world outside slipped away. There was only this moment, only the heat of his mouth on mine and the steady strength of his body pressed close. Every wall I had built, every fear I had carried, cracked a little more with each kiss.
“Are you sure?” he murmured into my neck, and I replied almost in a whisper, “I wouldn’t be here if I wasn’t sure.”
One second, we were in the entryway, and the next, I was being picked up and carried toward my bedroom. His strong arms lowered me onto the bed, his gaze full of hunger.
“You really think I’m the one who’s going to break first?
” he murmured. “Sweetheart… you have no idea what you’re doing to me.
Undress for me.” he said as he slowly unbuttoned his shirt, revealing himself to me.
His chiseled chest is barely visible in the dim light, but I didn't know he was hiding all of that this whole time.
I slowly pulled off my dress, leaving me in just my bra and panties.
I haven't been with anyone since Olive’s father, and for a moment, I felt insecure.
My body has changed since having a child, and I don't look the same as I used to.
All these feelings melted away when Seth grabbed me and laid me back against the mattress.
“You deserved to be worshipped, Madison”, he said, trailing his fingers along my stomach.
I instinctively tried to cover up my stretch marks, but he pulled my hand away and slowly lowered his head.
“Don’t ever feel like you have to hide yourself from me, sweetheart.
Every part of you is beautiful.” I felt heat pooling in my lower abdomen, my panties became wet from arousal.
I felt my breath catch as his words sank into the places I’d kept guarded for years.
“Please… don’t stop,” I whispered, surprising even myself with how badly I meant it. He slowly pulled my panties off and threw them on the ground.
“You're so wet for me,” he said as he grazed a finger over my folds, coating it in my slickness.
He slid a finger into me, and his tongue darted out, teasing my bundle of nerves.
He stroked me slowly, yet I felt myself beginning to unravel.
My head snapped back, and I fisted the sheets as I moaned.
“God, yes, Seth, just like that.” I grabbed a handful of his hair as I felt myself reaching my breaking point.
My back arched, and I felt him smile as he slid another finger deep inside me, causing me to break.
He let out a deep moan and licked me clean, lapping up every last drop.
I laid still for a moment, processing what just happened. Seth climbed back up and placed a soft kiss on my lips. I palmed the growing bulge in his pants and muttered, “Take them off.”
He obliged, pulling off his pants, then his boxers. His cock sprang free, the head glistening with precum. He reached down for his discarded pants and grabbed a condom from the inside of his wallet, then rolled it down his length.
I moved back further onto the bed. I finally unhooked my bra, and my breasts spilled free.
He leaned down, palming one at a time, and then slowly pulled my nipple into his mouth, lightly sucking.
“You are so beautiful,” he said, and planted another kiss on my lips before lining himself up with my entrance.
His eyes met mine, and I gave him a nod of reassurance, then, in one swift movement, he slipped inside me.
I instantly became full, my walls stretching to fit him.
He started thrusting, slow at first, and then eventually quickened his pace.
I buried my face in his chest, my nails scratching his back.
He let out a moan and picked up his pace even more, and I felt myself getting close.
“God, you feel amazing, sweetheart, almost like you were made for me,” he moaned, his strong hands wrapped around me.
“Oh my god, yes, Seth. Just like that, I’m almost there,” I cried out.
He slammed into me as he growled, “That's it, sweetheart, give me another one.” I screamed his name as the orgasm hit me like a train. I hadn’t felt that good in years, and for a moment, I almost didn’t remember what it was like to be touched with intention.
I felt him start to tense up, and a guttural growl escaped from his lips as he came inside me.
When we finally separated, both of us gasping for air, he brought his hand back to my cheek like he couldn’t help himself. His eyes were dark with something I didn’t dare name.
“You undo me, Madison.”
Heat spread through me at the rough sincerity in his tone.
“Good,” I murmured, smiling despite the storm inside me. “Because you’re undoing me too.”
He kissed me once more, slower, sweeter, before finally pulling back. He didn’t push for more, and that restraint, that respect, only made me want him more.
I crawled out of bed and slipped on a t-shirt and PJ shorts. I saw Seth slowly getting up from the bed and reaching over to grab his clothes. Once dressed, he leaned down and kissed me on the lips. It was slow, passionate, and tender.
As I walked him to the door, my pulse still racing, I realized something I had been too afraid to admit until now. I didn’t just want him. I was starting to need him.
And that thought didn’t scare me anymore.