Chapter 32 #3
“Did you underestimate me?” I smiled at him.
“That was amazing. You should teach a class.” I laughed at his ridiculous statement. A visual popping into my head.
“That good, huh?”
“Two hundred years, and it ain’t never felt like that. Must be you. I need some carbs too after that.” He stood up from the bed and grabbed the bedpost as his knees buckled.
“And that’s why I am not trying to stand up right now,” I said through laughter.
He slowly and clumsily put his underwear back on. “I am going to make frosting and get this cake done.”
He leaned down to kiss me and began massaging my tongue with his. “I promise, we are nowhere near done for the night,” he said as he ended the kiss.
I love when he made promises.
Maddox opened the door and left the room. I got up and visited the restroom before I joined him in the kitchen. When I found him, he was turning on the stand mixer.
“Frosting?”
“Yup.”
He flipped the cake out onto a large plate.
Then he returned to the mixer and added more ingredients into the bowl.
After a couple of minutes, he removed the bowl from the stand mixer and took it to the counter where the cake was waiting.
I pulled myself up and sat on the counter next to him and the cake.
I puckered my lips and looked at him. He let out a small laugh, shaking his head at me.
He leaned down and pressed his lips to mine.
Pulling a knife from the drawer, he began to frost the cake.
I couldn’t wait to eat it; the smell alone was indulgent.
After he finished with the cake, he stuck the knife into the bowl. He positioned himself between my legs and placed his hands on the counter on either side of me.
“Now you have chocolate, dark and bitter.” He smiled at me and I leaned forward, kissing him sweetly.
“Thank you, my love.”
“Mmm, I won’t ever get sick of hearing that.”
He looked as though the words had wrapped his soul in a veil of comfort.
If I needed validation on the choice I had made, it was written all over his face.
As if it was ever a choice. I slid my arms around his waist. He stepped closer, wrapping his arms around me as I rested my head against his chest.
“My love,” I said it again, quiet and deliberate.
“I wish there was a way for me to tell you what you are to me. How much you mean, and all that you mean to me. I have been around for a long time and for the life of me I can’t find the words to give it justice.”
I lifted my head and looked up at him. He was struggling and I hated that. He didn’t need to tell me anything; I didn’t need that. I reached up and placed my hands on either side of his face and pulled him to me.
“You don’t need to convince me of anything. I don’t need to hear you say that you love me. I want you to show me. So, maybe we eat cake tomorrow and you take me to bed.” I pressed my lips to his. “Show me how you feel and let me feel it too.”
* * *
The following day we didn’t have a whole lot of things on the agenda.
Bonnie was our priority. Maddox needed to figure out the security configurations, and I needed to make sure I was happy with the end results of our meeting.
I entered the kitchen and looked at the clock.
It was past eleven. But, I would miss every morning if it meant I could relive last night, every night.
Not sure if my body could handle it, but I was willing to give it my best shot.
I was being fucked so well that I was pretty sure anyone that had encountered me would have felt like they needed a cigarette and a shower.
I put bread into the toaster and started a pot of coffee.
I found yogurt and strawberries in the fridge.
When the toast popped up, I added peanut butter.
I took my food to the table and came back a few minutes later to get coffee.
As I was finishing breakfast, Maddox emerged from the bedroom dressed for the day.
He was wearing a pair of cream-colored dress pants and a white dress shirt.
It was tucked into his waistband, and the sleeves were rolled up to the middle of his forearm.
Even his exposed forearm was making my mouth go dry and causing my eyes to wander.
The first button of his shirt was undone, and his hair was pulled back.
An absolute specimen of a man, I was elated to call mine. Forever—didn’t sound like long enough.
I carried my dishes to the sink as Maddox came up behind me and wrapped his arms around my waist. He leaned down, pulled my hair to the side, and kissed my neck.
“Good morning, beautiful,” he said as I turned around and smiled at him.
I pushed up on my toes and pressed my lips to his. He deepened the kiss and pulled me against him. I indulged until I started losing my reserve and ended the kiss by pushing against his chest.
“I have to get dressed, and we are not having sex before we go see Bonnie.”
“Aw, you were way more fun last night.” As I passed, he reached out and smacked my ass. “Let me know if you change your mind.”
I headed into the bedroom and got dressed in a dusty pink pencil skirt and a white sheer embroidered sleeveless top.
Underneath I wore a white lace bra and panty set.
I sat down and put on a pair of white strappy heels.
I made my way into the bathroom and added curl to my hair and some blush and mascara.
When I returned to the kitchen, Maddox was rinsing out a bowl in the sink and adding dishes to the dishwasher. After he shut the door, he grabbed his coffee from the counter and turned around. Stopping, he made a low whistle.
“Damn, I’m a lucky motherfucker.” He strutted across the kitchen and leaned down to kiss me. He grabbed my ass hard. “Very fucking lucky.” He kissed me again. “You ready, baby?”
“Let’s go see Bonnie.”
“She said to meet her in the library,” Maddox said as he slid his phone back into his pocket.
He held out his hand, and I placed mine in his. We walked the path hand in hand through the trees and into the open area where the gala would be held next week.
“So, I think you are going to be impressed with Bonnie. She really is good at her job, and she will make your job much easier. I know she does mine and she isn’t even in security.”
“She already impresses me. I would imagine her being in security wouldn’t help you at all.
You don’t put your star pitcher on first base.
She makes your job easier because she is willing to work around what you need.
I bet she thinks you make her job harder.
I sure hope we pay her enough to deal with your demanding ass. ” I smiled at him, and he side-eyed me.
He stopped me as we entered the garden and leaned in close. “If I remember correctly, you like it when I tell you what to do.” He gently ran his fingertips down my bare arms. The simple act sent chills up my spine.
“I deeply enjoy a lot of things you do to me. Having to work around you at work doesn’t happen to be one of them.
I’m not saying it isn’t necessary, but she accommodates you and probably a lot of other people.
Make sure she is taken care of. Originally, that was a joke, you made it serious.
” I grabbed his beard and tugged; pulling his lips to mine.
“You are correct. That is exactly what she does,” he said. “That means we should hurry; we don’t want to keep her waiting.”
We walked the rest of the way to the complex and came in through the back door. We continued through the building to the lobby. There was a set of double doors to the right as we came from the rear of the building.
“The library,” Maddox said as he opened one of the doors.
The room could absolutely rival any private library.
It rose three floors and gave the impression that it was constructed centuries ago.
The room felt as though a hundred secrets had been shared within its walls.
Powerful meetings between world leaders deciding others’ fate had happened here—the room itself held weight.
Everything was wood: the shelves, the tables, the fireplace, even the stairways and rolling ladders.
The room was studded with conversation areas that boasted antique couches with velvet cushions and matching oversized chairs.
Accent tables completed the areas, and low lighting brought an air of mystery and romance.
Each coffee table held a single lantern aglow in the center, with two small floral arrangements, adding a subtle softness to an otherwise hard room.
There were high tables dotted throughout the room for mingling guests to set their drinks or congregate around. Each of these tables held a small floral arrangement. A few of the tables had stools to accommodate a wider array of guests at once.
Along the edges of the room were standing candelabras filled with candles that added so much beauty to the ambiance. In the center of the far wall stood a massive fireplace. It was the focal point of the entire room and large enough to stand in—if you wanted to.
Bonnie was standing in the middle of the room with a huge smile on her face. “Joslyn, Maddox. I am so happy to see you both. Are we ready to talk party and security measures?” She made security sound pleasant as she rolled her eyes in Maddox’s direction.
“We are all yours. What’s first on your list?” I said, trying to be as cooperative as possible.
“Well, how do you like this room? The way it looks, feels, how it flows? What don’t you like about it?”
“I personally love the entire thing. I think it’s romantic and mysterious while also not demanding your attention. It’s relaxing and I feel like the vibe is very mellow and non-expectant. You can mingle or not, and there are plenty of places to do both. It also allows for privacy and a calmness.”