Chapter 35
It was about two o’clock in the afternoon when we arrived back at the compound. Both of us were a little tired from the trip and retreated to the cabin. In the kitchen, I got two beers from the fridge. I found Maddox in the bedroom putting his empty carry-on into the closet.
“Want to join me on the back patio?” I asked, holding the beer up.
“Sounds like a plan.”
He gave me a quick kiss and grabbed one of the bottles from my hand. We exited the house and sat down at the patio table.
“So, what are we going to do tonight? We have nothing planned and we should probably relax while we can. Tomorrow, we have to triple-check everything to make sure things are in order and ready to go.”
“What would you like to do? We can do whatever you want.”
“How about we make some food and watch movies? Just veg out and not do a damn thing.” I wanted to preserve as much energy as possible.
“If that’s what you want to do, that is what we will do.” He smiled big, showing all his teeth and squinting his eyes.
My favorite, after the mischievous grin, that made me melt. We finished our beers and went back inside. We grabbed two more beers before making our way to the living room.
“What kind of movies are you thinking?”
“I like scary movies. We can close the curtains and make it spooky.” Maddox set his beer on the end table and put his arms around me.
“Baby, I am one of the things that go bump in the night. I’m not going to get scared.
However, I absolutely do not object to watching anything that will have you jumping into my lap.
” I smiled, secretly wondering how many movies we would get through before he was pulling on my clothes. Hell—before I was pulling on his.
“Oh, we will be cuddling,” I said, pulling his beard toward me. His lips met mine briefly, and the kiss ended quicker than I wanted.
“We save the making out for when we have everything set up. You want food and movie night, so that is what we are going to do.”
“Well, alright then. Let’s see what we can find in the fridge. With the groceries you pilfered from the kitchen, we could prepare a feast if we wanted.”
I approached the large silver appliance and opened the right side to examine the contents. I noticed some beef and mushrooms. I shuffled things around, searching for a few key items. When I finally turned away from the fridge, kicking it shut, I had an armload of ingredients.
“I thought you wanted to relax?” Maddox said with a puzzled look on his face.
“My mother and I cook when we’re stressed.”
He looked as though a light bulb had gone on in his head. I set everything on the counter and rummaged through the cabinets for the remaining ingredients. Maddox pulled a cutting board out and grabbed a knife.
“What do you want me to do first?”
“I am making stroganoff and homemade soft pretzels. I want to get the dough started so if you could brown the meat and chop the mushrooms and onions that would be great.” I uncovered the mixer and began pulling out measuring cups.
For the next hour we went about making dinner and enjoying each other’s company.
Would this be what it was like when we were in our everyday routine?
It seemed as though moments like this wouldn’t be as frequent as I thought, but I was eager for my life to be with Maddox.
Even if it was slightly different from what most people would deem normal.
When the food was done, the whole house smelled amazing. It was one of the reasons I loved to cook; it made the house smell like a home. The salt and the butter from the hot pretzels wafted through the air, and my mouth watered in anticipation.
“Everything looks and smells so good. You can get pillows and blankets for the couch while I dish up some food and take it into the living room.”
I walked toward the bedroom to get the stuff. I grabbed two pillows and the comforter from the bed and returned to the living room. I started flipping through the available movies, adding a few options to the watchlist.
A few minutes later, Maddox entered the living room with a large tray laden with the fruits of our labor. He had added a bottle of wine and a couple of bottled waters to the bounty. He set the tray down on the ottoman in front of the couch.
“Do you want to change before we get settled and start a movie? I am not staying in this.”
He was referring to his quick-dry shorts and polo shirt. I was wearing denim shorts and a tank top. Now that he mentioned it, I did want something softer against my skin.
“Well, you do look like you just got off the golf course,” I said, teasing him.
For all I knew he was an excellent golfer.
“Hey, I can golf. It’s just not my favorite thing to do,” he said as he walked toward the bedroom.
I got off the couch and followed him. I pulled an oversized tee from the drawer and tossed it onto the bed.
I undid my shorts, letting them fall to the floor, and pulled my tank top over my head.
I took my bra off while Maddox was pulling on a pair of sweatpants.
I picked up the tee shirt from the bed and pulled it over my head as Maddox watched me intently.
“I will never get tired of looking at you.” He walked toward me and pulled me close to him. I wrapped my arms around his waist and laid my head against his chest.
“You make me so happy,” I whispered against his skin.
He put a finger under my chin and forced me to look at him. He pressed his lips against mine.
“I love you. Now let’s go get this movie started and eat some of that food we worked so hard on.”
I slid my hand into his and he led me out of the room. Reclaiming my spot on the couch, I grabbed the remote. I pulled up the watchlist and handed it to Maddox.
“You pick. I don’t care which one.”
He flipped through the options and chose the one he thought looked the best. We picked up our bowls of stroganoff and settled in.
The movie played while we filled ourselves with beef, mushrooms, and carbs.
The food was so good, and the movie was scary, but fortunately it wasn’t full of gore.
Gore was not really my thing. Of course—I chose to date a vampire.
When the first movie ended, we decided to take a bathroom break. Maddox had to go make a call before it got too late. When he was finished on the phone, we collected our trash and plates and headed into the kitchen. Maddox disposed of the trash as I put the leftovers into a storage container.
“That was a good movie. Which one do you want to watch next? It’s only seven o’clock and still light out,” I asked as I stowed the food and grabbed another water from the fridge.
“You can pick this time. I will grab another bottle of wine, if you grab me a water.”
“So, what time do you think everyone is going to arrive on Tuesday? Do you think they will be right on time or early? Shit. Is anyone going to be late?” I wasn’t sure how punctual cryptids were.
“If someone is late it is due to a travel issue. Such as a plane delay or an accident. They will be here on time other than that. This is a job just as much as a lifestyle,” he said reassuringly.
“I just wasn’t sure what to expect.”
I could feel the anxiety creeping in as Tuesday approached. Maddox grabbed the bottle of wine, and we went to the couch. I finished my glass of wine and set it down on the end table. There was a knock on the front door, and he went to answer it.
He came back holding a large bucket of popcorn and a few boxes of candy. “I thought we could have the full experience.” He tossed me a box of Junior Mints. I opened the candy and waited for him to sit. He refilled our glasses and set the bottle down. He sat down next to me and I started the movie.
This movie turned out to be a whole lot scarier than the one that he had chosen.
I leaned closer to him as he chuckled and put his arm around me.
The jump scares increased, and the more I watched, the more I was convinced that he had seen this movie before.
He wasn’t jumping at anything, and he was enjoying when I did.
During a part that was particularly suspenseful, I folded into Maddox, and his arm held me close to his bare torso.
I rested my hand against the smooth skin of his chest. My fingers lightly trailed over his skin as I watched the television.
I let my hand drift south from his chest to his stomach.
His skin was warm and soft. Everything under, though—rock hard.
I noticed that his breathing had increased slightly.
I loved the effect I had on him. Watching his reaction to my touch was intoxicating—at least to me.
I slid my hand lower; my eyes still fixed on the television as if the movie held all—or any of my attention. The drawstring of his pants hung loose over the waistband, and I began to toy with it, rolling the cord between my fingers like it was nothing more than idle fidgeting.
A monster came out of nowhere, lunging at the camera. I jumped slightly, yanking the string sharply.
“Oh—sorry,” I said quickly, letting go.
I settled back into place, resting my hand on his lower abdomen again. Slowly, obviously, teased at the waistband of his sweatpants.
This was half the fun—neither of us had any intention of telling the other no.
My finger slipped just inside the edge of his pants, gliding slowly back and forth over warm skin, letting my nails tickle him lightly. His hand drifted down to my ass and settled there, heavy and possessive. His finger moved gently, caressing the exposed skin just outside my pantie-line.
I slid my hand deeper and realized at some point he had lost the underwear I could have sworn he was wearing earlier.
My pulse spiked in anticipation.
My fingers brushed the hair above him and I felt him inhale sharply, his grip tightening on my ass. I pulled my hand away and swung my leg over him, climbing onto his lap so I could straddle him. I wanted to look in his eyes. I needed to feel his hands on me.
My shirt went over my head in one smooth motion.