CHAPTER NINE
TROY
T he first thing I became aware of the next morning was the soft chiming of my alarm. Seven a.m. wakeup call, every day, without fail. Even in the middle of nowhere Kentucky while in this weird transition between gigs.
I launched an arm to the nightstand to silence it, staring up at the wooden peak of the cabin above the loft. And that’s when I became aware of the next thing about my day: the fact that Maddie still hadn’t graced this bed once.
And that was a damn shame.
I heaved a sigh, rolling onto my side like this might somehow shake the thoughts loose so they could spill out of my head. But no. There was no losing these thoughts about Maddie. Just one look at her soft, curvy body, her long brunette ponytail and the way she filled out her leggings and tops could get me hard.
And now I was hard just thinking about her. You’re like a goddamn teenager around this woman.
I couldn’t remember the last time I met a woman who could turn me on with every glance or sigh. But that was Maddie – a perfect ten. An amazing mother, a sweet schoolteacher, and a woman who just clicked with me. At almost thirty-five years old, I knew how rare that was.
In my life, I usually tried to avoid any chance for the click with women. It was easier that way. Better to just have a night or two of fun, and then go our separate ways.
But the problem with Maddie was that I didn’t want to separate from her.
And that was…a little uncomfortable for me.
I tossed back the covers, sitting up with a deep sigh. Time to start the day.
I chugged the glass of water I left on the nightstand, hurried into the bathroom to take a piss and brush my teeth, then I pulled on some workout shorts to get started on the routine. Pushups, sit-ups, squats, and crunches—until I sweat my ass off. That was the nonnegotiable way to start the day, and the only way to keep my head straight. By the time I was done, sunlight streamed in through the floor to ceiling windows on the north end of the house, showcasing the frosty branches and sparkling snowfall outside. As I wiped my face with a towel, I heard rustling from downstairs.
Followed by the soft pitter-patter of feet.
Soft thumps up the stairs.
And then finally, two big eyes peering around the banister of the loft staircase.
“ Gracie .” Maddie’s urgent hiss ricocheted through the cabin. “Get back here.”
Grace didn’t make a move, just continued spying on me as though I couldn’t see her. I sank onto the edge of the bed and waved.
“Hey there, cutie. Should you be up here?”
Footsteps sounded on the staircase again—this time Maddie’s. She appeared behind Grace a moment later, her eyes turning into saucers as she spotted me.
“Oh my God. I’m so sorry Troy.”
“It’s no problem.” I had to fight a smile as I watched Maddie’s cheeks flush. Sure, I was shirtless and sweating, but it wasn’t like they’d caught me doing something bad. Maybe she liked what she saw.
“There was no keeping her in the bedroom,” Maddie went on, smoothing Grace’s hair, “she just had to come say good morning.”
“Good morning,” I told the little blondie pipsqueak. She smiled shyly.
“Sorry to interrupt,” Maddie waved her fingers in my direction, “whatever you were doing here.”
While she spoke, I drank in her just-woke-up perfection. The messy topknot, the olive green cotton pajama shorts and loose t-shirt that allowed me a tantalizing glimpse of the peaks of her breasts. I closed my fists, dying to pull her into the bed and see what happened.
“Just trying to tone up a little,” I said, wiping at the side of my face with the sweat towel. “I hear schoolteachers like it when guys are fit so I’m just doing whatever I can.”
She pursed her lips, something mischievous coming over her face. “They certainly don’t mind it. We should get back downstairs though. Come on, Grace. Let’s go find your coloring books.”
Grace pouted as she started down the stairs.
“But Maddie, you should stay.” I knew it was impossible to do what I wanted while Grace was awake for the day. But I couldn’t keep the words from tumbling out of my mouth.
She dipped her chin, sending me an admonishing look. But I saw the desire flash across her face as well.
She wanted it, even if she didn’t want to act on it.
“Maybe you can just come give me good morning hug?” I suggested. My heartbeat pounded through my veins, pushing me to bold lengths. She’d already pumped the brakes once, and I respected that.
But with her looking like the woman of my dreams, just a pair of thin cotton shorts hiding what I wanted to get to know, there was no holding back.
She looked down the stairs, then nodded. “Grace went down,” she said, and then darted across the loft. I held out my hands and she filled the space there, hooking her arms around my neck with a giggle.
And just like that, we picked up where we’d left off at the firepit the other night.
“Good morning,” I murmured into her collarbone. My eyes fluttered shut as I tried to remember every single sensation from this hug: the softness of her body pressed against me, the way her tits smashed against my chest, the light and feminine amber perfume that still clung to her. “Remind me why you aren’t sleeping up here with me each night?”
She laughed, but it sounded wispy. “Troy, we both know that’s a bad idea.”
“Do we?” I couldn’t keep myself from dragging my lips across the exposed skin of her shoulder. Her oversized t-shirt was in danger of being torn off.
She shifted against me, allowing her hips to splay open and straddle me again. I grunted as her thick thighs settled on either side of my body.
“Pretty sure you sleeping in my bed is the best idea in the world,” I said, nipping at her earlobe.
She shivered in my arms. “I’m not disagreeing with you.”
I smoothed my hands over the small of her back, down over the mounds of her ass. She arched into me, and I locked my arms tight around her so that no space remained between us.
“If you come try to give me a hug later tonight, I’ll make sure you don’t go back down those stairs.”
She giggled, and then pressed her lips against mine for a deep, hungry kiss. I caught the taste of peppermint on her tongue, and we kissed so passionately that I almost missed the small voice say, “Mommy?”
Maddie was off of me in a flash, turning to greet Grace at the top of the stairs.
“Hey, honey!” She sounded too friendly, almost maniacal. “What’s wrong? Did I take too long to come down?”
Grace blinked a few times, looking between the two of us.
“Does Toy have a boo boo?” she asked.
“Umm,” Maddie started.
“Is that why you kissing him?” she finished.
Maddie cleared her throat, nodding. “Yes. He hurt his…face.”
Grace blinked, and then bounded back down the stairs. Maddie pressed a hand to her forehead, sending me a pointed look.
"You are...too much. I can’t control myself around you.”
“That makes two of us,” I informed her.
She sighed, heading for the staircase. “I need to go get dressed.”
“I think you should stay exactly like you are. I love these jammies.”
When she looked over at me, I could see the genuine smile fighting to take over. “They’re literally from the clearance rack at a thrift store.”
“You could wear a potato sack and I’d be into it.”
She laughed, shaking her head. “You either don’t meet a lot of women or…”
“I promise you. I meet plenty. And I don’t want to see any of them in a potato sack.”
Her throat bobbed and then she drew a deep breath, looking away. “I need to go downstairs.”
I didn’t protest this time, but I did watch every step she took going downstairs. I was fully hard from the two minutes she spent in my lap, and I had every intention of showing her a great time in the loft that night.
After a quick shower, I joined them downstairs in the kitchen. This time, Maddie had prepared the coffee for me . She wore leggings and an oversized sweatshirt today. I slyly squeezed an ass cheek on my way past, out of Grace’s line of vision.
“Extra good morning to you.” I poured myself some coffee and she came to my side, knocking my hip.
“Yeah I’d say it got off on the right foot.” She grinned but it faded quickly, something clouding her gaze. “I hate to kill the vibe, but…my long weekend is coming to an end.”
It was Monday, day four of our getaway.
“I’ve got some admin work to catch up on today but…I have to be at work tomorrow.” Maddie crossed her arms, gnawing on the inside of her cheek as she looked out at the cabin. Today was an admin day for her building so no students were reporting for class.
“Do you want to go back to your parents’ house?” I blew on the steaming coffee, leaning against the countertop to face her.
She shrugged. “That’s fine. I have to go back there eventually.” She seemed like she was going to add more but thought better of it.
“Or…” I prompted her.
She laughed, shaking her head. “Or nothing. I was going to say we could find some way for you to smuggle us to Ecuador with you, but I don’t think that’s a great way for a three-year-old to travel.”
I could read behind the words. She wanted more time with me. Just like I wanted more time with her. “What if we just stay here until I have to head north to catch the flight?”
“But I can’t skip tomorrow—”
“I’ll drive you in,” I told her. “It’s a longer commute than normal, but it can be done.”
She tilted her head. “Once you drop me and Grace off at school…what would you even do all day? That’s such a long time to just mill around, waiting for us.”
“I’ll figure it out. Besides, someone needs to take care of your car now that the tires are repaired. Let me handle that.” I sipped at my coffee, holding her pretty hazel gaze as long as she’d let me. “I’m not letting you out of my sight as long as I can help it. Unless you tell me to fuck off, in which case…I’d think about it.”
Her shoulders shook with laughter. I reached over and poked her in the belly. “So what do you say?”
“I’m afraid to admit to you how much I’d like to continue our cabin staycation,” she finally said.
“That sounds like a yes.”
“It’s a ‘yes, but I can’t believe you actually want to drive in and out of Louisville every day to make this work’.”
She had no idea the things I was ready to do for her. Scaring off her ex, hiding her away, and being her personal chauffeur were just the beginning…and that surprised even me.
Our Monday at the cabin disappeared amid homecooked meals, a surprise batch of cookies, and a holiday movie marathon even though Christmas was behind us. Lenny probably couldn’t imagine what a home his cabin had turned into. I took a picture of us beneath the buckhorn chandelier—he liked daily updates of his work of art—and sent it to him with the caption: Still haven’t burned the place down. Thought you’d be happy to know.
I don’t think he realized just how much sexual tension his cabin contained either. Maddie and I specialized in lingering looks and heated touches. While Grace was awake, I was committed to not having another slip like what had happened in the morning. But the longer that Maddie was breathing and within view, the harder it became to keep my fingers and lips from wandering her way.
Around seven-thirty, Maddie clapped her hands together. “Okay Grace! Time for a bath, we’re late getting to bed.”
The poor thing had no idea that her mom was actually early in getting her to bed, by at least a full half hour. I gave Grace a goodnight hug, per her request, before she shuffled off to the bathroom to do her nighttime routine with her mom. While they were busy, I caught up with Seven via text message.
SEVEN: Everything okay over there? Haven’t heard much from either of you.
TROJAN: Peachy keen.
SEVEN: Oh my god, you two are boning already, aren’t you?
I was so glad there were a thousand miles between Seven and I right now, because I would have punched the fuck out of his shoulder for his annoyingly correct observation.
TROJAN: Not sure what I said that suggested that, but okay.
SEVEN: You have never once used the phrase ‘peachy keen’ in your life. You’re either boning the ward or you’ve been abducted and this is your cry for help.
That fucker. He knew me too well. But I wouldn’t let him win so easily.
TROJAN: Abducted. Send help.
Seven called me seconds later. I answered with a laugh. “I’m glad you’re so quick to react when you think I’ve been abducted.”
“So you haven’t been abducted, which means you are boning the ward.”
My gaze slid to the hallway. I could hear the muffled undertones of the shower running in the bathroom. “Can neither confirm nor deny.”
“You know,” Seven started, sounding fucking smug, “a wise man once told me to never get with a client—"
“Maddie’s not a client,” I reminded him.
“Why don’t you just go find someone else and get it out of your system ?” Seven’s smug smile could be tasted as he said my own words back to me. And I hated it. “That same wise man told me that.”
“This wise man sounds like a very handsome, smart, and capable person who was speaking to you from a very specific point in his life.”
Seven’s laughter boomed through the phone. “You are so busted.”
“And you are annoying. I need to go.”
“Everything good over there?”
“Yeah. About to be a lot better once you let me get back to what I was doing.” As I hung up, I heard Seven’s laughter booming through the phone. My cheeks hurt from how hard I grinned. I loved that dude. He was the closest thing I had to a brother. We’d been thick as thieves since day one at boot camp, and I was happy to report that our friendship was even stronger over fifteen years later.
Ever since he’d gotten serious with Jordan—the one I’d told him to stay away from because not only was she his client, she was the little sister of his employer at the time—he’d been putting the pressure on me to settle down too.
Well I had no intentions of settling down. At least not like he had.
But part of me wondered if there wasn’t some happy medium to be found.
I checked emails while Maddie and Grace moved from the bathroom to the bedroom. I heard some muffled giggles, followed by a long stretch of silence. Just when I thought maybe Maddie had fallen asleep in there, the bedroom door creaked open.
Maddie slipped out, hurrying toward me. I straightened from where I’d been leaning against the kitchen counter as she launched herself at me. I barely had time to catch her, laughter cascading out of me as she clung to me like a little panda.
“You really missed me, huh?”
I hoisted her in my arms until her thighs settled on either side of me. She was at eye level now, and grinning at me with mischief written across her face.
“I was hoping we could pick up where we left off this morning.” Her arms slid around my neck, wrists locking behind my head. I squeezed the thickness of her upper thighs, a low rumble of appreciation escaping me. She could stay here forever as far as I was concerned. Nothing felt better than the weight of her in my arms.
In lieu of more words, I leaned forward and finished the kiss I’d been thinking about since eight a.m. Our lips met hungrily, and she kissed me like she’d been thinking about the same thing nonstop too. I pressed my tongue past her lips, consuming the taste of her, getting drunk on this passion pulsing between us. A soft whimper escaped her as she tightened her thighs around me, erasing every last inch of space between us.
I kissed her like I’d been wandering a maze for years and she was the exit. Something deep inside me sighed with relief. Something I wasn’t quite ready to explore, much less understand.
Our kisses grew more desperate. Maddie rocked her hips against me, which sent my pulse pounding. I’d been fully hard since the second she stepped out of the bedroom and I only wanted more of this woman.
“Oh my God.” Maddie rested her forehead against mine, drawing deep breaths of air. “These kisses are making me dizzy.”
I nuzzled the side of her neck, needing more of her sweet scent. “Me too. You’re a really good kisser.”
She bit at her bottom lip, her eyes drifting shut. “So are you.”
“I’m good at other things too.” I lifted her only the cleared kitchen island. “You’re about to find out.”
She giggled, wriggling her hips. “And on the countertop?”
“No better place.” I tugged at the hem of her sweatshirt, pulling it over her head. Once it was tossed aside, I eyed the plain white tee she had on underneath. Cute, but it ultimately had to go. I pushed my hands beneath the cotton, searching out the warm curves beneath. She shivered, her thighs squeezing around my hips.
“You look so fucking cute in everything you wear,” I told her, running my hands over the swell of her hips, her belly, up over her rib cage, “but I think you’d look absolutely stunning wearing nothing at all.”
Pink stained her cheeks. “It’s nothing to get worked up about.”
“Excuse me?” I took a step back, sweeping my gaze from top to toes. “Are we talking about the same sexy ass mama right now? Because I am worked up.”
She laughed, and I dipped in for another kiss.
“Don’t be shy,” I told her, whispering into her ear. “You’re the sexiest woman I’ve laid on eyes on, and I can prove it.” I reached for her hand, guiding it in between our bodies. Her palm ran over the thick ridge of my cock, covered by my jeans. “See what you do to me?”
A shiver ran through her. The shyness in her gaze was replaced with heat.
“And that’s with your clothes on,” I reminded her.
She bit at her bottom lip, moving her palm up and down the length of my hard-on. I grunted, flexing my hips. “Mmm. That’s all from me?”
“All from you.” I tugged at her earlobe with my teeth. “I’ve been imagining the things I wanted to do to you since last month. And now I get my chance.”
She cupped the sides of my face, capturing my lips in a sweet kiss. When we broke apart, she said, “I really didn’t think you felt the same way.”
“You really must never look in a mirror. You have no idea how sexy you are.”
“No, I mean…” Her throat bobbed. “With Grace and all. I figured you’d see a single mom and run the other way.”
It almost didn’t compute. I tried to see the meaning behind her words. “Do you think I’d run because you have a daughter… or because…”
Her cheeks flushed again and her gaze dropped to my chest. She smoothed her hand over my t-shirt. “Not just because I’m a mom, but…things change after you have a baby. Everyone knows that. I breastfed. I carried a human inside me. I’m not a perfect ten, Troy.”
“Hm.” I gripped her by the hips, tugging her flush against me. The pieces were clicking into place. And the picture the puzzle created was that her ex-douchebag likely made her feel like shit a lot. “I guess it’s time for the exam then.”
“The exam?” Laughter leaked out the edges of her words.
“Yeah. I’ll accept nothing less than a perfect ten. It’s my right as a blue-blooded male.” We shared an amused look from my thick-ass sarcasm. I tugged off her shirt, revealing a taupe, lacy bra, covering the most perfect set of breasts I could remember seeing. I smoothed my hands over her belly rolls, taking big handfuls of the overspill from the waistband of her leggings. I grunted, then pushed my hands up, underneath her bra. Perfect handfuls. I swiped a thumb over her taut nipples as my free hand reached behind her to unclasp the bra.
Her breathing came out a little quicker and her head lolled to one side.
“I’d tell you the results of the exam,” I said, dragging my lips against her exposed collarbone, “but the truth is no one else’s opinion even matters. So whoever made you feel like shit deserves to get my fist into the side of his skull. Tell me who I need to go visit.”
“You already met him,” she whispered, her chest rising and falling rapidly.
“Noted. I’ll add that to my list of grievances for when I run into him next.”
A pretty smiled covered her face as I held her tits and kissed the tops of each one in turn.
“And by the way?” Kiss. “You’re a perfect ten.”
“I need to have you around as my personal hype man,” she breathed.
“Just wait until I get inside you,” I promised before covering her lips with my own.
Because I already knew the truth.
I was a goner for this woman.