Chapter 9 Sophia
SOPHIA
I melt against Maddox as he pulls me onto his lap, resting my forehead against his.
My heart is still thudding from his confession.
It’s a lot to take in, even if it happened fifteen years ago.
I can’t imagine what Maddox has been through, having to leave his family behind and hide from the world.
I could see the pain in his eyes as he spoke, the tightness in his jaw as he tried to keep it together. He looked like he was reliving it all.
“Is this what your nightmare was about?” I ask, my fingers brushing his bearded cheek. “Were you dreaming of that night?”
“Not exactly.” Maddox sighs heavily. “It’s a recurring dream.
Always the same. I’m in a police holding cell, trapped behind the bars.
Will is on the other side with Mom and Ruby.
They’re all looking at me, and I know something bad is going to happen.
I shake the bars, trying to reach them. Get Will away from them.
But the cell is locked tight. I never get free. ”
I wince at the mental image. Maddox runs a hand over his face, like he’s trying to wipe away the thought, and my arms tighten around him.
“I’m sorry. No wonder it shook you up so badly.” Pulling back from him, I look into his eyes, adding, “Thank you for telling me all this, Maddox…for trusting me with it.”
His face is so close to mine, his gaze burning into me like he’s trying to uncover a secret.
“You’re not scared of me?”
“No.” The answer falls from my lips immediately. “You were just trying to protect your family.”
Maddox is quiet for a moment. Then he makes a noise deep in his throat. “You’re too good for me, sugar. This is why I said I couldn’t want you.” He runs an agitated hand over his beard, scowling to himself. “I’m a killer, Sophia. And you’re a fucking angel.”
“That’s not how I see you.” Stubbornness flares inside me, and I grab his hand, my fingers brushing his callused palm. “It was an accident, Maddox. You’re not the monster you make yourself out to be…and screw anybody who says otherwise.”
His features soften. “I don’t care what anybody else says.
Only you.” He reaches for a lock of my hair, running his fingers down it, like he wants to prove to himself I’m really here.
“Monster or not, I still don’t deserve you, sugar.
But I want you. I shouldn’t…but I do. I want you so fucking badly. ”
The words are a low growl, his breath hot against my bottom lip. My pulse jumps. Everything feels so raw and intense, the world stripped bare after Maddox’s confession. All that’s left is us—him and me—holding each other like we’re afraid to let go.
“I want you too,” I whisper.
He sucks in a breath. I can feel the hardness growing in his pants, and I adjust myself on his lap, pressing myself against his bulge.
“Fuck, Sophia…” His eyes darken. “You sure about this? ‘Cause there’s no going back. If you’re mine, it’s forever.”
Forever.
It’s a big word, but it feels so right. I want this man more than I’ve ever wanted anything. His past might be dark, but all I care about is being part of his future. I want to be his girl. To be claimed by him in every way.
“I’m sure.”
The words are barely out of my mouth before Maddox is kissing me hard. I can’t catch my breath. His lips move hungrily against mine, his kiss so full of passion and need that I feel like I’m about to faint.
“Mine,” he growls between kisses. “You’re mine, sugar.”
I feel him reach between us to unbutton his jeans, yanking them down and kicking them aside. With rough hands, he grips my ass, grinding me against his lap. I gasp. My naked pussy slides over his boxers, soaking the fabric as he rubs me against his massive erection.
“You feel this?” Maddox grunts. “Every inch is going inside you, sugar.”
I tremble at his words. Desire pools between my thighs, sparks of pleasure zipping through me as my clit grinds against his hardness. I don’t last long. I come fast, my fingers gripping Maddox’s shoulders as I ride out the wave with a shuddering gasp.
“That’s it, baby,” he breathes into my ear. “Good girl.”
I barely have a second to recover before he stands up with me in his arms, and carries me down the corridor toward his bedroom. He sets me on the bed, pulling the green sweater over my head and throwing it aside. Cursing under his breath, his gaze roams my naked body.
“You’re so fucking beautiful, Sophia.” His fingers fumble with the buttons of his plaid shirt, undoing them urgently. “Goddammit, I never stood a chance resisting you.”
I blush, my skin warming beneath his hungry gaze.
But I love it. I love the way he looks at my curves.
I stare right back at him as he shrugs off his shirt to expose his burly chest: thick, muscular, and smattered with dark hair.
His boxers are still damp from my juices, a dark patch staining the navy fabric.
My heart flutters as he pulls them down, his erection springing free.
Holy crap.
His cock is as huge as the rest of him—girthy and swollen. Ribbed with veins. As I stare at it, I’m painfully aware of the empty space inside me, aching to be filled.
“I hope you’re ready for me, princess,” Maddox growls, already clambering onto the bed. His body covers mine, a mountain of thick muscle. I feel tiny beneath him. Powerless.
It feels good.
His erection is pressing against my stomach, and I reach between us to touch it. My fingers don’t meet around his girth, but I grip his cock tight, shocked at the smooth hardness. It feels like granite wrapped in silk.
“Fuck…” Maddox closes his eyes, exhaling deeply. “That feels good.”
I rub my hand up his shaft, my fingers brushing the fat tip of his cock.
“I’ve never touched anyone like this before,” I whisper.
Maddox’s eyes open to look at me. “You mean you’re a virgin?”
I nod. “Is that okay?”
He kisses me in response, pinning me down with his body as he sucks on my bottom lip.
“It’s my first time, too,” he says, pulling back to look at me.
I can’t help feeling surprised. “It is?”
Maddox nods. “Wasn’t interested in dating when I was younger. Then after everything that happened…”
He tails off, but I don’t need him to explain. I guess being a fugitive for fifteen years doesn’t make dating easy.
“Well, I’m glad you’re my first,” I say, smiling up at him.
“First and only, princess.”
He eases between my thighs, and I shiver when I feel the tip of his cock poke against my clit.
Maddox grips his shaft, lining up with my entrance.
His eyes stay fixed on mine as he thrusts inside my aching pussy, filling me up in one delicious movement.
I suck in a breath. My eyes water, pain and pleasure burning between my legs.
“Oh God…” I whimper.
Maddox lets out a shuddering groan, resting his forehead against mine. “You’re so damn tight, sugar. So wet for me.” He rocks his hips back and forth, moving slowly. “How does that feel?”
“Good…really good.”
It’s unlike anything I’ve ever felt before. It feels like Maddox is splitting me open, his cock buried impossibly deep. Every movement brings a thrill of pleasure and a sting of pain…but it feels incredible. I want more, and so does Maddox. He’s picking up the pace, pushing my thighs open wider.
“Fuck, you feel so good,” he grits out. “Your body was made for me, princess.”
I whimper against his mouth as he kisses me, his thrusts turning wild. Brutal. Our bodies smack together, the bed creaking violently beneath us as Maddox fucks me hard.
“That’s it, baby,” he pants as I wrap my arms around his neck. “Hold on to me.”
It feels like I’m gripping him for dear life. My nails dig into his skin, sobs tearing from my throat as Maddox stuffs me with his cock.
“Oh God,” I whimper. “It feels so good.”
“My sweet girl.” Maddox’s eyes drill into mine. “Fuck, you’re doing so good. Look at you, taking my cock.”
“I’m trying. It’s so big…”
“Nothing you can’t handle.” He hooks a thumb under my chin, forcing me to look at him.
Sweat beads on his forehead, but he doesn’t slow down.
His thrusts are relentless, his voice breathless.
“You better get used to it, sugar. ‘Cause I’m gonna fuck you like this every day. Every. Fucking. Day.” He punctuates each word with a deep thrust, my toes curling with pleasure.
“Yes, Maddox. I want it…”
“Good girl.” He holds me tight. “Fuck, you’re so good.”
The praise makes me tingle, wetness seeping down my thighs. It feels like heaven. My body moves against him, a deep primal instinct urging me to buck my hips and meet his thrusts. His cock is stretching me open, pounding me, sliding against my sensitive nerves, making me quiver.
Maddox rakes his teeth over my bottom lip. He makes a noise deep in his throat, primal and guttural. “You’re gonna take this cock until you come all over it. Understand?”
“Y-yes.”
“Good.” He swallows hard. “I want to feel it, princess. I want to hear you scream my name like a good girl, okay?”
I nod eagerly. “Okay.”
The words send a spasm through my body. I love when he calls me his good girl. I love when he says filthy things in his gravelly voice. But most of all, I love how it feels to have him inside me. How it feels to surrender control and let him claim my body.
I never knew anything could feel this good.
My core pulses around his cock. I can feel pressure building deep inside me. My slick walls tug against his veiny shaft, and I grab wildly at Maddox, stars swimming in front of my eyes.
“Oh God, I’m…I’m close.”
The intensity almost scares me. I’ve never felt so out of control of my body.
“I’ve got you, princess,” Maddox says. “Look at me.”
I do as he says, my whole body trembling, everything clenching tight inside me.
“Don’t you dare hold back, Sophia.” His eyes are molten, primal with desire. “You know you need to come.”
A cry catches in my throat as he fucks me harder, desperate to push me over the edge.
“It’s over, princess,” he growls. “Your pussy is gonna come for me. There’s nothing you can do to stop it.” He grabs my hands, pinning them above my head. I can’t move. Can’t do anything but take every inch of him. Submit to him.
“M-Maddox…oh…”
“That’s it, baby. You can do it. Come on my cock.”
My body obeys him. The dam bursts. I scream Maddox’s name, the world exploding behind my eyes. Pleasure floods me in a violent wave, rocketing through me from head to toe. Every thought dissolves. From somewhere far away, I can still hear Maddox’s voice in my ear.
“Good girl…you’re mine…all mine…”
A moment later, I hear him groan my name, his rhythm turning jerky. He tightens his grip on me, and I feel his cock throb as he fills my pussy with hot strings of cum.
His.
I’m all his.
We come back to ourselves slowly, catching our breath as the sweat dries on our bodies.
Maddox presses a hard kiss on my lips, his beard scratching my chin.
Then he pulls away to look at me, his eyes like frozen mountain lakes.
They seem to melt as we stare at each other, looking at me with so much affection that I feel butterflies swirling inside my belly.
“That was incredible, Sophia.”
I sigh happily. “It really was.”
Maddox doesn’t move. He stays on top of me, twirling a lock of my hair around his fingers.
“I want you to know that I meant what I said before,” he says, his voice low and intimate.
“You’re mine now, beautiful. It wasn’t just words.
” My pulse skitters, warmth flooding through my veins as he continues, “I want you to stay here with me, Sophia. I don’t want you to leave when the snow melts. ”
My throat tightens with emotion as I try to process what he’s saying. But Maddox takes my silence for hesitation, his brow furrowing.
“I know I can’t give you much. You deserve so much better than an outlaw like me.
Better than this tiny cabin in the woods.
But I promise I’ll take care of you. I’ll spend my whole damn life trying to make you happy.
” He exhales sharply, closing his eyes for a moment.
“I know I’m being selfish, but fuck, I can’t let you go.
I just can’t. You’re in my veins, sugar. You’re under my fucking skin.”
His intensity steals my breath away, and I reach up to cup his cheeks, holding his rugged face between my hands.
He’s breathing hard, a flicker of panic in his eyes, like he’s scared of what I’m about to say.
He thinks I’m going to reject him. I can see it.
Even now, it’s like he can’t believe I could truly want him.
“Maddox, listen…” I stare up at him, savoring his handsome features—his strong jaw, the stubborn line of his mouth, the silver streaks in his beard. “I’m not going anywhere,” I tell him firmly. “I want to stay with you.”
He blinks at me in disbelief, like he doesn’t dare to believe what I’m saying. “Really, sugar? You mean that?”
“Of course I mean it.” I smile at him, watching his scowl soften. “Being with you is like a dream. Why would I ever want to leave?”
I’ve never seen Maddox smile. Not a proper smile, anyway. But now, his face splits into a grin that lights up his whole face.
“You have no idea how happy you just made me.”
I beam at him, my heart threatening to burst as he leans in to kiss me. It’s warm and tender, a kiss full of promises. Our mouths meld, hearts beating in time before Maddox gently breaks away.
“I love you, Sophia,” he murmurs against my lips.
His words send a rush through my chest. It feels like I’m bathing in sunshine, warmth and joy flooding my veins as I say, “I love you too, Maddox.”
He lets out a shaky breath, resting his forehead against mine.
It feels like we’re the only two people in the world.
Like nothing exists beyond the blur of whiteness outside the bedroom window.
The snowstorm howls outside, but I barely notice it anymore.
All that matters is Maddox—the man who has stolen my heart forever.