Chapter Twenty-Three
Madison
Madison”s heart raced as Kyle pulled out her chair. His fingers brushed her bare back, igniting sparks along her spine.
”You outshine every woman here,” Kyle murmured, his gaze caressing her face.
Madison smoothed her little dress over her thighs, wishing it were longer, wishing her body were leaner. But Kyle”s eyes glowed with heat, melting her insecurities.
His opinion was the only one she cared about, and he seemed to like the way she looked.
They sat close together in the dim, upscale restaurant. The soft glow of candles flickered between them. When the waitress arrived, Kyle ordered a bottle of wine without looking away from Madison.
Later, the waitress, her curves accentuated by the tight black dress that clung to her body, brought their first course—a delicate plate of seared scallops resting atop a bed of greens. As they began eating, Madison found herself caught up in the intensity of Kyle”s gaze, their legs brushing against each other beneath the table, sending shivers up her spine.
As they ate, Kyle reached over and took her hand, resting their entwined fingers on his thigh. His calloused palm dwarfed hers, his strength barely restrained.
”Talk to me,” Kyle murmured. “Tell me about yourself, about the kids.”
She breathed a shaky breath, unaccountably nervous. “What do you want to know?”
“Everything.”
Madison”s heart thudded. Where to start? Her failed marriage and bitter separation? The struggles of raising four kids alone? Her longing for connection that had gone unanswered for so long?
She took a sip of wine for courage. Kyle”s gaze dropped to her mouth, darkening, and heat pooled low in her belly.
”There”s not much to tell,” she said. ”My life has been pretty ordinary…most of the time.”
”Nothing about you is ordinary.” Kyle lifted her hand and pressed his lips to her knuckles, his breath warm on her skin. ”You”re special, Maddy. I knew that the moment I saw you.”
Madison”s breath caught at the tenderness in his voice. No one had ever looked at her this way, like she was something precious. Tears stung her eyes, and she blinked them away.
”Hey.” Kyle scooted his chair closer and cupped her cheek. ”Did I say something wrong?”
She placed her hand over his, leaning into his touch. ”No. It”s just...it”s been a long time since anyone made me feel special.”
A flash of anger darkened Kyle”s eyes, there and gone in an instant. ”Rob was a fool.” He stroked her cheek with his thumb, his gaze softening. ”But his loss is my gain. Tell me you want that too, Maddy.”
“I do.” Madison turned her head to press a kiss to his calloused palm, and his breath hitched.
Arousal surged within her, intensifying with each caress of his thumb against her cheek.
Tonight, she didn’t feel ordinary. Tonight, Kyle made her feel like the only woman in the world.
”Tell me more about your time in the military,” she said softly, trying to focus on something other than the heat radiating from his strong thigh pressed against hers.
Kyle hesitated for a moment before starting to share some stories about his past experiences, his voice deep and rich like velvet.
Madison hung onto every word, captivated by the way he had moved through the world— driven by honor, duty, and an unwavering sense of responsibility. She felt a growing pull to the wounded hero sitting beside her, and it both frightened and exhilarated her.
As the main course arrived, a succulent steak with garlic mashed potatoes and asparagus, the tension between them sizzled.
Kyle couldn”t take his eyes off Madison, particularly her lips as they wrapped around her fork or the rim of her wine glass. He was entranced, and Madison could feel her cheeks flush under his intense scrutiny.
The power emanating from him ignited a fire in her belly, a craving she hadn”t experienced in years…until she’d met Kyle.
She glanced around the restaurant, noticing several women stealing appreciative glances at him. Even the sultry waitress seemed to be flirting with him, eyes lingering on his broad chest and chiseled jawline as she placed their plates on the table.
But Kyle only had eyes for Madison.
”Have I told you how incredible you look tonight?” Kyle murmured, his voice husky and filled with longing.
”You have. Thank you,” Madison replied, barely managing a whisper. Her heart raced as she took a sip of her wine, its rich flavor coating her tongue. ”I haven”t felt this carefree in a long time.”
”Good,” he said, reaching for her hand beneath the table, intertwining their fingers again. ”You deserve to be happy, Maddy.”
When he was finished with his meal, heart pounding, Madison gathered her courage. ”Would you like to go back to my place after this?”
Kyle went still, his eyes searching hers. For a moment, she feared she”d been too bold. Then a slow, devastating smile spread across his lips.
”I”d love nothing more.” His voice was a low rumble that resonated through her entire body. ”If you”re sure that”s what you want.”
”I”m sure.” Madison slid her hand up his arm, thrilling at the solid muscle under her palm. ”I don”t want this night to end just yet.”
”Good.” Kyle leaned in, his breath warm on her ear. ”Because I”m not done with you yet.”
Arousal spiked through Madison, settling low in her belly with a throb. She squirmed in her seat, acutely aware of the slickness between her thighs. When had she last felt this way, so hot that she ached with need?
Years. It had been years.
Kyle brushed her hair aside and pressed a soft kiss to her neck, then pulled back to gaze at her with darkened eyes. ”Are you ready to go?”
Madison nodded, pulse racing.
Kyle squeezed her hand and stood, helping her to her feet. He kept hold of her hand as they walked to his truck, his palm warm and callused against hers.
The drive to her house passed in a haze of anticipation.
Kyle kept one hand on her knee, his touch burning through the fabric of her dress, stoking the flames of her desire ever higher. It was all she could do to keep from reaching out and touching him, exploring the hard planes of his body that she craved so desperately.
By the time they reached her front door, Madison was nearly mindless with need.
She fumbled with her keys, laughing a little at her own eagerness, and Kyle”s rumbling chuckle sent heat rolling through her.
At last the door opened. Kyle swept her into his arms and carried her over the threshold, kicking the door shut behind them.
Her thoughts drifted to how long it had been since she had last been naked with a man and how motherhood had changed her body. She couldn”t help but feel a pang of self-consciousness, wondering if Kyle would still find her attractive once the heat of the moment had passed.
But one look into his smoldering eyes banished those fears—he wanted her, all of her.
She melted into his embrace, desire pulsing hot through her veins.
Inside the bedroom, Kyle lowered Madison to her feet, but kept her caged in the circle of his arms. His gaze was molten, filled with a hunger that echoed her own.
”You”re so beautiful,” he rasped in the dark room, stroking a roughened hand down her cheek. ”I can”t wait to worship every inch of you.”
A shiver rolled down Madison”s spine at the promise in his words. She curled her hands into his shirt and tugged him down for a searing kiss.
It was their first one.
Kyle groaned, the sound vibrating against her lips. His hands slid down to grip her waist, pulling her in tight against him.
Madison gasped as she felt the hard length of his arousal pressed to her belly.
”I want you,” Kyle breathed, trailing hot kisses along her jaw. ”I want to be inside you, feel you come apart around me. I want to hear my name come out of your sweet mouth while you come.”
Madison whimpered, desire coiling hot and tight within her. She slid her hands under his shirt, splaying her fingers over the ridged muscles of his abdomen.
Kyle shuddered under her touch and lifted his head to capture her mouth again. The kiss was hungry, devouring, and it left her dizzy and breathless.
She fumbled with the buttons of his shirt, managing to get a few undone before Kyle took over. He shrugged out of the shirt and reached for the zipper of her dress, his gaze burning into hers.
The zipper slid down, the air cool against her heated skin. Kyle peeled the dress from her body with reverent hands, dropping to his knees as inch after inch of her was revealed.
He pressed a soft kiss to her stretchmark-lined belly, just above the line of her panties.
”So beautiful,” he whispered again, looking up at her. ”You”re perfect.”
Madison flushed at the reverence in his tone, but before she could respond, he hooked his fingers under the edge of her panties and slowly drew them down.
She gasped as Kyle nuzzled against her bare sex, his stubble rasping over her sensitive flesh. She clutched at his shoulders for support, her knees nearly buckling at the sensation.
”You”re so wet for me already,” Kyle growled. He slid one thick finger through her folds, circling her until she cried out. ”I can”t wait to taste you.”
He leaned in and licked a broad stroke over her center. Madison whimpered, heat pooling low in her belly. Kyle latched onto her clit, sucking gently as he eased two fingertips into her entrance.
She rocked her hips, grinding against his mouth as stars burst behind her eyes. His fingers curled gently just inside her, finding a spot that made her knees weak and her thoughts disappear.
She clutched at his head, her fingers sinking into his hair.
Kyle groaned against her, the vibrations shooting bolts of pleasure through her. His free hand slid around to grip her ass, holding her in place as he feasted.
Madison felt her climax building, an unstoppable wave of pleasure threatening to send her flying. She gasped Kyle”s name in warning, but he only redoubled his efforts, lavishing her with his tongue and fingers until her orgasm crashed over her in massive waves.
Kyle gentled his touch, lapping at her until the tremors faded. He kissed his way back up her body, pausing to tease each nipple before claiming her mouth again.
Madison could taste herself on his lips and hummed in pleasure. She reached between them, palming the hard length of him through his pants.
”I want you inside me,” she breathed against his mouth. ”Now.”
Kyle shuddered, desire darkening his eyes. ”Your wish is my command.”
He stood, stripping off the rest of his clothes with impatient movements. Madison took the opportunity to admire his powerful body, tracing the lines of muscle and scars with her gaze.
When he finished, she drew in a sharp breath.
His erection stood thick and proud, the tip glistening with moisture. Her mouth watered at the sight, imagining how he would feel sliding over her tongue.
Another time.
Kyle grabbed a condom from her nightstand and rolled it on with a groan. He leaned over her again, bracing his weight on one arm. His free hand slid down to position himself at her entrance, the blunt head nudging between her folds.
”Look at me,” he rasped, cupping her jaw.
Madison met his gaze, struck by the intensity of emotion she saw reflected there. ”I love you.”
He thrust home in one smooth stroke, filling her so completely and perfectly that tears sprang to her eyes. Kyle went still above her, jaw clenched against a moan as he struggled for control.
Madison wrapped her legs around his hips, holding him close. She traced the lines of his face with trembling fingers, brushing over his lips.
”I love you too. Now move.”
Kyle pulled back and slammed into her again, setting a rough, slow rhythm. Madison cried out, pleasure lancing through her with every thrust. She met him stroke for stroke, clinging to his shoulders.
His name fell from her lips like a litany as her second orgasm approached, gathering in the base of her spine. Kyle slid one hand between them, circling her clit with his thumb.
The dual sensations sent her tumbling over the edge with a scream, her inner walls clamping down on Kyle”s length.
“Say it again, Maddy,” he begged.
“I love you, Kyle,” she whispered in his ear.
He thrust deep once more, groaning her name and cursing as he followed her into release.
They clung to each other as aftershocks rippled through their bodies, Kyle”s welcoming weight anchoring her against the mattress.
He nuzzled into her neck, pressing soft kisses over her fluttering pulse.
Madison smiled, sated and replete, basking in the warmth of Kyle”s embrace. This was where she was meant to be.
They lay there for a long while, relaxed and happy, regaining their breath with sweat drying on their skin. Nothing needed to be said. She caressed his skin and he held her tight, placing sporadic kisses against her temple as they rested.
Eventually, Kyle rolled to his side, pulling Madison into his arms. She curled against his chest, tracing idle patterns over his skin.
”You”re beautiful,” he said softly, tucking a stray lock of hair behind her ear. ”Every single part of you. Don”t ever doubt that.”
Madison blinked back tears, overwhelmed by the depth of love and acceptance in his gaze. ”I don”t know what I did to deserve you.”
”You were you.” Kyle smiled and pressed a kiss to her forehead. ”You’re all I”ve ever wanted. Everything you’ve been through has made you who you are today.”
She slid her hands over the ridged scars on his torso, scars that spoke of sacrifice and courage in the face of unimaginable pain. ”You”re one to talk. The things you”ve endured...”
“I never told you about McClellan,” he said after a moment’s hesitation.
“McClellan? Like your chalet?”
He nodded. “I named the chalet, and my foundation, McClellan’s Hope, after a man named James McClellan.”
The way he said it, so stoically and so heartbreakingly solemn, told her all she needed to know about what happened to him.
“James was another man on our team. He made it home without too many physical scars, but he blamed himself for some things that happened with Murdock. He…couldn’t cope. Took a quick way out, violent. I blame myself because I didn’t see it in time. The others, they did too. Murdock maybe most of all.”
“What happened to him?” Madison asked, feeling her throat tighten up as she thought about the massive guilt Kyle and the others must have been living with.
And Murdock…poor Cal.
“Shot himself. John and I, we found him in his apartment a couple days later. I don’t want to talk about it anymore right now, but I thought you should know. Wanted you to know. Sometimes Murdock gets into a mood. Hell, maybe we all do, but that’s a big part of why.”
She wrapped her arms around him and he rested his head on her breast and listened to her steady heartbeat. “And that’s why you were so driven to provide a place for people like Aiden and Jace.”
He nodded. “And because I needed something too. After I thought I was done fighting, I came back and found that we were all still fighting, maybe in a different way, but just as bloody and violent as before. It gave me the focus I needed at the time.”
“And now?”
He moved up to rest on an elbow. “Now, I’m right where I was supposed to end up all along. Now, I have you.”
Madison couldn’t help the tears that welled up in her eyes.
”Don”t dwell on the past.” Kyle tilted her chin up, forcing her to meet his eyes. ”What matters is here and now. You and your kids are my future, Madison. My reward for surviving hell.”
”I love you so much.” She stretched up to kiss him, slow and sweet. ”Thank you for loving me as I am.”
”Always.” After several long moments, where he ran his hands up and down her sides, memorizing her curves and causing her to shiver, Kyle rolled her beneath him again, desire darkening his eyes to midnight. ”Now, our mission here has a strict time limit. Are you ready for round two?”
Madison laughed, desire stirring low in her belly at the hard length pressed against her hip. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him down for another kiss.
”Absolutely.”
Kyle reached for another condom on the nightstand and tore the packet open with his teeth, staring down at her with a hungry gleam in his eyes. Madison”s breath caught as he rolled the latex down his rigid length, her core clenching in anticipation.
When he positioned himself at her entrance, he paused, searching her face. ”Last chance to change your mind.” His lips quirked up at the corners. ”I won”t hold it against you if you”re not up for another round.”
Madison rolled her eyes, even as warmth flooded her at his teasing. Trust Kyle to find a way to lighten the mood. She hooked her leg around his hip and arched up, gasping as he slid into her slick heat in one smooth thrust.
”Does that answer your question?” She dragged his mouth down to hers, moaning into the kiss as he began to move. Slow, deep strokes that had her trembling and clutching at his shoulders.
”Sassy.” Kyle nipped at her lower lip, his rhythm intensifying. ”You”ll be the death of me yet.”
”No way. I’ll never let you go,” Madison shot back, clenching around him as ecstasy began to build.
She cried out, back arching, as his fingers slipped between their joined bodies to stroke her.
Kyle groaned, burying his face in her neck as his hips bucked. ”That”s it, baby. Come for me again.” His breath was hot against her skin, his voice rough with passion. ”I want to feel you come apart around me again. One more time.”
His words shattered the last of her restraint and she came with a sob, her inner walls convulsing around Kyle”s thrusting length. He stiffened against her, growling out her name as he followed her over the edge.
For a long moment they lay entwined, panting for breath, Madison idly tracing patterns over the sweat-slicked muscles of Kyle”s back. A deep contentment settled over her, more profound than anything she”d known before.
She”d found her happy ending at last.
∞∞∞
The next few weeks passed in a blissful haze.
Kyle spent nearly every day at her place, playing with the kids and helping put them to bed before joining Madison on the couch. They talked for hours, learning everything there was to know about each other. Some night, after the kids had been settled down and were long asleep. then made love with a quiet passion that still astonished her.
He was caring, kind, patient - everything she”d ever wanted in a partner. And the way he was with her children made Madison”s heart melt. He treated them as his own, tucking them in at night with stories and songs, helping with schoolwork and playing in the yard with them.
Kyle even drove them all up to visit Helen once the doctor had given them the okay. Helen had been tired, and her left side had been affected by the stroke, but it didn’t diminish her sense of humor or her zest for life.
Every time Kyle had turned his back, Helen had given her a lewd wink.
The kids had gone with her to McClellan’s Hope every night for dinner, deepening their connection with John and the others. The men had fully embraced her and her children, joking and teasing in a way that made her feel like she belonged.
Madison knew it was fast, that they”d only been together a short time, but it felt so right. She”d found her soulmate, her best friend, the missing piece that made her whole.
Kyle was it for her. Madison wanted nothing more than to continue on this path with him by her side, building a life and a family. She wanted the white picket fence, the backyard barbecues, the lazy Sunday mornings together.
And she knew, without a doubt, that Kyle wanted the exact same thing.
”I love you,” she whispered, pressing a soft kiss to his sleeping face.
Kyle”s arms tightened around her in response, a small smile curving his lips. ”Love you too, Maddy,” he mumbled, still mostly asleep. ”Always.”
Madison smiled, settling into his embrace with a contented sigh. The future was theirs for the taking, and she couldn”t wait to build that life together.