Chapter Twenty-Three GRAHAM
Chapter Twenty-Three
GRAHAM
I chuckled as I read Madison’s text. She needed me to start a fire.
I could absolutely handle that. I was feeling uncertain about the pizza, though.
Actually, it wasn’t the pizza. I was unsettled about seeing Madison at all.
But Allie wanted to have pizza with her, and Allie was the ideal chaperone.
We could have pizza and then leave. Allie had no slumber party tonight, so I didn’t even need to worry about anything happening afterward. It was a safe plan, so I tapped out my reply.
Me: Sure thing. But I’m buying. We’ll be there in about 20 minutes. Any preferences for pizza?
Madison: Pepperoni if you and Allie like that. Otherwise, I’ll take whatever you like.
Me: Uh, we love pepperoni.
I was actually surprised she liked pepperoni.
That didn’t seem to fit with a former homecoming queen.
I’d been wrestling with that. Allie’s mom had been homecoming queen.
For some reason, I’d held that against her even though I’d been homecoming king.
Probably because that was how I ended up lusting after her so badly.
We’d been paired together for a series of events. She’d been young and beautiful, and I’d been young and looking for fun.
Madison was different, or maybe not. She was more than beautiful—sultry and stunning. I doubted Allie’s mom could start her own fire. Whatever. It was useless to have these mental debates with myself.
I set my phone down and looked ahead to see Allie coming out of the grocery store. We needed milk, and she’d volunteered to run in and get it. She slipped into the front seat, buckling up and setting the gallon of milk between her feet on the floor.
“Are we getting pizza with Maddie?”
“We’re picking it up and going to her place.”
“What kind does she want?”
I cast a quick grin as I backed out of the parking space. “Pepperoni.”
“Oh, she has my same favorite!”
My daughter clapped her hands, and I bit back a groan. “Don’t get any ideas,” I muttered as I started driving toward the pizza place.
When I slid my gaze sideways, I caught a dramatic eye roll, followed by an annoyed sigh. Allie didn’t dwell, though, and commented, “I get to see Wilbur. He’s so cute!”
“No argument there,” I offered.
In short order, we were turning down Madison’s driveway after picking up the pizza. Allie was practically bouncing in her seat with two boxes of pizza on her lap. “Do we need to bring the milk in?” she asked once I parked.
“Nah, it’s plenty cold out.”
Wilbur greeted us with a bark on the other side of the door before Madison swung it open.
I braced myself for the impact. As soon as my eyes collided with hers, it felt like a jagged bolt of lightning ripped through the air between us.
My entire body sizzled, and I took a quick breath. Madison’s eyes bounced away.
“Hey! We have two pizzas. Dad eats a whole pizza, so you and I can split the other,” Allie offered cheerfully.
Madison laughed as she opened the door wider. Wilbur was busy circling our feet, and she caught my eyes again. “I hear you need help with a fire. Let’s start with that.”
As we walked through the entryway, she gestured to a neat stack of wood beside the fireplace. “I tried starting it, but I can’t get it to light.” She bit her lip, and I forced my eyes away from lingering on it. “It’s silly. I should know how to start a fire.”
Allie chimed in, “I didn’t know until Dad taught me, and that was just last year. Plus, it’s cold in Alaska, and you’re from Texas. I’m guessing you don’t need fires down there.”
Madison cast her a grateful smile. “No, it’s pretty warm there.”
I crossed over, eyeing the stack of wood. It needed to be split, and she also needed some kindling. “Do you know if Harold left an ax or a maul?”
Madison nodded. “There’s an ax in the storage area on the porch.”
I walked out onto the front porch, silently lecturing myself.
Even if my entire body revved at the sight of Madison biting her plump bottom lip and I viscerally recalled the feel of her flying apart in my arms, I told myself she was not a practical girl, not the kind of girl I should fall for.
I already knew lust was no path to love.
Not to mention, I wasn’t even looking for love.
After I found the ax, I returned inside to fetch the wood. “Be right back. Why don’t you two start eating?” I called over my shoulder.
I heard Allie asking Madison where the plates were and then their footsteps as they made their way to the kitchen when I walked outside.
With a quick scan of the nearby trees, I discovered an old stump off to the side of the circular driveway where Harold chopped his wood.
I quickly split the small armful of wood.
After Madison found some old newspapers to use for kindling, I had a fire started in no time.
I returned outside and split more wood from the small pile Harold must’ve left behind. When I came back inside, Allie and Madison were already eating in the living room.
Allie paused between bites. “Go get your pizza. It’s on the kitchen counter, and there’s a plate for you. You can have ginger ale, orange soda, or water.”
“You happen to have a beer?” I asked, glancing toward Madison.
“I do. Check the fridge and help yourself. I didn’t offer Allie a beer.” At that, Allie rolled her eyes.
“I figured as much,” I said dryly.
A few minutes later, I was back in the living room.
Allie was sitting in the corner of the sectional while Madison sat on one side, and I sat on the other at an angle across from her.
The distance should have forced the lust racing in electrical cycles through my body to slow down.
No such luck. With Madison sitting across from me with one foot tucked under her knee, every subtle motion she made drew my eyes to her.
Her dark hair was pulled high on her head in a ponytail, and I wanted to slide it loose and wind it around my hand.
I could imagine doing precisely that and giving it a hard tug as I sank into her from behind.
That vision came to me after she had gone to the kitchen and then returned, bending over to check on Wilbur and giving me a most excellent view of her heart-shaped bottom.
Allie—hopefully oblivious to the thoughts spinning through my mind—chattered about a few things at school and asked Madison’s opinion on hair dye. “You’re not dyeing your hair,” I interjected when I kicked through the haze of lust clouding my thoughts.
“Why not?” Allie countered, looking affronted.
I sighed. “Uh, you’re just not.”
I saw the twitch of Madison’s lips, but she tightened the corners and managed to keep from smiling. I was feeling contrary, if only because I was annoyed at how easily Madison affected me. “Don’t you agree?” I pressed when I caught her eyes again.
“About what?” she asked, her tone light.
“Don’t you think she’s too young to dye her hair?”
Something flickered in Madison’s eyes, and she lifted her chin slightly, straightening where she sat on the couch.
She finished the last bite from a slice of pizza and set her plate down before replying.
“Actually, no. There are so many options for hair dye these days. She can do something temporary, and it’ll wash out within a week. ”
I blinked at her, surprised she’d disagreed with me. Meanwhile, Allie grinned. Wilbur jumped up beside her, and she leaned down to nuzzle his face and scratch behind his ears before looking up at me. “See, I told you it’s not a big deal.”
“I’ll think about it,” I grumbled. “But only something temporary.”
Now, Allie cast me a sly grin. “Absolutely. Just something temporary. I don’t want anything permanent anyway because what if I hate it?”
“Exactly,” Madison agreed. “You never know how it looks until you try it.”
I was relieved when they kept chatting as I finished off my pizza and beer.
A few minutes later, I was in the kitchen, rinsing my plate and closing up the pizza boxes.
I felt Madison enter the room. The hairs rose on the back of my neck and along my forearms. My body knew her.
I felt like a weathervane turning toward her.
She crossed over, stopping next to me and setting her plate on the counter.
“You don’t need to clean up. You bought the pizza.” She looked up at me, and for a second, I lost myself in her green eyes. There were layers of color, like a ray of sun shimmering into the ocean. My cock was so hard, I ached for her.
I stuffed my hands in my pockets to keep from kissing her senseless with my daughter only one room away. “Okay,” I replied, my voice coming out gruff. I cleared my throat and swallowed. “We’ll get going soon.”
“Thank you for starting the fire. You must think I’m silly,” she replied.
Her lips tilted into a lopsided, self-deprecating smile. I’d been trying to convince myself she was shallow and impractical. Just now, I felt a sharp twinge of guilt.
Shaking my head, I said, “Now you know how to start a fire. I split enough wood for a few days for you.”
“I saw that. Thank you.”
My fingers curled in my pockets, literally itching with the urge to reach for her. Suddenly, Allie was there, and I practically jumped at the sound of her voice.
“That was so good. Thanks for letting us stop by.” She walked across the kitchen with Wilbur trotting behind her.
Madison turned away from me, and I didn’t even hear what they were saying while I wrestled to kick my dirty thoughts to the curb.
This was a new problem for me. As a single father, I hadn’t found it difficult not to date.
Oh, sure. I was a healthy man with sexual needs, but the occasional passing interaction was enough to keep me satisfied.
But no one, no one, had ever distracted me the way Madison had.
If I was being honest, I knew I was in deep.
I needed to remember to be sensible. We left, and I drove home.
Later that night, I had to take matters into my own hands in the shower.
My climax hit me hard as one palm rested against the tile with my head bowed.
What a waste of an orgasm. Especially when I knew how much better it was with Madison.