Chapter 17
What the hell was I thinking? I’m not staying in town and Madison isn’t the type of woman to have a fling with. Not because she isn’t gorgeous or a man’s wet dream, but because she deserves so much more than a fling.
Madison Hawthorne is the kind of woman you stay for. The kind of woman you create a life with, a family with.
Not that any of those things stop my mind from replaying that kiss over and over again. Cold shower be damned.
When Madison melted against me, everything changed. The kiss went from soft and hesitant to hard and desperate.
I rub my hand over my lips, still feeling her mouth against mine. Her sweet taste from the sour watermelons she ate during the movie still lingers on my tongue.
It’s a stupid move, one I’ve been able to fight every morning when I wake up, but not today. The moment my hand touches my hard cock the guilt surfaces. I try thinking about anyone else, even a faceless woman, but nothing compares to Madison.
I can’t stop my mind from conjuring images of the things I wanted to do to her—with her—last night.
Instead of walking out of her house I carry her back to the living room, my lips never leaving hers. There’s a desperation behind every touch, but it’s slow and purposeful, drawing out every ounce of pleasure. Savoring every inch of exposed skin as I slip her sweater over her head.
I’d like to say kneeling before her was an intentional move, but I’m man enough to admit I can’t hold myself up at the sight of her bare before me.
The groan that leaves my lips is a plea for mercy and Madison doesn’t disappoint. The heated look in her eyes tells me she’s just as desperate for this to continue.
Gripping her hips, I pull her into me, letting my lips create a path over her slightly rounded stomach and up to one of her pebbled nipples.
The gasp that leaves her lips only encourages me more, pulling the tight bud between my teeth and biting gently. Madison’s hands grip my shoulders, and I swear—even though there’s no space between us—she pulls me closer.
This time the moan that leaves my lips is real and I feel the precum beading at my tip. There’s a moment of hesitation before I give in, thrusting into my hand, letting it build. The image of Madison removing the last barriers between us floating behind my closed eyes.
I’m right on the edge—desperate for release—but a sound from downstairs stops me, and I have to bite my lip hard enough to draw blood to stop the groan from slipping free.
Cock still in hand, I strain to listen but hear nothing. It’s just as I’m starting to think I imagined it when I hear the creak of the bottom step.
“Fuck,” I hiss, releasing my aching cock and slipping from the bed.
I reach for the sweatpants piled on the floor and hastily put them on. There has to be something seriously wrong with me that the proof of what I was just doing is still evident behind the thick fabric now covering me, even knowing someone is sneaking around my house.
All hopes of it being Madison showing up early for her weekly check of the cottage are dashed as I turn around to find a complete stranger standing at the top of the stairs.
“Oh, sorry.” She giggles as her eyes trail over my bare chest and down to the erection I don’t have a chance in hell at covering. “I didn’t realize anyone would be here.”
With stiff movements, I bend for the shirt at my feet and slip it over my head. “Who are you?” The words are clipped, and part of me feels guilty for it, but then again, there’s a stranger in my cabin, one who didn’t knock and somehow made it through a locked door.
Her eyes bounce back to mine, as if only just realizing how inappropriate it is for her to be staring like she is. “I’m the new hire for The Lantern Inn,” she murmurs, shifting her weight from foot to foot.
My brows pinch. I know Madison’s been interviewing people, but she didn’t mention that she’d actually hired someone. “And you’re here because…”
“To clean?” The words are said so softly, I almost miss them.
I don’t know if she poses it as a question because she’s nervous or because she’s lying, but either way, I don’t believe her.
Madison and I just talked about the schedule she wanted to set up for cleaning the cottage.
I didn’t think it was necessary and honestly didn’t love the idea of someone being here every day, but we agreed once a week would be fine.
She also said it would be her handling the task, at least for a little while. There’s no way she wouldn’t have mentioned someone else would be coming today. Unless I’d completely ruined whatever we were building last night with that kiss.
“Why don’t we go downstairs?” I gesture behind her. I have so many questions, but I really don’t want to talk about in my room, the one I was just about to come in.
The woman spins and scurries down the stairs. Grabbing my phone from the nightstand, I glance at the time before slipping a sweatshirt over my head and following the mystery woman.
It’s a little after eight. Much later than I’m normally up, but a little early for Madison to be ready for her day, and I can’t imagine Madison wouldn’t be training this woman on what has to be her first day of work at the inn.
When I make it downstairs, the stranger is nowhere to be seen, but the front door is open and I hear Madison’s voice from the front porch.
“Holly? What are you doing here?”
“I thought you told me to meet you here this morning to start my training.”
“No. I told you to meet me at the main house at nine for your first day.” Madison’s eyes meet mine over the woman’s head as I step into the doorway. “I’m so sorry, Beckett.”
I open my mouth to tell her it’s fine, but she doesn’t let me say a word before she’s focusing all her attention back on Holly.
“Why don’t you head up to the main house and I’ll meet you there in a few minutes.
” Madison glances at her watch before continuing.
“Sarah should be at the front desk, and can get you the paperwork you’ll need to fill out before we get started. ”
I hear the slight sniffle and see Holly give a brief nod before she rushes down the porch steps and practically runs toward the golf cart she must have ridden over from the main house.
“Beckett, I have no idea how she even knew anyone was staying in the cottage. No one’s been told to come out here for any reason…” Madison’s words trail off as her gaze follows the path Holly just took, her fingers fidgeting with the hem of her sweater.
I know I’ve only known Madison for a little over a week, but the last time she was nervous like this was when she showed up at my door with dinner and an apology.
“Madison, it’s okay.”
“No.” She shakes her head, turning back to me for only a moment before her attention moves away again. “That was so inappropriate. I’ll make sure everyone knows not to come out this way.”
“Madison.”
“I never would’ve told her—”
“Madison.”
“To meet me here. Especially not—”
“Madison.”
“On her first day. Let alone have her—”
Given what I was doing ten minutes ago, my next move isn’t the smartest, but it’s the first thing that comes to mind to get Madison to stop talking.
Pulling her into me, my lips land on hers in a hard kiss. It’s nothing like the kiss last night and yet it’s familiar, like we’ve been doing this dance for years.
Madison’s shock quickly morphs into something else as she rises to her toes and grips my sweatshirt, her body melting into mine. The way our body’s fit together is like we were made for each other.
The thought jerks me back to reality, and I pull back from the kiss, thankful it takes Madison a few seconds to open her eyes.
It’s an odd sensation, the pride at knowing my kiss affected her so much mixed with the anxiety that I might be screwing this up royally.
Maybe it’s another mistake, but I don’t pull away. Keeping her tucked close to me, I gently push a piece of hair behind her ear, cupping her cheek to hold her attention.
“Sorry,” I whisper. “You wouldn’t stop talking and I didn’t know what else to do.”
“Uh-huh,” she murmurs, her glassy eyes bouncing between mine, and I don’t try to stop the small smile, pride winning out in the emotional boxing match happening in my head.
The glazed look in her eyes slowly morphs to unease and I have no idea what’s worrying her more—the kiss or the random woman showing up in the cottage.
I don’t want her to be anxious about either, but the truth is I don’t know what these kisses mean, and I don’t know if that’s something for either of us to be thinking about right now.
Leaving my hand where it is, I gently stroke my thumb across the smooth skin of her cheekbone. “Please don’t stress about what just happened.”
Madison’s body goes stiff but she melts into the touch on her cheek, her eyes studying mine. There’s part of me that wants to hide everything I’m feeling behind my practiced facade, but a bigger part of me can’t fathom hiding anything from this woman, not when she’s been so open with me.
“The kiss or Holly?” Madison’s words are quiet, a slight hitch to them, and it’s comforting knowing she’s struggling just as much as I am.
“Both.”
I don’t know what the kisses mean for this thing between us, but there’s nothing but truth in my words. None of the things that have happened this morning are worth her stress—especially when she already has so much on her plate.
My hand falls from her cheek as her gaze shifts from my face to my chest, her fingers twisting in the strings from my sweatshirt. From my angle I can’t see her eyes, but I can imagine the wheels are churning, thinking through if it’s possible to let everything about this morning go.
If her thoughts are anything like mine, it’s not something that will come easily.
I can’t stop myself. My hands slip under the hem of her sweater meeting the exposed skin on her back.
“Beckett,” she whispers. “What does it…” She doesn’t finish the question, and I don’t know if it’s because she doesn’t know how to or if it’s because she’s afraid of the answer.