28. Maddox

Chapter 28

Maddox

After an hour spent walking around the Christmas market set up in downtown Hartford, where we'd purchased a few handcrafted gifts for Bristol's parents, we returned to the home she'd grown up in north of the city.

Parking out front, she breathed out, "Let's try this again."

"Stay here," I instructed, stepping outside.

Rounding the hood of our rental, I pulled her door open, offering my hand to help her down the step that lowered from the side of the vehicle.

She immediately curled into my side, fitting perfectly, like she'd always belonged there. Deciding to come back later for our bags, I kept her close as we approached the front door.

When Bristol reached for the doorknob without knocking, I asked, "You sure that's a good idea? They aren't expecting us yet. What if they think it's an intruder?"

With a roll of her eyes, she pushed inside, throwing back, "Then I guess it's a good thing my daddy doesn't own a gun."

"Little smartass," I grumbled under my breath .

A feminine voice called out from deep within the house at the sound of the front door opening. "Bristol, honey? Is that you?"

"I'm home!" Bristol shouted in response.

Rushed footsteps sounded, and a woman in her mid-forties with red hair, just like Bristol's, rounded the corner of the short hallway visible from the entryway. "Oh!" She picked up speed until she had the girl I loved wrapped in her arms.

Chuckling, Bristol peeled herself away from her mom. "It's good to see you too."

The older woman gave her daughter a playful frown as she threw both hands on her hips. "You're early. I wanted to have dinner ready when you arrived."

I chose that moment to break into this mini-family reunion. "That would be my fault. I insisted that we fly in, as the roads can be too treacherous at this time of year."

Bristol's mom was so focused on seeing her daughter home that she hadn't noticed me standing there until I spoke, and her jaw dropped when her eyes trailed up my tall body until they reached my face.

"Whoa," was all she could manage on an exhale. It was not lost on me that I was probably closer to her age than her daughter's.

"Oh my God," Bristol groaned. "Mom, put your tongue away."

That seemed to snap her out of her trance, and she gave a tiny shake of her head as if to clear it. "Sorry. Where are my manners?" She offered me her hand. "You must be Bristol's friend. I'm her mom, Daphne."

"Maddox." I shook her hand.

Daphne turned back to her daughter. "I can't believe you got on a plane!"

Bristol rolled her eyes. "Mom, you know I travel all the time for work."

"Right, right." She nodded .

Returning to my side, Bristol slipped her hand into mine. "Actually, Maddox has been really helpful when we fly."

"Oh." Daphne's gaze honed in on the intimate gesture. "Do you work for the team too?" she asked me.

"Something like that." It was clear her mom wasn't as into sports as her dad.

"Bristol, your dad's out back in the shed doing God knows what. Why don't you get your guest a drink, and I'll see if I can tempt him inside to visit with you for a bit." She smirked, and the resemblance to her daughter became even more clear. "Maybe I'll tell him he lost track of time, and the football game started early. He'll be running in here like his hair is on fire if he thinks he missed even a minute."

When she was gone, I shed my coat, placing it on the rack near the door and hanging Bristol's beside it.

"Guess you weren't kidding when you said your dad was a sports nut," I mused as she led me further into the house, stopping in the kitchen.

"You have no idea," Bristol said under her breath as she opened the fridge and produced a bottle of white wine.

"I'll take that." I eased the chilled glass from her hand.

"Never gonna let me live that down, are you?" she teased.

Shaking my head, I vowed, "Never." Dipping my head, I grazed the shell of her ear with my lips. "It'll be a great story to tell the grandkids someday."

I was rewarded with a full-body shiver from the woman I loved. She might be putting up walls to protect herself so she didn't end up hurt again, but there was no denying she wanted to believe there could be a real future for us. I had nothing but time to convince her that I couldn't picture myself with anyone else. Ever .

Bristol busied herself searching kitchen drawers for a corkscrew. When she located it, she handed it to me without making eye contact. I opened the wine as she placed two glasses on the counter to be filled.

"Holy fucking shit." A male voice sounded from behind us, and I spun around to find a man in his late forties with graying brown hair staring at me with wide blue eyes that matched those of the girl standing beside me.

Daphne smacked her husband on the bicep, chastising, "Russ! Language!"

Bristol approached her father. "Daddy, I told you I was bringing home a guy."

Russ Cooper spared his daughter a glance before retraining his sharp gaze on me. "Yeah, a guy. Not Maddox fucking Sterling."

"Honestly, I don't know why I even bother," Daphne muttered, stepping into the kitchen to check something inside the oven.

Setting the wine bottle on the counter, I approached the man staring me down, offering him my hand. "Nice to meet you, Mr. Cooper."

He snorted, ignoring my gesture and turning to Bristol. "Is this for real?"

She nudged him with her shoulder. "Be nice. He's special to me."

The way she peeked at me through her lowered lashes with a shy grin had my heart squeezing inside my chest as I admitted to her father, "Bristol's very special to me too."

Eyeing our private exchange, he cleared his throat. "Well, shit. Here I was thinking you were in trouble bringing your boss home with you." He finally took my outstretched hand, giving it a hearty shake. "It's just Russ."

"Russ," I noted aloud with a nod.

"He's not my boss, Daddy," Bristol clarified. "I work for the newspaper, not the Speed. I only report on them."

He grunted as if that made little difference. "You're not in the other kind of trouble, are you?" There was a pointed look toward her stomach.

"Lord help me," she muttered. "No."

Russ shrugged. "I'm in no position to judge." He threw an arm around Bristol's shoulders. "This one was the best little mistake I ever made."

My eyes bulged, and Bristol's face turned red. Five minutes with the man, and I'd discovered he had no filter. I could only imagine the types of things Bristol had heard out of his mouth growing up.

Bristol dared to peek at me. "Aren't you glad you decided to tag along?"

I flashed her my most charming smile. "I'm learning so much about you, babe."

"You like football?" Russ didn't seem to care about my exchange with his daughter.

"Sure. What red-blooded American doesn't?" I replied.

"Good. You're with me in the den. Game's about to start."

Eager to get on Russ's good side, considering I wanted a permanent place in Bristol's life, I looked to her for permission. She must have seen the need for acceptance written all over my face because she slipped from beneath her father's arm and shooed us. "Go on, you two. Try not to yell too loud. No one needs the cops called on Christmas Eve because a ref made a call you didn't like."

Following the man into a room off the kitchen, I came to an abrupt halt, taking in my surroundings. Bristol had called this room a den, but it could have just as easily passed as a shrine to the Connecticut Comets. Every wall was covered in memorabilia. The only family photos present were of Russ and Bristol in their navy jerseys featuring the Comets logo from various games over the years.

"You gonna sit down or what?" Russ's gruff voice demanded my attention, and I shook off my surprise enough to join him .

Crossing the room, I sank onto the opposite side of the navy and gray upholstered couch—Comets colors. The man took being a superfan to the next level.

The Hartford Hawks had just kicked off, and we sat in companionable silence for a while.

At the first commercial break, Russ said, "I have to say, I'm a big fan."

I fought to hold in a snort. That was doubtful.

Gesturing around the room, I mused, "Yeah, sure looks like it."

He chuckled. "No, seriously. You taking that penalty in OT during Game 7 against the Comets?" Russ brought his fingers to his lips as he smacked them. "Chef's kiss."

I sucked in a sharp breath of air through my teeth. "Yeah, that one still stings."

"I'll bet. There's no doubt that whoever won that series was going to win it all." And the Comets had gone on to win the championship that year.

Nodding, I agreed, "You're probably right."

"Shame what happened to you."

The phantom pain in my right knee kicked up for the first time in months, and I rubbed my fingers against the spot where my scars would serve as a permanent reminder of what I'd lost that day.

"Yeah." I didn't really want to talk about it but was trying not to come off as rude.

"Listen, Maddox." Russ's tone sharpened, and I turned to face him. He nodded toward the kitchen. "She doesn't know I know about the last pro she dated." A hard expression stole over his features. " Dated is too nice of a word for it if you ask me."

"You won't get an argument from me on that count," I gritted out.

"I'm not making any excuses for the idiot, but he was young—I can only imagine what it must be like to have women throwing themselves at you on a daily basis and how hard it is to resist. But you're old enough to know better. Treat her right and we won't ever have an issue, understood?"

"I have no intentions of hurting your daughter, sir."

Russ shrugged. "No one ever plans on hurting the people they love, but sometimes it happens anyway. My daughter's got a big heart. She loves hard. I don't want to see her living life on the run after another man promises her the world and then snatches it away. So, when times get tough—and don't you dare try to tell me they won't because life doesn't work that way—you make sure to fight for her."

If only he knew how hard I already had fought to earn a spot in Bristol's life.

"That's solid advice. Thank you, Russ."

He grunted, turning back to the TV screen, and didn't utter another word to me until the ladies called us in for dinner.

"I think your dad likes me," I whispered in the dark, lying beside Bristol in bed.

She turned onto her side, bringing her hand to rest over my bare chest. "What tipped you off? That he's letting you have a sleepover in my room?"

"That was a nice surprise." My arm slid down her back, teasing the curve of her ass where the T-shirt she'd stolen from me had ridden up. "But I think he gave me the ‘dad' speech."

The moonlight filtered over her face as she peered up at me, her brows drawn down. "What's the ‘dad' speech? "

"You know, the one where it's all ‘marriage is hard; don't give up on each other'." I blew out a breath. "There was definitely a ‘don't hurt my daughter, or I'll hunt you down and kill you' thrown in there for good measure."

"And this is why I don't bring guys home," Bristol grumbled.

I tickled her side, and she squirmed away. "He already thought you might be pregnant. Would it really be better if we showed up one day, married with a kid, because you were too afraid I'd spook if you brought me home sooner? I don't mind it. He's only looking out for you like a good father should."

"Hmm. How about we circle back to you always bringing the conversation around to marriage and kids?"

Turning on my side so we were facing each other, I tucked my arm beneath my head. "Sure, I'd love to talk about marriage and kids with you."

Bristol raised her eyes to the ceiling in annoyance. "That's not what I meant. You're jumping, like, twenty steps. I just got out of a long-term, not-really-a-relationship kinda situation. And while I do love you, I don't want anyone to think it's me rebounding."

"I don't give a damn what anyone else thinks. It's our life."

"I know. And I can appreciate that your head's already in that place. I can't tell you how to feel. But I need you to respect that mine's not there yet. Okay?"

She made a good point. It was asking too much to discuss long-term plans when she was fresh out of a bad relationship. No matter how strong my feelings for her.

"Okay," I agreed. "We'll table that convo for now."

"Thank you. "

Bristol lay back in bed, resting her hands behind her head. The position left her legs splayed, with her shirt riding up enough to showcase that she wasn't wearing any panties.

My hand teased over the bare skin of her inner thigh, skimming higher until I brushed against her warm center. Shifting my body closer, I said in her ear, "You make an excellent point, though. Not sure I'm ready to give up having you all to myself."

With that, I dipped between her thighs, relishing the soft moan that slipped from her lips as I circled two fingers over her clit.

Even though her hips bucked, searching for more contact, she protested breathlessly, "We probably shouldn't. These walls are thin. Could make for a very awkward situation around the breakfast table tomorrow if we're overheard."

I nibbled on her earlobe, complaining, "But I haven't had a proper taste of my pussy since last night."

That earned me a giggle that transitioned into a moan as I picked up the pace of my fingers working her over. She began to shift restlessly on the bed, chasing her pleasure.

"Just a taste," I promised, slinking down the bed, ducking beneath the thigh closest to me.

Suddenly, Bristol tensed above me. "You can't!" she whisper-shouted.

I froze. Up to that point, everything had been playful, but the shift in her tone told me she was serious.

"What's wrong?" I couldn't keep the concern from my voice.

She draped an arm over her eyes. "Nothing."

"This doesn't work if you don't talk to me, Bristol." My forehead dropped onto her thigh.

A muffled groan sounded from above, followed by several deep breaths. "Fine. You're really gonna make me say it? "

Frustrated, I huffed, "I don't even know what ‘it' is."

"I have my period, okay?"

"So?" I didn't see the problem.

" So ?" Incredulous, she repeated my question. " So , I would think it would be obvious why you can't go down on me tonight."

Shoving the hem of her T-shirt higher until her belly was exposed, I asked, "Why not? You clearly have the situation handled since you're not wearing panties and the sheets don't resemble a crime scene. Plus, I've heard orgasms are great for relieving cramps."

"Un-fucking-believable," Bristol muttered.

"Is that you giving me the green light? Because it could go either way."

"I—" She paused for a second, and I could almost hear the gears turning in her head. "I don't think I can be quiet enough. And I'm not really in the mood to have more underwear shoved inside my mouth."

"Are you out of excuses yet? Because I have the perfect gag for you tonight." I flashed her a wicked grin.

Bristol sighed, her blue eyes peeking down at me for the first time since explaining that she was on her period. "You seriously want to do this?"

I placed a kiss over her mound, another over her belly, then I dropped one over her racing heart as I climbed up her body. When I brought my face even with hers, I made sure she could see the sincerity in my eyes as I said, "Baby, I would die for the taste of your pussy. I need you to know that."

Her breathing hitched, and the blue of her eyes was rapidly replaced with black as her pupils dilated, giving away that she wanted me to bury my face between her legs as much as I did.

"You make it really hard to say no when you talk like that," Bristol forced out between pants as my fingers dove back into the heat between her thighs .

My lips lingered over the pulse point fluttering at the base of her throat before trailing a path along the curve of her neck. Her back arched as soft moans filtered into the air.

When I reached her ear, I whispered huskily, "Kinda what I was counting on."

She hummed, which was the closest thing I was going to get to consent, as she was already lost to lust. If she said no again or asked me to stop, I would, but for now, it would seem she was ready and willing to give herself over to the pleasure I promised.

I began to move down her body once more, but she halted me by gripping my hardened cock. Her soft hand gave a firm tug, and I thrust into it, groaning. I should have known my little hellcat wouldn't go down without a fight.

When my head dropped against her breast, she purred, "How about this? I take care of your little problem here"—she slipped inside my boxer briefs, squeezing my cock skin to skin—"and we call it a night."

Rearing back, I scoffed. "Little?" The woman couldn't even get her fingers all the way around my girth, for crying out loud.

Bristol rolled her eyes. "What do you want me to say?" Her voice took on the breathy quality of a porn star. "Oh, Maddox. You have the biggest cock I've ever seen in real life. Please let me put it in my mouth until I'm gagging around it."

Even aroused out of my mind, I chuckled. She was amazing, bringing levity to my life when outside forces had threatened to crush my spirit. I never wanted to live another day without her by my side. Even if she wasn't ready to accept that inevitability yet, I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt she was the person I was always meant to find. Just never expected it to be in a karaoke bar, of all places .

"Baby, it's like you read my mind." I tugged her nipple between my teeth.

"I did?" Bristol quickly covered her confusion with confidence. "Of course I did. Glad you've finally come to your senses."

Yeah, she was in for a big surprise. I still fully intended to drink my fill of her delicious pussy, but she needed a gag and I came equipped with one, as she'd so eloquently pointed out.

Laying back, I rested both hands beneath my head, assuming the position for her to blow me. Blue eyes flaring, she licked her lips and crawled backward on her knees until she was positioned between my open thighs. Tugging my underwear low enough that I could kick them aside, she brought her mouth to hover over my cock.

I allowed myself exactly one second to enjoy the tight, wet suction before tensing my abs and sitting up. My hands anchored on her hips and lifted them, swiveling her body until her pussy landed right on my face, as I'd intended from the start. I was lowering myself back onto the bed when the surprise of my actions finally caught up to Bristol, and she wrenched her mouth off my dick and whipped her head around to face me.

"What are you doing?" The words were choppy, her breathing ragged.

Pulling her hips down enough that I could take that first delicious swipe through her slit, I groaned, explaining, "My pussy needs me. Scratch that. I need my pussy. Maybe it's both. Kinda like the chicken or the egg kinda situation. Doesn't really matter. So long as I get bathed in your scent, your flavor coating my tongue."

A wrinkle formed between her brows as her hazy mind tried to process the new position and my words. "But I thought . . ." She shook her head. "But you said . . ."

She needed a little help, so I offered it. "What I said was I needed the nectar of your sweet pussy sliding down my throat, drowning me, but you were the one that offered up my cock as a gag. It's a win-win, really, don't you think, love?"

Bristol trembled in my arms as realization sank in that I would be eating her out as she sucked me off, her mouth stuffed so full of my cock she couldn't make a sound loud enough to alert her parents of our activities down the hall from where they slept.

Keeping one hand on her hip so she didn't attempt to crawl away, I tangled the other in her long red hair, forcing her mouth back toward my waiting cock. As soon as her lips were wrapped around the head and she sank lower, taking me impossibly deep, I groaned, "Do us both a favor and don't bite off my dick when you come."

There was a muffled response, but she didn't stop, didn't pull off, the vacuum of her mouth driving me insane. Confident she was going to be a good girl and stay put, I let my hand trail up her spine until I had both hands on her ass, spreading her open wider for me.

She was drenched, which was perfect because I was starving.

My tongue darted out, circling her swollen clit. Bristol had been trying to hover over my mouth, but her legs gave out as I teased that hidden bud, her weight dropping so she was firmly seated atop my face. I fucking loved that she was so lost to pleasure that she didn't have any concerns about suffocating me. Her hips bucked frantically, taking what she wanted, which was the ultimate turn-on—she was always so uninhibited in bed.

Focusing on her was all I needed to stave off my own orgasm; it was the perfect distraction because, God help me, I would never take my pleasure before hers.

The closer she drew to climax, the sloppier her mouth became. Her jaw had gone slack, moans slipping out around my cock as it merely rested between her parted lips .

Intent on directing her focus back to the task at hand, I slapped her ass, causing her to jolt atop me. A faint whimper reached my ears, but I kept my tone firm. "Keep sucking, beautiful. Moan around my cock. Let me feel it when you come."

On command, she closed her lips and moaned around my shaft, the vibrations settling deep within my balls. That was all the prompting I needed to get her off as quickly as possible before I spilled my load down her throat without warning with my own mouth full.

Arching my neck, I latched my teeth around her clit, tugging as my tongue flicked furiously against it. Even muffled, her moans grew so loud I knew there was a chance they would be overheard, but there was no stopping this train now. My desperation for her to come outweighed my own sexual needs, even as I felt my balls drawing tight.

Finally, a rush of arousal flooded my face, rolling down the back of my throat as Bristol's body tensed and her mouth slid impossibly deeper onto my cock with her moans of release.

I was so caught up in drinking her down that I hadn't realized I was seconds away from coming myself. Forcing her pussy off my face, I gasped for air, my brain screaming that I needed to warn her before it was too late.

The way she had me primed, I knew this wasn't going to be a small orgasm, and if she wasn't prepared to swallow, she'd likely choke on my cum.

I found my voice just in the nick of time.