30. Bristol

Chapter 30

Bristol

"Do I look okay?" I smoothed my hands over my skirt nervously.

Maddox's hungry gaze from across the hotel room had my blood heating and my pulse kicking up. "You look good enough to eat, baby."

When he stalked toward me, intention in his eyes, I held out both hands. "Oh, no. I know that look. We are due for dinner with your mother in thirty minutes. I've already been through the ‘I know you're having sex' embarrassment with my own mom. I don't need to up the ante with yours by showing up to the restaurant late. My pale skin will never cool enough in time, and she'll know exactly why."

A rumble sounded from deep within Maddox's chest. "Goddamn. I love when you're pink for hours after I fuck you."

"Later," I promised, sidestepping him and heading for the door.

Smirking, he pressed the back of his hand to his forehead. "You know, I think I'm coming down with something. Maybe we should cancel."

"Nice try." I pulled the door open. "Out you go."

Pouting, Maddox trudged toward the door, looking edible in a navy blue suit that paired perfectly with my cranberry sweater dress. "So mean," he whined as he crossed the threshold into the hall ahead of me.

"Dinner was your idea," I reminded him. "I'm not going to be the young hussy that keeps Mama Sterling from her baby boy the one time he visits Seattle during the season."

He linked his fingers through mine, and we walked together toward the elevator bank.

"Fine," he huffed. "But when we get back, I'm going to take out my frustrations on your hot little body."

A tremor ran down the length of my spine, and his chuckle beside me betrayed that he'd felt it.

"We'll see," was all I could manage as we stepped into the elevator.

The restaurant Maddox's mother chose was right on the water, the lights of Seattle sparkling in the reflection of the wavering surface. A hostess informed us our party was already waiting and led us to a table near the window.

A woman in her early sixties with gray hair cut into a bob stood at the sight of us. It was easy to tell she shared genetic material with the man I loved because she had the same stunningly green eyes that tracked our motion across the crowded restaurant. What took me by surprise was the tall man who rose to stand beside her. He was maybe a decade older than Maddox's mom .

I looked to Maddox in question, but he shrugged, even though his hand gripped mine a touch tighter.

"Maddox!" His mom held her arms open once we got close enough, and Maddox let go of my hand to accept her embrace.

"Hey, Mom," he said softly while she held him tight.

She pulled back enough to whisper, "She's so pretty," and I blushed.

Maddox pulled me to his side and introduced me. "Mom, this is Bristol Cooper. Bristol, this is my mom, Vivian Waller."

My eyebrows rose when I heard his mom had a different last name, as he hadn't mentioned that before. Now that I thought about it, he hadn't told me very much about his childhood, outside of the hockey parts. It was just another reminder that what we shared was still so new; we had a lot to learn about each other.

I extended my hand. "So nice to meet you, Ms. Waller."

She clasped both of her hands over mine. "Oh, aren't you adorable?" She peeked at Maddox. "Vivian is just fine."

"Vivian," I confirmed, giving her a smile I hoped exuded confidence. There was no question I would be judged tonight, but I wanted to make a great first impression.

When she released her hold on my hands, she looped her arm around that of the man hanging back. "This is Lewis, my husband."

For a moment, I simply stared, trying to process why Maddox hadn't told me he had a stepdad. When I peeked at him, his jaw was set tight, but he nodded to the man, muttering his name in acknowledgment.

"Pleasure." Lewis took my hand, bringing it to his lips and brushing my knuckles.

Maddox's grip tightened on my waist almost painfully. There was definitely a story there. But now was not the time to ask .

Vivian clapped her hands. "Let's sit! I've taken the liberty of ordering a bottle of Pinot Grigio since I assume we will all be having seafood this evening." She directed her next comment right at me. "You can't come to the Pacific Northwest and not eat straight from the sea. It's a sin! You won't get anything quite so fresh in the Midwest, I'm sure."

"Actually, I'm from New England," I offered.

"Oh!" Her green eyes widened. "Well, then you know!"

Maddox held a chair for me, waiting until I was seated before sitting beside me, keeping a protective arm around my waist. The tension radiating off him was palpable, and I wondered if it had anything to do with his mom bringing her husband. He hadn't mentioned that we would be meeting anyone other than his mother, and I was getting the vibe that he wasn't super fond of his stepdad.

I sipped the chilled white wine as Vivian did the same. She lowered her glass and looked me directly in the eye, asking, "So, when are you giving me grandbabies?"

"Mom!" Maddox groaned.

Only mildly stunned, I joked, "Well, there's no denying the two of you are related."

Vivian bounced in her seat. "Does that mean soon?" Her gaze slid to her son. "I'm not getting any younger, honey. I'm the last one of my friends left without them, and if you don't get busy soon, I'm afraid I'll be too old to enjoy them!"

I turned to Maddox, lowering my voice. "Remind me to keep our mothers far apart from each other." Neither one of them had any qualms about discussing our private sex life, and Maddox's had taken it a step further, demanding we procreate .

He hummed in response, addressing his mother. "Not exactly appropriate dinner conversation, Mom. Bristol and I only just started seeing each other."

Vivian waved a dismissive hand. "Don't try to fool me into believing this isn't serious. You've never brought a girl home to meet me before."

Curious, I peeked at Maddox. He'd been the one to ask to come home to Hartford with me to meet my parents. He was thirty-six, now; I just assumed he'd been through a serious relationship once or twice before. Guess I was wrong on that count.

His free hand covered mine where it rested atop the table as he declared, "You're right, Mom. Bristol is special. She's the most important person in my life."

The world faded away as we stared at each other.

Maddox had made good on his promise to put me at the center of his universe. Each day, he proved that in new ways. Today, it was claiming me in front of his mother. I never had to doubt whether his heart beat for me because he wasn't shy about sharing his feelings. He was physically and verbally affectionate in a way I'd never known before, and it made my soul sing.

He had to be the one because I couldn't imagine anything feeling better than this.

Vivian's sigh broke through our little bubble. "New love is always so beautiful to watch. Seems like only yesterday I was in that place myself."

Maddox grunted in response, picking up his menu.

With his wife dominating the conversation, Lewis remained silent throughout dinner, and I wondered if it had anything to do with how standoffish his stepson was, or if he was normally reserved.

Guess I wasn't the only one with people in their past who made them uncomfortable.

Stepping through the door of Maddox's hotel room, I slipped out of my heels, sighing in relief. Strong arms slipped around my waist as his voice spoke in my ear. "Need a foot rub?"

While I knew he was good for it, always putting me first, there was a suggestion that it would lead to sex.

I let him hold me, giving myself a minute to enjoy the comfort of his embrace. The tension he'd carried since entering the restaurant earlier that evening seemed to melt away through our body contact.

Maddox's face nuzzled my neck from behind. "I love you."

"Hmmm." I would never tire of hearing those words from his mouth. "I love you too."

Peeling his arms away from my waist, I walked across the room to put space between us while I dug through my suitcase.

"Want to talk about why you were a grump all night?"

"Not particularly." His tone changed from playful and sexy to annoyed.

I sighed. "You want to talk about a future together, but we both know that requires battling the demons of our pasts. I'm not blind, Maddox. Your demon was sitting across the table from me at dinner."

He blew out a heavy breath, raking a hand down his face. "Lewis and I have a complicated relationship."

"You don't say."

I slid my dress over my head, leaving myself only in my underwear and tights. Maddox's hungry gaze roved over my form, and he took a step forward, reaching for me, most likely in hopes of distracting me from this topic of conversation.

Navy silk slid through my fingertips as I pulled pajamas from my suitcase, holding them in front of my body like a shield.

A groan split the air as Maddox's head tilted toward the ceiling. "Not the big pajamas. Why do you even pack those?"

While he was distracted, I rolled my tights down and shed my bra and panties before letting the cool silk caress my skin. He was still standing in the middle of the room, so I moved close enough to wrap my arms around his waist.

With my face pressed against his chest, I said, "The last time I wore these when we were in a hotel room together, we had a really productive talk."

His chest expanded with a deep breath, and he kissed the top of my head. "Yeah."

Pulling away, I climbed onto the bed, sitting up against the headboard. I patted the spot beside me in invitation.

Not bothering to undress, he simply removed his shoes before joining me. Instead of mirroring my position, he dropped his head into my lap. I couldn't help but smile at the intimate position, even as he stared up at me with those beautiful green eyes full of sadness.

When I began to stroke fingers through his hair, his lips parted on an exhale, and his eyelids lowered.

The silence stretched between us for so long that I wondered if he'd fallen asleep. I could imagine the inner turmoil he suffered tonight had been emotionally taxing.

"Lewis was my dad's business partner," Maddox finally spoke.

"Was?" I prompted .

A scoff flew past his lips, and his eyes opened. "Hard to keep working together when you find out the man you are supposed to trust is fucking your wife behind your back."

I gasped, empathy gripping my heart for Maddox's dad.

Before I could ask, he explained, "My dad, Trent, is a good guy, so Lewis used his trusting nature to screw him over. In more ways than one. Not only was he having an affair with my mom, but he was sending my dad all over the country on fools' errands while Lewis worked to cut him out of a company he'd started."

"I'm assuming at some point he found out?"

"Yeah. Came home early for one of my hockey tournaments and caught Lewis banging my mom on his desk. Then everything else came out. Because he was such a good guy, Dad took it on the chin. Letting his wife and company go without putting up a fight. He started all over. Started a new company but never trusted a woman enough to remarry."

I twisted my lips. "But your mom and Lewis . . . "

"I love my mother, I do. But there's some resentment that she always finds a way to put herself first. The only reason she didn't marry Lewis until I was out of the house was because I told her I would move into Dad's place before I lived in the same house as that man. But the minute I was gone, they tied the knot. I can barely stand to look at him after he destroyed my family. I would never have agreed to dinner tonight if I'd known he would be there. I don't want you anywhere near him."

Leaning down, I pressed a kiss to his forehead. "I'm sorry."

He shrugged. "I'm used to it."

"Will I ever get to meet your dad?"

A smile tugged at the corner of his lips. "Yeah. Hopefully this summer, if I can convince you to come back out here with me. He still travels a ton, even though he should be gearing up for retirement and handing the reins to my cousin."

"He must love what he does."

"I think he's lonely," Maddox said sadly. "I got a taste of that after the injury."

"Oh yeah?" My ears perked up. I'd read about his ACL tear, but he didn't bring it up much. I could imagine it was painful to dwell on the reason his career suddenly ended.

Maddox swallowed, his Adam's apple bobbing along his throat. "Yeah. I went from being constantly surrounded by people to being alone in my house. For months, the only places I went were to doctor's appointments and physical therapy. I spent too much time inside my head with no one to talk to. I hated it."

My heart ached for him. As with most professional players, hockey became his identity. That's why so many of them chose to stay close to the game in retirement. They didn't know anything else.

I decided to shift topics, not wanting to cause him further pain. "Is what your mom said true? That you've never brought a girl to meet her before?"

His head bobbed in my lap on a nod. "When I was playing, that was my focus. There were guys on the team who were married and had kids, and while they were great players, they split focus. Hockey became a job, and family became their priority. And I'm not saying that's a bad thing, but I wanted to compete—to win—so badly that I wasn't willing to let anything stand in my way." Maddox paused before continuing, "But when I had all that time to think, I realized that maybe I'd held myself back because of what happened to my dad. I was worried that a woman would only want me because of my fame and fortune and that if my career took a dip, they'd find someone better. I know it's stupid—"

"It's not stupid," I cut him off .

Maddox sat up, cupping my face. "But you know what I realized? I was holding myself back from experiencing life to the fullest with someone by my side who made me better. But I can't regret it because if I had taken that leap earlier, I wouldn't have you."

Breathless at his admission, I leaned in for a kiss. It was soft and tender and full of love.

We had both walked through fire to reach this moment, but those trials only made us appreciate what we'd found that much more.