21. Maddox

Drumming my fingers impatiently on the steering wheel, I parked the truck I rented in front of the valet stand. I flung open the door, grabbing the ticket the attendant offered me as I stepped up on the sidewalk and watched Connor climb out of the passenger side.

He glanced into the back seat before shutting the door. "We won't be here long," I promised. "Sorry, there wasn't time to drop your bag at my house before we left."

Connor straightened his suit jacket, smoothing out the non-existent wrinkles. "It's fine," he waved me off. I called him this morning and asked him to fly out here on the band's jet and bring a suit. I was planning to come to this shit show even if he couldn't back me up, but I was sure as fuck glad he was here. If Ryan walked down that aisle tomorrow, I'd need him to save me from myself. Plus, having the jet here would help me make a quick escape if I needed to.

I figured I had one last night to convince her to change her mind, and I sure as fuck wasn't going to blow it. My eyes rose to take in the Imperial Cedar Country Club. What a fucking joke. I liked to surround myself with the nicest shit I could afford, but places like this where the environment was stuffy just because it could be always pissed me the fuck off. It was obvious this was the kind of place people came to make themselves feel better than people they considered lesser .

Brushing off my irritation, I turned back to Connor as he asked me a question. "What's the plan?"

Shrugging, I looked at the door. "I sort of figured I'd just wing it."

"That's the worst fucking idea I've ever heard," he berated.

"Well, what's your great idea then?"

He held up his hands. "Hey, I'm just here for backup."

Grunting, I rolled my eyes. "Thanks for all the help." I balled my fists and took a couple of deep breaths before relaxing my hands. "I think we should find Quinn and see if we can convince him to give me an assist. I don't know what I'm going to do about getting her out, and I'm gonna need his help."

"Fine. So, we find Quinn. I'll run interference if I need to for the asshole," Connor agreed.

With the beginnings of a plan in place, we climbed the stairs to the club. We made our way inside, following the tasteful yet somehow still tacky signs that pointed us toward the event room at the back of the building.

I stopped right outside the door and held out my arm to stop Connor from stepping into the room. "Let me text Quinn so he can get us in," I said, pulling my phone out of my pocket. Quinn texted me all day, keeping me updated on what Ryan was doing, her state of mind, and throwing in plenty of hilarious jabs at Ryan's future in-laws and her husband-to-be.

My phone buzzed as Quinn returned my text, and before I had a chance to respond, he strode out of the doors like he owned the place. He grinned at me and winked at Connor. "Hey, man. I'm glad you came," he said, turning to me as his expression turned serious. "We need to save her from herself." I knew there was some shit going on with Ryan that she didn't want to tell me, or maybe she couldn't. It didn't really matter. At least Quinn was on my side, and I had a feeling that would make tonight a lot easier.

I had plans for my girl tonight, a big last-ditch grand gesture to show her that I wasn't going anywhere. And the truth was even if tomorrow she married the douchecanoe, I'd still do everything I could to be in her life. I didn't give a fuck what he thought or if he tried to keep her away from me. It'd never happen. I'd never allow it.

But I hoped it didn't come to that.

"Do you have any suggestions on how I can get her out of here without making a scene?" I inquired.

Quinn shifted his weight from one foot to the other, looking past Connor and me into the expansive room behind us. His eyes locked on someone I assumed was Ryan. "Come in with me and try to lay low until you see an opportunity. Then grab her and make a run for it."

Connor raised his eyebrows but stayed silent.

"Not very sophisticated, is it?" I sighed.

"No, but it'll work. Maybe you can even dance with her and really piss the dickhead off," Quinn suggested, letting out a low chuckle.

My face broke into a devious smile. I fucking loved the idea of dancing with my girl and pissing her fiance off at the same time. Something about that asshole really rubbed me the wrong way, and I knew both Quinn and Connor felt the same way.

The phone I still held in my hand vibrated, and I lifted it to my face. As I read the message from Ryan, my chest flooded with warmth.

Ryan: I wish you were here.

Five simple words made my whole goddamn existence. She had no idea what was in store for her tonight, but I wasn't about to let her down. Somehow I'd known she'd need me here just like I needed her. If she married Yates, it'd be the biggest fucking mistake of her life. I knew it, Quinn knew it, and I hoped I could get her to see it too.

I was aware of Quinn and Connor both staring at me, waiting for me to fill them in. "Ryan texted that she wished I was here," I explained, fighting back my fucking huge-ass smile. But it was time for me to throw my best asshole face on because I was walking into enemy territory.

At least the dinner was over, and I didn't have to listen to a long line of pretentious assholes drone on about useless shit for hours and hours. I came late enough to miss all of that.

We finally stepped through the doors, and I took in the immense room where this spectacle was being held. Quinn scanned the room for Ryan. I took the opportunity to familiarize myself with the exits since I'd probably need to grab Ryan and get the fuck out of here as fast as I could.

This room was so ordinary it almost hurt to look at. It was what Ryan would call cringe-worthy. The room had beige walls, crystal chandeliers, and nothing about it showed any personality. It was fucking boring, and it proved to me that none of these people knew my girl. This place was beige and bougie, Ryan was cowboy boots and wildflowers. She was dancing in the rain and not caring about getting wet. She was warmth and fun and sass all rolled into one stunning package. And this wasn't her. Not even fucking close.

Someday maybe I'd get the chance to give her the wedding she deserved. But first, I had to plead my case and believe she'd hear me out.

When my eyes landed on her across the room, my breath caught in my throat. Everything around and between us faded into nothingness. I couldn't see anything else except the waves of her soft hair flowing down her bare back, her outfit low cut enough that it stopped just above the curve of her waist. The need to run my fingers along the soft skin slammed into me, and I flexed my fingers, trying to get my shit under control.

Taking a deep breath and steeling myself for whatever may happen next, I strode across the room as confidently as possible. I wanted to make sure it looked like I belonged here. In fact, as I saw it, I belonged here more than any of these assholes. Ryan was mine.

Finally, I stepped up behind her and danced my fingertips along the warm skin of her lower back. She stiffened until I leaned down and whispered in her ear, brushing my lips along the curve. "I'm all about making your wishes come true, Freckles."

As soon as she heard my voice, she melted against me, and I inhaled her citrus vanilla scent, her closeness calming my tightly wound nerves. Someone coughing softly nearby broke me out of my Ryan-induced spell, and suddenly it was like the volume in the room got turned up. My hand splayed across her lower back while my attention turned to the people standing in front of her.

Charlie and Justice both stared at me with matching incredulous expressions. Justice finally broke the stare-off when she turned to Ryan. "What's he doing here?" she whisper-yelled, and I chuckled, teasing the edge of Ryan's outfit with my fingertips. She shivered underneath my touch, and I didn't even try to hide the smile that broke out on my face.

I didn't wait for Ryan to answer her sister. "I'm here to dance with my girl," I proclaimed, even as I felt eyes burning into the back of my skull. My smile widened at the thought that Yates was watching how Ryan responded to my touch. I'd seen them together enough to know she didn't react the same way to him, and it fucking floored me.

Instead of paying attention to him, I reached my other hand down and wove our fingers together, leaning over to whisper in her ear again. "Dance with me." It wasn't a request, and we both knew it. I hadn't originally planned to spend much time here, only enough to grab Ryan and go. But I couldn't miss out on the opportunity to hold her in my arms and press her body to mine. It was made even sweeter by the fact that her fiance was too much of a coward to do anything about me staking my claim on her in public. He cared too much about what people thought.

Lucky for me, I didn't give a fuck.

A small smile lit up her face, and she nodded once, and that was all the permission I needed. I walked backward as I pulled her with me, not wanting to take my eyes off her for even a second. I tugged until her chest met mine, and I wrapped her arm around my neck.

Wrapping my arms around her small waist, she leaned into me, and I turned my head to the side, breathing her in. I closed my eyes for a second as we began to sway gently to the music. I'd never get sick of holding Ryan in my arms.

We made it about halfway through the song before I felt a hard tap on my shoulder. I glanced behind me, not letting go of Ryan even a little bit, to find Yates glaring at me with barely controlled fury. "Mind if I cut in to dance with my fiance?"

"Yeah, actually, I do. Wait for your fucking turn," I snapped before turning back and ignoring him. I could feel the anger radiating off him at my back, but I didn't give a shit. He cared more about how things looked than anything else, so I knew he wouldn't start shit with me right here in the middle of his rehearsal dinner. Finally, he huffed, and out of the corner of my eye, I watched him stalk off the dance floor.

Ryan shook with laughter against me, burying her face in my chest to mask her giggles, and she was so fucking cute. I felt myself smiling. "What's so funny, Freckles?"

She lifted her chin until she looked up at me, her deep brown eyes sparkling. "I don't think Yates is used to people talking to him like that. It was fun to watch," she admitted.

Tearing my gaze away from her, I scanned the room and saw him glowering from the back of the room, his angry glare locked onto Ryan and me. Fuck, I hadn't meant to cause problems at this thing for Ryan, but I knew Yates wasn't going to let my humiliating him go.

The song was wrapping up, so I focused my attention back on my girl. As the last notes played, I reluctantly loosened my grip on her waist and stepped back, feeling Connor step up beside me. One glance at him and I knew shit was about to go down, and I wanted Ryan far away from the drama.

Sliding my palm against her cheek, she leaned into my touch, and I pressed my lips to her forehead. I wanted so much more, but it was all I dared to do right now. "Do you trust me, Freckles?"

Her brow furrowed, and she bit her lip. "Yeah, I think I do."

It wasn't exactly a ringing endorsement, but it was a lot of progress in just a few short weeks. "Good. Meet me at the valet stand in fifteen minutes. I'm kidnapping you tonight."

"But-"

I pressed my finger against her lips, silencing her. "Nope. If I'm about to lose you to another guy, I deserve this one night with you to plead my case."

Her eyes darted between mine while she thought about it, and the moment she gave in, I saw it. Her shoulders relaxed, and her gaze dropped to my mouth, which made my dick twitch. I knew she wanted me just as bad as I wanted her, but she was resisting. Barely, but she was. Which meant I still had work to do and only one night to do it.

Nodding once, she squeezed my bicep before turning and walking off the dance floor and meeting up with her sisters. I didn't take my eyes off of her until she was safely engaged in conversation with the two of them. I refused to let her asshat fiance anywhere near her for the rest of the night.

"Where is he?" I demanded, walking off the dance floor with Connor at my side. Quinn caught my eye and started crossing the room to meet up with us.

"Over there," Connor grunted, pointing toward the back of the room by a set of doors that led outside.

We stopped our path toward Yates to wait for Quinn to catch up. "What's going on?" Quinn asked.

I jerked my head in Yates's direction, where he was surrounded by a couple of his douchebag Ivy League buddies. I bet none of them had ever been punched in the face before. I didn't mind rectifying that situation right now, and I flexed my fingers into a fist as my heart rate picked up. I'd been itching to smash my fist into that fucker's face since the moment I met him and based on the smirk on Connor's face, I knew he wouldn't mind hitting a couple of those guys, either.

And as for Quinn? Well, I had a feeling he hated Yates more than I did, and that was saying something.

Connor shifted his eyes toward where Yates and his cronies huddled near the exit. "The asshole fiance wants to start shit, and we're going to let him," he explained, cracking his knuckles. I swore he just grew a couple of inches and got even broader in the last thirty seconds. I was happy he was on my side.

"Fuck, finally. I get to punch him in the face if it comes to that," Quinn called dibs.

"Only the first punch. I want a shot at him, too," I countered.

"Fine, but that guy with the pink tie is mine," Connor added, narrowing his eyes even more in their direction.

I chuckled darkly. "What'd he do to you?"

He shrugged one massive shoulder. "I don't like how he's looking at me."

"That's enough reason for me. You two ready to do this? No one has ever deserved a punch in the face more than that group of assholes," I insisted, looking to both of the men at my sides.

"Fuck, yes. I've been waiting for this day forever," Quinn enthused with a glare of his own to the corner of the room. We now had their attention. There were four of them and three of us, but I had no doubt none of them would be able to connect so much as one punch. One of them even looked like he'd never spent a day in the gym in his entire life. I was pretty goddamn confident of the outcome of this little altercation Yates was leading us to.

His overconfidence would be his downfall.

We passed right by his group of friends on our way out the exit, one of them deciding to try and step in our path with his arms crossed. Connor's shoulder checked him so hard, he fell into a table and knocked a glass of wine to the floor, spilling sticky red liquid across the shiny marble. I smirked but held in my laugh. Time for that would come later.

Their glares were on my back as we made it out into the hall. Once the doors closed behind us, I spun around to face Yates and his soft as fuck friends. They were even more pathetic up close.

To his credit, Yates didn't immediately cower or try to make peace. He must have felt emboldened by his buddies at his back. Or maybe his ego refused to let him back down. Either way, I wouldn't throw the first punch. I'd wait for him to make his move.

He got within a couple of inches of me and stuck his finger in my face, his cheeks red and his eyes a little wild. "Stay the fuck away from Ryan. She's going to be my wife, and there isn't a goddamn thing you can do about it." He was breathing hard, and I laughed in his face before slapping his finger away.

"I'd love to see you make me, cocksucker," I taunted, my muscles tense and ready for a fight. I almost craved it, the feel of his bones crunching under my fists.

One of his friends stepped up beside him, and Connor tensed next to me but stayed where he was. He knew I could handle my own shit and didn't need him to step in. I flicked my eyes past a fuming Yates to his much smaller buddy beside him and then back again. "Looks like Digby over there wants to get his ass beat. Maybe you should tell him to step back in line," I goaded, chuckling again when the guy's cheeks flared red. I could practically see the steam pouring out of his ears.

One look at Yates's other friends, and I knew they had no intention of helping him out if this came to blows. The watch on my wrist vibrated as I got a text message, and I glanced down to look at it, seeing Ryan's name pop up.

Ryan: I'm at the valet stand. Where are you?

I smiled, and Yates stepped even closer until our chests were practically touching. We were almost the same height, but I was broader, all my time in the gym, and on the ranch paying off. He pressed his palms against my chest and shoved, but I held firm. I wouldn't let him move me even one goddamn inch. His eyes widened in surprise, and my smile grew until it turned menacing.

"Here's what's going to happen. You're going to back the fuck down like the little bitch you are, and then you're going to mind your own goddamn business. My relationship with Ryan? Not your business," I laid out, taking a step closer to him and chuckling when he stepped backward. "If you want to start shit with me, I promise you I have no fucking problem finishing it."

I waited a couple of seconds, but he didn't say anything, so I turned and walked toward the exit, not wanting to waste any more time getting to my girl. I stopped when he yelled out behind me. "Watch your fucking back, Everleigh. You have no idea who you're messing with."

"Bring it on, dickhead," I smirked. He could try, but he'd never actually be able to do shit to me. I'd been dealing with people trying to trap me and take me down for years. He wasn't even worth worrying about.

I refused to give him one more second of my time tonight. Stepping into the warm, humid air, I searched until I spotted Ryan. The way her eyes lit up when she saw me made my heart clench and then race out of control.

I turned back to Connor and Quinn. "Do you mind sharing your room with Connor tonight, Quinny? I'm going to kidnap Ryan."

Quinn looked Connor up and down before he cracked a little grin. "I think I can handle that."

Connor chuckled. "Sorry, bro. I don't swing that way."

They followed me to the valet stand, and I handed over my ticket before wrapping my arm around Ryan's shoulders and pulling her into my side. I dropped a kiss to the top of her head. It'd only been a few minutes since I'd seen her, but I missed her all the same. When we were apart, it felt like a piece of me was missing, and I fucking hated it. What would I do if she actually went through with this whole thing?

I couldn't let myself go there. Tonight, she was mine. That was what mattered right now.

When my black truck pulled up, I reached into the back and tossed Connor his bag. "See you guys in the morning," I told them before pulling open the passenger door and helping Ryan up into the seat.

I ran around and climbed in the driver's side, starting the engine and taking off. It was nearly dark, the last bits of sunlight making the sky pink and purple off toward the west, but the stars were already out above us, and the sky was beautiful.

I hadn't wanted distractions tonight. I wanted just Ryan and me surrounded by the night like a cocoon, fireflies and stars our only light. We drove in comfortable silence for about twenty minutes, our fingers twined together, and her body pressed against mine on the bench seat. Her head rested on my shoulder, and I steered with one hand gripping the top of the wheel. This was my version of heaven, and I could've just kept driving all night, taking us both away from the reality of tomorrow.

Instead, I pulled off the highway into a field filled with corn. It stood tall, and it didn't look like there were any roads through it, but I'd already made arrangements with the farmer earlier today and paid him for any damage my truck did to his crop. Once we were past the tallest stalks, I steered us toward a huge oak tree in the middle of a tall grass field that swayed gently in the light breeze. I parked us near the tree but not underneath it since I wanted to see the stars.

"Stay here," I said, jumping down into the thigh-high grass and walking around to lower the tailgate. I climbed into the truck's bed, unrolling the blankets I'd packed and creating a soft bed for us to stretch out in. I also brought my guitar and drinks and snacks. I'd never played guitar for a girl before. In the band, I played bass, so not many people knew I could play, but it felt too private and intimate for me to play for just anyone.

Satisfied with my setup, I walked back to the passenger side and opened the door, catching Ryan's hand and gently pulling her toward me. I let go of her to grip her hips and helped her out of the truck. I held her close and let her body slide down against mine before her feet touched the ground. Tilting my head down, our eyes locked, and the look of devotion in hers took my breath away until she blinked and it was gone.

"C'mon," I found myself whispering, not wanting to disturb the peacefulness of the night. Linking our hands together, we walked to the back of the truck, and I helped her up into the bed, enjoying the view of her toned ass as she practically shoved it in my face. My fingers twitched with the desire to reach out and slap it, leaving my red handprint behind as proof that she was mine. But I didn't. Now wasn't the time.

"I can't believe you did all this," she gasped, looking around in wonder. She deserved so much more. This was just a simple night out in the country, and I could give her so much. I could give her everything. But how she was looking at me right now like I'd made all her dreams come true? Yeah, I could get fucking used to that.

I shrugged and sat against the wheel well, pulling my guitar into my lap as she settled into the blanket, laying back on one of the pillows and staring up at the stars. "Want a beer?" I offered.

"Sure."

I reached into the cooler and wiped off the water droplets before popping the top, taking a swig, and handing it over to her. She sat up and watched me as I strummed a couple of chords, testing and tweaking the tuning on the guitar. "Are you going to play for me?" she asked, her eyes brightening.

Shrugging, I strummed a couple more chords, happy with how they sounded and started to play one of my favorite Shadow Phoenix songs from our last album. It was the one Zen wrote for Kennedy. I wasn't the best singer in the band, but I could hold my own, and as I quietly finished the last few notes, I heard Ryan sniffle. I looked up at her and saw her swipe at her eyes.

Setting my guitar down, I moved to her side, wrapping her in my arms and holding her against my chest as I rocked us slowly back and forth. "Are you okay?"

She shook her head against me but didn't say anything. We sat in silence for a few minutes before she pulled away and gave me a watery smile.

"What can I do to make you feel better?" I wanted to take away every ounce of hurt she was feeling and kill every motherfucker that caused her discomfort.

"Lay here with me," she pleaded, laying beside me and staring up at the stars. I stretched out on my side, watching her instead of the sky. "I only want to think about us tonight," she declared in a whisper so quiet it floated away on the breeze but not before I caught it.

To hear her talk about us? It was fucking addictive.

She shifted even closer, molding her body against mine so I could feel every soft curve. "Make me forget about tomorrow, Maddox," she begged, her breath ghosting along my skin and making me shiver. Being so close to her was tempting as fuck.

My heart felt like it might pound out of my chest. I was no saint. I'd been with so many women, I couldn't count. And yet it was like I was a virgin all over again. Ryan made me feel like I was brand new. Like no one else before her had ever mattered. Like they'd all been practice leading up to this moment.

Laying beside her with my weight balanced on my arm, I stared down at her reverently. The way she was looking up at me was magnetic, her wide, innocent eyes pulling me in closer and closer until I had no choice but to kiss her. To feel her lips under mine, hungry and needy and begging for more.

I fought with myself, the urge to rip her clothes off and claim her as mine so intense I had to squeeze my fingers into a tight fist, digging my nails into the soft flesh of my palm until I broke the skin to keep from acting on my animal impulses.

The way she kissed me, the little moans and whimpers escaping her lips and her fist bunched in my shirt, pulling me closer, lit my entire body on fire. My veins coursed with lava as every inch of me was consumed by Ryan.

I'd never needed anything as much as I needed to be inside of her right now.

But this wasn't about me and what I needed. I'd never hurt her again. So, I'd take my time and make sure she was ready. That she wanted me as much as I wanted her.

Releasing her lips, I trailed my tongue down her neck, nipping and kissing along the sweet skin until I reached the swell of her tits. Teasing the flesh until she arched her back to push closer to my mouth, I smiled against her skin, enjoying every goddamn second with her.

My fingers brushed along her side, down her ribs, looking for a zipper. There were so many fucking layers between us. I thought I might go insane. I needed to feel her skin against mine, searing this moment into my memory. I needed to believe it was real, that she was really here giving herself to me.

Ryan threaded her fingers through my hair, pulling until the tension on my scalp was almost painful, and she pulled me back up to her mouth, crushing her lips against mine. Her teeth scraped my bottom lip as we both took a second to catch our breath. I finally found the zipper on the side of her jumpsuit and slid it down, pushing the fabric down to her waist. I watched as her tits popped free, the best set I’d ever seen. Leaning back, I let my hungry gaze rake down newly exposed skin.

She was so goddamn beautiful. The hair on my arms raised as goosebumps broke out over my skin from just being this close to her, surrounded by her intoxicating scent. I leaned back to take a second to compose myself. My dick was so fucking hard it was trying to punch through the rough denim material caging it in.

I took a deep breath and exhaled slowly as Ryan stared up at me with glassy eyes, the fireflies fluttering around us reflecting in her eyes like stars. I'd never seen anything more enticing in my entire life.

"You're so fucking perfect," I breathed so quietly I wasn't sure if she heard me until she reached up and ran her hand down my face and across my stubble.

"And you're everything I've ever wanted," she confessed just as quietly as if the darkness surrounding us made us both brave enough to speak our truths out loud.

I leaned down and kissed her again, but something had shifted. Our kisses were deep but frenzied, and when I started to trail kisses down her chest and stomach, pulling the fabric of her outfit down further until I'd pulled it all the way off, she moaned, my name a whisper on her lips.

I'd never been more glad for the warm and humid air because now it wrapped her naked body like a blanket. I didn't have to worry about protecting her from the cold and could just sit back and appreciate the incredible view in front of me.

She sat up, her eyes hooded and filled with heat as she tugged at my shirt, trying to pull it off. I flashed her a wicked grin as I reached back and dragged my shirt over my head. I watched her closely as her eyes drifted down my body, and I didn't think it was possible, but my dick got even harder under her molten gaze.

I groaned as she pulled me down on top of her with clumsy hands. It was such a goddamn turn on that she didn't know what she was doing. Her fingers danced across my skin, creating little explosions of need that got stronger and stronger as they moved closer to my hard-on.

Shifting until our hips were locked together, I rocked against her once, and a needy whimper fell from her lips that made me want to say fuck it and bury myself in her right now. Instead, I kissed my way down her body, running my teeth gently along the soft skin between her hip bones before nipping the sensitive skin of her inner thigh.

Running my tongue over the spot I just bit, I let my hand drift up her stomach until my thumb rubbed softly across her nipple. I watched through heavy eyes as it puckered, and she arched into my hand again. Keeping my eyes on her tightened peaks, I lowered my mouth to her pussy. She froze at the first soft lick of my tongue, and I knew it was because she'd never done this with anyone before.

Again, the overwhelming weight of the gift she was giving me crashed over me, but I pushed those thoughts away to be dealt with later. Right now, I needed my focus on only showing Ryan exactly how good we were together and how much pleasure I could bring her.

I gently kissed her, moving back to her thighs, and relaxed bit by bit under my touch. Finally, I moved back to her clit and swirled my tongue before licking her in a steady rhythm with the flat of my tongue. She tasted so fucking good, and I groaned, sucking her clit into my mouth and running my finger along her slit.

She was fucking dripping, and my heart clenched because I had done that to her. Nothing else I'd accomplished in my life meant as much as this moment right here. I pushed my finger inside her, sliding in easily and curling it in a steady rhythm. The silence of the night was only broken by her whimpers and cries of pleasure as I brought her closer and closer to her release.

Reaching down, I unzipped my jeans while keeping my mouth and other hand on Ryan. My cock throbbed, and I couldn't take it anymore. I needed relief, or I was going to come in my jeans like some fucking amateur. But that was what Ryan did to me.

Watching her come undone under my tongue was almost too much, as her thighs squeezed against my head, trapping me between her legs. I licked and sucked until finally, her legs relaxed, shaking violently against my shoulders. I placed a couple last soft kisses against her clit before I moved up her body.

Heat spiraled to my groin as I pressed my lips to hers, her taste still on my tongue. She looked up, and our eyes met, locking together. I brushed a damp piece of hair off of her forehead. "Tell me now if you want me to stop, Freckles, because I'm barely hanging on, and in another ten seconds, there will be no going back," I growled out, my voice low and husky.

She locked her legs around my hips and lower back, settling my cock against her slick pussy. I rocked my hips, sliding my length along her slit, and her eyes rolled back as she moaned. She pushed herself against me, wiggling her hips and trying to push my cock inside her. I shifted until I was lined up with her entrance and waited until she looked at me. Her cheeks were flushed, her eyes a little wild and filled with heat, and she was breathing hard. I bent down and kissed her gently. "Tell me you want me," I demanded.

"I want you, Maddox. So bad. Please, I need you," she begged.

I pressed my hips forward, sliding slowly inside her heat inch by fucking inch. I inhaled sharply and held my breath at how tightly her walls were squeezing me, and I was only a couple of inches inside of her. I watched her face closely for any signs of pain or discomfort, and her eyes widened the further I slid inside. When I finally came up against the barrier, the one she'd saved just for me, I pressed a kiss to her lips. "This might hurt, baby, but I'll be as gentle as I can."

She nodded, and I thrust forward the rest of the way until I was buried balls deep inside her as she cried out, and it took everything in me not to immediately come. I breathed deeply, holding still and waiting for her to adjust to my size. I stroked her hair and tried to focus on her instead of how close I was to exploding.

She blinked a few times, and then a sexy little smile spread across her face. "I need you to move," she said, shifting her hips against mine. As we rocked together, her pussy clenched around me, and she cried out my name. My heart slammed against my ribcage as I tried to take in every single detail of this moment. Her hair fanned out on the pillow underneath her, her eyes closed and her head thrown back in pleasure. Her soft skin brushing against mine, and the way my name sounded like a prayer on her lips.

Pleasure pooled at the base of my spine, and I gritted my teeth. I fucking would not come before she did, especially for her first time. I picked up the pace, rolling my hips to hit just the right spot. She reacted immediately. Her walls tightened as I reached down and rubbed the rough pad of my thumb over her hardened nipple.

She was close, balanced right on the edge and wound so tight it would only be a few more seconds until she let go and came all over my dick. "Let go, baby. Come for me," I coaxed her through clenched teeth, continuing my assault on her nipples.

The second she let go, I followed. I didn't stand a chance. Her inner walls milked me so hard she ripped the orgasm straight out of me. I swear my soul left my body, and I didn't even care if I got it back. If I died right now, I'd do it with so much peace and satisfaction, I wasn't sure anything could ever top it. When I finally came back down to earth, I looked down at the woman I loved with my entire being, and she stared up at me lazily, her eyes filled with wonder.

"Can we do that again?" she asked, her words almost slurred and a soft smile on her lips.

Chuckling, I pressed a gentle kiss to her lips. "Anytime you want, Freckles." I held myself over her body, not wanting to move. I didn't want to slip out of her and disconnect us. I never wanted to be apart from Ryan again.

Now that reality was seeping back in, I had to wonder. What would happen now?