24. Ryan

It'd only been twenty-four hours since I gave myself to Maddox, but it almost felt like a lifetime ago. Our mouths crashed together after that torturous plane ride. We were like magnets, drawn to each other without the ability to resist. And last night we'd given in for the first time. Now there would be no stopping the force that pulled us together.

The reality of Maddox inside of me was better than any fantasy I'd ever had. And I wanted him again. Badly.

We barely made it through the front door before his hands were all over me, ripping at the layers of lace still wrapping around my body. We were both panting as I watched his muscles ripple and bulge under his black suit jacket while he grabbed my dress and pulled. The tearing sound that filled the room further fueled my desire.

The ruined dress pooled around my feet. Maddox growled as he closed the few inches of distance between us, wrapping his arms around me, one hand gripping my ass and pulling me against the hard ridge in his slacks. The other hand skated up and tangled in my hair, grabbing a handful and pulling my head to the side. I didn't fight. I wanted this. I wanted him. I wanted him to make me forget everything and everyone except us.

He sucked and bit at my neck, his day-old scruff scratching the sensitive skin and making me shiver. I couldn't get close enough, and I lifted my leg and wrapped it around his waist. He stood taller and slammed his mouth down on mine, and I instantly opened for him, wanting him deeper, harder, just more. I wanted more of everything he had to give.

Pleasure clawed through me as he lowered his hand and tweaked my nipple until it tightened almost painfully. The rough pads of his fingers brushed across the sensitive peaks again and again until I writhed against him, burning up from the inside out. I needed him closer.

He reached down and lifted me like I weighed nothing, and I wrapped my legs around his waist. He never stopped the way he ravished my mouth, and I met him stroke for stroke, wrapping my arms around his neck and digging my nails into his scalp lightly. He growled into my mouth and started walking fast and with purpose somewhere deeper into the house.

I'd never been here before, so I wasn't sure where he was going, but I didn't care. At some point, he pushed me up against the wall and yanked my white lace thong right off of my body, shredding it and tossing it to the side before sinking a finger inside my center. "Fuck," I whimpered and tried to grind against him, but he had me pinned down. The wicked smile that crossed his face told me he knew exactly what he was doing when his thumb found my clit and started tracing slow, deliberate circles.

He was still fully dressed, and I needed to feel his skin against mine, so even as my body shook and pulsed, I ripped at his tie, yanking it off. He pulled his finger out of me long enough to drop his jacket off of his body before sliding not only one but two fingers back inside me. "You're fucking dripping, Freckles." The words sounded almost pained as he grit them out, and even though I wasn't experienced, I could tell he was on the verge of losing it.

"For you," I purred, wanting to see how far I could push him before he lost it completely. He watched his hand moving in and out of me and then glanced up at me with eyes that were almost entirely black. I shivered from that one look, feeling both burning heat and icy cold.

With shaky hands, I undid as many buttons as I could on his shirt before ripping the rest apart, almost moaning as the clink of buttons hitting the floor meant that his smooth, tanned, and incredibly sculpted chest was finally revealed. My mouth watered, and I leaned forward and bit the silver barbell through his right nipple, tugging it gently. He cursed and moaned, pulling his fingers from me and sucking them into his mouth while his dark eyes were locked with mine.

"So fucking good, Freckles. You have no idea," he grunted, pulling my body closer against his and finally pushing us through the door to his bedroom. He crossed it quickly, dropping me on the bed and standing back. His eyes raked over every naked inch of my body, and I reveled in his perusal. I wasn't ashamed of my body at all, and I watched as he reached down and flicked the button on his slacks open, pulling the zipper down achingly slow.

Dropping his pants, he stepped out of them and stood in front of me in just his black boxer briefs, the evidence of how turned on he was obvious. I longed to touch him, to run my hands over every inch of his perfect body. Maddox was every girl's fantasy come to life. Last night, it'd been dark, and he made everything about me. Tonight, I could study every bit of him and damn if he wasn't incredible. He was built and toned in all the right places, and his cock was so big I'd been a little sore this morning.

One look at the smug smirk on his face told me he knew exactly what he was doing to me. I slid off the bed onto my knees in front of him. I'd never done anything like this, but I wasn't stupid. I knew the mechanics of how blow jobs worked, and I wanted to see how far I could push his control. I never felt this need to get someone to lose control like Maddox brought out in me. He was always in charge and demanding. Could I get him to lose control? To act on every impulse without thinking it all through first? Without worrying about the consequences?

His eyes darkened even more as I reached up and ran my palm along the length of his hardness. "Freckles…" he warned, but I ignored him. I wanted what I wanted, and I was going to take it.

I leaned forward and pressed my lips to the head of his cock, and he groaned, shoving his hand into my hair. I opened my mouth, testing the feel of him in my mouth. He tasted a little salty, but I liked it. I ran my tongue along the head and closed my mouth around him, sliding my lips up and down until he hit the back of my throat. He gripped my hair tighter, pushing his hips against me almost involuntarily. I fought off a smile, trying to focus on what I was doing. I suctioned him deeper into my throat, gagging a little, but the way he cursed and moaned distracted me.

"Fuck, I'm going to come if you don't stop." I wanted him to. I wanted to taste him and swallow him down and get him to unravel in my mouth, but he had other plans. He pulled himself out of my mouth with a loud pop and lifted me up by my upper arms, tossing me back on the bed and crawling over my body, ravaging my mouth with his.

I bet he could taste himself on my lips, but he didn't seem to care. He settled himself between my legs, pressing the head of his cock against my opening. Desire flooded me, and we both moaned as he slammed deep inside. This wasn't like last night, though. This was hot and needy and more possessive than sweet. I loved every damn second.

As he relentlessly rocked into me again and again, he hit every spot until I was wound so tight I knew I'd explode any second. He drove me higher and higher toward ecstasy.

"Who's pussy is this?" he demanded, his voice gruff.

"Yours," I whimpered.

"Who has it always belonged to?"

"You. Always you."

"That's right. Mine," he growled.

His words pushed me over the edge, and I dug my fingernails into his back as I lost myself to the waves of pleasure crashing through me. I cried out his name, and his guttural moan joined mine as he emptied himself inside of me.

Our harsh breathing filled the room until he finally pressed a kiss to my forehead and looked deep into my eyes. His gaze was so open and vulnerable, I'd never seen him like this. "I mean it, Freckles. I love you so fucking much it hurts, and I always have. And now you're mine and only mine. And I'm yours. There's no going back."

I could only nod, trying to fight off the sting of tears as my eyes welled. A lone tear managed to escape, and I cursed it. I was not the type of girl who cried. But there were so many emotions warring inside me right now I couldn't process them. Here, lying in the afterglow of the best orgasm I'd ever had, I finally found the one thing I'd always wanted. Maddox Everleigh loved me like I loved him. As he wiped the tear from my cheek, I whispered the words I'd longed to say aloud for as long as I could remember. "I love you, too."

After the best nap of my life, I untangled myself from Maddox, and we got ready to go out for what he called family dinner. I knew he didn't have any family out here, so I figured he meant his group of friends. They'd be like his family now.

After a quick shower and change of clothes, we climbed into a car, but I couldn't have told you what it was. He leaned over and kissed me quickly before starting the engine on the ridiculously expensive sports car. I hadn't had a lot of time earlier to check out his house, but what I saw was luxurious and bright and beautiful.

Music played softly from the speakers as we cruised along the streets of LA, the blue sky and palm trees, and brief glimpses of the ocean as we approached Malibu, filling me up with a feeling like coming home. I hadn't been back here since I left the academy, and I hadn't realized just how much I missed it. I rolled down the window and let the wind tear through my hair, not giving a second thought to the fact that the strands of my hair were about to become a giant tangled mess. This was me, and if his friends didn't like it, I didn't care.

We pulled up to a gorgeous house right on the beach, and I gawked up at it. This was what Maddox's world was like, the type of place his friends lived. I would never be able to afford to live in a place like this. Maddox seemed to thrive in this environment. A little insecurity wiggled its way inside of me, wondering if I was good enough for him. I looked over at this stunningly complex man, the carefree smile on his face one I hadn't seen since we were kids, and even then, he hadn't been this light.

His smile dropped as he walked around the car and took in the look on my face. "What's wrong?"

I bit my lip, not wanting to ruin the good mood from earlier. I was looking forward to meeting his friends, and he seemed excited about it, too. And I knew Quinn would be here with Connor since they had the good sense to leave Maddox and me alone for a few hours.

Sighing, I gave in. "Look at this place," I offered, waving my hand at the house in front of us. "I'm not sure if I fit in here."

He stepped in front of me, his body pressing against mine so I could feel every inch of him from his chest down while he snaked his arms around my waist. "I know you're not being serious right now, Freckles, because the girl I know and love doesn't doubt how incredible she is. She doesn't question whether she belongs. She walks in and commands the goddamn room."

His words washed over me, and I realized he was right. This self-doubt bullshit wasn't who I was. I lifted my chin and stood a little taller, and his face lit up with his smile again. "There she is," he noted, bending to press a kiss to the tip of my nose. "Now, let's go inside. You're going to love them."

I noticed he didn't say whether they'd love me. Maybe that wasn't important to him. Maybe that's where my nervousness came from, and the bitch manifested herself as self-doubt. Well, I was done with that.

He didn't bother knocking, opening the heavy wooden door and walking right inside. Laughter echoed from deeper in the house, the sounds of food sizzling and pans clanging filling the entire space with a very lived-in vibe. While the house was beautiful, this place was no museum. It was a home, and I immediately felt more relaxed with that realization.

We rounded the corner into the kitchen, and as soon as one person noticed us, everyone surrounded Maddox and me. I wasn't sure who was who except for Zen, True, Connor, and of course, Quinn. Zen had a beautiful blonde woman who was obviously pregnant glued to his side. They almost looked like they were one person. It made me think of the saying attached at the hip , and I almost giggled out loud at the thought. Her eyes were bright blue and sparkling as she looked me over. "You must be Ryan. I'd say we've heard a lot about you, but this douchecanoe kept you a secret from us." She pointed at Maddox.

Laughing, she stepped briefly away from her husband and pulled me into a tight hug. "I'm Kennedy, and you already met my husband, Zen. Let me introduce you to everyone." She threaded her arm through mine and dragged me away from Maddox, who just grinned at me before turning back to his friends. I didn't mind. I'd never had girlfriends before, except for my sisters. There weren't exactly a lot of options when you lived in the middle of nowhere.

Pulling me into the living room where the biggest TV I'd ever seen in my life was mounted to the wall, and a huge sectional sofa that looked perfect for naps sat, a couple of women were having what looked to be a spirited conversation, but I couldn't tell what about. "Okay, you two. Knock your shit off and meet Mad's girl. This is Ryan," she introduced, shifting me closer to the two women who stood up off the couch and were looking at me with matching wide grins.

"Well, fuck me, I never thought I'd see the day Maddox brought a girl around the fam," the redhead with an adorable baby perched on her hip remarked.

"You guys are going to scare her off," the exotic brunette chided. "I'm Amara. This is Montana, and this little parasite is my daughter, Phoenix," she added, before leaning down and tickling her daughter's chubby little tummy. Phoenix's giggle was infectious, and I felt myself smiling down at her as her bright blue eyes locked on her mom.

"Who haven't you met yet?" Kennedy wondered aloud, scanning the room. "Oh! Jericho and Grayson. Harrison's not here yet," she explained as if I had any idea who those people were.

"It was nice meeting you!" I called out over my shoulder as Kennedy dragged me away, but based on the looks the girls gave me, I had a feeling this wasn't the last I'd be seeing of them.

She pulled me into the kitchen where Maddox was nowhere to be found, but a tall blonde guy with bright blue eyes was chopping an onion so fast, I cringed, sure he was about to cut his finger off. "Gray, this is Ryan, Maddox's girl," Kennedy introduced me again, emphasizing Maddox's name like this whole thing was so unbelievable. Maybe it was. Maybe my brain had gone into safe mode, and this was all a hallucination I created to forget the tragic reality of marrying Yates.

But my stinging, watering eyes told me otherwise—stupid onions. "Hi," I said with a small wave. Wiping away a stray tear.

"Hey, I'm Grayson, this one's older brother," he said, ruffling Kennedy's hair as she rolled her eyes.

"He's a couple minutes older and thinks that gives him the right to tell me what to do. Pshh," she scoffed. Then she cracked up and leaned closer to me, almost conspiratorial. "Did you know one time Zen thought Grayson and I were dating? Can you imagine?"

I found myself laughing with her. She was so warm and made me feel like we'd known each other forever. It was a comfort I hadn't experienced before.

"Okay," she straightened, resting her hand on her stomach. "This little guy kicks the crap out of my insides when I laugh. I can't tell if he thinks he's funny or not," she mused, lovingly rubbing her stomach. Over her shoulder, I noticed Zen hovering nearby but trying to act like he was giving her some space. It was sweet and amusing at the same time.

"Okay, Jericho. I think he's in the pool room with the rest of the guys," she explained, walking faster than I thought she'd be able to with her stomach as big as it was. We stepped into the room at the front of the house. A pool table sat in the middle, and another huge TV was spread across the wall. Maddox set down his pool stick and crossed the room, wrapping me in his arms. "You okay?" he whispered so only I could hear, and I nodded, relishing his closeness. Even though everyone was great, fantastic even, it was still a lot to take in meeting them all at once like this.

He leaned down to kiss me before letting me go. Kennedy watched him with a look on his face like he'd grown a second head. Then a sly smile spread across her face. "Okay then. Last but not least is my favorite. Jericho," she said, stepping up behind the Asian guy on the couch who had a game controller in his hand. "I heard that," Zen called out from the other side of the room, and Kennedy winked at me.

"Sorry. Second favorite," she corrected, and he grumbled, but her smile just got wider.

"Who are you?" he asked as he looked me over, and I had no idea what he was thinking.

"Ryan, Maddox's…" I paused to think it over. "Childhood best friend slash sometimes safe person slash girl who's been pining over him for way too long," I gushed before clamping my mouth shut. "Yeah, so, it's complicated," I said with a laugh, and he grinned.

"Right. Well, welcome to the fam. If you ever want to throw down on some Xbox, I'm your guy. And for the love of Christ, don't let Montana mix you a drink," he warned before turning back to his game. I wasn't sure what to make of him, but I liked him all the same.

"Okay, I think that's everyone," Kennedy hesitated, looking around the room. "Pregnancy brain makes me forget all sorts of shit."

"I have literally no idea what pregnancy brain is but sure if you say so," I said, glancing at where Maddox stood with his eyes locked on me, his gaze turning darker and more heated by the second. I squirmed under his scrutiny.

"Hey, Ryan," True called out from where he stepped up next to Maddox, and sometime in the last ten minutes, he managed to snag his daughter from Montana and carried her in a wrap across his chest. I waved. Watching these rock legends become giant piles of tattooed and muscled mush around their wives and kids would have been hilarious if it wasn't so endearing.

"Good, now we can eat. Did you know Gray's a world-class chef? You're about to have a foodgasm. Prepare yourself," Kennedy cautioned. I followed her back to the kitchen, wondering what the hell a foodgasm was and whether or not I wanted one.