Chapter 10

Chapter Ten

Lucas

I kiss her neck and, maybe because I just need the reassurance that I'm allowed to do it, I bite her nipple. Not hard. Not a nibble, though. A firm nip. She gasps and then breathes out a sigh. Then, she lets out a sort of hum of contentment. "When is the inspection again?" she asks.

"I can handle it with the contractor if you like," I reply, "but it's set for one-thirty."

She hums some reply but rolls onto her side. I pull the blanket up and cover her shoulder before I kiss the back of her neck and head out. I'm lost here, well over my head. I don't have any real frame of reference for it except that, really, she's everything I could ever imagine wanting.

And until her, I was content to want nothing. I was content to take care of whatever need for intimacy I felt with relationships that meant nothing. I'm in my car when that thought hits me and I wince. The relationships meant more than nothing. They weren't just nothing. At least one wasn't. The relationship meant so much to Joanne that she knew if I pressed her, she'd give up all in her life that was good.

I don't deserve to have Madeline.

You could bet an entire fortune on one thing for sure. There's no chance in hell that Madeline would let me get away with being that kind of a man to her. After four months, I can tell you that with certainty. She and I still argue like crazy.

It's just now, we reach a fever pitch and end up tearing off our clothes and screwing each other. It's funny, too, because we start out having angry sex and it gets progressively calmer, sweeter, and gentler. It's the exact opposite of a slow-build stereotype.

She spends almost every night with me when I'm not at the firehouse. I'm no longer a fire inspector except for two projects, Madeline's and a ten home subdivision that's almost done. When she gets her occupancy permit, which is about three weeks away, I'll be done with her. I'm doing final inspections on the last four houses of the subdivision over the next week and a half.

At Company 417, I'm two-three right now. I spend two days a week at the station and then three days the next week. The other five nights and four nights, I either sleep at my house or Maddy's but regardless of which house we're in; we sleep in the same bed.

When we sleep.

And the girl is so much more than an incredible lover.

Well, of course, she is. I knew that before we got together, which is why it irritated the hell out of me that she was a spoiled brat back then.

And still. She's still a spoiled brat.

And I'm still an unyielding asshole.

But when I'm with Madeline, I yield a little, and when Madeline is with me, she's not so much of a brat.

The relationship makes it easy to keep up with the act, actually. I don't have to pretend to have real feelings for her. I've got them. Also, as damned silly as it might be, I enjoy seeing the engagement ring on her finger and knowing everyone who sees her knows she's taken.

And she is taken but…

Oh well, there's no reason for me to even entertain these thoughts. We have a very specific mission. One year to get all of the charities in order so she can say goodbye to the inheritance but not to her dreams. There are eight months left, about.

"Maddy," I say suddenly. "Maddy, I need to talk with you."

She rolls over and smiles lazily up at me. "I'm sleeping, asshole."

I chuckle. "You get enough sleep, you spoiled brat."

She giggles and says, "Okay. What's up?"

"You don't have to marry me. I mean, I know you're rich and you have to be careful but I love you. I really love you, and I don't want this to end when we've got all the charities funded and ready. I can't lose you. I want you forever."

She stares at me for a second, and I can't read her face. That's about as terrifying a thing as possible, of course.

Then she leaps up and throws her arms around me. "About fucking time, asshole!" she whispers, and I can tell she's crying a little bit. She holds me tightly and adds, "And marry me. We can get married right now. This weekend."

I kiss her neck and say, "I just need you to know one thing first."

"I don't need to know anything else," she says, "I love you, and that's enough."

"Okay," I whisper, "but I need to show you something so I'm taking the day off and we need to go on a drive."

"Where?"

‘The forest."

She almost chuckles, which is crazy. "Okay, my love," she whispers.

My love.

Wow.