Chapter 26

26

Ethan

On the Thursday four weeks after meeting Madeline, I'm at my place while she's in Los Angeles to perform at a charity concert. I've spent the last three weeks going between New York and Nashville, often flying in for just the night because work has been keeping us both busy and we can't spare longer than the night.

We woke together today but she had to leave for California early and I had to come home to attend a photography exhibition. I had less than forty minutes with her this morning, and most of that time was spent talking to her while she showered and got ready for the day. Due to our commitments, we haven't been able to connect all day with a call or text; it's safe to say I don't recall much of the exhibition or of anything I did today because my mind has been on Maddie.

I've just walked in the door of my condo Thursday night when Callan texts.

Callan: You home?

Me: Yeah.

Callan: You got any beer?

Me: Yeah.

Callan: Put the game on. I'll be there soon.

He arrives ten minutes later. I've got the beer ready and the football on the television and we spend half an hour watching the game before I ask, "Where's Liv tonight?"

"She's at some yoga thing with Blair."

I look at him. "On a Thursday night?"

"Yeah."

"Since when did Liv stop watching the Thursday night game with you?"

"Since now."

Thursday night football used to be our thing before I fucked shit up between Callan and me. The three of us always watched the game together and sometimes we invited our brothers.

"She told me they'll be doing this every Thursday for four weeks," he says, "She told me I should find someone to watch football with because she doesn't wanna hear me complain about her not being available."

I reach for my phone and send our group chat a message.

Me: Liv. This is some rough shit you're pulling on your husband just weeks after you married his ass. Ditching him for yoga every Thursday night.

She comes right back.

Olivia: I just fell off my yoga mat. Since when does Ethan Black engage in a group chat willingly?

Me: Are you actually at a yoga class? Surely they don't condone texting while yogaing.

Gage: Yogaing? Is that a word now?

Bradford: It is when you've got a woman teaching you words.

Olivia: Spoken from experience, I imagine, Bradford.

Callan: Liv, get your ass over to Ethan's if you're not yogaing.

Hayden: It's clearly a word now.

Gage: Are you two watching the game?

Callan: Yeah. You should come over if you're not busy.

Olivia: Liv is absolutely yogaing and now I'm confiscating her phone. I have no idea why she would even think it okay to text while down-dogging. If we get barred from this class, Callan, you better run the next time I see you. Not love, Blair.

Callan: Fuck, I just worked out why I'm a single guy again for four Thursdays. You're there for a dude, aren't you, Blair?

Kristen: OMG WHY WASN'T I INVITED FOR YOGAING?

A text comes in from Madeline and I can't get out of this group chat fast enough to check it.

Miller: {My filthy mouth wants to do nasty things to you, Black. Let a girl up to your condo.}

I frown.

Me: You're here?

Miller: Yes, this is not a test to see how you react to a spontaneous visit from your girlfriend.

Me: I'm hard now that you just called yourself that and fuck me, my entire fucking family is about to arrive.

Miller: *laughs* I can't wait to see how you handle that.

Miller: Hurry up! It's been too many hours since I've checked out that ass of yours.

Callan eyes me questioningly when I move off the sofa.

"Madeline's here," I say, "So it's on you to entertain if every fucker in our family shows up here." With that, I go and let my girlfriend in.

She steps off the elevator into my condo and moves straight into me, her arms coming around me, her body pressing hard to mine, and her face angling up for my mouth that's instantly on hers.

"Fuck," I growl after I kiss her for longer than I've ever kissed her. "I needed that."

Her eyes are filled with heat. Her arms tighten around me. "Me too."

I hold her face, running my thumb along her jaw. "Why aren't you in LA singing songs?"

"Well, it seems I have an ex who really doesn't want me to sing songs anymore. He had me removed from the concert lineup."

"The fuck?" The fury I always feel over this dickhead thunders to life. "I didn't think he was a part of this concert."

"He isn't, but still, his reach is far and wide."

"Why don't you sound angry about this?"

"Oh, I'm angry. I screamed. I shouted at some people. I threw a tantrum that you'd be proud of. And then, after Leigh dragged me away from those people, I got on a plane and came to see you." She pulls my face down to hers. "I'm looking at you, Black, so that's why I'm smiling now."

"Callan's here. We're watching a game. I'd kick him out, but he's invited Gage over, and I'm pretty sure Liv will arrive at some point too."

"So, what you're saying is that there'll be no filthy mouth for you tonight."

"No, what I'm saying is that I'll have to wait for that filthy mouth."

Mischief flashes in her eyes. "I don't know...I may be too tired later."

"You could be asleep for all I care. I'm having that mouth and you'll wake up if you have to."

Her fingers dig into my neck as she grips me harder. "There is something seriously wrong with me. I liked that arrogant bossiness far too much."

I've never spoken to a woman the way I just spoke to Madeline, but hell if I could stop myself. I want her so damn much; in ways I've never wanted anyone. Mind, body, and soul. I want all of it from her and I've had to stop myself so many times from making demands of her. I'm unable to do that anymore, so it's a good thing she likes my bossiness because I suspect she's going to experience it a hell of a lot going forward.

I take hold of her hand. "Come watch the game." I stop as I realize I don't know if she likes football. "Do you like football?"

"I was raised on football. My dad was glued to the television for like half a year." She pauses before asking, "How much do you love it?"

The elevator opens as she says all this and Gage joins us. Looking at Madeline, he says, "You'll fight for his attention during football season."

That statement right there should tell her how addicted I am to her. The season started weeks ago and I've missed more games this year than I've watched.

The way she's looking at me says she fully grasps this and the way she grips my hand a little harder and gives me those soft eyes of hers says she likes it a lot.

I get her a beer when she asks for one and sit next to her on the sofa as Callan and Gage get into a conversation about our team with her. Maddie joins in easily as we alternate watching the game and talking about our week in between plays.

We're in the middle of discussing Gage's current frustration with his ex-wife over the fact she's started violating their joint custody agreement, often changing plans at the last minute. Gage was supposed to have Luna this weekend but Shayla called him at four this afternoon and said she'd decided, just this morning, to take Luna to Florida to see her parents.

"She can't do that." Olivia's voice sounds from behind us as she walks into the room. "I hope you're documenting these violations."

"Yeah, Liv, I am," Gage says.

Olivia is one of the sharpest lawyers out there, and while she isn't officially Gage's counsel—they agreed not to mix business and friendship—she fiercely guards his interests, especially when it comes to navigating the minefield that is his relationship with Shayla.

Her best friend, Blair, comes in after her, and if someone asked me the definition of a shark lawyer, I'd tell them it's Blair. She's a high-powered attorney who is well known for the complex cases she handles with ease and a very aggressive approach.

She narrows her eyes at Gage. "You need a new attorney, Gage. I've told you that. Your guy is useless."

A look of not this shit again crosses Gage's face. He has little time for Blair, mostly, I think, because they're too similar. They butt heads every time they're in the same room because neither will back down on anything. "If I wanted your opinion, Blair, I'd ask for it," he says.

She shrugs. "Suit yourself, but if you were my client, she'd be killing herself to never violate your agreement."

"Yes," he grunts. "As you've mentioned before. And as I've mentioned before, I'm not looking to completely fucking alienate the mother of my child."

"Okay," Liv says, her attention focused on Gage, "Let's not get into this tonight. But please make sure you mention this to Brett." His lawyer.

Gage nods. "He's aware."

Callan reaches for his wife and pulls her onto his lap. "How was yoga?" He eyes Blair. "And did you achieve your goal?"

"I'm unsure why you're giving me grief over stealing Liv on a Thursday night," Blair says, gesturing at the game on the television. "It's not like she'd be getting any attention from you if she stayed home."

"Has she told you how many games I've watched this season?" he asks.

Now, she rolls her eyes. "We need to send you back to school so you can re-learn the definition of ‘watch' because having the game on in the bedroom while you pretend to talk to her is in fact still watching the game. As is taking her on a date to a sports bar where a thousand screens have the game playing."

Callan grins. He loves Blair almost as much as his wife does, and he particularly enjoys her saltiness. "I let her do filthy things to me last Thursday night, no game in sight. Surely that counts for something."

Olivia's lips quirk and she shakes her head at him. "You are such a shit-stirrer."

I lean into Maddie as they all get into a conversation about how much time football season steals from couples. "We could sneak out now and no one would notice."

She angles her face my way as her hand comes to rest on my thigh, and I'm suddenly wondering why the fuck it wasn't already there. "I see why you and Callan are so close. You two are the wicked brothers, right?"

"I would say that's an incorrect conclusion. Gage is the wicked one."

"Okay, so when I said wicked, I didn't mean morally grey. I meant mischievous."

"I'll accept that." I smirk. "It beats the other words I've been called."

Now, she twists her entire body my way and shifts her hand further up my thigh. "What words have you been called?"

The conversation around us stops as everyone watches the game again. I ignore the television and stay right in this moment with Maddie. "It's not in my best interests to share that information with a woman I'm trying to impress."

Her eyes sparkle with enjoyment. "We're way past the up-front stage of this relationship, Black. Are you telling me I've been deceived?"

"You use such harsh words, Miller."

"Well?" She tilts her head, waiting, doing her damnedest to appear serious.

I reach a hand along her leg, up to her waist, and try like fuck not to slip it under the hem of her shirt but fail. My fingertips meet bare skin as I say, "Asshole is a firm favorite of some when it comes to me. Bastard comes in a close second. Jerk might have been mentioned a time or two."

"Give me their names," she breathes, leaning closer. So close that it's an effort for me to form thoughts of any use. "I'll set them all straight."

"Fuck," I growl, and then I'm standing and dragging her up with me and looking at the people in my media room who I wish to fuck were not here. "We're leaving. Do not come looking for us."

I catch Liv's grin on my way out. I also catch Madeline's hesitation, the way her hand doesn't feel quite sure of holding mine. It's this that causes my steps to falter as we exit the room.

After I turn and give her a questioning look, she pulls her hand from mine and says softly, "We can't just leave everyone. It's your home. They're here to see you."

"They're here to see the game."

She gives me a look and from that alone, I know I'm not going to win here. "Ethan."

"Fuck," I groan. "We're going back in there, aren't we?"

"Yeah, baby"—she puts her hand to my chest, no clue how affected I am by that ‘baby'—"we're going back in there. But you know I live for this grumpiness of yours, so just know that once everyone leaves, you're in for a good time."

"Not helping," I mutter.

Her laughter leads the way back into the room and as I follow her to the sofa, my brothers both arch their brows knowingly at me.

Yeah, I'm so fucking gone on this woman.