Chapter Sixteen

MARIGOLD

We crash through Maddox's front door in a tangle of lips and arms. The tension in the truck was so high I almost slid onto his lap while he was driving us home. So by the time we got to his front door, we were already unbuttoning jeans and pulling at shirts and shoes.

"I can't wait. Come here." We fall onto the couch and his weight on me feels delicious. His aftershave filled with the beach air will never get old. He kicks off his boxers and I toss my bra to the floor. He slides down my body, letting his knees hit the floor while he nips and bites at my inner thighs. It tickles and I squirm.

"Mads, please! Don't tease me!"

His low rumble of a laugh vibrates my skin and makes me crave him more. My hands run through his hair while he kisses around every spot except the one I need him to land on.

"You smell so fucking good. Like you have sugar running through your veins." He nips at my core, over my panties and my hips punch up. He chuckles and does it again, placing his hand over my lower belly to hold me still. "I could do this all night."

"Then fucking do it, Mads."

He barks out a laugh. "Patience, Goldie." He pulls my panties to the side and kisses my clit before tonguing me. He latches on, sucking and licking and my hips rock in tune with him.

"Mads! Oh, I'm close." My body begins to shake. "Just a little bit more…" I'm breathless at how fast he's worked me but I've been anticipating this for the last hour. Waiting and wanting. He stops abruptly and smacks my pussy. "Oh!"

"Fuck. Turn around and get on your knees." He grabs his cock, stroking it and squeezing the tip. "I'm trying to hold off but I'm about to blow against this couch cushion. The first time I come tonight is going to be inside you. Not against the fucking upholstery."

"How can you even say upholstery right now?" I can barely think while I turn over, pulling my panties completely off, and he's using ridiculously big words.

He spanks me. "This is going to be fast and hard." He slides inside and I yelp. "Second time around, I'll do better. I'm sorry." He's thrusting with every word and I cry out.

"Just fuck me, Mads!"

His fingers dig into my hips and I relish in his tight hold.

"I never knew it could be like this," he grits out, each word emphasized with a thrust of his hips. He leans over my back, holding my left shoulder for leverage while he fondles my breast with his right hand. He speaks breathlessly against my ear, "Tell me, Goldie. Tell me you didn't know either."

I cry out, groan out, moan all the words I can't form. But my mind has them all.

I had no idea it could be this way, either. And I don't want to lose it.

"Let go for me. Squeeze my cock, Goldie." He gives me two good smacks on my ass and it's all I need to break. My body convulses and I feel him go rigid behind me, yelling out his own release.

We've made it from the couch, to the floor and now to the bed. I didn't even get a chance to check out his home, I've been consumed by all things Maddox.

And I don't hate it.

"How am I going to work tomorrow?" Glancing at the clock, I let out a breath. "Scratch that. Today. In five hours." I throw my hands over my eyes and roll from Maddox. He turns, wrapping his big body around mine. He's warm and I don't want to leave this bed.

"My dad always said there's time to sleep when we're dead. Don't miss out on life by sleeping it way."

"I need to function though!"

"You seem to function pretty damn well to me." He pulls me closer and squeezes me, nuzzling my neck and I giggle.

"Maddox, you surprise me more and more."

"I hope in a good way."

I nod and turn onto my back, he leans over me, kissing my nose and traces his finger across my collarbone. "In a very good way. I came to Love Beach to escape. I was definitely not looking to start anything except Cakeology. But the minute I showed up here, I've found my forever people. And it's amazing."

He continues drawing circles around my collarbone, dipping low, brushing the swells of my breasts, and smiles. "Forever people, huh?"

My body freezes as I realize what I just said. I try to backtrack. "I mean, like Logan and Reece and–" He chuckles. "I don't mean us. I mean, I do mean us. No, what I mean is–"

He kisses me to shut me up. "I know what you mean. And I'm happy you're comfortable here. Those words slipping out means you've found your place. You were very unsure those first few times I saw you. I'm glad that you've left that behind."

"I left a lot behind. It's the only way to move forward."

He studies me and I debate on whether to tell him more. When he watches me patiently, not pushing, just waiting, I decide to give it to him. "My ex was a great guy, in the beginning. We were high school sweethearts from a small town. It never dawned on me to move away. We always figured we'd stay together and settle in and start our own family. The next generation you know?"

He nods. "I get that. It's why I stayed here and became a fireman, like my dad."

"So you understand wanting to keep that family atmosphere alive." He nods again and I continue, "My grandmother turned me onto baking from a young age. Every weekend she would show me something new. She told me story after story of how she would find out a couple's favorite flavor and bake them something special for their anniversary. Or a family had a son joining the military so she would bake them a special dessert the night before he left. Wedding cakes were her favorite to make. She wanted to be a part of the best love story ever." I smile remembering our special times. "It's why I wanted to start my own shop. I couldn't wait to be able to do it all on my own, to make her proud of me."

He snuggles in closer, laying his hand on my hip. "I'm sure she's amazed at what you've done."

Taking a breath before I begin this next part. "My ex was supportive in the beginning. I had no idea what I was doing. I just wanted to bake so the whole business side of things, I left up to him. I'd ask questions, trying to understand and he was patient to start. Then he turned. He would get annoyed at my questions or wanting to know how things ran; banking, ordering, who our suppliers were. It was stuff I needed to know. And again, I let it slide because we were a team. Or so I thought."

He's quiet as I gather my thoughts. "He became distant. Then he would become angry when I said I needed help in the shop. I was running it every day by myself. It was exhilarating but exhausting. He didn't seem to care that all my time was spent there. But then he'd pick a fight, saying I was working too much and not meeting his needs. But if he would help me, if he would have met my needs, we could have come together as a team.

"I found out he was cheating on me on our seventh anniversary. I had baked a special cake, tiramisu flavored because it was his favorite. When he came home, he had a look on his face and I just knew something wasn't right. He told me everything. There were numerous girls, he was tired of being tied down. He hadn't ever ‘lived' life and wasn't meant for the small town life.

"My dreams crashed and burned in a matter of minutes. I knew I couldn't stay in that town for one more day so I put my place up for sale, packed as much as I could into my truck and drove until I hit the water." I scoff. "Love Beach is where it led me. Imagine that."

He traces my jawline, circling over my lips and then tapping the tip of my nose before kissing it. "I'm more than happy that it led you here." My body relaxes at his words. "I understand expectations versus reality. I thought my sister and I would follow in my parents footsteps. I would be the fireman, like Dad and Reece would be the nurse, like Mom. Then we'd each find love and raise our families together, right here in Love Beach. But that isn't how things unfolded."

"Reece is doing amazing though. From what I know, she's a wonderful teacher and loves her kids. Aren't you happy for her?"

He rolls away from me, laying on his back and looks toward the ceiling. "I'm happy that she's happy. But I'd be happier if she was here in Love Beach. With me, Isaac, you. Why doesn't she want to be here?"

"Maybe she has bigger dreams. And it doesn't mean that she doesn't love you or want to be here, but sometimes you fall into a routine. She found a new town where she loves teaching. Maybe it's just too comfortable here for her." He's quiet and doesn't answer me. "You thought she'd stay here for Isaac, didn't you?"

His eyes flick to me then back to the ceiling. I can feel the air grow cold around us. "I wanted her to. Then I'd have my sister and my best friend happy at the same time. When she left, she broke both our hearts."

Tears sting my eyes. I don't know what it's like to have a sibling, let alone a twin, but I'm sure he thought they'd be together forever. So when she moved, it was a shock that he never got over.

"As much as I'm sure you'd like her to be here, you have to let her do her own thing. She needs to fly, Maddox. She needs to see what else is out there that will satisfy her soul." I debate on whether to push one more time. Reece has said Maddox has an order of things and family, love… comes behind firefighting. "And she needs you to make room for something other than fire in your heart."

His body tenses but when I curl into him this time, he softens. He's not hearing me. He's stuck on all that he's lost or what he can't control instead of the growth that surrounds him. It makes me wonder, it gives me pause because I don't want to repeat the cycle. He said he'd help me, but I need it to be a team effort. Not something that is thrown back in my face in six months' time. I won't be able to leave and start over again. I'm already too deep into Love Beach.