Chapter 34

thirty-four

ISLA

"Are you sure you're okay?" Maddox asks for the third time since we got in his car. He keeps glancing at me from the corner of his eyes, checking on me. It's sweet.

The smile I offer him is genuine. I was a bit shaken by the whole interaction with Alex, and I'll probably have a small-scale freakout when I get home and have some time to reflect on everything, but I'm surprisingly good. With Maddox there, seeing Alex didn't have the same impact it would have had I run into him a month prior on my own. That would have sent me into a tailspin. This? This is nothing a ten-minute conversation with my therapist can't resolve.

The realization floods my chest with warmth. Maddox is helping me heal. He's changing the way I see myself and the things that went down with Alex.

He's amazing, and I need him.

"About Alex? Yes, I'm okay about that." I roll my lower lip between my teeth and turn to face Maddox. My eyelashes flutter in time with the butterflies in my chest. "But, Maddox? I do have a problem. I think…" I chew on my lip. "I was hoping you could help me."

Concern bleeds from my boyfriend's pores. He reaches over and intertwines our fingers. "Anything, baby. You know that."

Shifting in my seat, I press my thighs together. Ever since he kissed me possessively in the coffee shop and laid his claim on me, my core has been pulsing. "Anything?"

"Anything."

The words stall in my throat as a sudden attack of shyness seizes me. What if Maddox rejects me? What if telling him exactly what I want turns him off? What if Alex wasn't the one who was mediocre in bed? What if it's me, and having sex ruins this brand new relationship Maddox and I are building?

"Isla?"

No. I will not let Alex-induced doubts impact things with Maddox. I won't. Sucking in a sharp breath, I lay myself bare for him. "Well, the problem is that I'm aching, and I was hoping you could help me. I want you to fuck me, Maddox. Please."

The car swerves slightly within our lane, and his fingers tighten around mine. "Jesus, baby. Are you sure?"

"Yes," I tell him. Because I am. He's been so attentive. So generous with his touch and affection. But I want more than just his fingers and his mouth. I want all of him. I need all of him.

"Fuck," he groans. He sounds pained as he adjusts himself. "I'm taking you to my place."

My stomach flutters. I haven't been to Maddox's home yet. I think he loves my cozy little apartment, and there's a part of me that worries about walking into Maddox's space. I try not to be judgmental about his money, but my experiences have left me with some pretty negative perceptions of wealth. I know it's silly, but I'm glad I've had the chance to get to know my boyfriend more on my home turf.

But I'm ready to explore his now.

"My car is still at the school," I remind him.

"We can get it tomorrow."

Oh. He wants me to spend the night.

I want that, too. Very much.

It doesn't take long before we pull into a private garage beneath a gleaming building in a trendy part of Minneapolis. It's the kind of place I've never given a second thought to because I could save my whole life and never be able to afford to purchase a unit here. Large, modern balconies dot the exterior, as do huge windows that must boast amazing views of the city.

Maddox grabs my hand as we climb out of his vehicle, and he leads me to a private elevator that requires key card access. It brings us up to a modern lobby where two security guards watch the doors and a wall of monitors. They glance up at us and give Maddox a familiar nod. I give them an awkward wave as Maddox leads me toward another elevator at the far end of the lobby. He scans his key card once again, his foot tapping rapidly on the white marble-tiled floor.

As soon as we're safely inside the elevator and the doors close, he's on me.

Maddox cages me against the wall with his broad upper body and muscular arms. Our chests brush with each ragged inhalation. He stares down at me, pupils blown, and my lower belly clenches. When he removes a hand from the wall to cup my cheek tenderly, even though he looks like he wants to devour me, I swear my knees go weak.

"You're so beautiful," he murmurs as he drops his lips to mine. "So beautiful when you come, too." He presses into me. Everywhere. Plush lips move over mine, his muscular thigh presses between my legs, and his very hard cock pushes into my belly. "I can't wait to watch you shatter around my thick cock, baby girl."

Fuck. Me.

I'm grinding against his thigh when the elevator dings. The loss of contact when he pulls away makes me whimper. It earns me a dark chuckle as he tugs on my hand, dragging me to the lone door on this floor. My pussy aches as he unlocks it. I need him. I must say it out loud because Maddox's fingers tighten around mine.

"Don't worry, baby. I'm going to fill you up the way you need so soon."

The apartment barely registers. There's a vague impression of high ceilings, walls of windows, and lots of muted neutrals before he leads me down a wide hallway and shoves a door open to reveal his bedroom. This room I pay attention to.

Deep gray walls make up the space, except for one to the left, which is solid windows. Gleaming hardwoods reflect the city lights and provide an ambient glow. The bed is huge, though it would have to be to fit a man of Maddox's height. Three industrial-looking black wall sconces are mounted over a slatted wooden headboard stained a rich sienna brown. Cream sheets and a tan comforter that looks like it's made of clouds cover the bed and call my name. A massive cream area rug softens the masculine energy of the room.

It's beautiful and tasteful, but I don't care about any of it. I just need Maddox inside me.

He watches me do a quick inspection of the room and grins wickedly when my hungry eyes come back to him. "Like what you see?" he asks as he prowls toward me.

I can only nod. My voice is stuck in my throat. He's taking up all the oxygen in the room. And when he rips the hoodie over his head, the tee beneath quickly following, my thoughts dry up. Like what I see? How the hell could I not when he looks like that?

"You're wearing too many clothes," he says as he stops before me. Those captivating, warm, amber-flecked eyes of his drag down my body so slowly it almost feels like a physical touch. Almost.

I grin at him. "You should help me fix that."

No sooner have the words left my mouth than he's dragging my shirt over my head and unbuttoning my pants. The long fingers of one hand snake between the waistband of my black panties as the other hand grips the back of my neck. His lips find mine at the same moment his fingers sweep through my dripping folds, and he groans into my open mouth.

"Fuck, baby. You're soaked for me." Thick fingers drag through my wetness again before pressing into my body. I buck into his hand, and he nips at my lower lip. "Have you been drenched all day? Has my poor little Short-Stack been wet and needy this whole time?"

"Yes," I moan. And I have been. I've been wet since he strode into my school and went above and beyond the agreement we made on that first terrible date. I've been wet since he claimed my mouth in front of Alex. I've been dripping as my mind imagined this moment in a thousand different ways.

"We should take care of that then," he says, pumping his finger in and out of me once, twice, three times before he removes it completely. The loss of him has me whining. I've never felt so needy. Then again, I've never wanted anyone the way I want Maddox Graves. It's consuming. Monumental. Life altering.

Whatever I feel for him right now, I know that having sex will amplify it tenfold. I have the distinct impression that the moment Maddox sinks himself into my body, my world will reorient itself, and he'll be that much closer to the center.

That thought should terrify me more than it does.

Deft fingers tug at my remaining clothes, and soon I'm completely bare before him. My entire body flushes with arousal, and I return the favor and drag his pants down his legs. His boxer briefs fall to the floor a moment later.

Maddox's cock is thick and hard. He groans as I stare at it, then hisses when I lean down and swirl my tongue around its crown. I want to take him in my mouth and give him a blow job any porn star would be proud of. But after puking on my high school boyfriend's dick the one time I tried to suck down more than just a guy's head, I've been gun shy. Dick shy?

"I want to suck your cock," I whisper, looking up at Maddox from beneath the fringe of my eyelashes. "Like really suck it. Not just the head like I have been doing. But I had a bad experience once a long time ago, and I'm worried… "

"Isla." Maddox interrupts me, his palm cradling my cheek and urging me to look up at him. "Baby, I don't care if you never suck my cock. I don't care if you only ever lick it like an ice cream cone. I never want you to do something that makes you uncomfortable. Understand?"

If I wasn't drenched before, I would be now. "It's not that, it's just…"

He watches me as my words trail off. With soft eyes, he says, "If you want to tell me about it right now, I'm all ears. And if it's something you want to work through, I'm here for you. But baby, you're the one who just had to confront her ex. And as your boyfriend, it's my job to make sure you're okay. Better than okay. Let me make you feel good."

Blinking at him a few times, I wonder how I got so lucky. And I push aside the rogue thoughts warning me that Maddox Graves is entirely too good to be true. "I do want to tell you about it." Even though it's embarrassing as hell. "But not now. Right now, I need you."

The sexiest groan slips past Maddox's lips, and then his hands go to my ass and he's lifting me like I weigh nothing at all. I wrap my arms around his neck and our mouths collide with undisguised need as he holds me to his body. I grind against his abs like a cat in heat, whimpering as my clit pulses.

Maddox's erection rubs against my ass as he carries me over to his bed and gently lays me down. His lips never leave mine. Our connection never breaks. His much larger form covers and cages my body in, and when he braces his knee between my thighs, I unwrap my legs from around Maddox's waist and let them splay open.

"So fucking beautiful," he murmurs as he breaks our kiss and looks his fill. There's no mistaking the deep hunger flaring in his earthen eyes.

I've never felt so beautiful.

Shivers of pleasure skitter down my spine as Maddox's rough hands explore every inch of my naked flesh. He kisses, nips, and sucks his way down the column of my neck, over my collarbones, and pays particular attention to my aching breasts.

"You're a goddess," he says between kisses. "And you're mine."

God, that possessiveness does it for me. It doesn't send a flare of panic through my chest or a twinge of discomfort because I know he means it in the most reverential way. For some reason, this beautiful, talented, s ought-after man seems surprised that I would want to be his.

Madness.

"And you're mine," I reply on a shaky exhalation. My back arches off the mattress as Maddox lightly nips at my breast and his fingers slip between my slick folds. He presses one finger inside of me before withdrawing it and adding another. I cry out when he rubs along my inner walls, stretching me, driving me wild.

"I need to make sure you're ready for me." Maddox's voice is a low rasp. His hard length presses against my hip, and I'm desperate to feel him inside of me. "Don't want to hurt you, baby."

"You won't," I croak. But I've never taken anyone as large as Maddox, so I let myself give in to the pleasure he wrings from my body. I'm so wet that I can hear the slick movements of his fingers as he fucks me with them. The sound is erotic. Reaching down, I fist his cock and rub my thumb along the slit, spreading the bead of pre-cum across its thick head. It's not enough.

My hand falls to my pussy, my fingers skimming across Maddox's hand as he pleasures me. I slip two of my own fingers inside my wet heat alongside his and moan from how full it makes me. He stops licking and sucking my nipples to stare at where our fingers slide together and disappear into my pussy. His gaze is hungry. Wild. And when I draw my fingers out, coated in my slick arousal, and paint the shaft of his dick with it, he practically growls.

"Jesus, baby. That's so hot." His words taper off into a gasp as I palm his length and work him. My arousal makes him slippery and wet, and my hand moves in a fluid dance. His hips buck as I work him. "Shit. Shit, you need to stop, Isla. I don't want to come in your hand. I want to be buried inside you when I explode."

With a devious smirk, I work his dick once more. Maddox grabs my wrist and presses it above my head on the mattress. He slowly withdraws his fingers from my body, which I protest with a whimper, and presses them to my lips.

"Open your mouth, Isla. I want you to taste yourself."

I've never tasted myself, except on his lips, but I obey. I lick and suck my arousal off his fingers without hesitation.

"Good girl," he praises. His chest presses into me as he kisses me, hard. And then he pulls away only long enough to reach for his nightstand. He tugs at the drawer and grabs a condom. I watch with hungry eyes as he rips the little foil wrapper and unrolls it down his length. My legs splay wide in invitation.

"Maddox," I whine. "Please. "

"So needy." His eyes twinkle as his face transforms with a devastating smile. "Are you ready for my cock, Isla? Are you ready for me to stretch your tight little pussy and fill you up?"

My stomach hollows out, and I arch my back at his words. I can't help it. My body simply reacts. Never have I wanted someone as badly as I want Maddox Graves. "Yes. God, yes. Fuck me, Maddox."

My clit thrums with pleasure as he bumps the head of his dick against it, rubbing his sheathed length through the wetness of my folds so he can easily slide inside of me. Then he stills and meets my gaze.

"Please."

That's all it takes. One strangled plea, and then he's pressing the head of his cock into me. So slowly, it might as well be torture. Maddox fills me up an inch at a time. He stills as my eyes flutter and roll back into my head. He's so much bigger than anyone I've had sex with before, and while it's not painful, my body needs a moment to adjust to him.

"Are you okay? I'm not hurting you, am I?"

"No," I say with a shake of my head. "More."

Maddox gives me what I ask, and presses in another inch, and then another. I'm panting by the time he's fully sheathed within me. He presses his forehead to mine, still as he lets me adjust. "God, Isla. You feel like heaven."

I need him to move. To fuck me. "Please," I say again. My brain is short-circuiting. All other words seem to be lost to me. "Maddox, please fuck me."

He lets out a masculine groan that goes straight to my clit, and then he moves. He slowly slides himself part way out, and when he pushes back in, he rolls his hips, which rubs his pubic bone over my clit. Encouraged by my cries and mewls, he does it again and again. All the while, his rich, brown eyes hold mine and he kisses me senseless.

It's so much more than I thought it would be. This isn't just fucking. It's not just scratching an itch. Maddox Graves is making love to me. This big, sometimes gruff man stares into my eyes like I'm precious and tells me exactly how he feels with every slow roll and thrust of his hips.

The realization has me spiraling with pleasure. My fingers drag down Maddox's broad back and I wrap my legs around his ass, urging him deeper. Urging him to take me faster. Harder.

"So beautiful," he says before kissing the juncture of my neck and shoulders. "So pretty, filled with my cock."

This man. The combination of his tender looks and touches and his filthy, filthy words has pressure building low in my belly.

"Are you close, sweetheart?"

I can only nod. My body tingles and clenches. I'm so close.

"Good. Such a good girl. My good girl." He picks up the pace, thrusting harder and faster, eliciting a gasp from me. "Now come for me, Isla. Come all over my dick. I want you to scream my name."

And god help me, I do. Every muscle in my body tightens before releasing in a wave of euphoria. I scream Maddox's name as my pussy spasms around his hard length. He fucks me through it, and as my orgasm reaches its peak, he stills over me, his face twisting with pleasure. The low, raspy groan as he comes prolongs my climax. Maddox works me through it, his softening cock thrusting lazily inside of me a few more times before he stops and wraps me in his arms. When he pulls out, I whimper.

"Shh, baby. I've got you." He flops down onto his back, dragging my sweaty, naked body into his, and holds me. "I've got you."

He's warm. So warm. His arms are strong, and I feel safe as he holds me. Protected.

I've never felt this way during sex. Or after. I'm overwhelmed as he whispers sweet nothings into my ear and traces patterns over my back.

And as my mind slowly comes back online, I have the unwelcome thought that if this is how I feel after our first time having sex, how much more intense will things be after a few weeks, or a few months? Sex never felt like this in all my years with Alex, and he still broke me in the end.

How much more will I shatter if things with Maddox end badly?