Chapter Eighteen
Justin couldn’t get Maddie off his mind. He’d been zoning out at practice, wondering about what Maddie was doing instead of focusing on the players. When he tried to settle down at the cottage, instead of relaxing, he paced like a caged lion.
That was how he found his car steering itself back to the home he shared with Maddie on its own and his feet planted on his own front porch later that night. It was late enough that Aiden should be in bed. Not that he didn’t want to see his son but focusing on Aiden and potential future children had been part of their relationship’s downfall. Right now, he wanted his attention solely on his wife.
She didn’t answer his soft knock. She must be in their bedroom on the back side of the house. That gave him an idea.
He gathered a few pebbles from the curb and hiked around. Once he reached their window, he lobbed a small pebble at the glass. The telltale plink of the rock hitting the glass echoed in the night. He threw another, a little harder this time. And another.
Finally, the curtains fluttered and Maddie appeared. She held her hand over her eyes and peered into the backyard, her expression relaxing when she spotted him. He smiled and raised his hand in a wave.
She fumbled with the window for a minute and then raised the glass and leaned out. “What are you doing?”
“You didn’t answer the door. I didn’t want to wake Aiden up.”
“I was taking a bath.”
Those few words hit him in the gut. He imagined her naked body sinking into the warm water, the bubbles not quite hiding her breasts. Maybe she’d run her hands over her nipples, teasing them to stiff peaks before she slid lower. Her hair would have been tied up, leaving her long neck exposed, just begging for him to kiss her.
“Were you going to stand out there all night staring at me or did you want to come in?” There may have been a question in her voice but her heated gaze answered for him.
He crossed the short distance to her window and stepped up below her. “I wasn’t staring at you. I was imagining you in the bath and wishing I had come by thirty minutes earlier so I could have been in there with you.”
He was rewarded with pink creeping up her cheeks. But she didn’t look away. Her gaze stayed locked on his, and she tilted her head toward the front door. “Come on in.”
He hustled around the house and practically leapt up the stairs to the porch. He debated knocking again but, dammit, this was his house, too. She had invited him in. For the first time in way too long, he grabbed the door handle and walked into his house.
A minute later, Maddie rushed into the living room from the hall, a thin T-shirt barely hiding her body from him. It certainly did nothing to mask the peaks of her nipples. He closed and locked the door behind him. He then strode across the room with one goal in mind—making love with Maddie. It had been long enough.
He wasted no time pulling her into his arms. She came easily, her mouth begging to be kissed. But that could wait. That long neck, still revealed by her pinned up hair, hadn’t had nearly enough attention recently. He placed his lips on the bare skin just between her neck and shoulder, a spot that he knew drove her wild, and sucked.
She wriggled, trying to get away and press her body more firmly into him at the same time. Yep, that spot still worked. He kissed and licked and nipped his way to her ear. She threw her head back. Damn, if anything she was sexier now than she had been the day he met her. While she lamented the fact that her curves were more pronounced, he loved being able to dig his fingers into her hips or her ass and hold on. And breasts that had fit easily in his palms now spilled out. He wasn’t complaining.
Speaking of which, he trailed his hand up her belly, tickling the underside of her breast. He felt the heat of her skin through her shirt. He slid his palm up, cupping her and thumbing her nipple.
She gasped and pressed her core into him.
Heat pooled deep in his gut and spread out until his entire body was one raw nerve ending. They needed to get horizontal… and soon. He was done analyzing things to death. He and Maddie had talked about a lot of their issues. Were there still things to work out? Absolutely. But that didn’t mean he couldn’t make love with his wife.
He broke the kiss and whispered against her mouth. “Maddie.”
“Bedroom. Now.”
He walked her backward, his hands never leaving her curves on the way to the bedroom. Their bedroom. He’d been in here since he’d left… but not with Maddie. Not when he was about to make love with her. He tried to stop his mind from assigning more significance to this than there was, but he failed. All he wanted was to mend their relationship and for Maddie to be the happy, vivacious woman that he’d married.
But he wasn’t naïve. They had both changed in the ensuing years, but he wanted to make sure that not only was she happier, but they were stronger as a couple before he considered moving back home.
But being here, in their bedroom with her, was a huge step in the right direction.
The lamps had been turned off and candles had been scattered around the room, bathing the area in dim, romantic light.
“Why, Madeline, did you aim to seduce me?”
She waggled her eyebrows and took a seductive step toward the bed. “I don’t know, Mr. Harper. Maybe?”
Who knew that a ratty old T-shirt could be so sexy? Well, Maddie was sexy in anything that she wore. And then she clutched the bottom of the hem with her fingers and inched the shirt up. Holy hell! She wasn’t wearing any panties. That thin shirt was the only thing hiding her beautiful body. Well, that just wouldn’t do.
He stalked across the room with Maddie in his sights, only stopping when he had backed her against the mattress. He lowered his head so his mouth hovered right over her ear. “Are you naked under this shirt?”
“I guess you’ll have to find out for yourself.”
Damn. He didn’t think he could get any harder until those words slammed into him like a ton of bricks. He pressed his groin against her. If she was going to tease him like that, she was damn sure gonna see what she did to him.
She gasped and her eyes grew dark.
He rested his hand on her hips and took her mouth with a punishing kiss. She had him so wound up right now. It was an all-out assault on her mouth, his tongue thrusting in and circling around, the flavor of peppermint filling his senses. He lifted her and practically threw her onto the mattress before toeing off his shoes. Her arms stretched out, calling to him, but he had other ideas.
He took one of her long, elegant feet in his hands, digging his thumb deep into the ball.
She groaned and threw her head back. “God, that feels so good.”
He smiled and moved to the other foot, affording it the same treatment before running his fingers up the back of her calves. He massaged both of them at once, his fingers digging into her muscles even further with each groan drawn from her lips.
Her head was thrown back on the bed, her eyes closed, and her lips parted just slightly. As tempting as it would be to lose himself in her kisses, he was on a mission. He leaned down, bent her knee, and whispered his lips over the back of that knee, that sensitive skin that he knew drove her wild.
She wriggled. Yep, still sensitive. He kissed his way up her inner thigh, widening her legs gently with his fingers. When he reached the bottom of her T-shirt, he nudged it up. The sight of her trimmed sex had him wanting to drop his jeans and plunge into her. But not yet. He leaned forward, breathing in the scent of her fruity body wash and the musky smell of her arousal.
He huffed a hot breath over her and she writhed, trying to get closer to him. He wasn’t ready for that. He had much more of her body to explore.
Tugging the T-shirt up as he went, he peppered kisses along her belly, up the side of her ribs, and then ran his tongue on the underside of her breast. He was right—she had nothing on under her T-shirt.
He finally nudged her up and yanked the fabric over her head, leaving her bare to him. He stood up and admired her, her hair spread out like a curtain around her face, her plump breasts, her tapering waist down to her rounded hips, and her sex just begging for attention.
She raised her eyes slowly and stared at him. “What?”
“You’re so beautiful.”
Normally, when he complimented her like that, she would get embarrassed and try to cover herself. Instead, she sat up and reached for his shirt. “I want this off.”
“You do, huh? Well, I guess I can make that happen.”
Together they unbuttoned his shirt. As the two sides fell open, Maddie stroked his abs, her fingers tracing each hill and valley. God, he loved having her hands on him. She kissed his chest, working her way up until she sucked his nipple into her mouth.
He gasped as jolts shot through his body. No wonder she liked that so much. He’d have to spend more time giving her the same pleasure she’d just given him.
He fumbled with the button on his jeans, finally jerking it open and yanking them down, bending only long enough to pull them off his feet.
She reached for his boxer briefs but he grabbed her hand away. “Not yet. If I feel your skin completely on me right now, this’ll be over way too soon.” And he had plans for her. If he played his cards right, those plans would take all night.
He nudged her back and stretched out over her, his chest against hers and his thigh settling between her legs. Heat poured off her core in waves. The skin to skin contact had his cock sitting up and taking notice. As if his body hadn’t noticed her the minute she stepped into the living room.
He slipped his tongue into her mouth, teasing the tip of hers but not hanging around. He had much more exploring to do. He might have spent years lying beside this exquisite woman, but he never tired of finding something new that excited her.
He slid down her body, his tongue tracing a path to her breasts. He huffed a hot breath over her nipple, pleased when it pebbled. She was so responsive, and the time away had heightened her body’s reaction to him. He teased that nipple to a stiff peak with his lips and tongue and then finally nipped it with his teeth.
She arched, as though offering herself to him. Damn, that was so sexy.
He moved across her body, laving the same attention to her other breast until she was writhing beneath him.
She snaked her arms around his back, trying to pull him up to her, but he would not be deterred. He raised his head and met her heated gaze. “Nuh-uh. I have more plans for you first.”
He peppered kisses down her belly until he reached her core. He drew in a deep breath, letting her musky scent wash over him. It seeped into him and flooded his body with a feral need to claim her. And a feeling of coming home. It had been so long since Maddie had given herself to him in this way. Made herself vulnerable to him. This was a huge step for her and he wasn’t about to waste it.
He traced around her core, gently parting her folds with a single finger. Her arousal surrounded him and eased his finger’s entry into her channel. She gasped as her inner muscles clenched down. God, he loved making her squirm. He stroked inside her, rotating and twisting his finger before inserting a second. He scissored them, stretching her and loving the way she held on to him.
He withdrew his fingers and she whimpered. He raised his head and caught her gaze for a minute before he lowered his head and stroked his tongue across her sex. He licked again, circling his tongue around her before plunging it in. He had always enjoyed making love to his wife this way, but it had taken a long time before she was comfortable with him performing oral sex. But once she was, their marriage had taken on a new level of intimacy.
Come to think of it, it had been a long time since he’d been with Maddie like this. Maybe if he had taken more care and paid more attention to her, they wouldn’t have struggled as much as they had.
But now he understood his role in the breakdown of their marriage, and he was determined to never let them feel that separation again.
He plunged his tongue in, this time adding a finger, and her entire body tightened. She was so close. He could feel it. He could always read her body, her responses, in a way that sometimes even she didn’t realize. Her breathing was ragged and her legs wrapped around his head, holding him in place.
He circled her clit with his tongue as he plunged his fingers in. Then he sucked her clit into his mouth and her body clamped onto his fingers, her inner muscles pulsing and squeezing as she exploded. He continued stroking and licking until she pressed her feet against his shoulders and pushed him away.
“Too much.” Her legs fell to the side and she sprawled on the bed like a wet noodle. While she was recovering, he stripped off his boxers and slid up beside her. He gathered her into his arms, knowing that she would need a minute to recover.
He used to be an arrogant asshole, getting pissed when she didn’t immediately want to finish with him. But as their relationship grew, he’d come to learn that if he gave Maddie a chance to recover, she’d be ready to go again. Just another thing he’d forgotten about being with Maddie.
Besides, he needed a moment himself. When he was younger, he thought that sex was all about getting off as quickly as possible. As a athlete, he had his fair share of groupies willing to indulge him. And he was more than willing to make sure they were happy, always did, but in the end, it was always about him.
Until he met Maddie. Only then had he realized how much he enjoyed making her feel good. Even if it didn’t mean anything for him.
Maddie’s stroked his chest, tangling her fingers through his chest hair. Each caress on his skin had his cock twitching, stretching up toward the source of the stimulation. Her hand continued its lazy path across his chest, and then lower, until she brushed the skin above his cock. He sucked in a breath, wrapping his fingers around her wrist and pulling her hand to his lips.
She followed and climbed over him, straddling his belly, her ass teasing his erection. She leaned forward, brushing her hair across his chest. The little minx.
He placed his hands on her hips and shifted her settling her over his cock. She threw him a heated look and when he knew they were completely in sync, he lowered her onto him.
She moaned and her chin sank, her hands braced on his chest. Damn, he loved her like this, open and exposed. Not hiding anything.
She flexed her muscles around him and lifted herself slowly, torturously, until he was almost completely out of her. Then she dropped again, taking in every inch of him, rolling her hips to drive him even deeper.
They built up a rhythm, his fingers squeezing her hips so hard he was probably leaving marks. Maddie didn’t seem to mind, her head thrown back as her breasts bounced with each movement. A deep burn flamed in his gut, spreading through his arms and legs, the tingling sensation growing and building. Maddie moved faster and he could feel her muscles quivering around him. She was close.
He rolled them over, never severing their connection, and thrust into her hard and deep. Maddie cried out, her breaths ragged as she rode out the climax. He continued thrusting until he felt his gut seize up and pull tight as he found his own release.
She collapsed over him, her muscles lax, her chest heaving. His arms snaked around her and held her to him. After her breathing calmed, he pulled out and rolled them over, pulling her into his arms and settling her head over his heart while they both recovered.
“Damn,” he huffed out on a breath.
“Yeah… that.”
He chuckled. Another thing that he was rediscovering was Maddie’s sense of humor. One of the reasons he’d fallen in love with her was that they appreciated each other’s personality. Yeah, it was cliché, saying she had a good personality… but she did. Her eyes sparkled when she smiled and she always told great stories, even if she stretched the truth at times. And she had never been afraid to ask for what she wanted—in and out of the bedroom.
That was where things had started to go off the rails.
He shook his head. He refused to allow negativity to invade this space anymore. He hugged Maddie closer to him and pulled the covers over the both of them.