Chapter Nine
Madden
Madden found herself smiling the next morning while she unpacked and tried to get her new life in order. Sex with Linc had been really good. He was attentive and inventive. He didn’t take himself too seriously, and he didn’t hold back. To be perfectly honest, she was a little sore. Although she’d never admit that to him. Round two last night had been so great she’d almost let him stay over so that she could wake up to a round three. Almost.
Madden insisted men keep their distance. She wasn’t looking for love, and she didn’t want to be the cause of anyone’s heartbreak. Ever. She’d watched her mother sit by the window, waiting up for Madden’s father, on more than one occasion. They both knew where he was. Madden was certainly old enough to figure out what was happening. She began to hate her father, but her mother never did. She stayed the dutiful Southern housewife, forever standing behind her man, even when he didn’t deserve it. Madden never dreamed of a prince charming; she learned at an early age that true love was a crockpot full of shit and despair.
When there was a knock at her front door, Madden made her way through the maze of half-empty cardboard boxes to get it. “Hey, preggo. What are you doing up so early?” She held the door open wide, inviting Corey in.
“I wanted to make sure you were okay. Linc was an asshole last night.” Corey walked past her carrying a large pastry box. “Oh, and I brought breakfast.”
“Well, that was nice of you.” Madden followed the smell of fresh baked goods into her kitchen. She pulled a couple of plates out of an open box sitting on the counter. “And Linc was fine. No worries.” She laughed to herself because Linc was more than fine last night. He was…skilled. He’d had a lot of practice, no doubt. Good thing for both of them that things like that didn’t bother her one bit.
Corey cocked her head to the side, studying her. “What happened when he brought you home?”
I rode his dick until both of us could no longer move. Madden shrugged like she was brushing the whole incident off. “Nothing. He dropped me off and then sped away.” That part was actually true.
Corey took a large bite of a flaky croissant, almost finishing the thing in one attempt. It took her a long time to chew and swallow. “Linc is a ladies’ man.”
“Well he isn’t this lady’s man.” Madden took an overgrown banana nut muffin out of the box. “I’ve heard all about his—”
Her comment was cut off by another knock at the front door. She left Corey in the kitchen with her box o’goodies and went to answer. It seemed Madden was a popular girl this morning.
“Hey, friend, I just came by to—”
Madden made a small cutting motion at her throat and inclined her head towards the kitchen. She didn’t really understand Linc’s need to keep their new “friendship” from his actual friends, but she sure as hell wanted to keep banging him. A good little fling like Linc was harder to find than one might think.
“…thank you for not kicking my ass last night. I was a jerk and I wanted to apologize.”
She smiled. “That’s kind of you. Corey’s in the kitchen. Do you want to come in?” She opened the door wider and playfully slapped Linc’s ass as he walked by.
Linc turned in a full circle, winking at her before heading to the kitchen. “Corey. You brought breakfast. Is there any left or did you eat it all?”
“You’re rude.” Corey tossed a muffin at Linc’s head. “What are you doing here?”
“I came to apologize to Madden. For last night.” He ate half the muffin in one bite like Corey had. Huh, birds of a feather.
Corey’s eyes went wide. “Oh, really?” Her words were steeped in disbelief and she didn’t wait for him to answer. “What did you do last night? After you dropped Maddi off?”
Linc shrugged, talking around a mouth full of muffin. “I went home, watched ESPN and fell asleep.” He reached for another.
Corey slapped his hand away, quick as lightning. “You’re lying.”
Madden couldn’t help her grin. Watching these two was nothing if not entertaining. Her new life at St. Leasing was shaping up to be a lot of fun so far.
“I ran into Baze this morning at the coffee shop and he told me that you didn’t come home until like three o’clock in the morning.”
Linc grabbed another muffin, side-stepping another slap from Corey. People seemed to enjoy smacking Linc around. She’d seen Corey do it three times now. “I don’t know why you find it necessary to check up on me.”
Corey rolled her eyes. “Yes you do.”
Linc looked over at Madden, silently asking for help when Corey buried her head into the pastry box looking for another victim. What the hell did he want Madden to do? This was his battle with Corey, not hers.
Corey stood back up, clutching a bear claw in her hands. “So what was it, Linc? Head back to Moon Bar and grab another bartender? Stay here and attempt to climb into Maddi’s pants?”
He stood stock still, like a deer in the damn headlights. Stupid man was going to shoot himself in the foot with his silence. Madden looked from Linc to Corey, and then she let out a small sigh and reared back, slapping Linc across the face. “You are such a pig. You basically threw me out of the car while it was still running. All so you could go find some poor girl to seduce? You’re disgusting.” Madden had to bite the inside of her cheek to keep from laughing at Linc’s shocked expression. Hey, he was floundering. She helped the only way that had come to her.
Redirection.
Linc shook his head and pointed a finger at her. “You know what? Forget I came over here, because I’m not sorry. I had the best sex of my life last night. So…Yeah.”
The best sex of his life? That was flattering. Madden put her hands on her hips, pointing toward the front of her small house. “Get out.”
Linc looked from her to Corey, confusion on his handsome face. “What?”
“Get. Out.” She shook her head, eyes glaring like she was beyond pissed off. “I want to have breakfast with my friend, not hear about your sexcapades.” She grabbed his arm and tugged him toward the front door.
When they were both alone in the living room Linc came up behind her, wrapped both his arms around her waist, and nuzzled her neck. “You are absolutely the best.”
She snorted as she pressed her ass harder against his dick, teasing him mercilessly. “I know. Now, for real, get out before Corey comes in here.”
He gave her a kiss on the cheek. “I’ll text you tonight before I come over.”
Madden shut the door, slightly bummed that he’d left. Sex to start her day along with that muffin would have been nice. She plastered on a small smile on her way back to the kitchen—but not too big because she’d just slapped someone and kicked him out of her home.
“So, what are you going to do the rest of the day? Want to watch me unpack? It’ll be fuuu-uunnnn.” She drew the word out into two syllables, trying to make it sound more enticing.
Corey crossed her arms over her chest. “What the hell was that?”
Madden stopped short, the confusion on her face genuine. “What was what?”
“You’re lying about something.” Corey narrowed her deep green eyes. “You slapped Linc for being a male whore.”
“No.” She shook her head. “I slapped Linc because he was rude to me while in the process of being a male whore.” Madden quickly grabbed her muffin, semi-afraid that Corey would slap her hand away as well. “Two entirely different things. I never slut shame.”
Corey’s expression was thoughtful. “Why would it bother you that Linc wanted to ditch you for some stranger?”
“It wouldn’t. It didn’t. I mean, he shouldn’t have offered to drive me if he was going to bail like that.” Madden couldn’t stand the hard gaze that was trained on her so she made herself busy unpacking kitchen boxes. Corey was one of her oldest friends; they’d gone to school together since kindergarten. Play dates, sleepovers, school dances, and home games. Corey was the only person who knew about Madden’s father. The only person who knew the reason behind her wild ways and adventurous lifestyle. Twelve years of constant companionship before they’d gone their separate ways. If anyone could see right through her, it was Corey.
“You like Linc?” Corey pursed her lips. “No, that’s not it. You aren’t the relationship type. Why would you overreact to Linc?” She slammed her free hand, the one not cradling a pastry, on the counter. “Oh my God. You slept with Linc.”
Madden dropped the cup she was holding. Luckily it was plastic and it fell back into the cardboard box silently. “What? You’re crazy. Your pregnancy hormones are making you crazy.” She rolled her eyes for effect. “Linc isn’t even my type, you know that. He’s all California prep and smiles. If I was going to nail anyone, it’d be Baze.” She turned back to the box in front of her, trying to avoid too much eye contact. “Maybe that’s what you’re picking up on. I, uh, want Baze.” That wasn’t a total lie. Madden had never gone for the happy blond boys. It had always been dark and brooding that she’d been drawn to. Until now. For some stupid reason a punishing romp in the sack with Baze sounded extremely unappealing. Like almost made her feel ill.
Corey snorted. “I’ve known you since we were five-year-old little girls running around the bayou in our pigtails. If you wanted to sleep with Baze, you would’ve done it already. And you would have been honest about it.” She shook her head and tapped her chin with her finger, thinking out loud. “You don’t do relationships, you don’t do feelings, you don’t do dramatic outbursts. So for you to slap Linc across the face for being an ass last night? Red. Flag.”
Madden hung her head. “Fine.” She couldn’t believe she was about to do this. That sex genius owed her, fucking big time. “I asked Linc out and he turned me down.” The words coming out of her mouth felt bitter. But she really, really wanted to keep playing with Linc. The instant she’d seen him at her front door this morning she had wanted to jump him. Madden couldn’t remember the last time she’d wanted someone that fiercely.
Corey threw her head back and laughed. “Yeah, right. There is NO WAY that Linc would ever turn you down. And like I said, I know you—you wouldn’t have asked him out. You would have asked him, uh, in…if you know what I mean. Linc? He’d be alllllllll over that.” She pointed at Madden, waving her finger around to encompass her whole body.
Madden leaned a hip against the counter. “Okay, okay, you’re right. I propositioned him. He has so much energy I figured he’d be a fun time. But he did turn me down. He said that he wasn’t allowed to hang out with me like that. Something about some stupid contract he signed.”
“Linc told you that? For real?”
Madden nodded. “Yeah. And since you know me so damn well, you know that rejection doesn’t really sit well with me. So maybe the slap was a little more punishment then he deserved. I’ll apologize next time I see him.” She cocked her head to the side, pouting. “Now, if we could please stop discussing the fact that Linc, the giant player, turned me down, that would be great.” She could see all kinds of thoughts pass across Corey’s face. Madden held her breath waiting to see which one she would actually settle on. She hated lying to Corey; it was something she’d never done before. But she couldn’t seem to help herself. She couldn’t let Linc go—she couldn’t let this fling be over yet. She wished she knew why.
“Baze isn’t off limits. Do you really have a little thing for him too?”
Madden mentally rolled her eyes. She was pretty sure this was all going to backfire in a huge way. But she wanted Corey off her case about Linc, and she wanted Linc in her bed. So she really wasn’t left with much of a choice. “Yeah, he’s more my type anyway. I mean come on. He’s so damn hot. Those tattoos? I bet he has some hidden piercings too.” Madden winked at her. “When I find out I’ll let you know.”
Corey wrinkled her nose. “I absolutely do not need to know if Baze has his dick pierced. Thank you though.” Corey grabbed her hand, getting serious and looking her right in the eye. “These guys? They’re amazing. All of them, in their own way. But Baze and Linc? They’re just out for a good time.”
Madden countered with a smile. “Perfect. Me too.”