Piper
Maddox Blake tastes like sunshine.
Hope.
Strength.
He doesn’t seem to mind that I’m dirty and tired and worn down. He doesn’t seem to mind that we’re in my messy upstairs bathroom. He doesn’t seem to mind anything except the fact that we haven’t done this already.
Why, oh why, haven’t I kissed him before this moment?
I run my hands up and down his hard chest as we kiss. His tongue glides over mine like he’s playing an instrument he’s played so many times before, like he’s practiced this duet over and over in his head. He kisses me like he means it, and I know that right now, Maddox Blake means it.
Before I can get swept away, before I can get too filled with lust, he pulls away.
“No,” I mew in protest, but he just presses his lips to my forehead.
“You need to get cleaned up, sweetie.”
I don’t even have the energy to protest. He checks the water temperature, and then the two of us climb into the shower, and I stand perfectly still as Maddox Blake cleans me from head to toe.
It’s nothing like I’ve ever experienced.
Tad was my first real boyfriend. He’s the guy I measure all other guys against, and that’s pretty pathetic. He certainly never took care of me like this. He never would have dreamed of getting in the shower with me and washing me, caring for me.
“You’re beautiful, Piper.”
“Thank you,” I whisper.
“Have you had a proper Dom since you broke up with Tad?”
“How do you know I broke up with him?” I ask. “How do you know he didn’t just leave me?”
What I’m really asking is, how do you know I’m not worthless? How do you know I’m not used goods?
Maddox just shakes his head.
“No man could leave you, Piper. Not after getting a taste of how wonderful you are.”
“Maddox…”
“Shh…” He presses his finger to my lips, and then he kisses me again. He pulls me against him, and I feel Maddox’s cock pushing against my stomach. It shouldn’t turn me on, but it does. Oh, I want to take him, ride him. I want to show him just how much of a woman I really am, just how determined I can be when I set my sights on something.
Far too soon, I’m clean, and Maddox turns off the water. I protest quietly, but he just chuckles.
“Let’s get you dressed, sweetie. Let’s get you dry, and dressed, and fed, and then we’ll talk.”
“Why do we have to talk?” I moan, pulling him close to me. “Why can’t we just skip the talking part?”
“The talking is the most important part, Piper,” he whispers, and then Maddox looks at me. He really, truly looks at me. “I’m not going to cheapen this, Piper. Whatever this thing is between us, it’s special, and it’s important, and don’t you dare think I’m going to shortcut this.”
I’ve never had a man who cared.
I’ve never been with a man who was as determined as Maddox Blake to weasel their way into my life, and all I can do is nod. Maddox wraps a towel around me, and one around himself. He leads me out of the bathroom and a short way down the hallway to my bedroom.
“What do you want to wear, sweetie?” He asks gently.
“I…um…” Suddenly, I can’t seem to think. Suddenly, even the smallest choice feels like too much to bear. Maddox seems to understand, though, and he simply nods.
“Here,” he hands me a simple red nightie.
“But Odessa is here,” I whisper, and he raises an eyebrow. I know perfectly well what that means. He’s asking me if I trust him. He’s asking me if I’m willing to obey him. He’s asking me if I’m going to go the distance with him.
Am I going to do what he asks without protesting?
Will I be a good sub?
Right now, I’m too tired to care too much. I’m too tired to fight or to argue. Quietly, submissively, I pull the nightgown over my head. It’s tiny: much too small for me. I feel like it shows off all of my flaws, which is why it’s something I never wear. It was shoved in a drawer, yet somehow, it’s the thing Maddox was drawn to.
Of course.
“You look incredible,” he murmurs, and I quickly glance up at him. His eyes aren’t on my face, though. No, Maddox’s gaze is firmly attached to my chest, where my nipples are practically poking through the fabric.
“I never wear this,” I admit.
“You should,” he tells me. “You look great. Turn around.”
Obligingly, I twirl in a quick circle, and he smiles before pulling me close. He runs his hands up and down my sides, and instantly, I’m wet and ready for him. When I’m in his arms, I’m not thinking about what I’m running from or where I’m going. I’m not thinking about how scared I’ve been lately or how worried I am about Tad. No, when I’m in Maddox’s arms, all I’m thinking about is him, and I love that.
I love how safe he makes me feel.
I love how perfect he is.
“Kiss me, Piper,” he whispers, and I kiss him. I kiss him like my whole damn life depends on it. I kiss him and kiss him and kiss him, and then I kiss Maddox Blake just a little bit more.
“Okay,” he chuckles, pulling away. “I need to get some pants on, and then we’ll head downstairs.”
“Odessa,” I murmur.
“She’s cleaning up your kitchen,” he says, and I shoot a glance at him.
“The kitchen?”
The letters.
“We’ve already seen them, love.”
“I…”
“Piper, it’s going to be okay,” Maddox comes closer and he wraps his arms around me again. “We’re both going to be with you. He’s not going to hurt you, sugar. Not ever again.”
And you know what the crazy thing is?
I believe him.