Chapter Five

 

 

Late afternoon two days later, Maddox hung around the stadium, first watching over Daryl Keaton when Bellamy or one of her people couldn’t or, like now, watching over her from several feet away. He was far enough away to not make her feel like he was looking over her shoulder, but close enough he could hear her conversations unless she whispered.

She sat on the players’ bench, watching practice but mostly keeping an eye on Keaton. His long hair, in braids gathered with a hair tie at his nape, hung out the back of his helmet. When one of the linebackers made it through the defensive line and tackled him, she winced.

Movement at her side drew her attention, and she smiled as a Latina in a tight tank top and short skirt took a seat next to her. Following close behind her was a tall, athletic-looking young woman with shocking red hair. Bellamy leaned over and nudged the younger woman’s shoulder with her own. “Hey, Gloria.”

Ah, so this was the young woman who was dating Keaton.

“Hey. This is my friend Ruby. We have a couple of classes together. Ruby, this is Bellamy.”

Ruby gave a shy smile and a quiet “Hello.”

Bellamy returned the smile. “Hi, Ruby. Nice to meet you.”

“She’s been buggin’ me about gettin’ in here to watch the guy’s practice.” Gloria’s gaze drifted to her boyfriend on the field. “We’re going to dinner when Daryl’s done, so I figured now was a good time.” When he got tackled again, she grimaced. “Unless he’s in too bad of a mood. Which happens when he’s knocked to the ground too many times.”

“Defense isn’t doing its job,” Bellamy murmured.

“No, they’re not,” Ruby said, her avid gaze fixed on the field. She had her phone in her hand, and Maddox suspected she’d already snapped a few pictures. But from his position, he couldn’t tell if the redhead was looking at a particular player or just glancing over the players at large.

There came a close call that Keaton managed to avoid by doing a fancy side step.

“Sometimes they can look almost graceful, can’t they?” Bellamy mused.

“Oh, yes.” Gloria leaned her elbows on her knees and rested her chin on her clasped fists.

Ruby took on the same besotted posture.

Bellamy stared at the other two women then shook her head and looked over her shoulder at Maddox, shaking her head.

He grinned.

The three women continued to chat while Bellamy watched Keaton and Maddox watched Bellamy. Every so often her gaze would dart around the stadium. Whenever she’d see him, her face would soften and she’d smile. After the dozenth time that happened, Gloria asked, “Is that your man?”

Bellamy’s cheeks pinkened, but she said readily enough, “Yeah. That’s my man.”

The pride in her voice made him stand straighter. Taller. He liked that, that she was proud to be with him. He felt the same way.

Practice finally ended, and one of Bellamy’s security officers took over the Keaton watch, as it were. Maddox walked over to Bellamy and was formally introduced to Gloria and Ruby even though he’d heard their names when they were talking to Bellamy. After a few minutes of chit chat, Gloria headed indoors under the sweaty arm of the second-string quarterback. An expression flitted across Ruby’s face, there and gone so fast he couldn’t put a finger on what she was feeling. She gave a shy smile, lifted her hand in a brief wave, and followed after them.

Maddox watched them walk away and then said to Bellamy, “Are you ready to go?”

She nodded. “Let me just drop off a few things in my office, then we can head home.”

Home. The last two days had been a revelation. He’d moved in with her, had already installed a better security system in her house and, tonight after dinner, he planned to replace her garage door opener and get that working again so she could secure her car indoors at night. She’d argued with him, of course, telling him she’d just call someone to come out and fix it. In the end, he’d won the argument by claiming, rightly so, that he could do it cheaper, and get to it sooner.

True to his word, about two hours later Maddox was up on a ladder, the old garage door opener on the floor while he worked on installing the new one. Bellamy stood at the foot of the ladder, holding onto it “just in case.” He grinned and kept on working. If that ladder gave out and he fell, all she’d be able to do would be to land underneath him. Under other circumstances that’d suit him just fine, but he didn’t want to smoosh her on the hard, concrete floor of the garage.

Fifteen minutes later they both stood in the driveway while he tested the door with the remote. After about the fifth time that they watched the door open then close, she grabbed the remote from his hand. “Enough already,” she said with a laugh. “Come in the house. I have pie.”

He grinned. “I’ll move your car into the garage first.” He did just that while she waited, then followed her into the house. The first time she’d offered him pie had been just three days ago. That night, last night, and tonight were going to all end the same way, with the two of them in bed together.

Pie might just have to come later. Much later.

~ * ~

“Joe,” Bellamy breathed, her head arched back into the pillow.

“Eyes, baby.” Maddox gripped her hips, pulling her up and pounding her down as she rode him, hard.

Her head tipped forward, her hands coming to his jaws, eyes holding his. She leaned down, her lips coming to his. “Joe,” she whispered against his mouth.

He lifted a hand to her hair, fisting it, twisting, seeing the awareness flare in her eyes at the tug on her scalp, the slickness of her pussy grow at the slight sensation of pain. “Take it,” he demanded.

Her clenching fingers slid into his hair, giving him the same sensual sting that she experienced at his hands. She slammed down on him, her back bowing, her moan swallowed by his mouth as she came.

He’d been sitting up, back to the headboard with her astride him, but with her body milking his dick, he needed to take over. In the middle of her orgasm he flipped her to her back and drove in harder. He kept his mouth on hers, giving her a deep, brutal kiss until he came, too, his low groan muffled by her lips.

When he could think again, he moved his mouth to her neck while he stayed inside her, buried to the hilt, content with the position and in no hurry to move. Her fingers combed through his hair, nails lightly scratching.

Jesus, but he could get used to this.

After several minutes, he stirred and rolled to his back. “Gotta take care of the condom,” he murmured. When he got back from the bathroom and climbed into bed, she immediately curled into his side, head on his shoulder and arm across his belly.

She came up on an elbow and stared down at him. “Thanks for fixing the garage door opener,” she said quietly.

“Wanna keep you safe.”

She nodded.

He reached up and slid his hand into her hair at the side of her head, pulled her down to his mouth for a light kiss, then tugged until she came off her elbow and rested her cheek on his shoulder again. Then he reached out an arm and switched off the light.

Her body was a comforting, soft weight against him, her breath warm and steady on his skin. He slid the arm around her, beneath her, into position so he could cup her generous ass.

Oh, yeah. He could live with this for the rest of his life