Because You're Mine (14 page)

Fuck!

              “I wanna taste?” I demanded, placing my shake in the holder beneath the dash. I had decided on a vanilla shake. I was a simple man after all. But I was craving strawberries. And I only wanted to taste them on Maddie’s sweet lips.

Smiling, she shrugged then offered me a generous spoon full of her frozen treat.

“Not what I had in mind, babe.” Stretching my arm out across the back of the seat, I smiled. “Climb on.”

She chewed the inside of her mouth, glancing behind us. There weren’t any cars in sight. This road had zero traffic this time of night.

             
God bless a back road
.

              She looked back at me with an impish smile. I grabbed her cup from her hand and placed it next to mine. Slowing my speed and adjusting the cruise control, I helped Maddie over to straddle my lap. Her soft giggle tickled my ear, causing my dick to swell thicker in my shorts. Tiny hands held on to the back of my neck as she buried her face there. “You always smell so good.” Maddie’s cold, wet lips kissed fire across my skin. With one hand on the wheel, and the other on her right thigh stroking up and down, I tried my best not to close my eyes and get lost in her. Her hips began to grind as her kisses turned into licks and nibbles, wetness seeping through my shorts.

              Whipping into my driveway, I quickly threw the truck in park not wasting another second before I buried my tongue deep inside her sweet mouth. Pressed hard against the steering wheel, I ravaged her lips, her neck, and her breast. I couldn’t get enough of her.

             
Never enough.

              “I need you now, Holden,” she pleaded.

              Her eager hands tugged at the back of my shirt, yanking it over my head. I lifted her dress, baring her full breast and…no panties.

              Sweet fucking hell.

I drew her beaded nipple inside my mouth. Her chest heaved up and down while I licked and sucked at the tight balls of puckered pink flesh. Fuck, she tasted so good. Her skin in my mouth sent a current to ripple through my bloodstream like lighting. Unbuttoning my shorts, she wrapped her silky hand around my cock, stroking up and down at an agonizing pace.

              “Take me inside, baby,” Maddie slid down, engulfing me with her tight, splendid heat. My blood pumped with uncontrollable need as she moved up and down in long, delicious strokes. Pushing her silky, dark locks from her face, I found her panting mouth. Then I kissed her long, hard, and deep…just like she was riding me. With her hair fisted in my hand, she rode me until we were both breathless with satisfaction and combusting in pleasure.

This woman was my every fantasy. She was everything I’d ever hoped for. Everything I’d ever dreamed of but never thought I could have. Our heavy breaths fogged up the windows. Foreheads pressed together, eyes locked, I’d found my moment. “I love you,”

              Gasping, she pulled away. “Shh…you don’t have to say anything.”

              Maddie leaned back against the steering wheel. My arms automatically circled her waist, pulling her closer. The yard light made it impossible for me to miss the uncertainty that flickered in her big blue eyes. My love for this woman surged fiercely through my chest and I knew in that moment that I would never be the same. Even if she didn’t want me, whether she wanted it or not, my heart would forever belong to her. I would kill for her, die for her, and swim the seven seas for her. All that fairy tale shit. They say you only give your heart away once. And my heart now belonged to her.

             
Forever
.

              Lost in my heart’s assessment, I’d loosened my hold. She was now slipping on her dress and swinging open the door. She hopped down from my pickup while I tucked myself back in and buttoned my shorts. Stepping down from my truck, I went to embrace her, but she jerked away. My breath froze in my chest and I had to swallow hard to find it again. “Maddie,” I would reassure her as many times as it took, just to make her see.

We were meant to be.              

              “I just need some space, Holden. Please. This is all just…too damn much.” She walked to the other side of the truck, grabbing her bag from the floor board. 

              Space?

              I could give her space.

              For now.

***

              My hand resting behind my head, I was lying in bed waiting. I had given her the requested space. I’d been channel surfing for about forty-five minutes now. She’d had plenty of time to mull things. Still, I waited.

One way or another we were going to talk this shit out. To make sure she faced the situation head on, I’d snuck into the bathroom while she was showering, creeping her bag and clothes. I knew it was dirty, but I did what I had to do.

When she finally walked out of the bathroom, steam billowed out all around her and I swear to Christ, she looked just like a fucking angel floating towards me. But this angel was pissed.

Livid.

She had a white knuckle grip on the towel covering her damp body and a deep scowl engraved on her pretty face. “Where’re my goddamn clothes, Holden?”

I knew telling her that I loved her so soon would run the risk of freaking her out. And I was right. She was definitely freaking the fuck out. But it was a risk I had to take.

              “Maddie, I didn’t tell you I love you just so you’d say it back. You say it when you’re ready. I just wanted you to know how
I
feel.”

              “There’s no way you’re in love with me, Holden. It’s just not possible.” she reasoned.

              “Don’t try to tell me how I feel, Maddie,” I shot to my feet. Ready to pounce, and remind her just how deeply I did feel about her. She held her hand up, halting me in place.

              “No! You can’t love me. We’ve only known each other…I leave in few days, and…”

              “And what? That’s it? You’re just gonna walk away?” I was pissed.

Hurt
.

              I didn’t expect her to profess her love for me right away, but I damn sure didn’t expect to walk away without a fight. The thought of losing her stabbed at my chest like an ice pick.

              “What do you want from me, Holden? I live in Boston. You live here. My job is there. I graduate in a fuckin’ month!” She ran one hand through her wet hair. “This wasn’t supposed to happen. You weren’t supposed to happen.” Her hand covered her mouth to stifle a sob. “I wanna go home.” She turned back toward the bathroom.

              “No!” I shouted, cutting her off at the door. “You’re not goin’ a damn place until you tell me the truth. Tell me you don’t want me, Maddie. Tell me you don’t feel that this is something special...something
real
.”

Her head fell forward. “I don’t want you,” she whispered to the floor.

              Twisting her around, I pressed her against the wall and gripped her chin with my fingers as gently as I could. My blood boiled with anger. She was lying to me and herself. It was pissing me off. “Don’t be a fuckin’ coward, Maddie. Look me in my eyes and say it,” I growled.

              “Holden, please.” Her bottom lip trembled. 

              “Tell me, goddamn it!” My hand slapped the wall hard beside her head.

“I love you.” she whispered.

My ears were pounding so hard with blood I almost didn’t hear it. “
What
?”

              Looking straight into my eyes she said it again, louder this time. “I love you.”

              Our lips crashed.

              Desperate.

              Needy.

              Love.

             
MINE
.

              She released her grip on the towel, circling her arms around my neck. 

              “Say it again.” I pleaded against her mouth, lifting her to wrap around me.

              “I love you.” Her mouth was all over me…my jaw…my neck…my lips. “I love you.”

              My heart squeezed tight in my chest and my arms trembled around her. “Your mine. Do you understand me? Every single part of you now belongs to me.” I laid her down on the bed while I got rid of my jeans and underwear.

              Crawling between her legs, I centered my cock. “Say it. Say your mine, Maddie. You own my heart now, baby. I gotta have yours too.” I brought my hand between us. She was hot, wet, and ready. Centering myself once more I drove into her hard, staking my final claim. I wanted her to know. Every last part of her belonged to me, her sweet fucking pussy, her beautiful heart, and her healing soul, it was all mine. “Tell me. Where does your heart belong?”

              “I’m yours, Holden.
Yours
.” Her breathy moans in my face drove me harder. Digging her nails into the flesh of my back, I dove deeper, in and out, harder and harder, until the final detonating thrust. We exploded together, binding not only our hearts, but our bodies and souls into one.

             
Forever
.

CHAPTER sixteen

Falling in love and having a relationship

are two different things.

-Keanu Reeves

Madison

              Slivers of dawn sliced through the curtains. Holden’s warm hand rested on my thigh while I lay on my side facing away from him. I’d been awake for a while now, replaying the last few days over and over in my head. Wondering how in the hell this could’ve happened. How could I have fallen for him so hard? And so damn quick. All I could come up with was…
it just was
.

              It was undeniable. I was head over hills in love with him. That sounded cheesy as hell, but it was cheesy and true. I was, walk through fire, deep shit in love with Holden Brooks. It was terrifying and exhilarating all at the same time. I didn’t know if I wanted to jump up and down and scream for joy or crawl up in a corner and cry.

              I’d felt it since he kissed me at Archer’s, the irrefutable knowledge that this was something different. This was love.

              Dread settled low in my gut, freezing me from within. I would have to let him go. I had to go back to Boston. I had graduation. I had the job of a lifetime waiting for me. We were riding on midnight train to nowhere. We fell in love fast and reckless, we were bound to crash.

I should have known better. I should have listened to my head instead of my heart. The cold chill of losing him swamped me, and I tried not to think about it. Rolling over to face him, I snuggled up to his side. I just wanted to think about
now
.

Feel
now
.

Be with him
now
.

His arm opened up, welcoming me. “How long you been awake, babe?” His deep voice was scratched with sleep.

              “A while.” His fingers traced my arm, while mine traced the trench between his abs.

This place…right now… here in his arms, it was the only place in the world I wanted to be.

              “What cha been thinking about?”

              “Us.”

              He tensed beneath my touch. “And?”

              “Why does everything have to be so damn complicated?”

              “It doesn’t have to be complicated.”

              “And just how is this supposed to work, Holden?”

              He lifted my chin with his finger, looking deep into my eyes. “I love you, Maddie. I’d never ask you to give up anything for me.” He paused for a moment, his eyes searching mine. Tucking my hair behind my ear, he cupped my cheek. “But I would give up
everything
for you.” He swallowed hard. “Marry me.”

              My racing heart slammed hard against my heaving chest.

Crash
.

I could hardly breathe. “
What
?”

              Holden kissed my lips softly. “Marry me.”              Pulling his hand from my cheek, I shoved myself upright. “My God, you really have lost your mind.” I was starting to feel lightheaded. I did my best to focus on slow, calming breaths.

              Marry him?

I had barely processed being in love with him…much less marrying him.

His blue eyes held mine. “I can’t live without cha, Maddie. You’re mine. Might as well make it official.” Holden sat up, leaning forward to drape his arms over his knees.

              Why was he being so fucking casual about this? We were talking about marriage! 

              Next would be…

              “This is crazy. Completely fuckin’ nuts! We hardly know each other. You were makin’ it just fine without me a few days ago. We can certainly live without each other,” I scoffed.

              Darting from the bed, I grabbed one of his T-shirts lying on the floor. I began pacing. He watched me carefully with that irritating grin plastered on his face. “You can’t live without me and you know it. I love you. You love me. A love like this…” Lacing his fingers behind his head, he relaxed back against the mountain of pillows. “It’s forever, babe.”

              Right. Easy for him to say. He didn’t have a life somewhere else. He didn’t have a plan. He just went with the goddamn flow. 

              “Getting married is not gonna solve anything.” I bit out. “My life will still be in Boston. And yours will still be here.”

              Holden shot up from the bed. Gloriously naked and wearing nothing more than his resolve and love for me, he pulled me into his arms. “When will you accept the fact that this happened.
We happened
. I wanna be wherever you are. Here. There. I don’t give a fuck. Everything in my shit life has led me here. All of my bad choices, all of my regrets that eat at my goddamn soul day in and day out, it all seems worth it now. It’s led me to you.” His trembling hands reached to cup my face. “I love you. I cannot, will not, live without you. I’ll move to Boston. I’ll do whatever it takes. I just want to be with you. Forever.”