He groans and buries himself inside me. My cheek is flat against the glass, my breath steaming it up as he slams in and out, in and out, faster and harder and…fuck!
I come again, my pussy clenching and contracting around his thick cock. My eyes close, and I whimper in ecstasy. One final hard squeeze of my nipple, a bite at my neck, a final sway of his hips, and he finds his own release.
He leans in against me, his hands now either side of mine on the window. My legs are as wobbly as newborn Bambi, but he holds me upright. His breath is hot and fast against my skin, both of us silent as we stand, still entwined, watching the sun finally slide out of view.
“I love you, Ellie Madison,” he says softly, wrapping his arms around my waist and pulling me back against him.
“I love you too, Maddox James.”
Chapter 33
Maddox
My dad has invited me over for dinner, which I take as code for inviting me over tocookdinner. Obviously, I don’t mind. I love wearing my mom Verona’s old apron and puttering around in the kitchen she adored. It’s been updated since then with new surfaces and state-of-the-art appliances, but I always feel like she’s here with me. Looking on as I cook, saying, “Just a little more cilantro, mi principito…a touch of chili…muy bien.”
My Dad and I spend a relaxed night together, sitting at the big dining table, chatting about the day-to-day of our lives as we eat. I do this as often as I can because nobody knows as well as I do how precious it is. I lost my mom too soon, and I lost myself for too long. Life can be uncertain. You have to grab the good times while you can.
He finishes his meal, wipes his face with a napkin, and leans back in his chair. “That was delicious, son. Thank you.”
I nod. “You’re welcome, Pop.”
“How are things going with Ellie?” he asks, out of the blue.
I raise my eyebrows. “Good.”
He sips some of his soda—he’s had to cut down on the Scotch for his health. “She’s a good woman, Maddox. You two seem likea great fit for each other. When are you planning on asking her to marry you?”
“Dad,” I splutter. “It’s been like three months since we got together. It’s way too early to be even thinking about marriage.”
Maybe my old man has a point though. Ellie and I might only have been officially a couple for a matter of months, but I feel like I’ve known her forever. More importantly, I can’t imagine my life without her in it.
“Okay, okay,” he says, holding up his hands in a gesture of surrender. “I don’t like to interfere. You know that.”
“Yeah? From what I heard, you interfered the hell out of things with Nathan and Mel.” He actually gave Nathan an ultimatum and presented Melanie to him as his wife-to-be.
Dad smirks. “Well. That didn’t turn out so bad, did it? They’re deliriously happy. I’ve got two gorgeous grandkids. Maybe I should interfere more often.”
I flash him a warning look that lets him know he absolutely shouldn’t.
“Seriously though, son, I think the world of Ellie. We all do. I’d love to see you make an honest woman of her someday.”
Where the hell is this coming from? My dad’s in his seventies but he’s not especially old-fashioned when it comes to family and marriage.
I raise my eyebrows, suspicious of his motives. “What gives, Dad? What’s on your mind?” I keep my voice gentle, because I can tell something’s bugging him.
“Ah, nothing, really. I suppose I’ve been thinking about that advice I gave you boys all those years ago, when your mom died.”
“You told us to never fall in love,” I remind him. Thankfully, none of us took his advice. All of my older brothers are totally loved up and deliriously happy, and I’ve joined that elite club now, too.
Dad grimaces and pushes his empty plate away. “I did, and it was wrong of me.”
I place my hand over his, and I can’t help noticing how gnarled his knuckles are. My dad has always been a force to be reckoned with, but there is no arguing with age. “It’s okay, Dad. You were talking from a place of grief. I know that. We all knew that.”
“I was. I was broken without her, son. Couldn’t figure out how to carry on alone. I still have days like that, in truth. Still miss her. But she’d have hated what I told you. Your mom was all about love, you remember that don’t you?”
Of course I do.
“Well, she would have wanted you all to find your people. The ones you call home. And I think Ellie is that for you, Maddox. I guess all I’m saying is don’t hang around waiting for the perfect time, because it never arrives. Make the most of life while you can.”
