Page 107 of The Grump I Got Stuck With

Madison giggled, the sound cutting off in a sharp gasp as I pulled out and sank back in, trying to keep myself from unraveling. I’d missed her so damn much and wanted nothing more than to send us both to the moon.

“Yes,” she said. “Mmm, so good.”

“How good?” I rasped into her ear.

“So fucking good,” she said. “Don’t stop.”

I didn’t, keeping my strokes even. When her breathing grew erratic, I reached down between us to thumb her clit. Madison’s mouth dropped open, a delicious sound escaping before her entire body tightened like a spring.

Then she exploded, crying out and jerking her hips, her fingernails digging into my shoulders. The sound and feel of her orgasm wrapped around me was enough to send me careening over the edge, and I followed her into those waves of bliss, swimming through an ocean of pleasure.

“I love you,” she whispered, pressing a soft kiss to my neck.

“Love you too,” I said, holding her so close I couldn’t tell her heartbeat from my own. And in that moment, I knew I’d spend the rest of my life following her anywhere.

33

MADISON

One Month Later

“Gah, I’m so excited! But also really nervous.” I laid my hand against my chest. “It feels like my heart is going to explode.”

“Well, we can’t have that,” Alistair said, winking at me from across the shop.

“Okay, that’s not helping.”

He laughed and dropped the last case of bottled water on the floor, sliding it beneath the refreshment table, then crossed the room, catching me around the waist.

I wound my arms around his neck, sinking into the comfort of his arms—the one place in the world I would always belong.

“Tonight is going to be fabulous,” he promised.

“You think so?”

“How could it not be?” He gestured around at the shop. “Look at everything you’ve accomplished over this past month.”

“I think it was a bit of a team effort,” I said, squeezing his hand. “Thank you, by the way. For indulging all my grand opening ideas.”

Tonight was the official friends and family soft launch of Madison’s Magic before the shop officially opened next week, and the space really did look incredible. There was champagne for the adults, juice and snacks for the kids, beading kits set up at various stations, pearly balloons strung across the ceiling, and dazzling jewelry pieces filling all the display cases. I’d also launched my website earlier in the week, which had included sign-up forms for the first of my child and adult craft classes.

Both already had a waiting list more than ten people long.

Alistair had called me an instant success, and that meant a lot coming from him—a man who’d built his own company from the ground up and continued to invest in the most promising start-ups around the world.

I sucked in a deep breath as I smoothed my hands down the front of my dress. “Okay, how do I look?”

“Exquisite,” he said, catching my face in his hands and pressing his lips to my forehead. “I’ve never seen anything more breathtaking. You’re practically glowing with enthusiasm.”

My breath caught in my throat. I shook off the heat that burned in my cheeks from his compliment. “Oh, did we ever pick up the themed desserts?”

“Nope,” he said.

My face fell.

Alistair pecked me on the nose. “Weston dropped them off earlier.”

I exhaled slowly, grateful for the people we called friends. “Perfect. Then I think we’re ready.”