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“I’m looking for Madison. Is she around?”
Thomas nodded and took a few steps back. “She’s up in her room. Is she expecting you?”
“No. But she’ll see me.”
“Of course. I’ll let her know you’re here.” He disappeared into a small room and returned a few seconds later with a tight smile. “She doesn’t want any visitors.”
I couldn’t accept that. “She’s being emotional. She’ll see me; just show me to her room.”
Thomas looked unsure, and I didn’t blame him. His loyalty was to the Ashby’s, and not someone he perceived as there to fuck up their peace.
“If she refuses to see me, I’ll leave.”
“I know,” he said simply and nodded for me to follow him up a wide, slightly winding staircase and down a long, dimly lit hall.
“I’ll wait here.”
The last fucking thing I wanted was an audience, but Maddie was emotional, which meant nothing was easy. I knocked gently and waited for an answer, but none came.
“Maddie, it’s me. Open the door.”
I heard the sniffles first. “I told Thomas to tell you to go away. I don’t want to talk, Jamie.”
“Yeah, well you’ve had more than a day to figure your shit out, Maddie. You’re done shutting me out. Open the damn door.”
“No.”
“Don’t make me break this fucking door down, Madds. I don’t want any beef with these people, but if you don’t open this door, I will.”
Movement sounded on the other side of the door, and I figured it was just as likely that she would open the door as it was that she might shimmy down the side of the house. But a full minute later, the bedroom door opened, and Maddie appeared with tear-stained cheeks, red eyes, dressed in farting unicorn pajamas.
“Happy?”
“Ecstatic,” I shot back, my tone thick with sarcasm. I cast a look over my shoulder at Thomas, who nodded and gave us privacy. “Talk to me, Madds.”
She stepped away from my touch, her watery eyes looking at me with uncertainty. “What’s there to say? I’m gonna be a fat and ugly broke ass single mother.”
“Single? What the fuck are you thinking?” I pulled her into my arms until she came willingly and leaned against me. I kissed the top of her head.
“I love you Maddie. I fucking love you. Do you see these shoulders? They’re big enough to carry everything that comes our way.”
She let out a watery laugh and shook her head. “That’s a mighty big promise, Jamie.”
“I don’t make promises unless I know I can keep them. You and me and our baby? I promise to always be there, to always protect you and to always love you with everything I’ve got.”
I cupped her sweet face so she was staring into my eyes, seeing the truth of my words.
Maddie leaned against my hand and let out a sigh that spoke of all her torn emotions.
“I love you too, Jamie. But I’m scared. I don’t want you here just because you knocked me up.”
“I’m here because I love you, and I knocked you up. I’ve always wanted you, Maddie. Even last week when I let you walk away thinking I didn’t, I wanted you. Now though? Now I’m never letting you go. You’re mine.”
“Yours? You gonna put a ring on it?” There it was. A glimmer of the saucy smartass I loved so much.
“Damn straight.” I pressed against her and kissed her lips, slowly, letting the fire build naturally, and in seconds, we were inferno hot.
“Now grab some clothes and come home with me, unless you want the whole Ashby family to hear me fuck you how you need to be fucked right now.”
She sucked in a breath of shock and surprise flashed in her honey-brown eyes as her lips pulled into a slow, sexy smile. “Five minutes.”
“I’ll give you three,” I growled.
She smiled and started to pack.
“Don’t think this is an easy way to get me to move in with you, Jameson.”
Inside my condo, Maddie turned to me with a serious expression on her face. “This is a temporary stay while I get my head on straight.”
“If you say so.” Now that I had her at my place and she was having my baby, I would damn well get her to stay. I set her bags down in the middle of the floor and pulled her to me. “You can think it’s temporary but my plan is to make it forever.”
“Jamie,” she sighed. “It’s too soon for us to live together. And I’m still mad at you.”
I traced my thumb across her delicate collarbone. “I’m sure I could convince you to forgive me.”
She sucked in a breath, and her eyes fluttered closed. “You could do me right now, but that won’t change my mind.”
“I guess we’ll have to see about that.” I cupped her face with one hand and captured her mouth, kissing her long and slow until her breath hitched. Until I could feel the little pulse flutter under my thumb. I kissed her so slow, she let out a moan of frustration.
