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“I wanted to show you because I finally think I’m ready to let go of the past. I’m ready to build our future together. I don’t care what people will say, Maddie.”
“What do you mean?”
He frowns for a moment. “They’re going to say you’re too young for me. They’ll say you’re only with me for my money.”
I grit my teeth at the thought. “Well, they’re wrong. They couldn’t be more wrong. I’m not too young for you and you’re not too old for me. I love how mature you are, how experienced you are.”
“And I love how young and beautiful and ready to start the adventure of your life you are. I can’t wait to be the one to help nurture your dreams, your passions. But the rest of the world won’t see it that way.”
“Fuck the rest of the world,” we say at the same time, I break into giggles and he laughs deeply.
“Okay,” I murmur. “That was creepy.”
“Is it really that surprising we’re so in tune?” he says huskily, sliding his hand up my arm and to my face, cradling my cheek. “Come on, Maddie, before I forget why we’re here and just start kissing you instead. And you know what I’m like where you’re concerned. Kissing can’t help but lead to other things. Somehow I think Boxcar might find that a little awkward.”
I giggle, nodding in agreement as fire fills my vein, even as a bitter voice hisses inside of me I’m not going to be able to give him what he wants – what we want – when the time comes.
Tonight, is he going to want to do it tonight?
I push down the thought and step from the car, Boxcar leaping down and padding after us. He walks at our feet as we approach the warehouse. Madden leads us to a door off to the side of the service entrance, pushes it open, and nods for me to step inside.
I walk by his side, so close I could reach out and claw onto his heavily muscled stomach. My fingers twitch and my womb sings at me to do it, to do it now, to stop this delay and dig my fingernails into the hard ridges of his abs.
But some inner block stops me, crashing down on that desire before it has a chance to fully flourish.
Because he was right before.
It would lead to other things.
And what did I do last time that happened?
I freaked out.
He leads me down a short hallway. Boxcar seeming to know the way, jogging through the dimly-lit hallways and then out into a large room, his footsteps echoing toward us, his barking bouncing from several different directions.
Finally, my man walks into the large cavernous room, reaches over to the side, and flips a heavy switch. It snaps with a thunk and bright lights suddenly beam from overhead.
I stare at the boat, sitting up on blocks, so clean it glimmers in the light. In soft writing on the side, it declares, The Endless Searcher. And my heart skips a beat as the name leaps up at me.
“That was the name of your parents’ boat,” I whisper. “The boat that wrecked, the boat that almost killed you.”
I lift my hand at the bluntness of my words, meaning to cover my mouth, but Madden takes my hand firmly in his and squeezes, letting me feel all the acceptance and passion inside him.
“Yes, it’s the boat. Well, a replica. I had an exact replica built the moment I had enough money to do so.”
“Why?” I ask.
He shifts his jaw from side to side, as though the question is too complicated to answer. Then he pulls me close to him and turns, hugging me from behind as we both gaze upon the boat – the sleek metal railings, the unblemished green paint of the hull.
“I told myself I would get over what happened by sailing The Endless Searcher again. I told myself it would be a new beginning. But as time went on, I realized I couldn’t. It was like there was some inner block inside of me. So instead I would come here from time to time, take a look at it, imagine a future where I could take to the sea again.”
“And now?” I whisper as he squeezes me tighter and tighter against him.
“Now I’ve found that future.” He breathes huskily in my ear. “With you. I’m going to hire somebody to make one hundred percent sure she’s seaworthy, and then I’m taking you out.”
“You know how to sail?” I ask.
He chuckles. “No, no I don’t. But I’ll hire a good crew who does. And maybe we’ll learn together. Maybe that can be one of our adventures.”
I turn in his arm and whisper, “I can’t wait.”
He kisses me, his hands sliding over my back, our bodies fusing together as our tongues flare and clash.
