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He goes silent for a moment before he finally gives me a morsel of him that isn’t so perfect. “You’re not the only one who’s been hurt, Penelope. It’s hard to trust people given my job, and sometimes, even the people you think you know can turn around and surprise you.”
“I’m sorry.”
“I haven’t dated since I was a sophomore in college, and even then, it was nothing serious after I broke things off with my fiancée.”
My stomach drops. “You were engaged?” I ask in almost a whisper as my heart beats frantically. This detail about him is making my head spin for more reasons than one.
I can hear him blow out a breath. “Yeah. We were high school sweethearts, and I thought she was the one, but she shocked the hell out of me when I found out she was only with me for my potential career. She wanted to be a football wife, live a life where she didn’t have to do anything but just spend my money. The straw that broke the camel’s back for me was when I overheard a conversation between her and her best friend, where she explained how she planned to get pregnant right after we were married and then file for divorce when the baby was two. That way, she’d never have to work a day in her life with the alimony and child support I would owe her.”
“Holy shit, Maddox.”
“Yeah. So I get being cautious. Hell, you scare me, too, Penelope. I don’t ever think I’ve felt this strongly this fast about a woman. But I knew if I didn’t pursue you, I’d end up regretting it. I hate living with regret, especially if it’s for something I had control over.”
I feel like his words have a double meaning, but I don’t press him further. “I’m sorry that happened to you, Maddox. Truly.”
“Thank you.”
My hands shake as I reach for my phone, take him off speaker, and hold it back to my ear. “Where did you come from, Maddox Taylor?” I whisper as my heart pounds and my brain accepts that I’m screwed when it comes to this guy.
“Newberry Springs, Texas, ma’am, home of the best cornbread west of the Mississippi.”
* * *
“What is something you can’t live without? Something that if someone asked you to give up, you’d feel like your life was ending?” he asks, changing the subject but intriguing me even further with how blatant he is about keeping this conversation going.
I glanced at my alarm clock on my nightstand earlier once I moved to my bed, but I didn’t want to say anything about how late it’s gotten because I don’t want to end this conversation yet. We’ve just been talking about anything and everything as the topics shift—movies, music, my girls, places we want to travel to... I can’t remember the last time I talked to a man like this.
Yes, you can.
I know the answer to his question immediately, but there’s nothing wrong with a dramatic pause from time to time.
“Sunsets,” I finally answer.
That has his voice lifting. “Sunsets? Not chocolate or wine or coffee?” he finally asks for clarification.
“Nope. Those are all things that you could find a substitute for. But never seeing a sunset again? I’d go insane. You might as well just lock me in a padded room so I can forget they ever existed.”
“Why sunsets?”
Looking off to the side as memories hit me, I reply, “I just love that no two sunsets are the same. You might think they are, but they can’t be, because no two days are the same. And the colors are always different, too. Some days you’re blessed with oranges and pinks, and the next day you get an array of purples and blues, which happen to be my favorite.” I bury my face in my pillow as I realize I just rambled on about sunsets to Maddox Taylor.
“My girl likes sunsets. Good to know.”
My girl.God, it should be alarming how much I like the sound of that.
“There is one other thing I don’t think I could ever live without, though,” I continue, eager to hear his reaction to my answer.
“And what is that?”
“Orgasms.”
A deep groan filters through the line. “Fuck, Penelope. Can’t say that I disagree with that one. And just so you know, I’d be happy to deliver on those orgasms as soon as you’re ready. Just say the word, and I’m there.”
I giggle. “I don’t need your help with that, Maddox. Seriously, you should see my battery-operated toy collection. There’s no need for a man anymore in our modern society. Sorry if that bruises your ego, but it’s the truth.”
“No bruise to this ego, sweetheart. Toys aren’t the enemy—they’re like a teammate who helps you win the championship.” Then he lowers his voice. “But you and I both know that it’s always more fun to get to the finish line with your real-life partner in tow.”
Warmth spreads through my belly, and I rub my thighs together again. “You’re right about that, Mr. Taylor.” I bite my lip as I think back to our last experience together, fighting with myself about inviting him over at this very moment so we can relive it and ease this ache between my legs. But I know that would just confuse things for me. For the first time in my adult life, I want to get to know a man outside of the bedroom.
