Part 6 (2/2)

I nodded and as he was leaving my room I heard a bunch of screaming and then, ”OMG! Where is she?” Maddox turned back around and laughed. ”I think that nap is going to have to wait because one of my sisters is here and by the squeal I think it's Callie.”

Oh boy. No turning back now.

Chapter 8.

Maddox walked over to me and gave me a hug. ”Are you ready sweetheart?” I grumbled into his chest and mumbled, ”Do I really have a choice?” I could feel the vibrations of his laughter coming from his chest. ”I'm going to say no to that.” He gave me another quick squeeze and put me at arm's length. ”I'm ready whenever you are sweetheart.”

I loosened up and took a deep breath trying to psych myself up. ”Bring it on.”

Maddox took my hand in his and we left his room. We were at the landing, getting ready to walk down the stairs when I heard, ”So what's she like?” probably coming from his sister. Then I heard his mom say, ”She's beautiful and you can tell she really likes him. I don't know but I just have a feeling.” I heard his sister squeal again and said, ”A feeling about what?” Right then we walked into the living room and Maddox said, ”That I'm the luckiest guy out there.” Everybody said ”Aparisons stopped. She was really tiny and pet.i.te like Sharon. I could tell just by how she talked that she was a cheerleader. I put my hand out to shake hers, but she giggled and turned to Maddox. ”Munchkin, she's adorable.”

With that she turned back to me and wrapped me in her arms. What was with these people giving hugs? It was as if Maddox could read my mind because he put an arm around me and said, ”We're a hugging type of family.” Sharon broke the silence. ”Come on everybody, let's sit down in the living room. I've made sandwiches and there are a ton of cookies. So you guys better eat them all up.” We walked into the living room and sat down on the couches. Maddox pulled me closer to him and put an arm around me. ”Mom makes the best peanut b.u.t.ter cookies ever. You definitely have to try one or five.”

Sharon handed out drinks and after everybody got comfortable Callie asked, ”So how'd you two meet?”

Maddox laughed and said, ”Well, I kind of ran into her. Literally.” Callie, Sharon, and Todd just started laughing at that. I was looking at Maddox smiling at the memory when I heard, ”So how'd you guys end up living together?” I couldn't tell who said it; Sharon or Callie because I was too caught up in checking Maddox out. Maddox laughed and looked at me like he knew what I was doing. I blushed and looked at his family who were waiting for an answer.

I told them how my financial aid didn't cover all of my room and board and how Maddox offered me his extra room. Callie laughed and said, ”That sounds like Maddox. He's always trying to save things.” Sharon and Todd laughed with her but it felt like my stomach dropped.

Was that what Maddox was doing? Trying to save me. Did he even like me?

I felt hurt and broke Maddox's grip on me and picked up the gla.s.s of iced water to take a sip. I sat back down on the couch but I made a little bit of room between me and Maddox. He looked at me and he looked really hurt. Good, I was hurt too. I didn't need saving and I wasn't a project for him to do.

I looked back to the rest of his family and saw that Callie, Sharon, and Todd were laughing. They had clearly missed everything. Sharon was holding a family photo alb.u.m and walked over to show me a bunch of pictures of Maddox as a little boy. She told me how he would take in stray animals and how he would help wounded birds. As he got older he volunteered at homeless shelters and visited retirement homes. I looked at the pictures and smiled, but then I remembered that he was trying to save me and my smile fell.

After seeing a few more pictures we went out to the kitchen to load up on dinner. Sharon didn't feel like cooking since tomorrow was Thanksgiving so there were a huge array of sandwiches, chips and salsa and cans of soda and a pitcher of iced tea. Returning to the living room, we watched a movie while we ate. I started to nod off halfway through the movie and excused myself to go upstairs. I was halfway up the stairs when I heard Callie say, ”I really like her. There's just something about her.”

I walked into Maddox's room and was about to close the door when Maddox pushed it open. I just huffed out a breath and walked over to the bed and sat down. Maddox was still standing in the doorway with his arms crossed against his chest. ”You want to explain to me what that was all about downstairs?”

I looked down at my hands. ”I'm not a project and I'm not a charity case. I don't need saving.” Maddox kicked off the door and walked towards me. He knelt down in front of me and put a hand on each side of my face and forced me to look at him. ”I know you're not a project or a charity case. I know you don't need saving... ”

I could tell he wanted to say something else. ”But... ”

He took a breath and said, ”But I can tell that somebody has crushed your spirits and I'm just trying to show you in any way I can that I want to prove them wrong. I want to prove you wrong that not everybody is like that. I just wish that you trusted me enough to let me in. That's all I'm asking and I can see how much it has affected you. I just want you to know that whenever you're ready I'll be there. Waiting.”

I didn't know what to do, so I did what I do best. I started to cry. Maddox pulled away from me. I thought he was going to leave me. Finally he would realize that I'm not good enough for him. But he did the exact opposite. He picked me and laid me down on the bed. I was facing him when he lay down next to me and pulled me closer. I grabbed a hold of him and just cried into his s.h.i.+rt. He rubbed my back and spoke calming words to me the entire time.

I don't remember falling asleep but I felt the bed dip and then Maddox started to walk away. I sat up and asked him where he was going.

”I'm just going to get the couch ready, but I'll be back to say good night.” I smiled and nodded in understanding. After he closed the door I went over to my bag and changed into a pair of cotton shorts and a tank top. There was a bathroom in Maddox's room so I washed my face and brushed my teeth. After turning off all of the lights I went back over to the bed and wrapped myself in the soft blue blanket.

I was just about to fall asleep when I heard a knock as the door opened. I sat up and saw Maddox standing there in just a pair of boxer shorts. He smiled at me and walked over to my side of the bed. He gave me a quick kiss on the cheek. He said, ”Goodnight sweetheart,” and was just about to close the door.

I sat up. ”Wait. Maddox?”

Maddox looked back at me curiously.

”Will you stay with me? Please?”

Maddox smiled and nodded. He walked back into the room and closed the door behind him. He turned back to face me and for a few seconds he was just looking at me. He walked back over to the bed and laid down facing me. I turned on my side and for a while we just looked at one another in complete silence. The only sounds were us breathing in and out.

He started to rub up and down my arm and I got instant goose b.u.mps from his touch. I didn't know how to say it so I just blurted it out. ”My mom.”

He stopped rubbing my arm. ”What sweetheart?”

I looked into his eyes and explained everything. ”My mom, Cynthia. When she found out she was pregnant with me my dad left. For as long as I can remember she has been putting me down. Saying I was a mistake. I wasn't worth it. I was nothing. n.o.body would ever love me. She didn't, so why would anyone else.” I could feel tears running down my face. I was so ashamed that I was telling Maddox this but then I looked up and I saw tears coming down his face too.

He pulled me closer to him. ”Sweetheart, your mom is f.u.c.king stupid. If she really thinks those things then she is crazy. You are an amazing person both inside and out and don't you ever, I mean ever, forget it. Please, promise me that.”

He kissed me on the lips and that's exactly what I'd needed. I wrapped my arms around him and deepened the kiss. I heard him moan and I knew it was over. I wrapped a leg around him to pull him closer to me. This is what I needed. I needed to just forget everything.

Maddox pulled back from me. ”Sweetheart, we can't.” His voice broke at the end and I knew it wouldn't take long to convince him that this is exactly what I needed. I kissed him again. ”Maddox please. We don't have to have s.e.x but I just need you close to me. Please, I'm begging you.”

Maddox let out a breath he was holding and then he was on top of me. He kissed me with such ferocity that I lost it. I wrapped my legs around him to pull him even closer and rubbed my arms up and down his muscled back. He moved a hand up my s.h.i.+rt and then his hand was caressing my nipple. He was pinching and pulling. G.o.d, it felt amazing. He pulled back from me and sat back on his knees. I propped myself on my elbows and looked at him. ”Maddox?”

He looked at me and a tear fell down his face. I sat up and wiped it away. ”Maddox, what's wrong?”

Maddox looked at me and just started sobbing. ”I just, I just want to help you forget. But you're going to have to bear with me. Ok sweetheart?” I nodded in understanding and sat there waiting for him to continue. He put his hands at the bottom of my tank top and started to pull it up and over my head. I got gooseb.u.mps and I started to tremble.

This was the first time a man had seen me topless. Maddox looked at me and sighed. ”You're beautiful. So d.a.m.n beautiful.” He leaned into me and kissed me while pus.h.i.+ng me back onto the bed. One of his hands was cupping my face while the other was pinching and twisting each of my nipples. I started to moan into his mouth and then his hand lowered to my shorts. I could feel his hand shaking with nervousness.

He put his forehead to mine and opened his eyes to look at me. ”Sweetheart?”

I was too nervous and too excited all at the same time to see where this was going that I just nodded yes. Maddox sat back on his knees again and pulled my shorts and panties off. He dropped my clothing onto the floor by the bed, never taking his eyes off me.

I was lying completely naked in front of this beautiful man. I thought the first time being naked in front of someone I would try to cover up, but not with Maddox. Even though I was so vulnerable I felt safe with him. Completely and utterly safe.

He leaned back into me and kissed my stomach and then swirled his tongue in and out of my belly b.u.t.ton. I moaned in appreciation and wrapped my hands in his hair pulling him closer to me. He kissed his way up and left a trail of kisses behind. He stopped at one nipple and looked into my eyes. I pulled my lower lip into my mouth waiting in antic.i.p.ation. The second he saw that his eyes turned l.u.s.tful.

Without taking his eyes off me, he pulled my nipple into his mouth and started sucking. He pinched and pulled at the other and I was going wild. It was crazy what his mouth could do to me. I thought I was going to finish right there, but then I heard a loud pop and he went to my other nipple. I moaned a little bit louder and I heard Maddox laugh. He moved up so he was looking me in the eyes. He wiped a stray hair from my face and said, ”Sweetheart, as much as I want to hear you scream my name when you come you're going to have to keep it down. Ok?”

I had no words, so again I just nodded. He kissed me on the forehead and then his lips were on mine and his tongue was in my mouth. One of his hands was on my nipple and the other started moving down my body. The second his finger touched me there I thought it was my undoing. Not once did his mouth leave mine. He grazed his hand up my inner thigh and I pulled my legs as far apart as they would go and wrapped them around his body.

I couldn't believe he was going to touch me down there. I felt one of his fingers enter me and then I heard him groan. Like really loud. ”f.u.c.k sweetheart, you're so wet.” I just giggled and then bit down on his lower lip and sucked it into my mouth. After letting go I said, ”As much as I want to hear you groan you're going to have to keep it down, munchkin.” He looked back at me and an evil, s.e.xy grin came across his face. ”If that's how you want to play sweetheart.” He kissed me once more on the lips and started to move down my body.

Before I could even comprehend what he was doing I felt his tongue lick me.

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