Choosing Happy (Madison Square #2) (13 page)

I pushed in roughly, once, twice, then I was gone. I came violently inside her, shuddering as I gripped her hips and held her in place until the last wave of pleasure had passed.

She collapsed heavily onto my chest, her body spent right along with mine. I took deep gasping breaths as my heart thundered in my chest. My mouth was dry, my muscles weak and sore, my head clouded, and there was a smile spread wide across my face.

I ran a hand down her smooth, naked back and playfully smacked her ass. Startled, she turned to look up at me, a bright smile on her lips, her hair damp with sweat and sticking to her forehead.

She leaned forward and pressed her lips to mine, kissing me deeply, her tongue pushing past my lips and her arms wrapped around my neck.

She kissed her way across my jaw to my ear. “Round two?” she whispered.

I chuckled. “Jesus, woman, give me a minute. I’m not a machine.” Who was I kidding? I was already half hard from that kiss alone.

She laughed and rolled to her side. I slipped from her body and made quick work of disposing of the condom. I reached for my wallet on the floor and groaned when I discovered we’d used the only condom I had.

“What?” she asked.

“That was the only condom I brought with me,” I said, turning to face her and resting my hand on her stomach.

She smiled and leaned over, pulling open the drawer in her nightstand. She rolled over and dropped a brand new box of condoms on my chest. I looked down at them then back at her.

“You were that confident you’d be getting laid tonight?”

Madison leaned forward and kissed me, her hand sliding down my chest to wrap around my already hard cock. “A girl can only hope.”

I laughed and rolled her to her back, kissing her breathless. I was getting in deep with this girl. She was smart, beautiful, clever, and all of that was wrapped in one long legged, blush colored package. I could easily fall for this girl and fall hard. The challenge was going to be convincing her that we were worth a try.

***

The next day, I met the guys at the park for our usual Saturday game. It took everything I had to get out of bed that morning. I didn’t want to leave her, but Madison had plans and I had football.

I dropped my bag beside the tree, where David was setting up Millie’s chair, and propped my hands on my hips, taking a deep breath of the crisp morning air. “It’s a beautiful day for some football.”

David looked at me and raised an eyebrow. “You’re in a good mood,” he said, watching me as he unfolded the camping chair.

“I am in a good mood,” I said, slapping him on the back and leaning over to give Millie a kiss on the cheek.

“You get laid?” Drew said, stepping up behind me and dropping his bag beside mine under the tree.

Millie swatted at his arm and he laughed, backing away as she frowned at him.

“What?” I asked. “I can’t admire the beautiful day we are having?”

“Yep,” Alex said, spreading out her blanket on the grass beneath the tree. “He definitely got laid.”

David and Drew laughed and Millie narrowed her eyes, silently scolding them.

“So who is she?” Alex asked. “Anyone we know?”

“Maybe a certain bartender’s sister?” Drew asked, wiggling his eyebrows at me. I smiled and ducked my head.

“Aww, Sean, you didn’t,” Alex said

“Who are we talking about?” Millie asked.

“Sean’s banging Liam’s sister,” Drew said.

“I’m not…banging her,” I said.

“Then who…” Alex said, confusion washing over her face.

“I mean, it’s not just about sex,” I said.

“Told ya,” Drew said, holding his hand out to Alex. She sighed and reached into her bag, pulled out a five and slapped it bitterly into his hand.

“Wait, is this the same sister that Liam told us about?” Millie asked. “The one who was going through a divorce.”

“Yep, that would be her,” Drew said, grinning and shoving the five into his pocket.

“Isn’t she like forty?” Millie asked.

I nodded.

“Isn’t that a little…” Millie trailed off, searching for a polite way to continue.

“Old, Millie,” Alex said. “The word is old.”

“She’s not old,” I said, feeling a tightness in my chest and an overwhelming desire to protect her. Alex wasn’t trying to be bitchy, although she did have a certain knack for it.

“I was going to say mature,” Millie said, fixing Alex with a disapproving glare. Alex shrunk back on her blanket and scoffed.

Drew dropped a heavy hand on my shoulder. “Most of the women he dates are more mature than he is,” he said, patting my shoulder. “This one just happens to be older.” He gave me a wry smile, and I shrugged away from him.

“What do you know about her?” Millie asked.

“She’s really great, smart, sweet, beautiful, the total package,” I said, a smile spreading across my face at just the thought of her.

“Yeah, but what about her family? Her ex? Do you know what happened?” Millie asked as a concerned frown settled into her brow.

“Uh, well, apparently he cheated, slept with his intern or something,” I said, nervously rubbing the back of my head.

Millie’s eyebrows raised. “Wow, poor thing. That must have been devastating,” she said, sitting back in her chair.

“Yeah.” It never really occurred to me how hurt she must still be. Suddenly her hesitation made sense, and I felt like a complete asshole for pushing her.

“That’s a whole lot of emotional baggage to take on,” Drew said, shaking his head.

My head snapped up, and I glared at Drew. For the first time in my life I considered taking a swing at my best friend. My fist clenched at my sides, my jaw tense as I ground my teeth.

David, sensing my tension, stepped between us with a hand on my chest. “I think what Drew meant to say is that relationships are difficult enough without having the past dragging you down.”

Drew watched me, his face twisted in a mix of confusion and anger. “I’m sorry, man. That was a bad choice of words. I’m just looking out for you. It seems like there’s been nothing but hurdles you have to jump through with this girl. Is she worth it?”

“Yes,” I said without hesitation. I met his eyes, stepping forward so he could see that I was serious.

Drew watched me, his eyes searching mine for any shred of doubt. After a moment, he smiled and his face softened. He laughed and gripped my shoulders, shaking me. “Relax. If you’re serious about this girl, then I’m happy for you. I just want to make sure you know what you are getting into.”

Drew slung his arm around me and dragged me toward the field. “Come on, man. Let’s play. Frank looks ready to get his ass kicked.”

I relaxed and laughed, pulling out of the headlock he had me in as we headed toward the field. Drew’s always been brutally honest with me. He was the one who warned me about Kerri. I knew he was just looking out for me. He had a point, though. Madison had been through a lot and was still going through it. I knew what it was like to have someone stomp all over your heart. Hell, Kerri had done it in spike heels while banging the lacrosse team, but I knew that Madison and I could work. We could be something really amazing. I just needed to be patient, which for me was a bit of a challenge.

***

I pushed through the kitchen door just as Gran was pulling a large roasting pan from the oven.

“Jesus, Gran.” I reached for the pan, took it out of her hands, and set it down on top of the stove. “It’s your birthday. Isn’t someone else supposed to be doing the cooking?”

“It’s my party and I can cook if I want to,” she said, spooning broth over the chicken in the pan.

I held up my hands and backed away from the stove. “Whatever you say.” I chuckled.

She smiled at me over her shoulder and went back to her basting. I smiled and leaned in to kiss her cheek. “Happy birthday.”

She turned and smiled up at me, patting my cheek. “Thank you, baby,” she said. “Now go and let me finish.” She shooed me from the kitchen, shaking her head as I pushed back into the dining room.

Em was pushing the tables together, and I stepped up to help her set them up. “She’s unbelievable,” I said.

“You know how she is,” Em said. “She lives to entertain.”

“Yeah, I just wish she would take it easy sometimes,” I said, reaching for a stack of napkins to set the table.

Em laughed. “Yeah, good luck with that.” I looked up at Em and smiled. Gran was all we had, and I worried about her working too hard, but she was stubborn. When I even suggested she take it easy and let Em run the restaurant, she would threaten to beat me with her rolling pin.

After Mom died, Em and I were lost. Dad had been a nightmare while Mom was alive, and her death only made things worse.

Gran stepped up, taking in a grief stricken, broken little girl and an angry teenager who blamed himself. She brought us through our pain. She helped us to see that Mom wouldn’t want us to wallow in our grief. She was full of life, and love, and joy. Gran told me that the best way to honor Mom’s memory was to live our lives as Mom did and never take anything for granted.

Em touched my shoulder, and I looked up at her. Concern filled her sweet face. “You okay?”

“Yeah, kid,” I said, wrapping my arm around her shoulder and pulling her tight against me. “I’m good.” I kissed the top of her head and let her go.

Em and I were putting the finishing touches on the table when Alex and Drew came in. “Happy Gran’s birthday,” I said, holding my arms wide to welcome them.

Alex laughed and stepped into my arms, hugging my waist as I wrapped her in a tight hug. She pulled away and smiled as Drew and I exchanged a manly hug, slapping each other hard on the back.

The door opened, and Millie came in followed by David, who was carrying a large white box tied with a bright pink ribbon. He set the gift on the table and started another round of greetings.

“Can we help with anything?” Millie asked.

Em scoffed. “I’d like to see you try. She kicked us both out of the kitchen,” she said, gesturing between us.

“Everything is almost done anyway,” I said. “I’m just gonna grab a couple bottles of wine.”

“I’ll help,” Alex said. I raised an eyebrow at her. The woman knew nothing about wine.

“What?” she asked. “I can help carry the bottles.”

I shrugged and headed down the hall toward the wine cellar, Alex following close behind me.

I made my way down the stairs and started pulling a few bottles from the shelves. Alex folded her arms across her chest and shifted her weight. “So,” she said. “Is Madison coming tonight?”

“Yes,” I said, inspecting the bottle in my hand. “So, please…be nice.”

“I’m always nice.”

I gave her a look, letting her know I was less than convinced. “Fine,” she said, holding her hands up in defense, “I’ll be nice.” She took a deep breath and stepped toward me. “You know it’s not that I don’t like her. She seems great really, but we worry about you. None of us want to see you get hurt.”

“Aww, thanks Mom,” I said, handing her a bottle.

“Very funny.”

“Look, I get it, you’re worried, you guys made your point yesterday, but I’m a big boy,” I said. “I can handle myself.” I smiled and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. “Come on, let’s get our party on.”

When I reached the top of the stairs, Millie’s voice carried down the narrow hallway. “You must be the famous Madison,” she said. “Sean’s told us so much about you.”

“I’ve heard a lot about you as well. I tried some of that cheesecake you made. It was incredible.” I smiled as the sound of Madison’s sweet voice carried its way down the hall.

Millie laughed. “I’m surprised he was willing to share. He begs me all the time to make it for him.”

“If you gave me the recipe, I could take some of the heat off you,” Madison said.

“Sorry,” Millie said. “Only way you can get that recipe is to marry Sean.”

I turned the corner just in time to see Madison almost choke on her water. I smiled to myself and shook my head, grabbing a napkin from the table.

Millie smiled and winked at me as I approached, handing Madison the napkin. She faced me, wide eyed. I gave her a smile and a wink, slipping my arm around her waist.

“I get asked for the recipe all the time,” Millie explained. “If I just gave it out freely, then it wouldn’t be special anymore. So a couple of years ago I started this little tradition of giving the recipe as a wedding gift to my close family and friends so they have something special to start their lives with.”

Madison’s face softened as she clutched the napkin to her chest.

“You hear that, babe? We get the cheesecake!” Alex said, dancing excitedly in front of Drew.

“So? What are you gonna do with the recipe? You don’t bake.” Drew laughed.

“Shut up, I could do it,” Alex said, slapping at his arm.

“Hey,” he said, wrapping his arms around her. “I’m not marrying you for your cooking skills.” Drew leaned down and pressed a kiss to the side of her neck.