"How was the bowling?" Madeline asked as I approached her, and I could already tell something was up since, for the first time in like ever, she didn't greet me with a big smile or jump into my arms all giddy."Eh," I said, holding out my arms because I needed her in them already. "Rusty as shit. Came in last all three times.""Who'd you bowl with?""Nolan and Xavier," I said, pulling her to me by the waist, since she still hadn't greeted me the way I was used to. "Quino's in Radcliffe with my dad and grandma."She was stiff but gave in, staring up at me. "Hang out with any girls?""No, babe," I said, trying to smile with confidence. "We ran into a few as we walked out, stopped and talked with them for a minute just outside the place, right as your mom got there." I raised a brow so she knew I knew why she was asking. "Did she call just to tell you?""No." She smirked and finally wrapped her arms around my waist. "She always asks us to check in once we're out of work and together
"Because," she said as I plated her dish and stuck it in the microwave. "How am I ever gonna live up to your grandma's cooking?"I laughed, wrapping my arms around her as I leaned against the counter and pulled her to me. "You don't have to. But I'm sure she'd be willing to give you a few pointers if you ever really wanted to learn."I kissed her a little deeper this time and didn't even realize how long it went until the microwave started beeping and I was forced to pull away.Madeline eyed the hot plate, licking her lips. "Smells good already."We sat down at the kitchen table. Madeline happily ate her food as I watched, smiling from ear to ear as she groaned after almost every bite. I only ate a few bites at her insistence because I wasn't really hungry. We'd ordered and eaten a bunch of crap at the bowling alley.Once done and I was satisfied she was full, I gave her a tour of our house. We walked through the front room and the dining room. Then we walked down the hallway to t
I worked my way down between Madeline's legs, loving that her entirely naked body was all mine for the taking. So far, all the times I'd gone down on her she was only partially undressed. I decided right then and there from here on, unless we were somewhere too risky, I wanted her completely naked each time I took her. As much as I loved tasting her entire body, it was her mouth I kept going back for. I couldn't get enough of it. "I love you," I whispered before devouring her mouth again. "Jesus Christ, I love you.""I love you too, Nico," she said breathlessly when I pulled away to look at her.We stared at each other for a moment as I began to play with her with my fingers. She was so wet my fingers slipped into her easily even as tight as she was. I continued to stare at her, watching her lashes flutter and feeling her body tremble against mine as I rubbed her engorged clit. Her breathing accelerated, and I couldn't remember loving watching this so much. Watching her entire body's
I pulled my legs over the side of my bed, searching for my phone when the door squeaked open."Perfect timing," she said, and my heart swelled at the sight of Madeline as she walked into the bedroom."Babe, I fell asleep. I'm so sorry—""We fell asleep together," she said, smiling as big as ever. "It was beautiful. I've never woken up feeling so perfect in my life!" She inhaled deeply, handing me the water I was suddenly in desperate need of, and kissed my forehead. "Your hot body next to mine, holding me so tightly . . . It's how I wanna wake for the rest of my life."She kissed me after I took a much-needed swig of water. "You rested up?"I brought my arms around her waist and pulled her to me. "Ready to go again."Madeline giggled as I kissed her, squeezing her even tighter. "First, I have questions."Swallowing back any nervousness because, for some reason, this unnerved me, I glanced up at her again. "Questions?""Yeah." She nodded, tugging my hand. "About some of the phot
I should've been prepared. Madeline was as impetuous about our lovemaking as she was everything else. Every chance we got, no matter where we were, if it was possible to get away with it, she was all for it. In fact, she was usually the one initiating it. As much as I enjoyed it and would never pass up the chance, a part of me was still trying to think ahead. I'd have my hands full trying to win over her mother—who for as much as Madeline said it wouldn't matter once she was eighteen—and I had no intention of being the cause of any riff between them.Madeline could say it all she wanted, but it was clear how close she was to her mother. Almost as close as she was to Maggie. I'd have liked the transition from doing things on the down low to being an official couple out in the open to be as painless as possible. I knew Loretta would not appreciate the fact that, not only had I taken her baby's innocence, I'd been doing it all over town. Despite this being legal, I'd still had dreams of
My heart nearly stopped as my head jerked away from my carving to look at her. She looked ready to spit. But before I could even respond, she went on. "You fucked her in an alley? When were you planning on telling me about this?"I dropped the rock and took a step toward her, but she flinched and stepped back. I held out my hand cautiously. "That was a long time ago.""So you really did?" Her voice went up a few notches. "Mama said it looked like maybe you two were making out in that dark alley, but you really did fuck her?"I shook my head, feeling like a fucking idiot, and took another step toward her, even as she backed away again. "We'd only been out there a few minutes; we were interrupted by the car your mom was in.""Why hadn't you told me?""It was a long time ago. Way before you and me.""So you've slept with her? This bitch that twice, that I know of," she said even louder, "has approached you since she moved here. Is she trying to hook up with you again?""No." I shoo
Turned out Loretta hadn't even been sure America was the same girl in the alley she'd seen with me. I fessed up for nothing, damn it. I didn't really want to talk about it anymore, but I had to know. Was Loretta really trying to cause problems between us over something that happened so long ago?Madeline explained that, for weeks, Loretta had been saying she was certain she knew the new girl at her work from somewhere else. Because of the not-so-common name it'd finally come to her that she was the same waitress that waited on her way back in that restaurant in Kings Falls—something I was not aware of.Even then, she hadn't put America and I together in that alley. I'd been right about her not having gotten a good look at America in the alley. It wasn't until my dad went into the feed store the day of the confrontation in the cave. America and one of the other girls who worked there began gossiping about the Cortez brothers loud enough for Loretta to hear. America mentioned how I dro
When I arrived at Madeline's house, I was greeted with the usual giddy hug and kisses I was used to. She was especially full of squeals this time, given the huge bouquet I arrived holding. After handing the birthday gift to her, I pulled out my anniversary gift and she went silent.She set the bouquet down on the table just inside the door. Before she even took the other gift, her hand was already at her mouth."Happy anniversary," I said, handing it to her.She smiled even as her eyes welled up and she reached for it. I hoped the fact that I wasn't down on a knee was heads-up enough before she got too ahead of herself about what it might be. She opened the box and her hand was back over her mouth. "I know it's not much, Peanut," I said with a wince. "But it's just a promise ring. A promise that someday I'll have so much more to offer you."With her face already crumbling and her sweet brows pinching tight, she took it out of the box, but I reached for it so I could slip it onto he