Hitting the lights, I disappear into my office.
Deleted Scene from Chapter 29: Maddox and Bee reconnect after he finds Bee at the home where she lived with her kidnappers, and they talk. They head to a motel before going to Virginia.
Bee’s arms and legs wrap around the back of me as though she physically can’t let go. It’s not tight enough and I have a feeling it isn’t for her either. I need her close, need inside her in every way I can be.
Still, I wait, motorcycle revving beneath us as she looks at the house she’d lived in with people she thought were her parents—people she loved.
I’ll stay as long as it takes for her to say good-bye.
When her hand wanders down and squeezes my leg, I know she’s telling me she’s ready. We take off down the street and even though the ride is freeing, it’s not all we need. Right now I really fucking need her.
The first hotel I come to, I pull my motorcycle in. She doesn’t question anything, just lets go of me and gets off the bike. We need to get back to Virginia; we both know that. It doesn’t make us need tonight any less.
We pull our helmets off and Bee reaches for my hand. I thread my fingers through hers as we head into the office. Less than five minutes later we’re in our room. It’s nicer than the one we had our first night together. I’m grateful for that. She’s not the type of girl to care about shit like that but I still want nice things for her.
Tossing my helmet to the chair, I say, “Come here, baby. I want you and don’t think I can wait.”
She grins and gives me a wink. Holy shit I love this woman.
She gets rid of her helmet, too, before wrapping her arms around my neck. My mouth comes down on her, starving for her taste. Matching my intensity, she kisses me back. I cup her thigh and she lifts her leg, so I pull her up as she wraps herself around me.
“Don’t think I can go slow,” I tell her.
Bee drops her head back so I can kiss her neck. “Don’t think I asked you to.”
That’s all I need and then I’m leaning her down on the bed. Her legs still around me as I lie on top of her. “I need these clothes gone.” I slide her shirt up and she lifts enough for me to pull it off. As I work the clasp on her bra, she’s already unbuttoning her jeans.
I move away just far enough to take my shirt off and then it’s my hands tugging at her pants, pulling them down her legs. They fall out of my hands and I look at her. Let my eyes wander over this girl who is mine. The only woman I’ve ever really wanted.
“You are so beautiful.”
I swear a slight pink colors her cheeks. I like that I can make this tough girl blush.
“I can’t believe you’re making me shy, Scratch.”
“You don’t ever have to be shy with me.” Then I’m taking a condom out of my wallet and getting rid of my pants. Bee moves up in the bed so she’s lying with her head on the pillows.
Her eyes study me as I climb onto the bed. “You’re not so bad yourself.” She pauses and then adds, “You’re beautiful too.”
“Sexy,” I say before I cover her mouth with mine. Our tongues tangle, work together to pleasure each other, and then I’m letting my mouth trail down her neck. I lick that hollow spot at the base of her throat, before I keep going down. Her nipple is right there and I can’t help but taste it.
Bee cries out, arches forward as my mouth teases one breast and then the other. Her nails dig into my back. As much as I want this to last forever, my body burns to be inside her.
“Want you. Now,” I mumble against her.
“Then take me.”
I moan because, Christ, how fucking hot is she?
With my teeth, I rip open the condom wrapper before sliding it down my length. I tease her swollen flesh with my finger, feeling how ready she is for me.
Slowly, I push inside and it’s everything it always was to be inside her and even more. It’s where I belong.
My thrusts are fast and hard. Her nails bite deeper into me, making me need to be deeper inside her.
“Oh, God,” she gasps. It’s sexy as hell, the breathlessness in her voice.
“You feel so good.”
Leaning forward, I kiss her again. Take her mouth the same way I’m taking her body. I’m already close, so fucking close to losing it that I know I need to hurry up and get her there too.
Again, I let my tongue tease her nipples as I pump inside her.
“Maddox… holy shit… I’m…”
And then she does. Her body spasms around me and it’s all I need to fall over the ledge with her.
Rolling to the side, I toss the condom in the trash can before I pull her into my arms. She comes easily. There will be no walking away anymore. No pretending this isn’t what it is. No walls up when we really want to hold each other.
“That was incredible.” Bee buries her face in my neck.
“You’re incredible.”
She turns a hand through my hair, tightening her grip there. “I love you.”
Pride swells inside me—that she feels that way about me. That I’m worth it.
“I love you, too, baby.”
Deleted Scene from Chapter 29: Maddox and Laney talk. This scene takes place after Maddox and Bee leave Kansas to go back to Virginia.
“Hey.” I close the hotel door behind me. Bee and I just got back from Kansas today. Laney planned a small service for our mom this afternoon for me, her, Bee, and Adrian.
“Hi.” She’s sitting on the edge of the bed but scoots over, which is my sign to sit next to her, which I do.
“Listen, I’m sorry you had to do this on your own. I know it sucks that I wasn’t here but I had to go.” I shrug my shoulder. “I need her.”
“You know I wanted you to go. It’s the first thing you’ve done for yourself since I can remember. I’m glad it worked out. I’m glad you have her and I’m trying really hard not to say I told you so right now.”
Her response makes me chuckle. “You’d deserve to say it. I’ve known for a long time she meant a lot to me. It was a lot easier to be an asshole than admit it, though.”
“Eh, you were good at being an asshole. Gotta go with what works, right?”
I nudge her. “Smart-ass.” We’re both stalling and we both know it. The truth is, I know there are things I need to say but that doesn’t make saying the words any easier. People can’t change overnight no matter how much we might want to.
Finally it’s Laney who opens the discussion. “Why didn’t you tell me, Maddy? All that time you were dealing with that misplaced guilt. You should have told me you blamed yourself for that day.”
I sigh. “There are a lot of things I should have done over the years. There’s no excuse for why I didn’t and… fuck, I don’t even want to try to come up with one. Nothing’s going to change it. I think we’ve all spent too much time living in the past. It’s time to move forward.”
“I agree. That’s what I’m trying to do.”
“Me too.” Glancing over, I see her hand sitting on her leg. Reaching over, I grab it. Laney’s hold is loose at first as though she can’t believe my hand is really there and then she tightens her grip.
How fucked up is it that my own sister is shocked that I’m not tensing away from her? That I reached for her first? We’ve always been best friends and I always would have done anything for her but hell, I never even hugged her first. Those are the kinds of things she needs—to know someone is there for her and I was too big a prick to support her.
“I’m sorry for everything, Laney. You were always the best of all of us and all I did was give you shit about it. I know there’s nothing I can do to make up for it. All I can do is promise to try a whole hell of a lot harder now.”
With her other hand, she wipes a tear from her face. “There’s nothing to make up for. We were all hurt and none of us knew how to deal with it… but we’re better now. And no matter what, you’ve always been there for me. I always knew I could count on you.”