Page 12

Myles

It’s hard for me to focus on Friday. Madison says very little at breakfast and bolts out of the car the moment I pull up to her building. She responds with one-word answers to my texts and gives me more of the silent treatment on the drive home.

We have to talk. I’m starting to wonder if she is second-guessing her submission after her spanking yesterday. If so, we really have to talk.

After we climb the stairs and step into the kitchen, Madison heads straight for the next set of stairs, but I’m not having that.

“Stop. Get your ass back here,” I demand.

I stand at the threshold between the kitchen and the living room, hands on my hips.

All or nothing. We’re having this confrontation.

Madison sighs, drops her backpack at the foot of the stairs, and turns around. She sets her hands on her hips and glares at me. “What?” So much sass in one word. If I weren’t so worried, I would chuckle and take her over my knee.

I point toward the couch. “Sit.”

She drags herself to the couch and flops onto it as if I’ve suggested a root canal without Novocain.

I close the distance between us and stand a few feet away from her. I know she can feel my dominance from our stances alone. Good.

I decide to start with the plans I have for tomorrow. “We need to talk about your birthday.”

She groans and leans her head on the back of the couch, not looking at me. “Let’s just forget about it.”

That startles me. “I said I would take you out. That’s still my plan.”

“You don’t have to. It’s fine. I don’t feel like going out. Are we done here?”

“No, we are not done here, sassy girl.” What the fuck is going through her head? “I have a day planned for you, Madison.”

She jerks her head up and looks at me. “A day? Why? I just want to stay in bed and read or maybe watch TV. Am I grounded from that, too?”

I run a hand over my head. We’re not on the same page. Something is going on here, and I don’t like it. I’m starting to believe she actually intends to sneak out.

I have no choice but to come clean. “I read the texts from Kelsey last night.”

She rolls her eyes. “Whatever. Who cares?”

I flinch. This keeps getting weirder. “That’s it? You don’t care that I read your texts?”

“No. Why should I care? You said you would. I don’t have anything to hide.

My texts from Kelsey don’t mean anything.

I can’t control what she says to me. And you certainly can’t accuse me of misbehaving just because of what Kelsey suggested.

I’m not going to sneak out. How the fuck could I?

You probably have ten alarms set. I’d never be able to evade you even if I knew all the codes.

And that’s if I actually wanted to go out. This is a moot conversation.”

“Tell me what’s really going on then, Madison. Talk to me.”

She looks at her fingers and starts picking at a nail. Seconds tick by.

“Madison…”

She lifts her gaze. “I was embarrassed, okay? I’m a complete dork already.

I’m not like other girls. I don’t go out and party.

I don’t lie and sneak around and get into trouble.

It was one time, Myles. One time. I went out with my roommates last weekend in an effort to appear normal.

I made bad choices. I got drunk. Now I’m going to pay for it for the rest of my life because you think I’m some stupid girl who parties and has her car stolen and would have driven drunk if some asshole hadn’t taken it. ”

Tears start to fall down her cheeks, and I feel like an asshole. She’s right.

She swipes them away and stands, leaning toward me.

“I told Kelsey and the other girls I have plans tomorrow night. They already think I’m the lamest woman alive.

They can’t even begin to grasp why the fuck I would want to do anything else besides go out with them.

I’m not sure I even understand. But the truth is you’re under my skin.

Don’t worry. I won’t fucking disappoint you.

I’m too much of a goodie-two-shoes to sneak out.

I’ll probably be ninety before you let me have another drink or let me go to Edge, but I’m so fucking hung up on you that I don’t care.

Just let me lick my wounds for a few days, okay?

I gave up my burgeoning reputation as a potentially normal girl so I could be with you.

It doesn’t even matter. I’ll never see most of those girls after graduation, anyway.

Why should I care? I don’t . I’m here. I want to be here.

But I need to deal with the enormity of it all for a hot second, if you don’t mind. ”

She turns to head for the stairs, but there’s no chance I’m going to let her walk away from me. I take two long strides and grab her wrist.

She struggles, trying to break free.

Maybe I’m making the biggest mistake of my life, but the thought of her running to her room and crying into her pillow makes me want to punch a hole in the wall.

When she swings at me, I grab her other wrist, press her against the wall, and hold her arms at her sides.

She twists her head away from me, not meeting my gaze, still writhing.

“Madison Kennedy, stop fighting me. You just dropped a bomb in the living room. At least give me the courtesy of letting me respond. If you still want to stomp off and sulk, you may do so, but let me speak first.”

She purses her lips and says nothing, but she stops pulling on her arms.

“First of all, I want to say I’m sorry. I’ve thought a lot about it, and I understand why you would want to go out with your friends instead of some old guy who does nothing but boss you around.”

She gasps and jerks her head to look at me.

“That is not what I said, Myles. I don’t even want to go out with them.

They’re lame. I was like a fish out of water trying to be cool last weekend.

It was dumb. I’d rather be with you. I’d rather play Monopoly with you than go out with them.

But the decision was stressful. Talking my way out of partying with them felt monumental.

They knew I was looking forward to going to Edge.

Like I said, I’m embarrassed. I’ll get over it. ”

I lean my forehead against hers. “I’m still responsible for making you choose, and I’m sorry. I’ve pushed you all week. I probably went too far.”

Her eyes widen as I ease my head back a few inches. “Too far? Myles, you have not— That’s— Are you high?”

I cringe. “Not that I’m aware of.”

“You have not pushed me too far, dork. I’m still here, aren’t I?”

“Well, yes, but you’re pretty pissed.”

“Not at you, Myles. I’m just fucking nursing my wounds. Can’t you accept that? I’m not always going to be cheerful. Sometimes I might be sad. Let me feel sad for a minute, okay? My life is taking an unexpected turn, and I have a right to stop and ponder what that means.”

“Yes. Understood. But let me take you out for your birthday tomorrow. Let me pamper you all day and then take you for a nice dinner.”

She sighs. “Fine.”

I make a decision I might regret. But I blurt it out before I can change my mind. “If you want to go to Edge for your birthday, I’ll take you myself. After dinner.”

Her eyes light up like it’s Christmas. “Really?”

“Yes, really. But I have stipulations.” I narrow my gaze and try to look stern.

“Of course you do. Whatever. It’s not like I planned to fuck ten guys at the club, Myles. I just want to experience it.”

I flinch. “You’re not fucking any guys at the club, Madison. You’re not fucking anyone but me for the rest of your life. Erase all memories of previous guys from your head right now.”

She lifts both brows. “Uh…”

I narrow my gaze again. “Madison…” I warn. What the fuck does uh mean?

She swallows. “Don’t get mad.”

I stiffen and press my entire body against hers, pinning her hard to the wall. “Madison…” This time, I warn louder. What the hell is she going to tell me?

“Okay, okay, don’t get your panties in a wad. I just haven’t mentioned yet that I, uh… I haven’t had sex with anyone.” Her cheeks turn pink.

My spine goes rigid. Is she fucking kidding? I blink. “You’re a virgin?”

“Uh-huh. Are you mad?”

“Why would I be fucking mad to find out that the woman I’m hoping to spend my life with will never be touched by anyone but me?”

She bites her lip and releases it. “Because I don’t have any experience. I’m probably not going to be very good at it. I don’t want to disappoint you. In fact, I’ve been fretting over it for the whole week.”

“Sweetheart… No. God, no. Stop worrying. That’s the sweetest thing you could have told me. I’m fist-pumping. Don’t you know how fucking pleased that makes me?”

She rolls her eyes. “Okay, let’s not get cocky.”

I chuckle. “Oh, I’m gonna be cocky. You haven’t seen cocky yet.

I’m gonna strut around the house from now on with my chest pumped out.

That’s how cocky I feel about being the only man you’ll ever be with.

The man who will teach you every fucking thing about sex.

The one who will make sure your first time is heaven on Earth. ”

“Now you’re being ridiculous. I’m not stupid. I know it will hurt and I’ll hate it.”

“It will not hurt, and you will not hate it.”

She cocks her head to one side and lifts a brow as though I’m dense.

“Boys do not have the first clue about how to take care of a woman. Lucky for you, I’m not a boy. I will make sure you scream my name the first time my cock is inside you. Then we’ll see who’s cocky .” I wink at her.

“Now you sound as old as you are,” she teases.

“You won’t be complaining about my age when my tongue is inside your pussy, sweetheart.”

She gasps. Good. I wanted to shock her.

“Can I go upstairs now? I still need to work through my sad, and now I have to work through my embarrassment about my virginity, and then work through my excitement about going to Edge, and then work through my nerves about everyone at the club thinking I’m a dork. Or a baby. Will they think I’m a baby?”

“No one will think you’re a dork or a baby. I promise.” I don’t like the idea of her working through any of that shit alone. I’d rather wipe it from her head. And I know just how to do it, too.

I release her, slide a hand to the back of her neck, and angle her head to one side. “I’m going to kiss you now.”

Her breath hitches, and she licks her lips. “You’re trying to distract me from my sad.”

“Yes.” I lower my mouth over hers. I start soft and gentle, memorizing every moment of this first kiss with Madison. The last first kiss either of us will ever have. I grip her neck and deepen the contact, sliding my tongue into her mouth and stroking along hers.

She moans and grabs my waist.

Victory .

Fuck, she’s precious.

She’s mine, and she’s precious.

When I finally release her lips, she sways to one side.

Yes .

“Are you going to be cocky about everything now?”

“Yes.”

She smiles. “That was nice. Thank you.”

“Nice? Nice ?”

She giggles. “Okay, it was the best kiss in the universe. How’s that?”

“Not very convincing or heartfelt.”

Another giggle.

“You may go upstairs now. And you may have ten minutes to work through your sad, your embarrassment, your excitement, and your nerves. In ten minutes, I’m going to come up there and kiss you again.

Then we’re going to move on. I have big plans for tomorrow.

Please humor me and accept that I want to wine and dine you for your birthday. It’s an important day.”

“Okay,” she says softly.

I let her go and watch as she climbs the steps. “Ten minutes, Madison.”

“Okay, okay. Got it. Sheesh. So bossy.” She disappears into her room. She doesn’t close the door, which pleases me.

I’m pushy. Apparently, she’s not upset about that.

She never was. She was rightfully processing that she gave up a chance at being “normal” with her friends on her birthday to be with me.

I know that was hard. I won’t let her down.

I’ll make sure she never regrets making this choice at such a young age.

Maybe I am cocky, but she’s worth it. I intend to make her so happy that she never looks back.