Page 38 of Sugar (Gilded #1)

Signed, Sealed, Delivered

MADDIE

“ M addie, is that you?” Wren flopped next to me on the comfy couch in the café. “It’s been so long since I’ve seen you. I almost didn’t recognize you.”

Since it was barely noon on Monday, she was laying it on a little thick.

And that was saying something coming from me.

I attempted one of Easton’s slow blinks. “It’s been less than two days.”

“So long. Speaking of things that are long…” She waggled her brows, but before she could ask whatever dirty question she wanted, the barista called my name.

I grabbed my bagged cookie and a coffee that tasted like artificial syrup and not actual toasted marshmallow.

First, Easton ruined me for other coffee, and after two nights in his bed, he’s ruined me for other dick.

I took a sip of it anyway because Easton still wouldn’t share his caffeine source, and I needed the boost.

Early mornings were for birds… and serial killers.

My ass barely hit the cushion before Wren finished her thought. “So when did the lawyer finally let you out of his chamber?”

“I think that’s judges,” I pointed out.

“Whatever. You know what I mean.”

“This morning.”

“Either Easton got very lost driving you home, or that ride home somehow turned into a walk of shame.”

“There was nothing shameful about it.” I puffed up my chest and grinned. “That was a ride of pride, baby.”

Her brown eyes lit with glee, and she looked ready to shake me as she muffled a squeal.

“I knew it wouldn’t stay a business arrangement for long.

You’re too irresistible, and he’s devilishly handsome—emphasis on the devil.

And then when he showed up Saturday.” She fanned herself.

“Greer and I were talking about it the whole ride home. Well, after we got tacos.”

I thought about Vic overhearing their drunken conversation. I didn’t care for me, but it might make things awkward the next time Easton saw him.

Correctly reading my grimace, Wren tacked on, “Don’t worry, we had the divider up. He said something about having just fixed it, and boy, did he look happy about that fact.”

“I’m sure Vic and Easton appreciate it.” I knew how I felt about Easton, but that didn’t mean I didn’t want my trusty friends’ opinions, too. “What were you saying?”

“We thought that you’d skipped one of your platonic dates ,” she snarked with air quotes, “and that was why he was there. But like his driver, that irritated expression just seems to live on his face.”

“I think of it as blank.”

“Well, I can tell you this much… He doesn’t look blank when he is watching you.

And he was pretty much always watching you.

And touching you. Like he can’t go two minutes without contact.

That made us question if you’d already slept with him or if you would be doing it soon enough.

So which is it? Because those are the only possibilities. ”

“We weren’t sleeping together.”

“That is some beautiful past tense. A-plus.” She leaned closer. “Unless that was an accidental tense slip, in which case, I’m getting out my red pen and docking points.”

“You anticipating a lot of heavily edited kindergarten worksheets?” I asked since that was her dream grade.

“Of course. That pre-k nonsense won’t fly with me. Now tell me.”

Over a mediocre drink but still a delicious molasses cookie—Easton hadn’t ruined those yet by introducing me to something better—I quietly shared a bit. Not the dirty details, much to Wren’s chagrin. But that we were more than platonic event companions.

“This makes me so happy,” she said with a grin. It must’ve matched the one on my face because she clutched her hands at her chest. “I wish you could see how big your smile is right now. Gah, I’m going to have to call a ceasefire on my war on lawyers, aren’t I?”

“At least temporarily. But if you’re looking for an alternative, I met a skeevy real estate agent recently.”

She tilted her head. “I feel like Robert deserves to be set apart in my hatred, but I won’t rule out looping in his entire profession.”

Since she hadn’t heard a single word from her father in years, that grudge was well-deserved.

“Fine. It’s settled. I will now funnel all the spite in my short body toward realtors. Those bastards.” She took the last piece of cookie I offered. “Ohh. You can chime in on this, too, now that your virginity is no longer growing back.”

I whacked her arm—even though I’d had a similar thought when my body had been adjusting to Easton’s size. “It hasn’t been that long.”

“It has. But anyway, when he went down on you, did it seem to be obligatory?”

I choked down laughter at the thought. I wasn’t about to tell her how into it Easton had been.

Not that she would judge. If anything, she would think his response was just as hot as I did.

But that intimate detail was just for Easton, me, and the part of my brain that would hopefully carry that memory until my deathbed.

I shook my head. “He was very, very into it.”

She gave an approving nod. “We’re here for a man who eats and eats and loves a feast, but they are a dying breed.”

“Chris doesn’t dine at the Y?”

Her lips turned down into a pout. “He does. Kind of. But more like a light snack. The last two guys that I saw barely even did that. And Greer said Josh never went down on her.”

“Oof. She really needs to stop letting him weasel his way back.”

“I think it’ll stick this time. She was really embarrassed by him on Saturday,” she shared.

“Poor Greer. I’ll ask her out for smoothies tomorrow.”

And use Easton’s card before he has an aneurism.

Knowing I would get the scoop from the source herself soon, I turned the tables to get one from Wren. “Other than him not devouring you like the goddess you are, how’s everything else with Chris?”

“Perfect. He feels bad about leaving early on Saturday, but he’s used to early school days, not wild nightlife.”

I waved off the explanation. “I would be the same if I had to wake up that early every day.”

“But you liked him, right?” The earnestness in her tone was surprising. Like me, she had always valued mine and Greer’s opinion, but she didn’t live for approval or anything like that. Especially not when she was capable of making her own relationship decisions.

“Obviously. I said he could call me Mads. I don’t make that offer willy-nilly. I haven’t even told Easton he could call me that because he’s a tyrant.”

In a very good way.

“Yeah, but he calls you guppy , and that’s better,” she pointed out with a little sigh. “And you were drunk when you bestowed that honor on Chris.”

“I still stand by it. He was really sweet with you.”

“Right? I don’t think I’ve ever dated a guy who was so openly affectionate and considerate. Maybe it’s an older guy thing since Easton is clearly the same way.”

“That’s a real possibility.”

Like his ears were burning, a text buzzed through from him.

Easton: Need to talk. My office at 6 work?

The giddy cloud nine that I’d been floating on dissipated in an instant, and me and my stomach both dropped.

It’s only been a handful of hours since I saw him.

Nothing could change that quickly.

Right?

After a tiny burst of panic, I’d managed to talk myself off the ledge.

Mostly.

Whatever he needed to discuss, I was sure it wasn’t the worst-case conclusions my brain had jumped to.

That still left limitless possibilities for my brain to formulate, which had made my already long Monday stretch for an eternity.

By the time I parked in the lot at Wells Law, it felt like a week had dragged by, not six hours. I hurriedly climbed from my Jeep and headed for the side entrance, waving to one of the nearby guards who always stopped to make sure I got in okay.

Sometimes, I took a detour in order to say hi to June and June Juniors, but I didn’t do that. I hightailed it straight to Easton’s office.

My body could take more edging than my curiosity.

I didn’t have the chance to knock before he looked up from behind his desk.

Who knew glasses could be so sexy?

It was my first time seeing Easton in the black frames, and I was tempted to super glue them to his face so he couldn’t take them off.

Ever.

Unfortunately, that was just what he did, tossing them to the side. The devastating blow was softened when a smile split his handsome face in an instant, and I nearly melted into a puddle—both because he was so hot and from relief.

He didn’t miss the reaction, and his brows furrowed. “Come here, baby.”

His firm tone didn’t invite an argument, and I had no interest in one anyway. I hurried over and was surprised when he pulled me onto his lap despite the open door. It turned to shock when I belatedly realized that we weren’t alone.

“Why didn’t I get the same greeting from you, Easton?” Tripp Carter asked from where he lounged on the couch.

Tripp freaking Carter.

Like most LA natives, celebrities inspired very little excitement in me. I was probably a little more blasé about them since I could walk into my dad’s practice at any given time to see at least one known name.

That also meant I knew how they acted when there were no cameras around.

It was rarely pleasant.

“Because she’s mine, and you’re just a pain in my ass,” Easton said.

Because she’s mine.

Yup, the panic was just me being dramatic.

Shocking.

“Fair enough,” Tripp said as he stood. When he neared the desk, Easton’s hold on my thigh tightened until his fingertips dug in, but he didn’t speak when the actor offered his hand and an introduction that wasn’t needed. “Tripp Carter.”

“Maddie Baker.” I gave it a quick shake before dropping it to cover Easton’s. My stomach churned as I wondered if Tripp recognized me from Gilded. He gave no indication, so I carried on. “I just watched the interview you did with the puppies a few days ago. It was really good.”

He grinned, and I wished I was the kind of person to leave well enough alone.

I wasn’t.

“Did the interviewer ask something that pissed you off?” I blurted.