Page 18 of Trust Me (Rivers Edge #1)

Avery

After I make sure the coast is clear, the coffee pot is turned off, and the front door is locked, I head in the direction of my house on foot.

Talk about the walk of shame. Fortunately, it doesn’t take me too long to get there since I only live a few blocks away from Maddox.

When I step inside my front door, I pull out my cell phone to call Holly to check on Brooklyn.

“Well, how did it go?” she asks after only one ring.

“It was amazing,” I answer with a faint smile on my lips, as pieces of the entire night flash through my mind like a fabulous slideshow.

“Did you get some?”

“Holly, my daughter’s probably standing right there so stop corrupting her. Why don’t I head over there to get her? Since you don’t work until later on tonight, maybe we can grab some lunch at the Mexican place down the street from you. ”

“Good sex always makes me hungry too,” she smarts off and then laughs. “Well, the few times I’ve had good sex that is, it made me hungry.”

She’s incorrigible. “I just got home so I’ll change quickly and head over.”

“Just getting home AND still in last night’s clothes?

Hurry up and get your ass over here, will you?

We have so much to talk about.” We hang up, and I head toward my room to change, which is still a disaster from last night’s dressing freak-out.

I start to hang the clothes back in the closet, place the pants back in my drawers, and arrange the shoes back on the closet floor.

It takes me a little longer than I anticipated and by the time I get myself changed into comfy, worn jeans and a Cowboys sweatshirt, it’s already after ten.

I transfer everything from my clutch purse back into my regular purse and head out the door. On my way to Holly’s house, I crank up the radio and sing along to Colbie Caillat, which is a treat since Brooklyn isn’t along for the ride. I pull up in front of Holly’s half of a duplex and head inside.

“Mommy!” Brooklyn greets me at the front door and throws her arms around my legs.

“How’s Mommy’s big girl? Were you a good girl for Aunt Holly? ”

“Yep! We stayed up weally wate and watched Grey’s!”

I turn to look at my best friend whose eyes just about pop out of her head. “Grey’s. Really?” I ask with a raised eyebrow.

“It’s not my fault that she’s actually old enough now to pay attention and report back to you! We’ve always watched Grey’s together. What can I say, she loves medical dramas.”

“Aunt Holly says they have hot doctors,” Brooklyn reports with a very serious face, which causes Holly and I both to crack up.

“Well, as long as the doctors are hot then,” I reply, giving my girl a kiss on her forehead. “Aunt Holly and Mommy are going to talk in the kitchen, so you play with your toys for a bit, and then we’ll run and get lunch. Okay?”

“Okay, Mommy!” she says as she turns and focuses her attention on the cartoons and her princess dolls.

Holly and I head into the kitchen together. I take a seat at the bar and she grabs us a couple of waters out of the fridge.

“Spill. Your face is glowing this morning.”

I take a sip from the water bottle and can’t help but smile as I begin to tell her all about the evening.

I leave nothing out, from the slutty hostess and Maddox’s reply to the shopping on the pier.

When I get to the part about returning to his place and his offer to take me home if I didn’t want to come inside, Holly is practically sitting on the edge of her stool.

“So, you went inside, obviously. What happened when you went inside?”

“We walked inside and barely got the door closed when I pulled him against me. He is an amazing kisser, Holly. Seriously, like the kind of kisses that make you forget what day of the week it is or even what your own name is. Someone could have asked me my birth date at that moment, and I wouldn’t have had a clue!

Things started to heat up pretty quickly at that point, so we went back to his bedroom.

” I glance up at her and add, “Didn’t even make it to his bed. ”

“Shut up! I am so freaking jealous of you right now, you know that, right? I can’t believe you just had amazing sex with Maddox Jackson. Lucky bitch.”

I laugh a little at her comment. “It was pretty amazing. It’s been so dang long that I was worried I’d forgotten how to do it.”

“Oh, honey, they say it’s just like riding a bike. And I’m hoping that’s true because it’s been a while since I went for a ride around the block myself,” she adds with a giggle.

“It definitely all comes back to you, especially when you have an expert riding partner.”

“So what happened this morning when you woke up? Was it all weird and stuff?”

“You mean after we had amazing shower sex?”

“I’m really starting to hate you right now,” she mumbles as she takes a drink of her water.

“Well, we were just getting back to his room from taking a shower when Jake started pounding on the door.”

Her water bottle stops halfway back down to the counter, and she stares at me wide-eyed. “Jake came over? What happened?”

“Well, he didn’t know it was me who was there. I was basically hiding in his room while Maddox went out to deal with Jake. For the record, Maddox wearing nothing but a towel may be my favorite outfit I’ve seen him wear.”

“Uhhhhhh! That’s a visual I am happily taking with me to bed tonight,” Holly remarks, which earns her a playful slap on the arm .

“Don’t you dare! Maddox had to leave this morning with Jake for work, but we did get to talk for a few minutes before he left. We’re going to see each other on the sly and maybe see where it goes.”

“What exactly does that mean? Maddox doesn’t exactly do dating.”

“He said that, but he wants to spend more time with me. We agreed we wouldn’t date or sleep with other people while we are together figuring this out.”

“Honey, do you think that’s wise? I mean, sex with Maddox is great but what happens when you want more out of him than he’s willing to give.”

“Holl, aren’t you the one who encouraged me to go out with him last night?

You’re the one who kept reminding me that he might be exactly what I’m looking for.

Honestly, right now I’m not looking to get married.

I want to date a little and have fun; things I haven’t been able to do very much in the past few years.

I’ve been too scared to trust someone again, and I’m tired of sitting back and watching everyone else experience the things I want to experience too.

And I like him. Like really like him. I want to spend more time with him. ”

“I want you to have all of that, believe me. And Maddox might really be the guy for you. I just don’t want to see you get hurt is all.”

“I know. Chances are I’m going to get hurt in the end. I can’t exactly see Maddox settling down and getting married, can you? We’re gonna take it very slow. Besides, no one can know we’re seeing each other. Jake can never know. He’ll flip his lid!”

“No shit! I don’t even want to think about what will happen if Jake finds out.”

“Let’s just pray that never happens,” I say after I took another drink of water.

“I am really, really happy for you though.”

“Thanks, Holl. I’m pretty darn happy for myself right now too,” I reply with a smile.

We pack up all of Brooklyn’s stuff and head out the door.

The Mexican restaurant is two blocks away, so we decide to enjoy the semi-decent October weather and walk.

As we’re walking into the restaurant, my phone dings signaling a text message.

After we’re seated in the booth, I retrieve my phone from my purse and see a text from Maddox.

Maddox : Make it home ok?

I smile at his thoughtfulness as I type out my reply.

Me : Yes. Just walked into El Toro with Holly and Brooklyn.

Maddox : Sounds good. Jake and I were just arguing about lunch.

Me : Stop by here. We just got a booth.

Maddox : Can’t tell him I’m texting you tho. Gotta make it look like his idea.

There’s a pregnant pause, and then I see him typing another reply.

Maddox : Done. Be there in a sec.

I look up at Holly and say under my breath, “Looks like we might have company. Act surprised.” Just as she starts to question me, I see her look over my shoulder as a smile of understanding stretches across her face.

“Hey, sis. Didn’t know you would be here. Hi, Brookie Bean!” Jake leans down and kisses his niece on the cheek.

“What are you guys doing here?” I ask.

“Lunchtime. Jake was in the mood for Mexican,” Maddox responds with a sly wink.

Jake slips into the booth with me, which leaves Maddox to share a booth bench across from me with Holly.

I try not to make too much eye contact with Maddox because I’m afraid everyone else will be able to see my secrets written plainly all over my face.

Or at least Jake will see them. He’s the only one, in fact, who doesn’t know them at this table, besides my daughter.

As we munch on homemade chips and salsa, the guys tell us about their morning calls and stops, including the one where Maddox got whacked on the head with a telephone book.

“A telephone book? Seriously?” I ask.

“Yep. We had to pick up the husband for another failure to appear. When we were heading out the door, the guy’s old lady walked up behind Maddox and nailed him over the head with the phone book.”

I glance over at Maddox, my mouth gaping open, and ask, “Are you okay?”

He chuckles and says, “Yeah, I’m fine. She caught me completely off guard with it though.

She didn’t say a word the entire time we were cuffing her husband and reading him his rights.

Then Jake leads him out to the squad car, I turn to follow out the door and she whacks me across the back of the head with the county phone book from nineteen ninety-three.

When I turned around, a little stunned, she tried to kick me in the shins.

So, we went ahead and took her on down to the station too, for assaulting a police officer and interfering. ”

Our lunch arrives and we all dive into the delicious food. I keep catching Maddox looking at me out of the corner of his eye or whenever Jake is focused on Brooklyn. It makes me feel all schoolgirl giddy, like when the boy you have a crush on is checking you out.

After lunch is finished and we’re starting to exit the booth, Jake’s radio squawks to life. “Well, lunch is over, ladies. Looks like we have a call,” Jake says, leaning in to kiss my cheek. He bends down and grabs Brooklyn, kissing her multiple times all over her face. “Who’s your favorite uncle?”

“You,” Brooklyn giggles and kisses his cheek again.

Jake starts to hand her back to me, but Brooklyn has other ideas. She reaches across Jake for Maddox, begging him to take her. “Maddox!” she exclaims. “I need a kissy.”

Maddox reaches across Jake and takes my daughter. She grabs his face and gives him a big kiss on the cheek. He returns the affection and throws in a big hug on top of it. Jake looks over to me with eyebrows raised, and says, “I didn’t realize Bean knew Maddox so well.”

“She doesn’t. She’s just an affectionate child,” I claim without meeting his eyes.

“Whatever. See you soon. Bye, Holly. Maddox, we gotta go,” he states as he walks out the front door.

Maddox walks over and hands Brooklyn to me. As he leans in, I feel his nose slide along my jaw. I hear him inhale as he kisses the spot just below my ear where my neck meets my cheek. “Bye.”

I take Brooklyn from him and give him a knowing smile. “Bye.”

“Bye, Holly,” he says as he turns to walk out the door.

We both watch as they go, get into their squad car, and pull away. I feel the loss as I watch him get farther and farther away from me. But that view I was just treated to as he left? Well, let’s just say, I do enjoy watching him leave.

Maddox’s ass in a police uniform should be illegal.