I reach up to cup her face, my thumb wiping at her tears. “You have no reason to be scared, Maddy.” I kiss her once. “I’m not going anywhere.”

Her eyes flick between mine, carrying an emotion I can’t decipher. We stay that way, a thousand unanswered questions between us. But none of them matter. Not to me—and not to her—because when she leans forward and captures my mouth with hers—we become lost in the moment. And in each other.

I gently push on her shoulders until she’s on her back and I’m resting on my elbows, looking down on her—kissing her—feeling her—wanting her—needing her.

My hand drifts down her body, past her breasts, her hips, and down her thighs until I feel the hem of her dress. Then I move up under the material and onto the softness of her thighs until my fingers meet the lace of her panties. She reaches down, pulling on my shirt, asking for permission.

I sit up slightly, just enough for her to pull it over my head. And then I’m back, my mouth on hers and my hands between her legs, moving her panties to the side. A gasp escapes her when my finger slides effortlessly inside. Her back arches, causing her head to tilt back away from our kiss. So I kiss her jaw, her neck, her shoulder, down to her chest—the entire time my finger causing her to moan—to grip the covers underneath her. “Ky...”

I kiss each breast, over her dress, and move down her stomach. Her fingers lace through my hair—her body writhing beneath me.

I stand up and remove my jeans and boxers in one swift move. Then I remain at the side of the bed and eye her from head to toe. “Your turn.”

She sits up on her knees and smiles. “You do it.”

I smile back, taking a step forward and slowly lifting her dress over her head, and then her bra. I lean down, taking her nipple into my mouth while my thumb skims over the other. She pushes my head away after a long moment and scoots back on the bed so her head’s resting on a pillow. “I need you.”

“You’ll have me,” I assure, “as soon as I finish worshipping you.” I climb between her legs again, where I plan on finishing what I started. Her fingers find my hair the same time my tongue finds her clit.

“Oh god...”

I flatten my tongue at her entrance and do something I know drives her insane. Slowly, softly, I lick all the way from the bottom to the top.

Her hips jerk up. “Oh Jesus...”

I do it a few more times until her thighs tighten around my head—then I pull back. She looks down at me, confusion clear on her face.

“What are—”

I quickly drop my mouth back to her waiting pussy and suck hard.

“FUCK!”

I hear her panting, her thrusting hips matching the sounds. My hand reaches up, pushes one finger into her. She buckles beneath me. “Ky!”

I pull out my finger, replace it with two, and match the rhythm of her thrusts.

“Stop,” she pants. “Please. It’s too much...I can’t...I’m going...shit...fuck!”

Her hips lift, her fingers gripping my hair tighter. Her thighs tense...and then…

“Oh...oh...OH!”

She moans through every single wave of her orgasm.

“Fuck. Shit. Holy shit.”

She collapses, her phenomenal breasts heaving as she tries to catch her breath. A sheen of sweat coats her entire body. I kiss her mound one more time before making my way up, wiping my mouth as I do. I kiss her stomach, each breast, up her neck and to her ear, my cock resting at her entrance. “Are you sure, Maddy?”

Her hands run down the center of my back and rest on my hips.

She doesn’t respond with words, but she raises her hips and grips mine, pulling me inside her.

My mouth clamps around her shoulder, muffling the moan that escapes me.

I lean up on my elbows, resting them on either side of her head. Her eyes lock on my lips. She licks hers. Then she leans up, pressing her tongue against my mouth. I open my mouth for her, reveling in the feel of her tongue against mine, tasting her own pleasure.

I pull back quickly. “Condom,” I pant. “Shit, I forgot.”

I start to pull out but she stops me. “I’m protected.”

My gaze flicks between her eyes and her lips. “Are you sure?”

She nods.

I pull back, almost all the way out, and then I slowly push back in.

Her eyes roll before they close.

I do it again.

And again.

And again.

I keep doing it until her whispers of my name turn to moans and I can no longer hold out.

And then she says it.

“I love you, Kyler.”

And I fall over the edge.

Physically.

Emotionally.

And wholeheartedly.

25

KY

I SIT ON the couch after training the next morning—phone in hand.

Madison and I spent the entire night naked and in each other’s arms. She fell asleep right away. I stayed up most of the night—lost in a sea of my own thoughts.

I was still that way when I fumbled my way through this morning’s sparring session. She’d sent me a text and told me she was at Debbie’s and would be home about an hour after I got here.

And for the first time since I met her, I’m grateful she isn’t around.

I stare at Jackson’s number, palms sweaty and heart racing at the thought of how he’ll react to what I’m about to tell him. I flake out last second and dial Christine’s number instead.

She answers, but she doesn’t speak.

“Ma?”

“I just wanted to hear you say it again,” she says, and I can actually hear the smile in her voice. “How are you, Ky?”

I sigh loudly and rest my head on the back of the couch.

“What’s wrong?” she asks.

“How do you know something’s wrong?”

“Kyler.”

I clear my throat. “I’m in love, Ma.”

“No shit.”

I laugh.

“So...what’s the problem?” she asks.

I swallow down the knot in my throat—the revelation of the truth feels like a vise surrounding my heart. “I don’t feel worthy of her, or love, in general.”

“Shut up, Ky!”

“Ma—”

“No. You listen, and you listen good. I will not let you sit there and talk nonsense, do you hear me?” Her voice is strained, like she’s holding back tears. “I will not listen to you talk about yourself like that. After everything you’ve been though, Kyler, that night when you fell through my back door, bleeding and pleading for help—I thank God every day that you chose me. That you let me help you—because Lord knows you needed help. Those people that raised you—those monsters—they’ll rot in hell for what they did—for the way they treated that poor, poor boy you used to be. How you—” She chokes on a sob but recovers quickly. “How you got out alive...I’ll never know. But fate was on your side, and on ours, and you became a blessing in all our lives. So don’t you dare—” Another sob. “Don’t you dare ever, ever,” she grinds out, “believe that you aren’t worthy of every great possibility this world has to offer. And Madison—she sees that. And she appreciates you for everything that you are. And she loves you for everything that you’ve accomplished and the man you’ve turned out to be.” She pauses to take a few calming breaths. “Don’t live in the past, Kyler, dream about the future. You and Madison—you can have a future. You can have it all.”