Before I could even finish the sentence Maddox was already on his way back to the rooms. I walked over to the front door and started to open it, when realization smacked me right across the face.

What was I going to do?

Chapter 7.

"Sweetheart, we're here. It's time to wake up." Maddox nudged me again and I started to open my eyes and noticed how bright it was outside. I closed my eyes again and started to yawn. I couldn't believe how tired I was, but d.a.m.n, that hour nap felt so good. I slowly opened my eyes again and wiped them. I yawned again and then looked up at Maddox who was smiling down at me.

"Oh Maddox, I'm sorry I fell asleep. I guess I was just really tired." I sat up in my seat and pulled down the visor to check and make sure that my mascara wasn't running down my face or that I didn't have eye crusties in the corners of my eyes. Or worse, dried spit running down my mouth.

Oh thank G.o.d, I looked somewhat normal.

I let out a big puff of air and pulled my eyelash curler out of my purse to recurl my eyelashes. Sure, Maddox had come into my room in the morning to wake me up. He'd seen the bird's nest that I call hair hanging down my shoulders, the dried toothpaste on the center of my mouth and the little burps I make after drinking soda or beer. But I was his girlfriend now and girlfriends don't sweat, burp, fart, or p.o.o.p. We look perfect all the time. And if we did p.o.o.p, it would be glitter or b.u.t.terflies to make it more feminine.

After I put the visor back up I saw Maddox was staring at me with a huge smile on face. I started to laugh at him. The way he was always staring made me think that I'd cast a spell on him or something. Was I a witch or something? Could I cast spells? G.o.d, if I could cast spells I would definitely help out the poor guy who I saw the first day walking into cla.s.ses. I would totally use my powers for good. Pure, honest good.

I put my hands on his shoulders and started to shake him. "Maddox, what are you staring at me for now?" He smiled again and those d.a.m.n dimples were up front and center just instigating the s.h.i.t out of me. G.o.d, what I wouldn't give to be at our apartment alone for thirty minutes. No, an hour. I started to blush and Maddox had a smirk on his face. "What exactly is going through that beautiful head of yours, sweetheart?"

I tried to cool off a bit before I answered, "Oh, if you only knew." Maddox winked at me and stepped back as I was getting out of the car. I turned around to close the door and when I started to turn back around Maddox had his hands on my hips pushing me up against the car. I wrapped my arms and legs around him.

Before I could say anything Maddox's mouth was on mine and his tongue was swirling around with mine. I instantly took a hold of the back of his head and ran my fingers through his soft brown hair. I heard him moan and my stomach went crazy. It completely turned me on when he made noises like that because of me. And it only made me more determined.

I started to put my hands under his shirt and just like that he put me on the ground and stepped away from me. I felt like someone stole my air. I looked down at my hands and then looked at Maddox and noticed that he was breathing really heavily. He put his hands in his front pockets and looked me in the eyes. "Will that hold you for a short while, sweetheart?" He had no idea how much he turned me on. And it actually started to p.i.s.s me off because like every other girl out there I started having an argument with myself in my head. I was thinking I wasn't good enough. That there was someone else better out there. That he could so much better than me. That I wasn't worth it. And then of course those thoughts only led my mind to places that I didn't want to go, my mother.

You are nothing. You will never be anything.

I shook my head and swiped my fingers through my hair. I was about to tell Maddox that maybe this whole weekend was a mistake. However, when I looked up into his eyes my mind quickly changed because the look in his eyes was pure hunger. Instantaneously, I bit my lip and put my hands on my hips. His eyes narrowed in on my mouth and I let go of my bottom lip and ran my tongue across where my teeth just were. I could see Maddox breathing even heavier than before and then he looked up into my eyes. It looked like he was about to blow right then and there and that only made me even more determined.

I shook my head back and forth, never taking my eyes off his. "Not even close Maddox. I don't think you really have any clue just how much I want you." A smile started to creep up onto his face and within a second Maddox was standing over me. I thought he was going to kiss me, long and hard. Just like another part of his anatomy. But what he did was so much better. He grabbed my hand and put it onto his crotch.

Holy f.u.c.kb.a.l.l.s!

He looked down at my mouth and saw that it'd fallen open and laughed. "I think I have a pretty good idea, sweetheart. In fact, a very good idea." I was still stunned speechless when Maddox kissed the corner of my mouth and swatted my behind. "Now let's get all of the bags out of the trunk and go meet my family. Ok?"

I couldn't form words so I just nodded which only made Maddox laugh at me more. He kissed my forehead and said, "Alright, let's go." I walked to the back of the car with him and grabbed my bag. After closing the trunk we started to walk over to his house and I stopped in my tracks.

This wasn't just a house, it was a home. There were cars in the driveway and a basketball hoop standing by the garage. There were also toys scattered all over the yard ranging from pom-poms to bicycles. There were wildflowers planted everywhere and the house looked like it came out of a fairytale book. There were weeping willows all over the place and a pool in the backyard. The house reminded me of a cottage, a very huge cottage. They had a few acres of land and the house was very secluded.

Maddox broke me from my thoughts and placed a hand on my lower back. "Ready?"

I gulped a few times, shook my head and looked at him. "Yeah?" But for how much is what I couldn't answer yet.

We started walking up the driveway and I tripped over a huge bone. Maddox dropped his bags and caught me. I had my arms wrapped around his neck and he dipped me and winked at me. Maddox was about to bring me back up, when his family came out and his mom laughed and said, "Well, don't just stare at her. Kiss her, Maddox."

I started to blush and Maddox winked at me. "I have to listen to my mom." With that his lips were on mine. I got so carried away with the kiss that I slipped my tongue in his mouth and heard him moan. I giggled and he brought me back up. I started to grab my bag when he turned me around to hug me and said, "Behave sweetheart. You are really tempting me right now."

Laughter came from within me and I turned to him. "Well, it's about d.a.m.n time munchkin." I winked at him, grabbed my suitcase, and started walking over to meet his family.

I put my hand out to introduce myself to his mom and dad when I saw that they had a weird look on their faces. I turned to look at Maddox and saw that he wasn't standing next to me. I turned around and he was back where I left him. I laughed and winked at him again.

Point for me!

He shook his head and walked over to the three of us. "Mom, Dad. This is Isabelle Clark." Again I put my hand out and said, "It's nice to meet you both, Mr. and Mrs. Maddox." They looked between themselves and started to giggle. His mom pulled me into a hug and I dropped my suitcase. "Oh honey, please. Call me Sharon and this here is Todd. Ok?" After she let go of me Todd gave me a quick hug.

Maddox put his arm around me and I said, "It's nice to meet you, Sharon and Todd. Thanks so much for having me for Thanksgiving. I really appreciate it." I could feel Maddox's eyes and looked at him and smiled. I looked back at Todd and Sharon and saw that Sharon's eyes were twinkling with excitement. "Oh honey, it's not a problem at all. We're really pleased you accepted the offer. I just feel bad that you're not with your family for Thanksgiving."

That instantly took the smile off my face and I didn't know what to say. At that moment Maddox said, "How about we go on inside? I want to show Isabelle where she's staying and she's a little exhausted from the drive here."

Sharon smiled again and said, "Yes, absolutely." She grabbed my hand and started to drag me into the house. Todd laughed and patted Maddox on the back. Before Sharon and I were inside I heard Todd say, "Well done. You found yourself a good one, I can tell." I wish I'd heard what Maddox said but the door had already closed behind us.

I took a second to take off my shoes and then just stared. The house was so beautiful. It was an open floor plan like our apartment. The kitchen was huge with every gadget you could think of. It had pots and pans hanging from the wall and cookies were spread out all over the island. d.a.m.n, the house smelled amazing, like sugar and spice...and everything nice.

The living room was right across from the kitchen with big comfy couches. They were facing a fireplace and above the fireplace was a huge flat screen television. The dining room was through a corridor with a brown table and eight chairs. There was fine china in gla.s.s cabinets and I saw senior pictures of Maddox and his two sisters, Sadie and Callie. In the corner of the living room was a shrine filled with pictures of the kids at all different ages and trophies from baseball, cheerleading, and soccer.

I turned to look at Sharon and told her how beautiful I thought the house was and how comfortable I felt being in it. Her exact response was, "I'm an interior decorator, so it should be gorgeous. I was going for homey because just like you said I want people to feel comfortable. I want them to put their feet up and relax. But I almost killed Maddox the one time when he came home from baseball practice when he was younger and put his muddy shoes all over the sofa and he said, *But mom you said you wanted people to put their feet up and relax?' He said it with such sincerity I just laughed and gave him a kiss on the forehead. That little boy could do no wrong; he just melted my heart. Of course Todd was angry because he had to scrub and scrub some more to get all the mud off the couch. But by the time it wasn't visible I decided to redecorate the whole first level of the house."

I started to laugh but then I heard scuffling sounds coming our way. I saw a huge shadow and then a bear of a dog appeared in front of us. He looked Iike he could eat me for a snack. Sharon saw my eyes get huge and chuckled. She pulled a treat out of her pocket and said, "Give Rufus this and he'll be your best friend."

I was still nervous but I felt a little safer when Sharon leaned down next to me to see Rufus. I held the cookie in the palm of my hand and as Rufus walked towards us my heart beat faster and faster. He stopped right in front of me and I saw s...o...b..r coming from his mouth. Before I knew it he took the cookie out of my hand and scarfed it down. He looked at me again and I thought he was going to kill me but he licked my hand for extra crumbs. I started to giggle because his whiskers really tickled my palm.

Sharon sat and smiled. "He likes you." Rufus walked up closer to me and licked the side of my face, which only made me giggle more. I kissed him on the top of the head and started petting his fur. Without turning around to look at Sharon I said, "I like him too. He's really sweet and so cute and cuddly." I kissed him on the head and heard Sharon say, "I wasn't talking about Rufus." I turned around to look at Sharon and saw tears forming in her eyes. I didn't know what to do and I was so relieved when I heard the door open and in walked Maddox and Todd.

Maddox winked at me which made me smile. Just being in his presence made me feel safe. Todd walked up to put an arm around Sharon and then saw she was tearing up. "Oh darling, what are you crying about now?" Todd looked at me and smiled. "You'll have to excuse my wife. She cries at just about everything, so don't mind her."

I just smiled and stood up to walk over to Maddox. Rufus nudged my leg and I looked back at him and patted him on the head one last time. Maddox picked up my bag and I followed him up the stairs to the bedrooms. I thought I was going to go in the guest room but I walked into a room filled with baseball everything. It looked like somebody literally threw up baseball. There were bats hanging on the walls, trophies in a display, and signed autographs from Jered Weaver of the Los Angeles Angels, Matt Kemp of the Los Angeles Dodgers, and Justin Verlander of the Detroit Tigers.

Maddox saw where I was looking and explained that since his dad is a pilot he befriends a lot of celebrities and gets tickets to a bunch of baseball games from all over the place. I smiled and sat down on his king size bed. I could have fallen asleep right then because it was so soft and comfortable. Maddox sat down next to me and took my hand in his. I looked at him out of the corner of my eye and said, "So this is where all the magic happens. This is where you bring all the ladies?"

I heard Maddox laugh and then he got serious. He was tracing circles on my wrist when he said, "Nope." I looked up into his eyes. "Not even Taylor?" He never stopped tracing the circles when he said, "Not even Taylor. You're the first." His confession made my heart melt and I felt warm all over.

I smiled. I don't think I have ever smiled as much as I have when I'm with Maddox. There's just something about him. I looked around the room again and stood up and turned to face him. "So where's my room?" Maddox looked around like he was contemplating something and then looked back at me. "It's right here."

I felt my heart stop and I started to freak out. "Maddox, I can't stay here. This is your parent's home and I don't want to disrespect them. I mean, I just met them and I want to make a good first impression." Maddox stood up from the bed and put his hands on my shoulders. "Sweetheart, relax. We're adults and they said it was fine. We don't have a spare room and if you really feel that uncomfortable about it then I can just sleep downstairs on one of the couches. Ok?"

I looked up into his eyes. As much as I wanted to cuddle up next to him at night and fall asleep in his arms I knew him sleeping on the couch was the best idea. "Ok. Can you sleep on the couch? I would just feel more comfortable with that."

Maddox laughed and kissed me on the forehead. "I was kind of hoping you wouldn't say that, but yes, sweetheart. Anything for you." He kissed me on the forehead again and then released me. "So are you hungry or anything? What would you like to do?"

At that exact moment I yawned and Maddox laughed. "Alright, I'll let you sleep. I'm going to go downstairs and hang out with my family. Just come down when you wake up. Ok sweetheart?"

I nodded and as he was leaving my room I heard a bunch of screaming and then, "OMG! Where is she?" Maddox turned back around and laughed. "I think that nap is going to have to wait because one of my sisters is here and by the squeal I think it's Callie."

Oh boy. No turning back now.

Chapter 8.

Maddox walked over to me and gave me a hug. "Are you ready sweetheart?" I grumbled into his chest and mumbled, "Do I really have a choice?" I could feel the vibrations of his laughter coming from his chest. "I'm going to say no to that." He gave me another quick squeeze and put me at arm's length. "I'm ready whenever you are sweetheart."

I loosened up and took a deep breath trying to psych myself up. "Bring it on."

Maddox took my hand in his and we left his room. We were at the landing, getting ready to walk down the stairs when I heard, "So what's she like?" probably coming from his sister. Then I heard his mom say, "She's beautiful and you can tell she really likes him. I don't know but I just have a feeling." I heard his sister squeal again and said, "A feeling about what?" Right then we walked into the living room and Maddox said, "That I'm the luckiest guy out there." Everybody said "Awww," and then there were three pairs of eyes on me. My face reddened and I waved with the only hand that was available since the other one was crushing Maddox's because I was so d.a.m.n nervous.

Maddox let go of my hand to pick his sister up and twirl her around. "Oh my G.o.d munchkin, I missed you so much! Did you add some new ink to your arms?" My heart warmed because she called him munchkin just like I did. Maddox put her down and kissed her on the cheek. "Yeah sis, just a few here or there. But Isabelle over here is letting me design a tattoo for her."

"When is this tattoo going to be done? It better not cover up my entire body," I said. Maddox walked over and leaned into me. His warm breath was against my ear and I had instant goose b.u.mps which made me shake. He stiffened but then shook it off and said, "Soon sweetheart. Very soon." With that he took a few steps back and his sister walked over to me.

Her eyes got huge and she had a big smile on her face when she walked up to me to introduce herself. "Hi, I'm Callie." She was so pretty. Like Maddox she had big brown eyes and brown hair, but that's where the comparisons stopped. She was really tiny and pet.i.te like Sharon. I could tell just by how she talked that she was a cheerleader. I put my hand out to shake hers, but she giggled and turned to Maddox. "Munchkin, she's adorable."

With that she turned back to me and wrapped me in her arms. What was with these people giving hugs? It was as if Maddox could read my mind because he put an arm around me and said, "We're a hugging type of family." Sharon broke the silence. "Come on everybody, let's sit down in the living room. I've made sandwiches and there are a ton of cookies. So you guys better eat them all up." We walked into the living room and sat down on the couches. Maddox pulled me closer to him and put an arm around me. "Mom makes the best peanut b.u.t.ter cookies ever. You definitely have to try one or five."

Sharon handed out drinks and after everybody got comfortable Callie asked, "So how'd you two meet?"

Maddox laughed and said, "Well, I kind of ran into her. Literally." Callie, Sharon, and Todd just started laughing at that. I was looking at Maddox smiling at the memory when I heard, "So how'd you guys end up living together?" I couldn't tell who said it; Sharon or Callie because I was too caught up in checking Maddox out. Maddox laughed and looked at me like he knew what I was doing. I blushed and looked at his family who were waiting for an answer.

I told them how my financial aid didn't cover all of my room and board and how Maddox offered me his extra room. Callie laughed and said, "That sounds like Maddox. He's always trying to save things." Sharon and Todd laughed with her but it felt like my stomach dropped.

Was that what Maddox was doing? Trying to save me. Did he even like me?

I felt hurt and broke Maddox's grip on me and picked up the gla.s.s of iced water to take a sip. I sat back down on the couch but I made a little bit of room between me and Maddox. He looked at me and he looked really hurt. Good, I was hurt too. I didn't need saving and I wasn't a project for him to do.

I looked back to the rest of his family and saw that Callie, Sharon, and Todd were laughing. They had clearly missed everything. Sharon was holding a family photo alb.u.m and walked over to show me a bunch of pictures of Maddox as a little boy. She told me how he would take in stray animals and how he would help wounded birds. As he got older he volunteered at homeless shelters and visited retirement homes. I looked at the pictures and smiled, but then I remembered that he was trying to save me and my smile fell.

After seeing a few more pictures we went out to the kitchen to load up on dinner. Sharon didn't feel like cooking since tomorrow was Thanksgiving so there were a huge array of sandwiches, chips and salsa and cans of soda and a pitcher of iced tea. Returning to the living room, we watched a movie while we ate. I started to nod off halfway through the movie and excused myself to go upstairs. I was halfway up the stairs when I heard Callie say, "I really like her. There's just something about her."

I walked into Maddox's room and was about to close the door when Maddox pushed it open. I just huffed out a breath and walked over to the bed and sat down. Maddox was still standing in the doorway with his arms crossed against his chest. "You want to explain to me what that was all about downstairs?"

I looked down at my hands. "I'm not a project and I'm not a charity case. I don't need saving." Maddox kicked off the door and walked towards me. He knelt down in front of me and put a hand on each side of my face and forced me to look at him. "I know you're not a project or a charity case. I know you don't need saving... "

I could tell he wanted to say something else. "But... "

He took a breath and said, "But I can tell that somebody has crushed your spirits and I'm just trying to show you in any way I can that I want to prove them wrong. I want to prove you wrong that not everybody is like that. I just wish that you trusted me enough to let me in. That's all I'm asking and I can see how much it has affected you. I just want you to know that whenever you're ready I'll be there. Waiting."

I didn't know what to do, so I did what I do best. I started to cry. Maddox pulled away from me. I thought he was going to leave me. Finally he would realize that I'm not good enough for him. But he did the exact opposite. He picked me and laid me down on the bed. I was facing him when he lay down next to me and pulled me closer. I grabbed a hold of him and just cried into his shirt. He rubbed my back and spoke calming words to me the entire time.

I don't remember falling asleep but I felt the bed dip and then Maddox started to walk away. I sat up and asked him where he was going.

"I'm just going to get the couch ready, but I'll be back to say good night." I smiled and nodded in understanding. After he closed the door I went over to my bag and changed into a pair of cotton shorts and a tank top. There was a bathroom in Maddox's room so I washed my face and brushed my teeth. After turning off all of the lights I went back over to the bed and wrapped myself in the soft blue blanket.

I was just about to fall asleep when I heard a knock as the door opened. I sat up and saw Maddox standing there in just a pair of boxer shorts. He smiled at me and walked over to my side of the bed. He gave me a quick kiss on the cheek. He said, "Goodnight sweetheart," and was just about to close the door.

I sat up. "Wait. Maddox?"

Maddox looked back at me curiously.

"Will you stay with me? Please?"

Maddox smiled and nodded. He walked back into the room and closed the door behind him. He turned back to face me and for a few seconds he was just looking at me. He walked back over to the bed and laid down facing me. I turned on my side and for a while we just looked at one another in complete silence. The only sounds were us breathing in and out.

He started to rub up and down my arm and I got instant goose b.u.mps from his touch. I didn't know how to say it so I just blurted it out. "My mom."

He stopped rubbing my arm. "What sweetheart?"

I looked into his eyes and explained everything. "My mom, Cynthia. When she found out she was pregnant with me my dad left. For as long as I can remember she has been putting me down. Saying I was a mistake. I wasn't worth it. I was nothing. n.o.body would ever love me. She didn't, so why would anyone else." I could feel tears running down my face. I was so ashamed that I was telling Maddox this but then I looked up and I saw tears coming down his face too.

He pulled me closer to him. "Sweetheart, your mom is f.u.c.king stupid. If she really thinks those things then she is crazy. You are an amazing person both inside and out and don't you ever, I mean ever, forget it. Please, promise me that."

He kissed me on the lips and that's exactly what I'd needed. I wrapped my arms around him and deepened the kiss. I heard him moan and I knew it was over. I wrapped a leg around him to pull him closer to me. This is what I needed. I needed to just forget everything.

Maddox pulled back from me. "Sweetheart, we can't." His voice broke at the end and I knew it wouldn't take long to convince him that this is exactly what I needed. I kissed him again. "Maddox please. We don't have to have s.e.x but I just need you close to me. Please, I'm begging you."

Maddox let out a breath he was holding and then he was on top of me. He kissed me with such ferocity that I lost it. I wrapped my legs around him to pull him even closer and rubbed my arms up and down his muscled back. He moved a hand up my shirt and then his hand was caressing my nipple. He was pinching and pulling. G.o.d, it felt amazing. He pulled back from me and sat back on his knees. I propped myself on my elbows and looked at him. "Maddox?"

He looked at me and a tear fell down his face. I sat up and wiped it away. "Maddox, what's wrong?"

Maddox looked at me and just started sobbing. "I just, I just want to help you forget. But you're going to have to bear with me. Ok sweetheart?" I nodded in understanding and sat there waiting for him to continue. He put his hands at the bottom of my tank top and started to pull it up and over my head. I got gooseb.u.mps and I started to tremble.

This was the first time a man had seen me topless. Maddox looked at me and sighed. "You're beautiful. So d.a.m.n beautiful." He leaned into me and kissed me while pushing me back onto the bed. One of his hands was cupping my face while the other was pinching and twisting each of my nipples. I started to moan into his mouth and then his hand lowered to my shorts. I could feel his hand shaking with nervousness.

He put his forehead to mine and opened his eyes to look at me. "Sweetheart?"

I was too nervous and too excited all at the same time to see where this was going that I just nodded yes. Maddox sat back on his knees again and pulled my shorts and panties off. He dropped my clothing onto the floor by the bed, never taking his eyes off me.

I was lying completely naked in front of this beautiful man. I thought the first time being naked in front of someone I would try to cover up, but not with Maddox. Even though I was so vulnerable I felt safe with him. Completely and utterly safe.

He leaned back into me and kissed my stomach and then swirled his tongue in and out of my belly b.u.t.ton. I moaned in appreciation and wrapped my hands in his hair pulling him closer to me. He kissed his way up and left a trail of kisses behind. He stopped at one nipple and looked into my eyes. I pulled my lower lip into my mouth waiting in antic.i.p.ation. The second he saw that his eyes turned l.u.s.tful.

Without taking his eyes off me, he pulled my nipple into his mouth and started sucking. He pinched and pulled at the other and I was going wild. It was crazy what his mouth could do to me. I thought I was going to finish right there, but then I heard a loud pop and he went to my other nipple. I moaned a little bit louder and I heard Maddox laugh. He moved up so he was looking me in the eyes. He wiped a stray hair from my face and said, "Sweetheart, as much as I want to hear you scream my name when you come you're going to have to keep it down. Ok?"

I had no words, so again I just nodded. He kissed me on the forehead and then his lips were on mine and his tongue was in my mouth. One of his hands was on my nipple and the other started moving down my body. The second his finger touched me there I thought it was my undoing. Not once did his mouth leave mine. He grazed his hand up my inner thigh and I pulled my legs as far apart as they would go and wrapped them around his body.

I couldn't believe he was going to touch me down there. I felt one of his fingers enter me and then I heard him groan. Like really loud. "f.u.c.k sweetheart, you're so wet." I just giggled and then bit down on his lower lip and sucked it into my mouth. After letting go I said, "As much as I want to hear you groan you're going to have to keep it down, munchkin." He looked back at me and an evil, s.e.xy grin came across his face. "If that's how you want to play sweetheart." He kissed me once more on the lips and started to move down my body.

Before I could even comprehend what he was doing I felt his tongue lick me.