Boss Me (Private Listing #3)

I meet his green eyes, feeling so many things. Yes, that was about release, but it was also about surrendering to the way this man makes me feel. He protects me and comforts me. He’s mine and I’m his.

The look in his eyes makes my insides buzz a little. It’s filled with tenderness and desire.

His fingers trail over my breast, and little shudders trickle down me. I’ve been falling for Blake forever it feels like, but right now, it feels like maybe he’s falling for me too. And for me, that’s enough. “Thank you.”

“Anytime, love.”

I’ll definitely take him up on that offer for as long as I can.

Chapter 80

Coffee Break

Blake

“Can you tell me something about you?” Madison asks. We’re lying side by side, head to toe. Both of our breathing is still ragged as we come down from our orgasms.

I slide my boxers the rest of the way off and shift back to the head of the bed. Arranging the blankets, I cover both of us before I draw her back against my front. She snuggles into me as I wrap my arms around her, holding her close.

I’m glad I have her in my arms tonight. Safe. The stalker didn’t come near her today, but who knows what kind of access he has? Or when he’ll make his next move?

Fuck. I concentrate on the woman in my arms.

“What do you want to know?” I’m not exactly an open book, but I’ve also never had a lover want more than what I can give her in bed. I’ve never had someone like Madison in my life. My chest aches when she hurts.

“Tell me about your scar.” Her fingers link with mine as she relaxes into me even more. Her words are a little sleepy. Will she even stay awake to hear the whole story?

“In college I tried my own thing. Tried to be with people besides the guys.” I glance down at Madison’s face. “Are you asleep?”

“No, just resting my eyes,” she murmurs and turns in my arms. “Please tell me.”

Her head rests on my shoulder as her arm and leg drape over me, holding me close. Fitting like a missing puzzle piece. I stroke my hand down her back. She’s so lovely.

“I tried out for the rowing team. Intramural. The university’s team is one of the top in the country, so that’d never happen for a novice like me.” I pause, and she trails her hand along my side. “We got up at a ridiculous time every morning to hit the water. For months, we practiced for our first competition.”

“Mmm. What happened?” She yawns.

“Everything was going great. We were actually doing well, but a guy in another scull made an error, and they ended up colliding with us. Our scull capsized and we all fell overboard. My head hit the edge of the scull, knocking me out. I sank like a fucking stone and sliced my shoulder on the rocks of the riverbed. The pain snapped me awake. I swam to the surface.” I lift her hand and guide it through my hair to find the scar left behind.

“That had to be terrifying.” Her fingers trace over it like she’s trying to memorize and heal it.

“It was. But not as terrifying as Seth when he met me at the hospital. The cut was deep and needed stitches.”

In college, it made sense to have Seth as our emergency contact. I don’t think we even had a discussion about it. It just seemed right. He knows what to do in a crisis and keeps a level head. But this time he was rattled.

She trails her fingers down to the ridge on my shoulder. “He was scared?”

“When he got called, they wouldn’t tell him what happened on the phone. He thought I’d died. He made me swear I wouldn’t do anything that stupid again. Even though none of it was my fault, he said I should have known better than to go out for an intramural sport.”

“Why?” She lifts her head, resting it on my chest to meet my eyes. Curiosity burns in hers.

“Because when you play with professionals, they’re professionals. When you play with novices trying to be professionals, you get stitches.” The words Seth said that day stayed with me. It’s easy to recite them back to her now. I brush her hair back out of her face and draw in a breath. “He didn’t want me to get hurt because he’d always had a future planned that included all of us. Without any one of us, Morrigan Technology Group might have failed or would have had unnecessary growing pains. We’re better together as a unit. We could’ve had careers of our own, but somehow, when we work together things shine.”

She gives me a sloppy, tired grin. “I agree. I like you all together and separately.”

I chuckle as she returns to resting her head on my chest. “We like you with us.”

She snuggles against me. No woman has held me the way she does. As if I’m her lifeline. Her anchor in the storm.