“Especially for my outfit.”
Nick grinned. “Come here, love.”
Maddie bounced over to him, jumping onto the bed and landing next to him. “Are you going to let me sit on your throne?” She arched her eyebrow suggestively.
Nick barked out a coarse laugh, grabbing her around the waist and rolling on top of her. He kissed her lightly at first, deepening the exchange when he felt her body melt against his. After a few minutes of making out, he pulled back and brushed her hair away from her face so he could study it.
Her heart was pounding and she was flushed with excitement. In this exact moment, Nick had everything he’d ever wanted and he realized he’d never been happier. “I love you, Maddie.”
“I love you, too,” Maddie said. “Now … come on … worship me.”
Nick grinned.
“Yes, your highness.”
“ARE you sure I look okay in this dress?” Maddie smoothed the front of the floral frock down nervously.
“You look like every dream I’ve ever had about you, Maddie,” Nick said, pressing his hand to the small of her back and prodding her down the stairs. Everyone was supposed to meet in one of the libraries for drinks before dinner, and Maddie was understandably nervous. Nick spent almost an hour trying to calm her. To him, she looked better than okay. Her long legs, tanned from hours under the sun, practically gleamed under the short dress, and her shoulders – which were one of his favorite things about her – were also on display.
In the back of his head, Nick knew it was wrong to parade Maddie around like she was a trophy. She was beautiful, though, and he was always proud to have her on his arm. Tonight was no exception. In fact, tonight she looked like something otherworldly, her blonde hair falling past her shoulders in honey-colored waves as the dress set off her blue eyes.
“I think the dress is too short,” Maddie said.
“That dress makes your legs look a mile long,” Nick said. “I love it. I’m going to buy Christy a house I love that dress so much.”
Maddie pursed her lips, fighting the urge to laugh, and then gave in. “I think you’re just a smooth talker when you want to be.”
“I think so, too,” Nick said. He gave her a short kiss. “Will you do me a favor?”
Maddie waited.
“Please try to relax,” he said. “For me. I’ll be right here. I’m sure people are going to ask some uncomfortable questions about why you left. They’re going to ask how we got together. You don’t have to answer them.
“Remember, Christy is going to be here,” he continued. “If you just tell people to buzz off, they’ll do it. They think they’re joking. They don’t understand that this is a touchier subject for us. They honestly don’t. There’s no one here that’s going to purposely try to upset you.”
“I know,” Maddie said. “I’ll agree to relax if you agree to do something for me.”
Now it was Nick’s turn to wait.
“Don’t step over everyone and try to protect me,” Maddie said. “It will be okay. If I need you, you’ll know it. I want to have fun this weekend. You don’t have to constantly be on alert to make sure I’m okay.
“As long as I have you, I’m always going to be okay,” she said.
“You’re always going to be okay then,” Nick said. “There’s nothing in this world you can do to shake me.”
“Not even if I make a royal decree that you have to spend the weekend naked?” Maddie teased.
“Not even,” Nick said, cupping the back of her head and kissing her deeply.
Maddie reached up and wiped the tinted gloss from his lips. “Okay. Let’s do this. Do you know where this library is?”
Nick tilted his head to the side, listening. The sound of happy revelers wafted to their spot at the bottom of the staircase, and Nick slipped his hand around Maddie’s and started to pull her in the direction of the voices.
“I’m kind of excited about dinner,” he said. “I haven’t eaten since breakfast. I was going to
Nick grinned. “Come here, love.”
Maddie bounced over to him, jumping onto the bed and landing next to him. “Are you going to let me sit on your throne?” She arched her eyebrow suggestively.
Nick barked out a coarse laugh, grabbing her around the waist and rolling on top of her. He kissed her lightly at first, deepening the exchange when he felt her body melt against his. After a few minutes of making out, he pulled back and brushed her hair away from her face so he could study it.
Her heart was pounding and she was flushed with excitement. In this exact moment, Nick had everything he’d ever wanted and he realized he’d never been happier. “I love you, Maddie.”
“I love you, too,” Maddie said. “Now … come on … worship me.”
Nick grinned.
“Yes, your highness.”
“ARE you sure I look okay in this dress?” Maddie smoothed the front of the floral frock down nervously.
“You look like every dream I’ve ever had about you, Maddie,” Nick said, pressing his hand to the small of her back and prodding her down the stairs. Everyone was supposed to meet in one of the libraries for drinks before dinner, and Maddie was understandably nervous. Nick spent almost an hour trying to calm her. To him, she looked better than okay. Her long legs, tanned from hours under the sun, practically gleamed under the short dress, and her shoulders – which were one of his favorite things about her – were also on display.
In the back of his head, Nick knew it was wrong to parade Maddie around like she was a trophy. She was beautiful, though, and he was always proud to have her on his arm. Tonight was no exception. In fact, tonight she looked like something otherworldly, her blonde hair falling past her shoulders in honey-colored waves as the dress set off her blue eyes.
“I think the dress is too short,” Maddie said.
“That dress makes your legs look a mile long,” Nick said. “I love it. I’m going to buy Christy a house I love that dress so much.”
Maddie pursed her lips, fighting the urge to laugh, and then gave in. “I think you’re just a smooth talker when you want to be.”
“I think so, too,” Nick said. He gave her a short kiss. “Will you do me a favor?”
Maddie waited.
“Please try to relax,” he said. “For me. I’ll be right here. I’m sure people are going to ask some uncomfortable questions about why you left. They’re going to ask how we got together. You don’t have to answer them.
“Remember, Christy is going to be here,” he continued. “If you just tell people to buzz off, they’ll do it. They think they’re joking. They don’t understand that this is a touchier subject for us. They honestly don’t. There’s no one here that’s going to purposely try to upset you.”
“I know,” Maddie said. “I’ll agree to relax if you agree to do something for me.”
Now it was Nick’s turn to wait.
“Don’t step over everyone and try to protect me,” Maddie said. “It will be okay. If I need you, you’ll know it. I want to have fun this weekend. You don’t have to constantly be on alert to make sure I’m okay.
“As long as I have you, I’m always going to be okay,” she said.
“You’re always going to be okay then,” Nick said. “There’s nothing in this world you can do to shake me.”
“Not even if I make a royal decree that you have to spend the weekend naked?” Maddie teased.
“Not even,” Nick said, cupping the back of her head and kissing her deeply.
Maddie reached up and wiped the tinted gloss from his lips. “Okay. Let’s do this. Do you know where this library is?”
Nick tilted his head to the side, listening. The sound of happy revelers wafted to their spot at the bottom of the staircase, and Nick slipped his hand around Maddie’s and started to pull her in the direction of the voices.
“I’m kind of excited about dinner,” he said. “I haven’t eaten since breakfast. I was going to
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