He swallows the moan that escapes her mouth, working his pants down to his ankles in one sweep. Madison has her jeans undone and, on the floorboard, before he can blink. He wasn’t sure how she’d managed that with the steering wheel at her back.

  She grips his thick erection, sliding it along her folds a couple of times before sinking down onto him. His head rolls back on the seat and he closes his eyes. If he moves, he’ll lose control and it would be over before it even begins.

  Madison slowly pulls up and lowers herself back down, a continuous torture of pleasure. Her breathing becomes labored and when her legs begin to shake, Shayne takes over.

  He grips her hips and thrusts deep, setting a steady rhythm. He was close, but there was no way he was going first. Shayne grazes his thumb over her clit and her nails dig into his shoulders as a loud moan escapes.

  “That’s it, princess. Let go.” He captures her lips again, continuing to thrust into her. When her inner walls begin to quiver, and her legs lock higher on his hips, he thrusts deep one more time, following right behind her.

  Madison lays her forehead against his, her eyes still closed. “Jesus, you’re going to be the death of me, city boy.”

  Shayne smirks and helps her back into her own seat, handing over her jeans. “Don’t go dying on me, princess. How will I survive horseback riding without you?”

  When the smile drops off her face and tears form in her eyes, he knows he fucked up. “Madison, that’s not what I mean. You know it isn’t. I’m sorry.”

  She nods, wiping at her face and looking away. “Madison, look at me.” She slowly turns her head, a few tears still sticking to her eyelashes. “That was insensitive of me, and I’m sorry. Nothing that happened was your fault, princess. And I’m going to do everything I can to show you that.”

  Shayne sees doubt in her eyes and knows there’s nothing he can do at that moment to fix it. He pulls the car back onto the main road and grasps Madison’s hand the rest of the drive. She hasn’t protested or pulled away like she normally does. Shayne liked it. Probably a little too much.

  *****

  Shayne has been watching Madison for the past few minutes as she rides one of the horses around the field. She hasn’t forced him onto one, yet, and he hoped she didn’t. The light shining from her eyes was something to behold, and he knew this was the perfect idea for today.

  Tonight, he would treat her to dinner and try to work out the alcohol problem. He knew that one might be a bit harder than the horses, though.

  “Come on, city boy, it’s your turn.” Madison’s voice pulls him from his thoughts. She stops in front of him, climbing down and offering him her hand.

  He takes it and swallows. Shayne was sweating, and it wasn’t too hot today. He didn’t want to make a fool of himself, but he knew she would win the argument about him riding. Instead of starting that fight, he listens intently as she explains how to get up onto the horse. After he settles on the saddle, she grabs the rope and begins to walk with the horse. Shayne has never been so scared shitless in his life, but this was one of those moments.

  “Alright, scoot back some. I’m coming up there with you, city boy.”

  He nods and does as she says, barely letting go of the rope, afraid of falling. Madison settles between his legs, her ass hitting just the right spot that makes him groan.

  “Careful, princess, or this entire farm will get a show,” he growls in her ear.

  Madison shoots a smirk over her shoulder, taking the ropes from him and making the horse move. It was no longer a slow pace, but a steady jog out of the fence and onto the paths behind the property. Shayne hoped she knew what she was doing because he was helpless.

  When they stop at the end of the property line, Shayne is confused. “Why did you stop?”

  Madison points out in front of them. “Because you’ve never got to experience the view of anything but the city. Look.”

  Shayne shields the sun from his eyes and they widen in shock. “This is amazing, princess.”

  Madison turns herself in the saddle, causing his yes to stare into hers. “Now that I’ve got you alone a minute, I have a surprise for you, too.” She grows quiet and he waits. “The roof of your aunt’s property should be finished in a few days.”

  “What… How did you… I don’t even know what to say right now.”

  “You’ve been struggling with the roof for weeks, Shayne. Thankfully, I’ve been friends with the Stone brothers since diapers, and they agreed to do it for free.” She stops, suddenly frowning, doubt creeping into her features again.

  “Don’t do that, Madison. Do not doubt what you did for me.” He grabs her face and kisses her. Leaning his forehead against hers, he whispers against her lips. “Thank you, princess. No one’s done something like that before.”

  Shayne nudges the memories to the back of his mind. They had no place while he was with Madison. Sure, he would deal with them later, but not right now. She senses the change in him, like she always does, and grips his hand. Shayne thought she knew him better than he knew himself sometimes. Over the past few months, they had spent more time together than he had spent with any other woman except his mother.

  “Talk to me, Shayne. There are random times when you get this faraway look in your eyes, and you aren’t here with me. What’s going on?”

  He wraps his arms around her waist, inhaling the scent of her shampoo. “You’re the only person I have anymore. I mean, I have business partners, employees, an entire board of directors that look up to me. But none of them, and I mean none, have done anything for me that has meant something. You’ve done that, Madison. More than once. More than you realize.”

  Her breaths are coming in pants and Shayne tightens his hold on her. “Thank you, princess. Truly.”

  Madison nods, and they head back toward the farm. It had been a long morning and he needed sustenance if he was going to have the talk he wanted to with her. Doubt begins to creep into his head, though. He knew the conversation wasn’t going to go over well, but he had to try. Madison needed help, and once he left, she wasn’t going to be able to use him as a crutch.

  Chapter Thirteen

  They made it home in less time than it had taken to get to the farm. That probably had something to do with their detour for a few minutes, but Madison didn’t ponder it too far. Today had been amazing, and just what she needed. Even if she didn’t know that when Shayne had told her what they were doing.

  She knew that something was going on in Shayne’s head, though. He was distant and quiet the entire ride back to her apartment, barely glancing at her, and only responding if it was necessary. Madison wasn’t sure what could’ve gone wrong.

  She was sitting at the table in the kitchen, spinning the water bottle between her hands when Shayne walks in.

  “Madison, can we talk for a minute?” His eyes are doubtful, and she wonders what is causing the tension to ripple through his body.

  “Sit down, Shayne. Standing there just makes me nervous. What’s going on? And don’t throw me your normal bullshit spiel.”

  A small smile tugs his lips at the corners, but he quickly masks it. “The day we met, the night I brought you home. That seemed to be something you did often. Then when you didn’t go back to the bar, I thought it had just been the one night. But you’ve bought liquor every day since then. For three months.”

  Madison drops her head on the table, closing her eyes. She didn’t think he had noticed the hangovers, the dark circles under her eyes. She had hoped he’d overlooked the alcohol, too, but she should’ve known better. He was observant. And right now, he looked concerned.

  “When I stayed, you said I helped you forget. I know it’s the guilt you’re still carrying about Lacey. But, Madison, you can’t keep using me as a crutch. I won’t be here forever. Let me get you help. Please.”

  Madison’s anger simmers to the surface and she lashes out at him. “How dare you! I don’t need help, Shayne, and I sure as hell haven’t been using you as a crutch. Get out!”

  Shayne frowns, but puts his hands up in surrender and walks to her front door. “I wasn’t trying to offend you, Madison. I’d feel better when I left, knowing you weren’t drinking yourself to death.”

  When the door closes behind him, she slips down behind it and sobs. His last statement floats through her mind. “I’d feel better when I left, knowing you weren’t drinking yourself to death.” She wanted to tell him he shouldn’t leave then, but she couldn’t say it. Her pride wouldn’t let her. No one, not even her parents, had ever said anything about her drinking. They knew, but they didn’t want to involve themselves in something that was none of their concern.

  Shayne was right, though. She was using him as a crutch. He had made her feel safe since he got here. She felt whole when he was around. It was at night when she paced the apartment by herself and the thoughts broke through the barrier she had built all day. Like they were doing now.

  She pulls herself off the floor and grabs her keys from the counter. Shayne wasn’t going to tell her what she should do. She drives to the bar, thoughts swirling around her head that she just wants to get rid of. Madison knew that drinking when her mind was in a bad place wasn’t a promising idea, but Shayne had pushed her here this time. This night was on him.

  *****

  “You got someone who can help you home, sweetheart?” Chad had been the old bartender before she was old enough to drink. She knew he was only looking out for her, even with their small-town, but she couldn’t stop the scowl from taking over her features.

  “I’m fine, Chad. I can get myself home.” Madison didn’t believe any bit of what she just said, but he didn’t need to know that. It was inching closer to last call and she hadn’t stopped throwing back shots all night while she sipped her beer. Chad knew better than to cut her off, too, which only made this worse.

  “I’m about to call it, sweetheart, so if you’re going, you may want to head out. You sure you can get yourself home okay?”

  Madison gets up from the stool and the room spins around her. She plops back onto it and closes her eyes to right her vision. Maybe she did need help home. “I’ve got someone I can call. But I don’t know if he’ll answer.”

  Pulling out her phone, she dials Shayne. It rings three times before some shuffling comes over the speaker. “Madison, are you okay?” His voice sounds like he had been sleeping, and she felt bad for waking him. “Princess, what’s going on?”

  Madison did her best to talk normal, but it was a challenge to even get a full word out. “S-Shayne, can you come get me from the bar? I can’t get home by myself.”

  A louder shuffle sounds through the phone. “Don’t move, Madison. I’ll be right there.”

  The line disconnects, and she lays her head on the bar. “You got someone to take you home?”

  She gives Chad a thumbs up without lifting her head. The room hadn’t stopped spinning once she sat down, and her stomach was queasy. She must have passed out briefly because the next minute, Shayne’s shaking her awake and helping her off the stool.

  “Come on, princess. I’ll get you home.”

  Madison lets him lead her out the door, the brisk air jolting her awake. “I’m sorry, Shayne. I wasn’t trying to use you.”

  He tightens his hand on her shoulder. “I didn’t mean it to come out that way, Madison. But you’ve become my best friend since coming here. That sounds corny, childish, and a million other things, but it’s the truth. I just want to know that when I leave, you’re going to be okay.”

  Madison couldn’t look at him because her eyes would give her away. She wasn’t going to be fine when he left. She had completely, utterly, and wholeheartedly fell in love with Shayne Maxwell. It wasn’t supposed to happen, she’d fought it, but it happened anyway. She wasn’t about to tell him that, though.

  She would plaster on the fake smile and act like he was nothing to her. “I’ll be fine, Shayne. I was fine before you came along, and I’ll be fine once you’re gone. This has been fun, but that’s all it was. You said so yourself.”

  They were at her apartment now, but Shayne pulls her to a stop at the bottom of the stairs, causing her to stop and look at him. His voice comes out a growl. “This wasn’t just fun, Madison, and you know it.” He pulls at his hair. “Fuck, Madison, I’m not for you. I don’t do relationships. I don’t do commitment. You’ve known that from the beginning. But hell, if I could stop from falling in love with you.”

  Madison stands there in stunned silence. Had she heard him right? Surely, she must’ve heard him wrong. There’s no way he just said… Before she can finish her thought, Shayne’s lips crash down on hers and takes her breath away. He doesn’t remove his lips but whispers against them.

  “I love you, Madison. I don’t know how it happened. I don’t know when it happened, but it did. I just want you to be happy. I want you to be okay. Because I don’t think I can walk away knowing you aren’t okay.”

  She stares up into his bright green eyes, all his emotions laid out for her to see. “You’re still leaving?”

  He closes his eyes. “I have to, princess. I have a life in the city. I’ve built my entire business there.”

  Madison pulls back and fixes her expression. “I’ll be fine when you leave, Shayne. My life has always been right here, and nothing is going to change that.” She turns and lets herself into her apartment, glad when he doesn’t follow.

  If she was going to survive the next few weeks until he left, she had to avoid him. She needed a distraction, and she knew the perfect thing to do it.

  Epilogue

  Shayne pulls the truck into an empty spot and climbs out. The day after he had taken her home from the bar, he’d stopped at her apartment. He wanted to talk when she wasn’t full of alcohol. But Madison hadn’t been home. Instead, he’d found a note taped to her door explaining that she was leaving for a while. He had put a hole in the hallway wall that he promised the landlord he’d for, and he had.

  The next day, he boarded a plane to Atlanta and threw himself into work. When he had free time, his mind would wander to Madison, and then he couldn’t function the rest of the day. He reserved those times for when he was lying in bed and wondering where she was. The last thing he had wanted to do was push her out of her own home. He had just wanted to make sure she was okay. Obviously, he’d pushed too far because she had disappeared.

  After a few weeks, Shayne was restless and needed to know where she’d gone. He was worried that she’d taken off alone. That she would drink herself into oblivion, or worse. He wouldn’t let the other scenarios play through his head. If they did, he wouldn’t get anything accomplished.

  When he showed up at her parent’s house in Westerfield, her mother was less than thrilled with him and her dad threatened his life.

  “Madison hasn’t been the same since Lacey’s death. It weighed heavily on her. But you made her happy again. Then you ripped it all away.” Her mother had paused. “I don’t know what happened between the two of you, Shayne, but I hope you can fix it. She deserves that happiness. She’s always the one who cares for everyone but doesn’t take the time to care about herself.” She reached into a drawer by the door. “She left this for you. I think she hoped you would show up here sooner. It isn’t my place to tell you where she is, but maybe this will. If it doesn’t, I’m sorry.”

  Shayne had thanked her and walked back to his truck defeated that day. Until he read the letter.

  Dear Shayne,

  If you’re reading this, then I guess you want to know where I went. The fact that you’re searching for me at all should make me happy, but it doesn’t.

  After Lacey’s death, I fell apart, and everyone could see it but didn’t do anything to try to fix it. You did. You helped a stranger. Whether it was because you cared about me or because of your own guilt, I’m not sure. Regardless, I’m grateful.

  As time went on, though, you became my best friend. My only friend. I fell in love with you when I knew it would have to end. I knew you were going back to Atlanta. Some part of me hoped you would see me as more than a friend and stay. Another part of me wanted to run away and hide. It was conflicting.

  When you told me that you loved me, that hope blossomed. But you destroyed it when you said you weren’t staying. I was hurt, sure. But I was angry with myself for believing that we could be anything more. I knew what we were doing. I knew it couldn’t be anything. Yet, I still hoped.

  Anyways, I contacted a few people that we used to know from the racing circuit. I’m going back to racing. To do what I love. I have you to thank for that, and I will be forever thankful. You pushed me to get over my fear. You pushed me to acknowledge and accept my guilt over Lacey’s death. And while I know you’ve gone back home, I still love you. I think, in some ways, I always will. I’m thankful for the small amount of time I had with you. If it weren’t for that time, I wouldn’t be where I am now.

 

1 2 3 4 5 6