Total pages in book: 77
Estimated words: 72980 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 365(@200wpm)___ 292(@250wpm)___ 243(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 72980 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 365(@200wpm)___ 292(@250wpm)___ 243(@300wpm)
“Because we’ve gotta handle it, bébé.”
“I know, but … your birthday wishes. They blow my mind.” Madison dropped her head, and she gripped her hair in that good way I used to do for her when she couldn’t stand any more of me worshipping her.
Man, somebody had to do it, but it should’ve been me. “I remember when you were seventeen,” I said, “talking about we can’t. You’ll go to jail. You’re twenty-two, Washington.”
“I didn’t sound like that.” Madison rolled her eyes.
“Yes, you did.”
“Okay, maybe. On my eighteenth birthday, though …” she whispered, glancing up with a subtle smile. Her leg fidgeted, and her posture seemed to yearn for me.
“Yep. The gift of your life.”
She gripped her water glass with both hands and sipped as if needing an anchor to sanity.
“Cool your hot little tail down.”
“Mkay, Baby Virginia.”
I hoped my brain wasn’t as imaginative as it had been the night we went to the rage room. All that thinking of positions and love faces? Too much work. “We can kiss, though.” I shrugged.
“Washington, always feigning nonchalance.” She muttered, “Damn, thumbs-up text.”
“What thumbs … oh. You should’ve sent me a picture.”
“Boy, if I had sent you a little something, something, you’d have created your own emoji, bald head and all. I can imagine the pose you’d send. Sparkling dark eyes, chin in hands. All smiles.”
“Woman, you’re talking out the side of your neck.” I glanced around. “They’d better hurry with that cake because it’s two minutes to midnight. We’ve got some foreplay to do.”
“Shhh …” she said as the server approached, apologizing about not finding a birthday candle.
“Stop all that.” I cut off the server. “You know good and damn well, you didn’t search either high nor low for my bébé’s candle, man.”
The server gave me a tight smile and walked away.
Madison snorted, raising her voice. “Sorry, sir. He missed his plane.”
“Oh no. I’m about to fly high off you in a minute.”
She leaned forward, licking her lips. “Wish me a happy birthday. With your mouth.”
The way she said that? My soul stood up, packed a suitcase, and walked toward her.
“That’s how it’s always done, huh?” she teased. “With your words, I mean.”
I looked her dead in those pretty brown eyes. “Madison, this will be your best year. Love. Happiness.”
Her eyes shimmered, but without tears, and she smiled as if warmth spread through her.
And then her greedy behind grabbed the only fork dude had given us. “You can’t have the first bite.”
“Long as I have you, chère, I’m good.”
She leaned in.
Her lips grazed the fork, tongue sweeping the frosting. My entire spirit left my body to go pray. The no-sex contract burst into flames. She licked her lips again, enjoying torturing me.
“Good?” I managed, trying to sound like that mouth didn’t still affect me deep down to the bone.
“Meh. My red velvet box cake is better.” She teased, licking her lips again.
“I know how you do. Adding in extra flavor, but this cake cost twenty-nine dollars and some sexual vulnerability.”
“You’re ridiculous. Taste it.” A smile played on her lips as her eyes drifted down to my mouth.
Man, I swear the airport thermostat whispered, You got this, bro, and shut itself off.
I pushed the cake aside. She was my cake.
Her breath tickled my lips. I leaned in close enough to taste the chocolate fantasy. My brain was already building the headlines:
“Judge Violates No-Sex Contract in Airport Café. Nation Shocked; Therapist Disappointed.”
But when Madison looked up, all lashes and danger, the logic I lived by flatlined.
“C’mere.” I brushed her cheek with my thumb, and she laughed. God, that laugh.
I kissed her. Slow, like the end of time might never arrive. Deep, like she’d starved me. Her hand slipped up to my chest, soft against steel. I gripped the back of her neck, and she tilted enough to press into me. “Happy birthday, chère.”
My mouth tasted her again, just to survive. She sighed against my lips. The air between us wasn’t big enough to hold everything that we meant to each other. “I love you, Wash.”
Pulling back, I watched her eyes flutter open. “I love everything about you, Madison Selene Babineaux.”
She was smiling at me when someone at the table closer to the bar laughed. Man? Woman? Indistinguishable. But the laughter made Madison’s shoulders jolt as she glanced around. That damn laugh sounded like two car horns got into a slap fight.
We busted up laughing. I said, “Somebody sounds like a car horn?”
“Yep.” Madison spoke through giggles, then she jumped to her feet.
“Maddy, bébé, where are you going?”
She snatched up her purse. “My car. We’ve gotta go!”
I stood, tossed cash onto the table, and chased after her. In seconds, I matched her sprint with my own leisurely jog. “Madison, I don’t know how bad the cake was. But we didn’t have to dine and dash.”