Page 84 of Kade

“What happened last night?” I asked.

He tensed, stilling before he let out a soft curse.

My eyebrows shot up. “That’s not good.”

He cast me a look, regretful, before he shook his head. “I’ll tell you after we get everyone going this morning.”

He swung his legs down to sit on the side of the bed. I caught his arm. “You’ve not slept at all?”

He didn’t answer, which was the answer.

I got out of bed and rounded to his side. “You stay.Sleep. I’ll handle everything.”

He pulled me to stand between his legs. “If Maddy’s not drunk, she needs to go to school. It’s the consequence for staying up all night partying.”

The air in my lungs left me in a whoosh. “Maddy might be drunk? She mightstillbe drunk?” A ball of fury formed in my stomach. Oh, child. Child of mine.

My jaw hardened, and I turned. I needed to shower, get myself dressed, and began plotting Mom vengeance. Maddy was screwed. She was so very screwed.Stilldrunk. My child was stilldrunk? Never again, my sweet little girl. She was going to rue this day.

I closed my eyes, already anticipating the look in her eyes when she saw me coming.

Mason caught my hand.

I gritted my teeth. “Mason.” But I curled my fingers around his, because how could I not? “Let me go handle her.”

He didn’t let go.

I looked back to him, but readied myself so I would not melt inside. I loved our daughter, but she tended to be daddy’s little girl. Mason went easy on her when he shouldn’t. The hard-ass parenting fell to me.

His eyes were soft, and when he spoke, I realized they were soft for me. He stood and cupped my face with one of his hands. “I was going to carry you to the bathroom, run you a bath, and while you were getting dressed, I want to get you coffee and breakfast.” His hands went to my waist, his lips grazing over mine.

I winced slightly, because they were a little swollen.

He withdrew. “Shit. I’m sorry.” He lifted a hand to touch my mouth.

I caught it, kissing it instead. “No. God, five climaxes, Mason. Five. You rode me until my bones melted into the mattress, but fuck. As a way to wake up, I’m not complaining.”

I still saw regret in his eyes. I pulled away, shaking my head. “Stop it. You’re the one that needs to sleep. Get to it. Don’t worry about Maddy. Me, her, and her hangover. The three of us are going to havefunthis morning.” I didn’t let him argue, slipping away into the bathroom. After I’d showered, I found him back in bed.

He lay on his side, his muscled arms holding the pillow beneath his head. The sheet had slipped down so I got a goodview of his muscular back, the angles and cuts of his lean hips, and a tantalizing tease of the beginning of his ass.

God, I loved him. I loved all of him. My man who shouldered so much of our world.

But this time, I would shoulder some of the weight for him, starting with our seventeen-year-old daughter. I got dressed and grabbed my phone, and the first text stopped me in my tracks.

Heather: Zeke Allen spent the night in the hospital because he’s got a freaking knife wound to the stomach. Wtf?? You wanted us to keep his wife busy last night. Tell me we did not have something to do with this.

32

MADDY

Iwas in a twisted version of Groundhog’s Day. Ikeptmessing up.

Me: I messed up SO BAD last night.

I know I’m supposed to leave you alone for another day, but Max. MAX! I’m drowning here.

I’m hungover. I’m not really drowning. I did it to myself, but you weren’t there. Where were you?

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