Page 42 of Mad for Madison

“Someone’s gotta be,” I teased gently, trying to lighten the mood.

Madison chuckled, the sound low and warm. “I don’t deserve you.”

“That’s not how it works,” I said, shifting so I could face him fully. “We don’t get what we ‘deserve.’ We get what we fight for.”

His eyes searched mine, something unspoken passing between us. He leaned forward, his forehead resting against mine again.

For a moment, we just sat there, the studio quiet except for the faint hum of the world outside. The warmth of his body pressed against mine was all I needed, his hand still clasped in mine like it never belonged anywhere else.

“You’re right, you know,” Madison said after a while, his voice breaking the silence.

“About what?”

“About letting people in. It’s hard, but…I should do it.”

I smiled faintly. “Good. Because you’re stuck with me now.”

Madison’s laughter was soft, but it filled the space like sunlight. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

He shifted, pulling me closer until I was half leaning against him, my head resting on his shoulder. His arm wrapped around me, and for the first time in what felt like forever, I felt utterly and completely at peace.

The bell rang loudly in the apartment, startling me. But when I looked at Madison, he grinned. “That’ll be them.”

I felt giddy for a brief moment. I’d been face-to-face with foreign royals, furious land owners, formidable drag queens, and a grouchy billionaire, all in the last five or six months, but Luca DiMarco still managed to make me feel nervous.

Madison buzzed them in, and I was thankful to see Austin James with Luca. They were together, of course, but Austin had been an escort before his life as the champion of sex workers’ protections, and I felt much more comfortable around him than only his man. For one thing, the only crime Austin was guilty of was a harmless one. Luca, on the other hand, was a mystery to me.

When the footsteps sounded through the open door where Madison stood nervously, I crossed the studio and put my arms around him to steady him a little. He was okay. He’d never invited anyone here. Only me. This was a big deal, I wasn’t fooling myself, so I moved aside but kept holding his hand.

The footsteps were many, in fact, and there were four people filing into the studio instead of two.

Austin wore a big, hearty smile you couldn’t help but like. Behind him, coolly composed and spotlessly perfect, Luca followed. The next person who entered the studio was a young, innocent-looking guy with golden-blond hair arching above his face and a taper fade on the sides. He had impossibly green eyes and a dimpled smile. The man whose arm was around the younger one’s shoulders was a dark-haired, bronze-skinned guy in his thirties. Once they took off their coats, I noticed tattoos covering their arms, snaking up under the rolled sleeves of their shirts.

“I hope you don’t mind me bringing a couple of friends,” Luca said after a round of greetings. “I’m sure you know Levi Bartlet.”

“Only by name and works,” Madison said. He had told me about Levi, a well-established New York artist whose careerreally took off, thanks to Luca’s interest. “And you must be Parrish, then,” Madison said just as I made the connection too. Parrish, Austin’s old friend and Levi’s partner. Austin had been Levi’s model on many occasions, which put him on Luca’s radar. Now, Levi’s works adorned the DiMarco Gallery in SoHo. “Honestly, it’s such a pleasure to have you all here.”

I showed them all in so that Madison could collect himself. He shifted his weight from one leg to the other constantly. And as the crowd made themselves comfortable on chairs and the couch, I pulled Madison aside and planted a kiss on his cheek. “You’re going to do great.”

“You really think so?” he asked.

I chuckled. I had total faith in Madison’s talent and his skill. “Absolutely,” I said, my voice steady and reassuring. “And if you don’t, I’ll just have to distract everyone with cocktails.”

Madison smiled, though his fingers still fidgeted with the hem of his sweater. “Okay. But if I start rambling, stop me.”

I gave him a quick kiss. “You’ll be fine.”

I turned my attention to the group settling in the studio. Levi and Parrish were flipping through one of Madison’s portfolios, Luca leaned casually against the couch, and Austin was already halfway through a warm conversation with Madison about the studio’s layout.

“Cocktails, anyone?” I asked, clapping my hands together. “I can whip something up with whatever’s hiding in the kitchen.”

Austin perked up immediately. “Absolutely. Surprise us.”

“Dangerous request,” I teased, heading toward Madison’s kitchenette. I rummaged through the cupboards, finding some mismatched glasses, a bottle of vodka, a half-empty gin, and a small assortment of mixers. “Looks like we’re working with the classics tonight.”

As I prepped, their voices floated through the space. Levi was marveling at one of Madison’s works. “The energy in this piece is incredible. It’s like the subject’s alive.”

“It’s Bradley,” Madison said softly, almost shyly.

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