Page 148 of Maddox

He hovered over me for a few seconds before darting his tongue around my mouth. The electricity was incredible, crackling through us with such ferocity I feared being doused with water. I wrapped my hand around the back of his neck, jerking him down until our lips were firmly planted together.

There was nothing in the world that could compete with the taste of him.

He thrust his tongue inside and I curled my other leg around him on purpose. I could stay like this for hours. Well, maybe without the water.

Between the music and the waterflow, the sound of an engine coming closer barely registered. When we finally broke the kiss, the vehicle was already parked in the driveway.

The sun was blinding. I shielded my eyes as Maddox lifted his head.

“Didn’t I tell you before to get a room? Not our room, though.”

I bit back a laugh.

“Kage?” Maddox said as we both scrambled to our feet. As I reached for the hose to turn it off, I almost slipped on the wet grass.

Maddox was forced to catch me around the waist.

“Yep, they need a room alright. You were right.”

The second man I only recognized from the picture I’d found in one of Maddox’s drawers. The photograph obviously brought back so many memories, the group of Navy SEALs appearing as if they had the world by the balls.

“Stone? You got to be kidding me.” Maddox took slow steps toward the other man, shaking his head the entire time.

Stone Bellows was the third in the three musketeers. I stood back as they grabbed each other for a bear hug, noticing the beautiful woman standing beside Kage. I’d been excited for days and trying to keep in the surprise had been killing me.

I walked closer and Kage lifted his sunglasses so I could see him wink.

“You took me up on my offer,” I told him.

“I did. I thought I’d bring my old lady with me.”

The woman punched him in the arm. “Hey. Speak for yourself. You’re the one with gray hair, not me. I’m Juliette. I’ve heard a lot about you, including how you tamed Maddox.”

Maddox turned his attention toward us, snarling on purpose. “Nope. I’ve tamed her.”

“Yeah, right,” both Juliette and I said at the same time.

He laughed, but his eyes were full of the same haunted sadness I’d seen several times. “You just dropped by?”

“We were in the area. I picked up Stone on the way.” Kage laughed. “No, you idiot. We booked a couple of the guesthouses. We thought we’d christen your new business adventure. Your tamed gal was insistent we pay a visit.”

“Oh, she was, huh?” Maddox pulled me closer, growling into my ear on purpose.

“This is amazing,” Juliette said. “Just beautiful.”

“A work in progress,” Maddox told her. “How do you keep him from driving you crazy? He has a lot of bad habits.”

“Now, don’t go spoiling anything,” Kage huffed. When Stone burst into laughter, Kage gave him a harsh look. “Your turn is next, buddy. Just wait until you fall in love.”

“Not gonna happen,” Stone insisted, tossing his hands into the air. “Not in this lifetime.”

Kage and Maddox glanced at each other with unspoken words. But the grins on their faces created a warm spot in my heart.

“Why don’t you guys head to the big house over there,” Maddox teased. “We’ll have a drink then get you settled in.”

“We’ll be happy to make ourselves right at home,” Kage said. “Including drinking your booze.”

The three headed for the older Jeep and I waited until they’d climbed inside to turn and wrap my arms around Maddox.

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