Page 77 of Asphyxia
Dean
Coolhandsglidedaroundmy waist, and gentle caressing fingertips stroked up and down my abs as I stood in front of the stove, cooking breakfast for the three of us.
“He still sleeping?” I asked, not taking my attention away from the eggs I had just cracked into the pan, unconsciously placing my hand over one of hers and giving it a loving squeeze.
“He is.” Madison pressed her lips to my back as she peered over my shoulder at what I was doing. “Did you mean it?”
I released a long sigh, well aware that confessing that I loved her right before she was about to murder her ex was not what I had initially intended.
I was waiting for the right time, one significantly more romantic and far less bloody. But seeing Madison standing there like she was at exhaustive war with herself just felt like a sign.
Giving her all of me at that very moment was exactly what I needed to do—what she needed to hear.
“Of course I meant it. Every single word and more.”
“But you didn’t give me a chance to say it back. You just left me… standing there.”
“I didn’t want you to feel pressured. You had a lot on your plate, and I just wanted you to know that you’re it for me.” Switching off the stove, I sighed as I moved the pan off the burner and turned in Madison’s arms to face her. “I don’t ever want another woman after you, and I sure as fuck wished there was never one before. For the first time in my life, I finally feel seen, and that's not to say that Marcus has never been there for me, but I’m talking about on a more intimate level. One I never believed I would have the chance of appreciating.”
I pulled Madison into me, her arms now wrapped tightly around my back as the side of her head pressed against my chest, listening to my heart as it beat just for her.
“I’m sorry.” She murmured, angling her head up, our gazes connecting like two lost puzzle pieces fitting seamlessly together.
I loved her eyes—their beauty and the love they held deep within them. Madison was more than I had ever imagined I’d deserve.
“You’ve nothing to be sorry for, Darling. Nothing you’ve done up until now would warrant an apology.” And I meant that down to my core.
Between the shit that went down with Amber, the ordeal at Oak Park with Adrian, her busting into our apartment after murdering someone at the hospital… and the night she broke into our apartment and we fucked for the very first time—Madison had nothing to be sorry for.
Honestly, if she had never ended up in my bed when she came searching for Marcus, I wouldn’t know where I'd be right now, whether I would've gotten over the heartbreak or if I would've run my sorry ass back to Amber with my tail between my legs.
Like she did for Marcus, Madison made me a better man. It didn’t matter if her decisions were morally skewed, and she lived her life in the grey.
Fuck, I’ll make grey my new favorite color if it makes a difference.
“I’m not Adrian, Dean. I’m not here to twist you to my morals or fuck you both up…” Madison breathed, dropping her head back down as she nuzzled against my chest. “I know how incredibly stupid it sounds, but I just want to love and genuinely be loved in return for once. No more games, no more molding… I just want to be me—or, I guess, the woman I was before I ever crossed paths with Adrian.”
“Marcus and I are going to give you that, darling. A life of love, passion, promise, and future.”
“Future?” Madison arched her brow skeptically as she pulled back from me, stunning blue-grey eyes reconnecting with mine.
“You’re telling me you never dreamed of a future? A family?” I hesitated, regretting even bringing up the topic.
I probably should have waited a few more months… years, before asking if she wanted kids.
“I did—I have.” She stammered, rolling her lips together as she searched my eyes. “But you and Marcus areso—”
“Young?” I chuckled with a smile that met my eyes. “Darling, that doesn’t mean we don’t have plans of our own—ones that include mini versions of us terrorizing the world.”
“If anything, we’re probably in our prime to raise kids right now.” Marcus yawned as he chimed in, resting his shoulder against the wall.
Madison snapped her attention to him over her shoulder, and I held her tighter against me, not wanting to lose the physical contact just yet.
“What do you say, kitten? Should we make a ba—”
“Marcus.” I hissed, narrowing my eyes on him.
Always ruining the fucking moment with his unsolicited mockery…
