Love

MADISON

“Madison… Madison…”

A voice tickled her ear, but the warm body pressed against hers was too comfortable to let go of just yet.

“Love, wake up.” The husky whisper made her frown for a moment, although the soft stroke on her hair felt good.

“Madison…”

She stretched her arms out, looking for Levi before even opening her eyes.

“How do you feel?” The sweet concern in his voice finally got her to open her eyes.

She tried to stay as quiet as possible as she became aware that Ethan’s breathing was still deep and slow next to her.

“Never better.” Her voice was hoarse with sleep.

Madison wrapped the bedsheet around her naked body and rubbed her puffy eyes with the back of her hand.

Levi’s lips were on hers almost as soon as she sat up.

“Mmm,” she purred, sleepy but happy.

“Good morning, love,” he whispered against her lips. He stroked her cheek until she finally opened her eyes fully to meet his.

He was fully dressed.

“What time is it?” she asked, still confused.

The memory of last night flashed into her mind, and she felt warmth rising from her lower body up to her chest.

Even the ache between her legs was awake, just from his touch.

“Too early,” he answered. “I have to go back to the mainland. Trouble at the firm. I arranged for someone to come to pick me up, so you and Ethan can stay here and come back later.

“Liam texted last night that Ezra will be at your house for dinner tonight. He wants all of us to be there.”

His finger trailed a line from her jaw down her neck to rest at the top of her chest, which was barely covered by the sheet.

“Madison, I’m sorry. I swear after last night the last thing I want is to leave your side.” His words came out so soft and hot that she caught her breath.

His proximity had her already shivering under the covers.

Last night was still playing in her mind: his hands on her body, the way he’d taken care of her…the way they’d made love.

She wasn’t a virgin anymore, and she was in love.How could all that have happened in just one night?

“What are you thinking?” Levi asked, still stroking her face, and she knew her flushed cheeks were giving away her intimate thoughts.

“It’s just, last night, it was amazing and so special. I still can’t believe, you know, that we…”

“Made love?” he asked, arching his brow. “You know, I’ve never been in love before, Madison. But I’ve never felt so good and complete in my life.”

“I know the feeling.” She smiled, kissing him back. Then her cheeks started burning at the thoughts in her head. “But I’ve also never felt so…”

She couldn’t find the words to express her craving.

He cocked an eyebrow. “So horny?”

~God, that smirk on his lips is one of the sexiest things ever.~

“Yeah…I guess. And, you know, I…” Her eyes roamed over Ethan, her feelings a jumbled mix of guilt and lust.

“Well, you guys still have some time together here.” He kissed her once more before standing up. “I’ve gotta go, I’m sorry. I love you, ’Flake, and I’ll see you tonight at home.”

“Okay. I love you too.”

She watched him leave. He looked like a god in the early morning sun.

Then he was gone, and she turned her head to the other god sleeping to her left, his chest bare and only a sheet covering his naked lower half.

He looked so peaceful that she almost felt guilty for what she was about to do.

But her body was trembling with desire, so she rolled onto her side and let her finger trace along his pecs, then lower.

She kissed from the top of his chest to his neck, letting her tongue slip out in between kisses.

A growl rumbled through his chest as her fingers dipped below the sheet to find his pronounced V.

The only thing she could think about was his hard, warm body against her fingers, how perfect he was.

“Mmm…good morning, ’Flake.” He slid his hand onto her bare lower back, pulling her close.

“Morning, sexy.”

He had woken up hard, as she knew many men did, but she also knew her teasing was not helping the situation. She stroked his skin from one side to the other of his V, watching his erection twitch.

She eased down the sheet a bit more, then her fingers continued their teasing on his upper thighs, where they traced invisible drawings.

Finally, he lifted his head and claimed her lips possessively and passionately.

The kiss quickly became heated, and he grabbed her by the waist firmly and pulled her on top of him.

Her legs straddled him across his waist, and her sex was incredibly close to his erection.

“What is it you want, my love?” Ethan brushed his words against her mouth as one of his hands moved on her bare back, up and down her spine.

Her mouth opened slightly, but no words came. Her core was on fire, her soreness of the night before forgotten.

After having sex with Levi, she was dying to taste Ethan.

“Use your words, ’Flake. What is it that you want?

He kissed the spot under her ear then started to suck on it. She let out a moan and swallowed.

“I…I want you. I want to make love to you.”

“That wasn’t so hard, was it?” He cupped her face, turning it to meld his lips to hers in another heated kiss.

“Are you sure, though?” he said when he released her lips, and his concern for her warmed her heart. “You must be still sore from last night.”

“I am. A little. But it isn’t so bad. The bath helped.” She lowered herself onto him more, moving her dripping folds over his erect sex.

He squeezed his eyes shut and groaned. “I can’t promise this won’t hurt, babe.”

“I want this,” she said, still grinding on top of him. “I wanted you last night.”

He looked directly into her eyes. “You don’t need to feel guilty, love,” he assured her, then adopted a sexy smirk. “Besides, there’s other firsts to be had.”

It took her a few seconds to get his meaning, but when she did, her mouth dropped open.

“Not now, though.” He took advantage of her confusion to swap positions in one swift move, and suddenly she was under him with her legs around his waist.

“God, you’re perfect,” he groaned, sliding down her body to prepare her for him with his mouth and fingers.

But she held his head to pause him for a second and looked him in the eyes. “I love you, Ethan.”

“I love you too, Madison.”

And then he proceeded to rock her world for the second time in twelve hours.

***

When Madison walked into the kitchen with Ethan and Levi, Ezra was standing next to Sam and Liam, his face stricken.

“I—” Madison opened her mouth to speak, but Ezra immediately walked over and pulled her into a tight embrace.

“I’m sorry, Maddi,” he whispered hoarsely. “Don’t hate me. I reacted like a little kid, I know.”

“Yeah, but at least you realize it,” she murmured against his chest. “I never wanted to hurt you, Ezra. I was just…”

“I know,” he said. “Sam made me understand your point of view. You were afraid of me being mad, and I did exactly what you were afraid I would do. I let you down.

“I don’t want you to run away from me. I want to be the old Ezra, the one you felt comfortable to come and talk to. The one you never kept a secret from. Even if it means…hearing things.”

He mumbled the last words a little, but then looked down and locked his blue eyes with hers.

“I love you, little sis. Can you forgive me?”

“I love you too, big brother, and ~I~ have nothing to forgive you for. But maybe…”

Her eyes drifted to Levi and Ethan, who were watching the scene unfold, looking genuinely happy. Their smiles were faint, but their eyes spoke loud and clear.

After a quick kiss on her cheek, Ezra pulled away and turned to the twins, scratching the back of his neck. “Uh, I guess you guys…want to get back at me?”

“Hmm…tempting,” Levi answered, approaching Ezra. For a second, his expression was stony, but after glancing at Madison, he shook his head and cracked a smile. “Nah.”

Ethan joined Ezra and Levi, smiling as well. “We probably would have done the same. And we understand you even better now.”

“Yeah. When you say that if we hurt her you’ll kill us, we’ll totally get it, because we wanted to kill you the other night,” Levi added, clenching his fists slightly. “So…all good?”

“All good. Just don’t be too…explicit in front of me, at least for now.”

“Got it.”

The three friends hugged each other, slapping each other on the back.

“You know, even when I was so furious, deep inside I knew I couldn’t ask for better for her,” Ezra said. “And I can see the logic of it being both of you. You would have probably killed each other over her otherwise.”

Liam chuckled. “All of this happened in your mind in a couple of days? Sam, what spell did you work on him?”

“Doghouse,” Sam coughed, and when her clear laugh rang out, it made all of them laugh with her.

The last of the tension broken, Liam waved to the takeout Thai food on the island and invited everyone to grab a plate and serve themselves.

***

After dinner, Liam asked them to convene in the living room. He was the first to sit down, taking an armchair, and smiled nervously. “So, let’s talk about the other reason we’re all here, shall we?”

Ezra sat on one of the couches, Sam at his left. “I thought the reason we were here was for us to stop being idiots and stop being mad at each other?”

Madison took her place on the other couch, between the twins.

“Only part of the reason.”

Liam rubbed the back of his neck and grimaced, then looked directly at Madison.

“Our…parents, they’ve been calling and leaving increasingly urgent messages. I haven’t spoken to them yet, but…they want to come and visit.”

Madison froze, then took stock of what she was feeling.

Okay, yeah…that was shocking news. It had been ~ten years~. But she didn’t have to see them just because they wanted to come.

But his next words felt like a punch to the gut.

“And they’re planning to bring Marta.”

~Of course~ they were.They wouldn’t want to leave their precious niece behind.

“When? Tell me so I can leave.” Her cold tone perfectly captured her feelings toward her parents in this moment: non-existent.

And cousin Marta? She could have them.

Liam sighed. “I can tell them they’re not welcome, but I’m not sure they’d listen. Madison, we need you to stay close, but if you don’t want to see them, we’ll do our best to keep them away from you.”

“What do you mean?” She narrowed her eyes. “Why close?”

“Well…there are some things that we never told you. Because you were too young.” Liam glanced at Ethan. “You want to take it from here, E? Go someplace private?”

“No. I don’t want to make Madison wait.” He turned beseeching eyes on her. “There’s something about Marta that you should know.”

“And what’s that, Ethan?”

“She’s my ex-wife.”