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  Milo arched an eyebrow. “Holding out on me, are you, baby?”

  She rolled her eyes. “I just started with June last week. Fen’s way better than I am.”

  “Not tonight, because we need to get back to the house for more painting, but I think I’m going to want a demonstration soon.”

  Joel laughed. “We have our own pole. Which totally sounds dirtier than it is. Feel free to drop by and use it until you can install your own.”

  She shook her head. “Red. We can’t install our own pole. My mom would see that. So would my dad.” She nodded, indicating Fen and Joel. “We’ll come over here and borrow theirs.”

  “Your mom liked the video of me dancing in the club, thanks to Sir posting it on Facebook the next week,” Fen said. “She is not innocent.”

  “I don’t care. I’m going to have a hard enough time getting them to go home and leave us alone without them thinking he’s turning me into some sort of sex slave or something.”

  All three men arched eyebrows at her.

  Apparently, she realized what she said. “Okay, you all know damn well this is a different kind of sex slave than what I said. Sheesh. Wait, are y’all like a voting block now that are going to overrule me and stuff?”

  “Hmm.” Milo looked at Fen and Joel. “I don’t know. A smart man would make sure to stay on bestie’s best side.”

  Fen giggled. “I gotta say, Mads, I really like him.”

  Chapter Fifteen

  Milo helped Maddison pack some stuff, enough for that night.

  And…other things.

  Like the toy for Plan B, lube, condoms, and some of her implements so she could show him a few things.

  Okay, a lot of things.

  Like, everything.

  He wanted to learn everything.

  She was still honestly shocked that Fen and Joel—especially Fen—had accepted this whole situation so…easily.

  She had to ask it. “Why are you okay with this and not warning me to slow down?”

  Fen held up his left hand and waggled his fingers at her, meaning his wedding band. “You see that?”

  “Uh, duh.”

  “Same people who helped introduce you two introduced us. Now, maybe I wasn’t so much of a believer before Joel and I met, but they know their stuff. And we’re not the only ones they’ve had success with. Why should I doubt what I know is a proven system?”

  Joel was standing there, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed over his chest. “I gotta admit, he’s right. I was gunshy and really wary. They won me over with their success rate.”

  He tipped his head toward Milo. “As I’ve gotten to know them all, I’ve learned what great people they are. Eliza and June will be two of the first people jumping in to protect others. No way would they have introduced you two if they didn’t think this was worth exploring.”

  “You have the seal of approval of the Frightful Five,” Fen added with a grin. “That’s good enough for me.”

  On the way back to Milo’s house, they stopped by the grocery store to pick up some stuff for dinner. Mads couldn’t remember the last time she’d gone grocery shopping with someone besides Fen or her parents.

  He let her push the cart, but he was always touching her—a hand in the small of her back, his arm draped over her shoulders, playing with her hair—like he couldn’t believe she was real and there and wouldn’t suddenly disappear in a puff of smoke.

  If she wasn’t so eager to have him touch her, she might take time to feel sorry for him, that he was apparently starved for affection.

  She could relate. At least she could grab TV snuggles with Fen and Joel and not worry about it getting creepy.

  Straight guys didn’t have it so easy.

  While they’d been painting, he’d told her more about his marriage and divorce and part of her simultaneously seethed and rejoiced that Linda was so damn stupid as to cheat on a guy like Milo.

  A man who—verified by those who knew him—would rather cut off a finger than cheat.

  A man who wanted nothing more than someone to love and be loved by.

  A man who might be a baby Dom, but even in the little gestures, Mads could spot her baby Dom wanting to stretch his wings and grow.

  I get to be the one to teach him.

  It threatened to take her breath away, the sheer perfection spinning out ahead of her in real time.

  * * * *

  Milo had never had a panic attack before, but wondered if it felt like this—pulse racing, difficult to catch his breath, and his mind spinning out in a thousand directions at once.

  Like he could see their future rolling out in front of them, and in it, he was…

  Happy.

  Like, really happy.

  He thought back to what Fen and Joel said about the “Frightful Five,” as they were called.

  How they did their research.

  He was under no illusions that Mads felt comfortable with him in no small part because Fen and Joel felt comfortable with him.

  And they felt comfortable with him because he was vetted and vouched for.

  That worked both ways.

  Why shouldn’t he embrace this, embrace Maddison and what beautiful surprises this might hold for them?

  Right there, in the middle of the frozen foods aisle, he stopped her with a gentle hand on her arm and turned her to face him.

  “I’m in this for the long-term,” he said. “In case that wasn’t clear. I’m not interested in this just being fuck-buddies or friends with bennies. I’m interested in making this work for the long-haul.”

  She cocked her head as she stared up at him, her ponytail bouncing a little as she did, and he remembered her standing in his living room with his T-shirt covering her.

  “Me, too,” she softly said.

  He thought he might need to yank open one of those freezer compartments and grab something to cool his cock down, because his body seemed to have an automatic reaction to her, and his cock wanted to get hard.

  Not wanted to—was.

  Even in the early days with Linda, when he thought they were deliriously happy, he could never remember feeling like this about her.

  “Don’t let me screw this up,” he softly begged. “Please. I know I’m supposed to be the Dom, here, but I’ll grovel if I have to. I’ve never felt like this before, and that terrifies me in good ways.”

  She stepped closer. “Me, too.”

  He wanted to plunge his hands in her hair and kiss her right there—

  Fuck it.

  He did.

  Right there in the middle of the grocery store, with the frozen veggies as their witness, he held her head in his hands and kissed her long and deeply and wishing he could sweep her into his bed instead of through the checkout line.

  With his mouth slanted over hers, her lips parted for him as he brushed his tongue along the seam. He finished the kiss cupping her cheeks in his hands, his forehead pressed against hers.

  “Please tell me you’re terrified,” he whispered.

  She laid her hands over his. “Petrified.”

  Relief whooshed out of him. “Thank christ,” he said, chuckling. “I’d feel really stupid if I was the only one scared.”

  She stared up into his eyes, the sweet green tones visible among the blue. “Don’t ever lie to me,” she said. “Even if you think it sounds stupid. I’d rather laugh with you over your honesty than ever have a reason to think you weren’t giving me one-hundred-percent honesty.”

  * * * *

  Fucking.

  Adorable.

  Mads knew some women wanted the confident, maybe even cocky kind of Dom.

  Over that, she would always pick the honest guy.

  Every damn time.

  A guy she didn’t have to worry blowing up at her.

  A guy who had a proven track record in the fidelity department.

  A guy she didn’t have to worry about putting her in the hospital because he’d caused her injuries.

  “How a
bout we wrap this up, Sir?” she asked. “We can go home, cook dinner together, then take a shower and…” She reached up and played with his shirt collar. “Have some more fun.”

  That smile. The one he wore now. Sweet and sexy and more than a little hungry.

  It made her entire body tingle.

  “Oh, having fun is definitely on the menu, baby,” he said.

  They finished their shopping and returned to his place. While he started unloading the groceries, she grabbed her overnight bag. “Where do you want me to put my things?”

  His sweet green gaze met hers head-on. “In our bedroom, baby. Where else?”

  The shiver rippled through her, tightening her nipples against the fabric of her bra and sending frissons of need through her. “You know, you move me in like this, you might never get rid of me.”

  He smiled. “That’s kinda the point.”

  Chapter Sixteen

  Milo felt like he’d never smiled before meeting Mads. Like everything before her sailing into his orbit paled in comparison. They cooked dinner together, laughing and playful.

  Having fun.

  Nothing like cooking with Linda, who always scolded him and ran him out of the kitchen if she was cooking.

  They ate on the couch while watching TV, and everything felt right.

  She helped him clean up the kitchen before he scooped her into his arms, her laughter a music that hit all the perfect notes in his soul, and carried her into the master bathroom.

  That’s when the first bit of shyness seemed to catch her off-guard as she stood there, his hands on her hips and her arms around his neck, while he stared into her eyes. Adorable vulnerability appeared there with her lower lip caught under her teeth.

  “What’s wrong, baby?”

  “I keep waiting to wake up.”

  “Wake up?”

  “Yeah. Like this is a fantastic dream and I’m going to wake up.”

  He cupped her cheek. “We’re sharing the same dream, then.” He drew her closer, until the length of her body was pressed along his. “So let’s enjoy it.”

  “While we can?”

  He’d been going in for a kiss. He stopped and stared down into her eyes again. “I’m going to convince you I’m not going anywhere unless you want me gone.” He stepped back and pulled his shirt off, tossing it into the hamper. “I’m not going to try to say I know how nervous you are, but I’m not going to lie and say I’m not worried you’re going to find a newer model after a little while with me.”

  * * * *

  Newer model?

  Hell she’d barely put any miles on him yet.

  Sometimes, a vintage model was a good thing. Classic styling and familiar design. Made for a comfortable, reliable ride.

  In this case, literally.

  Taking a deep breath, she pulled off her shirt and balled it up, hitting a two-pointer in the hamper on top of his shirt.

  Nothing but net.

  “Oooh, my girl’s got game.” His smile widened. “Been holding out on me.”

  She stepped into his arms, loving the feel of his warm flesh against hers. “No, we took care of that in Fen’s pool last night. And again this morning.”

  “And right now?”

  She nodded. “I hope so.”

  He nuzzled his nose against hers. “Want to teach me more?”

  “I think you were amazing already. Keep doing that.”

  “I don’t want to be a one-trick pony.”

  She arched an eyebrow at him. “There’s nothing pony about you, mister. If we’re going there, embrace the stallion label.”

  “Ooh.” She loved his smile as he puffed up a little. “Really?”

  Bless his heart, she could see the old pain still right there, and she hoped she got to lay eyes on the bitch one day just so she could outshine her and make her feel like yesterday’s tossed out leftovers.

  “Really.” She reached down and unfastened his shorts while meeting his gaze. “I call them like I see them.” Which gave her the perfect segue. “So you want another chapter from the Book of Mads, huh?”

  He nodded, his hands covering hers and stilling them. The playfulness vanished from his face, replaced by earnest sobriety. “I do.”

  She took a deep breath. “From the chapter of ‘labels and assorted trivia one might need in times like these’?”

  “Absolutely.” He cupped her hands and brought them up to his lips, kissing them, even as his gaze never wavered from hers.

  She chickened out. “In the shower?”

  “Anywhere you want, baby.”

  That word. The way he said it, it made her want to throw all caution to the wind.

  Then again, hadn’t she done that already?

  She turned around. “Unhook my bra?”

  He did, trailing kisses along the top of her shoulder when he hooked his fingers in the straps and eased them down her arms.

  He balled it up and tossed it into the hamper.

  They made quick work of the rest of their clothes and he followed her into the shower. She usually tucked, but if she was going to get past something he was obviously okay with, she needed to get comfortable in front of him.

  He’d already had his hands and mouth and other body parts all over her body parts, so it wasn’t like he wouldn’t know what to expect.

  Except…words fled. Her throat dried up as old fears threatened to wash her out of his safe harbor and into a turbulent sea she wasn’t prepared to navigate no matter what she’d tried to tell herself.

  He folded her into his arms and turned her so the water hit him in the back, and her back was pressed against his body.

  His…trim…hard body.

  Not just his body was hard.

  “Talk to me, baby,” he whispered as his hands slipped between her legs. “Teach me how to talk to you.”

  He remembered his first lessons quite well, his fingers more sure now as he explored her body and made her gasp. “Just a big clit,” she whispered, not used to having this conversation with anyone. “Like a clitasaurus-rex.”

  But he didn’t laugh, his lips trailing down the side of her neck again. “Keep going, baby.” His hands delved farther, fingers gentle and exploring.

  “Boy bits,” she whispered. A delicious shudder washed through her as he played with her body.

  “It doesn’t hurt when you…” He apparently didn’t know what to call it. They hadn’t gotten that far yet.

  “Tuck? No.” Another sweet shiver as his fingers found a delicious set of nerves to rub exactly the way she’d showed him. “It feels weird when I don’t. I wouldn’t recommend you try it.” She tried to lighten the mood. “I’m an expert with many years experience.”

  But his tone remained serious. “I don’t ever want to hurt you in bad ways.”

  She turned her head, looking up at him to find his gaze focused on her.

  He meant it. She could see it right there, painted every bit as clearly across his features as his need and passion were.

  Her baby Dom was growing up fast. “My plumbing’s like yours, but my wiring’s…different,” she said. “You have the obvious handle to use and get a really big bang. I need a little special handling, and it takes me a little longer, but unlike you, I can have longer ones. Longer build-up.”

  A handsome smile quirked his lips. “Like this?”

  She gasped as his hands insistently worked to coax an orgasm out of her…and damned if he wasn’t close to doing it right now. “Yes, Sir!”

  “Play with your nipples, baby,” he whispered. “Let Sir make you feel good.”

  She couldn’t pull her gaze from his as she did what he asked, rolling and tugging them in her fingers. Against her ass, she felt his rigid cock twitch.

  “Goddamn, that’s sexy, baby. You gonna come for me?”

  She felt safe and cherished and sexy in his arms. “Yes, Sir.”

  And she did, his arms holding her up when her knees nearly gave out as her climax hit. She finally turned in his arms when
she recovered enough of her wits to stand. “What about you, Sir?”

  “What about me?”

  She rubbed against him. “I think you have something needing taken care of.”

  “I wouldn’t say nooo.”

  His gaze turned even hungrier as she slowly knelt and started teasing the end of his cock with her mouth. “Maybe I want Sir to take control.”

  He threaded his fingers through her hair, gently cupping the back of her head. “Hands on my legs, baby. If you need me to ease up, pinch me.”

  She kept her gaze on him as she eagerly devoured his cock to the root, drawing a needy groan from him. “Oh, fuck yeah, baby!”

  That only made her want to give him the blowjob of all blowjobs, a blowjob to drive any bad memories of Linda out of his mind.

  A blowjob to make him think of no one but her when his mind wandered. Their earlier encounter had been fast and frisky and fun, and he’d wanted to focus more on her than on him.

  Now, she wanted to learn his terrain.

  She explored every inch of his thick shaft, discovering what spots made him moan, what made him whine—what sucking versus licking made him do.

  And as she swirled her tongue around the head, tasting pre-cum, he whispered, “Please, baby,” and she couldn’t deny him. She went deep, swallowing as his balls tightened and then ropes of cum erupted from him.

  Milo pulled her up into his arms and kissed her, tightly holding her body against his. “Baby, I hope I made you feel as good as you just made me feel.”

  She slowly swirled her fingers through the blond hair on his chest. “You made me feel amazing, Sir.”

  They ended up tangled together in bed with her draped across his broad chest. They’d used her body wash, and he smelled like vanilla.

  Happiness smells like vanilla.

  She just hoped this wasn’t false hope filling her.

  * * * *

  Except, instead of false hope, it seemed Milo was the real deal. The more time she spent with him, the more…real this all felt.

  The more permanent.

  And over the next days and weeks, she realized she wanted that permanence.