Page 56 of Stuck Together
“Madison,” I yelled, but she didn’t stop.
I ran in her direction and when I was a little closer, I yelled her name again. This time she stopped and turned toward me.
“Hey,” I said a little breathless as I came to a stop beside her.
She dropped her face and wiped tears from her eyes. My shoulders sagged and my heart ached. The last thing I wanted to do was make Madison cry.
“I'm sorry, Madison. I jumped to conclusions and I should have given you a chance to explain. I should have known better. I am such a fool where you’re concerned. Will you ever find it in your heart to forgive me?”
I stepped closer to her and cupped my hands to her cheek. She sucked in a breath.
“I'm sorry, my hands are cold.” I pulled them away and held them to my mouth to blow warm air on them.
“No, it's not your hands.” She looked into my eyes. Hers were wet with tears. I rubbed my thumb underneath one eye to wipe away the tear that escaped.
“Don't cry, Madison. Please, don't cry.” I slipped my arm around her waist and tugged her to me before I lightly kissed her lips. She trembled beneath my touch and sank into me. She parted her lips and welcomed me in. A heat rushed through me, thawing me completely on this frozen winter night.
I dropped my head to hers, my own body trembling now. “Rylee loved the ornament. I can't believe you kept it after all this time.”
“I've put it on my tree every year since the year you gave it to me. Now it can go on your tree for Rylee.”
I pressed my body closer to her and threaded my fingers in her hair. “What if we put it onourtree instead.”
She swallowed hard and nibbled in her bottom lip. “What are you saying?”
I gave her a quick kiss on her lips before I kissed a path to her ear. Giving her earlobe a light nibble first, I then found the sensitive spot below her ear that always made her moan. “I'm saying we’ve missed out on fifteen years together. I don’t want to miss out on another minute of you in my life. I've longed to have you by my side again. And now you're here, I don't want to lose you again.”
She let out a low sob and tears flowed from her eyes. “Please don't cry, sweetheart. I can't handle it when you cry.”
“I can’t help it.” She sniffed and I wiped each tear away that fell. “There's never been anyone else that I've wanted. Only you, Logan. And I’ve cherished that ornament for all these years. It was the only thing I could think of to make you smile again on Christmas Eve. I wanted you to remember the happy times we had growing up and to forget about the sad times. You deserve to be happy. And so does Rylee.”
I claimed her lips again, deeper this time. And for the first time in a long time I finally felt like I was home. “You make me happy, Madison. You. Come back and stay with me. Please.”
“Okay.” She buried her face in my chest.
“Okay?” I looked down at her with questioning eyes. I needed to hear her it say it with certainty.
“Yes, Logan. I’ll stay with you.”
My lips crashed to hers and I kissed her with every ounce of desire burning inside me. She was mine and I was hers and I’d never let her go again. That was not a mistake I’d be repeating. Madison Hart was the love of my life and nothing would ever get between us again.
“Come on. Grandmother and Rylee are anxiously awaiting our return.” Hand in hand, we walked together toward our future and left the past where it belonged. Behind us.