“Okay,” I agreed quietly. “But will you let me take care of you too?” My man was strong as hell, but I had no doubt today had shaken him. And whether or not he’d admit it, being shot had to have taken a physical toll on him.
“You can take care of me by letting me hold you, by forgiving me for being a bit overbearing until I try to get over what happened, and,” he leaned in close as my entire body lit up in response, “by letting me into that sweet as sin body of yours as soon as you’re up for it.”
I licked my lips, wanting to grant that particular wish as soon as possible. “I can do that.”
He kissed me tenderly. “Good. Now let’s get home.”
I stared out the window as we drove through the small town I loved so much. “That weight, I carried it so long,” I murmured thoughtfully. “My parents’ deaths. The weight of fear from my uncle and his men, of the bakery and it’s unavoidable failure. The utter loneliness I experienced nearly my entire life. I knew it all affected me. I just didn’t realize how heavy it was, how trapped I felt,” I admitted as his hand reached over the console to rest on my thigh. I looked over at him, and despite the traumatic day I’d had, the biggest smile spread across my face. “That weight, it’s gone. For the first time I feel free.”
Maddox glanced over at me, his expression tender before his eyes returned to the road.
“You gave me that, babe,” I continued, needing him to hear it, to know it. “For the first time in my life, I have a family and friends that accept me, that I can trust. But most of all, you gave me you. I feel like I can do anything, accomplish everything if you’re at my side.”
He squeezed my thigh. “Baby, I was just lucky enough to be along for the ride. You have a family and friends who accept and love you because of who you are. That has nothing to do with me. And you have me because of everything you are. You’re amazing, baby. I don’t know how I got so goddamned lucky, but I’m not going to question it. Instead, I’m going to love the shit outta you for the rest of our lives.”
I had to laugh at his utterly romantic sentiment colored with what was pure Maddox. “I’ll love the shit out of you too.” I promised with a grin.
He looked over at me, flashing his dimple. “I’m counting on it.”
Chapter 27
FRANCESCA
“Baby, would you calm down? Everything’s gonna be fine,” Maddox coaxed, watching as I paced circles around him.
It had been two weeks since my abduction and despite every protest from Maddox that I should be resting, I’d managed to convince him to keep the grand opening of the bakery on its original schedule.
Now, Francesca’s Sweets was an hour from opening and I was a nervous wreck.
I’d thought hard about the name of the bakery. In the end, I wanted to claim it as mine—using the name my parents had given me, the name Maddox had helped me to reclaim.
“What if they don’t like it? What if no one comes?” I demanded. “I think I’m going to be sick and it has nothing to do with the babies.” I groaned dramatically.
Maddox shoved off the counter, stepping into my space. “Baby, no one’s gonna be able to resist your recipes. The entire town will be knocking the door down,” he assured me. “Plus, there isn’t anyone within a one-hundred-mile radius that doesn’t know you’re opening today,” he reminded me.
It was true. The entire club had taken it upon themselves to help get the word out. That combined with Piper offering some solid marketing advice she’d used to promote her successful boutique, Dixie’s, had generated a lot of buzz.
I was still terrified.
“You need some help relaxing?” he murmured, his hand sliding in between my thighs.
I leaned into him, as always unable to control my body’s reaction to his touch. Maddox had done a lot of relaxing me in the past couple of weeks, and working me up and everything in between. In short, we’d been in bed a lot. It had been amazing.
The oven timer beeped and I groaned in disappointment.
“I have a surprise for you later, after closing,” he said.
I quirked a brow. “Oh yeah?”
He kissed me soundly, squeezing my behind. “Yeah. Something to look forward to after your first day.”
I grinned. “Does it involve you being naked?”
He chuckled. “Baby, you know that’s always on the table.”
My mind drifted to the literal image of him naked on a table. Maybe some whipped cream was involved.... My mind had been in the gutter with my pregnancy hormones.
“The timer, baby.” He broke through my fantasy with a laugh.
