sometime.”
Madison sighed and felt tears sting her eyes. “We can’t,” she said quietly.
“How come?”
“She died. Six years ago.”
“Aw, shit, Madison. I’m sorry.” He softly ran his fingers over her hair. “I’m so sorry.”
Madison sniffled, refusing to let herself cry but lost the battle. It was only their second date, for crying out loud. He didn’t need to see what kind of mess she could turn into when she cried.
Somehow Declan had managed to break down walls she had been building for so long. It took her almost a year to tell Ryan about Ellie, and now here she was, introducing him to one of the most important people in her life. Somehow, he had found a way into that place in her heart she guarded for dear life.
Declan tried to let go of their embrace so he could see her eyes, but as soon as his arms started to relax, Madison held onto him even tighter, not ready to let go. Instead, he tightened his hold and simply held her.
Several minutes later when he felt her start to relax, Declan kissed the top of her head and whispered, “Will you dance with me?”
“What, here?”
She could feel Declan nod in response.
“Come with me.”
Declan kissed her head once more then moved to stand. He offered his hand and helped her up. Not saying anything, he ran this thumbs under her eyes, brushing away the wetness her tears had left behind, then led them to the gym in the back.
When he reached an area without any hanging bags, he released her hand and walked to the corner where the sound system was. He pulled his phone from his back pocket, searched for a song and plugged it into the dock. In seconds, repeating notes came out of the speaker, followed by Sam Hunt speaking the first words of “Take Your Time.”
He walked up to her with a soft smile on his face. “May I have this dance?”
He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close to his body. Madison gently wrapped her arms around his neck and rested her head on his chest, letting him lead. They didn’t really move. They just swayed in time to the music.
Declan thought about being there with Madison, her having opened up to him, which he was certain was not something she was used to doing. It made him smile that she was willing to knock down her walls for him. He tightened his hold again at the thought.
As the song came to an end, Madison pulled back and looked into Declan’s soft eyes. “Thank you.”
The corners of his lips turned upward as he lowered his head to brush his lips against hers. “Anything for you.”
Madison tightened her arms around his neck, bringing his lips closer for a more passionate kiss.
As their kisses grew more intense, the music was ignored and they stopped swaying. Hands began to explore, running up and down arms. Tongues met. Necks were tasted.
Soon what started off as a slow kiss had escalated into something that was quickly leading them down a new path.
When Declan felt Madison’s fingers skim his flesh under his shirt, he reached down and took her hand in his. “Hey, wait a sec.”
“What?” she asked breathily.
He paused a second before he quietly answered. “I don’t want our first time to happen like this. Not in the middle of the gym.”
Madison lifted up on her toes and kissed the bottom of his jaw. “Let’s go back to my place then.”
All thoughts of the previous conversation had been left behind. There was a sparkle in Madison’s eye now and Declan knew what she wanted.
He just wasn’t so sure.
Hand in hand they turned off the lights and locked the front door.
The ride to Madison’s house was quiet but filled with tension. Finally, Declan spoke. “Please don’t take this the wrong way, but for tonight, I’m just going to drop you off.”
The hand that was on Declan’s knee moved up to this thigh. “You are? Why don’t you come in for a while?”
Declan knew if he came in, it wouldn’t be just for a while. He laid his hand over hers. “I want to, but
Madison sighed and felt tears sting her eyes. “We can’t,” she said quietly.
“How come?”
“She died. Six years ago.”
“Aw, shit, Madison. I’m sorry.” He softly ran his fingers over her hair. “I’m so sorry.”
Madison sniffled, refusing to let herself cry but lost the battle. It was only their second date, for crying out loud. He didn’t need to see what kind of mess she could turn into when she cried.
Somehow Declan had managed to break down walls she had been building for so long. It took her almost a year to tell Ryan about Ellie, and now here she was, introducing him to one of the most important people in her life. Somehow, he had found a way into that place in her heart she guarded for dear life.
Declan tried to let go of their embrace so he could see her eyes, but as soon as his arms started to relax, Madison held onto him even tighter, not ready to let go. Instead, he tightened his hold and simply held her.
Several minutes later when he felt her start to relax, Declan kissed the top of her head and whispered, “Will you dance with me?”
“What, here?”
She could feel Declan nod in response.
“Come with me.”
Declan kissed her head once more then moved to stand. He offered his hand and helped her up. Not saying anything, he ran this thumbs under her eyes, brushing away the wetness her tears had left behind, then led them to the gym in the back.
When he reached an area without any hanging bags, he released her hand and walked to the corner where the sound system was. He pulled his phone from his back pocket, searched for a song and plugged it into the dock. In seconds, repeating notes came out of the speaker, followed by Sam Hunt speaking the first words of “Take Your Time.”
He walked up to her with a soft smile on his face. “May I have this dance?”
He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close to his body. Madison gently wrapped her arms around his neck and rested her head on his chest, letting him lead. They didn’t really move. They just swayed in time to the music.
Declan thought about being there with Madison, her having opened up to him, which he was certain was not something she was used to doing. It made him smile that she was willing to knock down her walls for him. He tightened his hold again at the thought.
As the song came to an end, Madison pulled back and looked into Declan’s soft eyes. “Thank you.”
The corners of his lips turned upward as he lowered his head to brush his lips against hers. “Anything for you.”
Madison tightened her arms around his neck, bringing his lips closer for a more passionate kiss.
As their kisses grew more intense, the music was ignored and they stopped swaying. Hands began to explore, running up and down arms. Tongues met. Necks were tasted.
Soon what started off as a slow kiss had escalated into something that was quickly leading them down a new path.
When Declan felt Madison’s fingers skim his flesh under his shirt, he reached down and took her hand in his. “Hey, wait a sec.”
“What?” she asked breathily.
He paused a second before he quietly answered. “I don’t want our first time to happen like this. Not in the middle of the gym.”
Madison lifted up on her toes and kissed the bottom of his jaw. “Let’s go back to my place then.”
All thoughts of the previous conversation had been left behind. There was a sparkle in Madison’s eye now and Declan knew what she wanted.
He just wasn’t so sure.
Hand in hand they turned off the lights and locked the front door.
The ride to Madison’s house was quiet but filled with tension. Finally, Declan spoke. “Please don’t take this the wrong way, but for tonight, I’m just going to drop you off.”
The hand that was on Declan’s knee moved up to this thigh. “You are? Why don’t you come in for a while?”
Declan knew if he came in, it wouldn’t be just for a while. He laid his hand over hers. “I want to, but
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