“Give it here,” I hold my open palm out in front of her, and like the good girl she is, she sets the key in my hand.
It takes some maneuvering, but I get the door unlocked and swing it open.
“Welcome to my home,” Maddie uses her free hand to gesture through the doorway.
This is where I tell her goodnight.
Maddie steps through the door.
And I follow.
A soft feminine scent envelops me. It’s faint, but it’s there, the soft tones of lotions and perfumes floating through the space, mixed with an undercurrent of freshly ground coffee. It’s comforting and warm and oddly reminds me of my childhood.
I take another inhale, letting the floral notes spark a memory in my brain, of walking into my neighbor’s house to play. My friend had a hot older sister that was always using that super girly body spray, filling their whole house.
It’s not the exact scent that reminds me of the past. It’s the aura offemalethat fills this place. There’s a comfort to it- the knowledge that Maddie lives here, showers and gets ready here, and that’s why it smells the way it does.
A light flips on, and my mind is brought back to the present.
Standing just inside the threshold of Maddie’s house, there’s a heavy metal door on my left, leading into the garage, and a few feet ahead there’s an open door on the right that looks like an office. Past that, there’s another couple doorways and then the hallway opens up into a larger space.
With a hand on the wall, Maddie bends to remove her shoes. She’s facing away from me and the devil on my shoulder is begging the taught denim over her ass to tear apart.
Since my eyes are locked on her form, I watch as she pulls off her second shoe and starts to tip as she straightens.
Closing the small distance between us, I grip her waist, steadying her.
Maddie lets out a small yelp before she realizes that I have her.
Her back to my front, we stay frozen for a heartbeat – then two – before she drops her face into her hands, shaking her head.
“I’m sorry.” Her words are muffled, but in the quiet of the house I can make them out. “I swear I’m not usually like this. It’s so embarrassing.”
I release my hold on Maddie and step around in front of her. “Don’t be embarrassed, Doll. You’re fucking perfect.”
Her fingers slowly part and she looks up at me.
She stares at me for a few moments. “Why are you so-”
“No.” I hold up a hand to stop her. “Don’t call me nice again.”
Maddie’s hands drop to her sides and her mouth moves, but she doesn’t say anything.
Then she shocks the shit out of me by stepping forward and wrapping her arms around me in a hug.
A fucking hug.
Every muscle in my body stills as she lays her cheek against my chest, her tiny hands pressed into my back - not quite reaching around me.
My arms are in the air, like she’s placing me under arrest instead of showing me affection.
I don’t… I don’t remember the last time someone hugged me.
Her fingertips press into the muscles along my spine and I break.
I drop my arms, encircling her small frame.
The second I pull her closer, she relaxes into me. As though this is normal, and not the most spectacular thing that I’ve experienced in years.