I stand, roll my mat, and stuff it under my arm. “The whipped cream was a happy accident when it fell off my spoon, but the other two, I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
Liam’s head falls back as he bellows out laughter. “Mads, please. I’ve been watching this dance of yours for three years, remember? I know all your tells. Your flirty innuendos. And the not-so-subtle way you eye fuck me.”
I growl. Damn him.
“Baby, come here.” He waves me over, but I look at him cautiously.
“Why? You want to almost finish what you started?”
He chuckles and shakes his head. “Quit being stubborn and get your ass over here.”
I walk over and stand between his legs, dropping the mat. Liam wraps his arms around me, pulling me closer until there’s no space left. Cupping my face, his thumb brushes my bottom lip.
“Remember when you were ready to jump my bones and lose your V-card, but I made you wait?”
I groan. “Yes.”
“And a couple of weeks later, we took the time to get to know each other and really explore our feelings. Wasn’t making love that first time so much more special because we didn’t rush?”
Shrugging, I answer, “I guess so.”
“You guess so?” He lifts a brow, and I break out into a laugh.
“Yes, of course. It was very special.” I wrap my arms around his shoulders. “But during those two weeks, we were still being intimate with each other, just not all the way intimate.”
“And after the fight when we’re able to forget about JJ and the O’Learys, won’t waiting feel way more special?”
I lower my eyes. The emotions I’ve bottled up inside threaten to release, but I try holding them back.
“Mads?” He tips my chin up toward him. “What is it?”
“Nothing,” I whisper.
“I know this isn’t nothing,” he says, wiping a tear that slipped out. “Tell me.”
I swallow hard, feeling silly for getting emotional. “What if…” I start, then lick my lips. “What if there is no ‘after the fight’ because you don’t survive,” I finally croak out. “We abstain from sex and have no last time.”
“Is that what this is? You’re worried something’s going to happen to me, and we’ll have missed out?” he asks, wrapping a piece of loose hair behind my ear.
“Well of course, I’m worried!” I toss out my arms. “If you die, we wasted every last opportunity to spend together.”
“Maddie…” he says slowly, grabbing my face. “I’m not going to die.”
“You can’t know that. I looked up videos on underground fighting, and it’s really fucking ugly.”
“Dammit, why’d you do that?”
I lean back slightly. “Because I wanted to know what my boyfriend was getting into. I have a right to know just how dangerous this is and how to prepare myself for the worst.”
“You’re right. It is ugly, but that’s why I’m training so hard, baby.”
“That doesn’t guarantee the other guy won’t have just as much training or hell, more. There’s no way to know how this is going to turn out and—”
“Maddie, stop,” he demands, then cups my cheeks. “I promise you, okay? I promise I’m coming back to you in one piece. There’s nothing in this goddamn world that will keep me from you. Got that? We fought way too hard to be with each other. I’m not letting anything come between us now.”
Tears hang at the corner of my eyes and slowly fall down my cheeks. I know he can’t promise me that, but I hang onto every single word because it’s all that’ll get me through this until it’s over.
I nod, unable to speak through my emotions, and Liam hugs me to his chest.
“I love you,” he says softly.
“Always?”
His lips tilt up against my skin.
“Always.”
Now that I’m on Christmas vacation, my days are starting to run together, and when I wake up to another morning of Liam already gone, it takes me a minute to realize it’s Friday. One more day until our family Christmas party here with my sisters and their husbands. And of course, Tyler as well.
Too bad there isn’t a fourth Corrigan sister because Tyler could easily blend in with our family. The guys all love him, and he’s good with Lennon’s kids. He’s tall, dark, and handsome. Literally. There is nothing not to like about him.
“Get up, Madilocks!” He pounds loudly on my door. “Soph’s trying to call you. Answer your phone!”
Okay, except for that.
After Liam left for Vegas and Tyler was put on “Maddie duty,” he gave me a nickname after Goldilocks just to fuck with me. He thinks it’s the funniest thing in the world since it annoys me. Then Sophie chimed in and said it was perfect since I moved into the house last and took over her bed.
“You’re an asshole, Beanstalk!” I shout, whipping off my covers and marching to the door. “What?”