“Hayden’s here,” I say to Gage as I take in the woman. Leigh, Madeline’s assistant who I met the night she brought Maddie’s belongings to my condo. She’s tiny, barely five feet tall, and walks with a confident stride like she’s here to handle business. Exactly how she walked into my condo that night. “Do you want to speak with him?”

“No, just pass on my message. I’ve gotta go. Shayla’s blowing up my fucking phone.”

We end the call and I let Hayden know about Gage’s delay before eyeing Leigh who has taken up residence on the sofa and is tapping and swiping all over her phone with a speed my fingers could never achieve.

She glances up. “Is Madeline ready?” She checks her phone. “We have to leave in ten minutes and I imagine you’ve slowed her down this morning.”

I smirk. “Are you always this stern?”

“She is,” Maddie says, joining us while fastening a watch around her wrist.

As I watch Madeline, I’m struck by her beauty all over again. She’s wearing her hair up in a ponytail now with some strands falling around her face. And while I prefer less makeup on her, she’s glowing with pink cheeks and lips while her big blue eyes are accentuated by the makeup.

“Pfft,” Leigh says, drawing my attention back to the conversation. “Wait till you meet Judy.”

“Who’s Judy?” I ask.

“The sternest one on the team,” Leigh says, not really answering my question. Then to Maddie, she says, “Tell me you’re ready. We’ve got a lot to go over this morning and I want to cover it all before Tucker gets in your face.”

I frown at Maddie. “You’re seeing him today?”

She nods. “We’re performing at a thing.”

“Together? You’re singing with him?” It can’t be denied how tense I feel over just the thought of this. The last thing Madeline needs is to be anywhere near her ex.

“No. Not together.”

“If I have anything to do with it,” Leigh says with conviction, “they won’t come into contact.”

Hayden interrupts before I can throw out all kinds of demands of Leigh to make sure Tucker is kept away. Demands that aren’t my place to be making but that I want to be making. Looking at Maddie, Hayden says, “I’ll be in touch.”

“Thank you.” Her gratitude for what he’s doing is clear in her tone and all over her face.

After he leaves, Leigh eyes the time again before looking at Maddie and me. “You two have five minutes. I’ll wait outside.” Then, giving me what I think must be one of her signature bossy looks, she says, “If Madeline is late today, you will regret it.”

“I like her,” I say to Maddie once we’re alone and I’m reaching for her, bringing her in close. “I like that she looks out for you.”

When my hands find her ass, she wraps her arms around me and hits me with a sexy look that I know I’ll still be feeling long after she’s gone. “Are you going to make me late, Black?”

I grin down at her, enjoying the hell out of having my hands on her. “Can you tell me what Leigh’s idea of making me regret that would be?”

“You wouldn’t like it, but I’d be worth it, right?” She’s still got sex in her eyes and she’s still slaying me with that look.

I press her ass, pushing her into my erection. “Possibly.”

“Seriously? Only possibly?” She’s bantering and I’m finding it fucking hard not to throw her over my shoulder, take her into the bedroom, and forbid her from leaving this suite today.

I drop my gaze to her lips. “That depends on what filthy things you’d do with this mouth.”

She brings one hand to my neck and pulls my face down to hers so she can kiss me. It’s a quick kiss and I’m nowhere near satisfied with it. “You should spend the day coming up with ideas for me and my mouth.”

Fuck.

“Jesus. There goes all the work I’d planned on getting through today.” I pull her face back to mine, and turning serious, I say, “My first idea for your mouth is a kiss that’s longer than the one you just gave me. And if it makes you late, it’ll be worth anything Leigh does to make me regret it.” With that, I take what I want. A kiss that I give my soul to. A kiss that demands her soul too.

She’s breathless by the time I’m finished with her. And a little overwhelmed, which at first, I assume is caused by the kiss, however, it turns out to be something else entirely. Holding me close, she says, “I’m sorry you got dragged into that video of me.”

I’m confused as to why she’s mentioning the video again. “I didn’t get dragged into it, Miller. I was the cause of it.”