Page 79 of Mad Love

“Might make going to the bathroom interesting.”

His eyes sparkled. “But we’d get to know each other in every way.”

I patted his chest. “Maybe we should save some of the mystery.”

He snagged my fingers and held them over his heart. “I’ll keep thinking.”

I nestled closer, my head finding the perfect spot in the space between his chest and shoulder. I closed my eyes and relaxed. “You’re crazy.”

He was quiet for a long moment. “Mads, I need to ask you something.”

I perked up, the serious note in his voice making me nervous. “Okay.”

He glanced away with a soft exhale. “Baby, I saw the engagement announcement.”

My heart sank.

“I saw you kissing—”

I quickly covered his mouth with my fingers, tears filling my eyes. “I didn’t have a choice, Ryan, I swear. I didn’t want to kiss him.”

Ryan pushed my hand down and silenced me with a searing kiss. “I’m not accusing you, Maddie. I just… I guess I just needed to hear you say it.”

I sniffled a little.

“Baby,” he murmured, wiping away a tear, “don’t cry. I fucking hate it when you cry.”

I met his gaze. “I really didn’t have a choice. I didn’t want to kiss Chase any more than he wanted to kiss me.”

He scoffed, clearly not buying the last part.

“I mean it,” I insisted. “Chase is my friend, and Gary forced us to do it. But it was just a kiss. I love you.”

He gazed into my eyes, nothing but trust and love in them. “I know.”

“You believe me?” I whispered, hope fluttering in my chest.

“Maddie, I love you,” he replied with a ferocity that spoke to my soul. “I made the mistake of not trusting you once. I swore I’d never do that again, and I’m not fucking us up. I will always believe you.”

CHAPTER 29

RYAN

Hiding things from Maddie sucked, but when she’d bared her back to Knight and me, I had to swallow my rage. She hadn’t seen the way I’d started to shake and nearly bolted for the door to track down Gary and do worse to him.

Having someone remove her fucking birth control while she was unconscious? What the actual fuck was wrong with this guy?

Thank God for Knight, who had kept it together and acted as a buffer. He’d taken care of Maddie while I held her damn hand, helpless to do more to fix the mess we were in.

Now that she was sleeping soundly, though, all I could do was stare at her. I was relieved that she was back, but bloodlust still simmered in my veins. It would take only a single degree to tip me into a full-blown boil.

I eased out from under her and got up, then pulled on my shirt again and went to find answers. I paused in the doorway, looking back at her, and wondered if I should just do what my heart wanted. Crawl back into bed with her and keep watching her sleeping at my side, as close to peace as either of us had come in the last few weeks.

My spine steeled and I crept from the room, closing the door soundlessly behind me.

I’d rest with her when I knew no one else was coming for us. When I knew she was really safe.

I found Ash standing in the dining room, pissed off and close to losing it as he glared over the table at Tyler.

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