The Scottish Bride (The Brides of Holland Springs Book 5)(2)

“Consider it retracted. Swallowed. Gone.” She sat down on the bed and looked up at Waverly. “What should I do?”

“Be yourself.”

With a groan, Cadence flopped down on the bed. “Myself isn’t good enough, not when you’re around.” Maybe when Maddox saw Waverly, he’d decide that everything was just a fluke. That he could do so much better by being with Waverly instead.

“I can leave.”

“No.” Cadence sighed thickly. “Momma and Daddy would miss you too much.”

Waverly kicked her, and Cadence winced a little. “But you wouldn’t?”

“Not this time,” she answered honestly, earning another kick. “Fine, I’d miss you a little.”

Her sister sat beside her. “Stop being this way. Maddox has had his eye on you for a long time. In fact... no, never mind, you’d never believe me.”

Cadence shot to a sitting position, grabbing Waverly’s arm. “Yes, I would. You always tell me the truth.”

“Well, I heard Jude talking with Rhys about Maddox not wanting to go out with them.”

“Rhys isn’t exactly the most fun guy to go out with,” she pointed out. They might be cousins and all, but Rhys was so dang moody and snooty that no one wanted to be around him.

“Anyway, Jude made some smartass remark about how Maddox’s celibacy made him the best wing man when they went out.”

“You’re saying that he’s been...”

Waverly nodded. “That’s exactly what I’m saying. For years, too.”

“I can’t... but why?”

Her sister stood. “Maybe you should ask him.”

Cadence almost said no, but then again, she’d never been afraid to ask Maddox anything. Only, this was about his sex life, or lack of one. How exactly would she ask that?

Hey, Maddox. What’s up? Could you tell me about your years of celibacy?

That sounded horrible in her head, so she could only imagine how it would sound spoken out loud.

“I can’t ask him that. It’s none of my business.”

Waverly shrugged as she opened the bedroom door. “Find a way to make it your business.”

***

Cadence gave herself ten minutes after Waverly left before she headed downstairs. She took the back stairs, hoping to avoid everyone until she was good and ready.

She wiped her damp palms against her thighs before pushing the kitchen door open, and her heart nearly stopped in her chest.

“Maddox?” she whispered.

He turned to her, his dark hair gleaming nearly blue in the light as he smiled. “Took you long enough.” His blue eyes roamed over her. “I like the dress.”

She almost answered him coyly, but opted for the truth instead. “I wore it for you.”

His brows rose. “Did you now?”

She nodded, licking her bottom lip. “I wanted to be more... me.”

After crossing the distance between them, Maddox put his hands on her hips. Heat jumped, and desired flared between them. “If you’re not comfortable in your pretty dress, I’ll help you change.”

“Don’t say things you don’t mean.”

“I mean to get you out of your clothes.” He dipped his head, bringing their mouth inches apart. “But don’t dress up on my account if you’d rather wear jeans.”

“That women who want your autograph don’t wear jeans.” They never did. His fans showed up in skimpy dresses and short shorts, pushing out their boobs for him to sign.

“Really? I didn’t notice. Too busy thinking about you.”

Coming from another man, Cadence knew this would be a line, but coming from Maddox... anything but a line. “You were thinking about me wearing jeans?”

“Not exactly,” he admitted. “More like thinking about you wearing nothing at all.”

“I can make that happen.” She tried to kiss him, but he wouldn’t let her move. “What’s wrong?”

He tilted his head, studying her. “I’m no saint, sweetheart, and I want you more than life itself, but we’ll wait a bit longer.”

Her forehead scrunched. “Wait longer? But we’re officially together now—it’s been six months!”

He brushed a kiss against her lips. “Then you and I can wait six more.”

“Six more months?” she asked with a squeak. “I’m tired of being a nun.”

He smiled, his bearded face ridiculously handsome. “Ah, Cadence, you are very tempting, but I won’t give in. The woman I want will get a proper courting before—”

She slammed her mouth against his, almost knocking their teeth together. He groaned in his throat, his fingers winding in her hair as he deepened their kiss. His tongue swept inside her mouth, teasing and tasting.

Oh, she could kiss him for hours.

Usually, that was what they did... until one of them had to stop. Take it slow had been their motto, but she was done with slow. Cadence wanted full speed ahead.

“You won’t sway me,” he said between kisses, but the evidence of his arousal hitting her stomach made him a liar.

She began to rub against him, eliciting a full-on groan. It made her feel so powerful that she couldn’t help but reply, “I can and I will.”