Total pages in book: 90
Estimated words: 84266 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 421(@200wpm)___ 337(@250wpm)___ 281(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 84266 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 421(@200wpm)___ 337(@250wpm)___ 281(@300wpm)
“You’re right.” His dad sat down on the same bench Maddox had vacated. “I need to trust. Both my gut and her.”
Ben wouldn’t go quite that far. He wasn’t sure he knew how to trust like that, but then his father had always been the better man.
“This going to work?” Maddox limped out of the dressing room, leaning on a single crutch. His cast had been upgraded to the walking boot kind, but he hadn’t gotten clearance yet to switch to a cane, which was what he wanted. Ben was just happy seeing him make progress—it meant he was that much closer to getting back out in the field with him. Not to mention, the lighter cast meant certain things were way easier. And Ben was a big fan of easy.
“Perfectly.” Ben’s father brightened, rubbing his hands together. “The vest suits you.”
Ben could generally give a fuck about fashion, but he forced himself to look—really look at Maddox. Close-cropped hair growing back in and facial scars far less red and angry now. The jagged line up one cheekbone over to his ear was always going to be visible, and while a constant reminder of how close Maddox had come to dying, it and the other smaller scars did nothing to diminish Maddox’s appeal. Mad’s beard was way more than just a shadow now, and his massive shoulders and arms strained the sleeves of the crisp white tuxedo shirt. Since he wasn’t in the wedding party, Maddox had opted for a no-jacket look with a purple paisley vest in a nod to Camilla’s color scheme. And he looked good. Like his rugged features were meant to wear dress clothes. His stomach gave a weird flip. “You’re all right,” Ben allowed.
“You line up a date yet?” his father asked. “Either of you? Camilla’s finalizing the seating chart tonight.”
Oh fuck. This was a can of worms. They hadn’t really decided how to handle this question. But with Maddox looking that good, no way was Ben taking any chances unleashing him on the other guests or a well-meaning set-up from Camilla.
“Seat Maddox with us,” he said firmly. “He’s practically family anyway.”
Something about that must have been the exactly wrong thing to say because Maddox frowned and looked away. What the heck? Either you want us publicly together or not. Ben tried to catch Maddox’s eyes, but nothing doing.
“No dates?” His dad’s eyebrows went up.
“Nope.” Maddox sounded so glum that Ben was tempted to remind him right then and there that he was getting lots of dates, exactly as he wanted. Wasn’t Ben trying hard enough?
“Mad’s all the plus-one I need,” Ben joked, not entirely kidding, but Maddox shot him an eye dagger anyway. Well, hell. Maybe he really was going to screw things up no matter what.
Chapter Nineteen
“Remind me again why we have to be early to this thing?” Ben asked as he wrapped himself around Maddox from behind. After being in a mood last week, he’d been unusually cuddly all morning and it was more than a little unnerving.
“Because Camilla wants pictures of the wedding party.” Maddox let himself relax into Ben’s grip, a rare present to himself, a few moments to absorb all Ben’s affection and attention. And a chance to appreciate the picture they made in the mirror in the corner of Maddox’s room. Ben seriously looked like he’d strolled off the set of the latest Hollywood wedding-weekend movie, hair slicked back and tux hugging every muscle. So damn handsome. And for today at least, all Maddox’s. “And you’re my ride, so I’m tagging along.”
He purposefully didn’t say “date.” Despite them dating, they’d both agreed to not make an issue of it at the wedding. Which Maddox should be fine with, seeing how it was his idea. They needed to be careful, but such caution was increasingly grating, especially in the face of all the happiness of the past few weeks.
Maybe not much longer. Maybe soon they’d be able to make this...thing more official. Maddox needed to have that conversation with Ben, but he was purposefully waiting until after the wedding. After all, Ben had been the one to impose today as a deadline in their little dating experiment. Although, if he was ready to throw in the towel, he sure as heck wasn’t showing any signs, what with all the neck nuzzling and roving hands going on right now.
“We definitely don’t have time to go back to bed.” Maddox laughed.
“Who said anything about a bed?” Ben leered at him in the mirror. “I only require a solid surface.”
“If that.” Maddox chuckled, remembering their attempt at sharing a shower last week. Two large guys sharing a standard-size tub had been almost comical. And hot. Lathering each other had ended with Maddox sitting on the shower stool and Ben blowing him. Not a bad memory at all, one of dozens in the past few weeks that sustained him, gave him hope that he was on the right path.