Page 149 of Maddox

“Good surprise or bad surprise?” I asked.

He took his time answering. “I spent far too many years allowing guilt to eat me alive. That turned into hate, which kept me from enjoying my life. You pushed me.”

When I started to say something, he placed his finger across my lips.

“Just let me finish. You pushed me not because you thought you knew better, but because of your love for me. I didn’t think I deserved love. I certainly couldn’t stand the thought of letting anyone in. Too painful. You smashed all barriers, crushing the armor I had surrounding me. I hated it and was furious with you. At least at first. But you refused to stop and I’m thankful you didn’t.”

The way he took my face into his hands brought tears to my eyes.

“I love you very much, Charmaine. I can’t promise the life we share will be perfect, but I will promise I’ll do everything in my power to cherish and protect you.”

“Just be yourself, Maddox. That’s all I need.”

He pressed his forehead against mine and we clung to each other for a few of the most precious seconds we’d experienced.

I’d never loved a man like I did the one holding me.

“So a good surprise,” I repeated on purpose.

After lifting his head, he smiled as he looked into my eyes. “Almost the best surprise. Almost. A close second.”

“You have me curious. What was the first?”

As he breathed in deeply, he cradled my neck with his massive palm. “You. It will always be you, the one and only woman who could ever tolerate me and I love you for that.”

“Just that?” I teased.

“Don’t press your luck.” As if to prove a point, he cracked his hand on my bottom. When I went for the hose, he corralled me with ease, tossing me over his shoulder.

Maddox had told me more than once he wasn’t a romantic man. He’d insisted he was a tainted hero and not worthy of love, a bad man with a guilty heart. Yet I knew otherwise. He was perhaps the best man, the bestpersonI’d ever met in my life.

Whatever happened, I knew we could build on the happiness.

As long as we took it one day at a time.

The End