Take a Chance on Me

Chapter Eighteen



Mitch watched Maddie walk out of Earl’s with a tall, good-looking blond man.

The fiancé. Mitch didn’t know what he’d been expecting, but it sure as hell wasn’t the guy standing on the sidewalk not twenty feet away from him.

Her red hair blew in the breeze as she looked up at the man and nodded. The man frowned and raised a hand as if to touch her.

Mitch gripped the steering wheel so tightly that he was surprised it didn’t shatter under the pressure. Raw, turbulent emotions rammed through him like the fiercest of storms, threatening to engulf him until he was all reaction and no logic.

The fiancé’s hand dropped away.

Charlie’s words came rushing back at him: You never f*cking learn.

Mitch fought the urge to jump out of the car and break every bone in the guy’s body. Possessive, almost feral, jealousy unlike anything he’d ever experienced before in his life locked around his throat and wouldn’t let go.

Jesus. He was going to lose her.

The reality of the situation was like a punch in the gut.

She was only his until she wanted to leave. He had no claim on her—nothing real.

The fiancé turned away. Maddie watched him with an indescribable expression on her face as he walked around the corner and disappeared.

Despite the cold air blasting at him from the vents, Mitch’s brow beaded with sweat. As soon as he’d gotten the call from Charlie, he’d rushed to the diner like a bat out of hell with the notion of rescuing her. Now he wasn’t sure she’d welcome the intrusion.

He wasn’t sure if she’d want him.

The insecurity made him so furious that he jumped out of the car, ran across the street, and grabbed her before he had time to even process his actions.

She swung around, blinked, and burst into tears.

Mitch gathered her up, cuddled her into his chest, and shuffled her into the car. A minute later they were on the road, but he experienced no sense of relief, no victory. How could he, with Maddie bawling her eyes out?

He wanted to comfort her, take her into his arms and tell her everything would be okay, but he had to get control of his emotions first.

So far, he was losing the f*cking battle.

Panic, jealousy, and fear rammed through him like the most violent of storms. He managed a strained, “Princess, are you okay?”

“I did it,” she said in a shaky voice. “It was hard, sad, and scary, but I did it.”

Mitch took her hand, squeezing her fingers. He was afraid to hope, afraid to even breathe. “What did you do?”

“I said good-bye.”

The completely irrational possessiveness burned in his lungs. Adrenaline still pumped in his veins, not caring whether the immediate threat was over. “Are you okay?”

“Yes,” she said, still staring out the window. “I’m . . . just . . . I don’t know. It was almost half my life. And now it’s over.”

“I’m sorry.” He pulled to a stop at Revival’s only traffic light. “I hate that you’re upset.”

Maddie looked at him, her tear-streaked cheeks and watery gaze making her look beautiful and tragic. “I’m relieved.”

The light turned green and he floored the gas pedal. Possessive, primal urges pulsed inside him, beating at his chest. At the first corner he saw, he jerked the car right and pulled onto the side street, swinging the car into the first available spot.

“What’s wrong?” Her voice trembled.

He needed her. Right now.

Her eyes widened, her pink tongue darting out to wet her lips. She gave him a slight nod.

He lunged.

She met him halfway, their mouths coming together in a hard, brutal rush of lust that stunned him.

Pushed to the very edge of control, Mitch kissed her as though he were a starving man. He gripped the back of her neck. Slanting his lips to deepen the angle, thrusting his tongue into her mouth far too aggressively.

She groaned and curled her fingers into his shoulders, her nails biting into his skin despite the cotton separating them.

With a low, guttural sound, he yanked her T-shirt up and rubbed his thumb over her nipple through her bra. With no patience and zero finesse, he ripped the cup down and pinched and rolled the hard bud with a force that had her gasping.

He ripped away and sank his teeth into her neck, biting her, marking her.

She jerked against him.


He growled, covering her lips again with almost savage need. He took, demanded, f*cked her mouth with his tongue and teeth. Impatient and fumbling, he pulled at the button on her shorts, sliding the zipper down. Their arms and elbows flailed and bumped. The horn went off as he smacked it with his elbow while stripping her shorts down her legs.

Frantic hands undid his jeans. His cock sprang free, and her hot fingers encircled his length. She stroked, and his balls pulled tight. He pushed her away, tearing his mouth from hers and sitting back against the seat. He gripped her waist, pulling her on top of him and positioning her legs over his thighs.

It was too fast, too rough, but he couldn’t wait.

He grabbed her hips, lifted her up, and drove into her.

She cried out, forehead hitting his as she shifted to accommodate his size. A distant part of his brain warned him to slow down, but he couldn’t. He thrust high, fingers digging into her hips and ass as he impaled her.

Harsh, ragged breathing filled the car. Her hands tore at his shirt. Their mouths fused together, almost fighting. Primal and primitive.

He tore away from her. “Mine.”

“Yes,” she whispered against his mouth.

“All mine.” They came together in a fast, furious pounding of flesh. He looked down and watched his cock slide in and out of her, claiming his ownership.

Mine, mine, mine. The visceral violence of his emotions scared the shit of out of him, but he couldn’t stop.

He slammed into her, almost brutal in his desire.

She met him stroke for stroke, increasing her pace to keep up with him, her lips parting in a gasp. “Oh, God.”

“Say my name.” His balls tightened, but he couldn’t slow down. He needed to be closer.

Faster. Harder. Higher.

“Mitch,” she whimpered, nipping his bottom lip and scratching his forearms with her nails.

He couldn’t take her hard enough. Couldn’t get close enough. All of his thoughts dissolved into two words. More. Mine.

Her inner muscles clenched around his cock like a vice.

“Tell me.” The words were practically a growl.

“What?”

“Tell me how much you want it.” That primitive part of his brain demanded surrender, and he pushed harder than he would under normal circumstances.

“I want it. You. Please.” The words were half moan and filled with need, sending feral satisfaction through his blood. She threw her head back, riding his cock like her life depended on it, and he loved every single second of it. “Mitch, please, I—”

“Are you mine?” The dominance was clear in the guttural tone of his voice.

“Yes,” she said in a panting gasp, her muscles rippling along his erection in confirmation.

He reached up and grabbed her jaw, forcing their gazes to lock together. “You’re damn right you are.”

She came in a mad rush, and he thrust into her one last time, his orgasm pounding through him like a stampede. He emptied into her, coming so hard that his vision blurred and dimmed.

She collapsed against him.

His arms settled around her and he squeezed her tightly, trying to work air into his burning lungs. She nuzzled closely, panting for breath as their heated bodies pressed together.

He trailed his fingers over her bare lower back, loving how she shivered and trembled at his touch.

The car windows were fogged and he realized they were sitting somewhere less than private in broad daylight. He punched down the air conditioner.

She heaved a sigh. “Wow.”

“Wow is an understatement.”

She sat up, and when he met her eyes, she blushed. A smile curved over his lips and he pushed a damp lock of hair behind her ear.

A subtle awkwardness permeated the thick air as the silence grew. What was there to say after sex like that? Sex that transcended time and place. Sex that hid nothing and revealed everything.

He trailed a thumb over her swollen lip. “Want to agree we’ll talk about it later?”

Shoulders relaxing, she laughed. “Maybe that would be best.”

He curled his hand around her throat, stroking the spot where he’d bitten her. It was red. It marked her, made her his.

She trailed a finger over his forearm, inspecting the damage she’d inflicted. “I, um, scratched you.”

He kissed her. “Don’t worry about it. I bit you, so I think we’re even.”

She flushed again and started to tug at her clothes.

He pulled out of the warm, wet haven of her body and froze. “F*ck.”

“What?” she asked, tension clouding her features.

“I didn’t wear a condom.” He dragged a hand through his hair. “Goddamn it, it didn’t even cross my mind. I never forget. Ever. I’m sorry, Maddie.”

“Oh,” she said, climbing off him and reaching to the floor to retrieve her abandoned shorts. “I’m on those birth control shots.”

He wasn’t relieved. He frowned. Why wasn’t he relieved?

He cleared his throat and focused on zipping his jeans. “There’s more than pregnancy to worry about these days.”

She adjusted her bra, staring at the floor instead of looking at him. She shrugged. “I’m not worried.”

He should give her some sort of lecture about safe sex, but damned if he had the energy. He was too f*cking confused at the torrent of unnamed emotions storming through him. “Good, I’m not worried either. But I promise I’m safe.”

“Me too,” she mumbled.

Something he didn’t want to think about gnawed at him. “We could get blood tests to put your mind at ease.”

She fixed her shorts, fumbling with the button while she stared at the dashboard. “If you want.”

Quiet ensued as they worked on putting themselves together. The air was still charged with tension as he put the car into gear and turned out onto the road. Needing to break the awkwardness, he grasped her hand and brought her fingers to his lips. “Let’s not worry about it right now, all right?”

She stared out the window for several long moments before blowing out a breath and looking at him. “Are you worried about it?”

They weren’t talking about sex without protection, and both of them knew it. Something had changed between them, something far too intense for two people who’d only known each other a short time. “Yeah, I am. You?”

“Yes,” she said, but squeezed his hand all the same.

“We’ll figure it out.” Somehow. Although he didn’t know how.

“Have—” Voice croaking, she cleared her throat. “Have you ever, um, done anything like that?”

“No.” He glanced at her. They weren’t talking about the act itself. “Never. That was the most intense f*ck of my life.”

Her expression eased, and she grinned. “You do have a way with words, don’t you?”

The air lightened considerably, putting them once again on sure footing. He grinned back at her. “Princess, I talk like that because you like it.”

She poked his thigh. “You like it. I go along.”

He pulled up to a stop sign, checking in the rearview mirror to make sure there were no cars. He leaned over and nuzzled her neck, sliding his fingers down her shorts, sinking into her p-ssy, which was flooded with his come.

“What are you doing?” She grabbed his wrist, trying to pull him away even as her body quickened.

The pulse beating fast against his tongue didn’t lie. He licked, scraping his teeth over her skin. Lifting his head, he whispered in her ear, “Tell me the truth, and I promise to put you over my knee and give you a proper spanking.”


Inner muscles clenched and rippled along his fingers, and he laughed wickedly. “Oh, someone definitely likes that idea.”

“You’re the worst.” She groaned and clutched the door handle as she rocked into his hand.

His cock hardened as he pumped into her hot, tight core. “Admit it—”

A horn blared and he reluctantly pulled away, but not before he planted a hard kiss on her lips. “You are in so much trouble when we get home.”

She shivered, her eyes flirting up at him. “Drive.”

He drove the next couple of blocks to the farmhouse, turning up the drive. The tires crunched over gravel, and he frowned to see an unwelcome car in the driveway.

He pulled behind the Mercedes and his stomach tightened. He glanced at the porch and flipped off the ignition. “Oh, hell.”

“Who’s that?” Maddie asked.

Jesus Christ, could anything else go wrong? “It’s my mother.”