“I will,” Boomer agreed. “I can’t bake to save my life, but I can make a meal. My point is who does what jobs doesn’t matter. I don’t want a wife who stays at home or a wife who needs to work. I want a wife who loves me, and I want a family. The rest is window dressing.”
Put so simply, Deke knew that was what he wanted, too. What he’d always wanted. “I don’t think Maddie shares your vision.”
Boomer gestured toward the back of the house. “Then it’s only because she doesn’t know how nice it can be. Look around that house. You know what’s missing?”
“Nothing, from what I can tell.” She had everything including a tricked-out media room with a massive TV and movie theater style chairs.
“There’s no pictures,” Boomer replied. “She’s got one picture of her mom and dad and nothing else. She’s got paintings, but I would bet those are more investments than anything else. She doesn’t have pictures of her friends. I’m starting to think she doesn’t have any.”
But Maddie had friends in high school. She’d loved hanging with her girlfriends and going on double dates. She’d loved parties.
Over the last couple of days, they’d talked about the op mostly, but at night she’d asked him about his life. When she talked about hers, it was all work. She hadn’t mentioned friends she went out with. She hadn’t mentioned friends at all.
The idea that Maddie was lonely made his heart ache.
The idea that she was manipulating him oddly didn’t irritate him. She wanted to get into bed with him, and she could tell herself it was all about sex. Hell, he’d propped that door open with the whole live-in-the-moment bullshit he’d spouted.
Now he had two things to give her. Pleasure and companionship.
The money disparity still worried him, but he would think about that later. Right now, he was going to concentrate on rebuilding their connection. They had some time. He wouldn’t rush her, but he also wasn’t going to let her slip into his bed and slip out without giving something back.
“Hey, I was going to order some dinner since it’s getting late.” Maddie had opened the glass door and stood there watching them, the light from the pool casting shadows across the beautifully landscaped yard. “I’ve got a bunch of delivery menus if you want to look.”
Boomer turned. “I could eat.”
Boomer walked back into the house. Through the windows he could see MaeBe already had her laptop out. Kyle stood behind her, his hands on her shoulders. Boomer immediately started picking up the menus Maddie had left out.
It was a cozy scene.
“I like your friends a lot.” Maddie joined him at the edge of the pool, her arms wrapped around her torso as if she didn’t trust herself not to put a hand on him.
Had he been reading her body language all wrong?
“They like you, too.” He turned her way. “I think they’re going to enjoy staying in this amazing house you have. Boomer will spend all his time sitting in the hot tub eating sandwiches if we let him.”
Her lips turned up in a grin and she relaxed. “I’m glad to hear it. I think he might spice the place up a little. Give the neighbors something to look at. This is a quiet neighborhood. It could use some scandal.”
Like the neighbors could see anything. The backyard had been meticulously designed for privacy, complete with lush, tall bushes and a ten-foot fence, but he could play her game. “I might try the hot tub myself.”
He watched as she seemed to make a decision.
Her chin came up, a challenge in her eyes. “Yeah, I think that might be a good idea. We could sit in the hot tub tonight, if you like. I’m now used to being mostly naked a lot of the time, so a swimsuit should be easy.”
“You won’t be wearing a suit, baby.”
She bit her bottom lip, her tongue darting over it. “Okay. I should get used to being around you like that. I thought today went pretty well. The practicing part, that is. I talked to MaeBe, and she and Kyle are trying to keep up the illusion even when they’re alone. She thinks it will help them look like a couple.”
Little liar. He knew damn well Kyle wasn’t on board with that plan, and MaeBe was going to get spanked at some point. Which would likely lead to exactly what that brat wanted—Kyle Hawthorne in her bed.
Maddie was going to get spanked, too, but he wasn’t in a hurry to call her on the manipulation quite yet. She was trying to tempt him. He could have told her all she had to do to tempt him was exist, but he might have more fun playing her game.
“I agree.” He turned to her, getting into her space. “You know what we haven’t done yet? I haven’t kissed you. Not properly.”