Rise Like The Sun

CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

NICK

They're tangled up within each other and when Monday arrives, Nick still hasn't been able to get Madison out of his head.

His gaze falls on to her sleeping form and without thinking, Nick reaches forwards and presses his lips against the bruises on her arm, as though his kisses can erase Kyle's filthy touches. Madison shifts slightly, her fingers drifting against his chest as she curls into him, and Nick lets out a breath. He rests his chin on her hair, breathing in this very moment.

She hasn't said a thing about Kyle, no matter how many times he had asked.

And Nick had asked.

Madison's just too good.

She'd flinched a couple of times when he had accidentally brushed past her arm and Nick had burned with fury, had felt his blood blazing. He had promised himself that he would do to Kyle the exact same thing that the bastard had done to Madison, had snarled for his blood angrily.

Nick usually loved being right but this time, he hated it. He couldn't deny that he was sick with worry over Madison.

God, Nick thinks.

When did Madison Sutton get into his head?

He shakes his head a little.

Usually, she'd already be up before him, bustling about and demanding things of him as he moaned at her sleepily, but he's grateful that she's still in bed with him. Madison doesn't like to laze around in bed and she flits away from his touch unless they're kissing. Nick gets it because he's exactly the same.

He doesn't want a relationship.

That's not him.

Nick's tried dating a few times, but relationships are just not for him. Girls are attracted to him, until he opens his mouth. It's a good thing he puts his mouth to good use when Madison's around, he thinks to himself and snorts.

When Madison shifts a little in her sleep, Nick's gaze drops to her and he's grateful that she's not awake to see his face, but he doesn't want to know why.

*

MADISON

Madison is not sure what to expect now of their liaisons.

She drums her fingers impatiently against the table as Nick grins into her face and eats his breakfast even more slowly, just to mess with her. Madison rolls her eyes at him disparagingly. But when Nick smiles, her heart does this funny little stutter that makes her turn her face away quickly, so he doesn't notice.

The light of the dawn is just breaking out over the skies, casting pale gold and pinks all over them, and before her, Nick is bathed in gold. Madison swallows thickly. He's utterly infuriating, and he has this way of winding her up completely and yet...

It's a dream to be with him, in the long, dark nights, where his fingers cup against her face and his lips draw moans of pleasure from her throat. And that's dangerous.

It's a purely physical thing, Madison tells herself. That's why she doesn't stay in bed with him, doesn't miss the feverish cling of his fingers to her hips, doesn't dream about his sinful mouth on hers.

"What are you thinking about?" Nick is asking her, as he lifts himself from his chair to stare down at her. There's something curious within his face. "Regretting it already?"

"Regretting you or the fact that I've wasted an entire weekend?" Madison asks, and the edge of her voice is slightly playful and softer than she wants it to be.