Alpha Billionaire Series
The Wrong Choice Chapter 21

GAVIN

"This is delicious." Madison took another huge bite of the pasta, dripping a dollop of the thick creamy sauce onto her chin. She grinned as she put her fork down and used a napkin to wipe her face clean.

After a long day, we ditched our plans to have dinner out, and we ordered in. Rosatti's Italian was the ritziest place this side of town that delivered, so I bought a bottle of wine and set the table as if we were in a fancy restaurant. I sliced into my lasagna, carefully taking smaller bites so I didn't make a mess of myself, but Madii didn't hold back.

"It's good to see you're so comfortable eating in front of me. When you're Mrs. Carpenter you'll be doing a lot of that." I smirked at the speck of sauce on her chin that she missed. "Missed some."

She rolled her eyes at me as she dipped her breadstick into the alfredo and sopped up the buttery mixture. She didn't seem to care that more sauce dribbled onto her chin before wiping it off. The lights flickered as a crack of thunder shook the house, the leading edge of a weak tropical storm overhead-yet another reason to eat in.

"Glad this one didn't turn into a hurricane." She took another bite of her breadstick and chewed carefully, this time making no mess. Maybe me pointing out the last mess made her self-conscious.

"Yeah, well we are safe together, and we have plenty of time to ride out the storm. So, what do you want to do? We can play cards, maybe go in the basement and shoot pool. Or we can watch a movie." I took the last bite of my lasagna, savoring the rich flavors, and washed it down with a sip of my beer.

"Well, we could talk wedding stuff?" Madison's eyebrows rose as she pushed her plate away. There were a few morsels left, but in all the times we'd eaten together, I'd never seen her clear her plate. There were always a few bites remaining when she was done. "Yeah?" I stood and picked up our plates, carrying them to the sink. "We can do that. I'm thinking my best man will be Nick-you haven't met him, but you did meet Jiles one day as you were leaving the cafeteria after lunch."

"He's a doctor?" She stood and brought the silverware to me as I stood rinsing the plates. It was nice doing the mundane things of life with her. I looked forward to doing this every night.

"Jiles? Yeah. He's a pediatric specialist." I opened the dishwasher and loaded the plates, then carefully placed the silverware into the caddy. "Nick is a salesman. If you need a good car, I know who you can call."

She chuckled. "No thanks. I will keep my old beat-up sedan until she falls apart. Who wants a car payment in this economy? Especially when you're planning a wedding."

After grabbing a beer, she headed out of the room, so I followed, snagging my beer off the table on the way past. We wandered into the living room and collapsed on the couch. She kicked her feet up and rested them on my thighs, and I took a long swig of beer before setting it down on the table.

"So, who will stand for you?" I rubbed her foot a little as I talked.

"Obviously Lexi and Crystal. They were in my wedding with-" Her eyes fell, and she sighed. I couldn't imagine how difficult it must have been for her to be planning a new wedding when the former one had been so abruptly canceled.

"I'm sorry, Madii. We don't have to do this tonight."

She sat up and snuggled in close to me, curling up against my side. I held her against my body, rubbing her arm and wondering what she was feeling. But I didn't pressure her. If she wanted to talk, I'd listen. But I wasn't going to force her to. I knew in time she would feel better about things. I was just glad she let me be a part of her healing.

"No, it's okay... I think maybe I'll ask Violet. But that would make the parties uneven." She picked at the button on my shirt.

I had known she still had a lot of emotion that she'd repressed, and I should have been prepared for the ambivalence she would feel as we made plans. But when I heard her sniffle, it broke my heart. I pushed my finger under her chin until she looked up at me. "Really, Madison. We don't have to do this tonight. In fact, we don't have to rush into getting married at all. We can have a long engagement if you want. Some people wait five years."

She shook her head and sat up, keeping her hand splayed on my chest. Her long hair fell around her shoulders, framing her face perfectly. And despite her eyes being puffy from crying, she was just as ravishing as always.

"I'm okay. And I don't want a long engagement. What you said when you asked me to marry you-that when you know what you want you get it. I know what I want, Gavin. I want to be your wife. And I don't want to wait to do it."

She leaned down to kiss me, and I pulled her waist toward me, feeling her leg slip across my lap. She settled down on top of me, straddling me and letting her hair hang like curtains around us. When she sat up, I took her hands. Her eyes searched my face. I could see the angst behind them, the ache there.

"Is everything okay?"

Her shoulders fell and she dropped her gaze. She toyed with the ring on her finger until I covered her hands with mine.

"Talk to me."

Madison sighed and said, "I think I need to do something."

"What's that?"

"I want to go to the hospital and visit him." Her lip quivered. "I know he's not really there, that he can't really hear me or know what I'm saying, but I need to tell him. I have to give the ring back too." Coughing away the discomfort I felt as tension invaded my chest, I pushed a hair out of her face. She needed closure. That was a noble thing. So why was I so uncomfortable with that?

"Will you go with me?" She looked up at me with longing eyes.

"As a friend? Or as his doctor?"

"However you feel comfortable." She curled up on my chest, and I wrapped my arms around her.

She belonged there in my arms, draped over my chest. I had never known anything more true or right-even if my mother disapproved for whatever ungodly reason she would come up with this time. Madison was the most important thing in my life and if she wasn't okay, then I wasn't okay either. I heard her sniffle more, so I just held her calmly.

"Gavin?" she said, sitting up.

"Yeah, babe. What is it?"

"Make love to me?"

She didn't have to ask again. I cupped both of her cheeks tenderly and pulled her lips to mine. It was soft and sensuous, the flavor of beer lingering on her tongue. Her hands pushed against my chest, holding herself up as I deepened the kiss. It was an awkward position, so I rose, and laid her down on the couch, resting a knee between her legs.

Leaning over her, I slipped my hand beneath her t-shirt. She shuddered as my fingers searched the elastic of her bra, lifting it so I could enjoy her more fully. She began unbuttoning my shirt, her fingers working dexterously with the tiny buttons, even with her eyes closed. I gave up trying to lift her bra up, and just reached for the clasp, freeing her breasts so I could touch her. She made soft sounds of pleasure as I twirled a nipple between my finger and thumb.

"I love you, Madii..." I sucked on her earlobe, then backed away. Lifting her shirt up over her breasts, I took a nipple in my mouth and bit down gently. Madison sucked in a hiss and scraped at my back with her fingernails. I could feel my c**k swelling, burning to be inside of her, but I took my time, enjoying her.

She pulled my shirt up, untucking it and raising it so she could get her fingers to my skin, and I went lower, replaceing the button for her jean shorts. I wanted to taste her, to bring her pleasure so she could relax and enjoy our evening. I worked at the button, opening her fly and backing away so I could pull her shorts off. She shimmied out of them as I tugged, and then spread legs as I tossed the shorts away.

The way she looked up at me told me she wanted me to, so I did it slowly, tracing a finger up her inner thigh. I drew a circle around her soft folds, careful not to touch anything to erogenous and ruin the sensations. She arched her back, trying to thrust her body my direction so I'd be forced to sate the l**t, but I pulled away, smiling at her.

"You want me to do it? Or you want to do it?" I asked her, resting my hand on her knee.

"You do it," she whispered, "Just do it fast."

She pulled her shirt up over her head, tossing that and her bra to the ground with her shorts. Her perfectly tanned skin was magnetic, drawing my eye. She was so beautiful lying there peering at me. I started unbuttoning my pants when my phone chimed-a text message.

"Fuck..." I would have ignored the message; except I was on call for the evening and Rutger was away on holiday. "I have to check this."

With my cock throbbing, aching for relief, I reached into my pocket. I opened my notifications and saw the message was from Victor, the charge nurse in the ER. They needed me at the hospital STAT. Something about a car accident and brain swelling. Madii propped herself up on her elbows, watching with concern on her face as I read the message. "What is it?"

I sighed. "I'm on call tonight. There was a car accident, and the victim has brain swelling. I may need to do surgery to place a shunt."

I stood, fastening my pants back in place and clearly disappointing Madison. She frowned as she sat up, snatching her shirt off the ground. She didn't look angry, but I knew she was sad. Who wouldn't be-being interrupted in the middle of that.

"I'm sorry, babe. I should have told you I was on call." I buttoned my shirt and shoved the hem back into my waistband.

"No, it's okay." She forced a smile as she shrugged her shirt on, then reached for her panties and shorts. "How long will it take?"

I leaned down and kissed the top of her head. "Not sure. Maybe a few hours, or maybe all night. I'm really sorry."

"It's okay. I'll just curl up in your bed if that's okay."

I swiped my keys off the bar and headed for the door. "Yeah, that's okay. I'll text you when I have a minute."

Leaving her like that broke my heart, but duty called.

"Go save lives." She smiled and waved me off and I headed out the door, wishing I could have just held her in my arms and fallen asleep. Soon enough that would be my reality every night. I just had to be patient.