Is he strong enough to show her—to prove love is worth the risk for both of them?
Title: Maddox
Series: Vested Interest #3
Author: Melanie Moreland
Release Date: July 9, 2018
Brought up in chaos and fear, Maddox requires order and control to cope with life.
He has his career and two closest friends. That is all he needs.
Until Dee enters his life.
She brings forth feelings he has denied himself his entire life—and threatens his control.
He wants to hold.
Keep.
Love.
Live.
Damaged by her past, Dee cannot admit her feelings for him, fighting him at every turn.
Is he strong enough to show her—to prove love is worth the risk for both of them?
He has his career and two closest friends. That is all he needs.
Until Dee enters his life.
She brings forth feelings he has denied himself his entire life—and threatens his control.
He wants to hold.
Keep.
Love.
Live.
Damaged by her past, Dee cannot admit her feelings for him, fighting him at every turn.
Is he strong enough to show her—to prove love is worth the risk for both of them?
Aiden huffed. “Way to go. I’m still hungry.”
“You’re always fucking hungry,” Bentley growled.
“Bottomless pit,” I added, looking at the dishes. There were a lot of them.
“I had nothing to do with the situation, and I still got in trouble. Thanks, Maddox,” Bentley snapped.
“Happy to have included you in the debacle.”
“Shut up, both of you.” Aiden shook his head, reaching for the platter of pancakes. “I’m eating first, then cleaning.”
I looked at my half-eaten plate. “Good idea. Maybe we should cover the girls’ plates, and they can warm them or something.”
Aiden looked over his shoulder. “Do you think they’re fighting?”
“Talking,” Bentley said. “They talk.” He sighed. “They talk a lot.”
“I hope Cami is okay,” Aiden said with a groan. “If I have to beat you for this, Mad Dog, I will—but I’ll try to be gentle.”
“Whatever,” I snorted. “I can take you, big man.”
“You think so? I could snap you like a twig.”
“I’ll throw a couple of lemon Danish at you and run. You’ll be so busy trying to catch them, I’ll be fine.”
He frowned and started to laugh. “That would work.”
We all chuckled. Aiden started eating, and with a shrug, I joined him. The food was too good to waste. When we were done, I laid down my fork.
“I didn’t mean to start anything. I just wanted it out there before Dee changed her mind.”
“What do you mean?”
I wiped my mouth. “Let’s say Dee isn’t as far into this relationship as I am and leave it at that. I’m trying to be patient.” I slouched in my chair. “I need you two to be supportive.”
Bentley rested his elbows on the table, studying me. “Are you serious about this relationship?”
“As a heart attack.”
“And Dee is…”
“Skittish, to say the least.”
“Okay.”
Aiden frowned. “Are you forcing her into something? As her brother-in-law, I think I need to stop you.”
“You really think I could force Dee into anything? All I’ve done is move us along a bit. Once she is comfortable with us being a couple, we’ll go from there.”
“Do you ever do anything like a normal person?” Aiden huffed.
“Like you, you mean? Push the woman I love away, then turn around and marry her on a whim? Yeah, so normal.”
Aiden and Bentley gaped at me, making me realize what I had said.
“You love her? I thought you didn’t believe in love.”
I shifted in my chair. “Well, I’d never met Dee.”
Bentley smiled. “Maddox, that’s great. I’m happy for you.”
“Don’t be too happy yet. I have to convince the lady.”
“You will.”
Aiden grunted. “You hurt her, I will hurt you. She’s my family.”
I met his gaze, serious. “If I hurt her, I’ll let you. She’s everything to me.”
His eyes softened in understanding. “I hear you.”
We heard the sound of footsteps, and we all stood, grabbing plates.
“Enough sharing. If we aren’t busy when they get down here, we’ll all be in shit,” I ordered.
Bentley winked as I grabbed a platter.
“Welcome to couple-hood.”
“You’re always fucking hungry,” Bentley growled.
“Bottomless pit,” I added, looking at the dishes. There were a lot of them.
“I had nothing to do with the situation, and I still got in trouble. Thanks, Maddox,” Bentley snapped.
“Happy to have included you in the debacle.”
“Shut up, both of you.” Aiden shook his head, reaching for the platter of pancakes. “I’m eating first, then cleaning.”
I looked at my half-eaten plate. “Good idea. Maybe we should cover the girls’ plates, and they can warm them or something.”
Aiden looked over his shoulder. “Do you think they’re fighting?”
“Talking,” Bentley said. “They talk.” He sighed. “They talk a lot.”
“I hope Cami is okay,” Aiden said with a groan. “If I have to beat you for this, Mad Dog, I will—but I’ll try to be gentle.”
“Whatever,” I snorted. “I can take you, big man.”
“You think so? I could snap you like a twig.”
“I’ll throw a couple of lemon Danish at you and run. You’ll be so busy trying to catch them, I’ll be fine.”
He frowned and started to laugh. “That would work.”
We all chuckled. Aiden started eating, and with a shrug, I joined him. The food was too good to waste. When we were done, I laid down my fork.
“I didn’t mean to start anything. I just wanted it out there before Dee changed her mind.”
“What do you mean?”
I wiped my mouth. “Let’s say Dee isn’t as far into this relationship as I am and leave it at that. I’m trying to be patient.” I slouched in my chair. “I need you two to be supportive.”
Bentley rested his elbows on the table, studying me. “Are you serious about this relationship?”
“As a heart attack.”
“And Dee is…”
“Skittish, to say the least.”
“Okay.”
Aiden frowned. “Are you forcing her into something? As her brother-in-law, I think I need to stop you.”
“You really think I could force Dee into anything? All I’ve done is move us along a bit. Once she is comfortable with us being a couple, we’ll go from there.”
“Do you ever do anything like a normal person?” Aiden huffed.
“Like you, you mean? Push the woman I love away, then turn around and marry her on a whim? Yeah, so normal.”
Aiden and Bentley gaped at me, making me realize what I had said.
“You love her? I thought you didn’t believe in love.”
I shifted in my chair. “Well, I’d never met Dee.”
Bentley smiled. “Maddox, that’s great. I’m happy for you.”
“Don’t be too happy yet. I have to convince the lady.”
“You will.”
Aiden grunted. “You hurt her, I will hurt you. She’s my family.”
I met his gaze, serious. “If I hurt her, I’ll let you. She’s everything to me.”
His eyes softened in understanding. “I hear you.”
We heard the sound of footsteps, and we all stood, grabbing plates.
“Enough sharing. If we aren’t busy when they get down here, we’ll all be in shit,” I ordered.
Bentley winked as I grabbed a platter.
“Welcome to couple-hood.”
Maddox, Maddox, Maddox, how do I love thee! Let me count the ways...
This is the third of our BAM boys and the best one yet in this series. Two words to describe this reserve man are sexy and controlling. A man who, for someone looking from the outside, has everything but the one thing he needed most but wasn't looking for came to him when he least expected. Dee, has been taking care of her sister pretty much her whole life, she's an accomplished career woman who doesn't need a man to make her whole, but then Maddox happens and her perfectly put together life becomes even more complete without her realizing it.
Two flawed people who didn't think they needed one another, realize that there is more than professional satisfaction. Moreland does these characters justice from beginning to end and it's just a joy to see them grow in their own skin and understand what they really needed and wanted from each other.
Maddox is a bit angsty, suspenseful, and full of friendship and love. I find it very rewarding to be on a journey with a character who seems like he/she has everything, but in reality is missing the most important things in life, the love and support of a partner.
This is the third of our BAM boys and the best one yet in this series. Two words to describe this reserve man are sexy and controlling. A man who, for someone looking from the outside, has everything but the one thing he needed most but wasn't looking for came to him when he least expected. Dee, has been taking care of her sister pretty much her whole life, she's an accomplished career woman who doesn't need a man to make her whole, but then Maddox happens and her perfectly put together life becomes even more complete without her realizing it.
Two flawed people who didn't think they needed one another, realize that there is more than professional satisfaction. Moreland does these characters justice from beginning to end and it's just a joy to see them grow in their own skin and understand what they really needed and wanted from each other.
Maddox is a bit angsty, suspenseful, and full of friendship and love. I find it very rewarding to be on a journey with a character who seems like he/she has everything, but in reality is missing the most important things in life, the love and support of a partner.
“Sexy, romantic with a little angst mixed in between make Bentley a perfect book that would have you enthralled from beginning to end.” – The Pleasure of Reading Today
“It’s taken me a couple of days to come out of my book coma... Aiden is a great story of love, acceptance, and friendship. I can’t wait for Maddox and his story next!” – Bookgasms Book Blog
Prize: $25 Amazon Gift Card, Signed Paperback set of Vested Interest series, Signed Paperback of Sirens of SaSS Anthology
Maddox Release Celebration $25 Amazon Gift Card, Signed Paperback Set & Anthology
New York Times/USA Today bestselling author Melanie Moreland, lives a happy and content life in a quiet area of Ontario with her beloved husband of twenty-seven-plus years and their rescue cat, Amber. Nothing means more to her than her friends and family, and she cherishes every moment spent with them.
While seriously addicted to coffee, and highly challenged with all things computer-related and technical, she relishes baking, cooking, and trying new recipes for people to sample. She loves to throw dinner parties, and also enjoys traveling, here and abroad, but finds coming home is always the best part of any trip.
Melanie loves stories, especially paired with a good wine, and enjoys skydiving (free falling over a fleck of dust) extreme snowboarding (falling down stairs) and piloting her own helicopter (tripping over her own feet.) She's learned happily ever afters, even bumpy ones, are all in how you tell the story.
Melanie is represented by Flavia Viotti at Bookcase Literary Agency. For any questions regarding subsidiary or translation rights please contact her at flavia@bookcaseagency.com.
While seriously addicted to coffee, and highly challenged with all things computer-related and technical, she relishes baking, cooking, and trying new recipes for people to sample. She loves to throw dinner parties, and also enjoys traveling, here and abroad, but finds coming home is always the best part of any trip.
Melanie loves stories, especially paired with a good wine, and enjoys skydiving (free falling over a fleck of dust) extreme snowboarding (falling down stairs) and piloting her own helicopter (tripping over her own feet.) She's learned happily ever afters, even bumpy ones, are all in how you tell the story.
Melanie is represented by Flavia Viotti at Bookcase Literary Agency. For any questions regarding subsidiary or translation rights please contact her at flavia@bookcaseagency.com.
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Plus, visit Melanie’s website to learn more about ALL of her books!
Plus, visit Melanie’s website to learn more about ALL of her books!
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