Straightening up from his crouch he had to adjust himself and thanked the gods he’d had the foresight to wear a pair of reasonably tight boxers to hide his hardening length. He didn’t know what it was about this woman that made him react that way and he also knew there was no way he’d get her into bed anytime soon. He wasn’t even going to try, having seen the darkness behind her eyes.
“Good morning. It seems we’re in sync today.” Carter called out softly from a safe distance so as not to startle her. Madison flipped her head around and took a few steps back. Carter stopped and held his hands up. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you. I thought maybe you’d seen me coming.”
“Oh, hi. I mean, good morning. It’s ok, I was just away with the fairies for a minute.” Madison gave him a brief smile before resuming stretching her legs. Her ass tightened as she lunged forward and Carter couldn't help sneaking a peek, which he soon regretted when his boxers and running shorts felt uncomfortably tight.
“Fancy running with me this morning? I usually go to the top of the peninsula and back.” He tried to look neutral as if it was a completely innocent question between friends. He really wanted to spend more time with her, but also wanted to avoid scaring her away by being too forward. He watched her mind running through any possible consequences while chewing on her bottom lip. It was the most adorable and sexy thing he’d ever seen and he had to stop himself from staring. A few long seconds later, she drew a deep breath and nodded.
“Yeah, sure. That would be nice. I’d enjoy the company for a change — there’s usually no one else around when I go for my runs. I like it that way.” She looked at him carefully as if to reassure herself he wasn’t a threat, before turning towards the long stretch of sand and start jogging at a leisurely pace. Carter watched her for a few seconds before catching up, once again admiring her shapely ass in the tight fitting lycra running shorts and immediately regretted it as his dick swelled to very noticeable proportions. He tried to refocus his attention elsewhere — anywhere but on Madison’s rear end — to get his rebellious body under control, and soon they were running in comfortable silence in the early morning light as the skies slowly turned orange. The sun warmed up the beach and a soft breeze was keeping them cool. Overhead, some seagulls screeched as they swooped over the water in search of fish to eat.
They didn’t speak much that first morning, but by silent agreement kept meeting up for the rest of the week to jog the beaches together.
Then, one morning Madison wasn’t there waiting for him as she usually did. Carter was surprised but then told himself she’d probably decided to have a lie in, or maybe she wasn’t feeling too good. He stood on the sand for a few minutes looking up at her house, which was in complete darkness, unsure whether to knock and find out if she was ok. As they hadn’t actually agreed to meet every morning, he decided to just do the run on his own. He felt strangely disappointed, and also a bit worried by her absence, and it kept niggling at him. On his way back, he kept an eye on the little cottage from a distance and was relieved to see a small shape in a chair on the porch. Without giving himself time to think, he jogged up the sand through the grass and gently called out her name. All he could hear was a low moan in response and his heart flew into his mouth. Something was wrong.
“Madison, are you ok?” He stopped by the wooden railing and squinted in the low light. He could just about see the top of her head sticking out from under a thick throw she’d cocooned herself in.
“No, I feel awful. I’m sorry, I didn’t know how to get hold of you to say I couldn't come with you this morning.” Her voice sounded tired and raspy and Carter couldn't help himself. He knew she was still wary of him, but he had to find out what was going on. In a few large strides, he was kneeling beside her and gently stroked her face. Her skin was dry and hot, and when she looked up at him he could see the fever burning in her eyes.
“Hey, no need to apologize. What’s wrong, sweetie?” He couldn't help the term of endearment coming out of his mouth and she didn’t seem to mind.
“Flu, I think. Don’t get too close, I don’t want you to catch whatever I’ve got.” Her head dropped back to her chest and Carter just held her for a minute.
“I’m going inside and to get you some water, all right? You need to drink before you become too dehydrated.” He rose and stepped through the screen door into a small living room. It all seemed very neat and tidy and without flipping any lights on, he passed through to find the kitchen. It was located at the opposite end of the house, facing the low growing shrubs and small trees that screened the cottage from the road. After opening a couple of cupboards, he found a tall glass which he filled with some cold water. The freezer had an ice machine on the front so he put a few cubes in to chill it even further. When he came back out on the porch, Madison had slumped even further in the lounger and seemed close to being unconscious.
“Come on, you need to drink this. It’ll help bring the temperature down.”
“No, I — I can’t. My head hurts… Just let me sleep.” The words coming out were slurred, and he had trouble making out what she was saying. He pulled her onto his lap and held her head in one hand while putting the glass to her chapped, flaming lips.
“Here, drink this. I won’t leave until you’ve had some.” Not that he was going to leave anytime soon anyway, but he needed get some fluids in her before she collapsed from dehydration. He tilted the glass to her mouth and was relieved when she took a few small sips before letting her head drop back again. “A bit more, please, just a few more sips.”
When Madison had finished about half the glass, he eased her back down on the sunbed and went in search of some Tylenol or Advil. He had to bring this fever down or he’d have to take her to the hospital in Port St. George and have her admitted. Somehow, he didn't think she would thank him for that, so he had to invade her privacy and find some painkillers. He crossed his fingers and hoped she kept them in the same place most people did — in the bathroom cabinet.
There was nothing in the main bathroom so he figured there had to be one attached to the master bedroom. He had to take a deep breath before he opened the door, flipped on the light and quickly scanned the room. It was just as neat as the rest of the house with a hint of a floral fragrance in the air. An errant pair of lacy panties were slung over the side of a chair together with a matching bra, and the image seared itself into his brain. The air left his lungs with a whoosh and he felt a bit lightheaded for a few seconds. Focus, man. You need to focus. That poor girl is burning up out there and you’re thinking of her underwear. Not a good move, now get a grip. His thoughts were running a thousand miles a minute and he felt his head spin before taking a few more deep breaths and locating the small adjoining bathroom. With a sigh of relief, he found some Tylenol in the little mirrored cabinet and quickly made his way back to Madison.
After making her swallow a couple of the tablets together with the rest of the water, he gently picked her up and settled back in the chair with her wrapped up in his lap. It felt right, somehow, as if she belonged in his arms, and it almost made him feel guilty. He and Mira had had a good time together although they’d never discussed anything long term, but it had never felt like this. Carter couldn't work it out, and just pushed it all to one side in his head before closing his eyes and settling back to let this tiny woman sleep as much as she could. At least he knew she was safe here with him, and he could make sure she was looked after. His last thoughts before dozing off himself was that somehow she had snuck past his defenses and lodged somewhere dangerously close to his heart. He’d have to deal with that later, though. Right now he wanted to just sleep with this soft girl in his lap. His last conscious thought was him telling himself he was done with relationships and wasn’t going to settle down — maybe ever.
Chapter Seven
Carter woke to a squirming in his arms. Madison was moaning and thrashing in her sleep. She was clearly gripped in a nightmare and a loud ‘NO’ erupted from her lips. He wasn't sure
if it was because of the fever, or if the bad dream came from something else in her life, so he just kept his arms wrapped gently around her and whispered soothing words in her ear. After a couple of minutes, he felt her body relax and she drifted back into a gentle slumber.
The sun had risen high in the sky and his watch told him it was almost 11 am. It was getting too hot to stay on the porch so he carefully rose to his feet. With Madison still in his arms, he walked into her bedroom, firmly keeping his eyes away from the chair with the abandoned scraps of lace. After gently lowering the still sleeping woman onto the bed, he pulled off her sandals before covering her with a cool sheet.
Returning to the living room, he stood still for a few minutes, unsure of what to do. He was still in his running gear, which had dried from the sweat from his earlier run, but he could somehow still feel it. He decided to go back to his house for a quick shower, a change of clothes and his laptop, and come back to Madison’s to keep an eye on her. He could sit on her porch and work from there with all the paperwork he still had to complete as Team Commander. At least that way he would be close by if she needed anything, and would able to make sure she got enough fluids to keep her hydrated.
Freshly showered, shaved and changed he was soon back on Madison’s verandah where he settled down at the little table to wade his way through the paperwork. His last op seemed to have generated many more reports and forms to fill in than any of his previous ones. He wasn’t sure if it was because of the death of the agent, or if he was just getting tired of it. He loved his job and couldn't imagine doing anything else, but he knew that one day he would have to consider what he would do when he got too old for field work.
Carter leaned back in the chair and looked out over the sparkling sea. Another beautiful day in sunny Florida. As it was Friday, there were a few people taking a stroll along the white sand. They looked like city dwellers who had started their weekend early. He watched a young couple walk close together with the man keeping a protective grip on his woman’s hand and her smiling lovingly up at him. At least that’s how it looked to Carter.
That’s not for me, Carter reminded himself. He wasn’t looking for anything permanent; just a few random hookups when the need or desire arose. He was not the marrying kind, and definitely didn’t want kids. They only got in your way and tied you down. A smile ghosted across his lips though, at two young children paddling in the surf with their parents keeping a watchful eye so they didn't wade too far out. The mom started to build a sandcastle and was soon joined by the little girl and boy. The dad smiled at their efforts while setting out a picnic blanket and small beach umbrella. They soon had a packed lunch spread out and the kids happily tucked in to sandwiches and pieces of fruit. After they’d finished, the dad made them lie down in the shade and it wasn’t long before they both seemed to be asleep. The parents sat quietly talking while the kids napped, apparently content to just sit together and enjoy the sunshine.
Carter felt stupid when he realized he’d been staring at the little family for almost twenty minutes. He shook his head at his lack of focus and returned to the computer in front of him. An hour or so later, he heard noises from inside the house and went in to find Madison standing in the living room looking dazed.
“Hey. How are you feeling?” He stopped a few feet away, making sure she had free access to both the front door and the screen door to the porch. The last thing he wanted was for her to feel as if he was invading her space, which he was, but not in a bad way, and he wanted to make sure she knew he had no intention of trapping her. He wasn’t even sure why he did it but it felt like the right thing to do.
“Uhm, I’m not sure. Thirsty?” She still had a dazed look in her eyes and started to sway on her feet. Carter closed the distance between them in two long strides and caught her just as she was about to drop.
“Here, sit down. You’re too weak to stand up. I’ll get you some water.”
“Wha—what happened?” Confused, she looked at him as he moved around her kitchen, seemingly comfortable in her home.
“Best guess? A bout of the flu, or at least some nasty virus giving you a high fever.”
“Huh. And why are you here? Were we together when I got sick? I don’t remember anything.”
“Nothing at all? Ok, well, I missed you when I went for my run this morning. At first, I thought maybe you’d overslept or just didn’t feel like exercising and then, on my way back, I spotted you on the porch and came to check on you. You were burning up with fever so I got you some Tylenol and a glass of water before getting you into bed.” Carter explained. The several hours he’d been sitting on the lounger with her wrapped up securely in his arms he left out. He didn’t think it was necessary to tell her, and didn’t want to embarrass her. He was also not going to mention the underwear in her bedroom. Just the thought of the fabric having been so close to her body made parts of him stir in excitement. Luckily, she was still too drowsy to notice and he made an urgent mental note to get himself under control. How, he wasn't entirely sure yet.
“Right. Thank you. I must have fallen asleep on the porch last night, I guess. Or maybe I went out there this morning. I really can’t remember. I know I was feeling a bit off last night and was thinking of having an early night. After that, it’s all a blank.” Madison blinked a few times and furrowed her brow. She hugged her knees to her chest and tilted her head sideways before continuing, “I’m sorry you were dragged in and felt you had to look out for me. It really wasn’t necessary, but I am grateful. I’m sure I would have been fine, but it’s nice to know someone was there for me. It’s not something I’ve ever had before. I’ve always had to take care of myself…” Madison’s voice tapered off. Carter stayed quiet in case she wanted to say more.
It was the first time she’d even hinted at her life before he met her. He felt angry for anyone allowing another person to go through their life without any support, which is what Madison seemed to have had to do. Or maybe he was reading too much into it and it was just a lack of friends or a man — or woman? — in her life that made her sound so sad and wistful. Damn, he hoped it wasn’t the latter or he had no chance. Again, he had to tell himself he was not the man for her as he had no desire to be involved with just one woman again. The risk of having to go through the same thing he did after Mira died was not one he was willing to take. No, being on his own was easier and he had no problems getting someone into to bed for a quick fuck when he felt like it. He never made any promises he wouldn’t keep and rarely went back for seconds. Even so, there was a hollowness in his chest as he watched Madison looking sad and forlorn.
“I promise to look after you if you need me, just let me know what you want. I’ll give you my cell number so you can contact me and I’m only down the road, or beach.” With his hand cupping her chin, he tilted her head up and looked into tired eyes still bright with fever. He was struck by how intensely green they were. They glimmered like polished emeralds and held so much emotion he almost choked up. It was the first time she’d let her guard down and allowed him to see a hint of the real woman behind the armor she surrounded herself with. Shit! Had he just made her a promise? He didn’t do promises. Period.
“Thank you, again.” She fell silent before taking a shuddering breath and continuing. “Would you mind staying with me for a little while longer. I just feel… scared. I don’t want to be alone.” She looked up at him with fear in her eyes, but quickly shut down when he didn’t answer immediately. Mumbling, she apologized and hung her head again. “Sorry, you don’t need to stay, I’ll be fine. I’m sure you have better things to do.”
“No, of course I’ll stay. I brought my laptop and was just going through some boring stuff anyway. I don’t want you to feel scared, and I definitely don’t want you to be alone right now. Your fever still hasn’t broken and you need to keep your fluids up. Why don’t you go back to bed and I’ll bring you some water?”
“I think I’d rather stay on the lounger on the porch, if you don’t mind.
The sea breeze is usually cool and I love the smell of the ocean.”
“Of course, it’s your house, you can do what you want. Here, let me help you.”
Carter wrapped an arm around her waist and helped her out onto the little decked area and down on a sun bed. He moved a small umbrella to give her shade and filled a glass with more iced water before placing it within easy reach. Settling down with his laptop, he picked up where he’d left off, casting a glance every now and then at the pale girl on the sunbed next to him.
By the evening, her fever had broken and she was feeling better, if still weak, and Carter made her eat some scrambled eggs and toast, and wash it down with a cup of tea. She’d watched him move around her kitchen with ease and claimed he served up the best eggs she’d ever had. The toast was golden and crispy on the outside and the tea just strong enough for her liking.
“This is amazing. Who taught you to cook? I know it’s only eggs and toast, but it tastes heavenly.” Madison finished up the last few crumbs on her plate.
Carter laughed. “My mom. She said even boys need to know how to feed themselves, and that girls like men who can find their way around a kitchen.”
“Your mom is a very wise woman. You can cook for me anytime you like.” Madison went silent as if she’d said more than she intended to. Carter pretended he hadn’t heard as he didn’t want to make her feel awkward. The idea of cooking dinner, lunch and breakfast, for this elfin woman sitting at the table in the little kitchen, didn’t make him want to run for the hills like it normally would have. She made him feel protective, which was ridiculous as he’d promised himself he wouldn’t feel that way about any woman ever again. Except his mom and sister. He cleared Madison’s plate and mug and put them in hot soapy water in the sink to wash up. It was safer to turn his back on her for a moment so he could make sure his confused emotions didn’t show on his face.
Agent Undone Page 6
