He leaned forward and pressed his lips to hers. The sweetness of her mint lip gloss made him want more. He rose up on his knees and cupped the back of her head. With a gentle nudge, she opened up to him, and he slipped his tongue between her lips.
Oh, how he’d missed her.
The following week had gone by quicker than Lucky had expected. Even the media interviews had been less of a pain than he’d thought they would be. Once he got past talking about himself and what inspired him to cook, it was easier. Then again, maybe it was his new outlook, or the weightlessness to his step, now that he had Maddie back in his life. Love did funny things to men, and he was not immune to it.
Recipes had been tested over and over again, but he had yet to settle on what to make for the judges. He only had a week left to decide, yet that was the last thing on his mind. Things had begun to progress with Maddie. Each day he had worked to make sure she could see they were meant to be together. They had a week left, and he was going to convince her things could work between them.
“Lucky?”
Her heels clicked on the hardwood floors, and he turned to see her just as she stepped out of her office. Strands of hair slipped out of the bun and fell down around her face. Jeans and a spaghetti strap tank top hugged her curves, showing off the slight baby bump, making her look completely breathtaking. “Huh?”
“Why are you looking at me like that?” As if his gaze made her self-conscious, she wrapped her arms around her body.
“Don’t.” He set down the tongs he’d used to flip the sausage, which was part of his homemade pasta sauce with peppers and onions for tomorrow’s lunch with one of the reporters from a big magazine. The timing for the interview was perfect, and it would make a big impression. Guess Maddie’s still hoping I’ll win, and maybe I will…just so I can spend an additional two weeks with her.
He stalked toward her, and every step he took surged his desire to pick her up and carry her upstairs. “Don’t hide yourself from me. Don’t let your self-consciousness overwhelm you. To me, every inch of you is beautiful. If I could have my way, we’d spend all our free time naked and in bed, making up for lost time.”
“Lucky…I’m…”
“I know, my sweet Maddie, you’re not ready. I promised I wouldn’t push, and I haven’t, but I won’t let you hide the little pleasures you give me.” He caressed her hips, running his hand along her waist, and watched as the simple touch hardened her nipples until they stood out like small beads under her shirt. “Your body reacts to me.”
“It always has.” She brought her hand up to his cheek. “It’s sad to think we’re halfway through our time together. Then…who knows.”
“I know I’m not letting you go like last time.” He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close. “I want you to come back to Virginia with me.”
“My job is in D.C. but it’s only a few hours away. Maybe we can still make this work…even with the distance.”
He had thought about how he’d convince her to move to Virginia with him, but all of a sudden his plans slipped away. “Could you find another job to be close to me?” He raised an eyebrow at her, but before she could answer, he grew serious. “You need to be around family and friends. Raising a child is a lot of work. You need a strong support system.”
“I…”
“There are plenty of young children among us…” He placed his hand on the small bump of her stomach. “This little girl or boy will be surrounded by love. Roulette, Wynn’s daughter, and the Garcia twins.”
“You make it sound easy. Like we can just pick up where we left off. That not a single thing has changed.”
“Things have changed, but there’s no reason we can’t be together. I don’t want to miss a single day with you. Come back to Virginia with me. Let’s take this second chance, and not let another moment slip by.”
“I don’t know.” She bit the corner of her bottom lip.
He slipped his hand from her stomach, clasping both hands around the small of her back, bringing her closer to him. “You don’t have to give me an answer yet, but think about it.” When she nodded, he added, “If I could, I’d pick up and move to be with you. I’d do whatever it takes, but even if it’s possible, it will take some time. My contract isn’t up for another two years…”
“I’m not asking you to give up the Marines. You’ve worked hard to be where you are, and you love it.” She teased her fingers along his collar, barely brushing against the skin. “I can’t see you enjoying civilian life much.”
“I know you’re not asking, but I would do it if it meant being with you. I love you, Maddie. Always have and I always will.”
“I love you, too. Just give me some time to think about it.”
The sizzling of the sausage brought his thoughts back to the stove, but did nothing to calm the fires burning within him. “Are you done with the phone calls you had to make?”
“Yeah, do you need some help?”
“No, but you’re more than welcome to keep me company. The sausage is nearly done for tomorrow, but I won’t make the sauce until morning. It’s better fresh. I’m going to start preparing for dinner.”
“I think it’s great you’re having Kyle over for dinner before he leaves tomorrow. I was worried things would be tense for you in those interviews, but you breezed right through. You and Kyle made a good team and kept each of the interviews interesting.”
“Since he’s been here, I’ve gotten a chance to see that he’s accepted what happened and has moved on with his life. I’m happy for him and his wife. I promised that once this was all over, I’d visit Kentucky where they bought a little horse farm. I still can’t picture him on a horse farm, but he says he loves it. It’s something I’ve got to see.” He stepped away from her and back to the stove. “Maybe you’ll join me. We’ll make it before the baby’s due, and we can even have a few days to ourselves without all this competition going on.”
“You’ll have two or four weeks off, won’t you have to get back?”
“I think I can get Graves to agree to a few extra days if I win.” He pulled the skillet off the burner and set it aside to cool before he broke it down for the sauce.
“Even more incentive to win. You’re going to give it your all, then?”
“Would you expect anything less from me?” He shot her a quick smirk before opening the refrigerator, grabbing what he needed to get dinner started. “Just the extra two weeks with you is worth it. But when you add in the money for the wounded Marines, and doing this for Kyle, how can I not? I’ll give it everything I’ve got and then some.”
“That’s a change.” She leaned against the counter, plucked a banana from the basket, and pealed back the skin.
The duck breast he had just pulled out of the refrigerator nearly fell out of his hand as he watched her take such care with the banana. She pulled back the skin, and as the tip slid between her lips, he thought he’d lose his self-control then and there. Even though she wasn’t trying to be sexual, she was, and it was turning him on. “Maddie.” Her name came out as more of a growl than he’d meant it to.
“Hmmm.”
“Damn, woman, you keep that up and I won’t be responsible for my actions.”
She took another bite before the realization dawned on her. “Oh.”
“You make me feel like a teenager again with only one thing on the brain.”
“Maybe I should go get ready? I don’t want to distract you.”
“I like being distracted by you.” He went to her, his body tight against hers, while keeping her locked between him and the counter. “You’re all I think about. Not just in a sexual way. I want you in every way. I want what we had, and slowly we’re getting it back, but I don’t want our time to come to an end.”
“Same here. But let’s just get through this, and we’ll see what happens.” She tipped her head back to look up at him. “If you don’t need me, I’ll go get ready. Kyle will be here in an hour.”
“Is that
a distraction to keep me from throwing you over my shoulder and carrying you upstairs?”
“No, but you’d regret it later if you mess things up on the last night with him in town.” She placed her hand on his chest. “There’s plenty of time. I’m not going anywhere. I promise.”
“I’d go UA to follow you and bring you back if I had to.” Even as he said the words, he knew it was true. Never before would he have considered something so dire, but he wasn’t going to lose her this time. No matter what it cost him.
Showered and dressed, Madison sat on the cedar chest at the foot of the bed. Her thoughts were going a hundred miles per hour as she considered all that had happened in the past week. It seemed like it had gone by in a blur, the fastest being the moments she was alone with Lucky. She wanted to throw caution to the wind, give up her job, and move to be with Lucky. Public relations managers were always in demand, and no matter where she lived, she could find work.
She might like her condo and job in Washington D.C., but she loved Lucky. That was more important. But one week wasn’t enough time to know things would work. They both had changed over the years, and no matter what they felt, it didn’t mean things would go smoothly.
With a baby on the way, she needed a solid foundation, and that meant a career that would provide for her and her child. Her employers knew she was pregnant, and while the timing wasn’t the best, they’d make it work. Finding a job while pregnant might be harder. She didn’t care that it was illegal to discriminate, because she knew people still did it, and her pregnancy would be considered when they were hiring.
“Darling, we’re going to be just fine.” She ran a hand over her stomach and glanced in the mirror. The baby bump was still small, but it was a clear announcement that she was going to be a mother in just a few months. “I can’t wait to meet you.”
In two weeks, she had an appointment with her OBGYN for an ultrasound, and if the baby were in the right position, she’d be able to learn the sex. “Little one, I’d appreciate you cooperating. I’ve got shopping to do before I’m too big to move around the store.”
“You’ll be beautiful.” Lucky stood in the doorway.
“What?”
“You’ll be beautiful through your whole pregnancy. There’s a glow to you, even when you’re looking a little green from morning sickness.”
“I’ll never understand why they call it morning sickness when it lasts all day.” She rose from the chest and looked at herself in the mirror one last time to make sure everything was perfect. The sky blue dress was a little snug around her waist, but flowed nicely and ended an inch above her knee. Her make-up was just as she had applied it, but even she could see the slight paleness beneath. “I’m ready. Are you sure you don’t want me to go out, and you two can spend tonight catching up?”
“I want you by my side, tonight and always.” He strolled toward her and took her hand into his. “You look gorgeous.”
The doorbell rang before she could gather a reply. There was something about him that left her grasping for words. He was a man of action, but his words always sent her heart fluttering. The man she’d always wanted to spend her life with—but decisions had divided them. “Go ahead down. I’ll be there in a minute.”
With a brief nod, he headed downstairs to the door, leaving her alone once again. Her memories turned to a night very similar to tonight. But instead of Kyle, it had been Ace and Wynn joining them for dinner.
Lucky had spent most of the afternoon cooking what was supposed to be a romantic dinner for two, but when she arrived at the Diamond household she found Lucky in less than a romantic mood. “What’s wrong? Dinner not coming along as planned? Anything I can do?”
He pulled out a pot from the oven before turning toward her. “Dinners fine, it’s just the company I’m disappointed with.”
“Hmm, shall I take offense to that?” She tipped her head to the living room where two other Diamonds were waiting. “Or shall I assume you mean them?”
“Them?” The lid clanked against the roaster as he checked dinner. “Everything was perfect until Mom came home. She’s grounded Wynn, so we’re stuck with her. Ace got back for the weekend on leave, and he’s too exhausted to move. He’s refusing to go out. So, I guess that means we’re stuck with him as well.”
“It’s okay. We’ll have dinner together, and then maybe we can spend some time alone. Ace will go to bed and you can order Wynn upstairs to study or something. What about your parents, are they joining us, too?” She didn’t care that Ace and Wynn were around. After all, Wynn was her best friend and she liked Ace, but she had hoped for a quieter evening with Lucky.
“No, they’re out for the evening and won’t be back until late. That’s why I thought we’d have dinner here instead of going out. Wynn said she had plans, and I hadn’t expected Ace to be home.”
“It’s okay. I’m not upset. Plus, it will be nice to see Ace. It’s been months since he’s been home.”
That night was their graduation celebration. The next morning, they’d graduate and it would start their countdown to him shipping off and her starting college. Wynn would have one year left in high school. Gwen had already headed off to college the year before. All three of the friends would be separated.
As the memory fell away, it left traces of how scared she’d been to go off to college by herself. She had been so close to Gwen and Wynn in high school, even though they’d been in different grades. Back then, things like that had a way of dividing friendships. Even through it all, theirs had remained strong.
“I wish I could go back to that time, where everything was so much simpler, and all of us were together.”
Dinner had gone smoothly and Lucky had even enjoyed the time reminiscing with Kyle, but he was anxious to get Maddie alone again. Something had seemed to be bothering her since she had joined them downstairs, but anytime he had a second alone with her to ask, she brushed him off as if it was nothing.
“So, Kyle, what made you buy a horse farm?” Maddie sat on the far end of the sofa, a mug of hot tea in hand.
“My wife, Staci, was raised on a horse farm. Her parents didn’t own it, but after his service her father trained horses, taught her everything she knows, and her mother was a veterinarian. It’s the one thing she’s always wanted. Since I needed something to devote my time to, I decided to give it a shot. We moved to Kentucky, bought the farm, and haven’t looked back since.” He paused and took a long swig from his beer. “We breed, train, and even race our mustangs. We have a few horses that are boarded on the farm as well.”
“My mother always loved horses, and when I was young she signed me up for a riding class. I enjoyed it but haven’t been on one since.”
“You’re more than welcome to come when Lucky visits, and we can rectify that.”
“Don’t think you’re getting me on a horse.” Lucky shook his head. “Not my thing. I’ll watch you.”
“That’s what I said to Staci when she first told me about wanting to own a horse farm.” Kyle gave her a wink. “She got me on one, and I think Maddie can do the same for you.”
“I don’t know about that.”
“Well, I let you two love birds work that out.” He stood and grabbed his beer bottle. “I should be going. As much as I’ve enjoyed this trip, and seeing you again, I’m looking forward to getting back to Staci.”
“It was great seeing you.” Lucky stood and took the bottle from the other man. “I mean that. And I will take you up on your offer to come to Kentucky. I’m looking forward to meeting Staci.”
“You’d better. She was disappointed she couldn’t make the journey out to meet you, but we’ve got a horse due any day now, and it’s been a rough pregnancy. Staci didn’t want to leave her in case things went south. Our first mare. She’s attached.” Before he headed for the door, he turned back to her. “I look forward to seeing you again. Until then, you take care of him.”
“Oh, I will, and I’m going to make sure he wins.”
�
��I’ve no doubt.” Kyle cupped a hand over Lucky’s shoulder. “Give them hell, like you’ve always given the men, and I know you’ll come out on top.”
“I’ll win this for you.” Lucky nodded.
“Not just for me, but for all of the Marines.”
He followed Kyle to the door to show him out. There was no doubt that each of the contestants wanted to win this for their branch, but his duty to bring home the prize was strong because of Kyle. He’d only known him a few months before the mission that left him wounded, yet they had grown quite close over the last few days. He’d win this for him, and all the other wounded veterans who needed that money.
Lost in her own thoughts, she moved around the kitchen cleaning up the last bits from dinner, placing their dishes in the dishwasher, and wiping down the counter. The evening had gone off just as Lucky had planned, and the conversation had been easy, but her thoughts had been jumbled most of the night. She hadn’t even heard Lucky as he returned.
“I’d have done that.”
“I just wiped off the counter and added the last few items to the dishwasher.” She rung out the rag and draped it over the spigot. “If you’ll excuse me, I need to return a couple phone calls that came through while we were having dinner.” She hated to lie, but she didn’t want to divulge who she was really calling, or even what was on her mind.
“You’ve been distant tonight. Is everything okay?”
“Oh, yeah, fine.” She tried to keep her tone light, but she knew she was failing.
“Well, whenever you’re ready to talk about it, you know where to find me. Meanwhile, I’m going to shower.”
Not knowing what else to say, she nodded. “Goodnight.”
She stood there by the kitchen counter and waited until she heard the water for the shower start. Then she let out the deep breath she’d been holding and snatched her cell phone from the counter. The hour was a little later than she had wanted, but she needed to talk to someone. After the fourth ring, she was ready to hang up when Gwen’s sleepy voice finally answered.
Lucky Chance Page 7
