Grounds for Seduction (Seattle Steam)

by Shelli Stevens

  “Great idea. Why didn’t I think of that?” Sarah disappeared from behind the espresso bar and headed over to the cop.

  Madison laughed, surprised that Sarah had taken her seriously. She watched as Sarah said something to him, and he smiled in response. Not wanting to eavesdrop, she turned her attention away and went back to cleaning.

  While she wiped down the equipment, her thoughts went back to Gabe. Gabe…and last night. Mmm. She’d done it. It was official. She’d moved into her transitional relationship and the sex was great. Scratch that. The sex was freaking phenomenal.

  They still hadn’t talked though. And there was bound to be some kind of post-sex conversation. What would he have to say when they sat down to dinner tonight? Doubt pricked at her. Hopefully, it was something along the lines of let’s do it again and as often as possible.

  Since the robbery, she’d decided to change the hours of her shop. She still opened at six, but since business died down in the afternoon, she would be closing at four. Gabe had promised he’d be the one to pick her up.

  That was a good thing. Her glance went to Sarah and the cop. It looked like they were making their own plans for the evening.

  Sarah walked back with a big smile on her face.

  “I take it he said yes?” Madison drawled.

  “He said yes to coffee,” Sarah replied as she filled up one of the ceramic mugs with the fresh brew. “And then I said yes to dinner.”

  “Nice. Good job, Sarah…” Madison trailed off as the cop started talking into his walkie-talkie thing. A moment later, he stood and approached the counter.

  “Just in time.” Sarah gave him a bright smile and held the mug out to him.

  He gave a bashful grin, and Madison realized just how young he was. He didn’t look more than a tad above the legal drinking age.

  “Well, I just got a call from the dispatcher. I’m being relieved for my lunch break.” He gave Madison a hesitant look and then back to Sarah. “Do you have a break coming up?”

  “She’s long overdue for a lunch break,” Madison answered. “It’s two now, and the lunch rush is over. Go enjoy yourselves. I’ll be fine alone.”

  “Well, that sounds great.” He nodded and hurried to say, “But I won’t leave you alone, ma’am. We’ll wait until my partner comes to replace me.”

  “Oh, right.” Madison noted the looks the two exchanged, and she cleared her throat. “I need to go over some of the books in the back. Can you handle things up front, Sarah?”

  “Of course,” Sarah answered right away and gave her a big, grateful smile.

  “Great.” Madison took her cappuccino and hurried to the back room. She sat in the cushioned chair and laid her head on the desk.

  Watching the shy flirting going on between the two up front had her thinking again about last night with Gabe. Her head filled with the image of his head between her legs, driving her wild with his tongue and mouth. Madison groaned and crossed her legs, as if that could stop her body’s reaction.

  She wanted him again. Now. But it would be a good four hours until she saw him. Lord, she was weak. She knocked her head lightly on the desk in silent reprimand.

  Her thoughts turned from sex to the fact that Gabe had held out as long as he had. It was actually kind of sweet. Most men would’ve shelved their morals and just screwed her, especially the way she’d been throwing herself at him.

  Her stomach warmed, and she giggled quietly. She stood and went to turn on some music. A slow and sexy R&B song came on and she smiled. Mmm, such a sensual song. Great background music to make love to. Too bad she was missing half the equation.

  Knock. Knock.

  Madison snapped out of her newest fantasy and went to the back door where someone pounded. She unlocked the deadbolt, swung it open, and grinned.

  “I was just thinking about you. I thought you were working.” Her eyes devoured him. He was so sexy in his uniform. Was he here to talk about last night? Already? She swallowed hard. Or maybe this was the part where he said the sex was great but it couldn’t happen again? The thought had her stomach in a knot.

  “You should never open the door without asking who it is, or checking if at all possible. You should get a peephole put in.”

  “Right. Nice to see you, too.”

  “I just want you to be careful. And, yes, I am working.” His expression relaxed into a slow smile that had her stomach doing back flips. “But now I get to spend time with you because I’m relieving my partner.”

  Spend time with her? Here it came. She forced a laugh as he walked past her. “Ah, yes, the junior cop. Sarah likes him.”

  “His name is Brian, and he’s just a couple of years younger than you,” Gabe replied in amusement and walked over to her desk, placing a paper bag on top. “I brought you lunch.”

  She blinked, finally noticing the delicious smell. “You always seem to be feeding me, you realize that?” Madison flipped open the bag. “Soup?”

  “Clam chowder.”

  “Oh, yummy. One of my favorites. That’s sweet of you.” She pulled out the bowls, set them on the table, and pried off the plastic lids. Should they go up front and eat? She hesitated. No, it appeared slow enough. Besides, the bell would ring on the door if any customers came in. “Be right back. I’ll go grab us some spoons up front.”

  He caught her wrist as she went to walk past him and pulled her back toward him.

  “Aren’t you going to say thank you?” He slid his hands down her waist to rest on her hips.

  Madison’s pulse skipped as he pulled her snug against him. This was a good sign, right? She licked her lips and raised her gaze to his.

  “You get me so damn hard when you do that.” He traced the pad of his thumb over her bottom lip and brought his mouth down on hers.

  She opened her mouth to his deep, possessive kiss, willing to give him anything he wanted to take. When his tongue stroked over hers, she stroked back. His hands moved up and down her back in a gentle caress. He pulled away and touched his nose to hers in a brief gesture.

  “That’s more like it.” He let her go.

  Madison walked—a little unsteadily—to the front of the store. She let Sarah know it was okay to leave and grabbed spoons. Her mind swirled with different reactions. Gabe certainly seemed to be adjusting to the fact that they were now lovers. Did this mean no talk?

  When she turned around to go back, he stood watching her from the doorway. She tapped the spoons together anxiously and gave him a puzzled look.

  “I know I’m being stupid for even bringing it up,” she started and then sighed. “I mean, why risk wrecking a good thing? Right? But I have to know. Have you decided to be okay with the fact that we’ve had sex?”

  Gabe opened his mouth and closed it again, looking away from her for a moment. “Maddie…I didn’t want us to have sex. We both knew that, but it happened anyway. We can’t undo it, and I’m not sure I’d want to if I could. So, here I am. Mr. Rebound.” He looked back at her and gave a slow smile. “I’m done fighting it.”

  Confusion swept over her. Mr. Rebound? What kind of answer was that? A suitable answer, you moron, because it’s exactly what you wanted to begin with. So it was a good thing. Right?

  “Here’s your spoon,” she said, choosing not to respond to his answer.

  He gave her a searching look as he took the spoon, and they walked back to the desk and sat.

  “Anything exciting happen today?” he asked, crushing a pack of saltines into his chowder.

  Relieved by the new topic, Madison smiled. “Meaning did the Espresso Bandit come by and try to knock me off? Nah. Although my business has doubled from all the publicity.”

  The bell at the front of the store jingled.

  “See?” She raised an eyebrow and stood. “Be right back.”

  “You’re still making the drinks?”

  “Relax, I get better every day.” She ruffled the top of his head as she passed.

  “I’ll watch from the doorway.” He followed h
er to the front, stopping again in the doorway.

  Boy, he sure was protective.

  …

  Gabe watched her swinging hips as she moved to the cash register to help the customer. His cock stirred and he had to adjust his stance. Damn, he wished his lunch hour were longer. Although she looked about as tired as he felt. A night of marathon sex had done them both in. But, damn, what an amazing night. Why the hell had he fought against sleeping with her for so long?

  Because she’s Eric’s sister, dumb shit. And by this point with a woman, he’d usually be making up some excuse as to why he couldn’t see her again. But since this was Maddie, and right now she lived with him, that wasn’t much of an option.

  Besides, something seemed different this time around. There hadn’t been the usual urge to get out and fast. No. He actually liked the idea of having her around…and having more amazing sex.

  Robert Phillips’s warning to not let her do anything crazy floated back to him. Guilt pricked at his conscience, but he shrugged it off. Madison was a grown woman. She made her own choices.

  Maddie laughed as she bantered cheerfully with the customer, and then she waved good-bye.

  “Jeez, we barely get a second to eat, do we?” She grinned and walked past him to the back room again, plopping herself down in the chair.

  “I feel like some kind of celebrity,” she said breathlessly, her cheeks flushed. “Maybe getting robbed was a good thing. Business has been great.”

  What? He narrowed his eyes, annoyance drawing his mouth into a frown. She had to be joking. “I hope you’re kidding.”

  “Well.” She blushed but raised her chin. “I mean, of course it was a bad thing. But no amount of money could have bought this kind of advertising.”

  He leaned forward and looked her straight in the eyes. “He would have killed you, Maddie. That’s not worth selling a few extra mochas. It’s not a good thing that you got robbed.”

  “But he didn’t kill me.” She folded her arms across her chest and gave him a defiant glance. “I’m fine. I’ve got round-the-clock protection, and soon you’ll have the Bandit. If my business profits from this, I’m not going to complain.”

  She tossed her head and went to the doorway to look out front.

  There was no way she was serious. Slowly, he realized she was. Gabe made himself count to ten as he kicked his feet up on the desk. The empty chowder bowl crumpled with excessive force between his hands, before he tossed it into the garbage can a few feet away, his jaw tight.

  “Let me guess, trying to look on the bright side?”

  “Someone’s got to.” She turned around, her expression taut with resentment. “Everyone is all doom and gloom and—”

  The bell dinged, signaling another customer.

  “Never mind.” She gave him an overly sweet smile. “I have another supportive customer to attend to. They just adore me and my shop now.”

  “Don’t go up there without me.” He jerked his legs off the desk but wasn’t fast enough. She’d already rounded the corner.

  Damn it. He strode after her. He should have known better than to have gotten sexually involved with her. Maddie Phillips was still as spoiled and naive as ever. Maybe more so.

  “Gabe!”

  The hysteria in her tone nearly catapulted him around the corner, just as a gunshot sounded and Madison screamed.

  Chapter Ten

  The first shot may have missed, but the man who stood in the entrance to the shop had raised his gun to take aim at Madison again.

  “Get down, Maddie!” Gabe ordered as he pulled his own gun from its holster and put in a quick call for backup.

  Madison snapped out of her frozen stupor and finally fell to the ground.

  Gabe used the espresso counter as cover and stood just enough to where he could get off a shot. The other man had the same idea, and right after Gabe fired, a stinging heat seared across his shoulder.

  The other man wasn’t unscathed, either. He groaned and grabbed his arm, then turned and fled the shop.

  Gabe jumped up and ran after him, his feet pounding the sidewalk as he tried to keep up. But the man had a car parked near the curb, and a second later, he jumped in it and squealed out of the parking lot.

  “Shit.” He slowed to a walk and put his gun back in the holster, then reached for his radio. After calling in a description of the getaway vehicle, he gave his shoulder a tentative roll to determine the extent of his own injury.

  Very little blood and pain. It was only a graze, nothing serious. He turned and hurried back to the shop.

  Madison wasn’t in sight, and his heart pounded with fear.

  “Maddie?”

  “Mmm-hmm.”

  Gabe followed the sound of her voice to behind the counter. She still lay on her stomach, her face cushioned on her arm. She didn’t sit up or even turn to look at him.

  “You can get up now. It’s safe.”

  “I know.”

  Gabe sighed, not in the mood to accommodate the hysterics she might be ready to embark on.

  “Do you think I’m a complete idiot?” Her voice trembled. “Because I am. I was so damn sure of myself and my own invincibility. If he had shot me, I would have deserved it.”

  His anger diminished some. She realized she’d been out of line. This was the Maddie he liked and admired. Gabe knelt down beside her and rubbed her back.

  “You deserve a good spanking, but not to get shot. That reminds me.” He glanced up at the sound of sirens.

  “What?” She sat up and gave him a quizzical look. “You want to spank me?”

  “No, I need to have my arm looked at.”

  “Your arm? Oh God!” Madison lurched to her feet to inspect his injury. “Oh my God! You were shot? Gabe, you were shot. This is all my fault.”

  She started to babble and tears were falling. Gabe’s mouth twitched with slight amusement, even if it was wrong. He watched her for another moment before trying to calm her down.

  “It’s a graze, Maddie.” He pulled her into the curve of his good arm. “I don’t even feel it.”

  “A graze?” She hiccupped. “Are you sure? You need to go to the hospital. Now. Go get it seen. Please, before you bleed to death.”

  Gabe laughed, and before he could respond, the bell above the shop rang. He gently set her aside and went to greet the half-dozen officers who’d just arrived. Brian came in behind Sarah, Maddie’s lone employee. He watched as the girl rushed to Maddie’s side.

  “Oh no! What happened? Madison? Are you okay?”

  Thankfully, she had a friend to talk to now. Maddie still looked pretty shaken.

  Gabe turned back to the officers and began to fill them in on the situation. Once done, he turned to glance at Madison, who was still speaking with Sarah.

  “She was lucky she wasn’t shot,” Brian said, shaking his head.

  “Yeah, she ran out alone ahead of me. I told her not to. The woman doesn’t seem to get how bad this situation is.” He jerked a hand through his hair. “This is getting way too dangerous for her. Look, I need to get my arm checked out, and I want to have a talk with the sergeant. I’m going to head out. Brian, stay alert and keep her—them—safe.”

  “Of course,” the younger man said, his hand covering the gun at his side. “Nothing’s going to happen.”

  “Damn right,” Gabe muttered and walked out the door. “I’m going to see to it.”

  …

  “If I hadn’t gone to lunch with Brian, maybe this wouldn’t have happened.” Sarah turned a frown on Madison and shook her head. “You almost got killed. Again.”

  “He would have shown up whether you guys were here or not,” Madison replied, sipping on a latté. She’d chosen to use the decaf coffee, though. The last thing she needed was caffeine to put her any more on edge.

  “Maybe.” Sarah paced the floor of the shop. They’d closed early, at three. Even though they were closed, curious people kept walking by to peer in the windows to see why four police cruisers were in t
he parking lot.

  Brian and another officer were retrieving the bullets from the wall, dusting for prints, and collecting any evidence that might be of use. They’d told her having that evidence would make identifying him even easier.

  Madison glanced over at them again. Lord, she wished Gabe was still here. He hadn’t even said good-bye. Yeah, she scolded herself, like he’d hang around to chat sporting a gunshot wound.

  “Madison…”

  She turned back to Sarah, hearing the hesitation in her employee’s tone.

  “I just don’t know how to say this,” Sarah bit her lip and looked down. “I’m too afraid to keep working here. I know that makes me sound like a total coward, and maybe I am. But I can’t help it.”

  Madison blinked, not surprised, but unprepared to hear the words from her lone employee’s mouth. What was she going to do? Without Sarah she wouldn’t be able to stay open. It would take a while to interview someone and replace her.

  “I love working for you, Madison,” Sarah went on quickly. “But until they catch the Espresso Bandit—”

  “It’s all right,” Madison interrupted and patted the younger girl’s shoulder. “I understand, Sarah. I’ll work something out.”

  “I feel terrible.” Sarah wrung her hands, and she cast a distressed glance over toward Brian. He caught her eye and gave a slight smile.

  Madison watched the exchange and held back a sigh. It seemed like Brian stood behind her decision, had maybe even encouraged it.

  “Don’t worry about it.” She took another sip of her latté. “I’ll have your paycheck by tomorrow.”

  “Thanks, Madison, no hurry. As soon as he’s caught, I want to come back.” Sarah smiled, looking visibly relieved. “If you still want me.”

  “Of course I do.” Madison forced herself to smile, although she had the beginning of a tension headache.

  Gabe walked inside the shop just then, his gaze determined and focused on her as he walked across the floor.

  Relief and weariness swept through her body. Maybe he would take her back to his home…make another nice dinner.

  “Can I talk to you for a minute?” He grabbed her elbow and pulled her into the back room.