by Sable Hunter
“Just say thank you. Giving gifts is Magpie’s way of trying to buy affection. She’s been doing it all of her life. Now, let’s see your offering? What did you get for her? A make-over? That would be a practical present.”
Morgana’s air of superiority made West’s stomach roll. He stood, leaned over and brushed Madeline’s hair from her forehead, capturing her lips for a tender kiss. “I’ll give you my gift in private if you don’t mind.” He’d also return her present, there was no way he could accept it.
His voice was a husky promise and Madeline almost melted into a puddle on the chair. The man deserved an Oscar.
“That’s it. I can’t handle any more of these theatrics.” Morgana poured herself another glass of wine and rose to leave. “I still can’t believe Magpie has a man, but there’s no accounting for taste.” With those harsh but familiar words, she huffed off, leaving them alone.
The moment she was gone, it was like the air went out of Madeline. “Shew.” She sighed, her shoulders drooping. “I don’t think she’s entirely convinced yet. Do you?”
West looked from Maddie to the door Morgana had disappeared through and back again. “Are you going to tell me what’s going on?”
She spread her hands in apology. “I’m so sorry about this. Having to deal with Morgana as well as me is more than anyone should have to put up with.”
West waited for her to say something else, to explain the bizarre events of the evening. But she didn’t. Instead, she went to work, taking the food into the kitchen and putting up the leftovers. Before he knew it, he was loading the dishwasher.
“Madeline, I still want to discuss things with you. We need to settle—”
“Yes, I know we need to talk.” Folding her dishtowel, she took him by the hand. “But first, we have to have sex.”
* * *
Sex? As Madeline led West from the kitchen across the living room, Oscar Wilde’s quote kept flowing through his mind. “I can resist anything except temptation,” he mumbled. Despite his misgivings about the situation, West went willingly. He was a man, and she was more temptation than he’d had to deal with in a long time.
Maddie had shed her shoes under the dining table and now she was padding about in her stocking feet. They made their way down the hall in the dark and she stumped her toe on the rug and giggled. West caught her. “You didn’t have anything to drink. What’s wrong with you?”
“I’m just naturally clumsy,” she confided conspiringly. Once they were in her room, she flipped on the light and quickly closed the door behind them. Putting her finger to her lips, she said, “Shhhhh.”
West couldn’t help but smile. Madeline was beautiful, sweet, and crazy as a Bessie bug. All night he’d been sneaking glimpses at her breasts. They were round, firm, and very real, unlike her sister’s more bountiful attributes. When Morgana had rubbed up against him, he could recognize fake when he felt it.
That was why he was confused.
Madeline Cross was real and extremely appealing. She didn’t seem like the type of person who would have a deceptive bone in her shapely little body. So, why was she attempting to rope him into pulling the wool over her not-so-nice sister’s beady little eyes? One thing was sure, though—a deception should only be carried so far. “I can’t sleep with you, Miss Cross.”
“Oh, I see.”
West watched her face fall and he felt guilty. She quickly caught herself and put on a sad smile. He wanted to gather her up and hug her. In many ways she looked like Zooey Deschanel, except she was no bigger than a minute. “I’m sorry.”
“Oh no, don’t be. I didn’t expect you to, not really.” She came close and whispered, “And I don’t blame you at all. I wasn’t sure how these things worked.”
West put his hand to his forehead. He was going to require psychiatric help. “I came to you today because you called and asked me to—”
“I remember exactly why I called you.” She put two fingers over his mouth and he had the insane notion to kiss them. “But if you could help me save face, that’s all I ask.”
“How?”
Maddie walked in a circle. She really should have spent more time on this angle of the evening. All she knew was that Morgana was smart, it was going to take more than just producing a good looking man to make her sister believe Maddie was no longer a pathetic virgin—which she was—but right now the truth wasn’t the important factor. “Okay, would this be all right? Since we’ve already told Morgana we’re sleeping together, could we try to make her believe it?”
West figured he would regret asking this question, but he couldn’t resist. “Exactly what are you planning in that cute little head of yours?”
His being nice didn’t really help. In fact, it made things worse. No matter if she would be cutting him a check for his trouble, Rod Long was damn sexy. Pressing her fingers over her eyes, she groaned and then just spit it out. “Could we make noises like we’re having sex?”
All right. Now, he was turned on. Big time. Instantly hard as a rock. “Wouldn’t it be easier to actually date a guy rather than just pretending?”
Maddie hung her head and looked defeated. “I’m not good with men. It’s hard to have a boyfriend when you have a sister who looks like Morgana.”
“You’re way cuter.” West couldn’t have held that truth in if he tried.
“Really?” The unexpected compliment thrilled Maddie. Since he seemed to be a bit sympathetic, she asked again, “So, could we do that?” Maddie wasn’t above begging. “Please? I’ll do all the work.” They were still whispering. She pointed to the wall. “She’s probably standing at the wall listening through a glass now.”
“Do people really do that?” He laughed a little.
“I don’t know, but it seems like something she’d do.” She looked up at him, her small white teeth worrying her bottom lip.
Remembering how amazing their earlier kisses had been, he framed her face and pressed his lips to hers, sipping at them like the finest wine. “All right, Meg Ryan, how are we going to do this?”
“Okay.” She grinned a sweet conspiratorial smile, recognizing his reference to an old movie from the late 80s, When Harry Met Sally. “I’ve been thinking about this. Come on.” She pulled him to the wall that she’d indicated Morgana was behind. “Maybe if we pretend you pushed me against the wall, we could moan and groan and make kissing noises. I’ve seen people do that in porn.”
“You watch porn?” His eyes lit up.
“Soft porn, it has a plot.” Maddie clarified quickly.
“All right, I think I can handle that.” He was game. If he weren’t here, he’d probably be washing his socks. Besides, he couldn’t deny he was intrigued as hell. “Let’s do it.”
Madeline smiled and took one step backward, letting her back smack against the wall. “Oh, Weston!” A surprised grunt slipped from her lips, but she managed to make it sound sexy like she’d been cornered by an ardent lover. Then she closed her eyes, ran her fingers through her hair and moaned. “Kiss me, please, kiss me.”
West watched mesmerized. He expected her to lure him closer, but instead of urging him to kiss her, she leaned forward to whisper, her lips twisted to one side. “I’m gonna lay in on thick.”
“What do I do?” he mouthed.
She laughed silently, her face full of happiness. “I don’t know, I have more practice taming tigers than I do seducing a man.”
“Tamed a lot of tigers?”
“Not a one.”
The way they were carrying on, anyone hearing their muffled laughter and whispers would think they were having a really good time—most likely with sex.
“Um, God, that’s so good,” she moaned, licking her lips. “More, give me more, Weston.”
His eyes widened as he watched one of her small hands glide down her body near her breasts, as if she was hungry to touch herself, but just too disciplined to do it. And when she let it travel farther down her stomach—and farther just to the top of her mound—West held
his breath. Damn. She didn’t need him at all.
And that was a shame. “That’s right, baby. God, you’re sexy.” West wasn’t acting. His growl of encouragement was pure male instinct.
“I love to touch you, you’re so big,” Madeline purred. Her eyes were open now, returning his heated stare. “Oh, yea, please, lick me. I love your lips on my neck.”
As if pulled by a magnet, West moved in front of her—all of him almost touching all of her. “Do you want my kiss, Maddie?”
She panted, licked her lips, and smiled. “More than anything.” And that was the truth.
His eyes roved her face from her eyes to her lips, then he crashed his mouth to hers and the whimper she released this time contained genuine surprise and pleasure.
The kisses they’d shared before had been staged—enjoyable—but more of a show than this hot claiming. West’s hands framed her face, his fingers grazing her temple in a gentle caress.
Madeline’s body was consumed with shivers. Since her escort had walked through the door, she’d been fantasizing about him. And damn…he was good. Talented. Gifted. His mouth devoured hers, his commanding touch moving down her cheek, across her jaw, to feather along the sensitive flesh of her throat. Frissons of excitement bloomed on her skin. Placing her hands on his chest, Maddie kneaded the hard muscle. Touching him was an absolute delight.
Some of the best things in life are unexpected. The thought fought its way through the haze of arousal clouding West’s mind. He felt bowled over—shell-shocked—he was actually shuddering under the touch of this woman’s hand. Desire was roiling inside of him, this was no game. What he was feeling now was real. He’d come to deliver blueprints and been swept away on a dreamlike wave of arousal. West had wanted Madeline from the moment he saw her.
When he let his mouth slide from hers, breathing heavily, Maddie slid her hands up over his shoulders to entwine behind his neck. “I don’t think we should stop. I want her to be really, really convinced.” She leaned on him and began kissing his jaw, scraping her teeth along the sexy scruff. “Oh, West, you make me feel so good,” she moaned loudly.
Behind them, they heard a bump and a curse.
“Goal!” West whispered in her ear. “I think our performance was successful.” But instead of letting her go, he pulled her tighter to him. He could feel the mounds of her breasts pushing against his chest, the rock-hard points of her nipples making him want to mold them with his hands.
They heard Morgana’s door open and close and the TV came on in the living room, loudly. “Yes, I guess she bought it.” Madeline traced Rod’s cheek, running a finger over his mouth. “Thank you for helping me. I know you probably have better things to do than mess with me, but I really need you to stay with me tonight.”
At his raised eyebrow, she stood on tiptoe. “No, wait, wait. I know you don’t want to have sex with me and that’s not what I’m asking. I appreciate the kisses more than words can say.”
“Madeline—”
Maddie covered his mouth so she could continue speaking until she finished. “When we talked on the phone and I asked you to be my escort for this evening, you said I could pay eight hundred for the entire night. That’s what I’m prepared to do.” She moved her fingers, kissed him quick, and ran across the room. “I’ve got your check right here.”
“Escort?” West tried to make sense out of what he was hearing. If he was understanding...damn! “Madeline, you’ve been calling me Weston all night. You do know who I am, don’t you?”
Maddie was lying crosswise over her bed, ass in the air, digging through her purse. “Of course I know who you are. I referred to you as Weston Rogers because when I bragged to Morgana about having a boyfriend, she asked me what his name was.” She grinned over her shoulder at him. “The gall, right? Anyway, when she enquired about a name, I’d just been talking to this architect about working on the Windswept and I panicked. His name, Weston Rogers, was the only name I could think of.”
West just stood and listened. Slowly, slowly…he was getting the picture.
Madeline was chattering. “So after I made the announcement that I was dating Weston Rogers, she asked me to produce him.” She laughed. “Threw me for a loop, I tell you. But then I realized I could hire an escort, so I called your company and I’m very grateful that you recognized Weston Rogers’ name and went with it.” She sat up on the bed and pushed her hair out of her eyes. “Whew! You were very resourceful.” Maddie stood and walked toward him. “Here’s your check and if you could hang out with me till in the morning, I’d be grateful. We can put pillows between us on the bed.”
West started to laugh. He didn’t take the check. He just put his hand to his forehead and laughed harder.
“What’s so funny? The floor’s hard and I don’t think one of us should sleep on the couch. It would be my luck Morgana would get up for a drink of water or something.” When West kept laughing, Madeline put her hands on her hips, and she started laughing too. “We’ll be like those Amish. Don’t they put pillows between their young couples and call it snicker-doodling or something?”
West’s laughter escalated from mild to uproarious. “The term you’re thinking of is canoodling, but the Amish practice is called bundling.”
“Well, I was close.” Maddie protested.
“Not even, not about the bed snuggling and not about the other.” He wiped tears from his face. “I’m not an escort.”
“What do you mean you’re not an escort? You’re Rod Long. I found you on a website!” She was beginning to panic.
A knock sounded on the door. “Will you two hold it down in there? I’m sure seeing Magpie naked is hilarious, but I can’t hear the television!”
“Go away, Morgana!” Maddie yelled, stepping forward toward the door, her fists clenched. Turning back, she glared at Rod or whoever he was. “Let me get this straight,” she asked again. “You’re not Rod from BOYSQUAD?”
“No, I’m not.” She was so cute, standing there staring at him like he was an alien from Mars.
She turned her head, squinting her eyes, surveying him closely. “So, who are you? Or do I want to know?”
West spread his hands, as if showing her he was hiding nothing. “I told you who I was when I walked through the door. I’m Weston Rogers. I brought the blueprints for the renovation.”
Madeline dropped her head. She walked calmly across the room, opened her closet and stepped inside, shutting the door.
Chapter Five
Amused, West walked to the closet and tapped on the wood.
“Give me a minute.” Her small voice sounded muffled from the other side of the door.
Madeline was mortified. She kept reliving every dumb thing she’d said and done since inviting Weston Rogers into her home. No wonder he’d seemed so perfect. He was no paid escort. He was the real damn deal.
“Come out, Madeline. It’s way past time for us to talk.”
She supposed he was right. With a resigned sigh, she turned the knob and faced him. “I can’t believe this. Why didn’t you stop me from insulting you and making a fool out of myself?” Madeline was still whispering. She certainly didn’t want Morgana hearing this part.
Weston kept his voice low too. “I wasn’t insulted, just confused.”
Maddie studied his face. He didn’t look amused now, just concerned. She spun on her heels and walked to the dresser and stuffed the crumpled check inside. “I certainly don’t expect you to stay.” Pulling a bank envelope from the depths with five one-hundred dollar bills in it, she asked, “And I owe you for wasting your time. What do you think would be fair?”
Weston pretended to consider. “Hmmm, let me see.” He bit his lip, watching her waiting patiently. “What you’ve given me so far has more than compensated for my time, Madeline.”
“I don’t think the beef tenderloin is enough pay for having to listen to Morgana and I feud.” She primly sat down on the edge of the bed.
“I wasn’t referring to the meal.” She looked
at him inquisitively. “The kisses and your company were more than enough to make this evening worthwhile.”
“You’re too kind.” Maddie rubbed her forehead. “So, the tube you brought with you wasn’t just a clever prop. Why don’t I go retrieve it and let’s go over the details while you’re here? Then you can head home.”
“Oh, no.” West shook his head. “After all we’ve been through, we’re not about to alert your sister now. You can look at the plans in the morning.” He walked toward the bed, unbuttoning his shirt. “Get comfortable, we’re going to have a slumber party.”
Maddie’s eyes widened seeing Weston begin to disrobe. “Look, this is unnecessary.”
Shirt off. Oh, my goodness. Pants unzipped. Oh, Lord. Madeline’s mouth began to water. His chest was much nicer than Rod’s, sculpted with a light dusting of hair. She found herself hit with a strong urge to run her fingers through the sexy fur and bite him on his amazing pectoral. By the time he was down to his boxer briefs, Maddie’s mouth was dry and she feared she’d developed a serious case of heart palpitations.
“You aren’t going to sleep in your clothes, are you, Maddie?”
“Why are you doing this?”
West chuckled. “You’re not going to rescind your invitation for me to spend the night, are you?”
“I thought you said no sex?”
“We don’t know one another well enough to have sex…yet.” He pulled the covers back. “But what we can do is talk and spoon.”
Maddie had no defense for hot and charming. “I’m in.” She wheeled around, flung open a drawer and snatched out a T-shirt. “Hold on. Do you need to use the bathroom?”
“Such a good hostess. You go first.”
His flirtatious behavior was totally disconcerting. Maddie wasn’t really sure what to do with him. But while she freshened up, brushed her teeth, applied lipstick and shaved her legs, the realization suddenly hit Madeline that he felt sorry for her. Her heart sank. She put the perfumed lotion bottle down.
