Dangerous Grounds

by Shelli Stevens

  “I think Maddie’s had enough shock. If you could keep things simple while she’s with you. Don’t let her do anything too extreme. She may not be thinking in a clear manner.”

  Gabe’s attention snapped back to Madison’s father and his not-so-subtle warning not to try anything with her. His annoyance level peaked, and he wanted to tell her dad to have this conversation with his daughter. She was the one into extreme seduction.

  But he had too much respect for Robert Phillips to bring that up. Besides, if he could stick to his guns and keep saying no, it wouldn’t be an issue.

  “My only interest in Madison is keeping her safe, Mr. Phillips.” Gabe downed the rest of his juice.

  “I thought as much.” Robert’s expression held respect and something else he couldn’t identify. For a moment he could have sworn it was disappointment, but that wouldn’t have made sense.

  The doorbell rang and Robert excused himself to answer it.

  Gabe walked into the kitchen and found Madison and her mother in a deep discussion about last night’s events. She glanced up and smiled when she noticed him. He returned the smile, but found himself thinking quite a bit about the conversation he’d just had with her father.

  “Spaghetti’s here.”

  They all glanced up as Robert returned carrying a silver container that must have held their dinner. Gabe gave a soft laugh. So this was why Madison ate out so much. She’d been raised this way. How could he have forgotten? Something as easy to make as spaghetti and the Phillips still ordered out.

  He caught Madison’s gaze again and smiled as she quirked an eyebrow at him in amusement. She must have read his mind.

  She took the seat at the table next to him and whispered, “Yeah, but wait ’til you try it. This stuff is orgasmic.”

  Her hand ran over his thigh and he grabbed her wrist, stalling its movement. He glanced up at her dad, half expecting to find him glaring across the table, but Robert appeared otherwise occupied serving the spaghetti onto his wife’s plate.

  “Not now, Madison,” he warned in a low voice.

  “All right,” she agreed and gave him an intent look. “Then later.”

  Chapter Seven

  Later, after they’d spent the rest of the day making phone calls, closing the shop, and picking up more things from her apartment, they arrived back at Gabe’s house.

  “Thanks for today.” Madison glanced over at him as they walked through the door. “You didn’t have to do any of that. The lunch with my parents was a lot to ask. I hope that wasn’t too painful.”

  “Of course not,” he insisted, casting a sideways glance her way. “I like your family. They’ve never been anything but supportive of me.”

  “They love you.” She walked past him into the living room. “I’ll put in the DVD.”

  “All right, I’ll fix us something for dinner.”

  Relaxing and zoning out for a few hours sounded like heaven. Anything to take her mind off the last two days. They’d stopped by the video store to make it an ultra stress-free evening.

  And the post-dinner plans she had would be quite the surprise for Gabe. A wicked smile crossed her face as she grabbed the remote control and sat on the couch.

  “I forgot to ask, do you eat beef?” he yelled from the kitchen.

  “I do, but I prefer lean cuts.”

  “It is,” he called back. She thought she heard him mutter something about tofu, but wasn’t sure.

  The sound of meat sizzling and the smell of soy sauce reached her. Hmm. Stir fry? This man could cook. Too bad he was just a rebound. A girl could get used to this.

  He brought her dinner ten minutes later and sat on the couch. Sure enough, it was stir-fried beef and vegetables, with a compact ball of sticky rice next to it.

  “Wow, your rice looks so perfect.” She poked it with her fork and it didn’t move. “How did you get it to stay together like that?”

  “I cooked it in a rice cooker.” He gave her an amused look as he stabbed a piece of beef with his fork.

  “Right.” She wasn’t exactly sure what the difference was between a rice cooker and cooking it in a pot, but had no intention of asking. She took a bite and decided again how great a cook he was.

  “So, what are we watching?” he asked as the previews came on.

  She swallowed the bite of food in her mouth before she answered. “The Notebook.”

  “You’re making me watch a chick flick?”

  “No! It’s got war scenes in it, I saw it on the preview—”

  “It’s a chick flick,” he argued and continued to eat.

  “Fine. We’re still watching it.” She held her breath, wondering if he’d keep fighting her on it. He didn’t respond. Ha, I won. Her smile turned smug.

  When the movie ended some time later, an empty box of tissues lay on the couch and only one of them was crying.

  “God, that was beautiful. To have that kind of love. I swear that is the best movie.” Madison sniffled. “How can you call that a chick flick? Wasn’t it just the best movie you’ve ever seen?”

  Gabe gave her a look that said he clearly thought she was demented. “Watching that movie made me wish I drank, anything to numb the effect.”

  Madison rolled her eyes and jumped up from the couch. She knew her mascara had run and she must look a mess, which reminded her of the big moment she had planned. She needed to get cleaned up.

  “I’m going to get changed into my pajamas. But don’t go to bed, yet. I want to talk.”

  “Talk?” He gave her a doubtful look.

  “Mmm-hmm.” She avoided his gaze and hurried out of the room.

  Gabe watched her go and gave a weary sigh. She seemed to be up to something, but the hell if he knew what. And maybe he didn’t want to. He did know that it was ten at night and he had to be at work in eight hours.

  He reviewed tomorrow’s schedule again in his head. Unfortunately, he hadn’t been given the okay to guard Madison when she went to work tomorrow. Another officer had been assigned to watch over her shop during the day. The thought of it pissed him off.

  Round-the-clock protection had been suggested for Maddie. They had felt confident in Gabe’s ability to keep her safe at night, but tomorrow she’d be in somebody else’s care. Damn. She should just close up shop until they caught the Espresso Bandit. Even as he thought it, he knew the idea was ridiculous. Maddie would never do it. She wouldn’t let herself be intimidated. He wouldn’t do it either, if he were in her shoes.

  “Hey…”

  Gabe glanced up and his breath locked in his throat. Jesus. What was she trying to do to him? Her bare feet padded across the room toward him as the silk robe she wore swayed around her calves.

  She sank down on the sofa next to him, curling her legs under her bottom.

  “You wanted to talk?” He just managed to get the words out.

  “I do.” She gave him a slight smile. “I want to apologize for pressuring you into bed with me. You’ve been so great the past two days and all I’ve been doing is acting like a sex-starved nympho.”

  “Are you?” The words were out before he could stop them.

  “Maybe,” she admitted with a smile and shrugged. “But forget it. I just wanted to say sorry…and give you a kiss goodnight.”

  “Ah,” he murmured as his gaze fell to her lips. Warning bells were ringing like crazy in his head. Just a kiss? It was never just a kiss.

  “Come on, Gabe. Just one.” She leaned forward, her hair falling in a curtain around her face, her lips just above his.

  That kiss was beginning to sound pretty damn good. His hands circled her satin-covered waist and dragged her toward him. He slid one hand up to tangle in her hair.

  “Just a kiss,” he repeated and then she covered his mouth with hers. Her mouth rubbed against his in a light caress, retreating and returning many times until he couldn’t take it any longer.

  His tongue thrust between her lips, stroking over her teeth and into the moist interior of her mouth. She
sighed and angled her head against him, bringing him deeper.

  She tasted of mint, cool and sweet like she’d just brushed her teeth or eaten a mint. She grabbed the back of his neck and wrapped her tongue around his, sucking in a steady rhythm. God, he thought, the things she could do with that mouth.

  He groaned and started to reach for the belt of her robe, then froze. Self-control, get some. He repeated the mantra in his head several times until it returned.

  “Okay.” He lifted his lips from hers and whispered, “There’s your one kiss.”

  “You mean you want to stop?”

  Gabe nodded and waited for her to get ultra pissed off again. Instead she surprised him by laughing in amusement.

  “Well.” Her lips brushed against his one more time. “I guess we’ll just have to do this the other way.”

  Her words registered just as he heard an all-too-familiar clicking sound. He tried to push her back, but it was already too late. She had one of his wrists handcuffed and just finished securing the other cuff to the lamppost by the couch. Where the hell had she hidden the cuffs in that robe?

  “I found these in your sock drawer this morning.” She gave him a casual shrug.

  “Maddie.” He growled and jerked forward, forgetting she’d cuffed him. He jerked to a stop and fell back onto the couch. She’d chained him like a dog! How the hell had he let her get control?

  “I’m going to make you a deal, Gabe.” She sat on his lap and smoothed a hand through his hair.

  Even though his right hand had been restrained, his left was still free. He reached up and grasped her wrist, stilling its movements.

  “No. You’re going to get the key out of my dresser and let me go,” he ordered, his voice dropping an octave.

  He knew he’d made her reconsider, because she swallowed hard and, for just a second, looked hesitant. Then she shook her head, and pried her wrist free.

  “Like I said. I’ll make you a deal.” She climbed off his lap, as if sensing she’d be safer further away from him. She was right. “For the next half-hour or so I’m going to…entertain you. When I’m done, you can either tell me to go to bed, or you can fuck my brains out. I’m hoping for the latter.”

  “Let me save you the time—”

  “I promise you won’t say no.” She stood. “Just make yourself comfortable, Gabe. I’ll be back in a second.”

  Madison almost ran back into her room. Her pulse pounded and she even trembled while she put on her shoes. She looked in the mirror and smoothed a hand over her hair, then took a second to put on a layer of lipstick.

  Enough time wasted. Gabe wasn’t an idiot. He’d find a way out of those cuffs if she weren’t there to monitor him. Hmm. How strong was the lamp?

  She turned on the stereo in the hall and pressed play on the CD player that she already had set and waiting. The music came on and the first sensual notes of an R&B song blared. Tonight she would put those strippercize classes to use.

  “Maddie,” Gabe shouted from the other room. “When you uncuff me, you’re not going to find a safe enough place to hide…”

  She appeared in the doorway to the living room and he trailed off. She untied the belt at her waist and slid the robe off her shoulders, letting it slide to the floor. The only thing she wore underneath was a black lace bra, matching g-string, and four-inch stripper heels.

  She leaned her back against the doorframe, turning her head to look at him. Her hips began to undulate, slow and steady, and his body tensed as his gaze narrowed on her. Good, she thought, he wasn’t looking away.

  Madison ran a hand down her neck and over a breast, stroking her nipple so that it thrust out against the lace while her hips shifted in sensual figure eights. She turned around so she faced the frame, and dragged her leg up the wall. She arched her back. With the heels on, she knew it made her legs look a mile long.

  She lowered her foot to the floor and stepped away from the doorframe. Walking in a slow and deliberate advance into the middle of the room, she noted Gabe’s eyes following her every step.

  She stopped and pointed her foot just in front of her body, starting the slow and sensual undulations again. A smile curved her mouth as she watched him. So this was what ultimate power felt like. Gabe didn’t stand a chance.

  Chapter Eight

  When she’d first cuffed him, Gabe had been ready to break the lamp to get free. The fact that it was an antique that had belonged to his aunt kept him from doing it. Now, watching as Madison’s milky breasts rose and fell while her hips moved, he’d eagerly throw away the key.

  His gaze started at the top of her head. Her hair fell past her shoulders in a sensual wave. Her gaze bore into his, full of passion and promise. It was almost too unsettling to linger there, and he dropped his eyes to her breasts. Her nipples were hard under the lace, and he could almost make out their color.

  As if she knew his thoughts, she unfastened the back of her bra and dropped it to the floor. Her nipples, a tempting dark pink, hardened further, and his mouth watered. God, he wanted to taste them.

  He started to rise and got jerked back to where he sat. Damn. He kept forgetting about the cuffs.

  Madison gave a throaty laugh, cupping her breasts as she took another step toward him. His blood pounded and he dropped his gaze from her breasts to her navel, a tiny crater in the middle of her flat stomach. Moving his gaze further south, he let out a strangled groan.

  Her movements had caused the silky fabric of her thong to slide into her folds; she looked slippery and smooth. His cock hardened and again he fought against his restraints.

  “Maddie,” he croaked. “You win. Go get the key and stop this.”

  “Stop?” She sank down to her knees on the floor a few feet in front of him. “I’m just starting, honey. I can’t have you changing your mind again.”

  I won’t. He watched as her fingers ran swirls around her nipples.

  “When you touched me here,” she stared at him. “It got me so hot.”

  Gabe’s erection throbbed painfully under his jeans. He almost closed his eyes at the discomfort, but that would mean missing what she did next.

  Madison leaned back and thrust her hips into the air in slow grinding movements. She slid a hand down her stomach to the top of her panties.

  “And when you touched me here.” Her voice turned husky. “It felt amazing.”

  Her eyes shut as she slipped her fingers below the fabric and inside herself.

  Gabe choked on a gasp. He never thought he’d be jealous of a hand, but right now he would’ve given anything to be those fingers. Madison opened her eyes just a bit and smiled at him, her eyes cloudy with arousal.

  He watched as she rolled to the side and pulled a leg out from under her, swinging it in an arch in the air as she leaned back onto her elbows. She did the same with her other leg, so she lay flat on her back with her legs in the air. Her ankles moved in slow circles, giving him the most exquisite view of her ass. She grabbed the strings on both sides of her hips and slid the panties up and over her thighs, kicking them off her legs.

  They landed on the couch beside him. Her musky scent drifted up to him and he grabbed her panties with his free hand.

  Madison let her legs fall back down and then open, exposing her moist folds and the cream inside. Her hand drifted back between her legs and she began rubbing her middle finger over her clit.

  “You see, Gabe.” She gasped as she increased the pace of her finger. “I can get myself off. But I’d much rather you do it for me.”

  “I’ll do it. God, I’ll do it.”

  “I know you will.” She sat up again on her knees and went down on all fours, approaching him with a slow seductive crawl.

  He clenched her panties in his hand, the smell and sight of her intoxicating him. The tension in him grew ready to explode and make a hell of a mess in his jeans.

  Thank God she appeared to be almost done. Madison reached him, but seemed to have other plans.

  She knelt before him, runni
ng her hands over the denim on his thighs.

  “Get the key, Maddie,” he demanded as his hips jerked toward her.

  “Not just yet,” she murmured and slid her hands from his thighs toward the zipper on his jeans.

  He heard the rasp of the zipper and then her hands were inside, parting the slit in his boxers to find him.

  “Ah, here we are.” She pulled him free of his boxers and jeans, stroking him into a full erection. “The socks didn’t lie.”

  “What the hell are you talking about?” Gabe squeezed his eyes shut, trying to slow down the orgasm that threatened to rip through him. Her hands were like satin—wait, it was moist. God, she had him in her mouth.

  Her tongue ran along the length of him, curling around the head of his shaft while her hands slipped back inside his boxers to cup his balls.

  Gabe grabbed her head with his free hand and massaged her nape while she sucked at him like he was candy, moving her mouth up and down on him. Damn, she was amazing.

  “Maddie, if you don’t stop, I’m going to come.” He grunted, his hips bucking under her skilled mouth.

  She pulled back and stroked her thumb over the head, capturing the bead of moisture there. “Although I do owe you an orgasm, I’m too selfish not to get my own this time.”

  His hand delved into her hair. “Get the key.”

  She slid up his body and climbed onto his lap, reaching behind him between the cushions of the couch.

  “I hid it in here,” she confessed in a breathy voice as she pulled out the key along with a condom. “And this. I didn’t think we’d make it to the bedroom.”

  “You were right.” He grabbed the key from her and unlocked the cuffs, unable to believe it had been that close the entire time. Finally free, he grabbed her hips and pushed her back onto the couch, falling on top of her.

  He used one hand to pin her hands above her head while he drove two fingers into her slick channel. She screamed and bucked against him. Damn. So hot and wet. He used his thumb to flick up over her clit and she squirmed.