Labor of Love Anthology: 10 Anecdotes of Love and the Struggles Within

by Aliyah Burke

  His mouth was on her so fast, Maddie could only respond.

  They escalated quickly from lips touching each other to tongues dueling for control. HIs breath filtered over her nose and lips. She felt heat and wetness in the envelope of his touch. Maddie relaxed and sighed into his embrace, relenting to the attraction she’d felt upon first seeing him. Her arms circled his nape, fingers playing with the spikey hair there.

  She moaned with what must have been the same passion Sam was feeling. He felt himself harden, pushing at her apex. Sam pulled back a bit, sipping at her lips, letting her lower lip slip slowly from his mouth. He leaned his forehead to hers, out of breath. His tongue went out to take another swipe of her sweet lips, as his hands very deliberately squeezed her sweet ass, a full globe in each palm.

  Maddie’s eyes were closed, as she attempted to center herself, to re-calibrate herself. She breathed out in resignation. “We can’t do this.”

  “No, we can’t,” he murmured quickly, steadily squeezing.

  “You’re my employee. We have a business relationship.”

  “Yes.” Another soft swipe of his tongue.

  “Needs to stay professional.” She slanted her head to give him better access to her jawline.

  “Absolutely,” he muffled against her neck as he nibbled.

  “It can’t go anywhere…” she sighed as his nose caressed hers. “We know nothing about each other.”

  “I know all I need to know.” Sam’s hands slide up to her hips as he pulled her body closer to his.

  Maddie dropped her forehead to his chest, and pulled her arms away. “Sam,” she muttered. “We have to stop. We work together. And we’ve only been doing that for a few weeks.”

  Sam bent his head, burying his nose in the soft, bushy coconut-smelling hair above her neck. He exhaled in defeat, his hands reluctantly leaving her soft hips. He was lost for a response. He wanted Maddie, her brown soft body below him, enveloping him, while he made deep, slow sweet love to her. He willed his body to control its reaction to her, specifically his raging hard on.

  “Madelyn!!” A voice sing songed from downstairs. The front door slammed.

  Sam took a step back. Then another.

  “Where’s Sam?” the voice continued, sounding closer. Agatha.

  Sam’s pointed look into Maddie’s eyes said, This isn’t over.

  “Up here, Mother!”

  “I’m just coming down!”

  They both shouted at the same time to their intruder.

  Seconds later Agatha sailed into the room, only halting as she looked from Sam to Madelyn and back again. They both looked more than a bit disheveled. The stink of guilt filled the room. Call it mother’s instinct, but Agatha knew she’d interrupted something. Finally! Someone has floated my Maddie’s boat. She grinned inwardly.

  Maddie sat back down, turning her chair to Agatha. “Mother, this is unexpected. You’ve not met Sam yet in person, have you?” She covered her discomfort, knowing her mother had only spoken to Sam over the phone.

  “Mrs. Sheffield,” Sam stated with poise, “a pleasure to finally meet you in person.” He pulled Agatha’s hand up, kissing the delicate perfumed cafe au lait skin on the back of her hand.

  Well he certainly has his uncle’s charm. “The pleasure is all mine, I’m sure. “She warmly smiled, shrugging coquettishly, while looking into duplicates of Raymond’s eyes. “So glad that Raymond suggested you for this. It’s really helping our girl here,” she said, tipping her head to Maddie.

  “Mother…” Maddie whined her disapproval of Agatha’s scrutiny.

  “How goes the writing, Missy?” Without transition Agatha dug right into Maddie.

  Sam silently excused himself and slipped back downstairs.

  ***

  “Ray, I don’t know how her mother just walked in,” Sam pondered as he paced the floor in front of hi uncle’s desk at Reynolds Operations.

  Ray was getting tired of seeing Sam pace, knowing something more was on his mind than just Agatha entering her daughter’s townhouse. “We’ll take a look at the video surveillance and see what we figure out. We’ll conjure up something that needs to be attended to tomorrow and I’ll send Evan over to rig the doors and windows, so no one can casually enter. -- even Agatha”

  Sam halted, feeling somewhat better as he remembered he wasn’t the only one working this. He was on a team that had his back on this. “Thank, Unc. Appreciate it.”

  “Has she told you about the other threats she’s received yet? We had two more over the weekend. They come in through her personal account, not the author’s account she has you working on,” Ray revealed. “When Agatha first contacted me, the threats started much more aggressive that I would have thought. Photos of cut out letters pasted on paper and such.”

  “I don’t get why she’s not confided in me about the threats. I didn’t want to break into her personal account. Do you think she’s not taking them seriously?” Sam began pacing again.

  “It is possible.” Ray steepled his palms, examining his nephew over the tops of his fingers. “Sam, sit down,” he quietly ordered.

  Sam stopped and looked at him, bristling in surprise at the order -- but sat down.

  “Look son, you’re freaking. What’s going on between you and Madelyn? You know you must proceed with caution; she’s a target for a crazy man who we’re still collecting evidence on. Be careful.” Ray’s gaze didn’t waver.

  Neither did Sam’s.

  Chapter Four

  Sam thought about Ray’s warning all the way to Maddie’s the next morning. The house was quiet when he entered, missing the hum of energy that lets you know another person was around.

  “Maddie?” he shouted out to the quiet walls. As he rounded to the kitchen, a note shaped like a typewriter leaned up against the coffeemaker.

  Gone on a walk in the park. Be back by 9:45. The coffee maker clock said 8:55 a.m.

  The fuck! He was furious she was out there alone. Sam quickly drove to the park area, and climbed out, a keen eye out for signs of Maddie.

  The easiest way to spot her was that magnificent ass of hers. He’d know it a mile away. A few more sections of the walking path and he was bound to find her.

  The park was active in the morning. The birds chirped and swooped, cars honked on the outskirts of the park. A few kids were crying. Mothers, coffee in hand, sat on benches chatting.

  He ran by them, keeping a steady pace. Turning the corner, there it was: Maddie’s magnificent ass.

  Dressed in a mis-match of an outfit, she appeared to have headphones on as her head bopped to the rhythm of her steps. Though no one seemed to be obviously following her, Sam had only just happened upon her. Kicking up his pace, he ran up and to her left just close enough that he startled her by invading her body-buffer zone.

  Maddie stopped abruptly. She looked over to see who had interrupted her methodical trudge.

  “Hey,” she stated with surprise, her tone breathless.

  “Hey yourself,” Sam said. “I thought that was you. I recognized your hair.” Really it was your ass. “I thought we agreed you were to tell me if you were going out on walks or hikes.” He reigned in his chastisement, not wanting to cause panic or let her know why he was so interested in her activity outside of the house.

  “But I did -- I left you a note.” She grinned a cocky grin.

  Sam crossed his arms, looking at her pointedly.

  “Look,” she appealed. “I was just trying to get in some exercise and rattle the cage of my muses.” She turned and began walking again. “I’ve got a bit of writer’s block.” Because I can’t stop thinking of you.

  “Mind if I jog along with you?” Taking the opening, he started without permission.

  Maddie shrugged.

  “Look, anything can happen in a park, at any time. People, women get assaulted all the time.” He began running in front of her, jogging backward. “Plus it’s good motivation to have someone to workout with.”

  Maddie rolled he
r eyes, “I’d hardly call this a workout.” Her word were puffs between rapid breaths.

  Sam smiled, not even out of breath. “It’s a workout if you’re not used to it, sweetheart.” He turned back around and jogged a few paces ahead of her. “I can be your coach. I did this sort of thing in a past life. It’ll be good for both of us: we both get in a good workout and you walk away the writer’s block.”

  Maddie steadily watched his butt she could bounce a proverbial quarter on as it shifted with each step in front of her up the path.

  Sam turned around, “Great idea, right?”

  She only huffed in response as she tried to quicken her steps to keep up with him.

  ***

  They began falling into an easy morning routine.

  Sam began arriving earlier. He accompanied Maddie to the park, where they warmed up, and then walked and jogged. Occasionally, the hairs stood up on the back of Sam’s neck, a sixth sense telling him someone was watching them. His senses were highly developed and it bothered him that they were out in the open. Still, it seemed that being out kept her safe: no one was dumb enough to make a move on Maddie with so many witnesses around. He steered them to all the very populated routes, always out in the open and never near the wooded paths.

  One morning, upon returning to the townhouse, Sam fixed Maddie a green smoothie.

  “What the hell is this?” she imposed when he stuck it under her very upturned nose while she read the mail Sam had screened.

  “Just try it.” Hands on hips, he stood like a drill sergeant, enforcing maneuvers on his battalion.

  “What’s in this stuff?” she lifted the water glass of green foam to her nose.

  Sam sighed. “Really? We’re gonna do this? Can’t you just taste it first?”

  Maddie stared at him, challenged him, held her ground.

  “Fine!” Sam looked at the ceiling, searching for his memory of this morning’s blend. “Honeydew melon, kale, yogurt, a few blueberries.” He waited for her vehement rejection.

  Instead he heard her slurp, then swallow.

  “Pretty good,” she smiled, fluttering her eyelashes at him in jest.

  This woman and her unpredictable nature was going to be the death of him.

  ***

  One morning, after one of their walks on a particularly hot day, Maddie came downstairs, looking for a bottle of water. Upon entering the kitchen, she found Sam, with the same idea, wet from a shower with a towel tied around his narrow hips, his tight ass tempting her to pull off the cloth. Maddie stood transfixed, taking in the droplets running down from the ends of his hair to his shoulders and down his muscular back, as his head tipped back, drinking. His Adam’s apple moving up and down was a turn on she never expected.

  He stopped drinking, eyes opening, and saw her taking him in.

  He cleared his throat, and looked down at himself. “Sorry I’m not dressed yet,” he stated needlessly. “I really needed to shower, and then I was so thirsty from the run and the heat… well, sorry.”

  “No, no, it’s fine. I understand. That’s why the guest bedroom is here for you to use. Not a problem.” Maddie answered stammering, almost tiptoeing towards him. She reached past him, into the fridge, trying not to touch him, trying not to tempt herself.

  She scooted away, bottle in hand, as her heart fluttered in sexual awakening of seeing this beautiful man.

  ***

  Sam was in a continual battle with himself. He wanted Maddie with an intensity he’d never felt before, but he needed to keep his head clear to ensure she was safe. Until this stalker was caught, he need to keep his distance so he could best protect her.

  But his body had other ideas.

  Every time he was close enough, he unconsciously took a deep sniff of her coconut-vanilla essence. He continued to find reasons to touch her. He didn’t apologize when he brushed her body as a co-worker typically would, and being the man he was, he often ogled her ass and breasts.

  But that wasn’t all. He enjoyed her personality and intelligence. Their titillating conversations during their morning walks always proved such fun. Books, film, reality TV, politics. And important things: Star Wars or Star Trek? Pick-up truck or motorcycle? Iron Man or Cap America? Hamburger or hotdog? And his heart skipped a beat when her pert brown nose squished with her distaste of some vegetable-based dish he made her try for lunch.

  Sam was falling hard; he already fell fast. Something about Maddie -- her manner, her body, her laughter -- felt like home to him. Maddie was no longer just a client. Usually it was professional pride that drove him on a job. However, with Maddie, he felt more protective towards her, than he had ever felt before. Now he just had to figure out what to do about it.

  ***

  The more Maddie tried to ignore the sexual tension between her and Sam, the more she felt it and the more it weighed upon her.

  Her eyes drifted to him way too often. She anticipated his regular job-related interruptions. She enjoyed his laugh, hearty and spontaneous. She kept hearing his voice as the voice of her hero in her head when she wrote her novel. She itched to squeeze his firm butt in the running shorts he wore during their morning walks. She even loved smelling his minty fresh breath when he leaned in close to explain something to her. When he accidently touched her, she never heard his murmured apologies or what he was saying because Maddie was too busy feeling the electricity that ran through her. He clearly looked out for her, showing her kindness and care. She was losing her heart to Sam Reynolds and there seemed to be nothing she could do about it.

  Maddie sighed in resignation.

  “You okay? Headache again?”

  Maddie startled, Sam’s quiet words surprising her. Caught up in her thoughts, she didn’t hear him approach. She couldn’t conjure up words. She began fidgeting with the edge of her keyboard. She felt him behind her, and almost jumped as she felt warm hands on her shoulders.

  “May I?”

  “Uh, um sure,” she hesitated, completely unsure if she should grant permission for this to happen even as she yearned for it.

  Sam’s hands were large and she realized they were strong as they massaged and eased the tension he himself had caused in her neck, shoulders and upper back.

  “Ooo, you’re tight aren’t you, boss?” he teased as her head fell forward with the wonderful feelings of calm and contentment that overtook her body.

  It took a few seconds before she remembered to reply. “Mmmmmhmmmmm.” His fingertips began to snake onto her scalp, attending to those often-neglected muscles. When his hands massaged their way down to her mid-back, running over and around her bra straps, she suddenly felt like she was in one of her own romance novels. Was this how the biker bad boy seduced the good girl from the other side of the tracks? Her mental ramblings turned to black as Sam rubbed a particular knot by her shoulder blade.

  “Right there. I can feel that kink right there.” His thumbs rotated attendance over and around the spot, easing the tightness and pain.

  Maddie felt his breath on the back of her neck, warm and steady. Her short hair allowed her nape to feel his breath as he rotated pressure. She was close to falling into a coma of complete bliss, when she felt his lips nipping at the base of her ear. His hands softly rubbed her shoulders. His tongue sucked lightly on her neck, as his fingers ghosted over her collarbone and over her straining breasts. She could feel her nipples straining to meet his touch.

  Maddie’s head fell back against his solid stomach, and she moaned when his lips travelled up the side of her face and to her forehead. She opened her eyes, viewing him upside down and up close and person. His green eyes bore into her brown ones. He stared intent, a question in his eyes.

  “Yes?”

  “Yes.” She didn’t hesitate.

  His nose moved against hers, back and forth, caressing each side, over her cheek, before his lips settle on her upturned mouth. Sam sipped at her lower lip, which was on top at this angle, his tongue lapping and tugging the full flesh. Maddie found her hands and re
ached up to his ears, pulling him closer as she opened more fully for his kiss, her palms open over the back of his dirty blonde hair.

  Sam made love to her mouth. His tongue entered and possessed, moving suggestively against the inside of her cheek, teeth and lips. The actions of his tongue on her mouth imitated actions that she wanted him to take with other parts of her body, moving in and out with a rhythm. He moaned softly as he pulled away, taking her top lip with him with a final suck.

  “You have work to do. I’ve interrupted you.” His breath was warm against her cheek. “We have to stop doing this. We’ve gotta get working.”

  Maddie just blinked at him. Slowly comprehending that he was pulling away. That their kiss was ending.

  “But Mads…”

  She glowed at the sounds of a new nickname on his lips. “Yes?” she whispered. She searched his eyes.

  “I know I’m not the only one feeling this heat, this chemistry between us. Trust me, darlin’, it’s taking everything in me to walk away and leave you to work.”

  She simply stared up at him, wide eyed, dumbfounded to answer.

  “But…” he bent down and punctuated his words with a quick kiss on her mouth. “I intend to finish where we left off. I don’t care that we work together. I want you. I want to be between your thighs, on top of you, in you. Mark my words: we WILL finish this.” His green eyes committed his promise to heart.

  Maddie gulped. Suddenly the tension she’d felt in her body earlier was a whole new level of tight, but it wasn’t in her neck or back. It was much lower and deeper as her core began to drip in anticipation of a beautiful man making her his.

  ***

  Sam stopped by the office at Ray’s request.

  “He’s at it again.” His uncle pulled out a file of emails, the most recent ones on top. “She’s still not told you about the threats?”

  Sam just shook his head, fury growing as he read the vivid violence that was being threatened if Maddie didn’t respond to this creep. He wanted to beat the guy down. “It’s no wonder she’s been struggling with writing and having writer’s block lately. If I was reading these, I would be unable to function.”