Tanner looked down at her, his expression solemn. "It's my job to protect you. One I take very seriously. Nothing will ever happen to you when I'm around, Maddie. I will always take care of you."
"It's not really your job." Even as she said it, warmth was spreading from her heart to the rest of her body. Other than her father, she'd never had a man with Tanner's protective instincts. She was a modern woman and shouldn't enjoy the feeling. But she did.
Tanner chuckled and walked into the kitchen. "You sound like it's a burden. It's a privilege, honey." He pulled two water bottles from the refrigerator. "I guess I'm old-fashioned. Does it piss you off?"
"No." Madison shook her head. "I'm ashamed to say I like that about you."
"Why ashamed?" Tanner frowned, his brows drawn together in a line.
"I'm not supposed to want a man to take care of me. I'm supposed to be a self-sufficient woman who can do anything that needs done all by herself."
"Sounds lonely." Tanner's lips twisted. "The best part of a relationship is that you're there for each other."
"I've never really been in one." Madison shrugged.
Tanner handed her a water bottle and smiled. "News flash. You're in one now. How does it feel?"
"Pretty good, actually. But it could feel better."
"I'm listening." Tanner's smile was sexy and her heart started beating faster. There was something about this man that got to her every single time.
"I was thinking we should do something special for your birthday. Something sexy." She screwed up her courage. "Presley said she did a striptease for Seth."
An eyebrow quirked. "You want me to do a striptease? I guess I could give it a shot."
Tanner looked like he was trying not to laugh. She sighed and rolled her eyes. "No, I meant me. I was thinking maybe I should do a striptease for you. Or something. It's your birthday."
She sounded so freakin' lame.
"Should? Do you want to do a striptease for me, honey? I want you no matter what."
She set the bottle on the kitchen table. "I'm not Presley, I guess."
Tanner slid his arms around her. "Thank God. I love Presley. She's a wonderful woman and she makes Seth very happy. However, she would run me into an early grave. He has his hands full twenty-four seven with her. I'm happy with you. In fact, I think you're the sexiest woman I've ever seen. Hands down." He set his own water bottle down and walked over to the clock radio on the windowsill. He switched it on, finding a soft, instrumental song. "I think I have an idea. How about we dance together and do a mutual strip?"
"A mutual strip?" A lump had formed in Madison’s throat and the blood in her veins was starting to sing. "I don't think I've ever done that before."
Tanner flicked open the top button on her black wool pencil skirt, his fingers brushing the bare skin of her midriff. She quivered at the feeling of his callused hands.
"Follow my lead."
His voice was deep and promised pleasure with a touch of sin. She'd follow him anywhere.
Raising his hands, he shrugged off his suit coat and tossed it on a kitchen chair. His fingers played with the buttons in his shirt before plucking them open, leaving it gaping. A white ribbed undershirt peeked out from under the snow white button-down.
"Your turn," he said. A smile played around his lips and his eyes glowed a dark blue. He was enjoying this by the look of the bulge beneath his zipper. "Unbutton the sweater, Maddie. I want to see what's underneath."
He'd already seen everything but it didn't stop her from feeling compelled to follow his command. Her clumsy fingers unfastened her cardigan and slid it off her shoulders so it fell heedlessly somewhere on the floor. She'd worn a pink camisole under the sweater but no bra. Her nipples rubbed against the lace as he inspected what she'd revealed.
"Your turn."
The words almost caught in her throat but he seemed to understand. Tanner pulled the shirt from his waistband and made short work of the buttons. He shrugged it off and then peeled the undershirt from his body, revealing his hard muscular chest. Something fluttered in her stomach and her insides seem to turn to molten liquid. She reached out to touch him but his hands caught her wrist.
"Not yet. Now you again."
Madison lowered her hands to the zipper on her skirt. Tanner had already unbuttoned it, so she slowly slid the zipper down until the skirt pooled at her feet. She stepped out of it and kicked it away. She should have felt chilly standing there in only a camisole, panties and her garters and stockings. Instead, she was on fire from the inside out. She licked her dry lips and his gaze zeroed in on her movement.
"You." She swallowed hard. "Next."
His expression was tense but he reached for the fastening of his pants and popped them open before pushing the zipper down. The metal teeth sounded loud in the silence and the anticipation made her tremble in her heels. He shoved them down his thighs and soon they were tossed carelessly across the room. His erection was bold and proud, tenting his boxers. She dropped to her knees and reached for his cock.
Tanner stepped back quickly. "We're not naked yet."
His voice sounded raw with need, and she had more than enough of her own.
"I need you now. I can't wait."
This time he didn't pull away when she lowered his boxers, letting his hard cock spring free. She wrapped her fingers around it, wrenching a tortured groan from Tanner's lips.
"Aww fuck, honey. That feels so good."
"It's going to feel better, cowboy. Just stay still."
Madison knew her man well enough to know he wasn't in the mood to be teased. Instead of lightly licking him all over, she took him into her mouth as far as she could. His fingers tangled in her hair and she sucked and laved her tongue on the underside until his balls had drawn up close to his body. She pulled off with a pop and looked up at him. He'd closed his eyes, but now he opened them. His hands caressed her face, cupping the jaw and rubbing his thumb over her lips. She marveled for the hundredth time how a man so big and strong could be so gentle.
Tanner bent down and lifted her to her feet. "You're a dangerous woman, Madison Shay."
She smiled and ran her arms around his lean middle. "How so? I'm perfectly innocent of any crime, Sheriff. Butter wouldn't melt in my mouth."
"I can say with certainty it would." Tanner chuckled. "Your mouth is hot and lethal. Not to mention this sexy underwear you've got on. If I'd known you had that on all evening, we wouldn't have made it through dinner."
He was fingering the delicate lace on the garter belt Sherry had convinced Madison to buy that first day she'd taken her shopping. At the time she couldn't have imagined standing here in front of Tanner wearing nothing but garters, stocking, a camisole, and a scrap of panties.
"You have Sherry to thank for this. I never would have bought it by myself."
Tanner knelt down and tugged on the sides of her panties until they were around her ankles.
"I'll send her a handwritten thank you note. Now off with that thing." He pointed to her camisole and she pulled it over her head, leaving nothing but the garters and stockings. He stood and grinned stepping out of his boxers and kicking them behind him.
"I think I need to show you what those garter things do to me."
He picked her up and swung her onto the gleaming wood of the kitchen table, spreading her thighs until his hard cock was nestled right against her clit. Madison sat back on her elbows and let her gaze drift over Tanner. Every inch of him was beautiful, from the sculpted muscles to his square jaw that spoke of his integrity. She'd had a crush on him as a girl, but she now loved him as a woman. She opened her mouth to tell him, but the words caught in her throat. She was terrified he didn't feel the same.
He leaned over her, balancing on his palms and captured a nipple between his lips, nipping and licking until she was squirming on the smooth surface of the table. He repeated the process on the other side then kissed a wet trail down her abdomen straight to where she needed him the most. He sat down in a c
hair, his breath on her wide-open pussy, his fingers playing with the garter buckles. She hooked her high heels on the backs of the kitchen chairs on either side of him and lay back on the table.
"You're going to scream my name, Maddie."
His wicked tongue made her moan, tremble, and groan. He explored every inch of her cunt and teased her clit until she was begging for release. Her fingers clawed at the table but there was nothing to hold on to. When his mouth closed over the swollen pearl, she did scream his name.
"Tanner!"
The world seemed to tip and spin as the waves ran through her. She heard him rummage in his pants, and then the snap of elastic. His cock pressed into her welcoming pussy and his arms lifted her up so she was in a sitting position.
"I want to fuck you and look into your eyes. I'm fucking you, Maddie. Me. No one else."
No one else existed on the planet besides the two of them. Tanner pulled from her pussy and she whimpered, needing to be filled again. He thrust hard and her head fell back as pleasure filled her to her core.
"Yes," she hissed. "More."
He gave her everything she asked for. He fucked her hard and fast, one arm behind her and one wound in her hair. She wrapped her legs around his waist to keep up with the rhythm he set. Every powerful thrust of his body sent her closer and closer to another climax.
"Come with me, Maddie."
Tanner's voice was a whisper in her ear but her body responded. She was already going over when he reached between them and rubbed her clit. She cried out at the sensations colliding inside of her so overwhelming it took her breath away.
Thrusting one more time, Tanner froze, his expression a mask of pain, pleasure, and then something like serenity. He held her close for a long time, his lips brushing hers over and over before trailing across her jaw and down her neck.
She leaned against him, letting her body relax and come down from the heights he'd sent them both to. Finally she pressed a kiss to his chest and looked up into his eyes, so soft and warm.
"Happy birthday, cowboy."
Tanner kissed her slow and sweet, taking his time. When he lifted his head, she was sure she saw love in his expression.
"Best damn birthday I've ever had, Maddie. You're the best thing in my life."
Chapter Twenty-One
The bed felt too warm and comfortable. Madison was pressed up against Tanner, one arm thrown over his chest and a leg thrown over his thigh. The insistent ringing of his cell phone wasn't going to let him go back to sleep, though. Someone wanted to talk to him right now.
He peeked open an eye and saw it was eight in the morning. It wasn't an ungodly time to call considering Tanner was a morning person. He was usually up long before now even on his days off. However, most days he hadn't spent the night making love to a fiery red haired witch.
After they'd finished on the kitchen table, they’d gathered up their scattered clothes and taken the party into the bedroom. Considering he turned forty-five yesterday, Tanner couldn't complain about his stamina last night. He couldn't do that every single day, of course. Shit, that would put him in the hospital. But once in awhile was still doable.
Tanner groaned and rolled over carefully, trying not to wake Madison. He should have known her years of being on call would make her sleep with one eye open. She sat up in bed, practically wide awake in seconds.
"What? What's that noise?"
"My phone."
Tanner reached for his pants on the chair and pulled out his cell.
Chris.
He swiped the screen and put it to his ear, settling back on the pillows while Madison padded to the bathroom wearing nothing but a smile. Despite last night’s debauchery, his cock, already hard with morning wood, twitched with interest.
"Uh, yeah son. How are you?"
Tanner hadn't heard from Chris in a few days but so far so good.
"Good, Dad. I called to wish you a happy birthday. I'm sorry I didn't call yesterday but I was in meetings all day and then the program had a dinner for the families. Stacey got to meet my counselor and some of the other people in the group."
"Don't worry about it, Chris. When you get to be my age, you don't care as much about your birthday."
"Annie drew you a picture and it's in the mail. Of course, it's really just a blue blob made with crayon."
Tanner chuckled. "I'll put it on the refrigerator. How are Stacey and Annie?"
"They're good. Stacey's been great and so have Grandma and Grandpa. Things are good, Dad. Thanks for sending me here."
Tanner cleared his throat, a lump lodged there made it hard to speak. "Thank you for going. I know it isn't easy."
Chris blew out a breath. "It isn't. I'm struggling, but I want this to work. You're right. Being with Stacey and Annie is better than being drunk. But I still crave it. If I was in Springwood right now, I know I'd go drinking with my friends."
"You will want to drink for a long time, son. But it gets better. I promise you. Keep focusing on the things you want to do that alcohol gets in the way of. After some time, you'll find the craving to drink wasn't about the booze. It was about whatever reason you drank. Once you get to the bottom of it, the urge to drink, well, it won't control you anymore. "
Madison came back and slid into the bed next to him, cuddling close. He gave her the thumbs up sign which drew a smile from her.
"Chris?" she mouthed silently.
Tanner nodded. "You stay there as long as you need to, Chris. Don't rush back here before you feel up to it. Old habits will be easy to fall in to."
"Thanks, Dad. Listen, I talked to Mom and she said she isn't with Fenton anymore. She didn't want to talk about it. Do you know what happened?"
Fenton's a fucking idiot, that's what happened.
"I don't think it would be right for me to comment on it. When your mother's ready, she'll talk about it. Until then, just be supportive of her decision."
"I will. I need to get going. Annie wants her breakfast and then I need to get to a group meeting."
"Give her a kiss from me and call me in a few days. Love you, son."
"I love you too, Dad."
Tanner felt like a hammer pounded his chest. It had been too long since he'd heard those words. He would love his children until his last dying breath.
"Talk to you soon."
Chris hung up and Tanner put the phone on the end table, and then pulled Madison closer. She settled her head on his chest.
"Chris is doing better?"
"He is. It's going to be hard and he may still have some setbacks, but at least he's realized he has a problem. That's the biggest step."
Madison traced hearts on his skin sending tingles straight to his cock. "If he has half your strength, he'll be okay."
Tanner rubbed his stubbly chin on the top of her head. "You're good for my ego."
She looked pointedly at the tent his dick had made under the sheet. "I'm good for more than that, apparently. Do we have time before you have to catch that flight for your super secret spy adventure?"
Tanner was flying out of the secret airfield where Marshal Evan Davis had brought in Presley last fall. Tanner and the other lawmen would be taking a charter flight to the prison on the Canadian border where they would be picking up the prisoner for transport. They’d escort him to Florence outside of Denver, then fly back to the airfield sometime Sunday. The approximately twelve-hour drive would take place tonight under the cover of darkness when the roads weren't as crowded. It would be easier to spot a tail that way.
"Very funny. It's not a spy adventure. Just a field trip of sorts. And the flight doesn't leave until noon. We have time for some fun and some breakfast."
"A field trip you can't tell me about." Madison sighed dramatically.
"I'll tell you all about it when I get back." Tanner paused. "I'd like you to take Scout with you to your house tonight."
Maddie frowned. "I've already invited Sherry to spend the night because you didn't want me to be alone. Are you that worri
ed?"
Tanner rubbed his chin. He didn't want to scare her, but she needed to take this seriously. "Yes, I am. Someone needs to watch Scout anyway. Normally Sam watches him for me, but he's in charge while I'm doing this. I'll feel secure knowing Scout is with you. He'll keep you safe."
"Then I'll take Scout with me. He's such a good dog. He'll be a pleasure to have around. I'm more worried about you, Tanner. If that coffee cup really belongs to Fenton, won't he be trying to hurt you?"
He wants me dead. Period.
"I'll be heavily armed. That reminds me. Does your father have a gun?"
Madison levered up on her elbows. "You really are worried, aren't you? What's going on tonight?"
"Let's just say I'm helping transport something that Fenton would like to have. In fact, many people would like to have it."
"Then they'll be going after you, not me." Madison poked a finger in his chest. "Maybe you should take Scout."
Tanner shook his head. "Scout is retired from real police work. I'll be with several heavily armed and well trained men. You will be here. Now do you have a gun, Maddie?"
Madison exhaled slowly. "Yes. Dad has a shotgun in the hall closet outside the exam rooms."
Dr. Greg Shay wasn't as much of a pacifist as he put on.
"Loaded?"
Madison nodded warily. "You're not going to tell me to keep it next to me are you? I couldn't shoot that thing if my life depended on it."
Someone unfamiliar with firearms shouldn't handle guns. Tanner shook his head. "No. Does Sherry know about guns?"
"She's gone hunting with her dad." Madison was looking at him like he was crazy. "Tanner, I'm not going to need a damn gun."
"As long as you have Scout, I'm sure you won't. Put the gun in your bedroom though, okay? It will make me feel better if you do."
Madison gave him a put upon expression. "Fine. Why don't you just post an armed guard at my door? Wouldn't it be easier?"
"Now that, Madison Shay, isn't a bad idea. Let me call Sam and see if any deputy wants some overtime. If I don’t have any men, I can at least have a deputy drive by there every few minutes or so."
With a deputy watching the neighborhood and Scout inside the house, Tanner wouldn't have to worry about Madison at all. He could concentrate on the job he had to do tonight. He would need to be completely focused just in case the worst happened.
Justice Healed Page 20
