by Rhian Cahill
“You get in the shower right now and I promise you’ll get exactly what you want.”
Toby eyed his mother. She was up to something. “What did you do?”
Smiling, she let go of his ear and patted his cheek. “Wouldn’t you like to know?”
“Yes, actually, I would.” He blew out a breath. “She needs time.”
“She’s had plenty. And so have you.” Grabbing the front of his shirt in her fist, she pulled him to his feet. “Shower. Now.”
He let her direct him towards his room. They both knew she’d never be able to if he wanted to stand his ground. “Okay. I’m going.”
“Finally.” Adam threw up his hands. “Now can we stop babysitting duty?”
“Why are you all still here?” Mom asked, shooting one of her lethal glares at them.
Toby smiled and walked away to the sounds of his brothers’ grumbles as their mother hustled them out of his house.
Memories assaulted him as he made his way through the bedroom into the bathroom. Mad was everywhere he looked. In the weeks they’d been together, she’d left pieces of her life all around his house. Clothes in his wardrobe, a toothbrush in his bathroom, her shampoo in the shower… The steamy space still smelled of her.
Taking a deep breath, Toby stripped out of his shirt and pants. Fuck. He had to see her. Would it be a dick move to park outside her house and wait for her to leave? To look through her windows with the hope of getting a glimpse?
He laughed. Knowing his luck, Damian would be the one to arrest him.
Flicking on the water, he stepped under the spray and let the shock of cold jolt him. It warmed quickly, and while he wanted to linger in this space that smelled of Mad, he didn’t. He took care of the necessities quickly then shut the water off.
He’d promised himself he’d give her time but he didn’t think he’d last much longer. Maybe he should get his mother to take all his keys so he couldn’t drive over to Mad’s house. Or he could go home to Mom and Dad’s and hang out with them for the night. Get them to bring him back in the morning.
He grabbed a towel and slung it around his hips before heading back out to talk to his mother. He hadn’t made it two steps into the bedroom when he froze.
Fuck.
It had finally happened. She’d lived up to her name and driven him mad. There was no other explanation for the apparition standing before him. He was hallucinating. He had to be. His sleep-deprived mind had conjured up his wildest dreams.
“Toby.”
God, his imagination was so good, his vision even sounded like Mad.
“I used the key you gave me.” She stood beside the bed, her hands twisting together in front of her in a nervous gesture he hadn’t seen in a while. “I left it on—”
“Mad?” he shook his head. “You’re real?”
“Ah, yes.” Her head tipped to the side as she studied him. “Why wouldn’t I be?”
“Jesus.” Toby stalked over, gripped her arms and brought her to her toes. “Fuck. You’re real.”
“Toby—”
He slammed his mouth on hers. She melted instantly. Opened her mouth and welcomed him. And for the first time in seventy-two hours, he took a deep breath.
Pulling back, her pressed his forehead to hers. “You’re real.”
“You said that already.”
“I know but I’ve been seeing you for days.” He sighed. “You’re never real.”
“We need to talk.”
“Need to touch you more.” Toby started on the buttons of her blouse.
“Toby.” She brushed his hands away. “Stop.”
“No. Never.” Pushing the shirt open, he sucked in a breath. “Damn. You and your sexy underwear.”
“Toby.” Mad wiggled out of his hold. “I’ve got things to say.”
“I’m only hearing you if you’re naked and pressed against me.” He dropped his towel and stalked after her as she moved around the bed and headed for the door.
Lunging forward, he slid an arm around her waist and lifted her off her feet.
“Toby!”
“Madison!”
He spun around and dropped on the bed, making sure he didn’t crush her when he came down on top. Framing her face with his hands, he stared at her, studied every millimeter of her face to see if she’d changed at all since he’d seen her.
“Christ. I finally get what Steve Tyler was singing about when he said he didn’t want to miss a thing.”
“What? Toby, you’re not making any sense.”
“Nothing makes sense when I don’t have you.”
She rolled her eyes. “Now you’re being corny.”
He shook his head. “Nope. It’s the truth. I can’t function without you, Mad.”
“For god’s sake, we’ve only been together a few weeks.”
“I know.” He held her gaze with his. “I think I was done the first time I kissed you.”
“Done?”
“You’re it for me. I don’t get it. I can’t explain it. But there it is. You’re it.” Her eyes filled with tear and his heart stopped.
“Dammit, Toby.” She sniffed.
“Don’t cry.” He scrambled up, pulled her into his lap and tucked her head beneath his chin. “Whatever it is, whatever I said, I’ll fix it. Just don’t cry.”
***
Madison sucked back her tears and tried to swallow the lump in her throat. She needed to get the words out. Needed for Toby to shut up long enough for her to say the good stuff first.
“Don’t cry. I’ll fix it.” He rocked her in his lap. “Mad, please, you’re killing me.”
Sniffling, she attempted to order her thoughts. “Can you shut up long enough for me to speak?”
Toby stopped rocking. “Ah, sure.”
“Thank you.”
“Always so polite,” he murmured and held her tighter.
“Ease up, you’re making it hard to breath.”
His arms loosened. “Sorry.”
“I’m mad at you.” Madison covered his mouth with her hand to stop him from talking. “I’m allowed to be mad. You didn’t give me a chance to make a decision about how we dealt with the debacle at school. I get that you’re the alpha-male type and you thought you were doing what was right but if we’re going to keep seeing each other, we have to meet halfway.”
“What do you mean if?” he asked into her hand.
She lifted her hand away. “I wasn’t sure…”
“Did you not hear one word I said?”
“Oh, I heard you. I’m still hearing you.”
“What does that mean?”
“Everything is happening so fast and this is all new for me, remember.”
Toby grabbed her hips and, picking her up, swung her around to straddle his lap. His very naked, very aroused lap. Forehead pressed to hers, he said, “This, with you, is new for me too. I’ve never told a woman I wasn’t related to that I love her. Madison, I’ve held your hand through so many new experiences. I’m asking you to hold mine through this one.”
He laid his hand open between them.
“Shit. Ignore that.” He covered his cock with his other hand. “It can’t be helped. You’re in the room.”
She knew he was being serious but hiding his erection behind his hand didn’t stop her from shivering in anticipation.
He wiggled his fingers to bring her gaze back to the hand laid out in front of her. “Take my hand, Mad; share this new experience with me.”
Her eyes filled once more. “I’m going to cry again.”
Toby smiled. “As long as they’re happy tears and you hold my hand while you do it, I’m okay with that.”
Madison placed her hand on top of his. “Are we insane to fall in love this quickly?”
“Oh, it’s definitely insane. Completely and utterly mad love.”
Epilogue
“What’s this?” Madison picked up the gift on her pillow.
“Birthday present.”
“For me? My birthday was
three months ago.” She pulled the end of the pink ribbon to untie the bow.
“I know.”
“You forgot to give it to me?” she asked while carefully lifting the tape from the paper so it didn’t tear.
“No. You weren’t ready then.”
She glanced up. Toby leaned against the wall on the other side of his bedroom. They’d made the decision—today—to move in together, so she wondered what on earth he could be giving her other than the home he’d already offered.
“Hurry up.”
Madison grinned. “I like to take my time. Anticipation’s half the fun, right?”
“Not this time. I’m going to have a heart attack if you don’t get a move on.” He rubbed a hand over his chest. “Plus it’s really hard staying all the way over here when you’re all the way over there. Naked.”
She’d just stepped out of the bathroom after a shower, which he hadn’t joined her for. She should have known then something was up. The only time she showered alone in this house was when Toby wasn’t home.
“C’mon, Mad, you’re killing me.”
She peeled back the paper to reveal more paper. Tissue paper this time. “What on earth?”
Giving up on slow, she tore into the final layers and watched as a delicate porcelain figurine was revealed. “Oh god.”
Her gaze darted to Toby. He looked equally nervous and excited.
Glancing back down, she removed all the wrapping and held the couple cradled in her hands. “I don’t—”
“Madison.”
He was beside her. On one knee with his hand held out.
“Take this new experience with me.”
In the palm of his hand sat a ring of gold, a big sparkly diamond the only thing breaking the circle. “Is that…? Are you…?”
Toby grinned. “I love it when I stop that mind of yours.”
“It’s only been five months.”
“I told you I was done the first time I kissed you.”
“I…” She couldn’t take her eyes of the ring.
“In case you need the words… Madison, will you marry me?”
Her head was moving up and down before she could get a word out. “Y-yes.”
“Then give me your hand.”
She held out her left hand and watched him slip the gorgeous ring onto her finger.
“Right. Now, next new experience.” He scooped her up into his arms and carried her out of the room.
“Wait. Where are we going?”
“I’m going to fuck my fiancé under the stars.”
“Outside?”
“Yep.”
“But—”
“And when I’m done, we’re going to make slow, mad love.”
~~~
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Excerpt from Crazy Love
Available March 3, 2016
Rette looked away from the spreadsheet that had her eyes straining to the point her vision blurred and blinked several times. It did nothing to alleviate her dry eyeballs. Reaching for the little bottle that had become a permanent fixture on her desk, she tipped her head back and administered the elixir-of-life to the desert that had moved into her eye sockets.
She needed to quit and go home. Except she hated doing that when something didn’t add up.
And, dammit, something didn’t add up.
She’d run the numbers five times—overkill maybe—with the same result and now she was checking every equation and number to verify they were correct. The problem was there were six tabs with over a hundred entries on each as well as the crossover calculations. She’d barely skimmed the surface never mind scratched it.
With a sigh, Rette leaned her chair back to the full extent of its tilt function and stretched her arms over her head while waiting for the magic water to do its job on her eyes.
There was also the other reason she was avoiding leaving the office. But she wasn’t going to think about that. If she let one thought slip in she’d remember where she should be right now and then she’d be reminded of what she could be doing and what she wouldn’t be doing again any time soon.
God dammit.
Now she was thinking about it.
She blew out a breath making her cheeks puff out. She should probably thank Jake for calling to let her know he couldn’t meet her this month—or any month from now on. Except Rette couldn’t bring herself to be anything but pissed. She’d needed this weekend.
Had she congratulated him? She couldn’t remember. None of their conversation after ‘I can’t make tomorrow or any other day in the future’ was all that important to her. Oh, she was happy for the guy.
Maybe.
Well she would be as soon as she figured out how to replace her booty call buddy.
They’d been hooking up for three years. Once a month, Friday night through Sunday afternoon, for thirty-six months.
Get in, get off and off and off, get out. It suited her. There were no messy feelings or strings or where-are-you-what-are-you-doing texts or calls.
No demands.
Been there, done that, bought the fucking t-shirt, pants, shoes and hat to prove it.
Damn she was really going to miss those fuck-fests.
She didn’t delude herself though; she couldn’t offer Jake—or any man—more than sex. At some point Jake had decided what they had wasn’t enough… Although now she thought about it, he’d never asked her for more. Maybe he hadn’t changed his preferences until he’d met the woman who’d put an end to their weekend romps.
Wouldn’t be the first time a guy had come to the conclusion she wasn’t what he wanted. At least this time she hadn’t handed over her heart first. She’d never do that again. Once burned, twice shy and all that.
Nope. No way. No how.
All she wanted was sex.
No strings. Get in. Get off. Get out.
Where the hell was she going to find a replacement?
Rette lowered her arms and rolled her shoulders while the soothing balm of her eye drops quenched the thirst behind her eyelids.
One of those online hook-up sites might work…
Except those sites were more about meeting ‘the one’. She definitely wasn’t looking for that. Trolling bars and clubs didn’t appeal. The last time she’d be in one had been for a colleague’s birthday and Rette had come out of there feeling as though she needed to shower.
In bleach.
That type of place had never been her thing and the thought of having to enter one now made her shudder. Not the good kind of shudder either. Those were not in her foreseeable future.
Dammit. Now she was wound up and frustrated over work and sex.
Letting the recoil action of the tilt function do the work, Rette opened her eyes and jerked upright.
Nothing had changed on the screen in the last five minutes. Maybe she should call it a night and pick it up again in the morning? It wasn’t as though she had anything better to do this weekend now.
“Hey, you’re still here?”
Swiveling her chair, Rette watched the hottest thing to wear a suit walk towards her.
Adam Moreland.
Australia’s most eligible bachelor according to one of the country’s top women’s magazines. She couldn’t argue with them. Rich, good looking, and by all accounts, into hot and heavy—occasionally kinky—sex. In the last few years there’d been numerous articles written about the man and his sex god appeal.
Such a shame he was her boss and she couldn’t go there. She’d love to climb all over that.
Rette quit her visual perusal of tall, dark and handsome and met his gaze with a smile. “Still here.”
“Thought you were busy this weekend?”
“Was.”
“And now…” He arched one sexy eyebrow.
Eyebrows shouldn’t be sexy. Then agai
n, Rette was pretty sure dog shit would be sexy on Adam. Yes, he was definitely all that. Goddamn fucking shame he was her boss. “Plans got canceled.”
“So you’re free tomorrow?”
“What do you need me to do? I’ll be in here early anyway—” she indicated the monitor behind her “—can’t get that to balance. There’s either an incorrect input or someone got stupid again and fucked with my equations.”
He shook his head. “Leave it for Monday. I need you to come with me tomorrow.”
Come with him? She didn’t normally attend client meetings. “Uh, okay. Where?”
“Zac’s wedding.”
“Whoa. Wait.” What the fuck? “You’re asking me to be your plus one for your brother’s wedding?” Jesus. She glanced at her desk. What the hell was in those eye drops?
“My date canceled on me. I’ve already RSVP’d.” He shrugged. “If I don’t turn up with someone all the single women will be all over me and I’m not in the mood for that.”
“Why’d your date cancel?” Rette was pretty sure this was a world event because in the four years she’d worked for Adam she’d never heard of it happening before.
Rubbing a hand on the back of his neck he sighed. “Apparently between agreeing to go with me six weeks ago and this morning she found the love of her life.”
“Harsh.”
“Not really. It wasn’t like that.”
“Oh?”
“Megan swings the other way. She’s always been the perfect cover when I don’t want to deal with unwanted attention.”
Okay, so she was a last minute substitute and nothing more than a defender of his virtue. “You have to use her often?”
Adam frowned. “Unfortunately, yes. Which makes her new found love a thorn in my side but she’s not willing to rock the boat with the new girl yet.”
“She has before?”
“Yeah. It’s kinda been our thing since school.”
