by Marie Force
"I'm just trying to help your sister."
"I can help her. Why don't you go back where you belong?"
"And where's that?"
"In your big white house overlooking your North Harbor kingdom."
"It's not my kingdom."
"Whatever you say."
"What've I ever done to you or your sister?"
"Not a damned thing."
"So then what's your beef with me?"
"I have no beef with you. I have a beef with guys like you who brag to your friends that you had a go with one of the Chester sisters."
"That's not my style."
"What isn't? Having a go with the trashy girls or talking about it?"
"Maddie's not trashy." Mac grew to dislike this bitter, unhappy woman more with every passing second. "Why would you say that about your own sister?"
"It's not me who says it. Did she tell you where our mother is right now?"
"My sister did."
"I'm sure she took great pleasure in that. Did she tell you how my mother got there?"
"No."
"Ask your mother about that."
"What does she have to do with it?"
"Ask her." Tiffany raised a handheld baby monitor to her ear. "Talking in her sleep."
"Where's your husband?" Mac had known Jim Sturgil in high school but not well.
"Another good question."
"Look, I don't know why you're so pissed at me—"
"You wouldn't, but if you screw with my sister, you'll deal with me."
Mac had never known two more jaded women. "I just want to see her back on her feet."
"Noble of you. Truly."
"What would you have me do? Walk away and leave her to fend for herself after I caused her injuries?"
Tiffany ground out her cigarette. "I'll be watching you."
"Thanks for the warning."
She left him standing in the dark. He saw her enter her house through the sliding door on the back porch and took a moment to get himself together before returning to Maddie's apartment.
"Did you have trouble finding the trash cans?" she asked.
"No." He skimmed his fingers through hair still damp from the shower. "I ran into your sister."
"What did she say?"
Mac shrugged. "Nothing worth repeating." He debated for a second but had to know. "What did my mother have to do with putting your mother in jail?"
Maddie gasped. "She told you that?"
"Is it true? Did my mother have something to do with it?"
Maddie seemed to weigh her words carefully. "It was a combination of things."
He lowered himself to the coffee table, forcing her to look at him. "Tell me."
"My mother passed a bad check at the hotel bar, and yours reported her."
"For a first offense?"
"Third." Maddie's eyes dropped to her lap, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment. "Your mother didn't have a choice."
Mac covered her good hand with his and squeezed. "I'm sorry."
"She's been courting disaster for years now. It was bound to happen eventually."
"And you've tried hard not to make the same mistakes."
"For all the good it's done me. I'm always one step ahead of disaster."
He linked his fingers through hers and was pleased when she let him. "I'm incredibly drawn to you, Maddie."
Her face flushed again. "Don't say things like that. You don't mean it."
"I do mean it."
Bringing their joined hands to his lips, he kissed the back of hers and decided not to push the issue. He had a feeling that too much too soon was not the way to woo this stubborn woman. "What do you say we clean up those cuts?"
"I was hoping you'd forgotten about that."
"No such luck."
"I'd love to take a shower. I feel gross."
He tucked a shank of honey hair behind her ear. "You don't look gross. In fact, you look quite lovely."
"You don't need to say that stuff to me. It's not going to get you anywhere."
"And where is it that you think I want to be?"
She replied with the scathing look he'd grown quite fond of during their day together.
"Why don't we deal with this thing you're worried about right now?"
"What're you talking about?"
"You think I'm only doing all this so I can sleep with you, right?"
She had the good grace to appear embarrassed by his frank assessment. "It's crossed my mind."
"Then let me put your mind at ease—we won't sleep together until you tell me you want to." When she began to protest, he rested his fingers over her lips. "Until you say these words: 'Mac, make love to me,' I swear it won't happen. I can't promise I won't try to kiss you again, because I really liked kissing you. But anything more than that? It's all you."
"Can I talk now?" she asked.
Mac smiled and removed his fingers.
"I'm not used to people without ulterior motives."
"I'm sorry you've been mistreated in the past, but not all men are lousy pigs."
She studied him with eyes utterly lacking guile, and his heart stuttered in his chest. "They aren't?"
Without breaking the intense eye contact, he shook his head. Reaching out to caress her cheek, he leaned in to kiss her lightly. "I can't resist you."
"Try harder."
"You don't really want me to."
"How do you know?"
"Well, you started the whole kissing phase of our relationship."
"I was asleep! And it's not a relationship."
Mac's grin spread across his face. "What would you call it?"
"An annoyance."
He laughed—hard, which seemed to infuriate her. "Let's table this debate for now and get those cuts taken care of."
"Do we have to?"
"Yep. Ready for a lift to the bathroom?"
"I guess."
Mac moved carefully to lift her from the sofa and carry her to the bathroom. "How do you want to do this?"
"By myself."
He followed her into the bathroom. "You could fall."
She turned and seemed surprised to find him right behind her. Placing a hand on his chest, she stopped him from coming any closer. "There's no way you're seeing me naked, so turn around and get out."
Mac put on a pout face. "You're no fun at all."
"So I'm told."
He closed the lid to the toilet. "Why don't you sit and let me take off the bandages."
Eying him warily, she said, "All right, but then you're out of here."
"Yes, ma'am." Mac helped to ease her down and then knelt in front of her to unwrap the gauze. Uncovering the angry, seeping wound on her knee, he winced, and his stomach turned. "God, Maddie." He glanced up at her pale face. "Don't look."
"Okay."
He removed the bandages on her elbow and hand, struck by her stoic courage when she had to be in terrible pain. "I hate that I caused this."
With the fingers on her good hand, she brushed the hair off his forehead.
Staggered by the gentle caress, he looked up at her.
"You're not what I expected."
"No?" He kept his tone light, but the small bathroom became airless.
"From your mother's stories, I pictured you as a real playboy. Different day, different woman."
Mac cringed at the somewhat accurate description. "That might've described me at one point in my life, but not anymore."
"And when did this miraculous change occur?"
He pretended to give that significant thought. "About nine o'clock this morning."
Chapter 5
As he left the bathroom, Maddie wanted to believe his interest in her was genuine, but she was still convinced that the minute she was fully healed, he'd forget about her and go running back to his regular life. How could she believe anything else? Every man she'd ever loved had let her down. Why should he be any different? You're not being fair, the angel sitting on her right shoulder said. He's
been nothing but lovely to you and Thomas all day.
Yeah, but he's probably just worried about you suing him for hurting you so badly, the devil on her left shoulder countered.
"Enough," Maddie muttered. Leaning on the sink, she stood slowly and breathed her way through the pain. She managed to remove her shorts, underwear and T-shirt but was stymied by her bra. Her injured hand wouldn't cooperate to release the four tight hooks. Teary eyed from the pain in her hand, she reached for a towel and wrapped it around herself. "Mac?"
"What'd you need, honey?"
The endearment made her swoon with desire. How she wished she could be his honey, but it wasn't going to happen. Having feelings for a man who lived thousands of miles away was foolish and risky. "I, um, I need some help." Just the thought of him seeing the old-lady bra made her feel sick.
"Do you want me to come in?"
Swallowing hard, she said, "Please."
The door opened, and his face went slack at the sight of her in a towel.
"Try not to ogle, will you please?"
"Who's ogling?"
"You are."
He seemed to make an effort to focus on her face.
"Can you, um, unhook my bra? Please?" She watched his Adam's apple bob up and down in the strong column of his throat.
"Sure," he said in a strangled tone.
Maddie turned and let the towel drop just enough to give him access. His fingers brushed against her back, and she gasped.
"Sorry."
"S'okay." She held her breath while he worked on the hooks.
"All set."
"Thank you."
Maddie waited for him to leave, but instead, he pushed the straps aside.
"They cut into your skin."
"Yes." His lips brushed her right shoulder, and she stiffened in surprise. "W-what're you doing?"
"I have no idea."
Sensation tingled through her, making her tremble. "Mac—"
He kissed the indentation on her left shoulder while continuing to massage the other side. "Can I ask you something?"
"If I say yes, will it get you out of here so I can shower?"
"Uh-huh."
"What's the question?"
"Since you hate them so much, do you ever think about having them reduced?"
Turning, she stared at him. "Seriously? That's your question?"
"I'm sorry. It's none of my business. I shouldn't have—"
"Every day since sixth grade! I hate them! They've totally ruined my life!"
"So, why don't you … you know…"
"I don't have health insurance or thousands of dollars."
"I didn't mean to upset you."
"It is what it is." Looking up at him, she said, "May I take a shower now?"
"Yeah, sure." He turned to go. "I'll be right out here. If you need me. Again."
Once the door closed, Maddie dropped the towel and stared into the full-length mirror affixed to the back of the door. Her breasts looked like mini-cantaloupes, her hips were too round and curvy, her belly not quite as flat as it had been before Thomas. Despite backaches, shoulder spasms and a variety of skin issues, she'd learned to live with breasts that developed far too early and gave the teenage boys in her class plenty to obsess about. Some days she wished she could wave a magic wand and wake up with normal-sized breasts. Then maybe every man she encountered would actually focus on her face rather than her chest. A girl could dream.
Maddie stepped into the shower and gasped when the water hit her cuts. Her tears were only partly caused by pain. Just once, one time, she'd like to feel like a normal woman who stood a chance at happiness with a man like Mac.
Just once…
Mac wanted to shoot himself for asking that question and upsetting her, but his desire to know everything about her had trumped his better judgment. He sighed when he thought about the deep, red grooves the bra straps had left in her slender shoulders. He wanted to give her the money. She needed it. He had it. If only it was that simple.
That he'd give this woman he'd known only one day thousands of dollars without hesitation and expect nothing in return should've scared the hell out of him. Rather, it pleased him to know he might be able to do something like that to make her happy. If she'd let him, that is. A huge "if."
Thomas whimpered, and Mac went to check on him. He found the baby sleeping with his bum in the air, his face pressed to the mattress and his mouth open and moving. Mac fixed the blanket that had gotten tangled under his legs and covered him again. For a long time, he stood there and watched the baby sleep before he reached out a finger.
Thomas tightened his little hand around Mac's finger. The implied trust touched Mac's heart, and his throat tightened with emotion. "I wish I could convince your mom I can be trusted," he whispered.
"Did he wake up?" Maddie said from behind Mac, startling him.
The scent of her shampoo and floral soap filled his senses and sent another surge of lust rippling through him. "Just doing some talking."
"He dreams like I do."
Remembering her earlier dream, Mac extricated his finger from Thomas's grip and turned to her. She wore a robe and had her hair turned up in a towel. He studied her pretty face, wishing he could take her into his arms and kiss her again the way he'd yearned to since the last time.
"You're staring," she said after a long, breathless moment.
"You're pretty. Very, very pretty."
"I wish you'd stop saying that stuff."
"Why?"
"It makes me uncomfortable."
"Because you don't believe it?"
"Because I'm afraid to believe it."
He framed her face with his hands, running his thumbs gently over her face.
Her lips formed the surprised O he was coming to love.
"I would never hurt you."
"I'm sure you'd like to believe that."
"Hasn't anyone ever been kind to you, Maddie?"
She thought about that. "My grandmother, but she died when I was seven."
He moved closer, his lips hovering just above hers. "You make me want to do everything for you. Do you know why?"
She shook her head but didn't look away.
"Because you'd never ask me to."
"And others do?"
"Always."
"Even the ones you've loved?"
"I've never loved any of them."
Her expressive eyes widened with surprise. "None of them?"
He liked shocking her. "It hasn't been something I've ever had or needed." Until now, he wanted to say, but didn't dare. "You seem to be getting around a little better."
"The water hurt, but it loosened things up."
"Let's get you some new bandages."
"I just, ah, need to get dressed. First."
Mac heard her but couldn't bring himself to look away or leave the room.
"Mac."
"Oh. Right. I'll wait for you out there."
"Thank you."
Mac went out to the living room and dropped to the sofa, his hormones working on overdrive. He'd never reacted to a woman quite like this. Figured it had to be one who wanted nothing to do with him. Releasing a short bark of laughter, he marveled at the irony. He'd finally, finally found one who sparked more than just his libido and she couldn't care less about him.
Well, he'd just have to change her mind. She wouldn't be easily swayed, but he couldn't let her slip through his fingers without finding out what they could possibly have together.
Maddie eased her way into a tight camisole that somewhat contained her breasts and put an extra large T-shirt over it. She'd learned to play down her considerable assets. Her thoughts drifted to the man waiting in the other room. His steely blue eyes made her itchy for something she'd never wanted before. He looked at her like he wanted to devour her. The feelings he generated in her were bigger and more dangerous than any she'd ever known. He scared the life out of her. If only she could convince him to leave her alone.
She ventu
red into the living room where he sat with his head back and his eyes closed. Maddie studied his strong jaw, the smooth skin on his neck, the broad shoulders, the muscular chest, the bulge of his sex. Shocked by her own curiosity, she quickly glanced at the hair falling into his eyes, and those perfect, kissable lips… What a package. She sighed, hoping for the fortitude she'd need to convince him to go.
"See something you like?"
She jumped, startled by the rumble of his voice. "Of course not."
"Ouch. The hits to my ego just keep on coming." He stood up to his full six-foot-two- or three-inch height.
Next to him, she felt tiny. "If you can't take the hits, there's the door."
His eyes hardened with displeasure. "Let's take care of those cuts."
Now that he'd made her feel not just tiny but small, Maddie lowered herself to the sofa. "I'm sorry."
"For what?" he asked, but he didn't look at her.
"For being nasty."
He shrugged. "I can take it."
"But you don't deserve it. Not after everything you've done today."
He unrolled the gauze and placed it on the coffee table next to the ointment. "I'm being made to pay for every guy who's done you wrong in the past. I get it." Propping her injured leg on his knee, he looked up at her. "Are you ready for this?"
Maddie bit her lip and nodded. Even though he was gentle, she cried out the second the ointment touched her ravaged skin. "Oh, God," she gasped. "That hurts!"
He tightened his hold on her leg. "I know, honey. Just hang in there for another minute."
By the time he finished dressing her knee, she was sweaty, nauseated and on the verge of tears.
Mac reached for her.
She rested her head on his shoulder and focused on his now-familiar scent.
He smoothed his hand over her hair, whispering soft words of comfort. "Better?" he asked several minutes later.
She nodded but didn't raise her head off his shoulder.
"Ready to do the elbow?"
"No," she whispered into his neck as she clutched his shirt with her good hand.
A tremble rippled through his big frame. "Maddie," he said in a raspy voice. "Honey, you're making me crazy. I'm only human."
Had she ever made a man crazy before? Not that she could recall. She liked the feeling of power that came over her. As if it had a mind of its own, her hand traveled from his chest to curve around his neck. Turning her face ever so slightly, she found his mouth warm and willing.
