by J. S. Scott
Oh, God. No. She couldn’t be sucked in by Sam Hudson again. Not in any way. She shoved hard against his chest, twisting away and lowering her legs until her feet hit the floor. “Get off me.”
Fury built to a raging inferno inside her. How dare he use her, play with her because he was bored and she was the only available female in the building? Sam Hudson was playboy, a man who took women to his bed and discarded them, finding another plaything soon after he was done with the last one. He was rarely seen with the same woman more than once. Did the man have a conscience? Did he care about no one but himself?
Maddie wanted to curl up into a little ball to protect herself, shamed by the way she had responded to Sam even though he was a complete dog. What kind of a person did that make her?
She shrugged away from him, turning her back to sprint for the door.
“Maddie. Wait.” Sam’s voice was husky, pleading yet demanding.
He grasped her arm, swinging her to face him before she was able to get to the door. Maddie turned to face him, her fury and fear battling for dominance. “Don’t touch me again. Ever. I’m not the stupid, naïve woman you once knew. I trusted you once, and I forgave myself because I was young. I won’t do it again. I don’t have the excuse of youth to even justify being that stupid.”
“You still want me,” Sam answered vehemently, his eyes raking over her body, settling on her face.
Looking him straight in the eye, she answered angrily, “No, I don’t. My body might respond to a gorgeous man, but it’s just physiological, a sexual reaction. You,” she poked a hand to his chest as she spat out, “mean absolutely nothing to me anymore.”
“You want me to fuck you until you scream. I can still make you purr, Kitten,” he told her arrogantly, a satisfied smirk on his face.
She shrugged, trying to force down her violent desire to slap the conceited look from his handsome face. “I wouldn’t know. You’ve never fucked me. And you never will.”
Wrenching her arm from his hold, Maddie stormed through the office door, scooping her jacket from the hook by the reception desk and bolting through the lobby and out the front door of the clinic. She didn’t look back. She couldn’t. One of Hudson’s security officers escorted her to her car and she drove away as if she were a convicted criminal with the law on her tail, wanting nothing more than to get as far away from Sam as she could possibly get.
Maddie drove in a daze, two words playing through her hazy brain like a broken record.
Never again.
Never again.
*****
Sam Hudson walked slowly through the reception area of the clinic, lost in his own thoughts. What the hell had just happened? He’d stopped to see if Maddie was okay, concerned that she was still at the clinic so late - a quick stop to make sure all was well because he knew she was here alone. Damn. Could he ever see the woman and not want to possess her, make her want him as much as he wanted her?
You’ve never gotten over her. You probably never will. She’s haunted you for years. She got under your skin like a sliver of wood that’s always a little bit raw and irritated, never working its way out again.
Stepping outside, Sam closed the door behind him. He glanced at one of his security officers. “Can you lock up?”
The man nodded. “Yes sir. Hope your meeting with Dr. Reynolds went okay.”
Sam barked a humorless, self-mocking laugh. “Yeah. It was very informative.” I learned that she still fucking hates me as much as she ever did. He lifted a hand to the other guards as he departed, making his way to his vehicle.
Yep. That meeting had gone really well, he thought darkly as stepped into his Bugatti and started the engine.
You never even said you were sorry.
Her words haunted him, would probably always haunt him now. “Fuck!” Sam slammed his fist against the steering wheel in frustration. Nope. He hadn’t ever said he was sorry. Then again, he hadn’t been able to say it back then. Still, he should have said it, found a way to apologize later. It hadn’t been possible after the incident had taken place, and he had just blown his second chance a few minutes ago.
What was it about Maddie that made him lose his reason?
You’re acting like an asshole because she doesn’t really care about you anymore and it’s eating you alive. You might be able to have her body if you seduce her…but never her heart. Never again.
Once, years ago, Maddie had looked at him with eyes that sparkled with admiration, adoration. One brief incident, and he had washed that look from her beautiful eyes forever.
Leaning his forehead against the steering wheel, he closed his eyes, still able to picture the Maddie who had looked at him with respect and affection even when he hadn’t had two pennies to rub together. It was ironic, now that he was one of the wealthiest men in the world, she eyed him like a bug that needed to be squashed, a rodent that needed to be exterminated.
You’ll see her again. She’ll be forced to talk to you for Simon and Kara’s wedding. The wedding was being held in his home, so Maddie wouldn’t have a choice. He was the best man and she was the maid of honor. Maddie would have to at least be civil, and Sam knew she would. She was considerate and loyal to anyone she considered a friend. Her own feelings would take a back seat to making sure Kara had a happy wedding, one with no hassles or ugliness.
And no matter how Maddie treats me, no matter how she looks at me, I won’t be a dick to her. Shit. I hope she doesn’t bring a guy with her. I never asked Simon if she was involved with anyone.
Sam sat back in his seat with a heavy sigh and put his car in gear, wondering if it was even possible anymore for him not to be an asshole. Truth was, the years had changed him, made him into a man who he wasn’t at all certain he liked anymore. And if Maddie had a man in her life, he was even more likely to lose it.
Find a woman, someone to take your mind off Maddie.
Snapping his seatbelt on as he backed out of the parking space, Sam took a deep breath and ran through a mental list of possible willing females…until he caught a tantalizing smell, an elusive scent that clung tenaciously to his sweater. Her fragrance. A reminder of what had just occurred in her office.
“Fuck! I can’t do it. I can’t be with another woman. Not now,” he whispered to himself, pissed off that he had kissed her, that he had felt her lush curves against his body. Now, the thought of spending the night in the bed of any other woman but Maddie left him cold. Honestly, it had left him cold since the moment he had seen Madeline again over a year ago.
Sam braked his vehicle at the exit of the parking lot, glancing quickly at his watch, grinning as he turned left instead of right, headed toward Simon’s condo.
It was time.
Simon had called him earlier, informing Sam that he was going to be an uncle, and asking for a favor, which was a complete rarity for Simon. There was nothing Sam wouldn’t do for his little brother. He had failed to protect Simon once, and it wasn’t happening ever again. Whatever Simon needed, he’d be there for him.
Thank God Simon had found Kara. Sam adored his brother’s fiancée, wanting to kiss the ground she walked on, simply because she loved his little brother unconditionally, made Simon happier than Sam had ever seen him. And Simon deserved that happiness, that kind of devotion from a woman. Unfortunately, watching Simon and Kara together made Sam realize just how empty his own life was, how desolate and superficial his existence had become.
Like I haven’t always known that? Nothing has been real since I lost Maddie.
Kissing Maddie, holding her again after all those years, had made things even worse. It was like something was awakening deep inside of him, a sensation that was familiar, yet not. Certainly, it wasn’t comfortable.
Forget her. Forget what it felt like to lose yourself in Maddie’s softness, her scent, the feel of her lush curves and deliciously eager mouth.
Sam cursed, knowing he’d be sleeping alone tonight, taking himself in hand as he fantasized about Maddie. And this time, tho
se memories would be much more vivid, newer, more real than ever before.
Fuck! He was so completely screwed…and definitely not in a good way.
*****
Maddie turned the page of the book on her lap, wondering why she just didn’t give up and go to bed. It wasn’t like she was really absorbing any of the written words.
“Damn it,” she whispered, slamming the book closed and dropping it on the table beside the sofa. Honestly, she didn’t want to go to bed. If she did, she would just keep remembering her encounter with Sam, torturing herself with memories of that scorching hot kiss earlier in the evening.
Swiping the remote control from the table, she pushed the button to activate the television, hoping she could drown out her thoughts with the ten o’clock news.
Her doorbell rang just as the news anchor starting recounting the top stories of the day.
Who the hell could it be? She had no family and none of her friends would come to her door at this time of night unless it was an emergency. She sprang to her feet and sprinted to the door, her heart racing. Looking through the peephole, she saw a man in uniform, a Hudson security uniform.
“Who is it and what do you want?” she called loudly through the door.
“Special Valentine’s Day delivery for Dr. Reynolds.” The man called back.
“Leave it and go.” There was no way she opening her door, even if the guy was apparently from Hudson.
“I understand, ma’am. I’ll just leave it here on the doorstep.” He bent, then straightened again and left.
Maddie opened the door a crack, leaving the security chain in place. She watched the man get into his truck and drive away. She lifted the chain and opened the door completely, her eyes widening.
On her doorstep was the most incredible bouquet of red roses she had ever seen. There were several dozen flowers, too many for her to count in her stunned condition. Lifting the heavy, sturdy vase that appeared to be made of crystal, she secured the door behind her and lugged the roses to her dining room table. Placing them in the middle of the circular oak surface, she plucked the card from the center of the arrangement.
She sat, her shaky knees barely able to support her legs. The card was small, the outside of the tiny envelope decorated with hearts and a cute little Cupid in the corner. The only thing on the front was her name. She opened it with trembling fingers, yanking the notecard from its surrounding paper. There, in handwriting she still recognized, were only two words.
I’m sorry.
There was no signature, no other identifying markings.
Dropping both the envelope and card on the table, Maddie buried her face in her hands and wept.
Chapter 2
Enough! This is complete bullshit.
Sam Hudson shoved his cell phone into the pocket of his gray Armani suit and hit the brakes of his Bugatti, jamming the pedal so hard that the tires squealed in protest, before shifting gears and doing a completely illegal U-turn in the middle of a Tampa side street. Gritting his teeth, he hit the gas and flew in the opposite direction, away from his waterfront mansion home.
What in hell is she doing? Trying to kill herself?
Honestly, Dr. Maddie Reynolds was about to kill him. She was in her Tampa free clinic again. After dark. In a crappy area of Tampa. She’d been there every evening now for two weeks, his security alerting him every time she was there at night. For fourteen goddamn days he’d waited at home to hear from his security that she had safely left the area for the night. Every night it was after eleven. Tonight was day fifteen and it was midnight. And Maddie still hadn’t left the clinic.
She was seeing patients, on a volunteer basis, every night at the clinic after she finished in her regular job as a hospitalist. Obviously, she stayed later doing the necessary paperwork and case evaluations after she closed the clinic around nine o’clock, sometimes ten. When she had blocks of days off, she spent them there in the clinic. All day. And half the damn night. There was no way she could keep up this kind of schedule and not drop from exhaustion.
Slamming his palm against the steering wheel in frustration, Sam was determined to find out what the hell was going on. Maddie had always worked like a fiend, doing tons of hours for no pay at her free clinic on her off days, but not like this, not every single night. She had security from Hudson there because his brother Simon had arranged it after his fiancée, Kara, had nearly been shot during a robbery at the facility, but it still wasn’t safe, and Maddie’s hours were ridiculous. Did she ever sleep? Did she eat?
Sam hadn’t seen Maddie since his encounter with her at the clinic nearly a month ago, a brief interlude that he was having a difficult time forgetting. All he had to do was think about that kiss, or smell her scent on the sweater he had been wearing that night, a garment that, for some strange reason, he hadn’t yet thrown into his pile for dry cleaning, and his cock was hard enough to pound nails.
Shit. She’s making me insane.
Scowling, he cut a hard right turn and accelerated, his heart thumping at the thought of seeing Maddie again, wondering what she had made of the flowers he had sent her on Valentine’s Day. Once, years ago, he only been able to afford to give her a single red rose. Now, he had finally given her the dozens of roses she deserved. Yeah, it was a shitty way to apologize for what had happened all those years ago, but he’d never been especially good with apologies. He was Sam Hudson, billionaire and co-owner of the Hudson Corporation. Hell, he hadn’t apologized for anything since…well…ever, except for his drunken actions at Simon’s birthday party the year before. Okay, he had probably apologized years ago, but not since his mother had grabbed his ear when he was a kid and made him answerable for his bad behavior. He’d made a habit of not doing anything he might end up regretting; excluding that incident with Maddie so many years ago and the more recent incident with Kara. Even now, he couldn’t actually be completely regretful for what he had done to Maddie, except for the part where he had hurt her with his actions. Really, his only apology in years had been the one to Kara and his brother for his behavior at Simon’s birthday party. He had been drunk, depressed. But it still didn’t excuse his shitty behavior. Luckily, Simon and Kara had forgiven him, leaving the incident in the past.
I hurt Maddie, the one person who I never wanted to hurt.
But he had, and for that, he was sorry.
She’ll never forgive me.
Sam’s jaw clenched as he turned left, getting closer to the clinic, into a seedier area of the city. Yeah, he knew that Maddie was lost to him, had known it since the moment he had alienated her forever. Pain still ripped through his chest when he thought about the shattered look on Maddie’s face, the devastation in her beautiful, hazel eyes. That was the day he had lost his Sunshine, and even after his years of success, the money, the power, his life was still fucking overcast, and sometimes downright gloomy.
I can still be her friend even though she hates me. I owe that to her as a friend. She’s killing herself with work and I have to stop her.
“Shit,” Sam cursed in a low, fervent voice. Who was he trying to fool? He wasn’t an altruistic type of guy. Truth was, he wanted to see her, wanted to protect her. The rehearsal dinner for Simon and Kara’s wedding was tomorrow and Maddie would be there, but he couldn’t take another night of worrying about her. He was ending this now, before the crazy female made herself sick from pulling too many hours without enough sleep.
He didn’t bother to pull into the parking lot. He steered his expensive sports car up to the curb and exited, waving to the two Hudson guards in front of the clinic.
“She still here?” he asked one of the guards closest to the door.
“Yes, sir. Hasn’t left yet.” The older man quickly brought forward a key to unlock the door.
She will. Right fucking now.
Sam pushed open the door, his irritation making his stomach churn. As he strode through the lobby, he heard the loud click of the door being locked behind him. Ignoring it, he strode through the
reception area and into the back offices. He stopped, taking a deep breath before he opened the door of Maddie’s office, preparing himself for an ugly confrontation.
His pent-up breath exited his body in an audible whoosh as he realized there would be no warfare in the immediate future. His intended opponent, dressed in an old pair of green scrubs, her fiery curls spread out over the desk and her right arm bent and supporting her head…was fast asleep.
Making his way to her desk, he scowled as he noticed the dark circles under her eyes. Still, the woman looked like an angel, her unblemished skin a creamy ivory, her mouth the color of ripe strawberries. Scanning her face, he realized she wasn’t even wearing make-up, probably having showered after her clinic hours. He brought his hand gently to the back of her head, her damp hair confirming his suspicions about the shower. Giving in to the urges he was trying to hold in check, he buried his hand in her abundant curls, letting her fiery hair spill over his fingers.
“Shit,” he muttered softly, fingering the tresses gently, indulging himself as her light floral scent wafted over his senses. He crouched, bringing his face level with hers. “Maddie,” he called gently, his hand still caressing her hair.
She lifted her left hand, which had been resting on her thigh, and swatted at him, missing as he lurched backward to avoid the feeble swing. “Need to rest my eyes for a minute. Just a minute,” she mumbled, her lips turning down into a frown, as though irritated.
Sam’s lips curled up in an amused smile as he rubbed her scalp. “Time to sleep, Sunshine.”
Maddie slapped at him again, this time hitting his shoulder in a pathetic, half-hearted smack. “Sleeping. Go away,” she muttered, her eyes remaining closed.
Christ. She’s really out of it.
Placing his hand against her mug of coffee, he noticed it was barely warm. She hadn’t been out for long, but obviously she was exhausted, so sleep deprived that her cognitive function was incredibly slow.
Sam slid her weekly planner out from under her arm, glancing quickly at the open page. Hmmm. She was off work for the next five days. Not that he was really surprised. All of the functions for Simon and Kara’s wedding were starting tomorrow, beginning with the rehearsal and the rehearsal dinner.
