Wanting It All: A Naked Men Novel

by Christi Barth

  “I don’t talk that much,” he protested. Knox settled her into the U-shaped black-and-white striped chair.

  “Compared to men in Alaska?” She snorted. Pointed across the table as he sat down. “You talk more than a teenager hopped up on soft drinks and candy.”

  Knox filed that away to tell Logan. See if in all his globetrotting he’d ever stopped in the forty-ninth state. Because Logan doled out words as stingily as life jackets on the Titanic. He’d fit right in up there.

  Annabeth caught Madison’s wrist. Turned it left and right. “I love that bracelet. The contrast between the turquoise and silver really makes it pop.”

  “Thanks.” She peeled it off her wrist. “Here, you should take it.”

  A bark of disbelief made heads turn at the red couches along the wall. Annabeth crinkled her nose. Gave Knox a sideways Where did you find this one? look. “I can’t take your bracelet.”

  “Sure you can. I made it, I can give it away.”

  “No way.”

  As Annabeth snatched it to examine the workmanship closely, Knox echoed her words in his head. The only thing he knew about jewelry was that women preferred the expensive variety. But he never would’ve guessed the bauble was homemade. Or that the beautiful ultra-tourist was so talented. Not to mention apparently generous to a fault. He revised the plan for just drinks to add in dinner, too. He needed to discover all the other facets to the fascinating Madison.

  “It’s truly not that hard. Just some sapphire shell beads on a leather cord with a silver floral button. I can whip one of these out in less time than it takes to make a cranberry apple pie.”

  Knox leaned across the table to cover her mouth with his palm. “Stop. You have to stop. I can’t take another amazing revelation. The fact that you bake is almost enough to make my pants spontaneously combust with excitement.”

  Madison turned to Annabeth conspiratorially. “See? Other guys would’ve just said cookies turn them on. This one turned it into more words than some marriage proposals.” She whipped her head back to Knox. “You’re kind of adorable.”

  “In that case, we’ll take a bottle of the Veuve Clicquot, La Grande Dame.” Knox checked his watch, guessed when she would’ve eaten lunch, if at all, and decided to add some snacks. A passed-out date was no fun at all. “And a charcuterie and cheese board.”

  “Back in a jiff. Welcome to D.C., Madison.” Just as Annabeth started to walk away, Madison slid the bracelet into her apron pocket. Annabeth didn’t notice the covert move, but Knox sure did.

  “Why’d you give her that?”

  A slow smile curved the corners of her wide lips. “Why not?”

  He held up one hand to tick the obvious points off on his fingers. “You don’t know her at all. You incurred costs purchasing the inventory. The labor took time, not to mention the mental labor coming up with the design.”

  Mimicking him, Madison held up her own hand. “She thought it was pretty. It made her happy. I got to be happy making it. She’ll enjoy wearing it, and I can make another.”

  “But you just lost money.”

  “No, I gained happiness. Funny how much better that makes me feel than twenty dollars in my pocket.”

  “You’re not just from out of town. You’re from a whole different time and culture. One where entire towns come together to raise a barn.” Knox rested his forearms on the table. “Tell me the truth. Did you fly here, or use a time machine?”

  The smile in her eyes dimmed. “People aren’t nice in D.C.?”

  Might as well rip that bandage off, fast and clean. “No. Not as a rule. Everybody wants something. Politics, money, influence—that’s what turns the wheels of this town.”

  “Which one are you?”

  Knox liked talking. He didn’t, however, particularly enjoy talking about himself. That’s what came of having the media dog his steps for too many years. Plus, while his money usually impressed women straight into a striptease, he had a feeling it wouldn’t have anywhere close to that effect on Madison.

  For now, he’d downplay everything. “Me? I’m a computer geek. No two ways about it. Not very interesting, either, to anyone outside the field. Or so my friends constantly tell me.”

  “You’d be surprised at what I find interesting. Let’s go back to the beginning, because you’re one piece of info up on me. Where did you go to college?”

  He could downplay, but he damn well wouldn’t lie. Knox was too proud of his full ride to one of the best universities in the country. “MIT. Your turn. Grad school?”

  “University of Alberta. You?”

  “Also MIT. I did a program that got me a master’s and bachelor’s simultaneously, in just five years.” Knox shrugged away the grueling course load and insane hours. “It kept me out of the bars.”

  “In what?” She rooted around in that big bag of hers before coming up with a notebook and a pen.

  “Computational Engineering, for undergrad. A master’s in Computation for Design and Optimization.”

  “Nanotechnology?”

  “Among other things.” Usually people either glazed over at mention of his majors. Or squinted as though he’d suddenly begun speaking Lithuanian. Her cool and informed response sort of thrilled him. “Your concentration?”

  “Library Science. In fact, I start work at the Library of Congress in two days.”

  “Impressive. Guess I don’t need to ask why you moved out here.” Her eyes shuttered. Clearly he’d said something wrong. Or at least off. Maybe she was running away from a bad situation at home. An ugly breakup. Neither topic was conducive to flirtation. Or a hot-and-heavy hookup. Knox drummed his fingers on the table. “Can we be done with the lightning round of background trivia now?”

  “Sure.”

  Annabeth reappeared with a bottle of bubbly, glasses, and a long wooden board covered with meats and cheeses. “I shouldn’t accept that bracelet, Madison, but it’s so pretty I can’t bring myself to do the right thing. Thank you.”

  “You can do me a favor back.” Madison ripped off the paper she’d scribbled on and handed it to Annabeth. “That’s my cellphone and email. I’m staying in a hotel right now. Which I can only afford for about a week. If you know of anyone who needs a roommate, will you pass on my name and number?”

  The cork popped out with a smooth hiss of air. Annabeth paid an inordinate amount of attention to pouring. “Do you have a job?”

  Madison laughed. “Yes. I’m told this town is more expensive than I’m used to, though, so I want to start with a roommate situation while I get my bearings.”

  After jamming the bottle into a silver ice bucket tucked to Knox’s right, Annabeth said, “I can’t believe I’m doing this, but…do you want to move in with me? My roommate just got sent back to work in a congressman’s home office. Big demotion. I told her that she shouldn’t sleep with a lobbyist. Anyway, she left this week, and left me holding the bag for rent. We could do a trial run of three months while you finish out her lease, and then see where we stand.”

  Uh-oh. There was no possible way this would work out to Knox’s advantage. Yes, he liked Madison. A lot. They generated an exothermic reaction every time they touched. But his relationships tended to have a shelf life shorter than a Halloween movie. No way did he want her hanging around, bumping into him after a month. Annabeth knew his dating M.O. What was she thinking?

  “That’d be terrific! Yes. Absolutely yes.” Madison bounced in her seat, grinning from ear to ear. As much as Knox didn’t want to notice, it made her boobs jiggle in a spectacular way. So spectacular that the marble statue of Jefferson was probably leaning in, trying to peer through the columns of his memorial to catch a glimpse. Damn it. He’d worry about next month…next month. And just concentrate for tonight on having fun.

  Annabeth pocketed the slip of paper. With a glance at the man two tables down beckoning her, she centered the glasses. “I’ll email you the details on my break.” She rushed away. The balcony had already filled to capacity in the last f
ew minutes. People liked to catch the sun set into the Potomac.

  “I can’t believe I got a place to live and a hot date in under an hour.”

  Knox really couldn’t believe it, either. The guys would laugh until they peed themselves once they heard the news. “Things move fast here.”

  “Good. I think. I mean, I hope so. I’m in the mood to have things move fast.”

  Yeah. Madison seemed entirely on board with hooking up. After all, she didn’t know how close Annabeth was to Knox and his friends. She probably just assumed theirs was a pleasant, waiter/guest relationship. If she didn’t see a complication, he sure as hell didn’t plan to fill her in on it.

  “I can go as fast as you like. Until I decide it’s the right time to slow down.” Deliberately, he slid his hand across to flip hers, and then circle his thumb lightly in the middle of her palm. “Savor the moment.” Knox raised his glass. “Welcome to D.C. I hope it’s everything you’re looking for.”

  “And then some, apparently.”

  Chapter 2

  Madison raced along the marble floor of her office. Well, she thought of it as her office. As much as the nation’s Temple of Learning, with its Italian Renaissance–style architecture and gold-leaf mosaics, could belong to anyone. Two days in, and she already felt proprietary toward the Library of Congress’s Thomas Jefferson Building.

  But because it had been only two days, Madison paused at the top of the steps to the Great Hall. Every spare second she had she took to ogle the books and art and amazingness of the building.

  Well…at least, all the spare seconds that weren’t taken up by remembering how it felt to be ogled by the muscled manliness of Knox Davies. At five feet, nine inches in flats, Madison had come across a fair number of guys who didn’t like looking her in the eyes when she slid on a pair of wedges. Knox, though, had to top six feet by several inches. He didn’t look at her warily. He didn’t look worried that she’d snag a fry off his plate. When Knox looked at her, Madison felt as delicate and tiny and beautiful as a sky-blue forget-me-not. One just quivering to be plucked by his big, strong hands.

  Madison snorted at herself. It should be illegal to even think such a horrible allegory in this place filled to the brim with spectacular writing. Shaking off her low-grade lust, she took another moment and looked up, seventy-five feet, to the stained glass skylights. Thanked her lucky stars that she’d made it here. And then carefully gripped the handrail as she descended the marble staircase. The guides were fierce about that rule.

  Annabeth stood waiting at the bottom. “Surprise.”

  “It certainly is.” Madison readjusted her tote on her shoulder. She’d been on her way out the door when Annabeth texted her to meet. Last night she’d picked Madison up to take her to a first-day-of-work celebratory dinner. Or a thanks-for-splitting-the-rent-with-me dinner. Madison couldn’t quite keep the reason straight. There’d been more than a few rounds of toasts. They’d more than hit it off as roommates. But she wouldn’t stand for Annabeth being her babysitter in the big, bad city. “Is this being picked up two nights in a row a pity thing?”

  The other woman frowned as they pushed out into the muggy evening. “I wouldn’t call it that, exactly.”

  So…not a no. Madison needed to set her straight. Because she’d doubled over more than one drunken idiot with a kick to the nuts. Won more than a few shooting tournaments, not to mention her handiness with a bow and arrow. A stereotypical helpless female in the capitol city she most certainly was not.

  “I mean, I know that you know that I’m new here. But I’ve studied how to walk through a city without looking defenseless. I know to keep my hand on my purse strap.” As they descended the stone steps, she patted the yellow leather of her tote. “I’m packing pepper spray. It’s just too bad they won’t let me bring my gun in here.”

  Annabeth stopped with her red, peep-toe espadrilles on different steps. She looked around wildly, as if checking to see if anyone had overheard. But the stream of people exiting the Library probably cared more about getting to dinner before the rush than eavesdropping on strangers.

  “A gun? What? Madison, nobody takes a gun to work unless you’ve got a badge to go with it. FBI, DCPD, Secret Service. You’re a librarian, for crying out loud. Why on earth would you need a gun at work?”

  The sheltered city girl was missing the point entirely. Madison tucked an arm through Annabeth’s and continued down the steps. “By the time you know that you’ve got a reason to carry it, it’s too late. Honey, I’m from Alaska. You could have a run-in with a bear or a snake while pumping gas or buying cupcakes. We believe in being prepared for whatever nature throws our way.”

  “There’s no nature here. Not unless you count the algae growing in the Tidal Basin. The pepper spray’s enough. Trust me. Sheesh.” Annabeth jingled her keys. “Hang on. You brought this gun from Alaska? Does that mean it’s in our apartment right now?”

  “Of course.” Along with a shotgun tucked under the bed, for real safety. Probably not the right time to mention it, though.

  Annabeth unlocked a bright blue Mini Cooper and got in. “I guess the idea of having built-in security doesn’t suck. Do you promise not to shoot any strange guys you see coming out of the shower?”

  “Yes. Naked or towel-clad males will not set off my trigger finger. I promise. Just your stereotypical cat burglars.” They shot away from the curb at an alarming rate, almost cutting off a taxi. Traffic in D.C. was a whole level of insanity Madison hadn’t anticipated. A very real fear for her life had her white-knuckling the upholstery and babbling, “I wonder, do they still wear stockings as masks? Or did that quaint trait go the way of those egg-shaped pantyhose boxes?”

  “No clue. But that’s actually why I came to get you. Wardrobe issues. Yours, specifically.”

  Madison looked down at her navy knee-length skirt. She’d paired it with a sleeveless peach knit top that seemed harmless enough. “What’s wrong with my clothes?”

  “We’ve known each other three days, right? How insulting can I be, or do I still need to tiptoe politely around emotional minefields?”

  Considering they’d be sandwiched between a double-decker tour bus and a garbage truck in about three seconds, Madison didn’t really care. “I can take whatever you dish out.”

  A last-minute swerve saved their lives. For now. Annabeth laid on the horn. “Here’s the deal.” Another pause, this time for three unmarked cars with a single light above the driver and sirens blaring. “There’s a chance I eavesdropped on your date with Knox.”

  “How big a chance?”

  “Given that it was a noisy bar and I was running my ass off with two extra tables…only around ninety-seven percent. Oh, and once he started nibbling up your arm, I had to look away. I missed whatever happened after that.”

  Lots of good things had happened after he laid his lips on the soft skin of her inner wrist. Zings and flutters and heat had happened. The night culminated with his kissing her at the elevator, which came and went three times before he finally broke away and let her get on it.

  “Don’t you have better things to do than watch Knox flirt?”

  “Oh, yeah. Been there, done that every day that ends in Y. I was watching you. He’s never brought a woman to the POV Bar before. It’s his home turf. Something about you is making him chuck his playbook.”

  The observation tickled Madison. She did like to stand out from the crowd. She very much liked knowing that she’d gotten Knox’s attention. Because he sure as heck had gotten hers. The man could kiss like nobody’s business. And he was smoother than an ice floe in the Bering Sea.

  They’d left the marble and monuments behind them. This new neighborhood had crowded narrow brick buildings right up against one another. Adorable boutiques and pricey-looking stores alternated with bars and restaurants. The crowd was much younger—college kids and people her own age. Guess they’d crossed some invisible barrier that kept out everyone with crow’s-feet.

  “Welcome to Georget
own.” As the light turned from yellow to red, Annabeth spun into a tight U-turn and squeezed into a parking space in a maneuver that left Madison breathless. And maybe with her very first white hair. “I just discovered this fabulous shop, Forever Summer. Well, I’ve shopped here before, but now I know the owner. Chloe, Griff’s new girlfriend, is best friends with Summer.”

  Madison had no idea who any of those people were. But she had no objection to shopping. Window-shopping, that is. Her already tight budget didn’t allow for much more than that. Librarians didn’t rake in the big bucks.

  Inside, the store was all exposed brick and floor-to-ceiling windows bringing in the late afternoon sunshine. A whitewashed armoire stood open, full of dresses. Color popped everywhere. Including in the yellow-and-green-streaked curls on the girl behind the counter.

  A hard right brought them practically into the window display. The woman fussing with a mannequin had long black hair, huge dark eyes in a heart-shaped face, and a model-thin figure. What really caught Madison’s attention, however, was her outfit. A deep burgundy, crocheted lace dress with sleeves that flared at the elbow. Fistfuls of silver bangles on each wrist. And a black fedora trimmed with a wide burgundy ribbon. Madison had never seen anyone mix styles like that outside of a fashion magazine. It shouldn’t work. But good golly, it did on this woman.

  “Summer Sheridan, meet Madison Abbott.”

  Madison watched as the fashionista climbed over a straw beach tote and out of the window. “You’re wearing a hat.” It just boggled her mind. The middle of June, and she wore a fedora. Indoors. In Alaska, you wore hats because otherwise your hair could freeze and crack off. The minute it got above forty, they got ditched.

  “Do you like it?”

  “Not for me. But you look amazing in it.”

  Summer gave her an assessing head tilt. “You’re right. You’re definitely not a hat person. If I had to choose a signature piece for you…” Her hand swept up and down, as if trying to figure out where to stop on Madison’s body. Then it shot to the right, yanked a wide black belt off the shelf, and had it wrapped around Madison’s waist in a heartbeat. A quick roll of the waistband shortened her skirt by two inches. Summer turned her to face the standing mirror. “…it’d be a chunky belt. Highlight those vavavoom curves of yours.”