Annie, Get Your Guy & Messing Around with Max

by Lori Foster

  Mustering up her courage, Maddie tentatively tried to offer her hand, and instead found herself tossed behind Max’s back.

  Carmilla burst loose with a robust laugh. “Honey, your heart’s in the right place, but you sure ain’t up to taking on Tiny.”

  Maddie peeked around Max. “Tiny? That’s really you?”

  Eyes narrowed, Max turned to face her suspiciously. “Is this another one of your jokes, Maddie? Like that ‘small pistol’ business. Because there’s nothing tiny about that guy. He’s huge.”

  Maddie giggled nervously. “You mean just like your roll of dimes?”

  Max gave her a belligerent look and growled, “Flashlight.” Then he jutted his chin and added, “Industrial size.”

  “Oh, yeah.” She giggled again. “I remember now.”

  “I know him,” Carmilla interjected, “and I can guarantee you he would never hurt Maddie.” Then, just because Carmilla was so dang bloodthirsty, she added, “But I make no guarantees where you’re concerned, young fellow.”

  Max snorted.

  Scooting out from behind her erstwhile protector, Maddie said, “Tiny, it’s so nice to finally meet you!” There had been times in the past year that she’d wondered if Tiny was real, or a romanticized figment of Carmilla’s imagination.

  The man was very real. Imposingly real.

  And though he took Maddie’s hand and kissed her knuckles in a curiously old-world gesture, he kept looking at Carmilla with adoring eyes.

  Well, well, Maddie thought. She glanced at Bea, who winked, and then to Mavis, who was still eyeing Max’s more interesting parts.

  “Down, Mavis,” Bea suddenly said. “Apparently our Maddie is the jealous sort. Just look at her, her eyes are turning red.”

  Mavis looked and said, “I’ll be damned. Even her nostrils are flared.” Then to Carmilla, “Quit playing touchy-feely with your boyfriend and come look at Maddie.”

  It wasn’t just her eyes that were red after that comment. Especially when Max, wearing a huge grin, peered directly into her gaze.

  “Are you jealous, sweetheart? And here I didn’t say a word when Tiny kissed your hand.”

  “So,” Mavis said, sauntering forward. “You’re the young stud Maddie has been telling us all about.”

  Max stiffened, then glared at Maddie.

  Shrugging, she whispered, “I didn’t tell them everything. I just…”

  “She bragged on you, is what she did. And after that worthless creep she almost married, we were more than glad to hear it.”

  Max gave a parody of a smile. “What exactly did she tell you?”

  Bea stepped forward and gave Mavis a warning frown. Then she turned her smile to Max. “Why, she told us you’d made her happy.” Her smile lit up just a bit more. “And Maddie definitely deserves some happiness.”

  Things were out of control, Maddie decided. “Are we having a meeting today or not?”

  “Not,” Carmilla said. “We want to get to know Max better. That’s more important.”

  “And it’s for certain he can’t tell us anything about sex that we don’t already know,” Bea added.

  “After all,” Mavis said with a sniff, “we got paid for our expertise.”

  Maddie whipped around to face Max, giving the women and Tiny her back. In a pleading voice, she said, “I’m sorry!”

  Surprising her, Max touched her cheek and said, “For what?”

  “I…” She felt confused and lost her train of thought. “I meant to tell you about this, about my friends…”

  “They are friends, aren’t they?” She nodded and he said, “I think that shows what a special woman you are, that friendship has grown from counsel meetings.”

  “Damn right,” Carmilla said, and Bea added, “Best friends. She’s like a daughter to us, and you should remember that.”

  Mavis laughed. “Calm down, Maddie. He’s not afraid of three little old ladies. Are you, young man?”

  Max looked over Maddie’s head at the others. His eyes were lit with challenge. “Why don’t we all sit down?” He threw his arm around Maddie, almost making her drop the book. “I’ll wager there’s a few things I can still enlighten you on.”

  Tiny smiled.

  Carmilla snorted.

  Bea and Mavis said in unison, “You’re dreamin’!”

  Maddie wished she could just crawl away. But Max had hold of her hand and his grip was unbreakable.

  Oh, dear. This wasn’t at all what she’d planned.

  MAX WANTED TO laugh at the silly little sick look on Maddie’s face.

  Prostitutes! Who’d have thought she was counseling retired ladies of the night? He shook his head. One thing about Maddie, she never ceased to surprise him.

  “You know,” he said to Mavis, who seemed to be the most brazen, “I thought I was here to talk to young innocent girls who were either caught in an unexpected pregnancy or had troubled home lives.”

  “You didn’t expect a bunch of old biddies, did you?”

  “I didn’t expect mature women, no.”

  “Maddie does counseling with women of all ages. The poor young girls you’re talking about meet with her on Tuesdays.”

  “And they’re lucky to have her,” Carmilla told him. “They don’t come any more compassionate than Maddie.”

  “Not to mention how smart she is, and such a good listener.” Bea smiled fondly at Maddie.

  Maddie had slipped down in her chair until her face was almost hidden behind the fall of her hair. She looked miserable by the turn of events.

  But her long legs, thrust out in front of her looked incredibly nice. Max wanted to start kissing her slim ankles and work his way up. All the way up.

  Until she was panting and moaning and… He cleared his throat.

  “How many nights a week does she do this?”

  Bea, catching his distraction with Maddie’s legs, raised a brow and asked, “This?”

  Max shook his head. “Have these meetings.”

  Carmilla perched herself on Tiny’s lap. Tiny didn’t seem to mind, if his big grin was any indication. “Two to three times a week,” she said, “depending. Truth is, we should have quit bugging her years ago, but she’s so much fun to talk to. Like the daughter none of us ever had.”

  Maddie was a nurturer, Max thought, seeing it in the older women’s eyes. She didn’t pass judgment on people, and she looked beyond the obvious. He knew that much about her because of how she’d so readily accepted Cleo.

  “Did you know,” Max asked, more than willing to work to meet the women’s standards, “that men can literally become addicted to a certain woman’s smell?”

  Maddie’s head lifted, her eyes filled with fascination.

  Bea scoffed.

  Carmilla looked at Tiny, who delicately sniffed her shoulder.

  Mavis shrugged. “Where’d you hear such a thing?”

  “I’ve read about it in medical studies. My brother is a doctor and my sister-in-law is a sex therapist.”

  That got a few raised brows. Max hid his smile. “Every woman’s skin has a unique scent. A man’s body can get used to that scent, and if the woman leaves him—” or dies, Max thought, as his mother had, and suddenly he understood his father much, much better “—then the man will suffer withdrawal. It’s probably where the term heartsick came from. You do feel like you have a broken heart. And it really does hurt.”

  Max looked at Maddie. How would he feel if he could never hold her again, never kiss her again? In such a short time he’d become very addicted to her, her laugh, her smile, her compassion. And her scent.

  What exactly had his poor father gone through, knowing the woman he loved had been taken from him forever?

  The women were quiet, watching Max with new respect. Max knew they’d expected him to orate on sexual positions or some such nonsense. But he was smarter than that.

  “Did you know,” he asked, watching them all closely, “that sex is a natural pain reliever?”

  They all straighte
ned up to listen.

  “It’s true. Sex releases endorphins that relieve pain.”

  “Fascinating,” Maddie said. “Annie told me a little about this.”

  “Annie manipulated the facts so she could seduce poor Guy.” Before that, Max thought, he’d never known how creatively sneaky his baby sister could be, or how determined she was to have Guy as her own.

  “My knee has been botherin’ me,” Tiny rumbled, and everyone laughed as Carmilla swatted at him.

  “Both men and women,” Max continued, pleased that he had their rapt attention, “have testosterone. And testosterone is the only proven true aphrodisiac.”

  “All right,” Bea said, “you win. I didn’t know any of that.”

  Carmilla bobbed her slim eyebrows. “Want us to tell you some of what we know?”

  Lounging back in his chair, his arms spread wide, Max said, “Sorry girls. I already know it all.”

  Maddie threw the book at him, which he handily caught, while the others all hooted and made lewd observations. Max blew a kiss at Maddie and said, “I’m having fun, doll. You should have introduced me to your friends earlier.”

  While Maddie sat there looking openly pleased with him, Max passed the book over to Tiny. “You should check that out. Especially chapter six.”

  Tiny looked at the book. Max hoped like hell the guy could read! Then Tiny flipped through a few pages and grinned. “Interesting stuff, huh?”

  “Real interesting.”

  Carmilla tried to grab the book, but Tiny held it out of her reach. “If you want to know what it says, you’ll have to let me read it to you.”

  “Is that a dare?” Carmilla asked.

  Tiny looked at Maddie. “Would you mind if Carmilla and I took off a little early? Now that I’m finally with her again, I’d like to get her to myself just a bit.”

  Maddie looked at the couple with dreamy, romantic eyes. “Of course I don’t mind!” She sighed. “I think it’s very sweet of you.”

  Carmilla had silver hair and faded brown eyes, but in that moment, she looked like an excited young girl. Max wanted to imitate Tiny and pull Maddie into his lap, but she stayed out of reach for the next ten minutes.

  It wasn’t until after Carmilla had gone and Bea and Mavis and Maddie had shared speculation on what might come of the relationship, that Max was able to really get her attention again.

  He caught her close and kissed her. The older women chuckled and urged Max with ribald suggestions.

  Maddie hid her face in his chest once he released her.

  “So,” Max asked, “which of you lovely ladies does the incredible slogans?”

  Bea, looking flattered, primped with her white hair. “That would be me.”

  “Care to talk business for a moment?”

  Bea glanced at Mavis and Maddie and then, blushing like a schoolgirl, said, “Sure. That’d be fine,” and with just a touch more hesitation, “right now?”

  “It’s a simple proposition.”

  “I know all about those, honey!”

  Max smiled. “Not that kind.” He really enjoyed the women’s ease and comfort with their pasts. They were obviously no longer in the flesh business, and just as obviously not about to make apologies. They were strong, blunt women, and he respected that.

  “I just agreed to do some work for my father,” Max said. “It’ll involve traveling and purchasing.” Out of the corner of his eye, Max watched Maddie make a sudden jerky move. He glanced at her, and saw that her eyes had flared, her cheeks had gone pale. He started to ask her what was wrong, but then she lowered her head to stare at her hands.

  Max cleared his throat. “Once I agreed to the job, I got to thinking about other parts of the business. We deal in sporting goods and outdoor recreations like rock climbing and kayaking and such. A lot of the equipment we advertise is geared toward a younger crowd. I’m thinking your slogans may be the perfect way to draw attention to them.”

  “Oh, this could be fun,” Bea said, and her blue eyes were alight with excitement.

  “Why don’t you think on it, maybe come up with a couple of samples, and we’ll present them to my father to see what he thinks.”

  “I’ll get right on it!” Bea sauntered away, murmuring to herself, already working on thinking up ideas. Watching her, Max noticed that she was slim despite her age, and had a rather stately walk. It dawned on him that Carmilla and Mavis were the same, though Carmilla had a very lush figure and Mavis was bordering on petite. They each had to be in or near their early seventies, but they had the attitudes and personalities of women much younger.

  He wondered what his dad would think of them. He could hardly wait to introduce him to Bea. Now that his father was reentering the world, he could use a little shock therapy.

  Mavis held up her hands. “I guess this makes me the third wheel.”

  “Not at all!” Maddie tried to stop her from leaving, but Mavis waved her off.

  “I have a date anyway, honey, so don’t worry about me.”

  Max cocked a brow. “A date?”

  Maddie gave him a look. “Mavis is very popular among the retirees.”

  “Mmm-hmm,” Mavis agreed. “Tonight I’m doing up the town with a very handsome widower.” She leaned forward and confided, “He’s six years younger than me! Only sixty-two. Isn’t that delicious?”

  Max held his humor in check and gave Mavis a hug. She was an easily likeable woman and he wished her a good time. He imagined the widower would have his hands full this night.

  Once they were alone, Max asked Maddie, “You all right?” She was still too quiet and far too distracted. If she was thinking of the coming night and what she’d do with the stuff she’d bought at the fetish store, he’d gladly enlighten her to new plans.

  “Yes, I’m fine.”

  He didn’t believe her. Something was making her clam up, and Max decided he’d find out exactly what it was once he had her safely ensconced at his house. He took her hand and started her toward the door.

  “You ever frolicked in a hot tub, Maddie, honey?”

  Her steps faltered. “A hot tub?”

  “In my backyard.”

  “But…it’s too cool for that.”

  “Oh ye of little faith. I promise to keep you plenty warm enough. Hot even.” Max leaned down to her ear and nipped her earlobe. “Burning up, in fact,” he rasped.

  They walked outside and Max started to lead her to his truck. Maddie held back. “I’ll drive myself and meet you there.”

  No way. Max intended to keep her until he returned her to her home himself. If she was without a car, his odds were a lot better of succeeding. “Why bother,” he asked. “Your car will be safe enough here.”

  “But…” She hesitated, then said, “Okay, just a second.” Jogging over to her car, she unlocked the trunk and got out the bag he’d seen her purchase at the fetish shop. He thought of that damn collar and wanted to howl.

  “Whatcha got there?” Max asked as she approached him again, the bag clutched tightly in her little fist.

  Maddie grinned. “It’s a surprise, remember? I promise to show you later tonight.”

  Oh, she’d show him all right. Max could hardly wait.

  Once she was seated inside, the bag on the floor at her feet, Maddie looked at him. “Max?”

  “Yes?” He hoped she’d ask for details on the hot tub, and then he intended to tantalize her with a blow-by-blow description of what he’d do to her, how he’d do it. The fun they’d both have.

  “Do you taste the same as I do?”

  The truck lurched hard as he pulled out into traffic. “Do I what?”

  “Taste the same?” Maddie smoothed her skirt and settled herself comfortably in the seat. “I’ve been thinking about it all day. I don’t mind if we play in the hot tub for a while, but when I taste you, I think we should be inside.” As if sharing a confidence, she said, “I don’t want to take a chance on a neighbor seeing us or something.”

  Max said, “Uh…” his
mind still way back there on the tasting business.

  She peeked at him. “I’m shy.”

  Max almost missed the turn onto the main street. “You intend to—” the words were so arousing, they would barely leave his tight throat “—taste me?” He hoped like hell she meant what he thought she meant.

  Leaning slightly closer, Maddie put her small hand on his thigh. “Yes. Just like you tasted me.” And then her hand tightened, squeezing his leg perilously close to a now very noticeable hard-on, and she added in a whisper, “Everywhere.”

  Max pushed down on the gas pedal.

  “Slowly, Max, just as you’ve shown me.” Her fingers drifted up his thigh, and he held his breath. Then they moved down to his knee. He groaned in disappointment and relief.

  “Faster at the end though.” Her fingers drifted upward again. “That’s the right way, isn’t it?”

  Max locked his jaw to keep from panting with sensual pain. He could almost feel her mouth on him, her small pink tongue playful. He gulped.

  Okay, so she wanted to play with bondage. No big deal. He could handle that, especially if it got her this enthusiastic.

  She wanted to taste him.

  Max felt like a Victorian maiden, ready to swoon. He concentrated hard on keeping the truck on the road so they didn’t end up in a ditch.

  Other women had riled him, aroused him, made him burn. What Maddie proposed had been done to him before. Hell, he’d done just about everything a man could do with a woman, and always enjoyed himself. So why was he shaking now? Why was he going alternately hot and cold with the excitement of it, the utter lust?

  And dammit, his toes had just curled again.

  Admittedly, he was in deep—and worse, he loved every minute of it.

  8

  THEY SNUCK into his house like thieves. Cleo, proving herself to be a miserable guard dog, was snoring too loudly to hear them. One small light shone from the kitchen, and the glow filtered into the living room where the dog sprawled across an enormous beige leather couch. Her tongue lolled out one side of her mouth, with spittle running down the couch cushion.

  “She gets nervous in the dark,” Max said. “So I always leave a light on for her.”