To Love a Stranger

by Adrianne Byrd

  “We’ll look pretty stupid standing out here the entire lunch hour,” he said, flashing his dimples, actually, one dimple. Not two.

  Madeline cocked her head, thinking, but finally slid her arm through his. What the hell? What did she have to lose?

  Just your heart.

  She drew a deep breath and glanced around for the limo. “So…where are we going?”

  Russell lifted his free arm and waved to someone down the busy street. “I figured I’d take you to one of your favorite Italian restaurants.”

  Her eyebrows rose high with curiosity. “You remembered my favorite restaurant?”

  “I, uh, no.” He smiled sheepishly. “I asked Consuela. She’s a wealth of information. I hope she signed a confidentially agreement, because if she ever wrote a book…”

  “You’ve been pumping her for information about me?” she asked flattered.

  “I had to ask someone.” His eyes twinkled as a white carriage pulled up to the curb.

  Madeline blinked and glanced around. “It’s a little cold for an open carriage, don’t you think?”

  “I guess we’ll have to snuggle close to keep warm.” He opened the carriage door. “After you, ma’am.”

  She laughed at his chivalry and teased, “I don’t know what you did with my old husband, but I think I like you a lot better.”

  “Good.” Russell winked. “I like you a whole lot, too.”

  Chapter 18

  Christmas morning, Madeline woke to the sound of her children tearing into her bedroom, begging for her to get up. She groaned and gave them the same line they gave her each morning when it was time to get up for school. “Oh, five more minutes.” She rolled onto her side, hiding her smile in the pillow.

  “No, no. Please get up,” Ariel begged. “Daddy says we can’t open our gifts until you wake up.”

  “Five more minutes,” she whined again.

  “Moooomm,” Russ and Ariel chorused.

  “Are you two in here bothering your mother?” Russell’s commanding baritone sliced into the room and effectively ended the children’s complaining.

  Madeline’s smile grew wider at her and Russell’s well-rehearsed script.

  “C’mon out. Let your momma get some sleep.”

  “Aw, man,” Russ whined. “What if she sleeps all morning?”

  It was hard, but Madeline swallowed her laughter and listened as her precious babies dragged out of her room. Once Russell closed the door behind them, she tossed back the covers and quickly climbed into her wheelchair.

  She cracked open the door, peek out and burned rubber toward the service elevators. Even with Russell’s promises to stall on the staircase, Madeline had just managed to reach the large Christmas tree downstairs when he and the children entered the room.

  “Mommy!” Ariel exploded into the room…not to hug her mother, but to dive for the gifts underneath the tree.

  Madeline laughed and commenced taking pictures while Russell manned the camcorder. Within minutes the floor was covered with ripped Christmas paper, bows and discarded open boxes.

  The children’s face lit up with each gift and Madeline was impressed with Russell’s selections of baby dolls, PlayStation games, dresses and football jerseys.

  “Consuela?” she asked.

  “No,” he shook his head proudly. “I was able to figure these out all on my own,” he said.

  She nodded, happy that her gifts of cameras, computers and autographed footballs were also great hits.

  Then came the awkward moment when Ariel raced to her father, carrying a gift.

  “Daddy, this one is for you.”

  Russell lowered the camcorder. “For me?”

  Madeline also lowered her camera while she tried to get a handle on her nerves. However, she was unprepared when Russ ran to her carrying a box.

  “Mommy, this one has your name on it.”

  “Me?” she echoed, and glanced back up at Russell.

  The children returned to their gifts while Russell and Madeline carefully opened their own.

  Russell was the first to get his opened. Puzzled, he pulled out a long silver chain. At the end was a set of dog tags.

  Madeline flashed a timid smile. “It’s sort of a joke,” she offered apologetically. “A bad one.”

  Russell turned the tags over in his hand and read his name; but he felt something else. Déjà vu?

  “I figured, it would come in handy if you ever got lost again,” Madeline went on. When he didn’t say anything, she assumed that he didn’t like it. “I’m sorry. I just didn’t know what else to get you.”

  Still, he kept flipping the tags over in his hand.

  Sighing, Madeline finally opened her gift. It was her turn to be puzzled when she pulled out a thick set of papers cut in half, but then she recognized them. “Our prenuptial agreement?”

  Russell blinked out of his trance. “I, uh, got them from my attorney. He still had a set of them filed away.”

  “But it’s cut in half?” She looked back up at him, still unable to figure it out.

  “It’s null and void,” he said.

  “W-what?”

  “It seems only right.” He shrugged. “If this doesn’t work out…” He dropped his gaze. “And I’m hoping that really won’t be the case…you deserve half.”

  Madeline was speechless. Sure, the past week with Russell had been wonderful. He’d shown up at her office everyday to take her out to lunch. He even seemed interested in the ins and outs of House of Madeline.

  The interest also floored her since the old Russell believed a wife’s place was at the home, except for the few occasions when they are invited out as arm candy.

  “I don’t know what to say,” she admitted. “I’m overwhelmed.”

  Russell wanted to add that he’d annulled the prenuptial agreement mainly because he didn’t want her to stay simply for the money. Of course, Christopher would have a fit when he found out, but this was something that needed to be done. If there was a chance for him and Madeline, he wanted her to stay because she loved him and not because of his money.

  It was a big risk, but one that needed to be made if they were to have any sort of future.

  “Thank you,” she finally said. Then came the tears. With the prenuptial agreement voided, there was no longer a threat to House of Madeline’s financing. There was also no reason for her to stay in the marriage.

  That was a reason to celebrate.

  That should’ve made her happy.

  But it didn’t.

  The rest of the morning passed in a blur with Ariel’s Woody Woodpecker laughs and Russ’s engaging everyone in at least one of his new video games. In the afternoon, Christopher and Tiffani made their appearances and handed out even more gifts to the children.

  Even after Cecelia and Lysandra showed up, Madeline’s thoughts were still reeling from Russell’s Christmas gift.

  At last, while she was changing in her bedroom, Madeline showed her mother and Lysandra what had rendered her speechless.

  “Well, I’ll be damned.” Cecelia collapsed on the bed. “You still have the Midas touch. Maybe I should start taking lessons from you.”

  Madeline rolled her eyes and limped over to the bedroom window to watch Russell, the children and Christopher create a snowman in between snowball fights. “Where does he get all his energy from?”

  “That depends,” Lysandra said, joining her at the window. “Are you still sleeping with Ariel at night?”

  “What?” Cecelia jumped up from the bed. “He tore up the prenuptial agreement and you’re not even sleeping with him?”

  “What can I say?” Madeline continued to watch Russell. “He’s a changed man.”

  Russell took a snowball in the face and collapsed back against the snow-covered lawn. The children laughed and giggled in the distance while Christopher shouted a triumphant, “Bull’s-eye!”

  Russell chuckled, wiped the snow from his face and noticed that he had the perfect view into Madeline’
s window. She smiled and shook her head, but then finally gave him a small wave. Despite the cold December wind, the sight of her warmed Russell from the inside out.

  By nightfall, the cold and wet gang trudged into the house to be spoiled by mugs of hot chocolate around a crackling fire.

  Christopher slapped his hand across his brother’s back. “Russell, I have to tell you this has been the best Christmas since…”

  Everyone waited for him to finish the sentence, but when it became apparent that he couldn’t, Russell returned the hard slap on the back and then squeezed Christopher’s shoulders with affection. “I had a great time, too.”

  “I wish I could say the same,” Tiffani mumbled, bored. “Can we go now? We promised my cousin we would stop by.”

  Christopher rolled his eyes, but said, “Of course, dear. Good night, everyone. Merry Christmas.” He kissed his niece and nephew good-night, started toward Madeline but she smote him with a look that caused him to toss up his hands in surrender instead. “Take care, Madeline.”

  “You do the same.” She folded her arms across her chest and was happy to watch him go.

  After the guests were gone, Russ and Ariel started complaining at bathtime and continued until well after they were tucked in for the night.

  “Go to sleep now and you can play with your toys in the morning,” Madeline promised.

  Ariel pouted despite the fact that she could barely keep her eyes open.

  “Good night, baby.” Madeline kissed her daughter’s chubby cheeks and then headed for the door.

  “Momma?”

  “Yes, baby?”

  “Are you and Daddy going to get a divorce?”

  Madeline’s heart plunged, but she managed to walk back over to the bed. “Why do you ask that?”

  Ariel didn’t answer.

  “Sweetheart?” Madeline sat on the edge of the bed and brushed a few strands of hair from her daughter’s face. “Did your father say something about a divorce?”

  Ariel shook her head.

  Madeline sighed in relief though she realized she shouldn’t have been surprised by the question. Ariel and Russ were smart. They were bound to question why their parents slept in different bedrooms or for that matter showed no physical affection for one another. “Sweetheart, you don’t need to worry about this. Your father and I…we’re not getting a divorce.”

  Chapter 19

  “Mayday! Mayday!”

  Russell struggled to wake from the nightmare, again.

  Dear God, we’re going down.

  Damn.

  It was the same dream night after night. The same fear that made sleep impossible.

  Frustrated, he detangled himself from the bed’s silk sheets and climbed out. A glance at the clock revealed less than an hour’s sleep.

  In the bathroom, he splashed the customary amount of water on to his face. His silver dog tags clanked against the sink and drew his eyes. He stood and dried his face before cupping and studying the tags. A memory tickled the back of his mind and he tried desperately to pull it to the forefront. After a few seconds, it just vanished.

  Now he was exhausted and had a headache.

  He grabbed a few aspirins from the medicine cabinet and swallowed the pills with a handful of water. “Get a hold of yourself, soldier,” he mumbled under his breath, and hit the light switch on his way out of the bathroom.

  Certain that sleep would once again elude him, Russell glided past the bed and crept out of the door to perform his nightly patrol to the children’s bedrooms. Just remembering their excited faces on Christmas filled him with joy and he could hardly wait until next year.

  When he turned toward Madeline’s bedroom, his chest tightened and he had an instant erection. I’ll just look in on her.

  He entered the bedroom and walked quietly over to the bed. Like every night, Madeline’s hair was spread over several pillows and she had kicked the covers off her body. Tonight, she wore a short, red silk negligee. Her long curvy legs seemed to go on forever and begged for his touch. Russell caressed one of them before thinking better of it. He glided his fingers along her soft flesh, his erection throbbed mercilessly and he fought the devil himself to prevent his hands from drifting higher.

  He wanted to kiss her again, but experienced a tinge of guilt for stealing kisses in the middle of the night. Yet, he couldn’t help himself. He pressed his lips against hers and her mouth parted to receive his probing tongue.

  The sweet taste of her mouth left him light-headed while desire short-circuited his nerve endings. He imagined removing the silk negligee and touching every dip and curve of her body. He wanted to see what she’d look like in the throes of passion, hear his name as a passionate sigh from her lips and feel her body’s warmth as she sheathed his throbbing erection.

  Groaning, he lost track of his hand and it roamed high on her hips and then inched toward her panty line. Stop, he told himself. He had to stop. At last, he opened his eyes and stared straight into a field of green.

  Russell broke away in alarm and stood away from the bed. “I’m sorry,” he said, knowing how weak an apology it was, not to mention a big lie.

  “I didn’t…I didn’t mean…” He walked backward toward the door, wondering whether she was thinking he was some type of sex pervert.

  “Wait,” Madeline said, stretching out a hand to him. “Don’t go.”

  He stopped, not sure whether he’d heard her right.

  “I don’t want you to leave tonight,” she said. She climbed out of bed and walked toward him with barely a limp. Her warm hand slid into his and she pulled him back toward the bed. “You come in here every night, don’t you?”

  Russell hesitated, but then finally nodded when the moonlight spilled across her face, giving her an angelic glow.

  “Why?” she asked, sitting down on the bed and placing his hand against her breast.

  He swallowed the sudden lump in his throat and relished the weight in his hand. “I like watching you,” he admitted, and sat next to her.

  She turned toward him, her warm breath brushed against his cheek. “Do you like kissing me, as well?”

  She knows.

  Russell’s gaze lowered to her full lips. “I love kissing you.”

  Madeline slipped the spaghetti straps of her negligee off her creamy shoulders and Russell watched spellbound as the sheet of red silk fell and pooled at her waist. “Show me,” she commanded softly.

  The room seemed to fill with the sound of Russell’s heartbeat as he leaned forward and claimed possession of her full lips.

  She moaned and thrust her breasts against him.

  Russell responded to the open invitation by cupping them both and giving them a hard squeeze. He pressed forward and leaned her back down into the pillows.

  As he hovered beside her, Madeline’s hand journeyed down the length of his body and then slid around his erection. His groan sounded like that of a wounded animal. He battled to gain control of his body, fearful that he would explode way before he truly got started.

  His wife wasn’t making it any easier with her slow, languid strokes and her lazy sighs of pleasure. Russell’s kisses became soft nibbles. He sucked and bit at her lip, her long neck and then settled around one plump nipple.

  Madeline gasped and arched her back. “Oh, God,” she moaned, and increased the pressure around his swollen manhood. “Oh, Russell.”

  “Oh, baby,” he panted, now blazing another trail down her flat belly, stopping briefly to dip his tongue inside her belly button.

  Enjoying her body’s tremors, Russell gently slipped her lacy panties off her bottom and glided them down her long legs, which opened without urging. Russell dove inside of her like a starving man, lapping and sucking at the pulsing rosebud at her center.

  What Madeline felt went beyond pleasure and her ability to do the simplest things, like breathe, seemed impossible. She also couldn’t hold still. By the time her first orgasm hit, her head was hanging over one side of the bed and her good leg ha
d wrapped behind Russell’s head. Still, his tongue plunged, rotated and plunged again, causing her second orgasm to hit before the first one finished quaking.

  Russell could no longer stand the ache of the erection that tented his pajama pants. More than drunk from Madeline’s sweet juices, he now needed to be buried in her silken walls. Pulling her body back to the center of the bed, he was surprised when she sat up and reached for the waist of his pants.

  “Let me.” Without waiting for a response, Made-line slipped her hands beneath the bands of his pajamas and pulled them down. Her eyes widened slightly at his thick hook-shaped erection.

  Russell held his breath, waiting to see what she would do next. Just when he thought he couldn’t take the suspense any longer, his wife leaned forward and kissed the tip of his manhood. One chaste kiss quickly turned into another and before long her mouth closed around his straining flesh.

  “Mad…Maddie,” he panted, closing his eyes. The slick walls of her hot mouth literally made his toes curl and tears leak from his eyes. “Oh, Maddie.” He glided his hands through her hair and followed the hypnotic bob of her head.

  More than once, she brought him to the brink, but then changed the rhythm to prolong the inevitable. Russell could only stand to be teased for so long. In one smooth move, he lifted and pinned her beneath him, stealing her breath with a long, deep kiss and easing into her body until he filled her completely.

  Madeline trembled around him and Russell had to ground his teeth together while he once again stave off premature ejaculation. When he’d convinced himself that everything was under control, he moved with smooth, long strokes.

  Soon, Madeline’s hips matched him beat-for-beat, stroke-for-stroke and he was no longer capable of maintaining control.

  “Oh, baby. You feel so good,” he whispered into the crook of her neck, their tempo increasing by the seconds.

  Madeline was incapable of responding. All she could do was bask in the pleasure he provided. Vaguely, she was aware of crying, but not from pain or sadness, but because she had never felt this wanton, this wild and this complete.