by Marie Force
“I know.” She moved to give his other nipple the same attention.
By now, Mac was hard as stone and pulsating against her belly.
Maddie shocked him when she sat up, reached for the hem of the silk nightgown and lifted it over her head, exposing her breasts to him for the first time. Nothing she could’ve done would have told him more about how much she’d come to love and trust him.
“You’re so beautiful,” he said, his voice hoarse. “Like a fantasy come to life.”
“Touch me, Mac.”
His hands coasted over her ribs to cup her breasts. “I know you hate them, but I think they’re magnificent.”
Maddie laughed. “I thought you were an ass-and-leg man.”
“All men are breast men.”
She rolled her eyes. “Tell me something I don’t know.”
Mac drew a nipple deep into his mouth and swirled his tongue back and forth.
“Mmm, that’s good.”
He held back the overwhelming urge to squeeze and lick and bite, not wanting her to think he was fixated on the part of her she hated most. That was fine, because she seemed to have other plans anyway.
Wiggling out of his grip, she dragged her breasts over his chest and kissed her way to his belly. Under the sheet, her soft hand found him hard and ready, as if he hadn’t already had her four times. “Maddie,” he gasped.
“Hmm?” This she said against the head of his penis, the vibration nearly undoing him.
“God,” he uttered.
Her soft laughter was accompanied by sweeping strokes of her tongue.
“Honey, wait...”
“Relax, Mac. I want to kiss you everywhere.”
“You can’t use my own words against me.”
She glanced up at him, a wicked glint in her eyes. “Oh no? Watch me.”
He loved her like this—confident and trusting, loving him enough to expose herself to him, to take him into her mouth and give him something special. She probably hadn’t done this before, but her enthusiasm more than made up for her lack of experience. It didn’t take long for her to drive him to the point of no return. With his hand buried in her hair, he tried to stop her.
“Maddie,” he panted, “stop. Baby, come on.” But rather than stop, she stroked him faster and took him deeper. By the time she drew a long, intense orgasm from him, he was sweating, breathing hard and his heart raced. Just opening his eyes took all the energy that remained in his body. When he did, he found her watching him with a very satisfied look on her face.
“Welcome back. I thought I’d finally killed you.”
“Damn close,” he said, reaching for her.
She snuggled into his embrace. “Was it okay?” she asked in a small voice that tugged at him.
“So much better than okay there isn’t even a word for it.”
“I’ve never done that before. I always wondered what it would be like.”
“And…?”
“I really, really liked it.”
“Maybe I have died and gone to heaven after all.”
She giggled, but then she got very quiet. “Thanks, Mac.”
“What are you thanking me for? After that, I should be thanking you.”
She tilted her head so she could see him. “For not going all nuts over the girls the way most guys would have.”
“I wish you didn’t dislike them so much.” He flashed a salacious grin. “I think I could come to be very good friends with them.”
Smiling, she caressed the stubble on his jaw. “I don’t dislike them. I hate them.”
“I don’t want you to take this the wrong way, because I mean it when I tell you you’re perfect in every way to me.”
“But…?”
“If you want to have them reduced, I’d happily pay for it, but only because it would make you happy.”
“I couldn’t let you do that. You’ve already done so much for me.”
“You don’t have to decide right now. The offer is on the table, now or later, when you and Thomas are on my insurance. Whenever. I wouldn’t change a single thing about you, but it’s not about what I want.”
“I really, really love you,” she whispered.
“And I really, really love you. There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for you—or Thomas.”
As if he had heard his name, the baby chose that moment to let them know he was awake. Mac kissed her one last time and pulled the covers up over her, hating to end what had been the best night of his life. “My time with him.”
“If you bring him to me and I nurse him, he might go back to sleep for a while—and then we could, too.”
“As much as I love my mornings out with him, that sounds too good to pass up.”
He retrieved Thomas from his crib, changed the twenty-pound morning diaper, planted some noisy raspberries on his belly that made him laugh like crazy and then carried him to his mother. For the first time, he got to watch as Maddie guided the baby to her breast.
“God, that’s amazing,” he said, awestruck by the way the baby’s little mouth latched on and went to work. He’d never seen anything quite like it.
Maddie stroked the baby’s downy soft hair and smiled at Mac. She looked like a warrior queen, proud and strong, and he loved her so fiercely. “Can I ask you something about that?”
“Sure.”
“How come, before, when I, ah, did that, nothing happened?”
Maddie laughed at his exquisite discomfort. “Because the milk doesn’t really come in—at least for me—until he wants it. Some people leak like crazy, but I never did. And now that I only feed him once a day, there’s not as much.”
“I see.” He slipped back into bed and shifted her so he could hold them both. “Thomas needs a sister. Maybe a brother, too. Possibly even a couple of them.”
Maddie laughed quietly. “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves.”
“But you want more, don’t you?”
“Let’s have one more and see how that goes.”
“I guess I could live with that.” He ran his hand over her belly. “I want to see you round and pregnant with my baby.”
She groaned. “I was big as a house with Thomas, pregnant from head to toe.”
“I can’t wait to see that.”
“My back hurt like crazy for months.”
“I’d rub it every day.”
She rolled her head back on his shoulder so she could look up at him. “You’re sure you really want to saddle yourself with all this? A woman you’ve known a week, a baby who isn’t yours—”
“I want him to be mine. I mean, look at him.” Mac ran a finger over the baby’s milk-dampened cheek. “He’s so perfect. I want to see him walk and run and swim and talk back to us. I can’t wait for all of that.”
“What if it turns out to be too much for you? A few months down the road, what if you start to feel confined or unhappy—”
Placing two fingers gently over her lips, he said, “All I can tell you is I’m almost thirty-five years old, and I’ve never felt anything even close to what I feel when I’m with you. Both of you.”
Maddie’s eyes glistened with tears. “I don’t know what I did to get so lucky.”
“You crashed into me on that big old bike of yours.”
“I’m fairly certain we’ve determined ‘the accident’ was your fault.”
Brushing his lips over her forehead, he continued to watch intently as she moved Thomas to the other side. “That ‘accident’ might turn out to be the best thing to ever happen to me.”
“That’s funny,” she said, “because last night I had the very same thought.”
Mac awakened ninety minutes later to someone banging on the door. Groaning, he willed whoever it was to go away and leave them alone.
Maddie stirred next to him and, wanting her to sleep a while longer, he quickly got up, pulled on a pair of shorts, and went to the door.
“Mom,” he said, shocked to see her.
“Mac.”
“W
hat’re you doing here?” he whispered as he stepped onto the porch and closed the door behind him.
He watched her take a quick survey of his bare chest and whisker-roughened jaw. “I’ve come to get you.”
He ran his fingers through his hair, hoping to bring some order to it. “Get me? What’re you talking about?”
“This is entirely unseemly.” She gestured to the apartment. “The whole town is talking about you sleeping with her. I won’t have it.”
Mac laughed, which seemed to infuriate her. “Is that so? You do realize I’m almost thirty-five, right?”
“I don’t care how old you are, Malcolm John McCarthy Junior, let me just tell you—”
This was bad if she was bringing out the big Malcolm gun. She was the only one who ever called him that awful name. “No, Mom, let me tell you. I love her and I’m going to marry her and adopt her son, so you’d better get onboard or get out of the way. Your choice.”
Her blue eyes almost popped out of her skull. “Marry her? You’re going to marry her? Have you lost your mind?”
“I’ve lost my heart—finally—and you can either be part of it or not. That, too, is up to you.”
“This is the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard—”
Mac held up his hand to stop her. “This conversation is over. I’m going back inside now, and you need to be on your way. In fact, I’d appreciate it if you found someone else to cover for Maddie this weekend at the hotel. We need to spend some time together. We’ve got a lot of plans to make.”
“I don’t know what’s gotten into you—”
“Love, Mom. That’s what’s gotten into me, and it’s the best thing to ever happen to me. Maybe we’ll stop by this weekend to see you and Dad. If we do, I’d advise you to be nice to my future wife and son. Have a good day.”
Leaving her staring at him with her mouth hanging open, Mac stepped inside the apartment and closed the door. His heart racing fast from the burst of adrenaline, he stood there for a second until he heard her car drive off, sending gravel flying in her wake.
“That was pleasant,” Maddie said.
He glanced over to find her sitting up with the sheet wrapped tight around her. The image of the wall going back up wasn’t lost on him. He slid back into bed and reached for her. Thomas was still asleep on the other side of her.
She resisted Mac’s efforts to embrace her.
“Don’t. Please don’t pull away from me again because of her. I can’t deal with that.”
“I can’t deal with coming between you and your mother.”
“She’ll come around. It’s nothing against you—”
Maddie released a sharp laugh. “Sure it isn’t.”
“She has this idea of who I belong with—”
“And it’s certainly not the town tramp.”
“Maddie, honey, please. Don’t hold her against me.” He coaxed her into his arms and tugged at the sheet until he reached the warm, soft skin he craved. “I love you,” he whispered as he kissed his way down the front of her. “That’s all that matters.” Capturing a pebbled nipple between his teeth, he finally felt her resistance begin to give way to desire. Relief coursed through him. “Did you hear me tell her to find someone to cover for you this weekend?”
“Mmm,” she said, tightening her grip on his hair.
He ran his tongue in circles around her nipple. “Know what that means?”
“What?” she asked, breathless.
“Three whole days together. No work, no obligations.”
“We still have the daycare this afternoon.”
“That’s nothing. What should we do with the rest of the day?”
“I can’t think of a thing,” she said with a suggestive smile that reminded him of something else he needed to take care of—immediately.
He kissed her cheek and then her lips. “Hold that thought. I’ll be back.”
Hoping Maddie would go back to sleep for a while, Mac went outside to call Joe. “Hey, buddy, where are you?”
“Just got into Point Judith. Why?”
Mac swore under his breath. “I need a favor. Are you coming back to the island today?”
“’Fraid not. I’ve got Homeland Security coming to do an inspection next week that I’m totally not ready for. I’ll be in the office the rest of the day but back over tomorrow. Why? What do you need?”
“It’s kind of embarrassing, and now it’s even more embarrassing because I’m going to have to get my sister to do it for me.”
“Please tell me you’re not talking about—”
“Don’t say it. Please do not say it.”
Joe howled with laughter. “What are you? Fifteen?”
“It’s an issue for Maddie, not me. She doesn’t want it all over the island, and you know it will be if I get them.”
That seemed to stifle some of Joe’s laughter. “Well, do be sure to let me know what Janey has to say about this.”
“I’m sure you’ll find it entertaining.”
“No doubt.” Joe cleared his throat. “So, um... I saw her last night.”
“Where?”
“At the Beachcomber. After she babysat for you guys.”
“That brat! She was supposed to go right home.”
“I know this is a newsflash to you, Mac, but she’s a full-grown adult.”
“She’s my baby sister.”
“Who you’re sending to buy condoms for you today.” Joe once again dissolved into laughter. “Not such a baby anymore, huh?”
“Shut up,” Mac growled. “I hope you behaved yourself with her.”
“The word condom never came up. Not that I would’ve minded...”
“You’re very funny.”
“I just don’t get...” Joe stopped himself.
“What?”
“Nothing. It doesn’t matter.”
“Tell me. Come on, Joe.”
“Why do you think that guy who supposedly can’t wait to marry her never shows his face on the island?”
“He’s finishing medical training. You know how that can be.”
“All I know is if she were mine, wild horses wouldn’t keep me away.”
Mac winced. “You ever think about just telling her that?”
Joe released a bitter laugh. “Right. Like I can compete with Dr. David and all their history. That’d be a suicide mission.”
“Maybe if she knew, it’d make a difference.”
“It wouldn’t, and she’s never going to know, you got me, Mac? Don’t say a word to her. I mean that.”
“I never would, but you should. What’ve you got to lose?”
“Her friendship, and that would be truly unbearable.”
“I’m sorry it’s so hopeless,” Mac said with a sigh. “I have a whole new appreciation for how hard this must be on you.”
“It is what it is. Hey, I gotta split, but do let me know how the rubber run goes, huh?”
“Go to hell.” As Joe laughed at his own joke, Mac slapped the phone closed. His stomach clutched with nerves when he realized Janey really was his only other option. His father would do it for him, but he couldn’t ask him. Even at almost thirty-five, he just couldn’t. Swallowing hard, Mac flipped open the phone and called Janey.
“Hey, brat, what’re you doing?” Mac considered telling her about their mother’s visit that morning but decided against it. He wanted to forget the whole unfortunate encounter.
“Heading in to work. Why?”
“I need another favor.”
“You want to go out again tonight?”
“Not exactly.”
“Then what?”
“I need you to, um, well... If you could go to Gold’s,” Mac said, referring to the island drugstore, “and just, you know...”
“What, Mac? Spit it out, will ya?”
“I need you to buy condoms for me. A lot of them.”
Dead silence.
“Janey?”
“You gotta be kidding me.”
�
�I can’t do it! It’ll be all over the island in ten minutes, and Maddie can’t deal with that.”
“Get Joe to do it.”
“He’s off-island until tomorrow.”
“So abstain for one night!”
“Janey, please. I’m desperate here.”
“You can’t ask me to do this. It’s too embarrassing.”
“How do you think I feel about asking my baby sister to do this for me?” He let out what he knew was a pathetic wail. “Janey... I need you.”
“Don’t do that. Don’t you dare play the need card.”
“Pretty please.”
She let out a swear that shocked him to his core. “Fine,” she said through gritted teeth. “But you’ll owe me forever, do you hear me? There’s no statute of limitations on what you’ll owe me.”
“I understand.”
“I don’t think you do. For the rest of your natural life, anytime I say, ‘Jump,’ you say, ‘How high, Janey? How high can I jump for you?’ Anytime I snap my fingers, you come running. Any. Time. Am I clear?”
“Crystal.”
“I’ll need at least a hundred dollars.”
“What the hell for?”
“Buffer items, you buffoon. I can’t just go in there and buy a gross of condoms and walk out.”
“So you’re going to soak me for a year’s supply of nail polish and tampons?”
“That’s the very least of what you’ll owe me.”
“Fine. I’ll bring it to the vet clinic.”
“Pay me later. I can’t look at you right now. Meet me at noon behind the Beachcomber, and do not look at me. Just take the bag, give me the money and walk away.”
“I love you, Janey. Have I mentioned that lately?”
“Screw you.”
Holding back a laugh, he said, “Get the extra-large ones, okay?”
“I hate you.”
Mac returned to Maddie’s and found her and Thomas still sleeping. He checked his watch and decided this would be a good time to take care of something else he’d been putting off. Taking his keys off the table, he tiptoed out of the apartment. In the driveway, he rolled the motorcycle to the street before he kick-started it. Driving along the south coast, he noticed dense fog—an island staple in June—clinging to the horizon as the sun fought to break through. Mac pulled into the parking lot at the South Point Light and killed the engine. He pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and called his brother Evan, who was on speed dial, along with Grant, Adam and Janey.
