by Dani Wade
Madison felt the tips of her ears start to burn. The pressure rose, mixing with grief for her father and anger over this man’s casual words. The last thing she wanted was for Blake to find out the true state of affairs with her family like this.
“When I am ready, I’ll—”
“You’ll never be ready. Just sign the papers.”
“No.” The pressure erupted. “And do not talk over me.”
Madison stood, feeling more in control on her feet. She wasn’t sure where the steel in her voice came from, but she wasn’t being railroaded into anything she didn’t want to do. “Do not come to my house. Do not call on the phone. I’m not selling my place to you. Ever.”
John Mark glanced back and forth between them, a smile spreading across his face. “Now, there’s no need to get into a tizzy, little lady.”
“Ev-ver.”
Something in her face or tone must’ve finally told him she was serious. His thin lips pressed together, a scowl curving his brows. “Beggars aren’t in a position to be choosers. Don’t be stupid.”
“Back off,” Blake said, a growl underlying his tone.
“Why? She’s not going to get a better offer. And she desperately needs one... I could tell that with one glance around that place. I always did wonder how you kept it up.” He gave Blake the once-over, clearly taking in his fancy watch. “Guess now I know, huh?”
Instantly Blake was on his feet, crowding John Mark away from the table. There was a flurry of activity as the bouncer headed their way, and a low exchange of voices between the men that she couldn’t quite catch. But Blake’s advantage in height seemed to make an impression on the bulky man. He raised his hands in surrender.
The bouncer grabbed John Mark’s arm. “This guy bothering you, Miss Maddie?”
At first she just nodded, not trusting her voice. As John Mark started to protest, she stepped in close. “My daddy was always a good judge of character. He had you pegged as slimy from the beginning. I do believe I agree.” She nodded at the bouncer, who strong-armed him away.
For a moment, Madison stood still, stunned at what had happened, until Blake led her back over to the table. “Are you okay?”
Madison melted into the seat, the starch in her spine washing away. “I just can’t catch a break. Every time I’m around you something stupid happens.” She plopped back in her seat, trying hard not to let the tears well up. That would just be the icing on the cake.
“It’s not stupid. You have no control over him showing up,” Blake insisted.
“But why did it have to happen right now, right in the middle of—”
“It’s okay, Madison.”
She smacked her palm against the table, her voice rising. “It’s not okay. I didn’t want you to find out about that.”
Blake tilted his head to the side in question.
“On the good days, I can handle the fact that I’m going to have to sell my family home. I’ve done the best that I can. My father did the best that he could. And I know it has to go. That’s the way it is, but that doesn’t make it hurt any less.”
She stared down into her drink. For a moment, she was at a total loss. Her normal go-to was to get up and do something to fix it. And there was no fixing this.
She could walk away, and leave Blake sitting here by himself. She could hang around and let him convince her that it was all okay. He didn’t need to—she knew her own worth. The state of her house embarrassed her, but considering the state of their finances when she was growing up, she knew she had done the best that she could. And if Blake couldn’t understand that, then she needed to walk away.
Or she could do what her body and soul had been telling her since she’d met him. She could walk toward him, and let happen whatever happened. Accept his decisions and make the memories she wanted so badly.
She glanced back at him and saw his blue eyes trained steadily on her. No hint of embarrassment, no signs of anger or irritation. Just watching her. Maybe he was looking for the next clue?
Just then the waitress interrupted, drawing Maddie’s attention to her with a hand on her shoulder. “Hon, are you going to finish the night out?”
Normally Madison would never walk away from her gig under any circumstances, but tonight she simply couldn’t continue. “No, I need to go home.”
The waitress squeezed her shoulder before walking away. It was wonderful to work with people who were so understanding.
With a pounding heart, she glanced back over at Blake. “Would you like to go with me?”
* * *
Blake stared up at the house as he turned off his car. The silence that surrounded them had almost an echo to it, as if there were unspoken words surrounding them. The history of the place, maybe? Blake wasn’t sure, and he was hesitant to look too deeply.
This was what he’d wanted all along. To be inside this house, to be given an opportunity to search through it. Hell, he’d even prepared himself for a one-night stand in order to do it.
But what he was walking into tonight wasn’t a one-night stand. He was walking through those doors in an emotional state that he’d never anticipated. Because Maddie was real; she was more real to him than any woman he’d slept with before. And he had a feeling there would be no going back after tonight.
“Everything okay?” she asked.
He could hear the slight tremble in her voice. She was nervous. Blake knew that she was opening herself up in a way that she wouldn’t ever have with someone else. That vulnerability, that choice humbled him.
He tried to remind himself about Abigail. He tried to remember his purpose, but all he could think about was Maddie. He glanced over at her in the dark. “Yes,” he lied. “I’m fine.”
Blake let himself out of the car and crossed around to her side to open the door. The driveway was tight, crowded on each side with an overgrowth of bushes. The oddly planted tree here or there. Was the overgrowth on purpose? Or simply one of those things that hadn’t registered in the list of tasks that Madison faced every day?
He gave her just enough room to slip out the door, then closed it behind her. He pressed in close, trapping her between the vehicle and the hardness of his body. “Madison,” he whispered, in deference to the quiet surrounding them. “I want you to remember something.”
He could feel the shiver that went through her, and knew it had nothing to do with the temperature. The heated night closed in on them, but still her body responded. “Yes?”
That deep huskiness in her murmur shot straight down his spine. “Just remember, I want to be here.”
Those simple words felt like more of a commitment than he could ever have imagined. Then he turned quickly toward the house, catching her hand in his.
Madison led him around the back and put her key in the door. The bushes surrounding the house were also out of control, some of them flowering crape myrtles, some overgrown hydrangeas. The heavy scent of flowers on the night air was intoxicating.
The door opened smoothly, to his surprise. A small mudroom opened up into a large kitchen. It was obvious that a lot of time was spent here. It gleamed with scrubbing. A meticulously maintained work surface that could possibly be original to the house gave the room a warm feeling that Blake could honestly say he’d never experienced in any house he’d lived in.
It wasn’t until they moved on to other rooms that the wear and tear begin to make itself known. Bits of peeling paint. Cracked floor tile. Dim lighting where the bulbs in the chandeliers were obviously blown. Some rooms were closed off completely.
Madison kept her head down, as if she could ignore the signs of age if she didn’t get a close enough look. Moving through the foyer, she did an abrupt turn to go up the stairs. Through the open doorway on the opposite side, Blake caught a glance of multiple pieces of furniture in various states of repair.
“What’s this?” he asked, le
aning into the doorway.
Madison paused about a quarter of the way up the stairs and looked back down at him. Her reluctance to return was clear, even in the shadows. After a moment’s pause, she slowly came down one step at a time before reaching his side.
“What’s this?” he asked again, not acknowledging her hesitation.
She stood next to him in the doorway but didn’t glance into the room. “It’s just a hobby,” she said in a rush.
“It’s a pretty expensive hobby...” The room had to contain at least ten pieces of furniture that were being refurbished. “That’s a lot of elbow grease.”
He glanced to the side to see Madison’s arms crossed tightly over her rib cage. Apparently he’d waded into another touchy subject. But he really did want to know. This was obviously important to her, which spoke to him on a level he’d never experienced with other women.
“Come on, Maddie,” he coaxed. “Tell me the truth.”
She shot a quick glance up at him, her pupils wide and searching.
Finally she said, “John Mark wasn’t wrong when he said times were tough. My father used to be a very affluent businessman, before he married my mama. But something...went wrong. He never would say what. They lost most of what they had. She did her best, and kept things fairly on track. But after she died, he just couldn’t keep it together anymore. He was sick, and hurting, and grieving, and for a while, he just dropped off the grid. At fifteen years old, I learned just how deep in the hole we were.”
Blake’s chest ached at the sadness in her voice.
“We were eking out an existence on his disability checks. But he refused to let me sell the house. It was the last place he’d had a home with her. So I did the best I could, supplementing his income by running errands for Trinity, and turning my hand at anything I could find. I discovered I had a knack for refinishing furniture. He would help me sometimes when he was feeling better, and I’d sell the pieces to local antique stores. Sometimes they call and let me know when they have pieces that I can refurbish for them. I’ve gotten a bit of a reputation for it now.”
“That’s wonderful, Maddie.” Blake had taken so much in his life for granted. He couldn’t imagine realizing his family was on the brink of ruin as a teenager and knowing it fell on him to keep them from going over the edge.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered.
“Why?” His chest ached at the somber expression in her eyes. They should be happy and smiling, instead of sad all the time.
“I wanted tonight to be special. And it’s been nothing but complicated. Everything about us has been complicated.”
Blake pushed everything aside in that moment—his own selfishness, shallowness, Abigail, even his own lust for the woman in front of him.
Instead he looked at Madison and really saw her. “No, Maddie. Tonight has really opened my eyes.”
She immediately dropped her gaze, but he raised her chin back up with gentle pressure. “I’ve seen a lot, and I’ve learned a lot. And it has all told me what an incredibly strong and driven woman you are. That is something to be proud of. And if some guy can’t handle it, you kick his ass to the curb.”
She gave a huff of laughter. “Yes, sir.”
Maddie was a woman to be celebrated. And Blake planned to do just that.
Burying his hands in her hair, he pulled her closer for his kiss. When he came up for air, he whispered, “Don’t be sorry, Maddie. You’re way more than I ever expected.”
This time, he crowded his body close against hers, pressing her into the doorframe. Slowly he rubbed her, up, then down again, imprinting on her just how much he wanted to be with her. Her lips were supple and welcoming, parting in need to invite him in. He dove deep, intent on tasting every inch of her tonight.
In, out and around, he explored her mouth. Nibbled on her lips. Eased his body close to her and away, mimicking the very dance they rushed toward. He felt her hands roam up his arms, massaging the muscles as she too explored.
She reached his shoulders and dug her fingers in deep, igniting a surge of power that struck hard at the base of his spine. He groaned, needing action. Needing more. He lifted her and almost wept when her legs encircled his waist. “Maddie,” he growled. “Please.”
“Upstairs,” she murmured around kisses that fed the flames.
He took the steps slower than he planned, partly to keep her safe, partly because he couldn’t stop kissing her. Maddie’s mouth was addictive. Her response egged him on.
She pressed against him, spreading heat through his body in waves, ramping his urgency sky high. He wanted to take his time, wanted to care for her, but he knew the moment was fast approaching when he wouldn’t be able to control himself anymore. First, he had to make it good for her.
Maddie deserved more than he could ever give her.
At the top of the stairs, she pointed to an open door down the shadowy hallway. Blake had the barest impression of pale blue walls before he laid her out across the bed. Her face fell into the darkness, but her body was illuminated by the beam of light coming from a lamp left on in the hallway. The green dress she was wearing teased him, leaving him aching for the womanly soft skin it concealed.
With extra care he unbuckled her wedge sandals, and kissed each ankle bone, celebrating its delicacy. His body screamed at him to hurry, but he clamped down tight and focused on the woman before him.
Maddie.
Lifting one of her leanly muscled legs, he watched as the skirt fell to her waist. He caught a brief glimpse of glittery black material between her legs that had him opening his mouth and brushing his teeth against her calf. Very soon he would taste more of her. She gasped, her muscles twitching beneath his mouth. He repeated the movement closer to her knee, then her thigh, then her inner thigh. Each time she jerked harder, her fingers fisting the pale blanket beneath her. The sound of her gasps in the air was almost as intoxicating as her singing.
Then he buried his face in the heat between her thighs, listening to her cry out as he dragged in her scent with a deep inhale. His brain lit up, sending urgent directives to his body that he struggled to ignore. But his impatient hands grasped the edge of the flimsy material that covered her, ripping it from her hips. He wasn’t moving away from her for a single second, not even to remove her panties.
The flesh now laid bare for him was crowned by soft auburn curls. They smelled of musk and some floral scent he couldn’t place at the moment. With extra care he parted her lower lips, which were slick with a moisture that had his mouth watering. He opened his lips and pressed against her. Her knees jerked up as if to close off his access, but her hands clenching in his hair sent a different message. Her gasps grew louder, echoing in his ears. Her body throbbed against his tongue. Blake felt himself slipping into a world that was all about Maddie, that revolved around her reactions and his utter need to pull the ultimate high from her.
Her hips lifted against him. He rode her motions out, licking and sucking, instinct taking over. His body throbbed in sympathy to her cries of need.
When her moans reached a fever pitch, he pressed hard, growling his command that she come. Maddie broke against his mouth, one long scream echoing off the walls. It had to be the most satisfying sound Blake had ever heard.
Seven
Maddie lay for long moments, unaware of anything but the pounding of her heart in her ears and the excited throb that dominated her body in this moment. She clutched at the soft blanket beneath her, needing something solid to ground her.
Her very limited experience before hadn’t prepared her for the havoc a very focused, very determined man could wreak upon her body. But as satisfied as she was right now, underneath she could feel the return of the urgency. The need to experience the same thing with Blake. To return the favor he’d so graciously given her.
He pulled back a little, causing a protest within. He couldn’t leave. Not now.
Maybe never.
Opening her eyes, she could see him crouched between her legs. He made no further move away, just silently watched her in the darkness. Slowly she sat up, connecting with his gaze in the dim light. Then she rolled around until she too crouched on her knees. With shaking fingers, she grasped the hem of her dress, lifting it and tossing it to the side. The stream of light from the doorway illuminated her bare body. Only a simple lace bralette covered her breasts. Blake’s groan was one of the most gratifying things she’d ever heard. Reaching out, she unbuttoned his shirt, taking her time, letting her fingers brush against his skin. He gasped as she pulled the shirttails loose from his slacks, then ran her fingernails over his chest and belly.
“Please, Madison,” he said, breathing as hard as a racehorse.
He made quick work of his belt and zipper, then eased her back against the pillows. To her surprise, he didn’t jump right in. Instead he slipped the bralette over her head. Burying his face between her breasts, he squeezed them and played with the pink tips until the fire burned high between her thighs once more. Only then did he take one nipple between his lips and worry the flesh until she squirmed and raised her hips in a plea for more. She cried, clutching at his back through the fine cotton of his shirt. With a growl, Blake tore it from his body and tossed it aside, then pressed down against her.
Flesh to flesh. Heat to heat.
With an urgency that signaled he’d reached the end of his control, Blake used his thighs to press hers even farther apart. She felt him fumble on the condom. Then the blunt tip of him searched and found her core, easing slightly inside. He braced his arms above her shoulders, breathing so hard his chest rubbed against her with every huff. He played for long moments, easing in and out until she thought she would scream in need. He was trying to make it good for her, she knew. But if he didn’t enter her soon, she might explode.
Madison needed this to be about them.
Sliding her hands down beneath the edge of his pants, which were miraculously still on, she grasped his clenching muscles and dug deep. At the same time she lifted her hips to him. The feel of him sliding inside her took her breath away. He let himself go all the way to the hilt, then froze. She could feel her body ripple around him, on the cusp of something incredible, something she wouldn’t be able to control.
