Mad About Meg

by Mari Carr

  “Meg.” He gathered her hands in his one of his own, pulling them above her head, holding her still for his amorous assault. It was clear he meant to direct their passion again. With his free hand, he pulled her bathing suit to one side and she sensed he would rip it off of her if he could. His fingers plunged roughly into her wet pussy and she reveled in his lack of finesse. He always seemed so in control and she discovered she much preferred this wild man before her to the suave Rob she’d grown accustomed to. He was as frantic to be inside her as she was to welcome him in.

  She heard her pleas fall from her lips before she could think better. “Please,” she whimpered as his fingers tormented her quivering flesh. Two fingers became three and she couldn’t stop the climax that was attacking her with devastating speed.

  “Oh God.” She cried out as the orgasm ripped through her body. Her cries seemed to break what little control he had over his own body and she gasped as she felt him push into her. Over and over, he came into her—hard and fast. The banging of her back on the door only vaguely made its way to her ears as she was overwhelmed by the incredible feelings he was producing in her body.

  “More.” Her voice was now the demanding one and his cock took on a life of its own, pounding inside her as she clenched her inner muscles around him, demanding he fill her, stay with her, never leave her. The strength of her next orgasm shocked her considering she’d thought the first had been powerful. He joined her in her climax, both of them shouting their pleasure and pain together.

  She was so fulfilled and happy she couldn’t conceive that he wouldn’t feel the same, which is why his first word left her so perplexed.

  “Fuck.” His tone was much less than pleased.

  Opening her eyes, she saw him looking at her, not angry, but chagrined.

  “Rob?”

  “Are you on the pill?”

  At his question, she realized why he was so upset. In their frantic rush to devour each other, they’d forgotten the condom. Her stomach dropped to her feet and she felt all the blood leave her face.

  “I’ll take that as a no,” he said.

  “They make me nauseous,” she added pitifully. “Oh Rob, I’m so sorry.”

  “You’re sorry?” His tone one she couldn’t quite understand.

  “I’m sure it will be okay.” Despite her calm words she knew it wouldn’t be. After all, she’d been conceived during her mother’s one night of youthful indiscretion.

  “I’m glad you’re so sure.”

  Pulling away, she felt as though she’d been sunk into quicksand up to her neck. Her body was going into a full scale panic attack—her arms and legs refusing to move. This was why practical Meg existed, she thought. Reliable, boring Meg would never have made such a mammoth mistake.

  “I have to get out of here.” She willed her paralyzed body to move, but before she could take a step, he picked her up and carried her to the couch, settling her securely on his lap.

  “I’m the one who is sorry, Meg.” He tucked her head in the crook of his neck, resting his cheek on the top of her head. She felt her body give way to the fear permeating it as she began to shake.

  “Oh no, sweetheart, please. Please don’t worry. You aren’t alone and you never will be. I would never leave you to deal with this by yourself.”

  “My father—”

  “Was a bastard,” he finished for her. “And he clearly doesn’t know what he missed. Who in their right mind wouldn’t want you? You’re perfect.”

  His kind words went a long way to soothing her, yet she couldn’t help but ask the question pounding inside her brain. “If I’m pregnant?”

  “If you are, we’ll deal with it. Together. I meant what I said. You aren’t alone, Meg. I promise.” Bending down, he sealed his vow with a gentle kiss that was nearly her undoing.

  As he kissed her, Rob foolishly prayed his sperm would succeed. He’d started several times today to tell her the truth about his identity, but she had taken such delight in the day, he couldn’t bring himself to ruin it for her. Her enthusiasm when she’d realized they were going out on the water had been priceless. She’d never been in a boat. So many things to show her, to share with her. He found himself wishing he could give her the world on a silver platter.

  So, his plan to come clean hadn’t been successful and now he’d failed her again by forgetting to use protection. And, as if that wasn’t bad enough, here he was silently hoping she was carrying his baby because for the first time in his life, Rob Madison was faced with the very real possibility that he might not get something he wanted. And as selfish as it sounded, he was willing to do anything to keep her. He wanted her—not just for this weekend—but forever. However money wouldn’t buy Meg Williams. He suspected his wealth may actually be a liability and as the days passed, he found himself running out of options.

  He had to tell her the truth. As he felt her small hands in his hair, he suddenly realized he couldn’t make any more excuses. She deserved the truth from him. Shaking himself for his uncharacteristic cowardice, he took a steadying breath. He was Rob Madison, for God’s sake. He never shirked from a challenge and he certainly never backed down from something that he wanted.

  “Meg.” His next words were interrupted by a knock on the door and he cursed the timing of the person on the other side. “I suppose I should answer that.”

  “I suppose you should.” Her voice was still a bit shaky and he longed to continue holding her. “While you do, I’ll slip up and take a shower. I must look a wreck.” She ran her hand through her tangled curls.

  “You look gorgeous. Meg.” He lifted her face up to his. “I meant what I said. Everything will be fine.”

  The grateful smile she graced him with had him kicking himself again. She didn’t deserve his continued deception. Rob was determined to get rid of their unwanted company and show her how much she’d come to mean to him. “Put on something pretty and I’ll take you out for a nice dinner. Maybe we can stroll Lover’s Lane afterwards.”

  At her blush, he knew she recalled all the things he’d promised they would buy at the marketplace. The very thought of it had him going hard as he considered all the ways he wanted to make love to her. He watched as she walked to her room, shutting the door softly behind her.

  Yet another knock, louder than the last came and Rob called out impatiently, “I’m coming.”

  “Finally,” a shrill, familiar voice chided as he opened the door and he barely had time to step aside before being run over by Shelly Thompson-Rhodes, her beleaguered husband, Seth, and her sister Tara.

  “Shelly,” he said in surprise, “What are you doing here?”

  “What kind of greeting is that for your dearest friend in the world?”

  Rob attempted—yet suspected he failed—to paste on a pleased smile. Truth be told, Shelly was his oldest friend, although old is not a term that would ever cross her lips. Shelly’s parents and his own had been fast friends forever and he knew beyond a shadow of a doubt, their hopes were dashed when Shelly chose to marry Seth Rhodes, an eminently prominent neuro-surgeon, rather than him. Despite Shelly’s numerous faults, she knew as well as he did a marriage between them would be nothing short of a disaster. Unfortunately, she didn’t feel the same would be true for him and Tara. She took every opportunity available to her to push the two of them together and much to his chagrin, Tara seemed to feel she owned some sort of territorial rights to him, regardless of the fact, he’d never expressed any interest in the shallow girl.

  “I beg your forgiveness. Of course, I’m delighted to see you. Simply surprised.”

  “Well,” Shelly answered, “that’s better. We were cruising the islands on our yacht when we heard you were here. We simply had to dock and see you. It’s been far too long since you’ve come to stay on Martha’s Vineyard with us. Tara’s beginning to feel neglected.”

  “I can’t imagine why.” Rob was unwilling to deal with Shelly’s matchmaking schemes when he was having the time of his life with Meg. Meg
had changed him in some inexplicable way that left him with little patience for behavior he used to tolerate with nary a second thought.

  Shelly, however, was exceedingly astute. “Are you feeling well, Robert? We’ve been here several minutes and you’ve yet to notice my new hairdo or remark on Tara’s lovely dress. We did go to special pains for you, darling.”

  Ah, of course, he groaned. He’d committed a major faux pas, failing to follow the social niceties expected by the Thompson-Rhodes of the world. Without a thought, he slipped into the familiar character he’d played his entire life, noticing for the first time, how much it chafed.

  “Forgive me, Shelly. It’s simply that you’ve caught me unaware and then appearing here looking so lovely, well, I’ve been left doubly speechless.”

  Obviously appeased, Shelly and Tara teetered at his insincere praise.

  “Seth, how are you?” Rob turned his attention to Shelly’s husband, anxious for an escape from the two women.

  “Quite well,” Seth replied, “quite well. Managed to schedule a couple months of R and R from the practice. The girls were chomping at the bit to get out and about.”

  Rob swallowed his sarcastic reply, well aware that Seth—since landing the very wealthy Shelly Thompson—was little more than a token figurehead at his successful practice leaving the real work to his partners. Shelly kept him on a tight leash and would not accept more than his total attention and devotion. It was the main reason she and Rob would never have been a compatible match. He was far too independent for Shelly’s tastes. However, as far as he could tell, Tara would be perfectly content to share his name, homes and money while making few demands on his time. He’d successfully evaded her maneuverings for the last two years. Meg’s appearance in his life had only managed to solidify his conviction that Tara was the last person on earth he wanted to marry.

  “Well, you’ve always been a good man, keeping your girls happy.” Rob swallowed heavily, the words he uttered leaving a bad taste in his mouth.

  “Robert Madison, I swear I don’t know where your manners are. We’ve been here ten full minutes and you’ve yet to offer us a drink.” Shelly crossed to the bar and looked ready to settle in for the long haul.

  “And I apologize for that.” He was suddenly extremely anxious to get rid of his unexpected guests before Meg reappeared from her room. This heartless trio would blow his cover in a matter of seconds and he wasn’t willing to have his real identity revealed in such a fashion. “However, I’m afraid you’ve caught me at a bad time. I was about to shower and head out to an important meeting.”

  “A meeting? At this time?” Shelly’s tone revealed her suspicions about his awkward lie. “Robert, it’s nearly five o’clock. Surely you haven’t planned a meeting in the midst of your vacation.”

  “Actually, an unexpected opportunity has fallen into my lap. You know me, Shelly, never one to look a gift horse in the mouth.”

  “What type of opportunity?”

  “Ah well, Shelly,” he hedged, “I find as I get older, I don’t like to talk about business ventures until the deal is done. Getting a bit superstitious.”

  “You, superstitious? Ha! Ridiculous. What are you up to, Robert? I find it very hard to believe you have anything so pressing that you would miss the opportunity to spend Valentine’s Day with Tara. Especially after all the fuss she’s gone to for you.”

  Glancing behind Shelly, he watched Tara throw him a come-hither look as she thrust out what appeared to be a new pair of breasts. Dear God, these women were relentless and he felt a trickle of sweat bead at the back of his neck as he counted the minutes remaining before Meg returned. Suddenly, her habit of showering and dressing quickly seemed less endearing. He needed more time.

  The sound of a door opening behind him, as well as the shocked faces on the three people in front of him convinced him that time was up. Turning slowly, he felt his heart skip—despite his panic—at her lovely appearance. She’d donned a simple sundress, the same color as her cornflower blue eyes. Her hair was still damp, but she’d left her long, blonde curls loose the way he liked them best. Her face was more made-up then he was used to as she’d added light blue eye shadow to her usual lipstick and mascara combination. He recognized the special pains she’d taken and he’d never seen her look more beautiful.

  Her friendly smile kick-started his uneasiness as he could practically hear the women behind him sharpening their claws.

  “Meg.” He walked quickly to meet her as she approached. “You look beautiful,” he murmured in her ear as she graced him with a delighted grin. “Come and meet some of my friends.”

  Placing a protective arm around her waist, he turned to face the firing squad, praying silently for a reprieve.

  “This is Seth Rhodes and his lovely wife, Shelly.”

  “Pleasure to meet you.” Meg shook their hands in her ever-friendly, open way and he watched the subtle rising of Shelly’s eyebrows as she took in every aspect of Meg’s appearance.

  “Of course it is.” Shelly’s words were chillingly cold and Meg looked inquisitively at him.

  Ignoring Shelly’s rudeness, he gestured to Tara. “And this is Shelly’s younger sister, Tara.” He smiled inwardly as Shelly hissed at his mention of her elder status. Shelly was extremely sensitive to any mention of age and Rob was pleased to manage his own revenge through the introduction.

  “Nice to meet you.” Meg repeated the words warily, obviously wondering what response she would receive from this sister.

  “Yes.” Tara looked down her nose at Meg. “Indeed.” Moving closer, Tara managed to insinuate herself between them with an ease that caught him unaware.

  “What a surprise to meet one of Rob’s little—” she paused for effect, before rudely adding the word, “friends.” She placed a proprietary arm on his and he started to look at Tara with new eyes. In one sentence, she’d made it perfectly clear she considered Meg to be nothing more than a whore, insinuating she wasn’t the first and—most likely—wouldn’t be the last. In the past, he’d felt Tara was as much a pawn of Shelly’s machinations as he was, but now he wondered who was truly pulling the strings.

  Managing to shake off Tara’s possessive hand, he moved back toward Meg, anxious to shield her from the wolves he’d unleashed on her. He was shocked when she took the initiative to grasp his hand in her own. She glanced into his eyes with an enigmatic look he couldn’t even begin to interpret.

  “Shame on you, Rob. You should have told me we were expecting company. I would have dressed up.”

  Rob nearly burst into laugher at her imitation of Shelly and Tara’s snotty imperiousness. Winking at her sheer nerve, he replied with as much remorse as he could muster. “I’m sorry, my dear, but their visit is a complete surprise to me.”

  “Yes.” Shelly–obviously miffed at being excluded from their banter–attempted to enter their conversation. “We knew Robert would be pleased by our unexpected arrival. You see, he is so terribly fond of Tara. We grew up together and Robert is forever inviting her to visit.”

  Rob had to physically stop himself from growling at Shelly’s bold faced lie, but Meg beat him to the punch. “Oh, I’m not surprised. Of course Robert would have a soft spot for a young woman he must think of as a sister.” Her southern accent drawled his name in pure country club style and shocked him to his core.

  Studying her face, he suspected he was seeing a truly angry Meg for the first time since her run in with George the night of the storm. Her face was flushed and her eyes were shooting sparks all over the room.

  Determined to bring this painful interlude to an end, he turned to face his unwanted guests. “I do hate to cut this reunion short, but as I said earlier—.”

  “Oh yes,” Shelly interrupted, “your business meeting. You know, Seth, I’ve just had a thought. It would be terribly impolite of us to leave this lovely young woman alone.” She gestured to Meg and Rob felt his stomach drop to the floor. “Especially not while Robert’s out amassing another fortune. Me
g, darling, you simply must join us for dinner tonight.”

  Rob stepped forward rapidly. “Actually, Meg and I have dinner plans after my meeting.”

  “Then for drinks.” Shelly was as undaunted as ever. “I insist, Robert. You know I consider you a brother as well and I’m very interested in getting to know your new—” Shelly also added the insulting pause before calling Meg his “friend.”

  “I would love to join you for drinks.” Meg answered before he could offer a suitable excuse.

  “Meg.” He was desperate to stop the disaster unraveling before his eyes.

  “Rob,” she said softly. “They’re your friends. And apparently, you have a fortune to make?”

  Hearing the confused question, he cursed. “Meg.” He pulled her aside, despite the rudeness of the gesture. “We need to talk. Please don’t go out with them.” He could feel the walls of his lies closing in on him.

  “Robert,” Shelly spoke loudly, no longer masking her anger. “I thought you were in a hurry. You must know we’ll take very good care of your friend.”

  “I’m a big girl, Rob, and it’s just a drink. I didn’t realize you had a meeting.”

  “I–” don’t, he started to say, but the word caught in his throat. “I wish you would stay here.”

  “Rob, are you embarrassed by me?” As soon as she whispered the question, he understood how much Shelly and Tara’s insults had hurt her.

  “Don’t be silly.”

  Tara’s voice came from across the room and stopped him from adding any other assurances.

  “Honestly, Rob. You would think we were a school of piranhas circling around your little goldfish. It’s just a drink. We won’t even leave the hotel. We’ll go to the bar downstairs. Come on Meg.” Tara added a twinge of a dare to her words. “We’re all friends here, aren’t we?”

  Meg pasted on a fake smile and stiffened her spine. “Of course, we are.”

  Chapter Ten

  Rob watched as Meg followed his oldest friends out of the hotel. The sound of the door closing behind them sounded ominously like the last nail being driven into his coffin. He’d been a fool to let her meet Shelly’s entourage, let alone leave with them. Sinking onto the couch, his mind raced as he considered what he could have done or said differently. Meg thought he was ashamed of her. How the hell could she think that? She was a wonderful woman.