Playing for Keeps

by LuAnn McLane

  Noah tossed the flip-flop into his Corvette and slid in behind the wheel. He shoved the car into gear and headed over to Myra’s Diner, hoping to catch Madison there. He could have called to find out, but he thought he’d grab a bite to eat there regardless. It had nothing to do with Olivia possibly being there with Brandon Turner. Okay, perhaps it had a little bit to do with that, Noah admitted to himself—and then grinned. Or maybe a lot.

  Even though he was still angry with Olivia, he wasn’t prepared not to forgive her for her mistake. After all, it made more sense to be happy than to be right. And he certainly knew the irrational feeling of being jealous. He sure hadn’t felt passionate enough to want to punch a man over a woman until now.

  He was prepared to pull out all of the stops and knock her socks—okay, make that her flip-flops—off. “Oh, yeah …” An excellent plan was forming in his head. All he needed was a little help from his friends and he could hopefully pull it off. When he was finished wooing Livie Lawson, there would be no doubt in her mind that he loved her and wasn’t going to leave Cricket Creek. Well, he hoped, anyway. One thing she sure had accomplished was taking him down a notch or two—and perhaps that was a good thing. “Get over your damned self, Noah Falcon.” While waiting at the stoplight, he shook his head. Maybe it was the schoolteacher in her, but the woman certainly knew how to make a person work for it.

  Noah snagged a spot across from the diner and headed inside. The lunch rush was beginning to thin down, and he was glad to see Madison and Jessica behind the front counter. He glanced around discreetly and was actually relieved that Olivia and the pesky Brandon, who seriously needed to be punched, were nowhere to be found.

  “Hey, Noah,” Madison said and hurried over to where he sat down. She waved her hand beneath his nose. “Isn’t it gorgeous?”

  “If you’d stop waving it around, I’d be able to see it,” he said, drawing a chuckle from Jessica. Noah grabbed Madison’s hand and gazed at the diamond solitaire. The diamond wasn’t huge, but he could tell that the quality was excellent, and the simplicity of it suited her. “It’s beautiful,” Noah commented and was surprised at the emotion he felt. He stood up and came around the counter and pulled her in for a big hug. “Sweetie, I am so happy for you,” he said gruffly. “Don’t know about Jason, though,” he joked and was rewarded with a hard shove. But when he looked down at her, he saw that she was swiping at the corner of her eyes. He turned to Jessica and opened his arms for another hug, and then she was swiping at her eyes too. It occurred to him that Jessica had never gotten to experience this joy when she found out she was pregnant. “Congratulations to you too, Mama.”

  Jessica sniffed hard. “Yeah, the years have flown by, haven’t they? Seems like just yesterday …” she began and then put a hand over her mouth and blinked. “Ah … I’m getting soft in my old age.” She shook her head and then laughed.

  “Old?” Noah tilted his head. “Well, I know someone who thinks you’re hot.”

  “Who?” Jessica asked with a frown.

  “Ty McKenna.”

  Jessica’s eyes widened and she exchanged a glance with Madison. “The baseball player?”

  “Triple Threat himself.” Noah walked back around the counter and sat down. “Yeah, we played some minor-league ball together. But, anyway, I was talking to him on the phone and he mentioned, and I quote, that Chicago Blue, his favorite restaurant, wasn’t the same since the hot little chef left.”

  “Way to go, Mom!” Madison said, but Jessica rolled her eyes.

  “There’s not a bigger player on the planet, and I don’t mean baseball. He was with a different woman every time he walked into Chicago Blue Bistro.”

  “Oh, so you noticed,” Madison commented with a sly smile.

  Jessica’s cheeks took on some color, but she shrugged. “The man always made an entrance. It was hard not to notice him.”

  Noah took a swig of the tea that Madison placed in front of him. “I’m just sayin’ …”

  “Whatever,” Jessica muttered and reached for a menu to hand to him.

  “Ty will be coming in for the play,” Noah added and watched for her reaction.

  “Really?” Jessica asked breezily. “That’s nice of him.”

  “Said he wouldn’t miss it. By the way, he couldn’t believe that you lived here. You must have made quite an impression on him.”

  “Maybe it’s your turn for some romance, Mom. Hey, if Aunt Myra can hook up with Owen Lawson, anything can happen. They’re fishing together right now. Isn’t that so cute?” She looked at Noah. “And who would have thought I’d be engaged to Jason? Not many people would have taken that bet.” She angled her head at her mother. “You just never know when love is going to jump up and getcha.”

  “I think you mean bite you.” Jessica refilled Noah’s iced tea glass from a big metal pitcher.

  “Mom!” Madison protested.

  “Oh, not you and Jason!”

  “Of course not!” Madison said and then turned back to Noah. “What’s this about Mom making an impression on Ty McKenna? Really?”

  “More like my food made an impression on Mr. Triple Threat. Believe me, I’m not Ty McKenna’s type. As I recall, he went for big boobs and long legs. I am lacking in both categories. Know what you want?” she asked, and Noah wondered why she wanted to change the subject so quickly.

  He didn’t even have to look at the menu. “Chickenfried steak, mashed potatoes, and green beans.”

  Madison shook her head. “How on God’s green earth do you eat that stuff and not get huge?” She circled her arms out to her sides.

  “I’ve eaten my way through Cricket Creek—that’s for sure.” He patted his stomach. “It helps that I’ve been working out with the baseball team. It sucks that the high school season is almost over, but I told them I’d like to help out with the summer camp.”

  Jessica and Madison both stopped in their tracks, and Madison leaned in close so that onlookers couldn’t hear. “So, are you thinking of moving here, Noah?”

  “If I can get a certain pesky little schoolteacher to come to her senses and quit doubting me,” he answered darkly.

  Madison put her hands on the counter and leaned even closer. “I see a plan in those eyes of yours. Are you going to let me in on it?”

  “Absolutely. And I’m going to need your help to pull it off. Are you in?”

  “Of course!” Madison gave him an excited little jerky nod. She turned to Jessica. “Mom, are you going to help too?”

  “Nope.” Jessica gave them a negative shake of her head and busied herself wiping down the counter. “I don’t mess in other people’s business, unlike you and Olivia.”

  “Where’s the fun in that?” Madison wrinkled her nose at her mother and then turned her attention back to Noah. “Okay, spill.”

  Noah explained his plan of action to Madison, and although Jessica was straightening things up, he knew she was listening with one ear. When he was finished he asked, “Well, do you think I can pull this off?”

  Madison tapped his chest and shook her head no. “You can’t. But we can. And stop pretending you weren’t listening, Mom. You are totally helping out and Aunt Myra too. Oh, and Mabel. And Chrissie and her posse. The whole damned town if we need them! The trick is going to be keeping Olivia in the dark.”

  “And here’s the important question.” Noah inhaled a deep breath. “Do you think it will finally win her over?”

  Madison grinned. “It will be a grand … What do you call it … ? Hammer?”

  “Grand slam,” Jessica corrected, drawing their attention. “All right already. I’m in! The two of you will need all the help you can get.” She pulled out a notepad. “Now let’s get started.”

  23

  No Doubt

  Madison opened the door to her condo and after tossing her keys and purse onto the table she headed straight to the fridge for a cold bottle of water. She was halfway through gulping it down when strong arms encircled her waist from behind and warm lips n
uzzled her neck. With a groan she absently set the bottle on the counter and tilted her head to the side. “Mmm, you smell like coconut,” she said with a low chuckle.

  “That’s the downside of showering at your girlfriend’s place.”

  Madison lifted her left hand in the air and wiggled her ring finger. “Fiancée,” she reminded him.

  “I stand corrected,” he said and eased his hands beneath her pink peasant blouse.

  “That’s better.” Madison leaned back against his damp bare chest and reached up to run her fingers through his wet hair. “And is there an upside?” she asked breathlessly. Her knees nearly buckled when he slid his callused hands up her smooth skin and then cupped her breasts. He rubbed his thumbs over the satin demibra, and her nipples instantly reacted.

  “Oh, no doubt.” Jason pressed intimately against her. “There’s your upside, babe,” he said and then turned her around to face him. While looking into her eyes he guided her hand down to his erection, poking against the towel slung low around his waist.

  “Mmmm … I like it.” Madison parted the soft terry cloth. She slipped her hand in and found him aroused and ready.

  Jason sucked in a breath. “Damn … girl,” he said and when she circled the tip of her finger over his smooth head he gasped and grabbed the edge of the counter. A silky drop of moisture appeared and he groaned. “Ahhh, Maddie.” His hazel eyes dilated, making the golden flecks stand out. With his hair slicked back, his prominent cheekbones and full mouth created such stark masculine beauty that Madison sighed. The dark blond stubble shadowing his chin gave him a dangerous bad-boy edge that had her all but melting.

  “How does that feel?” she asked with a slight smile.

  “Amazing.”

  She tugged the towel off, grasped his steely-hard shaft, and began to stroke him lightly. “And this?”

  “More amazing. God …” His muscles tensed, showing off his ripcord strength that came from hard physical labor.

  “I love touching you,” she said as she slid her palms over the sculpted contours of his chest. “Tasting you.” She pressed her mouth against his shoulder and began a trail of kisses up his neck, letting her tongue dart out and swirl over his skin. She licked the rough stubble on his jawbone and then ran her tongue across his warm, soft bottom lip before sliding it into his mouth.

  Madison moaned when Jason threaded his fingers into her mass of curls and kissed her back with silky heat that made her toes curl. He tasted like mint and man, and she suddenly needed to have her bare skin next to his.

  “I want you naked,” he said in her ear before sucking her earlobe into his mouth and causing a slow tingle to travel down her spine.

  “You were reading my mind,” she replied and then took a step back. He watched her slowly untie the bow at the top of her blouse and then unbutton the tiny pearls one by one. She shrugged her shoulders slightly so that the soft pink cotton slithered down her arms and pooled onto the white tile floor. After popping open the snap on her jean skirt, she tugged the zipper down inch by inch and then let the skirt join her blouse on the floor, leaving her standing before him in her barely there nude bra and matching lace thong.

  Jason sucked in a breath. Madison knew she was pretty in a cute, petite way, but the desire in his eyes made her feel absolutely gorgeous. She watched him while she reached around her back and unhooked her bra. Her breasts weren’t big, but they were high and firm, with dusky pink nipples that were taut and begging for his warm mouth, soft tongue. But when she reached down to take off her panties Jason shook his head.

  “No, let me.” His husky plea felt like a physical caress and Madison could only nod. “Baby, turn around and lean up against the counter,” he said and then changed positions while nuzzling her neck. Again she could only nod but did as he asked. When he slipped one finger beneath the top of her thong, her breath caught and she had to grip the edge of the counter for support. He oh, so slowly moved his finger back and forth, lightly grazing the top of her mound. Her stomach quivered and heat pooled between her thighs. And when he dipped his head and swirled his wet tongue over one nipple, her grip on the counter tightened.

  He teased with his tongue and his finger, applying just enough pressure to have her begging for more. Madison’s eyes fluttered shut and she thrust her chest upward as an invitation for more and more …

  “Oh!” she gasped when he suddenly dropped to his knees and then slid her thong down to her ankles. He kissed his way up her calf, her thigh. She could feel his warm breath getting closer and closer to where she wanted him and when he cupped her ass and buried his head between her thighs she instinctively spread her legs. When his warm tongue licked her sensitive spot she threaded her fingers through his damp, shaggy hair and urged him on.

  “God!” Achingly sweet pleasure spread through her veins like thick, warm honey, and when she tried to pull his head back he was relentless until she arched against his mouth and cried out his name. When she collapsed against him, he picked her up and while she was still reeling with heart-pounding aftershocks he eased her up onto the edge of the counter.

  “Baby, wrap your legs around me.”

  “Mmm,” was all she could muster as she hooked her ankles at the small of his back. “That was amazing,” she murmured with her head resting against his shoulder.

  “We’ve just begun,” he said and then tilted her head up.

  “Making love?”

  “No … our life together,” he said and then captured her mouth in a searing kiss.

  Madison clung to him, savoring the taste of her body on his mouth, the silky sensation of his skin rubbing against hers, and the scent of coconut mixed with musk. He had a hard body and a soft heart, small-town values and big-city dreams. He was kick-ass crazy with a Southern voice, but most of all … he was hers.

  Madison pulled his head back hard and placed her hands on either side of his cheeks. She looked into those beautiful eyes flecked with gold and said, “Jason Craig, I love you.”

  “Ah, Maddie, I love you too. I couldn’t get you out of my mind from the moment you scowled at me and said that the color of the trim I was painting looked like pigeon poop.”

  She giggled and then rolled her eyes. “I am such a little shit.”

  “You’re my little shit, and I wouldn’t have it any other way,” he said, drawing a chuckle from her.

  “Your romantic sentiments steal my breath,” she teased, but then he truly took her breath away when he entered her with one sure stroke.

  “God, you feel good.” He made love to her slow and easy at first, bringing her back to full arousal before white-hot passion took over. She clung to his wide shoulders and matched his rhythm, giving her heart and her body to him fully without holding anything back. He was so strong and yet managed to be tender at the same time, making her climax with a sweet explosion that rocked her to the very core of her being.

  Madison kissed him deeply while the words of her play rang out in her head … If you could choose just one thing to have in this life, love would win every single time.

  She had no doubt.

  Later, after feasting on Papa Vito’s pizza, they headed to her bedroom to relax. “Aren’t you going to put on some sexy little nightie?” Jason asked with a bit of a pout.

  “I like wearing your T-shirt. It smells like you.”

  “But I’m right here,” he reminded her as he turned back the frilly comforter. He wore gray boxer briefs but shimmied out of them before slipping beneath the covers.

  “I like the intimacy of your shirt.” Madison grabbed a book from the pile on her nightstand and handed him the remote.

  “And I like silky little frilly things.”

  She opened the book and gave him a glance. “Well, get over it,” she said with a lift of her chin, but she was fighting back a smile.

  He pointed the remote at the television and turned it on. “Are you always going to be this hard to live with?”

  She lifted one shoulder and concentrated on her
book. “Maybe.”

  “You do know that the book is turned upside down.”

  “I can totally read upside down.”

  “Sure you can.”

  Madison looked up at the television and said, “And you do know that you turned on the Disney Channel.”

  “What, don’t you like Hannah Montana?” He laughed. She tossed the book to the floor and he clicked the television off and they rolled into each other’s arms.

  Jason slid a hand up her leg and under the hem of the T-shirt. “Oh, no panties.”

  Madison laughed and slid her hand up his thigh and wrapped her hand around his erection. “Um, well, now, are you always going to be this hard to live with?”

  “You’d better believe it,” he said and then pulled her on top to straddle him.

  “I believe it.” Madison moved suggestively against him. “As my aunt Myra would say, a hard man is good to find.” Then she held his face in her hands and gazed at him with serious eyes. “I’ve been writing about love for a long time, but you’ve made me a true believer, Jason.” He swallowed hard and the emotion shining in his eyes touched her heart. Without speaking, she came up to her knees and then slowly sank down onto his erection. She sat there very still simply loving the feeling of him buried deep and connected intimately. “I’ve been searching and I’ve finally found my place in this world.”

  “In Cricket Creek, Kentucky?”

  “With you …”

  “I’ll move to the city, you know. Whatever makes you happy, Maddie.”

  She smiled and then leaned in to kiss him tenderly. “Thank you, but I have to admit that I love it here. Noah has big plans for this town, and I want to be a part of the development.”

  “Speaking of Noah, are he and Olivia on good terms?”

  Madison threaded her fingers together as if in prayer. “Not exactly, but he and I are working on it.” She pressed her lips together and said, “We have a plan.”

  “Do I want to know about it?”

  Madison angled her head. “Well, let’s just say it’s going to take a village …” she admitted with a small smile. “You in?”