He always memorized the details of his environment.
“What do you want, Detective De Wolfe?” she emphasized his name.
He gazed at her, his erection providing the real answer. “Let me make myself clear, Madison. I don’t want you harassing my family or associates. There’s stalking laws on the books for a reason.”
“Stalking?” She stepped in front of him. “You think I’m following you?”
“Too early to tell,” he said dispassionately. “But if we can reach some kind of understanding, I’ll forget any of this ever happened.”
“Including sex?”
“Especially that.” He didn’t mean it. She’d been on his mind continuously for the last seventy-two hours. And if he could, he’d fuck her again right now. Bent over the breakfast bar or in the middle of her living room. Anywhere, as long as he could feel her wrapped tight around him again. He gritted his teeth, desire coursing through his veins.
“You bastard,” she said. “Visiting your mother and enjoying a glass of lemonade and friendly conversation isn’t a crime. In fact, it’s none of your business. You can’t stand it because you’re not in control. That’s your problem, Detective. I like Claire. And we planned a luncheon next week. So why don’t you take your shiny little tin badge and those ridiculous cowboy boots and go find another woman to hunt.”
Precisely. De Wolfe men hunted women. They didn’t second guess their actions. “As soon as I’m done here, that’s exactly what I planned on doing.”
Madison slapped his face on a gasp, then retreated a few steps, looking as shocked as he felt.
The sting didn’t faze him as he closed the distance between them and gripped her by the arms. “Don’t ever make that mistake again,” he roared, filled with rage and something else he couldn’t name.
“Don’t ever tell me you’re going to sleep with another woman.”
As if on cue, their mouths crashed together, the kiss as dangerous and revealing as their argument. Ramsey growled, then cupped her ass cheeks, lifting her. Madison locked her ankles behind his back, her fingernails clawing at his temples. He shoved her against the closest wall, grinding angrily against her, their tongues dueling for control. Fuck everything he’d said before. Madison brought out the beast in him.
He broke the kiss and lowered her so her feet touched the floor. Words weren’t necessary, the gleam in her eyes told him what he needed to know. He ripped her silky shorts off, finding no panties underneath. He eyed her pussy, then licked his lips in shameless hunger. He wanted to taste her so bad, but his dick screamed for relief.
She shivered, meeting his intense stare. Her green eyes were unusually dark and suggestive. Instinct took over, and he tugged her into his arms, her head met his chest. It felt right holding her. It wasn’t supposed to feel so fucking perfect. But it did. Ramsey shook it off and spun her around, then marched her across the room to the breakfast bar. He guided her hands to the edge of the counter, then nudged her legs apart with his knee. That’s how he wanted to see her—spread before him like a feast, that perfect back arched and those delicate hands gripping the counter for support while he hammered inside her.
He unbuttoned his Levis, clenching his jaw as he wrapped his hand around his throbbing shaft. She gazed over her shoulder, silent and curious. A wolfish grin spread across his face as he cupped her pussy from behind. His middle finger slid inside her, the velvety, wet warmth as unforgiving as his heart. She screamed his name as he sunk another finger in, priming her for first entry. Unable to control himself any longer, he withdrew his fingers, gripped her by the hips, bent his knees, and penetrated her in one possessive stroke.
Paradise choked his cock like a pair of hands. Feelings hit him in the gut. It intensified everything, the way he felt inside her, the need to make her orgasm, and the desire to never let her go. From the moment he spotted her on stage, he wanted her. More than any other woman. And when he caught other men ogling her, dreaming of fucking her too, he wanted to destroy them.
He fisted her long blond mane, the fragrant softness surrounded him. He pumped faster, and she stood on her toes to accommodate his height. Desperation turned into determination. Hearing her scream his name while she came turned him on. With a last tremendous thrust, she let go, taking Ramsey with her.
He hugged her, one hand cupping her breast. After several minutes, she finally broke the silence.
“You fucked me in fuzzy socks again.”
He chuckled. “Becoming a habit I think.”
She relaxed then, and let go of the counter. Ramsey pulled out of her, at a loss for words. She turned, the look on her face unreadable.
“What just happened?” she asked.
“The inevitable,” he replied, rounding the breakfast bar to find something in the kitchen to clean up with.
“Inevitable?” she questioned.
He grabbed a handful of paper towels, turned on the faucet, and wet them. “Did you really think we could stay away from each other, Madison?” He turned off the water, then returned to her side, knelt in front of her, and gently wiped his semen from between her legs.
After he finished with her, he stood and did the same to himself. “I didn’t want to use your dish towels,” he teased. “Where’s the trash can?”
“In the cabinet, underneath the sink,” she directed.
Madison followed him into the kitchen.
“I apologize for what I said.” Ramsey’s temper hadn’t flared in a long time. Not with a woman. “I still don’t understand why you lied to me the other night. But maybe we should agree to forget about it if we’re going to keep doing this.”
“I’m sorry I slapped you.” She looked positively ashamed.
“No.” He lifted her chin. “I deserved it.”
“But we hate each other,” she said. “I don’t understand…”
“Hate?” Again he forced her to look him directly in the eyes. “I don’t believe that at all. Lust and passion can easily be misconstrued as hate, I think. Everything gets jumbled up inside, and when it’s ready to unleash, get the fuck out of the way.”
She nodded, but he knew she felt vulnerable. “I want you to know something, Ramsey.”
“I’m listening.”
“I didn’t tell you I knew who you were because I was embarrassed.”
“Embarrassed of what, baby?”
“Would you have bought me a drink if you knew I was a De Wolfe junkie?”
He tried not to smile. But no woman had ever expressed her feelings in such an adorable way. “I’m addicted to you too, Madison.”
She rolled her eyes. “I’m being perfectly serious, Ramsey. My master degree thesis centered on you. Doesn’t that make you uncomfortable?”
“Hell no.” He embraced her and stroked her hair. “It’s the ultimate compliment.”
“I think we should take the time to consider our next move,” she said. “Sex with you is amazing, but I can’t risk my heart, Ramsey. Not with you. I know what the consequences are if we keep seeing each other.”
Her words hit Ramsey hard. “The curse?”
“Yes.”
“I can’t change the past.”
“I know. That’s what hurts the most,” she said. “Knowing you can never fall in love raises all kinds of warning flags.”
Ramsey stepped back, knowing there was nothing he could say or do to convince her otherwise. As much as he wanted her, she spoke the truth. De Wolfe men couldn’t fall in love and get married like other people did. “Are you asking me to stay away from you?”
A tear slid down her cheek. “Yes.”
He sucked in a breath and zipped his pants. Their bittersweet reunion had done nothing but complicate things. “All right, Madison.” He kissed the top of her head. “I’ll try.”
CHAPTER TEN
Madison arranged to take a few days off from the museum. She just couldn’t face anyone. And being surrounded by De Wolfe artifacts only deepened her pain. Her interlude with Ramsey had hollowed
out a larger section of her heart. He’d tried to contact her several times, but she ignored her cell phone. Her father called yesterday, and she didn’t even answer for him. Now it was Friday night and she wondered how she’d make it through three sets of high octane rock and roll when she couldn’t even force herself to smile.
Grateful to have the dressing room to herself, she stared in the mirror, her makeup and hair perfect. Tonight she chose to wear a low cut, black mini dress with strappy high heels. Shoes Ramsey would deem worthy of his shoulder. That thought made her smile. How could she deny how good he made her feel? Yes, they’d only known each other a short time, but sometimes fate threw people together for a reason. Time didn’t matter.
Her conversation with Claire De Wolfe may not have provided the answers she sought, but it opened her eyes. Liking Ramsey was safe, but falling in love with him would only make her miserable. In some strange way she envied his ability to resist love. It kept him strong. But the emotions swirling around inside her stomach made her weak. Part of her wanted to give up and run home to Lexington. She’d find comfort with her family.
Someone knocked on the door. “Madison,” Anzio called. “Five minutes until your set.”
“Okay,” she said.
She took a deep breath, then left the dressing room, ready to go. The house band announced her and Madison joined them on stage. Applause sounded and she didn’t miss a note on her rendition of Gwen Stefani’s Spark the Fire. She made it through two more songs, avoiding direct eye contact with the audience. Singing usually lifted her spirits, but tonight she’d added a new tune to the playlist. One intended to help purge her heart. The music for Always Somewhere by the Scorpions began, and thoughts of Ramsey invaded her mind. As she’d intended, the lyrics hit hard, words meant for Ramsey’s ears alone.
The smoky beat mesmerized her, and she swayed her hips, the overhead lights flashed red and blue, the occasional burst from the strobe made her dizzy. “I’ll love you again…” She sang with precision vibrato, finding herself meeting a pair of familiar eyes at the closest table to the stage.
Dressed in a black suit and red tie, with his hands steepled under his chin, Ramsey De Wolfe looked devastatingly handsome. Instead of fleeing, Madison slung the words at him, positioning herself at the edge of the stage. “Always somewhere…” The drum solo drowned out her last line, and she threw her head back, letting the beat wash over her.
Seeing him again, threatened to shut her down completely. But she refused to lose it on stage or in front of him. The music ended and she took a bow, her first set over. Without a word to the band, she disappeared behind the black curtain that sheltered the hallway that led to her dressing room from the audience. She raced for the door, her heart beating wildly, her eyes wet with tears.
Damn Ramsey for violating their agreement to stay away while she figured out what to do. “Take back your heart,” she said to her reflection in the mirror. She wiped the smudge of mascara from underneath her left eye with a tissue, then crumpled it up, and threw it in the nearby trash can.
A shot of Jose Cuervo and a few stern words for Ramsey would fix things. She walked with confidence to the main room where Ramsey had been seated, only to find him gone. The waitress Missy was clearing the table.
“Where did Ramsey go?” Madison asked, probably sounding too desperate.
The cute brunette turned and gave her a sympathetic smile. “You didn’t heed my warning, did you?”
Madison tried counting to ten to hold in her emotions in check. “Is it that obvious?”
“Oh yeah,” Missy said. “The only thing more pathetic was Ramsey’s sad face.” She reached inside the pocket of her apron and pulled out an envelope. “For you, from the man himself.”
Madison eyed it suspiciously. “Did he say anything?”
“Goodbye.”
Dear God, the very thing he broke her heart with the first time they parted ways. “Thanks, Missy.” She accepted the letter and headed back to the dressing room so she could read it in private.
She sat on the loveseat underneath the only window in the room, the summer breeze cooled her hot cheeks as she ripped the envelope open. Handwritten on expensive linen paper, she stared at the words Dear Madison for what seemed forever.
Sweetest Madison,
Two nights with you have changed me forever. Though you’ve denied me the right to pursue you, know you’re always on my mind. I told you before I can’t change the past. And because of that, I refuse to condemn you to a lonely future. I’ll spare you the pain of making a decision. Tonight is the last time I’ll see you.
Always,
Ramsey De Wolfe
P.S. For the sake of your research, the curse only affects first-born sons. But people who refuse to accept the truth have misconstrued reality to fit their own needs. My brothers are also victims, people assume they are affected by the curse too, condemning them to lonely lives.
She read it four more times, savoring every sad, lovely word. How could a man as experienced and educated as Ramsey believe he was immune to love? Even if the ancient curse was true, surely something could break it. Claire told her Jonathan De Wolfe sought forgiveness in the church and received absolution for his sins. Now hundreds of years later, an innocent man was condemned to suffer the same fate as Jonathan’s illegitimate son?
No. Madison couldn’t accept that any more than she could welcome the idea of Ramsey sleeping with other women.
And without her in his life, he most certainly would.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Days after his last visit to Christian’s Brewery, Ramsey found himself at the lake again, investigating another murder. A twenty year old blond from Georgia this time, Grace Meadows. The sight of her lying face down in the dirt enraged him. The horizontal marks around her neck signified the width of the item used to strangle her. It matched the wound patterns of the other victims.
He walked the perimeter of the crime scene, and for the first time found something in the bushes the forensic team had missed.
“Clyde,” he called to the rookie only yards away. “Get someone over here and log this piece of electrical cord. The bastard fucked up.” Hope of catching the animal had dwindled, but now it reemerged. This was the first hard evidence anyone had ever found.
Half an hour later, Dr. Glover tentatively confirmed Ramsey’s suspicion, the victim’s ligature marks were consistent with the electrical cord. She’d conduct more tests during the autopsy at the hospital.
After work, Ramsey met his mother at a café near her house.
“You look tired, Ramsey,” she commented as he leaned in to kiss her cheek.
“I am,” he admitted. “We found another body at the lake today.” He rubbed the back of his neck and picked up the plastic menu waiting for him.
“I’m so sorry.” She squeezed his hand. “Another young girl?”
“Only twenty years old,” he said.
“Dear God.”
“The tabloids have picked up the story.”
“Opposition City used to be such a peaceful place.”
“It still is,” he assured her. “We just need to catch the bastard.”
“You’re a skilled detective,” she praised him. “If anyone can do it, you can.”
He scanned the dinner specials, determined to forget the case for a while. The meatloaf, mashed potatoes, and spinach salad appealed to him most.
“Madison cancelled our lunch date yesterday.”
He looked up from the menu. “Oh?”
“Don’t play innocent. Did you discourage her from socializing with me?”
He met his mother’s insistent stare. From early childhood the woman knew whenever he was lying, so why deny it? “At first.”
“Explain what that means.”
“I told her not to take advantage of you.”
“What?” she raised her voice. “After the wonderful visit we had? When did you become such an insensitive prick?”
“Since the day I was
old enough to understand why my father wouldn’t marry you. Now I carry the same burden.”
Claire eyeballed her son. “Ramsey … are you in love with Madison Blake?”
The waitress arrived before he could answer. “What can I get you, Mrs. De Wolfe?”
“A large glass of self-pity with a side of crap.”
Ramsey blew out a frustrated breath. “Give us a couple more minutes to decide what we want.”
“Yes, sir.”
As soon as the server left, Ramsey leaned across the table. “Humiliation tactics won’t work, Mother. I care about her, but it can never go anywhere. She wants more.”
“So the idea of her getting that happy ever after with another man doesn’t upset you?”
He fisted his hands. “Life pisses me off in general—but I keep living it.” As far as he was concerned, the discussion about Madison was over.
After dinner, Ramsey drove to Blues Central for a beer. He sat in a dark corner, listening to the house band play a Leon Bridges tune. What he really wanted to hear was Madison sing that Scorpions song to him again. The way she called him out with her eyes, and commanded the attention of every cell in his body would stay with him forever. That’s the woman he admired. The girl with enough confidence to bring a roomful of men to their knees.
“Ramsey?”
He looked up. Amanda Patrick smiled at him. “Hello, Amanda,” he said.
“Can I buy you a beer?” she asked, looking too eager.
They’d slept together two years ago. “I’m out of commission,” he said. “But thanks for the offer.”
“You?” she laughed. “I bet you’re meeting someone.”
Never Cry De Wolfe--World of de Wolfe Pack Page 6