by Unknown
“Great.”
“So, she told me her side of things, now it’s your turn.”
“What’d she say?”
Was that a wistful tone he heard in Eli’s voice? Couldn’t be. “Nah. You tell me your side first.”
“I don’t think so. What time is dinner?”
“Why not?”
“Why not what?”
“Why not tell me? Unless you’ve got something to hide.”
Eli clenched his fists. “I told you already. She always acts like she’s better than everyone else. Like she can barely stand to be around us.”
“I’ve never gotten that vibe off her.”
“You’ve got to be kidding. She barely opens her mouth.”
He couldn’t be that much of an idiot. “You do know she’s shy.”
#
Shy? Eli really didn’t want to talk to Donovan about Maddy. What the hell did he know, anyway? “She’s not shy. If she told you that, she’s lying. She’s a stuck-up bitch who won’t give a guy the time of day.”
Donovan punched him in the shoulder. Not too hard, but hard enough so it stung. “I ever hear you call her a bitch again and I’ll make you really hurt.”
Eli growled. “You said you wanted my side of the story. That’s it.”
“Bullshit. You think she’s stuck-up, so instead of doing the smart thing and steering clear of her, you pick on her? Why?”
“Pick on her? Who said I picked on her?” He hadn’t, he knew he hadn’t. Sure, he might have teased her a little but that wasn’t the same.
Donovan put his hands on Eli’s shoulders. “Listen to me. She’s the shyest person I’ve ever met. She’s gotten better since she went away, but when we were kids it was almost painful to watch her try to talk to people. If you thought that meant she was stuck up, you’re the one who doesn’t know what he’s talking about.”
“Madison Blake is not shy.” Eli nearly shouted it.
Just at that moment, an elderly woman, Mrs. Perkins, was coming toward the library from the parking lot. She stopped short at Eli’s words. “Elijah Couteau, I don’t know what you’re yelling about. But you’re spouting nonsense. Maddy Blake is the very definition of ‘shy.’” Mrs. Perkins snorted as she walked by him and on into the library.
Did everybody think that except for him?
Donovan still had his hands on Eli’s shoulders. In spite of everything going on, Eli felt the incessant beat of the mating urge that made him want to pull Donovan down to the ground and make love to him in front of the library. He fought the feelings back.
“We’ve got three hours to kill until dinner,” Donovan said. “I want all three of us together the first time, and I think the easiest way to do that will be if you and I stay away from each other this afternoon. Or we’ll find ourselves in the nearest bed.”
Eli swallowed. Exactly what he was thinking. “I’ve got some stuff to do.”
“Me, too. Just don’t do it anywhere near me.” Donovan paused a second, then gripped Eli around the back of the neck and pulled him in for a kiss.
Eli had never kissed a man before. It was totally different from kissing a woman–Donovan’s mouth felt hard, demanding. The roughness of his grip made Eli even harder than he already was.
When Donovan pulled back, they were both panting. “Think about what Mrs. Perkins and I said,” Donovan said. “Think about Maddy and try to picture everything you think she did as coming from shyness instead of snobbishness.” He gave Eli another hard kiss, then stepped back. “I’ll see you back here at six fifteen.”
As he watched Donovan walk away, Eli wanted to race after him and keep him close. He looked down at the ground instead, so he wouldn’t do something stupid, and headed for his car.
The whole time, one question burned in his mind. What if Madison really was shy?
#
As she closed up that night, Madison couldn’t stop her hands from shaking. What had she been thinking? When Donovan had suggested they all have dinner together, it had seemed like the smart thing to do. And with him standing next to her, she’d felt like she could do it. She’d felt strong.
Now, she wished she hadn’t. How could she sit at the same table with Eli Couteau for an hour or more? And unless she was very, very mistaken, Donovan wanted them all to spend the night together.
And oh, her body wanted that, too.
But then there was Eli. She couldn’t even imagine eating dinner with him, much less taking her clothes off in front of him. He’d probably have disparaging remarks about every flaw in her body. He’d probably hate her underwear, too. And her nail polish. And anything else he could think of. How could she sleep with him?
She might not have to worry. A man who hated her so much couldn’t possibly get aroused at the thought of making love to her. Unless the mating urge did it for him.
She’d shut down all the computers and other equipment and turned off all the lights. The only thing left was to lock the door behind her. Her stomach turned over. It was time.
Donovan was waiting outside the door. As she locked it, she felt hyper-aware, felt his eyes on her. Every movement felt super-charged by the very fact of his watching it.
As she pulled the key from the lock, Donovan slid his arms around her from behind. “I missed you.”
“Me too.”
He turned her around and immediately kissed her. This one wasn’t like the almost-chaste kiss in the library earlier. This one burned her all the way to her socks.
Donovan pulled her hard against him, burying his face in her neck. “I’m going to mark you tonight.”
Maddy felt more aroused than she ever had in her life. She could barely catch her breath.
Pressing one last kiss to her shoulder, Donovan pulled back and took her hand. “Eli’s in the car. Where do you want to go for dinner?”
Her stomach clenched. For a moment, she’d forgotten Eli. She wished she could go back to that moment.
Donovan led her toward the car while she thought about his question–and tried not to think about Eli. There weren’t too many restaurants in Lunaville, and since she’d moved back she’d visited every one. Now that her belongings had arrived and she had dishes and pots and pans, she’d be able to cook for herself. But for those first few weeks she’d had to eat out. “How about Annie’s Diner?” That should be a good compromise. It had the best burgers she’d ever tasted, and it was affordable. The last thing she wanted was to rub her money in her mates’ faces.
“I was thinking something more upscale,” Donovan said. “This is a celebration. Le Canard.”
The French place. Should she tell him she didn’t like that restaurant much? Probably not. He’d want to know why, and then she’d have to tell him it paled next to the French cuisine in…well…France. And then she’d look like the snobby bitch Eli thought she was. “Sure, that’d be fine.”
“It’s the nicest place in town.” He squeezed her hand. “I can afford it.”
Maybe she should just be honest with him. At least somewhat. “It’s the only French place in town, and people assume that because it’s French it’s automatically high class. But if we’re talking about the food itself, the quality is much better at some of the other restaurants. If you want something more upscale than Annie’s, then how about Trapper’s Inn?”
He gazed at her steadily. She wished she knew what he was thinking.
“Kind of rustic,” he said.
“But the food is divine.” She felt her cheeks growing hot. “I’m a little bit of a foodie.”
“I can tell.” He rubbed his thumb against her hand. “Trapper’s Inn sounds good to me. I don’t think I’ve been there in a long time.”
She smiled at him. His hand squeezed hers hard.
“When you smile at me like that, it makes me want to skip dinner altogether.”
She put her head down as she laughed.
Donovan stopped. “Look at me.” He waited until she’d raised her head again. “I’m going to spend my life making you happ
y. So you just need to let me know what it is that makes you happy and that’s what we’ll do.”
His steady gaze made her stomach flutter. She had to look away before she could answer. “You’re doing a good job so far.”
Donovan leaned closer to her. “Then there’s room for improvement. I want to do a great job.”
With his face so close to hers, she felt tempted to lean forward and kiss him. He wouldn’t mind that, would he? She didn’t think he would.
She was about to do it when a car door opened right near them.
“You guys coming?” Eli said. “I’m starved.”
Chapter 3
Eli sat in the car waiting for his mates. As they neared him through the cars, in the light from the street lamps, he saw them holding hands and smiling at each other. He didn’t know exactly what he felt when he saw Maddy being so sweet to Donovan, but it didn’t feel good. For years and years, he’d tried to get her to pay attention to him and got nothing. Donovan had hardly tried at all, but she looked at him like he was some kind of god. Why couldn’t she have looked at him like that? It just made him want to lash out and hurt her the way she was hurting him.
At the same time, he’d thought about what Donovan had said. He could see why Donovan thought she was shy–the way she dipped her head and wouldn’t meet his eyes, the shy way she smiled at him. It was no wonder Donovan thought she was shy. But that didn’t make it true.
It didn’t make it false, either. And now he didn’t know what to think.
But when he saw Maddy leaning toward Donovan like she was going to kiss him, Eli had to stop it. No way was he going to sit here and watch them get hot and heavy. He opened the car door and stepped out. “You guys coming? I’m starved.”
They immediately pulled away from each other. Maddy wouldn’t look at Eli, as usual. Before Eli could move into the back seat so she could take the front, the way he’d planned to, she’d already slid into the back and shut the door. Donovan headed for the driver’s side, so Eli sat back down in the front seat.
And now what?
Donovan started the car. “Maddy suggested we go to Trapper’s Inn. She said the food’s better than Le Canard.”
Le Canard had been his idea. He thought he’d impress her with the fancy food and by paying the fancy bill. But apparently his ideas weren’t good enough for her.
“Maddy’s a foodie,” Donovan continued. “Did you know that?”
“No.” A foodie. That just meant she was stuck up about what she ate, too.
“I told her we could go to Trapper’s Inn. That okay with you?”
Eli heard the threat in Donovan’s question. If it wasn’t okay with him, Donovan was going to make it okay. With his fists. “Fine.” He bit the word off and spit it out.
“It’s okay. We can go to Le Canard.” Maddy’s voice sounded soft and thready.
Eli spun in his seat to look at her. Maddy shrank away from him. In that instant, he forgot what he’d been going to say. He’d never seen that look on her face before. She looked terrified.
“You’re scared of me?” he said, his voice high at the end.
Maddy took a deep breath and sat up straighter. Light from street lamps and other cars passed over her face. She clenched her jaw, but didn’t answer.
That was the Maddy he was used to. Cold as ice, tough as steel. But he couldn’t get rid of the image of the fear in her eyes.
He didn’t know what to say, so he just stared at her. Her cheeks turned red and then a darker red as he continued to watch.
What did she have to be scared of? He’d never hurt her. And he never had hurt her. He suddenly had to know. Maybe he’d been mistaken.
“Answer me. Are you scared of me?”
Her jaw tightened and all of a sudden he saw something else he’d never seen in her face before–a fierceness that made her formidable. “That’s none of your business,” she said.
“The hell it’s not,” he said, but his words sounded oddly flat, all his attention on her. Who was this woman? He’d thought he’d known. He’d been sure he knew her inside and out. Now he felt like he’d never seen her before.
The car stopped. “We’re here,” Donovan said.
Eli continued to stare at Maddy.
She opened her door and got out. When she reached the back of the car, he could barely see her so he got out, too. He felt like he was walking in a daze.
Donovan slipped his arm around Maddy’s waist, locking the car with a beep as they walked toward the restaurant. Eli walked behind them.
A few minutes later, they’d been seated in an alcove a little away from other diners. Donovan had told the hostess they were new mates and had slipped her a twenty. Even as they were looking over the menus, Donovan kept touching Maddy–her hair, her arm, her hand.
Eli just wanted an answer.
He waited until the waiter took their order and left them alone with their water and bread. Then Eli put his hand over hers.
Maddy jumped.
“Are you scared of me?”
“What do you think?” Donovan said.
“I’m asking her. Why would you be scared of me?”
That fierce look crossed her face again. “Why? It couldn’t be all the years you made my life hell, could it? Or maybe that I can’t even look at you without getting a sick feeling in my stomach wondering what you’re going to do to me next? No–why on earth would I be scared of you?” Tears filled her eyes. She looked away from him, literally turned so far that he was looking at the back of her head, and curled her arms over her stomach.
What she was saying didn’t make any sense. “What I did to you?” He felt like he was flailing. “I didn’t make your life hell. That’s what you did to me.”
When she turned back to look at him, tears were rolling down her cheeks. It broke something inside him.
“I never picked on you,” she said.
“You ignored me.”
“What?”
“I—” He rubbed his hand over his mouth. May as well lay it all out on the table. “I had the worst crush on you. And I tried to talk to you, over and over, and you wouldn’t speak to me.”
“I didn’t speak to anyone.”
“Sure you did.”
“No.”
“You and Lisa were always talking.”
“Lisa’s my only friend. And only because she didn’t care if I talked much. She was happy to talk enough for both of us.”
Maybe if he’d done that, he would’ve gotten farther with her.
She wiped at her cheeks. “That doesn’t explain all the awful things you said to me.”
“They weren’t awful.”
“Yes. They were. And you didn’t stop. I tried so hard not to let you see how much it hurt because I didn’t want you to know how best to hit me.”
Eli sat back in his seat. “Hit you. It wasn’t like that. I was just trying to get your attention. And–and then I was mad at you, for ignoring me all the time. And no matter what I did, you didn’t respond. Like I wasn’t even good enough to elicit the slightest emotion.”
No one said anything.
Eli couldn’t believe what she was saying. All that time, he hadn’t failed. He’d gotten to her. Except–he’d hurt her. The sight of her tears killed him.
The waiter arrived with their drinks.
Donovan stroked the back of Maddy’s neck. “I don’t think this is over. But it’s enough for now. Let’s talk about something else.”
Maddy and Eli both murmured their assent.
“So. Who wants to start?” Donovan said.
After a second, Maddy said, “You start. Tell us what you do.”
She’d said ‘us.’ Like she and Eli belonged together. Maybe there was a chance they could patch this thing up after all.
#
Donovan launched into a story about how he’d ended up being a park ranger. The pain he’d just heard from both his mates ripped him up. As mad as he’d been at Eli, he could see Eli had hurt just as muc
h as Maddy had. Hell, as a kid, Eli might even have heard an echo of the mating call pulling him toward Maddy which would have made her seeming rejection that much harder to bear.
As Donovan got into the story, he could feel some of the tension bleeding away. Maddy laughed at little jokes he made, and Eli threw out questions, sounding almost envious that Donovan got to spend so much time in the wild.
The story wasn’t much–his fathers’ best friend had been a park ranger and had taken him under his wing when Donovan started showing interest in the field. But Uncle Clive was hilarious, which always made the story better than it would’ve been.
After he finished, they lapsed into a silence that felt comfortable in the beginning and then became strained. Their food hadn’t been served yet and in the absence of anything to distract them, Donovan felt like he needed to fill the void.
“You know my brother Matt?” When they both said they did, he continued. “He’s one of the sheriff’s deputies. He was telling me about a strange case they got recently. A woman was kidnapped. No one asked for ransom or anything, so they feared she was dead until they realized he also took a bunch of her stuff–clothes, cosmetics, and some items that were important to her.”
“Maybe she ran off,” Eli said.
“Yeah, except everything was going right in her life. She just got a new job that her family says she loved, she just got her own place, and she has a bunch of friends in the area who she’s really close to. Why would she run off without a word to anyone?” Donovan had found the whole story chilling from the first time Matt told him about it. “But they can’t find any solid evidence one way or the other. And the trail’s cold. They can’t find her.”
“How awful,” Maddy said. “But they’re still looking, right? I can’t think of anything worse than being kidnapped and thinking no one’s looking for you.”
“Yeah, they’re still looking,” Donovan said. “I guess Caleb didn’t mention it to you, Eli?” Eli’s brother was the sheriff.
“We haven’t seen much of Caleb since his mates came home from the Army a few weeks ago. You can guess what they’ve been doing.”
The exact same thing Donovan wished he were doing right then. Making love to his mates…over and over and over. He put his hand on Maddy’s thigh. It was a poor substitute, but at least he was touching her.