A Far Cry from Home

by Peri Elizabeth Scott

  “Maddox?”

  “Tell me to stop, Regan. You won’t make me leave, but I can wait. Until after we talk.”

  “Wait?” She didn’t seem capable of doing anything other than parroting, her lips deliciously bruised, her body longing for more.

  “I screwed up, baby.” He gently brushed a tangle of hair away from her face.

  She waited, studying his features, the drift of his lashes veiling his thoughts.

  He blinked and stared into her eyes. “I can’t let you run. I won’t.”

  Oscar jumped up and butted his head against Maddox’s shoulder, his growling purr heightening the suspense. They both ignored him.

  “I couldn’t stay. Not when…”

  “Baby, I’m sorry. But, Jesus, Regan. I aged a decade until you told Margo you were in Buffalo.”

  “But Buffalo’s a big place.”

  He chuckled, looking smug. “Only so many places that are pet-friendly.” His smirk fell away. “And I figured you didn’t have a lot of money. I was insanely worried that car of yours wouldn’t hold out.”

  “You had it serviced,” she reminded him.

  “I was still worried. Regan. You took my heart with you.”

  Wait. What? She followed her instincts, somehow setting aside the sense of betrayal and muddled thinking, raising a finger to touch his cheek and gently stroke it, cuddling closer.

  Maddox took it as consent—she felt his possessiveness soar as he again took her mouth, even more insistently, muffling his groan. Her curvy form somehow contoured to his larger, harder one, fitted puzzle pieces, and their hands were everywhere.

  She explored the long muscles of his back, slipping beneath his shirt to the heated, solid flesh, reveling in the sensation. He abandoned her lips, nuzzling down the column of her throat to press a kiss in the hollow at the base, his tongue touching her pounding pulse.

  One big hand worked between them to cup a breast, her nipple straining beneath the fabric, and he rolled them to their sides, the better to access both aching mounds, no complaints from her. Oscar hit the floor with a thump and a furious howl, but she couldn’t spare him a hint of her attention, intent on the man who had starred in her fantasies since the day she laid eyes on him.

  With a mutter that verged on a growl, Maddow seized her worn-in sleep shirt and ripped it to shreds, sending a primeval thrill down her spine as the cooler air was displaced by his questing mouth.

  He sucked on a beaded nipple, eliciting a flare of heat that skittered over her belly to pool between her thighs. She hitched one leg over his hip to press nearer against the heated bulge at his groin, daring to pop the button at his waist and insert her hand inside.

  Her fingertips brushed the wide head of his cock, damp and silky skin meeting her touch. Maddox moaned and pushed into her fingers, and moved to her other breast. She found it hard to concentrate, wanting to release him from his jeans and yet pull his head closer. Too many clothes.

  Squirming, she tried to free him. He levered up on one elbow, the cooling tips of her sensitive breasts making her shiver, and impatiently shouldered out of his shirt. Buttons plinked and rattled and she smiled.

  His eyes black with need, he shoved at his jeans, cursing when they met his shoes. “You turn me inside out, woman.”

  “Me?” She trailed a couple of fingers down his bicep and skipped over to trace his corded abs. His skin rippled as he sucked in a breath. She hadn’t ever seen herself as a sex kitten but it seemed she had the knack.

  “We’re going to have that talk. In a while.”

  “In a while,” she agreed. There might come a time when she’d regret this, but she would deal later rather than deny herself another moment.

  On a laugh that faded to a gasp as he tugged her sleep shorts down, tossing them aside, she stared at the thrust of his cock, a carved marble pillar nudging at his belly. Heat rekindled at her core in preparation, one of her favorite fantasies coming true.

  “You’re lovely,” he murmured, coasting a big hand down the length of her, pausing to gently stroke her stomach before cupping her between her legs.

  His bold touch sent shivers and she whimpered her need, forgetting all her typical issues with her body. Maddox’s heated regard told her exactly how he saw her.

  “This isn’t how I hoped for this to happen,” he said. “Not in a mediocre motel room in Buffalo. We aren’t even near the great falls.”

  Losing focus because of the long finger stroking between her folds and flirting at her entrance, Regan discounted his concern. She widened her thighs and reached out, needing him immediately.

  He resisted, though pressed her hand around his straining cock. “Slow down, baby.”

  “We can take it slow the next time.” She welcomed the sensation of him filling her, curving his finger to seek out and stimulate, but she wanted something wider and longer. Now.

  His chest lifted with his laughter, broad shoulders shaking, and he leaned in to drop a kiss on her nose. “I can’t tell you how glad I am to hear there will be a next time.”

  She worked him with her fingers, circling the head before sliding back to the base, using his own moisture to help her movements. He hissed with pleasure and then pulled away, leaning to the floor. Fabric rustled and a belt buckle clanked.

  Swiftly opening the foil packet, he sheathed himself and transferred his weight over her. Lifting her knees to give him more room, she bit her lip as he set his cock at her gate and pushed inward.

  Maddox was big all over and it had been a long time for her, her paltry sexual adventures counted on one hand—without the thumb—but she was wet and needy. He fit himself all the way inside, tiny beads of sweat standing out on his forehead as his gaze encompassed her.

  “Okay?” He spoke as if through a mouthful of gravel.

  “Love me, Maddox.”

  Unleashed, he snapped his hips and thrust, powering through strokes that alternately filled and left her dangerously bereft until he made her his again. She held onto his shoulders and lifted into his movements, her body singing and rising to a peak she desperately wanted to climb—and fall over.

  His heat and power enthralled her and she somehow kept her stare on his, falling into him, her vision narrowing as her climax approached.

  He did something with his pelvis, a twist that ground him deeper, and she came, a strangled scream rasping up her throat. A wave of pleasure took all her strength and her limbs became boneless.

  Maddox shuddered above her, and then held hard on his corded forearms, his forehead lowering to hers while he thrust erratically a few times before dropping his weight on her. He was heavy—too heavy for her to get a solid breath, but she lay acquiescent, welcoming his stamp of possession.

  Rolling to the side, he withdrew and she ached for him, hearing him deal with the condom before he gathered her close. Their breathing and heartbeats settled and synchronized. Her nose was buried in the hollow of his throat where his familiar scent lingered and she surreptitiously inhaled.

  “Are you sniffing me?”

  “Mmmm.”

  He nuzzled her temple. “You usually smell like lavender.”

  He’d noticed? “I forgot my stuff in the shower at The Inn.”

  “It’ll be there when you get back. Sleep, baby. We’ll talk in the morning.”

  Back? She didn’t need to go back. Her few operating brain cells struggled to consider his words before letting everything go. She snuggled closer as he drew up the sheet. Oscar grumbled and clambered on board, finding an empty spot at the foot of the bed.

  “We’ve scandalized my cat,” she murmured.

  “He’ll get used to it.”

  She drifted into sleep on that comforting thought.

  Chapter Nine

  She woke again, confused. Not her bed or even her room and a hard furnace of a man was spooned against her back. Her memory rushed in and she wanted to extricate herself and hide in the bathroom while she thought it through. Was he for real? Had she done the right thi
ng or made a terrible mistake?

  Maddox had tracked her down and come for her. The little things he’d said… He cared for her, about her, and his reference to a full apology… Regan decided to wait for that vaunted chat.

  First things first, she slipped away from Maddox’s hold—possessive even in his sleep. She cast covetous glances back at his slumbering form, the sheet now loosely draped at his waist, his torso sculpted even in repose.

  After quickly using the facilities and then freshening up, she tiptoed back and eased into bed, studying his resting face. Strong nose, sensuous lips, and a sweep of unfairly long lashes over high cheekbones complemented his firm jaw. His dark hair was tousled and she carefully smoothed it. Her own was still a mass of tangles, despite her efforts with a brush. All she could do was gather it into a clip.

  His eyes fluttered open and she sucked in air. No muzziness for Maddox. He came awake with instant awareness, gaze fixing on her, tenderness and lust mingling in those dark depths.

  “Morning.”

  “Morning, baby.” He set a hand at the nape of her neck and drew her in for a kiss. The night before was definitely not a figment of her imagination. Regan gave over to his wordless expression.

  His morning wood pulsed between them, against her belly, a damp kiss, and she had a sudden need to taste him. Tearing her lips from his, she squirmed down his body, his fingers still caught in her hair.

  “Regan. You don’t have to—”

  Whatever he felt she didn’t have to do was lost in a stifled groan when she closed her mouth around the head of his cock. Her experience might be lacking, but surely her interest more than made up for it. She tasted him at her leisure, a salty, spicy brine as she sucked and licked as much of his shaft as she could fit in her mouth.

  His hands kneaded her scalp, their urgency increasing as she took him deeper into her throat. Another groan overtook him when she hummed her delight around his thickness, noting how he pulsed in response.

  “Enough. Baby, enough.” He leaned toward her, a thumb inserted in the corner of her mouth to break the suction, and she pulled back.

  “But I want to—”

  With an apparently effortless move, he hauled her up and on top of him, his dark eyes raging with need. “I need to be inside you, Regan.” His forehead creased.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “Condom.”

  “You only brought one?” Was there an indignant chicken in the room? She flushed upon hearing her own voice.

  “Baby.” Maddox chuckled, despite his obvious state of lust. “I’m lucky to have had that one.”

  Resting her head on her joined hands, she watched him. “Really.”

  “I have an entire box at The Inn. Where you should be. I had these hopes…”

  Her breasts were flattened against his chest, and she reveled in the closeness while she considered his comment. “You had … designs on me?”

  He huffed a laugh. “Designs? Try extreme interest. Bordering on obsession I did my best to hide. I overstepped, kissing you that first freaking day. And The Inn was between us and I couldn’t figure out how to make that work without hurting you. I was waiting for the right time, but you didn’t fall in with my plans. No surprise.” He tweaked her nose.

  “It might have been helpful if you’d let me in on them earlier.” Her earlier anger flared and rose up between them.

  Soothing her with a stroke of his hands, he said, “I’m sure I’ll be making amends forever. But the place meant so much to you I had to give you the chance. You’re so determined, and talented, outside of the scope of any other woman I’ve known. All I could do was support you and hope you’d come to a conclusion where we could make it work. This work. Without me trying to influence you, unduly. I had too much respect for you to do that, hence the secret backup plan.”

  He looked so apologetic, his tone so rueful, his confession so amazing that she softened. “Do we need a condom?”

  His lids lowered and his nostrils flared. “I’m safe and I know you are.”

  So she hadn’t had time for a relationship, let alone sex, for a long time—how did he know that? Likely the same way he knew most everything else. No secrets in a small town. She mustered a frown, then gave up on teasing him. “I’m on the Pill.” No need to bother him with the reasoning behind it, those darn female issues. He obviously knew she wasn’t in need of it to guard against conception.

  His cock stirred beneath her, and she maneuvered over it. His hands came up to clutch her hips, kneading her flesh.

  “Take your time, baby. I’ve waited for this forever, it seems. Knowing you were right next door in The Inn. You might as well have been on another planet. I suffered.”

  She longed to hear everything of that nature, to learn his feelings for her and determine when they’d made themselves known, but the feel of him, uncovered, was more pressing. He pushed inside her tight channel as she lowered herself on his rigid cock. She felt herself stretch to accept his sensuous invasion and closed her eyes the better to savor it.

  He shuddered at her efforts, a quiet moan escaping his lips, his head lifted and tilted so he could see where they were joined. When she’d accepted all of him, she lingered, tightening experimentally around him.

  Maddox groaned. “Baby, I’m already far gone.”

  Setting her hands on his pectorals, she braced herself for the ride, taking in his tense features. He reached to cup her breasts, rolling the tips between his fingers.

  Shifting her weight, she took long, measured moves to work him deeper, then shallower, owning the experience. Maddox flexed beneath her, his skin heating as she drove him higher. Tension coiled within her core and she grew wetter. His eyes darkened and his thumb found the straining nub at her apex.

  Circling the bundle of nerves, he squeezed her nipple in concert and her orgasm shuddered over her. She clenched and bore down. Maddox shouted, his hips snapping upward as he released into her.

  Regan collapsed in a welter of limbs and Maddox gathered her close, smoothing her hair off her brow. He muttered against her, nothing intelligible but easily interpreted as soothing and loving.

  When she stirred, he eased her over to the bed. Oscar put his paws on the edge of the mattress and yowled right in her face. It didn’t do much for her post-coital glow.

  “I’ll feed you in a minute,” she promised.

  Maddox ran a hand down her back. “Let’s go out for breakfast. Someplace where we can get a decent cup of coffee and talk some more.”

  Talking would definitely be a good idea. She nodded, and then clawed to a sitting position, her legs dangling over the side. What she really wanted was a nap.

  “Where’s my morning person girl?” Maddox teased, his breath whispering against her shoulder.

  “I have more energy when I haven’t expended it all, first thing,” she said. Though she wouldn’t object to such a thing every morning. And if they’d been together at The Inn, it was unlikely she’d have gotten anything done—but would she have come to accept the impossible task of refurbishing it in the end if they’d fallen together in the beginning?

  He laughed quietly. “I doubt there’s enough room in that shower for both of us, but we can give it a try.”

  “You go ahead. I’ll take care of the animal.”

  He climbed out of bed, dropping a kiss on her hair as he headed for the bathroom. He looked as good going away, his back broad and muscular above a really nice backside, and she goggled until he disappeared.

  After slipping into Maddox’s shirt, fixing Oscar his meal didn’t take long, and she hustled around to tidy up before setting out clothes for the day. She wished she had something pretty and sexy to wear to breakfast, but Maddox had seen her in near rags and didn’t seem to care.

  “There weren’t many towels, but the ones you used last night should be dry enough.” The man of her dreams lounged in the doorway, clad only in a drape of terry towel around his hips. Moisture glistened on his shoulders and in his hair, and heavie
r, sexy stubble coated his jaw. Her mouth dried in response and she licked her lips.

  “Don’t, woman. As much as I’d like to stay in this average room, in bed with you for the next conceivable while, we have to get past our libidos for a short time.”

  What was she doing? She stared at him, confused, yet thinking some extra time in the motel room wasn’t the worst thing, especially when she was just getting used to the idea of him and her. Because she knew there was a him and her, and her heart rested easier.

  “You can’t look at me like that, wearing only my shirt. It makes me crazy.”

  She smoothed the material over her front, becoming aware she hadn’t buttoned it evenly. The fabric gaped over her breasts and flirted with her upper thighs.

  “Pancakes. With a side order of bacon. Maybe French toast.”

  The skin around his eyes wrinkled. “Excuse me?”

  “I was going to have an apple and a muffin for breakfast. I’d rather have pancakes and bacon.”

  He chuckled. “Then grab a shower. I’ll take stuff out to your car and bring my case in.”

  “How did you get here?”

  “I flew and then rented a car. I’ll turn it in and we’ll take yours back.”

  “Um…”

  Crossing to her in a couple of strides, he set his hands on her shoulders. “Let’s figure it out over breakfast.”

  “Okay.” She slipped from his hold before she molested him, and hurried to the bathroom. Tugging his shirt over her head at the door, she tossed it to him, loving the way his face tightened with lust.

  True to his word, Maddox had the room emptied, including her little cache of groceries, and presumably stored in her SUV by the time she emerged. The temptation reflected in his eyes as she got dressed, making the experience as teasing as possible, lifted her spirits impossibly high.

  Oscar was pleased to be back in the vehicle and suffered his seat belt with aplomb when she finally left the room, followed closely by Maddox. They agreed to meet at a chain restaurant in case they lost track of one another, but in her heart, she knew he would be right behind her all the way.