by Maggie Way
“I think we should have listened to Calypso,” he said, stuffing his wrap back in the paper and then in the basket. “We should go.”
Most people fled to shelter when it rained. Maddie preferred to be out in the elements. She took another bite of her wrap before covering it and putting it back in the basket. She didn’t mind getting wet, but she didn’t want a soggy lunch.
He stood, practically pulling the blanket out from under her. “Come on, Maddie, before we get wet.”
“It’s just rain,” she said as she stood, tugging the blanket back from him and tossing it on the ground over the basket.
He looked at her and smiled. “You planned this. You wanted to get caught in the rain.”
She shook her head. “Planned, no, but getting caught in the rain sounds fun.”
As the sporadic drops turned into a steady downpour, Maddie held out her arms and spun around. The rain was cold but refreshing. She pushed her hands through her hair before shaking it out and looking at Darren.
The look on his face melted her. “What?” she asked, but her body knew what he was thinking.
He closed the distance in two purposeful steps and pulled her against him, his mouth claiming Maddie’s with a passion that had her forgetting about the cold rain.
His hands moved up and down her back until they cupped her ass and pulled her hard against him. Even though their past kisses had been mind-blowing, this one was explosive as the need grew between them. It was only the second date, but Maddie wanted Darren so fiercely she pushed away the voice in her head telling her to get a grip and back away. Instead, she wished for him to strip her down and take her right there in broad daylight.
Thunder rolling in the distance had Darren pulling away. “We should go. The storm’s only going to get worse.”
Was he talking about the rain or what was thundering between them?
“There’s lightning on the other side of the lake. It’s moving this way.”
He grabbed the blanket and the basket and held out his hand. They were drenched, so it didn’t matter how fast they moved, but Maddie guessed the quick pace had to do with the lightning.
When they reached the truck, he opened the door. She climbed in as he tossed the basket in the back seat. Then he was in the driver’s seat, looking at her with the same intensity he’d shown her before that kiss.
Maddie didn’t wait for him to make his move. She straddled his lap, pinning herself between his solid body and the steering wheel.
Darren smiled as though pleased with where she’d landed. “Are you always this aggressive?” he asked, caressing the skin just above the v-neck cut of her shirt.
“If I say yes, it makes me sound like a slut. If I say no, I appear desperate,” she said, winking at him.
“How about you just be honest? I’m not one to judge.”
“I can be assertive, but you seem to bring it out.”
“In other words, you’re crazy about me.” He seemed satisfied with that conclusion.
She moved her center against the erection confined in his jeans. “Seems like you’re crazy about me too.”
“I am, but we’re not doing this here in my truck.”
Maddie agreed because it was broad daylight and she still had seven pounds to lose. Darren couldn’t see her naked until that extra weight was gone. Despite knowing things had to come to a grinding halt, Maddie couldn’t resist teasing him more. “Why not?” she asked.
“First of all, I don’t have a condom. Second, there’s not a lot of room here and I want to be thorough.”
Thorough sounded enticing.
Chapter Twelve
Crystal wasn’t fond of trail rides, so Maddie rode her in the turnout before taking her back to the paddock. Her dad had decided to give all the stalls a good scrub down, so Cleo and Sergeant Matty were frolicking in the paddock too.
When she heard a quiet “Hey,” from the door that opened to the barn, she expected it to be her dad letting her no he was done.
“Noah?” she asked, surprised to see him standing in the doorway.
“Hi, Maddie. Sorry to just drop in. Wow, you look great,” he said, his eyes wide with surprise. She’d gained a good chunk of weight when she was with Noah because it was Matt’s second deployment. When she’d started seeing Noah, she was already up fifteen pounds from her ideal weight. “Not that you ever didn’t look great,” he stumbled.
Maddie stroked Crystal, not wanting to ignore her girl just because she had some unexpected company. “Thanks. I gave up chocolate, joined the gym, and lost thirty-six pounds. I’ve got nine more to go.” Nine more until she could jump back on the boyfriend wagon without feeling like she was selling herself short and falling off the wagon. She may never eat a brownie again, but sex — specifically with a certain Hot Shirtless Guy — needed to be back on the table soon.
“Congratulations,” Noah said, standing just inside the paddock but keeping his distance. He wasn’t comfortable with the horses, although during their two years together he had grown leaps and bounds in that department.
“Thanks. So what brings you by? Is everything okay?” She and Noah had remained friends after their break-up. They used to meet up for lunch or coffee, but Maddie realized it had been months since they’d seen each other.
Noah wasn’t the type of guy to just drop in and right now he wasn’t his chipper self. As the kind of person who always saw the good in people, Maddie had found it easy to be with him. Looking at him now, she worried what had happened to make him seem so sad.
“Skye’s home.”
“How is she?” Maddie chatted with Noah on the phone and online several times since his best friend was injured in combat and hospitalized for close to a year, but she didn’t realize Skye was home.
Noah shook his head. “Not good. She’s in pain and she’s carrying a heavy load of angst on top of it.”
“That’s expected,” she assured him. “Come here, say hi to Crystal.”
He hesitated with each step until he was close enough for Maddie to take his hand and place it on Crystal’s neck. “Just pet her. She won’t hurt you.”
“I know. I remember,” he sighed, stepping up to the horse.
Maddie turned her attention to Crystal. “Do you remember Noah, sweet girl?” As Crystal stepped up to Noah, because Noah wouldn’t step close enough to the horse, Maddie laughed. “Yep, she remembers you. Stand your ground, Noah. She’s moving closer because she remembers you like to keep your distance.”
Noah had his usual look of apprehension as he peered at Maddie “I take it that comment has dual meaning?”
Maddie winked, leaving that a mystery. She hadn’t intended it as a call out to Noah’s emotional state, but it amused her he thought it was. “You brush, I’ll ask the questions. Did Skye talk about her injuries at all, about what happened in Afghanistan?”
“No, and I didn’t ask. I didn’t want to push her.”
Maddie imagined Skye was having a difficult time now that she’d come home. She was a career soldier, just like Matt, and her career had been taken away in the worst possible way. There were also the issues between Skye and Noah she had to deal with. “That’s a good idea. Was her angst directed at you because of what happened last time she was home? Or do you think she’s moved past that?”
Noah shook his head. “She wasn’t happy to see me. I think she’s embarrassed, which is stupid.”
Skye had risked everything, including her friendship with Noah when she told him she was in love with him. Maddie admired her for being so brave. “Don’t undermine her feelings, Noah. She risked your friendship because of how she felt about you and it backfired. She’s a strong, stubborn woman and probably sees that as a failure. Strong, stubborn women don’t deal well with failure.” That wasn’t therapist speak. Maddie knew from experience.
“I’ve tried to make things right.”
“We both know it’s not that easy when it comes to Skye. Didn’t you once tell me she held a grudge like a m
afia boss?”
Noah laughed, his mood lifting even if only a bit. “Yeah, I just hoped she wouldn’t do that with me, given our history.”
Their history was more complicated than Noah would ever acknowledge. “Any signs of PTSD?” Maddie asked.
Noah shook his head. “Nothing obvious, but I only spent ten minutes with her. She’s coming over for dinner tonight, though.”
“Really?” Maddie cooed, teasing him. “How’d you manage that if she’s angry with you?”
Noah smiled. “I didn’t give her an option. When she tried to decline my invitation, I told her I’d pick her up and offered my guest room. I know she hates living at her parent’s house.”
Maddie narrowed her gaze in concern. Skye may not have shown any signs of PTSD in the few minutes Noah spent with her, but that didn’t mean it wasn’t an issue. “Noah, you need to be careful about forcing her to do things. I know this is her home and where she grew up, but she’s been a soldier for ten years. Soldiers who have served less time or those with no combat experience have trouble acclimating to civilian life. I know your intentions are good, but be careful they aren’t self-serving. Pushing Skye can inflame the situation, not make it better.”
“I want to help her, prove to her I’m an ally, a friend.”
Maddie offered a sympathetic smile. “Just a friend?”
“I’m sorry I hurt you,” he said.
Stepping up to him, Maddie shook her head and put her hand on his shoulder. “You didn’t, no more than I hurt myself. I suspected for a long time Skye was the barrier we couldn’t get past. If I’d been willing to accept that sooner, maybe you wouldn’t have been hurt, too.”
For a long time Maddie wished things had worked out with her and Noah, but as much as she loved him, she was never in love with him. She was well on her way to gaining control of her life and was confident she’d find the one man right for her once she achieved her other goals.
Darren’s dimpled smile flashed through her mind, her body going all tingly and gooey. Chemistry was a powerful thing, and important in a relationship. She and Noah never had it, but it was so powerful with Darren, she was putting her goals at risk for another dose of it.
Noah took her hand. “You’re a good person, a good friend. Thank you.”
“Anytime. I hope things work out for both of you.” Maddie meant it with all the sincerity in her heart. Noah was a good man, he deserved to be happy. “Remember, it’s good to be persistent, but don’t be pushy.”
“Thanks. If I can talk her into it, would you be willing to see her, you know, professionally?”
Maddie would love to, but given Skye’s personality, she didn’t think it was a good idea. “I have no doubt she needs a therapist, but given our history, she’s not going to trust me. I’ll email you a few names, therapists I trust who have more experience with PTSD than I do.”
“Sounds good. Thanks again.” Noah stepped back toward the barn.
“Noah,” Maddie said as he reached the door. He turned to her. “Having PTSD is like being trapped inside a tornado. The storm swirls all around you, but even the loudest scream is as effective as a whisper, so most sufferers don’t bother with the scream. Given Skye’s stubborn nature, she’s going to internalize it. She’s dealing with the horror of the explosion, possibly guilt and maybe even shame. She’s going to question everything she’s ever believed in and doubt her ability to survive. None of this will go away overnight. It could be with her for years, maybe even the rest of her life.”
“I know,” Noah said.
“Many sufferers feel like a liability to their partner, which is why so many relationships fail for those with PTSD. If you’re planning to take things further than friendship, you need to be prepared for that.”
Noah nodded, but Maddie wasn’t confident he understood the weight PTSD put on everyone.
She left the horses to walk him out, hugging him and pressing a chaste kiss to his cheek because she was truly glad he had come to see her. As he got into his car, she sent a silent prayer wishing him and Skye well. She hoped Noah got what he wanted from love. Maddie hoped that for herself, too, and smiled as another image of Darren’s smile flashed through her mind.
Darren wasn’t the jealous type because he’d never cared about a woman enough to see green when she was with another man.
Maddie broke that barrier.
They’d only had one date, and had only shared a few kisses — though they were heart, soul-wrenching kisses — but seeing her kiss another man, even if just on the cheek, inspired a possessive side he’d never before felt.
He set Calypso off at a run across the field, bringing her to a halt and dismounting before he reached the barn. Maddie turned as he and the mare approached, a smile lifting her cheeks.
“Who was that?” Darren cringed at the demand, but Maddie laughed.
“Jealous much?”
Darren shook it off. “Sorry. I’m an ass.”
“You’re cute. That was just an old boyfriend.”
Darren laughed at her cheerful declaration. “You’re kidding.”
She shook her head. “Not. You can ask my dad, he’s in the barn.”
Narrowing his eyes, he tried to figure out if she was playing with him or serious. “You seemed happy to see him,” he suggested, trying to stay on the cute side of this conversation instead of being a total ass.
Maddie nodded. “Noah and I are friends.”
“Noah. The guy you had no chemistry with?”
When she nodded and laughed, relief flooded him. “Funny you remember that part of the conversation.”
Darren pulled her against him, she was still smiling when he wove his fingers into her hair. “I’ve never felt like that before,” he admitted.
“Jealous?” she asked, surprised.
He nodded. “You make me feel things, Maddie.”
Her smile widened. “Chemistry,” she whispered, her arms going around his nape and pulling him to her. Her lips were warm, and wet, her tongue pushing inside, dueling with his, demanding more. Darren pulled her against him.
When they came up for air, Darren held her gaze, loving how her pupils had dilated with desire. “We have more than just chemistry,” he corrected.
She just nodded and stepped back. “What brings you here?” she asked fidgeting with her hair and straightening her shirt.
“You,” he responded. “I wanted to ask you on another date.”
“Yes,” she said.
“I’ve got a full schedule all week, but Friday is wide open.”
Maddie nodded, her smile as radiant as the mid-morning sun. “Friday is perfect.” When she licked her lips and focused on his mouth, Darren knew he had to do something to bring the chemistry between them from near-explosive to a simmer. “Are you busy? Can I meet your horses?”
Her gaze flicked back to his eyes and she released a long breath. “You want to meet my horses?” she asked.
Darren nodded.
“Okay, but that means meeting my dad too.”
“Great,” Darren said. Meeting her parents was a step in the right direction.
Maddie gave Calypso an affectionate stroke. “Do you want to meet my babes?” Maddie cooed, taking the reins and stepping toward the barn.
Darren smiled when she brushed her hand over the two horseshoes — one facing up and one facing down, just like his tattoo — next to the door.
“Two horseshoes?” he asked. Most people believed in hanging them one way or the other, with the opening up to catch the luck or the opening down to let it pour over you. Darren was a man who would take luck anywhere he could get it, hence the horseshoes turned up and turned down on his chest.
Maddie laughed. “Just like your tattoo,” she said.
It was a simple statement, filled with amusement not heat, but knowing she had seen and remembered his tattoo sent a bolt of arousal straight through him.
Darren shook it off and thought about broccoli because there was nothing sexy about veget
ables. He didn’t want to meet her dad with a half chubby.
A few steps into the barn, Maddie stopped in front of a barrel of a man Darren recognized from the riding center. He laughed as Maddie hugged him.
“I didn’t put two and two together,” Darren admitted, holding out his hand to Hank Carson after Maddie let her dad go.
“Darren,” Hank said in his booming voice. “Good to see you.”
“You, too, sir.”
Maddie giggled, clearly amused at the knowledge Darren already knew her father.
“Should I tell your mother to set two extra plates for dinner?” Hank asked.
Maddie smiled at Darren and raised a brow, prompting Darren to answer.
“Absolutely, sir. We’d love to join you.”
“Call me Hank,” he said. “I’ll leave you two to the horses. See you in an hour.”
“You found that amusing,” Darren said after Hank left the barn.
“My dad’s a teddy bear. Wait until you meet my mom,” she laughed.
“What do I need to know about your mom?” he asked.
Maddie’s laugh was music to his ears even though he suspected it was at his expense. “She can go from happy to hulk faster than a thoroughbred running the Preakness.” She patted his shoulder. “Don’t worry, us Carson women are very susceptible to the charms of a good looking man. Just smile and mind your manners and you’ll be fine.”
“You think I’m good looking?” he asked, trying to push away his sudden case of nerves.
Maddie’s smile landed on his lips and the tangle of nerves coiled into desire. Darren wasn’t sure how he’d be able to mind his manners when a kiss like that would have him thinking about one thing for the rest of the night.
Chapter Thirteen
It was the longest week of his life, but looking forward to his date with Maddie had gotten Darren to Friday. Disappointment didn’t even begin to sum up his feelings when both of his employees called in sick with a stomach bug.