by Cathryn Fox
Wait! He could smell smoke.
He jumped from the tub. “Fuck.”
“Brad,” Madison called out, rushing down the hall. She tied the waistband on her sweats. “I smell smoke.”
“Me too.” He pushed past her and rushed down the stairs to the basement, Madison tight on his heels. He reached her furnace room and cursed under his breath when he saw her water tank smoking. His glance went to her circuit board, and he raked his hands through his hair, kicking his ass for forgetting. But goddammit, he wasn’t in his right mind when he was around Madison.
“Shit.”
“What happened?” Madison asked.
“I drained the tank but forgot to switch the breaker. I burnt out the heating element.” He walked to the circuit board and flicked off the breaker. “I’ll have to run out and get a new one. Water might be coming a little later than I had hoped.” He drove his hands into his pockets and shook his head. Jesus, he’d told her not to call a plumber because he could fix it for her, and what a fine mess he was making of that. “I’m sorry, Madison.”
She touched his shoulder. “Hey, don’t be sorry. I just appreciate what you’re doing for me.”
With the heat of her hand seeping into his wet flesh, he could feel his body reacting, hardening. Need careened through him and his glance dropped to her mouth. For the briefest of moments he thought about kissing her again, but doubted he could get away with blaming it on his concussion a second time. She was too smart for that, and if she knew how much he wanted her it would make things awkward between the three of them when Jonah returned.
“I have some paperwork to take care of anyway, so going without water for a little longer won’t hurt me.”
He took note of the tank’s model number. “I’ll be back as fast as I can.”
Brad climbed into his truck and spent the next few hours driving around town. Her tank was old and getting the right part proved harder than he expected. When he finally arrived back at her place, night was upon them and his stomach was growling, not to mention the throbbing at the base of his neck. Shit, maybe he really should have taken it easy.
He parked in the small parking lot and fished out the key Jonah had given him from his pocket. But when he found Madison standing at the bakery door, waving him over, he secured the new heating element under his arm and walked toward her.
Her eyes narrowed as they moved over his face in concern. “Everything okay?”
“Yeah, it just took longer than I thought.”
“Come on.”
She led him inside the dimly lit bakery that always smelled like sweet icing sugar, like Madison herself. Then another scent caught him. Pizza.
“Have a seat and eat with me.” Madison pointed to one of the many tables scattered throughout the small space.
He held up the heating element. “Let me get this done first.”
His stomach took that moment to grumble, and Madison took the part from him. “You’ve done enough for today. Time to eat.”
Hunger pangs gnawed at him. “Yeah, that does sound like a good idea.” He grabbed a chair and Madison divvyed up the pizza before handing him a cola.
“It might be a little bit cold. I was waiting for you.”
He felt a strange hitch in his chest. “You waited for me?”
She nodded, then looked at the dim lights. “I have to keep them low, otherwise customers might think I’m open.”
He grinned. “The Closed sign hanging on the door doesn’t do the trick.”
She laughed. “Apparently not. Customers still come up to the door and peek into the window. But I guess I’m grateful that customers like my goods enough they they’ll stop by at all hours.”
Her customers weren’t the only ones, he thought, as his glance moved over her goods. Oh yeah, he liked them enough that he’d stop by at all hours too.
She continued to talk about her business, and how she’d like to hire more staff to keep later hours. He listened to her ideas and scarfed down his first piece in record time, following each bite with a swig of his cola.
“Have some more.” Madison nudged the box toward him.
He helped himself to more and as he chewed he noticed sauce on Madison’s face. He grabbed a napkin, and without giving it another thought, swiped at it, but when his fingers connected with her soft flesh, something that looked an awful lot like heat moved across her face.
“You…uh…you have sauce on your face,” he explained and jerked his hand back. As the air charged and his blood ran south, he quickly changed the subject. “I guess it’s going to be hard for you with Jonah away for a month.”
He watched her throat work as she swallowed and realized it felt a little odd sitting in the dark bakery with her like this, a little intimate. “I kind of got used to the company, and because I don’t have an alarm system, I sleep better when he’s here.”
“He takes good care of you?”
“Yeah, Jonah might be a lot of things,” she said, a knowing grin on her face, “but he’s good to me.”
“That’s good.” Brad stuffed his face before he said something he might regret, like how she should ditch his punk-ass brother and give him a chance. But he’d never do that to Jonah, no matter how much he wanted Madison for himself.
Madison finished eating and said, “Wait here, I’ll be right back.”
Brad pushed back in his chair and looked around her bakery as she disappeared into the kitchen area. He was impressed that she’d built the business from the ground up and was garnering quite the loyal following in town and in the wedding circuits. Too bad she had to start out in such a crappy building, and if he ever came face to face with her landlord, he was going to give him a good shit kicking.
Madison stepped up behind him, ice clinking in a bag.
“What are you doing?” he asked.
He was about to turn but her hand on his shoulder stopped him. “Shh, just let me check your head, okay?”
Her body crowded his as she carefully placed the ice on his lump. How long had it been since someone had taken care of him? Not since before his mother had passed. That Madison was the one caring for him now caused a tightening in his gut.
“It’s still very swollen,” she said quietly.
Oh, she seriously had no idea.
“Did you ice it earlier when I told you to?”
He shifted, ready to grab the bag and place it on a different body part.
“Yeah,” he mumbled. “Sort of.”
She huffed. “You really need to take better care of yourself.”
He made a move to get up, this nurturing side of her making him feel all peculiar inside, making him remember his own upbringing and the way his mother showered her boys with love before cancer took her shortly after his father’s heart attack. Their love was so strong that Brad couldn’t help but think her death came on the heels of his father’s quickly because it was nature’s way of putting husband and wife back together again.
His heart tightened with memories of his folks and his happy childhood. Brad had always wanted a family of his own, and just when he thought it was within reach, his ex had betrayed him, and ever since his world had been tilted off balance.
He cleared his throat, unease moving through him. “Let me get at the tank, okay?”
With the bag still on his head, she shifted, and perched on the table beside him. She yawned, and said quietly, “Let’s leave it for tonight.”
“No. I’m not leaving you here without water.”
“I’ll be fine.”
He gave her a crooked grin. “Now look who’s being stubborn.”
“You’ve done enough.” Warm brown eyes full of genuine concern moved over his face. “Besides you’re fighting a cold and I think you have a concussion.”
He exhaled slowly, exhaustion moving through his body now that he stopped working. “Okay, how about this. I’ll call it a night if you agree to stay at my place.”
Her body tightened and she opened her mouth to
say something when he cut her off. “I’m not leaving you without water. So either I fix this tonight, or you stay at my place.”
“I don’t think—”
“Besides, I have a concussion,” he said, wincing with a little too much enthusiasm as he took the bag of ice from her. “And I don’t think I’m supposed to be alone.”
She chuckled quietly and shook her head. “You always did know how to get what you wanted didn’t you?”
Not always…
He arched a brow. “So…?”
“Fine.” She pushed off the table.
He grabbed her arm and softened his voice when he added, “It’s what Jonah would have wanted me to do.”
Her eyed dimmed as she looked at some distant spot past his shoulder, letting him know how much she adored his brother. His gut clenched wishing she’d look at him like that.
“Okay, I’ll sleep on the sofa,” she said quietly.
He nodded, even though he had no intention of letting her crash on his couch, but now was not the time to be arguing about such things.
“Just let me grab my stuff.”
As soon as she left he pulled his cell from his pocket and made a call. He spoke quietly as Madison made her way upstairs, and just as he was about to hang up, he heard Madison behind him.
“Brad, do you want—” Her voice fell off when she saw the phone in his hand. “Oh, I’m sorry. If I’m keeping you from someone…”
He shut down his phone, shoved it in his pocket, and shook his head. “That was Granddad. I normally visit him on Wednesdays and bring one of the therapy dogs by but I don’t want to go around the nursing home with a cold.”
The alarm fell from her face and a smile touched her mouth as she looked at him. “Oh, I thought.” She shook her head. “Never mind.”
“What were you asking me?”
She held out a blister pack. “Cold medication. It’s supposed shorten the duration of a cold, but it also knocks you right out.” She yawned, then laughed. “I took one upstairs and bed is already calling me.”
He took her duffle bag from her and put the cold medication in his pocket. “Well, then let me get you to bed.” He suddenly wondered if he was some kind of masochist. Christ, he should have just fixed her tank, because he had no idea how he was going to make it through the night with her in his bed and his hands tied.
Hands tied…
Ah, fuck.
Chapter Three
A mosaic of stars lit up the night as they made their way back to Brad’s place. He stole a glance at Madison in the passenger seat and could see her lids slipping shut, only to spring back open again like she was trying to stay awake. The combination of medication and wear on her body from the cold were obviously getting the better of her.
“Hey,” he said quietly, the streetlight falling over them. “Just close your eyes and sleep. I’ll wake you when we get there.”
She nodded and whispered, “I’m okay.”
“You’re not okay. Whatever you took is knocking you out.”
“Yeah.” Her voice was drowsy and soft. “I know.” She bit her lip and looked out the window as he took the corner, his apartment building not too far off now. Her voice was low, barely audible when she said, “Are you sure I’m not putting you out?”
“Close your eyes, Madison.”
She exhaled slowly and leaned her head back on the seat. A short while later, when he pulled up in front of his building and killed the ignition, she rolled her head on the seat and blinked heavy lids at him.
“Let’s go.” He pulled the keys. “You can have the bed.”
Stubbornness moved over her face. “I’m not going to sleep in your bed.”
“Don’t worry, I’m not going to be in it,” he said, and then in an attempt to keep things light, when all he wanted to do was strip her naked and have his way with her, he added, “Besides, I’m pretty sure that’s not what Jonah meant when he asked me to take care of you for him.” He stiffened at the mention of Jonah, and she opened her mouth to say something when he cut her off. “And it’s not like you haven’t slept in my bed before.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Years ago, when you used to stay at the house. Mom always gave you my bed.”
“How did you know that?”
He breathed deep, catching hints of her sweet aroma. “Because no matter how many times the sheets were washed, I could still smell you on them.”
“You could…smell me?”
“Yeah, your scent was all over my room.”
She crinkled her nose. “My…my scent. What scent?”
“Cherry.” He worked to swallow the moan crawling out of his throat. “You always smelled like cherry. Still do.”
She wet her lips and his eyes dropped to her mouth, his cock aching so hard all he could think about doing was pulling her under him and taking her right there in the cab of the truck. “It’s my—”
“I know what it is.” He shifted closer, need urging him to answer the demands of his body.
A car horn hocked, the shrill sound knocking some sense back into him. He pulled back and exhaled slowly. “Let’s go.”
They climbed from the truck and he grabbed her bag. Keeping her close as they walked across the dark parking lot, he led her inside the building and up the stairs to his apartment. Once inside, she looked around hesitantly, like she didn’t know what to do next. It made him want to draw her close, to reassure her that everything was okay as he stripped off her clothes to show her just how right things could be between them.
She doesn’t belong to you, dude.
He handed over her duffle bag and she gave him a look that conveyed her uncertainty.
“The bedroom is that way.” He pointed down the hall, dismissing her. “G’night.”
“Oh,” she said, and something that looked like surprise and disappointment flashed in her eyes. “Okay.” She pulled her bag closer to her chest and took a step toward the hall. He watched her and wanted to kick himself for being an ass. By rights he should make her something warm to drink, run her a hot bath, or at least see if she needed a glass of water on her nightstand. But Jesus, he needed her away from him before he threw caution to the wind, forgot she was his brother’s girl, and drew her in for a real kiss, one he wouldn’t apologize for this time.
His cock tightened as his lips twitched. “G,night,” he said again under his breath, a headache brewing.
“Okay. G’night.” She stopped and turned back to him. “Brad?”
“Yeah?”
“Thank you.”
His heart squeezed inside his chest. Christ, she was so fucking sweet. Here he was giving her the brush off, acting cold and indifferent because he needed her as far away from him as possible, and despite all that she was thanking him. Fuck, where was Garrett when he needed him? His best friend would have no problem giving Brad an ass kicking to help him get his head on straight. He grabbed his cell, needing to get out for a beer, but then quickly powered it down. He’d have to get used to the idea that Garrett was no longer a bachelor, ready to hit the bar at a moment’s notice. Now that he was with Tallulah, and they had a baby on the way, he had other commitments and the last thing he needed tonight was to hear Brad whining to him about Madison.
Once she disappeared inside his room, Brad darted to the bathroom, needing a cold shower and something to occupy his mind, because if he for one minute thought about her sprawled across his bed, he might not be able to stop himself from going in there.
After showering, he reached into his pants pockets to empty them before tossing them into the laundry. He found Madison’s cold medication. Hell, maybe he should take one or two. At least if he was flat out on his back, dead to the world on the couch, he wouldn’t have to fight the temptation to ravish her.
He grabbed a pair of clean boxer briefs from the laundry basket in his living room, and after pulling them on, pushed a couple pills through the blister pack. Needing something to wash them down with, he gra
bbed a beer from the fridge. Yeah, mixing the two probably wasn’t his best move, but goddammit he wanted the combination to knock the shit right out of him.
He grabbed a blanket and pillow from the small linen closet and threw himself down on the couch. He flicked on the TV, hoping the sound would drown out the world around him. Soon enough cars on the road below became a distant buzz as his body shut down for the night.
His mind drifted, and a long time later he woke to the glow of the television. He swallowed the dryness in his throat and reached for the remote. Still half-asleep, he flicked the television off and made his way to the kitchen for a drink of water. He stood before the air conditioner letting it cool his body before he put his mouth under the tap. He took a long swallow, then made his way to his bed, his body craving a few more hours sleep.
He climbed into his side but there was something niggling at his brain, something he was supposed to remember. Except at the moment he was too damn tired to care, the medication and concussion pulling him under like a tsunami wave. Whatever it was, he’d figure it out in the morning.
He drifted off to sleep, but he slept restlessly, his mind dreaming of Madison. Dreaming of kissing her, stripping away those sweats she wore to expose her lush body, and making her cry out his name as he made her come for him. Jesus, the things he’d do to make her come…if only she were his.
With his body hot and needy he rolled to his side to find the object of his dreams beside him, her long hair sprawled across the pillow. He growled low in his throat, his cock throbbing for him to take her. A riot of emotions overcame him and he cursed, knowing he had to still be dreaming, because there was no way Madison would be in his bed with him.
“Fuck,” he murmured under his breath.
He closed his eyes, his cock throbbing, begging for release, but when he opened them again she was still there. He shifted closer and even in his semi-sleep state he could smell cherry, and something else, something that smelled like him. Christ, he really had to be sleeping because no way would his scent be all over her, not when he hadn’t put it there. He filled his lungs with her aroma and his body came alive, prickling with want as she saturated his sheet with her perfumed skin.