His Taste of Temptation: In the Line of Duty, Book 3

by Cathryn Fox

  “Figured what out, Granddad?”

  “Jonah’s a nice kid,” he said, tsking. Then he wagged a finger toward Brad. “But I knew this boy was the one you always wanted. Couldn’t hide that from me. No siree.” He shook his head, a gleam in his eyes as he jerked his thumb toward Brad. “Took this fool long enough to figure it out, though. He can be dense sometimes, you know. He get’s that from his grandmother’s side. She had an uncle that wasn’t all there either.”

  Brad laughed. “Did you just call me dense?”

  “Brad?” he said, his voice suddenly turning serious as his mind shifted directions, as it quite often did.

  “Yeah, Granddad? What is it?”

  “Have you moved into the house yet, son?”

  “Not yet,” Brad hedged. “I’m still working on repairs.”

  That seemed to satisfy his granddad. He nodded. “Okay, but don’t take too long. Before I go, I like to see it full of grandkids.”

  When his eyes slipped shut, Brad stood there for a moment longer, emotions choking him as he remembered his younger days at the old Victorian house Granddad had built by hand. He and Jonah and his mom and dad had spent a lot of time visiting, and both Brad and Jonah loved their overnight trips, especially when they were allowed to stay up late and watch trash television. The place held many happy memories for the entire Crosby family.

  Brad had hedged the truth with his granddad. Even though he was fixing the place up, he had no intention of moving into it or filling it with kids. He actually planned to put it up for sale, but such news would only upset Chester, and that was the last thing Brad wanted to do. Where was the harm in letting him believe Brad was going to take up residency and fill the rooms with kids?

  Madison touched his arm, bringing his attention back to the present. “You okay?” she whispered.

  “I’m okay.” He nodded toward the door. “I’m going to stay for a little bit. Why don’t you head back and get some sleep. I’ll grab a cab later.”

  Madison took his hand and stepped backward. She sat one of the chairs while she motioned for him to take the other. “I don’t mind staying.”

  He was going to protest, and maybe it was a little selfish of him, but he liked the idea of her there with him. He took a seat and she leaned against him, resting her head on his shoulder. They both sat in silence, lost in their own thoughts, and after a while she asked, “Are you really going to move into the house?”

  “No,” he whispered.

  “No?”

  “I only said that to appease Granddad. I’m actually going to put it up for sale when I finish renovating.”

  There was a real sadness in her voice when she said, “That’s too bad. I always loved visiting there with you and Jonah. It would have been nice to keep it in the family but Jonah told me he didn’t want it, and I guess there’s no reason for you to have a big old house like that.”

  “Why not?” he asked, his voice a little harsh, a little defensive. Even though he knew she was right, it felt like a kick in the teeth to hear her blatantly put it out there like that.

  She gave an easy shrug, and her voice was sleepy when she said, “I mean you move around so much. In less than thirty days you’ll be leaving again, and well…”

  “Well, what?”

  She lifted her head from his shoulder and looked at him. “A house like that kind of screams for a big family, don’t you think?”

  “Yeah, it does,” he agreed, and then suddenly, catching him by surprise, the image of Madison in that house with him, filling it with kids, love and laughter, played out in his mind’s eyes and damn near had him falling off his chair.

  Chapter Seven

  Madison flipped the sign on her bakery door from Closed to Open and stood there enjoying the beautiful, clear morning as warm rays of sunshine spilled over her body. She blinked the scratchiness from her eyes and ran her hand along her sore jaw. For the past few nights she’d been having the time of her life with Brad. After a long workday, they’d cook dinner together and then fall into bed. While she liked falling to sleep with him, she had to admit, waking up with him was just as nice. But the extended use of contacts and going without her bite plate was taking its toll. Not to mention the exhaustion she was fighting. It wasn’t easy to sneak from the bed every morning so she could present Made-Up Madison to him when he woke up.

  Brad stepped up behind her and pressed his chest to her back. Her body shivered in response when he put his mouth close to her ear and whispered, “You look gorgeous.”

  “I have a meeting.” It was a half truth. She wanted to get dressed up for him, wanted to look like the kind of girl he normally dated, even though she wasn’t all that comfortable in clothes that showcased her curves. She turned to face him and her heart pounded as she took in the man before her. Dressed in a pair of old, worn jeans and a work shirt, with a tool belt hanging low on his waist, he had to be the sexiest guy she’d ever met.

  And for the rest of the month he is all mine.

  That thought had a weird lump gathering in the pit of her stomach. Even though she liked Brad, really liked him—heck, who was she kidding, there was a good chance she was already half in love with him before they’d even begun this fling—she couldn’t deny that one month would never be enough for her. But there was no way she could continue with this charade for more than that. Not without scratching her itchy eyeballs out and going on a diet of soft foods only. And of course, she couldn’t forget that he was off relationships and had asked for one month only.

  “I packed you a lunch,” she said, talking quietly to keep her jaw from overworking.

  He angled his head, and the look he gave her was genuinely appreciative, and so damn adorable her knees nearly gave out. “You didn’t have to do that.”

  “If I didn’t you’d end up working straight through lunch.” She poked him in the chest. “I know you, Brad. You get so focused on a task you forget about everything else.”

  He laughed. “You didn’t complain about that last night.”

  As her mind took that moment to reminisce about their bedroom play and the way he lost himself between her legs, she said, “That reminds me, I need to order more aprons.”

  At the mention of her apron, a growl crawled out of his throat. “Shit. You shouldn’t have brought up the apron. Now all I can think of is tying you up in it again.”

  “Maybe later,” she whispered, unable to believe how bold she’d become over the past few days. There was something about Brad that brought out the wicked in her.

  “Oh yeah? How about tonight then?” he asked, a crooked grin on his face.

  “Tonight, tomorrow night, and perhaps even the next,” she teased. “After all, we still have more than three weeks left in this arrangement,” she reminded him. A strange look came over his face, almost like he was waging an internal war. He seemed like he wanted to say something but instead just stood there, so she tapped his chest and said, “Then you’ll be leaving on a convoy, Jonah will be moving back into his room, and my life will return to normal. Well, as normal as it can be while I’m still living in this old place.”

  Brad stiffened and inched back. At first she was confused by his reaction, but when she saw Sophie’s car pulling into the parking lot she understood.

  She gave him a little nudge and pointed to the door. “But right now you need to get to work on your granddad’s place and I have a million cupcakes that need to be baked before tomorrow’s festival.”

  He grabbed the door and the little bell overhead jangled as he pulled it open for Sophie. He mumbled something to her as he left the bakery, and both Madison and Sophie watched him walk to his truck.

  After he drove off, Sophie frowned and turned to Madison.

  “What?” Madison asked when she saw her friend crinkling her nose in worry.

  “I don’t know, Brad seemed kind of…I don’t know put out or something?”

  “Put out? Oh, don’t worry, Sophie, he’s still putting out.”

 
Madison walked toward the counter, rearranging the chairs around the tables before she made her way to the back of the bakery to her baking area.

  “No, I’m serious,” Sophie said. “He looked a bit upset about something. What were you two talking about?”

  Madison shrugged. “Just how we still had a little over three weeks together, and me living in this place.”

  “Maybe he’s changed his mind?”

  Unease moved through Madison. “Changed his mind?”

  Sophie grabbed an apron and tied it around her waist as Madison pulled out all the cupcake trays from overhead storage. “Yeah, maybe he wants more.” Her eyes lit up. “I knew it could happen.”

  Madison shook her head and reached for the flour, knowing better. “It’s just sex.”

  Silence ensued for a long moment as Sophie’s gaze moved over her face, accessing her. “Okay, if you say so. But I’m telling you. Something is going on with him.”

  Not wanting to talk about her sex life any longer, she nodded toward the fridge. “We better get a move on it. The bread needs to go in the oven before the breakfast crowd gets here.”

  Letting the subject drop, Sophie made her way to the fridge. As she retrieved the dough, Madison turned her attention to the daunting task before her. The morning passed rather quickly as Sophie served patrons and she baked, and once the lunch crowd died down, her friend clocked out for the day, needing to hit the books. In between serving the few people that strolled in after lunch, Madison continued to bake hundreds and hundreds of cupcakes. When the last of the patrons left, Madison turned the sign from Open to Closed and now stood back to examine her day’s work.

  Cupcakes lined her counters, but she wouldn’t be able to put the icing on them until tomorrow morning, when they were thoroughly cooled. The band members wouldn’t be stopping by to pick them up until noon so if she got up early, it would give her plenty of time to add the final touches. Then she and Brad could enjoy a few of the holiday festivities.

  Brad…

  As if thinking of him had suddenly conjured him up, she turned to find him behind her, looking like sex incarnate as he leaned against the wall. Her heart jumped as she swept her gaze down the length of him. Rough and rugged in his work wear, his jeans and shirt full of saw dust and debris, Brad was the epitome of sex, and her pussy responded accordingly.

  “Hey,” he said, stepping up to her.

  Working to keep a modicum of composure, she smoothed her hair down with chipped nails full of batter, hating that he caught her in the kitchen looking like a hot mess.

  “You’re back a bit early.”

  “I brought dinner.”

  She smiled. “You did?”

  As though not bothered by her disheveled state, he touched her shoulder, running his hands down her arm. “While it’s been fun cooking together, I thought we could put our time to better use.”

  “Good idea,” she said, feeling suddenly breathless as his thick muscles bunched. “We might as well take advantage of every minute while we still can.” She glanced at the calendar on her wall and did the mental math on how many minutes they actually had.

  Brad scrubbed his chin, a strange look on his face when she turned back to him, which had her thinking about what Sophie had said. Her skin prickled, but before she could ask if everything was okay, he gestured with a nod toward the microwave. “We’ll have to reheat, because I need to get cleaned up first.”

  She looked at her soiled apron. “Me too.”

  Brad’s hand went to her face. He brushed his thumb over her cheek, and a shiver skipped down her spine when he put it in his mouth. “Mmmm, chocolate.”

  Her eyes widened, mortified that she had food on her face. She lifted her arm, but he stopped her. “Leave it. I’ll clean it off in the shower.” His grin turned wicked. “With my tongue.”

  He captured her hands in his and gave a little tug. She fell against him and he dropped a kiss onto her lips. His mouth moved urgently over hers, the heated kiss was so full of passion and need, her sex fluttered. The eagerness in his touch excited her and set her into motion.

  “Come on,” she said, desperate to feel him on top of her, inside her. She hurried toward the stairs and he kept pace behind her. Once they reached the landing, they stepped into the bathroom, and Brad headed straight for the shower. As he adjusted the spray, she shut the door, and when she turned back to face him, his body bumped hers.

  His eyes darkened with want, and his fingers tangled through her hair as he backed her up against the closed door. A slow burn worked its way through her body, and her nipples grew taut.

  “So about this chocolate,” he said.

  “What about it?” she asked as the bright bulbs over the vanity mirror bathed her body in artificial light, making her feel a bit self-conscious as Brad stared down at her.

  “If I’m going to clean you with my tongue, I want to make sure I get every last spot.” He ran his hands along her neck until he reached her cleavage. His fingers felt like fire on her skin as he lightly caressed her flesh. “Do you think you spilled any here?”

  “It’s quite possible,” she said, feeling a little breathless from this sexy game he was playing, not to mention the hot steam filling the small room.

  “Mmmm,” he murmured, his hands trailing over her stomach. Her body convulsed, and an erotic whimper bubbled up from her throat. “What about here?” he asked, longing filling his voice as his warm breath fanned her face.

  “There’s…ah…there’s a good chance.” She reached around her back, untied the strings to her apron, and held it up. “This old thing doesn’t catch everything.”

  His body trembled at the sight of her apron. Shaky hands dipped lower, until he reached the juncture between her legs. As he rubbed her sex through her pants, he asked, “What about here, sweetheart? Do you think you might need my tongue here?”

  Her breath came fast. “I’m almost certain.”

  He cocked his head. “You’re not one-hundred percent sure?”

  “I’m pretty sure.”

  “Maybe I should check anyway.”

  “It’s always better to be safe than sorry.”

  Steam swirled around them, and as it obscured their vision, she relaxed a bit. Even though Brad was completely comfortable in his skin, and had no trouble parading around naked, she preferred sex with the lights out. Up until now, she’d managed to make that happen through distraction. At least the hot steam prevented him from seeing her naked body this time around. She seriously doubted she could get away with turning the lights off and jumping into the shower with him without him becoming curious and questioning her. The last thing she wanted him to know was that she had body image issues. Talk about turning fantasy into reality.

  His mouth grazed hers and he whispered. “I can barely see you.” He drove a knee between her legs to widen them, then adjusted his stance. “I guess I’ll just have to feel my way around.”

  She worked to find her voice. “You have a solution for everything don’t you?”

  He laughed. “Yeah, baby. When I want something bad enough, nothing stands in my way of getting it.”

  She inhaled his skin, loving the scent of him as she tugged his T-shirt out from his worn jeans. He gripped it and pulled it over his shoulders, and even though she couldn’t quite see him, a shiver tingled all the way to her toes as he stripped before her.

  “Now you,” he said.

  Her hands went to the buttons on her blouse, and once she released them he pushed the fabric off her shoulders, his fingers lightly massaging her skin. He pulled the cups of her bra down and bent his head for a taste before unhooking the clasp in the back.

  As her bra fell to the heap on the floor, she reached for his jeans, but his hands were already there, tearing them open like he couldn’t get naked fast enough. She listened to the rustle of his clothes before they hit the floor with a thud.

  “Your turn,” he murmured. “And just so you know, you have three seconds to get naked or I’m go
ing to rip the rest of your clothes off you.”

  “You wouldn’t?” she asked, shocked by how much that idea excited her.

  He stepped closer, and his voice dropped an octave when he said, “Try me.”

  Her entire body trembled. God, she loved this intense, take-charge side of him.

  “One.”

  “Okay, okay.” She laughed and hurried out of her pants and panties. Once she was completely naked, he grabbed her waist and pulled her against him. His hard cock slapped against her stomach. No matter how many times she’d seen him aroused, it still shocked the hell out of her that she was the one arousing him.

  He stepped over the edge of the tub, then helped her into the shower. As the hot spray spilled down her back he dipped his head for a kiss. He kissed her long and hard until they were both left shaking. After he pulled back, she gasped for air and his burning mouth went to her neck. He spent a long time running his tongue over the long column of her throat, and the moans coming from him told her how much he loved the taste of her skin.

  His erection slapped against her stomach, and her mind filled with delicious ideas as her hands left his shoulders. She trailed them lower, running her palms over his chest until she reached his cock. His body stiffened when she took it into her hands.

  As she enjoyed the feel of his hardness, she thought about the glorious nights they’d spent in bed, and how she’d yet to pleasure him orally. Brad had always taken the time to prepare her body, licking every inch of her, taking extra care not to miss a spot. But before she had the chance to return the favor, she always found him rolling on a condom, like he was too far gone to let her go down on him. Here in the shower, where no condoms could be found, she was going to do what she’d been aching to do for so long now. Her mouth watered just thinking about it.

  “Oh, Jesus,” he moaned when she squeezed her hand around his girth. His breath came hot on her neck and she turned sideways to aim the stream at his chest. Water spilled over his hard muscles, dripping down his erect cock. With one hand still on his erection, she grabbed the soap and lathered his chest. Once he was good and sudsy, she set the bar back down and put both slippery hands around his cock. His hips jerked, his cock easily sliding in and out of her slick palms. She stroked him gently, enjoying the feel of him in her hands as his body trembled. With need erupting inside her, she gripped the shower nozzle and directed it toward his cock. His muscles bunched as water splashed against him and she could hear his impatient curses, sense the urgency building in him. Once the water washed the last remnants of soap away, she grabbed him by the waist and turned him until the stream was on his back.