In her panic, she didn’t realize Gage had parked in front of the hospital and was on his way in until he opened the door and said, “Everything all right here?” With one look at what she imagined was her deer-caught-in-the-headlights expression, his eyes narrowed on Dane. “Madison, get in the truck.”
There were times when Gage’s overprotective, alpha-male attitude drove her nuts, but this wasn’t one of them. He held the door open, and she ducked under his arm, leaving a protesting Dane behind.
A few minutes later, Gage—on his cell—strode to the Suburban. Whoever he spoke to was getting an earful. “Yeah, well maybe you should tell her that.” He handed her the phone as he shut his door. “It’s Hartwell,” he said as though the name left a bad taste in his mouth. “Senior.”
“Joe?”
“Madison, I’m so sorry. I had no idea what was going on until Sheriff McBride called me.”
Funny, and not in an LOL kind of way. She’d been trying to get in touch with him for days, yet he answered Gage’s call right away. With his eyes on the road, Gage pulled out of the lot. Madison stroked the backs of her fingers over the muscle that ticked in his jaw. He gave her a sidelong glance. Thank you, she mouthed.
He turned his head, brushing his lips over her fingers while his eyes remained focused on the road. If she hadn’t already fallen for the man, the way he’d looked out for her just now would’ve guaranteed she did. She lowered her hand, placing it on his thigh.
“Madison?”
“Sorry, Joe. When you say you didn’t know what was going on, are you referring to the reopening of the deal with Christmas or Harrison firing me?”
After several beats of silence, Joe answered, “I had some idea the deal would be reopened once I stepped down, but I had no idea Harrison planned to fire you.” His voice was tight with anger. “I’ll take care of it right away. As far as anyone will know, you tendered your resignation today.” She noticed he didn’t say he’d insist she be rehired, not that she’d accept, but it would’ve been nice if he’d made the offer.
“That’ll be difficult to pull off, Joe, seeing as how word has already been leaked to the press here.”
He cleared his throat. “I’ll find out how that happened. But from what Sheriff McBride said, that’s no longer an issue.”
Gage laid his hand over hers, nudging it lower. Oops. Aggravated with Joe, she must’ve been rubbing Gage’s leg, her hand creeping higher.
“Safer that way.” He winked, then returned his attention to the slowing traffic up ahead.
She tried to ignore the heated flutter in her stomach to focus on what Joe just said. “What was that? We must have a bad connection.”
Gage snorted a laugh, then choked on it when she slid her hand higher, lightly squeezing his upper thigh. Her smile faded as she realized she’d missed Joe’s response, again. What was wrong with her? Here she was having what very well could be the most important conversation of her life, and she was too busy flirting with Gage to pay attention. Nothing had ever been more important to her than her job at Hartwell.
“… I’m sure it wasn’t intentional. I’ve been distracted and not keeping up with things as I should have. When I didn’t hear from you, I assumed Harrison had updated you, and you were on board with the plans.”
She didn’t bother asking what he’d said prior to her tuning back in; she’d heard enough. Harrison hadn’t forwarded her messages. “No, he didn’t. And I… Joe, I know you’re going through a tough time right now, but we’ve worked together for five years. I think you at least owed me the courtesy of telling me you were stepping down. I shouldn’t have had to hear it from a reporter.”
“What do you mean you heard it from a reporter? I was going to call you yesterday, once we got Martha settled at home. But Harrison said he was afraid you’d hear about it secondhand and told you himself.” Joe sounded upset and confused.
Harrison was worse than she’d thought. None of this was Joe’s fault. “It’s all right. I feel better knowing you’d planned to tell me yourself. And I’m happy to hear Martha will be home for Christmas.”
“I don’t know if she’ll make it to Christmas. But she wanted to be home when…” He blew his nose.
“Oh, Joe, I’m so sorry. I wish there was something I could do.” She leaned against the headrest. Gage entwined his fingers with hers.
“I’m sorry how things worked out, Madison. I’m going to miss you. I couldn’t have asked for a better employee. If you’d like, I can give Ben over at Triwest a call. He’s always threatening to steal you away from me.”
“Thanks, I’d appreciate that. I’m going to miss you, too.” She was close to tears and took a moment, swallowing hard before she said, “Take care, Joe.”
“You too. And, Madison?”
“Yes.”
“I’ve been following your exploits in the Chronicle.” She groaned, and Joe chuckled. “You look different, more relaxed, happier. Maybe in the end this is for the best, Madison. The last few years you’ve buried yourself in your work. Not that I’m complaining, but life’s too short not to live it.”
He didn’t need to tell her that, not after today. Nell and Gage were proof to her of how quickly life could change. If Nell had been alone, if the bullet had veered just a little to the left… “You’re right, Joe, maybe it is for the best.”
“In light of how this all played out, you may not believe me. But if I had a daughter, I’d have wanted her to be just like you.” His breath hitched and so did her heart. “Do an old man a favor—enjoy your life for a change.”
Her throat was tight, and it took a moment before she could speak. “I will. And Joe, give Martha my love. Please let me know…”
In the background someone called his name. “That’s Martha’s nurse. I have to go. Keep in touch, Madison.”
“I will. Bye, Joe.”
Gage gave her hand a comforting squeeze. “Tough call, huh?”
“Real tough. But I’m glad I finally got a chance to speak with him. Thanks again for making that happen.” She leaned over and pressed her lips to the corner of his mouth.
He drew her close and kissed the top of her head. “Do you want to talk about it?”
“Maybe later.” At the moment, she couldn’t talk about Joe without crying. But she felt better knowing she was as important to him as he was to her. She was more determined to stop Harrison than ever. Joe needed to be protected.
She frowned when they turned onto Gage’s street. “I thought you were taking me to Nell’s.”
He raised a brow. “I will if you want me to.”
“No. It’d be nice to spend some time with Annie and Lily.”
“How about spending time with me? The girls are having dinner with Liz. Dad’s going to pick them up later.”
A ray of sunshine broke through the clouds, and Madison swore she heard a choir of angels singing Hallelujah. She joined the chorus.
Chapter Twenty
Gage’s plan to get Madison out of her clothes and into his bed as soon as they entered his house had faded with the loud rumble of her stomach and her reluctant admission that the last things she’d eaten were two candy canes the night before.
He leaned against the island, watching as she devoured the grilled cheese sandwich he’d made for her, along with half of his. Every second bite, she’d close her eyes and make this soft humming sound that drove him crazy.
She dabbed her mouth with a napkin. Finally, she was finished. Then her gaze shifted to the chocolate cake sitting on the center of the island. The one Holly had dropped off yesterday. The one he should have hidden.
“You want a piece, huh?”
She rewarded him with that wide smile he couldn’t resist. “Yes, please.”
Taking a knife from the drawer, he drew the cake toward him. He made the first cut, then moved the blade over a couple of inches. “A little more,” she said.
He widened the slice. “Okay?”
“Maybe just a teensy bit more.” She
spread her thumb and forefinger a good six inches.
Gage sighed, put the knife down and pushed the cake, platter and all, in front of her. “Have at it.”
“I’ve had a real crappy day, you know,” she said, as if to explain her need for a chocolate transfusion. She slid a piece in her mouth. Closing her eyes, she did the humming thing again.
“You’re killing me.” He groaned, rounding the island to stand behind her.
But she was right. She’d had a crappy day. The last thing she needed was for him to rush her into bed. She deserved a little pampering. And at least he’d get to touch her while he doled out some tender, loving care.
Smiling, she tipped her head back. “Just a couple more bites, promise.”
He leaned over to kiss her chocolate-coated lips. “Take your time. We’ve got all day.”
“Umm, I like the sound of that.”
“Me too.” He removed the pins from her hair, combing his fingers through the thick, soft waves and gently began to knead her scalp.
She moaned her appreciation.
He smiled, reminded of the time at the station when she’d done the same. He lowered his hands to her shoulders, massaging the rigid band with his fingers.
“Oh, God, that feels so good.” She put down the fork and bowed her head. “Don’t stop.”
“You have too many clothes on.”
“You’re right, I do.” She started to undo her jacket.
“I have a better idea. Come on.” He took her by the hand, leading her through the living room, then down the hall to the bedrooms. Flipping on the light, he entered the first room with its over-the-top feminine décor of white leather, hot-pink satin bedding, and mirrored furniture.
“Ah, you have a real… pretty bedroom.” She grimaced.
Gage laughed. “It’s not my room. It’s…” Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea after all. He cleared his throat. “Sheena’s. I thought some time in the hot tub would do you good. The dresser’s packed with clothes she never wears, including bathing suits. You can take whatever you want,” he rambled on as he pulled open the top drawer.
Frozen in the doorway, she stared at him. “Your wife… This is your wife’s room?”
He heard the accusation in her voice and knew he had some explaining to do. Given her past, Madison would never want to be seen as the other woman in a man’s life, let alone be that woman. “It’s not what it looks like.”
Eyes narrowed, she crossed her arms. “Really? Maybe you’d better explain what it is.”
“Look.” He went to her, framing her face with his hands. “Sheena stays here when she visits the girls. She doesn’t get to spend a lot of time with them, and this makes it easier.” On them, but not always on him. “I didn’t want to disrupt their routine when they were little. This works for everyone.”
When Annie and Lily were younger, he liked to be around. It wasn’t that he didn’t trust Sheena with the girls, she just wasn’t the motherly type. He’d always worried if he wasn’t there to keep an eye on things, something would happen. And the easier he made it, the less likely Sheena’d want them to visit her in Nashville.
“I bet it does,” Madison muttered.
He knew her well enough to realize that unless Madison believed him, this was a deal breaker. “Trust me, there’s nothing between Sheena and me.” It was the truth, but not the complete truth.
There’d been that one night last February when neither he nor his ex were involved with anyone, and they’d shared a couple of bottles of wine, reminiscing about happier times. He wasn’t sure which it was, reliving the old memories, the warm buzz from the wine, or if he was just lonely at the time. But whatever the reason, he’d made a mistake, a big one.
“That’s not true. You have two children together and that creates a strong and lasting bond.”
“Yeah, we do. But we’ve been divorced for a long time, and I don’t love her. If I did, you wouldn’t be here right now.” That was the truth, and in his mind, all that really mattered. “I think you know me well enough by now to know I’m not a man who would cheat on his wife or someone I love.”
Her blue eyes cold and assessing, Madison remained silent, which surprised and pissed him off at the same time. Shoving his hands in his pockets, he took a step back. He didn’t deserve her censure. “You know what? I’ve had a crappy day, too. I’ll be in the hot tub if you want to join me.”
He strode from the room, then stopped to look back at her. “If you don’t trust me, let’s not take this any further. I want more from you than sex, no matter how fucking fantastic I know it would be. There’s a set of spare keys on the hook in the kitchen for the Range Rover. It’s in the garage. I’ll send someone by to pick it up later.”
Her eyes widened. Yeah, he thought, as he stalked to his bedroom, he was a guy, a horny, pissed-off guy who wanted to get laid. He shouldn’t give a damn if the woman who got him hard just looking at her, just thinking about her, didn’t trust him.
But he did.
* * *
Madison had stood in stupefied silence for a couple of minutes after Gage had delivered his trust-me-or-leave ultimatum. Once she’d recovered, well, she’d started to laugh. She put her inappropriate reaction down to a delayed form of shock. Because really, who got fired, had a woman they care about almost die in front of them, and a man they were falling for get shot at, all in one fricking day. Maybe God was trying to get her attention and thought she needed a triple whammy to get it. He’d got it all right.
And the window that opened when the door closed… felt like it was on the twenty-third floor with no safety net below. She wasn’t stupid. She’d heard the message often enough from Skye, and more recently Joe. Now she had to decide if she had the guts to take the leap.
Gage made her want to. His admission he wanted more from her than just sex was most likely the cause of her earlier giddiness, because she felt the same. It wasn’t fair to put her issues on him or to let them come between them. She’d overreacted because of her past. It was hers to wear, not his. He hadn’t done anything wrong. She did trust him, completely.
Tightening the belt on the white, terry-cloth robe she’d found hanging in the en suite bathroom, unsure if she’d have the nerve to take it off, Madison stepped out of the bedroom. The itsy-bitsy starred-and-striped bikini, with diamond-encrusted—she hoped to God they were fake—American flags holding the material together between her breasts and at either side of her hips, was not something Madison would’ve chosen for herself. She’d realized two things when she stuffed herself in the bikini. One, Gage’s ex-wife was a size two, and how unfair was that? And two, the only thing she had in common with the woman was their taste in men.
Madison opened the French doors off the living room to step onto the deck. As much as the frigid, pine-scented air stole her breath, so did the view. The majestic mountains towering above the pristine snow-covered valley and spruce forest filled her with a sense of reverence. Up until that moment, she’d thought there was nothing more beautiful than the city vistas from her twenty-third-floor apartment window.
At the opposite end of the deck, a cloud of steam floated over the cedar rails. She wrapped her arms around her waist and headed in that direction. Rounding the corner, she stopped short. The winter wonderland had nothing on the man sitting in the hot tub, his dark hair slicked back from his chiseled profile. Through wisps of steam, his bare shoulders glistened, the muscles in his arm flexing as he tipped a bottle of beer to his mouth. As if someone had shocked her heart with a defibrillator, a heated jolt jagged through her.
Sweet baby Jesus.
She must’ve made a sound, maybe a needy moan, because he slowly turned his head. Embarrassed at being caught stunned stupid, she speed-walked the last eight feet. Before she could think about it, she shed the robe.
He spewed a mouthful of beer.
“Not a word.” She grimaced at the color of the leg she lifted over the side of the tub. Whereas Gage looked like he’d been sitting
on a beach for a week, she was so white she practically glowed.
“Can’t talk,” he choked out, setting his beer in the molded holder to help her in.
She groaned with pleasure as she slid beneath the hot, bubbling water.
Gage shook his head as though to clear it, then tugged her between his legs, pressing her back to his broad chest. She relaxed against him, absorbing the feel of being enveloped in all that glorious muscle and heat.
“I think my heart stopped,” he said.
She reached back, threading her fingers in his hair to bring his face to hers. “No joking about hearts. Kiss me.”
“I think I can manage that.” Looking into her eyes, he fused his lips to hers.
She rested her head against his shoulder, reveling in the feel of his attentive mouth, in the thought they could stay cocooned in the warm water while the cold winds danced over the snow for however long they wanted without interruption.
Forever worked for her.
He kissed his way down the side of her neck to reach the sensitive place at her shoulder. He lingered there, tasting and nipping. She moaned, moving against him as her pent-up desire swirled higher inside her.
His arm around her waist tightened as his hand stroking her stomach stilled. “Careful,” he said, his voice a muffled rumble as he kissed his way back up her neck to her ear. “We’re going to take this slow and easy.”
“What if I told you I want it fast and hard?”
A gust of surprised laughter warmed her ear. “Don’t worry, I plan to give you exactly what you want. But right now, we’re doing it my way.”
She didn’t want to admit it, but his take-charge attitude turned her on. She shifted in his lap, trying to bring her legs over his.
He brought both hands to her waist, widening his legs to tuck her more securely between them. “Now,” he said, “why don’t you sit back and relax, and I’ll take care of that tension for you? But I think we should get rid of this first.”
Before she had a chance to react, he’d unclipped the flag, sliding the narrow straps from her shoulders. The starred-and-striped bikini top floated along with the bubbles to the other side of the tub. “Oh,” she gasped, crossing her arm over her chest.
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