Ridden (Scandalous Moves Book 3)

by Deborah Grace Staley

  “I don’t deserve you.”

  She leaned back so he could see her beautiful smile. “Too bad. You’re stuck with me for the foreseeable future. No matter what, we do it together.” She held out her hand. “Deal?”

  He brought her hand to his lips and pressed a kiss into her palm. “What are your terms, General?”

  Maddie smiled and shifted until she had her legs around him and his hard cock pressed against her core. “I’m keeping my grandmother’s house, but I’m going to renovate.”

  He settled his hands on her hips, wishing they were both naked. “We’re wearing entirely too many clothes.”

  “Focus.”

  “Impossible with you rubbing against me like that.”

  “I’ll need a place to stay. I was thinking here works.”

  Well damn. She’d blown right past his defenses and rather than knock at the door, she’d bulldozed it. She moved again and added, “You want me in your bed don’t you.”

  “I want to make love to you in my bed, but sleeping with you in it . . . might not be safe—for you.”

  “I trust you.”

  “I don’t know if I can risk it,” he said honestly.

  “Do you trust me?”

  “That’s not the issue. I can’t trust myself.”

  She nodded. “That’s okay. I’ll believe enough for both of us, until you can believe in yourself again.”

  13

  The weeks passed quickly. Maddie hired a contractor who made fast work of the renovations. She updated everything, from electric and plumbing, to the décor. As Alayna had suggested, she took out the wall between the kitchen and living room to open up the views, and yet the cottage retained the cozy feel she remembered from her childhood. A.J. had let her sit on his lap while he showed her how to operate the bulldozer they’d used to demolish the boathouse. They replaced it with a dock that was partially covered, and A.J. had built a two-person lounge chair with comfy cushions. They spent most evenings there with a fire in the metal pit they’d added. In the summer, Maddie could imagine them taking swims and drying off in the sun.

  She’d set up a home office in a back room that faced the water. Working remotely had gone seamlessly thanks to her team in New York. A.J. had gone back to counseling and had learned techniques to combat his PTSD. The therapist had used new techniques using tapping to remap his brain so he could change his reactions when the flashbacks came. He’d even started to go days at a time without nightmares. But he still worried about hurting Maddie at night, so he slept all over the house. His favorite place was in the hammock he’d put up in the new sunroom.

  She stood looking at him in the gray light just before dawn. He was naked except for a blanket he’d pulled up to his waist, but one long, muscled leg was on top of it. He shifted and turned his head, opened his eyes, and found her, like he’d sensed she was standing there. He held out a hand, and she moved over and got in with him. Despite the chill in the house, he felt warm, and she snuggled into him as he pulled the blanket up around her. She moved her leg over his and tucked her cold foot against his calf. When she rested her head against his chest and heard his heart beating strong and sure, she relaxed. This was home. Wherever A.J. was would be her home.

  “You’re freezing.”

  “You left me. Again,” she complained. He worked at rubbing warmth back into her limbs, ignoring her observation. He wasn’t much for talking in the morning. She trailed a hand from his chest to his hip. “You’re naked.”

  He was pressing kisses to the top of her head. “You’re not.”

  When she’d gone to find him, she’d put on the flannel shirt he’d discarded the night before. But she hadn’t buttoned it. “Not really.” She opened the shirt and pulled it down off her shoulders, then found his neck. Dear Lord, she loved how he smelled in the morning—like lingering cologne, warm skin, and their lovemaking from the night before.

  A.J. made a low rumbling sound when he felt her breasts on his chest. “I’ve never done it in a hammock,” she said.

  “It’ll be tricky, not falling out.”

  “I’ll hang on tight then,” she said and climbed on top of him.

  He entered her in one long stroke, filling her completely. She bit her lip to hold back her cry of pleasure, but then he pinched her nipple, and she had to moan. She braced a hand on his abdomen and set a rhythm. The hammock rocked in time to the movement while A.J. held her steady. Lifting her, he surged up again and again. She loved how his biceps bulged and his pecs tightened as he moved her.

  “You are an incredibly hot man, A.J. Johnson.”

  An all-male smile of satisfaction tugged one corner of his mouth up. “The view’s pretty good from here, too.” He adjusted the angle and went deeper. Maddie closed her eyes and focused on the intense pleasure she felt.

  “I love the little sounds you make just before you come apart,” he said.

  Her entire body tightened and hung there, suspended, and then sensation exploded through her body. She could hear A.J.’s moans of pleasure as he watched her come undone. Or was that her making those sounds? Just as her orgasm crested, A.J. pressed against her clit with his thumb and flicked it with his blunt nail, and she came again. He somehow managed to reverse their positions without throwing them out of the hammock. His strokes were stronger now, deeper, and she came again, this time with him. The hammock rocked them back to earth, and a sleepy peace stole over them.

  A.J.’s kiss was long and soft and perfect. “How can it keep getting better?” he asked.

  “Because you’re an amazing lover who is completely in tune with my body.” She sighed. “How did I get so lucky?”

  He pressed his lips to her damp cheek. “I’m the lucky one.”

  He turned her so they could spoon and rocked her until she fell asleep. When she woke, she was alone. Again. She checked the time on the clock in the corner of the room. She had videoconferences this morning, and A.J. was seeing a client to do a security assessment most of the day. This afternoon, he had an appointment at the V.A. She needed a shower, but couldn’t make her legs work.

  “A.J.?”

  He appeared after only a few seconds, wearing dark jeans and an open dress shirt. “Hey.”

  “Hey,” she smiled, pushing the hair off her face so she could get a better look at him. “You left me again.”

  “I made coffee,” he said by way of apology.

  “And you showered without me.”

  He came closer and kissed the tip of her nose. “You looked so peaceful, I couldn’t bear to wake you.” She sat up, making the hammock swing. She also let the blanket fall to her waist. He took his time appreciating her naked body. “Keep that up, and we won’t get anywhere this morning.”

  “Carry me to the shower?” she said, her voice husky with desire.

  He picked her up, and she whispered something naughty in his ear. “Yeah. We’re definitely going to be late.”

  Before Maddie left for the V.A., she had one stop to make. She pulled into the driveway of the house she’d shared with Billy Ray a lifetime ago. She killed the engine and got out. The place looked run-down. The leaves hadn’t been raked, and the house needed a coat of paint. More than one shutter swung precariously in the breeze.

  She walked up to the front door and knocked. A young woman with dyed black hair, a colorful tattoo sleeve, and a cigarette between her lips answered the door. Maddie smiled. “Is Billy Ray in?”

  The woman looked her up and down. “Who’s askin’?”

  Billy Ray shouldered the woman out of the way and said, “Ain’t you got something to do, like the laundry?”

  She gave him an angry look, but slinked away after giving Maddie one more dirty look. Billy Ray stepped outside into the light, and Maddie noticed his nose had a bump on it from the blow she’d given him. “To what do I owe this unexpected pleasure?” he asked.

  “Sorry to drop by unannounced, but I didn’t know how to call,” she pointed out.

  He shoved his hands in
his pockets. “Guess the place looks like a dump compared to your fancy digs in New York.”

  It did, but she said, “I always liked this place.” And she had. She’d admired it growing up and had begged him to buy it when it came on the market.

  “I’m guessing this isn’t a social call.”

  Maddie crossed her arms and rubbed them. The late October wind kicked up and blew the leaves in the front yard around them. “I wanted to let you know I’ve renovated my grandmother’s place, and I’m planning to split my time between here and New York.”

  “I heard.” He looked away and added, “You and A.J. are all the talk at the diner.”

  She didn’t feel the need to comment, so she just got on with what she’d come to say. “I thought you should also know I’m hoping the children will agree to come here for Christmas.”

  “Oh yeah?” He refocused his attention on her. “They ever ask about their old man?”

  “They used to.” They’d asked about him most at holidays and birthdays. Had asked why they didn’t visit him on the weekends like their other friends who had divorced parents. After they’d gotten old enough, she’d explained more. They’d stopped asking after that. “Of course, I’ll tell them you’re here. If they want to see you, that’s up to them. They’re adults now.”

  “I guess they’d be in college now.”

  Maddie nodded. “Dixon is at Stanford, and Taylor went to Duke.”

  “Like her mother.” He hesitated, uncomfortable, but added, “How are they?”

  “They’re well,” she said, ignoring that he’d gotten her alma mater wrong. “Would you like to see a picture?”

  He nodded, so she took her phone out and pulled up a picture of the two of them at Dixon’s high school graduation. Their daughter smiled at the camera, her eyes bright with happiness while Dixon had a more serious expression. He’d always been protective of his big sister. He looked a lot like his father had at that age. Billy Ray couldn’t hide the emotion on his face at seeing their children for the first time since they’d left Hidden Harbor.

  He sniffed and turned away with a mumbled, “Sorry.” After he’d gathered himself, he got angry. “I guess you told ’em what a sonofabitch their daddy is.”

  Maddie put her phone away. “No. You did that by not being there for them—by not once trying to be a part of their lives.”

  “Like you would have allowed it.”

  “You had a legal right to see them, and an obligation to support them. You chose to do neither.”

  “You didn’t need my money. Your family had money even if you didn’t at the time.” He paused and added, “You sure made up for that, though, didn’t you?”

  Looking up, she reminded herself of why she’d come. She would not be drawn into an argument. “Like I said, the children might be here for Christmas. If they want to see you, I’ll tell them how to contact you. But Billy Ray, if you want to get to know them, I hope you’ll take advantage of the opportunity. Clean yourself up so you can spend some quality time with them.”

  “Right. I don’t have the proper dress to be presentable for them.”

  “No. I wasn’t talking about that.” She let her words settle around them before she continued. “I hope we can learn to be civil with each other . . . for the sake of our children. As you said, this is a small town. We’re bound to run into each other from time to time.”

  That seemed to catch him off guard, but he appeared to ponder the notion. “There’s something I want to say to you, Maddie.”

  Good Lord. Here it comes, she thought. “Okay,” she said cautiously.

  “I didn’t always treat you the way you deserved,” he began.

  Well, if that wasn’t an understatement . . .

  “It took a lot of nerve, leaving here with two little kids, no job, and no way to support them. But you made something of yourself. I’ve always admired that,” he added.

  That last bit rendered Maddie speechless, but she managed to say, “Thank you.”

  “Truth is, time passed—a lot of time, and I woke up one day wanting . . . wishing I could spend time with the kids, but I just didn’t know how to go about it.” He laughed. “I was sure I wouldn’t fit into their world. Probably still won’t. But I would like to see them. If they’re willing.”

  Maddie nodded. “I’ll tell them that.”

  “Good. Um, you wanna put my number in your phone?”

  “Sure—” She stumbled over her words. “Yes.”

  He gave her the number, and she stored it in her cell. Checking the time, she said, “I need to go.”

  Billy Ray nodded, and Maddie turned to leave.

  “Maddie?” he called out. When she’d stopped and turned around, he added, “Thank you.”

  She could have asked “for what?” Was he thanking her for coming by or for raising their children? She didn’t know, and it didn’t matter. Not anymore. She nodded and got in her car. Billy Ray went back inside and closed the door. Maddie just sat there, amazed at the conversation they’d just had. She never could have envisioned a situation where she’d walk up to her abusive ex-husband’s door, knock, and have a rational conversation with him about their children. But she had—they had.

  As she backed out of the driveway and drove toward the V.A., she marveled at how everything had changed since she’d come back to Hidden Harbor. It was a new world of possibilities, and A.J. was a big part of that. Her phone dinged and the print out of a text from the man she’d just been thinking about displayed on the screen behind the steering wheel. She’d gotten him a cell. He’d complained, but had agreed to use it, for her.

  The text said the job had taken longer than expected, and he’d had to reschedule his counseling appointment.

  “Hey, Siri.”

  “I’m listening,” her phone responded.

  “Text A.J.”

  “What do you want to say to A.J.?”

  “Ok. Supper?”

  “Texting A.J.”

  “Sounds good,” A.J. responded.

  With a smile on her face, she turned into the parking lot of the grocery store to pick up wine, makings for a salad, something to grill, and whipped cream for dessert.

  Back home, she put everything in the refrigerator, then checked work emails and interoffice correspondence. At five, she shut off the computer and took a shower. She chose a soft peach dress and paired it with a blue sweater. She even did her makeup and blow-dried her hair. Now that she was working from home, so many days, she didn’t bother with doing either.

  She checked the clock again. Six-thirty. She went into the kitchen and tossed the salad with balsamic vinaigrette, then set the bowl back in the refrigerator. Grabbing her phone, she texted A.J.:

  What time will you be home?

  No response.

  Frowning, she turned on the oven and pulled out a baking dish. She put the chicken breasts in it, drizzled them with olive oil, added rosemary sprigs, salt and pepper, then waited for the oven to preheat. When the oven signaled it was ready, she put the chicken in and set the timer, then curled up on the sofa with a book and a glass of wine.

  Two hours later, the chicken was cold, and she still hadn’t heard from A.J.

  14

  It was nearly ten when Maddie saw the lights of A.J.’s truck outside. She rushed to the door and opened it. The chilly, autumn air made her shiver, but relief flooded her when she saw A.J. walk toward her.

  “I’m sorry. My cell died and the damn charger decided to die, too.” He backed her into the house, shut the door, and took her into his arms. “I’m sorry if I worried you.”

  She hugged him close. “It’s okay. I’m glad you’re here.”

  “Something smells amazing.”

  “You didn’t eat?”

  A.J. shook his head. “I just wanted to get home to you.”

  That simply worded statement made her feel impossibly happy. “It’s cold now, but I can heat it up.”

  “I’m sorry,” he said again.

  “
Don’t be,” she insisted, taking his hand and pulling him into the kitchen. “It couldn’t be helped.”

  “Damn thing.” He tossed the cell onto the counter. “It’s brand new. How can it not stay charged?”

  “Maybe because you forgot to charge it last night.”

  “That’s your fault,” he said. “You’re too damn distracting. You look nice,” he said, hugging her from behind as she put chicken on a plate and popped it in the microwave. “You smell even better.” He kissed the back of her neck, and she shivered.

  “Would you like a glass of wine?”

  “I’d rather have a beer if you don’t mind.”

  “Of course,” she said and got him a bottle from the fridge.

  He twisted off the cap and took a long drink. “What a day,” he said, and sat at the table. He reached out to her, inviting her to join him.

  When she’d settled on his thigh, she asked, “What happened?”

  “Classic case of everything that could go wrong did.” He took another drink of his beer and set it on the table. “What a cluster.”

  The microwave beeped. Maddie kissed him before getting up to retrieve the chicken from the microwave and add salad to his plate. She put it on the table in front of him and sat in the chair next to him. “That’s frustrating,” she said, as she poured herself another glass of wine.

  “It happens.” He cut his chicken, put a piece in his mouth, and chewed. “All I wanted was to get back here. This is delicious,” he added, and took another bite.

  Maddie sipped her wine. “Glad you like it.”

  “I hope your day was better than mine.”

  “It was productive. You won’t believe who I had a conversation with.”

  He raised a brow, but kept eating.

  “My children’s father.”

  At that, A.J. choked on his food. After taking a drink, he looked at her. “Come again?”

  She lifted her glass in a toast and said, “It’s an early Christmas miracle.”

  “Where did you run into the bastard?”

  “I went to his house.” She crossed her legs and rubbed her foot up the leg he’d stretched out under the table.