Naked, fully aroused and disregarding logical thought, they kissed, they fondled, they panted breathlessly. Dylan lifted Maddie off her feet, hoisting her up so that she could wrap her legs around his hips. He maneuvered her this way and that until he aligned her perfectly to take the full thrust of his sex as he shoved up and into her. Maddie cried out with pure, earth-shattering pleasure, the feel of him inside her glorious beyond words.
Gripping her hips, he moved her up and down. His groans echoed in her ears, the hungry grunts of an aroused male. While Maddie held on to him, her breasts rubbing against him, from neck to mid-chest, he pumped into her. Suddenly she felt the wall at her back and realized that Dylan had eased them several feet across the living room. Braced by the wall, Maddie grabbed his shoulders and flung her head back. Dylan kissed her neck, then licked a moist line across the top of her breasts. Her nipples tightened to diamond-hard points. Her femininity screamed with sensation.
“Maddie…Maddie…Maddie…” Dylan increased the tempo, hammering into her, murmuring earthy, erotic words, telling her explicitly what he wanted and what he felt.
Throbbing unbearably, the need for fulfillment rioting inside her, Maddie gasped and panted while Dylan’s hard, powerful lunges took her to the very edge. And then with one final thrust, he flung her into a moaning, clawing explosion of the senses unequaled by any other experience in her life. While her climax burst inside her, around her and through her, Maddie felt his release jet into her, strong and hot. Dylan cried out, hammered frenetically into her several times, then grunted as he buried his head against her shoulder.
Maddie slid her legs down his hips and over his legs until her feet touched the floor. But he clasped her hips, keeping their bodies molded together and his sex inside her. When she lifted her gaze to look at him, he lowered his head, whispered, “Sweet Maddie,” and kissed her again.
Eleven
Dylan woke Maddie before dawn. He wanted her again. Needed her in such a desperate way that he felt frightened. He had lost control last night, when he’d taken her so savagely downstairs in the living room, totally forgetting about protection for the first time since he’d become sexually active. But even now, hours afterward, he knew if he had it to do over again, he would still be powerless to change what had happened, to do anything differently. The overwhelming hunger to take Maddie had turned him into nothing more than a male animal ruled completely by the instinct to mate. As he lay beside her in his bed, in his boyhood bedroom, he watched while she slept, cuddled against him. Peacefully. And so trusting. He’d never felt such a strong desire to possess and protect a woman. There was nothing lukewarm, nothing insignificant, nothing halfway about his feelings for Maddie. She was his now, whether she knew it or not. She belonged to him in the most basic, elemental way a woman could belong to a man.
He leaned over and kissed her naked shoulder. She sighed. Illumination from the streetlight outside mixed with the moonlight so he could see her quite plainly. He lowered the sheet and blanket covering her and eased them down until he revealed her round, full breasts. Her body was lush and sexy, every inch a true work of art. Tiny freckles dotted her shoulders, and a small red mole kissed the cleavage between her breasts. Her nipples were large and rosy, the aureoles a shade lighter. He skimmed his fingertips over her collarbone. She stirred, whimpering in her sleep. Lifting the covers, he flung them to the foot of the bed, leaving Maddie totally exposed. His sex thrust forward, hard and ready. But this time he would be more careful. Rising from the bed, he glimpsed her as she turned over and curled into a fetal ball, her body obviously seeking warmth. He hurried into the bathroom, rummaged through his shaving kit until he found the pack of three condoms that he kept there for emergencies whenever he traveled. They were at least two years old.
When he returned to the bed, already sheathed and ready to make love, he called her name softly. No response. Dylan crawled into bed behind her, drew her body close to his, her back to his chest, and nuzzled her neck.
“Maddie?”
She sighed. “Hmmm…”
“I want you.”
She sighed again. “Mmm.”
While kissing her neck, he eased one hand over her waist and reached up to tweak first one nipple and then the other.
She moaned. “Dylan?”
He moved his hand over her belly and down to her mound, then slipped his fingers between her thighs and rubbed her intimately.
“Wake up, honey.” Stroking her feminine nub, he brought her to life, and when she tried to turn over, he held her in place.
“Dylan, I—”
He lifted one of her legs, parting her thighs, and took her from behind. He entered her, then withdrew quickly and repeated the bold thrust.
“Damn, Maddie, you feel so good. So hot and wet.” He shuddered. “I’m so hungry for you.”
Maddie rocked her hips back and forth, encouraging him to continue. “Love me, Dylan. Love me some more.”
That was all the encouragement he needed. He pumped into her, loving the feel of burying himself in her receptive body. But soon she wriggled and whimpered, her hands grasping behind her to touch him, her nails raking down his hip and thigh.
“Want something?” he asked, suddenly ceasing his movements.
“Yes.”
“Tell me what you want.” He nipped her shoulder.
She shivered. “You know what I want.”
“Yes, I know.”
He slipped his left arm beneath her and brought his hand up to her breast, while he eased his other hand over her mound and dipped his fingers between her wet, swollen lips. When he massaged her, she bucked against his hand. With his fingers working feverishly to excite her, he resumed his deep, hard thrusts; then he nuzzled her hair away from her neck, lowered his mouth and licked her warm, salty skin.
Feeling her tightening around his fingers, Dylan increased the speed and the pressure until her back arched and she bowed with tension; then suddenly she moaned as fulfillment claimed her. While she shivered and shook with pleasure, he shattered with a release so powerful and complete. A distinct ringing echoed in his ears, and satiation spread through his body as the aftershocks continued long past the initial blast.
Later, when they were both half-asleep, Maddie turned in his arms until she faced him. “I love making love with you,” she said.
“Ditto.” He kissed her.
Laying her head on his shoulder, she cuddled up against him and within minutes fell asleep.
They made love again at daybreak and later shortly before eight, then showered together. Dylan took a pair of jeans out of the closet, slipped into them and looked at Maddie standing there with a towel wrapped around her.
“My clothes are downstairs,” she reminded him.
He jerked a chambray shirt off a hanger and tossed it to her. “Here, honey, make do with this until we can gather up your stuff.”
Smiling at him, she caught the shirt in midair. “I’ve never been so deliciously sore and exhausted,” she told him.
He grinned. “Did I wear you out, Red?”
She dropped the towel. He leered at her and she giggled. “How long has it been since you did it four times in eight hours?”
He surveyed her from head to toe. “If you don’t cover up, it’s going to be five times.”
Maddie leisurely slipped into the oversize shirt, the hem hitting her mid-thigh and the long sleeves covering her hands. She buttoned the shirt and rolled up the sleeves. “There. Is that better?”
“Not better, but a heck of a lot less tempting.” He reached out and dragged her into his arms. With his face lowered to hers, he said, “I haven’t been so horny since I was twenty. And I’ve never wanted another woman the way I want you.”
She closed her eyes and sighed. “I feel the same.”
He kissed her forehead, her closed eyelids and then her mouth. “You’ve never wanted another woman the way you want me?” he asked jokingly.
Her eyelids opened wide as she gasped,
then she giggled again. “Crazy man! You know what I meant.” She wrapped her arms around his neck. “I’ve never felt this way about any other man. Only you.”
“It’s good between us, Maddie. Really good.”
“Yes, it is.”
“The best ever.”
“Dylan?”
“Mmm-hmm?”
“I—”
The doorbell rang. Why now? Why not five minutes from now, after she’d told Dylan she loved him? The sex had been incredible, but what she felt for him went beyond sex. It was love. Love unlike any she’d ever experienced.
“I’d better get that,” he told her.
“While you see who it is, I’ll gather up my clothes from the living room.”
“Good idea. How about getting mine while you’re at it?”
She nodded. He disappeared out the door. Maddie went back into the bathroom, found a comb, raked it through her damp hair and took a good look at herself in the mirror. Her lips were swollen, she had a small bruise on her neck and one cheek was red from where Dylan’s beard had scraped her flesh. She knew there were similar red patches on her breasts and her inner thighs.
Maddie sighed as her body recalled the pleasure. How could anything be so absolutely wonderful? She hugged herself and whirled around and around. She was in love, in love, in love.
Savoring the sweetness of the emotions bubbling over inside her, Maddie padded barefoot down the stairs, but halted when she reached the foyer. She heard voices. Dylan’s and Hart’s. Oh, drat. Where were they? Surely Dylan hadn’t taken Hart into the living room where their discarded clothes lay strewn all over the place. Tiptoeing quietly toward the living room, she realized the voices came from the study. She released a relieved sigh. If Hart discovered that she and Dylan had become lovers, he would tell Joan and then Maddie would have some explaining to do to her best friend. It wasn’t that she didn’t plan to tell Joan. She did. But not right now. Everything was so new and wonderful and unbelievably good that she didn’t want to share it with anyone. Not yet.
Hurriedly Maddie dashed into the living room and item by item gathered up their clothing. She found both of Dylan’s shoes, but only one of hers, so she dumped the pile of clothing and accessories on the sofa and crawled around on the floor until she spotted her shoe in the magazine rack. How in the world had it gotten there?
Just as she picked up the clothes, stacked both pairs of shoes on top of her bundle and headed for the stairs, Hart came out of the study, Dylan rushing behind him.
“Hart, wait up,” Dylan said.
“Well, good morning, Maddie,” Hart said. “You’re looking rather fetching. Is that some new kind of fashion fad?”
With an armful of clothes, Maddie squared her shoulders, tilted her chin and turned around to face her best friend’s husband. “Ha, ha. Very funny.”
Hart grinned sheepishly. “I just dropped by to tell you that we caught up with those guys who threatened you last night.” His smile vanished as he glanced over his shoulder at Dylan. “They crashed their car during the chase. Both of the guys are in the hospital in pretty bad shape.”
“Oh.” Maddie didn’t know how to feel or how to react.
“I hate to say this, but if they work for whom we think they do, then they’ll go to the pen before they’ll talk,” Hart said.
“Hart thinks you need a bodyguard,” Dylan said. “And I agree.”
“What?” Were they kidding? No, she could tell by the serious looks on their faces that they were not kidding. “I thought you were providing police protection. Isn’t that enough?”
“I’m afraid there’s no way we can spare a couple of guys to keep watch over you and Dylan twenty-four seven. And unless Dylan does hop the next plane back to Dallas, there could be more threats and probably—”
“Are you going back to Dallas?” Maddie looked at Dylan.
“No, but—”
“Good. We can’t let them make us run scared.”
Dylan’s lips twitched in an almost smile. “Us?”
She shrugged. “Yes, us.”
“Don’t argue with her,” Hart said. “Just hire her a bodyguard.”
Dylan walked Hart to the front door. “Let us know what happens with those two guys in the hospital. Maddie is going to press charges. I want you to throw the book at them.” Dylan opened the door and Hart stepped out onto the porch. “And whatever you do, don’t let me get anywhere near them.”
“Yeah, I know just how you feel,” Hart said. “The same way I’d feel if somebody threatened Joan.”
Maddie met Dylan just as he closed the front door. Startled by her unexpected nearness, Dylan jerked back from her.
“I can fix breakfast after I get dressed,” she said.
“I think I should take you home and stay with you until we can round up a bodyguard for you.”
“What about a bodyguard for you?”
“I can take care of myself.”
“And I can’t, is that it?” She glared at him.
“Not after what happened last night.”
“I’m not the one who got hit in the head and suffered a concussion.”
Dylan winced. “A mild concussion.”
“But I’m—”
“Stop arguing and get dressed.”
She glanced at his naked chest and bare feet. “What about you? Are you going out like that?”
“You’re very argumentative in the mornings, aren’t you?”
“Only when I don’t get my way.”
“Only when you…” Dylan laughed. “God, Maddie, you’re priceless.”
“Actually, I’m not,” she replied. “I’m worth three point five billion dollars.”
Dylan reached out, took the stack of clothes and shoes from her, dumped them on the floor and pulled her into his arms. With his nose touching hers, he said, “Your net worth might be in the billions, but you, sweet Maddie, are priceless.”
Tears misted her eyes. Heaven help her if he was lying to her, because she believed him with her whole heart. “You’re just saying that because you want to get in my pants.”
Dylan slid his hands up and under the chambray shirt and cupped her naked buttocks. “You aren’t wearing any.”
“Oh.” She looked at him point-blank. “Then that should make it easier for you, shouldn’t it?”
Dylan grinned wickedly, then walked her backward into the living room and toppled her onto the sofa. He unzipped his jeans, freed his jutting sex and came down over her. Maddie spread her legs apart and held open her arms in welcome.
Dylan didn’t take Maddie to her condo and she didn’t go to work. After calling Alicia and giving her a synopsis of last night’s events, Maddie spent the day in Dylan’s arms. They ate cold cereal for breakfast at eleven, then munched on peanut butter and crackers for a late three-o’clock lunch. Finally around four, they showered again and Dylan dressed in slacks and a short-sleeved cotton shirt. While Maddie pressed the rumpled skirt she’d worn to work yesterday, Dylan made some phone calls. He intended to find the best security agency in Texas and hire their most qualified bodyguard for Maddie.
He couldn’t tuck tail and run back to Dallas. But he couldn’t risk Maddie’s life either. As he studied the telephone number his lawyer had given him, he thought about the fact that the richest woman in Texas had been going about her business for years without a bodyguard, and here she was waist-deep in trouble because of him and needing a hulking protector to keep her safe. He supposed he should talk things over with her before he made the call. Maybe Maddie had a preference. Dylan knew that he did. He’d like a female bodyguard for Maddie.
“Damn lovesick fool,” he mumbled to himself. “You can’t stand the thought of another man getting that close to her, can you?”
Just as Dylan headed out of the study to find Maddie, the phone rang. He turned around, went over to his father’s desk and picked up the receiver.
“Dylan Bridges.”
“Hello, Mr. Bridges,” a quiet, muffled voi
ce said.
Dylan tensed. Another warning? “What do you want?” Anger flared inside him.
“I’ve got to make this quick, in case your phone is tapped.”
“What? My phone’s—Who is this?”
“I can see to it that the murder weapon that disappeared from the crime lab gets back in police hands.”
“Did you take the gun?”
“Don’t talk. Just listen. If you want the gun and information about the man who killed your father, then we can make a deal. Are you interested?”
Damn, just who was he dealing with here? Dylan wondered. A member of the mob? A crooked cop? “I’m interested.”
“It’ll cost you.”
“How much?”
“First we bargain for the gun. I want fifty thousand for the gun. If that goes off without a hitch, then we’ll bargain for the information.”
“All right. Fifty thousand. When and where do I meet you?”
“You don’t. I’ll call you back in thirty minutes and tell you where to bring the money. Tonight. If I get my money, I’ll return the gun.”
“How do I know I can trust you?”
The dial tone hummed in Dylan’s ear. Damn!
Looking neat as a pin, Maddie appeared in the doorway. “What’s wrong? Was that bad news?”
Dylan hung up the phone. “I just got a call from a guy who says he has the murder weapon that was stolen from the crime lab. He says that for enough money, he’ll return the gun.”
“Call Hart right now and—”
“No! If this guy’s on the up and up, I don’t want to do anything that might scare him off,” Dylan said. “If he’s a crooked cop, he might find out if I get in touch with Hart.”
“What are you going to do?”
“I’m going to wait for the guy to call back in thirty minutes to tell me when and where to drop off the money.” Dylan motioned her to come into the study. “In the meantime, I’m going to get in touch with—” he picked up the paper on which he’d written the security agency’s number “—the Leighton Security Agency in Houston and get them to send us a bodyguard.” His gaze connected with hers. “Would you prefer a female bodyguard?”
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