Collin cocked his head to one side, confusion flickering across his face.
“Everything okay?” he asked her.
“Fine,” she lied and then focused her attention on Dr. Ruben.
“Well,” Dr. Ruben said, clearing his throat. “The puppy, if you keep him, will require some shots. I can’t say for sure how old he is, but my guess is about eight weeks. He may or may not have had the first round of vaccines, but in any case, you’ll need to bring him to a vet in the next six weeks or so to get his shots. Otherwise, feed him twice a day and keep those M&M’s out of his reach.”
“Oh, I will,” Madison said, vowing to rid the entire house of chocolate. The last thing she wanted was another scare. “Should we take him to the mainland now for his shots?”
“We still need to find the owners,” Collin said, straightening as the dog jumped on his hind legs and put his front paws on Collin’s knees. “Down, boy,” he admonished.
“You heard Dr. Ruben,” Madison said, pointing at the doctor, who still stood in his living room. “He was probably abandoned.”
“We don’t know that for sure, and it wouldn’t be fair to the people who owned him if they’re searching for this dog and we give up too soon on trying to find them.”
The vet glanced from Madison to Collin and back again, looking as if he didn’t want to step into the fray. “There are a few lost dog websites,” he said, obviously trying to stay neutral. “But you still might not find the owners.”
“We’ll try,” Collin said, sounding determined. Why was he so eager to offload this dog? They’d found Teddy, so they needed to take care of him. To Madison, it was that simple.
“In the meantime, I’ve got some extra food, a spare collar and leash that might work for this guy.” Dr. Ruben fingered the makeshift belt around the dog’s neck. “Want them?”
“Yes,” Collin and Madison both said at once. While he went to fetch them, Madison and Collin stayed locked in an uneasy silence. When he returned, he secured the collar around the dog and clipped on the leash. “The tag on the collar has my number. It’s a spare I keep for my German shepherd.”
“Thank you. What do we owe you?”
“On the house,” Dr. Ruben said. “Don’t you worry about it.”
“Thank you,” Madison said, as she took the handle of the blue leash. Little Teddy barked in appreciation.
“Thanks again.” Collin shook the man’s hand. He and Madison left, walking down the bright blue porch steps. Collin slid into the driver’s seat of the golf cart and flicked on the engine. Madison sat in the passenger seat, pulling the furry puppy into her lap.
“Why are you so eager to get rid of this dog?” Madison asked, unable to contain her frustration a minute longer.
“Why are you so eager to keep him? Like I said, there could be a family out there looking for him right now.” Collin glanced quickly at Madison as he threw the golf cart into reverse and backed out of the narrow driveway. Once on the main trail, he turned the cart and headed back to Madison’s house, which was on the other side of the island.
“Anyone looking for him would’ve called Yvana.” Madison hugged Teddy tighter, loving the weight of him in her lap. She felt his little chest lift as he took a breath, his ears flapping a bit in the breeze that sailed in through the open windows of the cart.
Collin took the next turn a bit too fast and Madison clutched Teddy, afraid he’d go sailing out of her arms.
“Careful,” she cautioned.
“I always am,” he countered, his voice clipped.
“Not always, Mr. Broken Condom.” Madison half-expected Collin to be angry, but instead, he threw his head back and laughed.
“Right,” he said. “But as I recall, you told me not to worry.”
Madison stared out at the passing scenery, a blur of tropical flowers and juvenile palm trees. The small paths and tangled plants gave the island the feel of Jurassic Park—a little bit, anyway.
“I thought you were on the pill,” he added, glancing at her briefly.
“I wasn’t, a fact you would’ve known if you’d asked. Or do you assume all women are on the pill?”
He seemed taken aback. “Why did you tell me not to worry, then?”
“Because I figured we didn’t have to worry. I mean, it wasn’t anywhere close to the time I normally ovulate. I thought we were in the clear.” Madison sighed, feeling exasperation welling up in her. “And, I’d planned to get the morning after pill... but then... well... didn’t. Work became hectic and...”
“Well, I’m sorry I assumed. It was wrong. I had a few things on my mind.”
“Like Jimmy Reese.”
“Yes.” He met her gaze. “Like Jimmy Reese.”
Her case had been in full swing that very week. It was hard to remember every detail of the trial when her own client stared at her as if he imagined colorful ways to kill her. In fact, it was Jimmy Reese, really, who’d driven her to go to the bar the night she’d met Collin. And with such a terrible defendant, she’d felt a little closer to the prosecutor who’d put him away.
If it hadn’t been for Jimmy Reese, she never would’ve considered sleeping with Collin Baptista. She glanced at him now thinking about how small twists of fate can change the course of a life. Or, in this case, create one. “That was one time I was glad to say you won.”
Collin grinned. “Yeah, me, too.”
For a second, peace descended on their golf cart and they found that elusive common ground once more.
“Do you want to tell me why you’re so determined to believe that we won’t work out? Seems like sometimes we do agree—on the important things.” Collin glanced at her, taking his eyes off the sandy path. His hands continued to steer the golf cart.
“Keyword being sometimes,” she said. Madison thought they might be going more slowly than normal. Was he being careful because she held a dog in her lap, or because he was worried about her morning, noon and night sickness? “We can go faster,” she added.
“I’m trying to go slow. You’re pregnant and...”
“I’m not a delicate flower. You can go faster.” Madison leaned over and stomped on his foot, sending the gas pedal downward.
“Hey. I’m driving! Stop that...” Collin squeezed the steering wheel and regained control just as Teddy let out a high-pitched bark, and that was when Madison noticed the animal in the road.
“Look out!” she screamed as Collin slammed on the brakes.
CHAPTER TWELVE
COLLIN’S HAND SHOT out to try to keep Madison and Teddy in the cart, as he hit the brakes. The golf cart skidded to a stop on the sandy path. Madison grabbed hold of the dashboard, trying to hold herself and the dog in. In front of them walked a turtle with a shell bigger than a hubcap.
“Whoa,” Collin said, as the wheels of the cart stopped just shy of the turtle’s front leg. “You okay?”
Madison nodded, her heart in her throat.
“Dog okay? Baby okay?”
Madison nodded again, twice. She didn’t feel hurt. She hoped the baby was all right, although it was too early to feel any movement.
Collin hopped out and inspected the turtle, who seemed unfazed by the arrival of a speeding golf cart, two grown humans and a puppy. Teddy struggled against Madison’s grasp, barking. She let him down, holding tightly to his leash as he trotted forward to join Collin in examining the turtle. The creature, which was almost as big as the dog, didn’t even withdraw his head as the puppy sniffed curiously at his leg.
“Brave old fella, aren’t you?” Collin said to the turtle. Another golf cart came speeding by in the opposite direction, and Teddy barked at it.
“This path has a lot of traffic,” Madison said, frowning. “The turtle might get hit if he stays there.” She glanced back and forth at the now-empty road, but Collin knew it wouldn’t stay that way for long.
Collin tried to shoo the turtle with his foot, but when it became clear that it wasn’t going to move any faster, he stooped, picked up the big turtle and hustled him to the greenery on the other side. Teddy barked and strained at his leash, eager to follow his new friend.
“Oh, no. You’re coming with us,” Madison said, leaning down and picking him up. But then she felt a little light-headed and reached out to grab the front of the cart, drawing Collin’s attention.
Suddenly, Collin was on high alert. “Everything okay?” he asked, rushing to her side.
“Fine,” Madison said. “Just lightheaded. It happens sometimes.”
Collin studied her, concern on his face. “Let’s get you home,” he said. “You need to rest. And let me hold the dog.”
“You’ve got to drive,” she said. “I’ll be fine.” She hoped she would be. Teddy, sitting in her lap, whined and looked up at her, as if he was worried about her, too. She cuddled him, nuzzling his neck, and he rested his snout on her shoulder.
Collin sent a worried glance her way, but she was already feeling better. “You sure you’re okay?” Madison felt the sincerity of his concern...and the warmth of his affection. Was she wrong about him? Maybe he really did care about her.
He tentatively reached out and put his hand on her knee, and she let him keep it there as he drove down the small winding road to the house.
* * *
AFTER THEY’D PUT Teddy on a bed of towels in the utility room, he fell asleep almost immediately, exhausted from his trip to the vet. Collin stepped back and gently shut the door. The sun had set now, and it was getting late.
“You think he’ll be okay in there?” Madison asked.
“I think he’ll be fine,” Collin said, steering her to the stairs. “You should rest. Maybe lie down? You look...tired.”
Madison laughed. “Oh, really? Thanks,” she muttered sarcastically. Great. She already felt bloated and exhausted, and her blood kept running hot and cold. Pregnancy hormones? She didn’t know. But, loath as she was to admit it, lying down sounded pretty good. But, still, she hesitated.
“I’ll go, but... I’m worried about Teddy. What if the vet was wrong? About the chocolate?”
“I’ll check on Teddy, all right? I’ll make sure he’s fine, okay? You lie down and rest.”
“But...” Collin wouldn’t be denied. He guided her upstairs to the bedroom, and she was hyperaware of the strength of his hand on her elbow. He was a good six inches taller, too, with muscle to spare. Not that she was in any condition to fight him.
“Fine,” she said as she let him lead her to the bedroom. Distantly, she wondered what would’ve happened earlier if Teddy hadn’t gotten sick. She remembered Collin’s mouth on hers, the way he’d explored her, the passion that lit up every one of her nerve endings. Even thinking about being without her shirt made her face grow hot. She remembered his lips on her nipples, the expert way his tongue had danced on their tips. Madison shivered, her belly suddenly feeling warm. And this time, she didn’t think it was due to pregnancy hormones at all. Now, all she could think about was Collin’s broad shoulders, how his bare chest had felt against the palms of her hands.
Her thoughts ventured into X-rated territory as she hit the top of the stairs, and Collin led her by the hand to the bedroom. She knew he just intended to put her down for a nap, and yet...she found her mind leaping to all sorts of possibilities, most of them without clothes. Madison was so intent on her imagination that she didn’t notice the corner of the hallway runner. Her flip-flop caught on the edge and she tripped. Collin reached out to steady her and then suddenly she was in his arms. God, he was tall. And broad. And...muscular. So...many muscles. His suit hid them during trials, but now, in his snug-fitting T-shirt, she could see every last one.
“Oh,” she gasped. Being so close to Collin made her feel winded. He stared at her a long time, too long, without speaking.
“Maddie,” he breathed.
“Only people who knew me when I was a kid call me Maddie,” she told him, feeling his eyes on her, assessing her, almost reading her thoughts.
“I want to know you as well as they do,” he said, gently pushing a tendril of hair from her forehead and tucking it securely behind her ear. “Besides, I like how it sounds. Maddie.”
She liked how it sounded, too, when he said it—a deep guttural sound she could feel in her lower belly. He was so close to her now. Was he moving even closer? Was he going to kiss her? Her stomach tightened in anticipation as she remembered the last time he kissed her and she’d ended up half-naked on a kitchen counter.
All she could do was stare at his mouth, his perfect sensual lips. She remembered the taste of them and wanted to taste them again.
“Collin...” Was it a warning? Or a request? She wasn’t sure.
“I’m going to kiss you now,” he said, and she didn’t move. Couldn’t move. This was what she wanted, repercussions be damned. And, she realized, it was exactly the way she’d felt that night in the parking lot of the bar. What was it about Collin Baptista that made her throw every last bit of good sense to the wind?
Collin put his hand firmly on the small of her back and pulled her toward him. She went willingly. Then, he dipped down and pressed his lips against hers, lightly, tenderly, with the hint of more to come. She stood on her tiptoes, eager for him, as she parted her lips and his tongue found hers. Instantly, every nerve ending in her body seemed to turn on, her bloodstream a humming highway of anticipation.
Madison felt something hard behind her and realized it was the hallway wall. They’d somehow walked there, and now Collin pressed himself fully against her, his hands roaming her curves, his mouth devouring hers. She wanted him, as badly as she had that first night, her body feeling dangerous and out of control, like the first flame of an uncontainable fire.
Collin broke free first. “Maybe we should both lie down,” he suggested.
“Yes, we should,” Madison said, tugging him through the bedroom door. “On the bed.”
Collin went, a smug smile at the corners of his mouth. “If we go there together, you’re not going to nap.”
“I’ll just have to risk it.”
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
COLLIN LAID MADISON gently down on the made bed, finding her lips once more. The woman tasted like some kind of addictive drug. Sweet, savory, intoxicating. She was damn near the most gorgeous woman ever, he marveled as he broke free and stared at her face. Cheeks flushed, lips pink and swollen from his kisses. Her dark eyes looked darker now that her pupils were dilated, and her thick black hair was draped on the light blue bedspread like a shadowy fan. He could’ve smacked that dog earlier for interrupting them, just when he’d managed to convince her to let down her guard. He’d damn near taken her right there in the kitchen.
She wiggled out of her top now, and he sucked in a breath as he admired her swollen breasts, maybe a cup size bigger since their single night together. Pregnancy must be to blame for her delicious new curves, but Collin wasn’t complaining. Not in the least. He kissed her ample breasts, feeling himself grow harder against her. How could he want a woman so badly? Especially one who already carried his baby.
Yet, as she lay there, eyelids low, watching him, he had never wanted any other woman more. He felt there was something primal about his attraction to her, and that filled him with a desperate kind of need. He pulled off her shorts and her thong with them, and she lay before him bare. He had a flash of her in the past, just like this, flat on her back, willing and waiting for him that night. He was remembering it clearly now, as he freed himself from his shorts and underwear, kicking them off. Then he pulled her to the edge of the bed. Yes, like this, he thought. Just like this.
Madison rose up on one elbow.
“Condom?” she asked him.
“Uh... We already...” He nodded down at her belly.
“What a
bout...” She bit her lower lip and glanced to the side.
“Well, if I have something, I’m pretty sure you’ve got it by this point.” Collin realized how bad the joke was the minute he said it. Her eyes grew big with concern. “Kidding. I’m kidding. I got checked out a couple of months ago when I gave blood. I’m fine. Anyway, I haven’t been with anybody but you for the last year.”
“The last...year?” Madison looked shocked.
“Nope.” Too busy for entanglements, he thought as he laid a trail of kisses up her belly. Where my son is. He reached her mouth and any protest died on her lips. She groaned into his mouth, a sound of pure want, and it drove him wild as he felt himself strain against his very skin. He moved alongside her, finding the softness between her legs, feeling her slick wetness.
“Maddie,” he moaned, unable to contain himself any longer as he pushed inside, finding her deep center. Immediately, he felt her heat. Was she hotter than usual? He couldn’t tell, but whatever it was, she was pushing him over the edge. With need, with passion. He was almost afraid to move at first, afraid even the slightest movement would compel him to come inside her. He moved his hips slowly at first, and then, when he was confident he would last, he went harder and deeper. He lay on his elbows, careful to keep his weight off her stomach, concerned about the baby—but not too worried, he thought wryly, as he moved faster. Now he realized what he’d missed that night with all his forgotten memories. He’d missed this, this truly magnificent sensation. He wasn’t going to be able to hold back any longer.
“You’re perfect,” he told her, and it was the truth. He’d never felt a woman so hot, so wet before. She squeezed her legs more tightly around him, and he almost came right then but managed to hold on.
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