His Taste of Temptation: In the Line of Duty, Book 3 (13 page)

“Hey, Sophie,” Brad greeted when she turned curious eyes on him. Not wanting to give her friend the wrong idea about his relationship—or lack thereof—with Madison, he said in a casual tone, “I just wanted to let you know that Bandit and I are heading to Granddad’s nursing home for a quick visit, and I didn’t want you to think I’d forgotten about your plumbing.”

“What’s wrong with your plumbing?” Sophie asked.

“The shower,” Madison started and paused, a blush creeping up her neck like she was remembering how she’d taken him in her mouth. Christ knows he hadn’t stopped thinking about it.

The ever-astute Sophie eyed Madison, then glanced at Brad, a knowing look on her face. “What happened? Did the pipes blow or something?”

Madison sucked in a quick breath and Brad stifled a groan. Leave it to Sophie to nail the hammer on the head.

He cleared his throat. “Yeah, something like that.” He rocked back and forth on his feet, like a guilty kid caught with his hand in the cookie jar.

“Why don’t I come with you,” Madison piped in, bending forward to pat Bandit, who leaned into her. “I’d love to see Granddad, and the bakery is closed for the day anyway. Which means I’m free until the fireworks later tonight.”

Sophie held her hands up, palms out, a strange almost worried look in her eyes. “Yeah, well, with the way you two are sparking, I’m pretty sure something is going to explode long before that.”

After spending a glorious afternoon at the nursing home and loving how happy Granddad was to see Brad, they returned home to work on the plumbing. Madison assisted Brad, learning more about copper fittings and shutoff valves than she’d ever wanted to know. Once they were done, they shared a pizza at her small kitchen table, talking quietly about their afternoon visit and how well Granddad seemed to be doing after his last incident.

Even though she wanted to ask him about Jocelyn and the intense conversation he seemed to be having with her earlier that day, she closed her mouth. They weren’t in a relationship, which meant it wasn’t her business, even though it made her feel insanely jealous. And of course she couldn’t forget the way Jocelyn was watching Brad’s every movement, especially when he made his way toward her. The seething look Jocelyn had given her after Brad had lifted her from the stands had Madison’s body stiffening and the smile falling from her face. It was that look and the determination behind it that told Madison one thing and one thing only: Jocelyn wanted him back. As she thought about that her stomach plummeted, even though she knew better than to hope for more with Brad. Madison knew she could never compete with a svelte, put-together girl like his ex. One who was comfortable in her own skin and knew how to walk, talk and use her body to get what she wanted.

“Everything okay?” Brad asked as he eyed her from across the small table, their knees touching intimately in the dim light.

She swallowed the last of her pizza and plastered on a smile. “Of course. I have running water again.”

“Yeah, but who knows for how long. You really do need to think about finding a new place, you know.”

“You’re one to talk,” she returned as she grabbed his empty plate and placed it on hers.

“At least I have air conditioning,” he teased.

“Seriously though, Brad, you live like a nomad.”

He shrugged. “Like I said, I’m not around enough to bother.”

“Yeah, but surely when you come back from being away, you’d like to come back to a nice place, with things that make you feel at home and make you feel happy.”

He stood to help her with the dishes, and the way he turned the conversation back to her didn’t go unnoticed. “Are you and Jonah going to look for a new place when he comes back?”

“I’d like to.”

“Where are you thinking of looking?”

She pursed her lips and thought more about it. “I’m not sure.” She walked to the counter and placed the dishes in the sink, deciding to wash them later. “Since I hate moving, and it’s an incredible amount of work to turn the main level of a house into a storefront, I guess I’d just like to move into my forever home. Somewhere in a nice neighborhood, where there are good schools and a lot of downtown foot traffic for my business.”

“Your forever home?”

“Yeah, a place where I could raise a family upstairs and keep my business on the ground floor.” She shrugged. “But a place like that is hard to find, and even if I did find one, I’d never be able to afford it anyway.”

“So you want a family?”

“Eventually.

Brad went unusually quiet as he listened, and as he looked pointedly at her, she got the sense his thoughts were a million miles away. Getting the uneasy feeling that Sophie was right, and something really was going on with him, she opened her mouth to ask, but he cut her off and he gave her a playful whack on the ass.

“You’d better get changed. The temperature is dropping tonight and I don’t want you to get cold at the fairgrounds after the sun goes down.”

She nodded, and turned toward her bedroom, but before she could go, Brad grabbed her arm and spun her back around. He pulled her close and as sparks arced between, she wondered if they’d even make it to the fireworks, or if they were going to stay in and create their own. But as an American military man, she knew Brad would want to go out of respect for fallen comrades and for those soldiers still serving.

He dipped his head and planted a warm kiss on her mouth, one that felt more emotional than physical, and completely caught her off guard. After he inched away, she drew in a breath and asked, “What was that for?”

“For helping me at the nursing home, and for helping out the band kids.”

“Then I should be the one kissing you.”

“Oh,” he said.

“If it wasn’t for you, I never would have been able to bake all those cupcakes.”

“You’re right.” He had a wicked grin on his face. “You should be the one kissing me. In fact,” he added, “I think I’ll hold you to that later tonight. But right now we need to get a move on it if we want to get a good seat.”

She laughed and was about to head to her room, when he put his mouth close to her ear and whispered, “Oh, and don’t forget. No panties.”

A shiver moved through her when she heard the lust in his voice. After hurrying to her room, she changed into a pair of jeans and blouse and grabbed a sweater from her closet. She gave herself a once over in the mirror, and oddly enough, knowing she had no panties on, knowing that was how Brad wanted her, made her feel sexy, naughty. She looked at her curvy hips and abundant cleavage, suddenly feeling less conscious about herself. Even though she was pretending to be something she wasn’t, she couldn’t deny that under Brad’s care she could feel herself becoming less and less self-conscious.

She grabbed a blanket on the way out the door and hopped into Brad’s truck. They drove through the city and less than fifteen minutes later he pulled into a parking spot at the fairgrounds. They strolled through the crowd, Brad staying close to her side as they maneuvered through the throngs. A local band played music and the scent of popcorn filled the air as kids chased one another. They bumped into Josh, who, after he pointed out where everyone was sitting, turned to Madison.

“Hey, Madison,” he said. “My cousin told me you made all the cupcakes for her band’s fundraising.” When Madison nodded, he stepped a bit closer, and dipped his head. “That was a nice thing you did.” He rubbed his stomach. “And they were delicious.”

“I’m glad you liked them.”

“Maybe I’ll stop by the bakery this week to see what other things you have on the menu.”

“I’d love for you to come by. I’ll make you something special.”

He smiled. “I’d like that.”

She felt Brad step closer to her, his hand brushing hers in a possessive manner. She turned in time to catch the dangerous way he was glaring at Josh.

Josh, as though oblivious to the deadly stare, ignored Brad and said, “I’ll see you later then, Madison.”

After he left, Brad put his hand on the small of her back and guided her through the crowd. She looked up at him, taking in his hard profile, and the dark, contemplative look on his face. What the hell? Maybe Sophie was right, and something really was going on with him.

“Brad?” she began.

“Yeah?” His features softened when he aimed his glance her way, and her heart lurched in her chest.

“What’s wrong?” she asked, wrapping her arms around herself when a cool breeze came out of nowhere and washed over her.

“Nothing,” he said and stopped walking. His hands went to her shoulders, and when he tightened her sweater around her body, her knees nearly gave out. Oh, God, she was in way over her head with him. “How about we grab a spot over there.” He pointed to a secluded area in the fair grounds.

“You don’t want to sit with your friends?”

He ran his hands down her arms, and her pulse leapt. In a voice that was low, he said, “I think I want you all to myself tonight.”

They walked to the secluded area and she laid out her blanket. Brad dropped down beside her and she became acutely aware of his closeness, acutely aware of the way her body was humming, eager to get naked with him again. As she hugged herself and scanned the crowd, she thought back to earlier that morning, to the way he forced her to expose herself to him. She couldn’t believe the way he made her feel so sexy as he indulged in her naked body.

A warm quiver moved through her as she caught Brad’s gaze. His eyes locked on hers and they shared a secret smile, one that set her body on fire and had her breathing a little quicker.

As they sat there in comfortable silence, just enjoying each other’s company, a few more people came and threw their blankets down next to them. A short while later, the fireworks started, and with darkness obscuring their identities, Madison leaned in to him. He put his arm around her and as he held her, rubbing his hand up and down her arm to create heat, a barrage of emotions moved through her. Her heart leapt and she swallowed against the tightness in her throat. Honestly, she’d never felt so close to him before, and quite frankly, was annoyed with herself for letting her emotions get the better of her.

Refusing to dwell on the things he made her feel, she concentrated only on the pretty display lighting up the night sky. When the fireworks were over, Brad climbed to his feet, and hauled her up with him. Her body collided with his, and as everyone gathered up their blankets, he put his mouth close to her ear. “I think I’m ready for that kiss.”

“Here?” she asked.

He glanced around and she could feel the tension in his body. “Probably not a good idea, but Jesus, Madison, I want you so much, I’m not sure I can make it back to your place.”

Butterflies filled her stomach. “You do?”

“Fuck yeah, I do,” he growled, looking a little rugged, a little dangerous.

She grabbed the blanket, and bundled it in her arms, her entire body quivering in anticipation. “Then let’s hurry.”

They rushed back to Brad’s truck, and as they drove through town, his hand crept across the cab to capture hers. Every few minutes he kept glancing her way, and she wished he wouldn’t, because the hungry, predatory look in his eyes made it hard for her to breathe.

What felt like an eternity later, they pulled into her parking lot, and Brad climbed from the truck. She slid from her seat and met him at the front of the vehicle.

She fished her key from her purse, and Brad took it from her. They entered through the café door, and his hand closed over hers once they were inside. Silence ensued as he led her up the stairs to her apartment on the top level. They walked to her bedroom and after they entered, Brad shut the door behind them, leaving the lights on.

He turned to her. His eyes skirted over her body and she made a strangled noise, the sound bringing his attention back to her face.

“You’re so beautiful.”

When she didn’t say anything, he eyed her with suspicion. “What’s wrong?” he asked.

She looked down, and even though being with him made her feel more confident in her physical appearance, deep inside she was still just a laid-back homebody at heart, one who was more comfortable in her glasses and easy-fitting clothes. And of course she couldn’t forget the fact that she slept with a bite plate.

If only he thought that girl was beautiful…

“You don’t believe me?”

“Brad—”

“I don’t think you realize how beautiful you are,” he murmured, his voice caressing her all over, the desire in his eyes touching the depths of her soul. “Jesus, Madison. I thought I was going to have to kill Josh tonight.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Didn’t you see the way he was looking at you?”

She shook her head. “No, not really.”

Brad scrubbed his hand over his jaw. “Come here.”

She moved toward him and he met her halfway. He spun her around to face the rectangular mirror over her bureau and pressed his chest to her back.

“Look at yourself.”

“I’m looking,” she responded, barely able to concentrate as his erection caressed her back, letting her know in no uncertain terms that he did indeed find her physically beautiful.

“Do you not see what I see? Feel what I feel?” He pulled her hair from her shoulders, then ran his hand along her lush curves.

Her body quivered beneath his touch and when he feathered his hot mouth along her neck she began trembling. His hands trailed along her sides, then he inched back to pull her sweater from her shoulders, a low growl of longing rising up from his throat.

As sexual energy leapt between them, he brushed the underside of her breasts through her blouse, then met her eyes in the mirror. “Your turn,” he murmured.

“My turn?”

“Yeah.” He grabbed her hands and placed them on her body. “Time for you to see and feel for yourself.”

She gasped, every nerve in her body coming alive as shocked silence lingered. Moisture broke out on her body, and she held his gaze in the mirror as she tried to wrap her brain around this unexpected turn of events. Good God, exposing herself to him this morning was one thing, but touching herself in front of him, in front of a mirror was something else entirely. Then again, she
had
done it once, when she’d thought she was dreaming. Which meant that maybe, just maybe between the sheets she wasn’t really pretending to be something she wasn’t. Maybe she really was brazen at heart, and it took the right guy to help her free that side of herself.