Momentary Lapse (10 page)

She stopped before the thought was fully-formed and steeled herself for another quick glance down the corridor. She straightened her shoulders and exhaled. There was a job to do and she might as well have her head snapped off now than wait for Cole to witness her epic fail. Although
he'd hopefully be back in time to mop up the blood.

Madison edged closer to the door and tapped softly. No answer. She sucked in a breath. Twisted the knob.

Jess sat at the end of her bed, her body stiff as a board with anger.

“It's great to have you here.” Madison plastered a smile on her face and breezed into the room. “Anything you need, just ask.”

“You don't have to pretend.” Scowling, Jess didn't even bother looking up. “I know you don't want me here. Any more than I want to be here.”

Madison stopped in her tracks. She fought for a moment to hold her composure, then dropped the pretense. Jess had already seen through her. There was little point carrying on.

“You're right. Cole set this up, but that doesn't mean it can't work.” Madison forged on despite wanting to turn tail and run.

At the mention of her brother, Jess bristled. “He treats me like an invalid.” She crossed her arms as if daring Madison to think the same. “I'm not.”

“He treats me like a spoiled brat.” Madison gave a depreciating laugh. “I am.”

Jess fought to keep the scowl on her face and failed. Her lips curved into a smile, transforming her from a broody teenager into the beautiful woman Madison had hoped might be behind the pouts and posturing. Jess glanced around the room before her eyes came back to Madison. Curiosity sharpened her gaze.

“So, what'd you do, to end up with me here?”

Madison decided the truth was best. Or, at least a variation of it. Jess had already proven she wasn't stupid.

“I got taken for a ride by my ex-fiancé and can't afford to live here on my own,” she said. Then snorted. “Actually, I can't afford to live, full-stop.”

“That desperate, huh?”

“Yes.” Madison didn't bother hiding it.

Jess stared at her a moment longer. “Okay. I'll give it a go.” She nodded, seemingly satisfied. “To be honest, the house I moved into was a shithole.” She wrinkled her nose and leaned back on the bed. “Don't tell Cole though.”

“I'd never give him the pleasure,” Madison was quick to assure her.

Jess gave her another cursory look. “I think we're going to get along just fine,” she pronounced.

They smiled at each other. The deal done.

If Cole was surprised by them acting like long-lost besties when he got back, he said nothing. Jess disappeared into her room while Cole brought in an armload of groceries. He returned a few minutes later with another suitcase, which he stashed in Madison's bedroom.

“Your sister is that way,” she reminded him, pointing toward Jess's door.

“It's not for Jess. It's mine.”

“Y-You?” Madison spluttered as he stated his claim. “You are not staying here.”
No. No. No.
“That was not part of our bargain.”

“Shh.” Cole jerked his head toward Jess's bedroom and glowered at Madison. When her lips closed tight he smiled and sauntered close enough for her to feel the heat of his body. Her skin prickled, senses heightened as he leaned in. “Don't give the game away,” he whispered into her ear.

Madison's cheeks flamed, her mouth watering as his spicy male scent nipped at her. Reminding her of how good he felt wrapped around her. Inside her.

“I'm paying you good money for this apartment.” His breath ruffled her hair. “And when I'm here? That bed is mine.”

Sparks of awareness skittered along her spine.

“Don't worry,” he added, twining a lock of her hair around his finger. “I'm happy to share. With you.” He flashed a smile that was pure burning desire.

Melting Madison's insides to a gooey mess. He had her twisted up in knots with wanting him so it took her a moment to sort through her emotions and find anger. But she got there. Eventually.

What she should do was to throw him out on his ass. If she got rid of him, she'd get rid of all these feelings she hadn't experienced in years—anger, disbelief and irritation mostly—but then there were other base emotions that were harder to find excuses for. Feelings of aching awareness and barely controlled lust.

And then there was Jess.

Madison hadn't known her long, but she didn't want to let Jess down. Not when the girl had confided in her that she hated her last house. But if Cole thought Madison was going to sleep with him—no matter how tempting the proposition…

“I'll take the couch,” she said coldly, reminding herself that Cole barely tolerated her. She wasn't the only one hiding behind a mask.

“Are you sure?” A grin twitched at the corners of his mouth.

He pressed forward and Madison scrambled back until her butt hit the edge of the kitchen counter. Her breath stuttered, fire licking along her nerve endings as his hands settled at her hips.

“Y-yes.”

Cole gave up trying to hide his smile. “It's a two-seater,” he reminded her.

Madison swallowed back the urge to stretch up and brush her lips over that smirking mouth. She wanted to wipe the smile off his face. Kiss it off.

Kiss him.

“I'd rather sleep on a bed of rusty nails than sleep in the same bed with you.” She raised her chin to meet his stare.

His smile widened. “Let's see how long you last.” His breath swept her cheeks. Madison shuddered as a tickle of heat raced across her skin. All she had to do was reach up and claim that smart mouth of his…

She was saved from humiliation by Jess, who chose that moment to come out of her room. Cole straightened and reached past Madison to snag an apple from the fruit bowl—as if that had been his intention all along. For all Madison knew, it had.

“Wanna go for a walk, Jess?” he suggested. There was the barest hitch in his breath as he sauntered away.

Unlike Madison, who felt like the oxygen had been sucked right out of her body. She leaned against the counter, doubtful her legs would support her if she chose to move. Thankfully Cole was preoccupied with deflecting Jess's grumbling protests and didn't notice.

“I saw a line of shops the next block over.” He gathered up his jacket and grinned at his sister. “You can pick out what you want for your birthday.”

“My birthday's six months away.” Jess rolled her eyes, not buying his ploy.

“Exactly. And I'll need that long to save up enough pocket money. So go get your shoes.”

Madison straightened as Cole turned his attention to her.

“I brought steak for dinner. Can you cook?”

His dubious expression added insult to her already injured libido, but Madison forced herself to smile. A wide shit-eating smile.

“Of course. I'll have dinner ready by the time you get back.”

“Perfect.”

He acted like there hadn't been a bucketful of sarcasm heaped into her answer.

But later, at dinner he did eat everything on his plate. And he and Jess cleared the table after.

The siblings were at least being civil to each other now, so they must have made up on their walk. In fact, the whole evening came straight from a scene set in domesticity. Madison found herself looking on while Cole and Jess laughed easily, their interactions more entertaining than a sitcom.

And more than ever, she felt like an outsider, resentful of the easy relationship they shared. Or maybe it was the fact Cole seemed different when dealing with his sister. Lighter. Happier.
Pleased to be in her company.

Madison couldn't even excuse herself to hide in her bedroom. Having relegated herself to the couch, she was stuck in the lounge until everyone else went to bed.

“I'm done.” Jess hoisted herself up around ten o'clock. “'Night, Cole. Madison.” Her limp was more pronounced as she retreated to her room.

Cole followed his sister's progress, worry etched in the lines of his face. Madison had to bite her tongue from asking what had happened to her. Something told her that whatever had befallen Jess had been painful for them both.

It'd be too much to hope Cole would go to bed early too.

He glanced her way. Madison stretched and pretended to yawn, even as her senses pinged awake. He followed her lithe movement with interest. Interest that sparked memories of Cole and his mouth softened against her clit, tongue delving into her wetness, growls of satisfaction reverberating through her until she was drenched in pleasure.

The simmering heat in Madison's belly kicked downwards, tugging at her sex with all the grace of a cattle-prod. Her life was in turmoil—was it any wonder her hormones were too? Squeezing her thighs together didn't help. The sensual pressure increased, until her throb of need was a deep, hollow ache.

What the hell was wrong with her?
Madison sat up straighter. She crossed her arms over her aching nipples and pressed down. It felt good. Too good.

Madison jumped up and unpacked the spare blanket and pillows from the cupboard in a not so subtle hint. It was way past time to go to bed—
alone
, even if her brain was the only part of her agreeing with that thought.

“You don't mind if I work, do you?” Not through torturing her, Cole set up his laptop at the small dining table. “You can always sleep in my bed if you're tired. If I disturb you.” He challenged with a grin.

Madison hid the grit of her teeth behind an answering smile. “Go ahead. I'm not tired at all.” She jammed the bedding back in the cupboard and resettled on the couch with a book to wait him out.

The bastard milked it for all it was worth, staying up until well after midnight, pretending like Madison wasn't even there.

Or perhaps he really didn't notice her
.

She was surprised at how much that little thought tweaked her confidence.

Her gaze slid off the page, straying to Cole again. She told herself she was studying her enemy. Dark blond hair dipped low over his brow, his mouth pulled into a frown of concentration. All business. There was no sign of the teasing joker who'd spent the evening entertaining his sister. Madison followed the line of his jaw, the finger-ruffled hair, curling around his neck.

“See anything you like?”

Madison lifted her book to cover her burning cheeks. “No,” she lied. “Just wondering how you'll sleep tonight. Badly, I hope.”

Cole barked out a laugh and closed his laptop. “Oh, I'll sleep just fine. Unlike you.” He nodded toward the couch. “Sure you won't change your mind?”

Tempting…tempting…tempting.

“No.” Madison's answer wasn't as firm or unyielding as she would've liked. No thanks to the lithe stretch he popped while she was talking.

She bit at her lip, trying not to remember what lay under his shirt. The hard planes of his chest, the dip of his stomach dusted with a smattering of hair, hips she'd love to dig her fingers into. Madison tried not to groan at the image of her licking down past his navel, Cole pushing into her mouth so she could suck his cock so hard his eyes would roll back in his head.

Her breath grew heavy. She wriggled in her seat as heat prickled over her skin, her clitoris swelling with the naked desire to say to hell with it, crawl into bed and do all of the things she'd just been imagining.

Except it would end badly. Cole couldn't be clearer about what Madison meant to him. He accused her of using him to get back at Logan…while it may have started like that, it wasn't how it'd ended. Not for Madison anyway. It hurt that Cole hadn't shared the same visceral experience. She'd gotten a glimpse of the man behind the rough exterior he now hid behind. And having seen Cole for what he was really like, Madison didn't want a shadow version of the truth. She wanted Cole, yes. But she wanted the real Cole, not the one who only saw Madison as the babysitter.

Madison refused to meet him on those terms.

She lifted her chin. “Goodnight then,” she said with pseudo-politeness.

“Sleep well.” Cole tipped an imaginary hat before retreating to her room.

Chapter Ten

Okay. It was official. The couch was the most uncomfortable thing to sleep on in the known universe. A slab of granite would have more give.

Madison rubbed the tender spot at the juncture of her neck to relieve the hard knot of muscles. The amount she'd paid for the hellish couch, it should double as a hovercraft, let alone be useable as a bed.

And it didn't help that Cole looked so damned relaxed when he finally emerged from her room.

“Good morning, Princess.” He made a play as if to ruffle her hair.

“Seriously?” Madison stabbed him with her glare, having already spent the good part of an hour straightening out her bedhead in the cramped guest bathroom. She pushed past him to get dressed—
in her own damn room
—and shut the door behind her.

Cole hadn't even made the bed. Madison pressed her lips together when she surveyed the tangled mess of sheets, the dents in the pillows as if they'd gone several rounds with a certain sun-worn fist.
Good.
Hopefully his conscience had given him an uncomfortable night's sleep. At least as bad as hers. Every time Madison had closed
her
eyes, someone had slid into her thoughts like butter, until she swore she could taste Cole, his scent seeping from her pores under cover of darkness.

She straightened out the bedclothes, her hands curling into the still-warm sheets. Infused with his heat. Her pulse thudded hotly, making her want to slither into bed and wrap herself up like a cocoon. Madison brought the pillow up to her nose and drew in a breath. Her eyes closed with pleasure.

It smelled of him. And her. A subtle blend of cinnamon and spice and longing. Her nipples hardened and she pulled the pillow to her chest, subconsciously wriggling against it, enjoying the sharp tingle of pleasure. She needed more. Rocking forward, Madison slipped her fingers beneath the elastic of her panties, gliding through the wetness to find the silken nub of nerves.

“Aaaah.” Better. Madison pressed the heel of her hand against her clit as her fingers slid downward, deeper, finding the entrance of her sex to work the tips of two fingers inside.

Her head rolled back, earlier aches and pains forgotten as a swell of sensual pleasure buoyed her upward. She breathed deep, imagining it was Cole pushing into her, his hand pressing against her clitoris. The pillow fell to the floor as she worked her body harder, a sheen of sweat enveloping her, her breath coming in short pants.

Felt. So. Good.

“You want coffee?” Cole called through the door.

Madison froze, yanked her hand from her pants, horrified at what she'd been doing. She ripped the sheets off the bed and wadded them into a ball. Frustration fueled her anger and she slammed out the door, striding past Cole to dump the bedding in the laundry.

“What are you doing?” He wandered over to stand in the doorway.

Too close. Madison shoved her hands behind her back. She swore she could smell the musky scent of her desire. Her lip curled as she breathed through her mouth.

“I'm not sleeping in those sheets tonight.” She poured disdain into her voice. Anything to draw his attention away from the flush of her cheeks, the stiff peaks of her nipples pushing against her shirt. “Not after you've been in them.”

Cole's eyes darkened. And not from desire. “You're right. You won't be sleeping in these,” he said, grabbing the bedding out of the hamper.

“Give those back!” With her emotions running high, Madison tried to wrestle the sheets back.

Like a schoolyard bully, he held them out of reach. “I don't think so. Didn't you know? I'm staying another night.”

“What! No.” Madison screeched.

Which only made Cole grin harder. He leaned in to draw a finger along her jaw. “Aren't you going to ask me why, Princess?” His voice dropped to a low, seductive rumble.

Madison fought to stop her eyes from closing, to halt her lips from nuzzling against the roughness of his palm.

“N-no.” She jerked away, half-choking on the answer.

His eyes met hers and for a split-second, his self-satisfied mask dropped.

“Because they smell of you.” A ring of honesty circled his words and he looked away.

Madison knew exactly how he felt. Her cheeks filled with fire as she recalled her own earlier excursion into her panties. Lust that had been simmering below the surface, reignited. She looked up, expecting to see the smug little smile brushing at the corners of his lips…only to find nothing but the intensity of matching desire. His mouth softened. A mouth Madison knew was imminently, insatiably kissable.

She closed her eyes. She needed to clear her head.

This couldn't happen
.

“That's just creepy,” she rasped, pulling on her dwindling willpower to push him away. She stumbled for the safety of her bedroom.

Low, sexy laughter dogged every step. “Tell yourself what you have to.” His words chased her across the living room. “But we both know what's going on here.”

She hid behind the door, her heart pounding. Yes. She knew exactly what lay between them. Money. Power. Suspicion. For all Cole might fancy a repeat of the other night, the fact remained he couldn't care less about her. He'd relegated Madison to the couch, had her cook dinner like a housemaid, all to humiliate her—to take her down a peg or two.

But he still wanted her.
And despite everything she knew about Cole, it brought her a little comfort to know he didn't hate her so much his desire had disappeared. How desperate was that?

But underneath the brashness and innuendo, Cole was proving to be a good man. While it was hard to reconcile his behavior with Madison, his patient treatment of his prickly sister, painted a different story. That was what made it difficult. That and the fact she knew what it was like to have his full, appreciative attention.

One more night.

Madison leaned her head against the door and squeezed her eyes shut. All she had to do was survive one more night with Cole. For whatever reason, he'd given her the breathing space she needed to fix her life. She didn't have to run back to her mother. Or Logan. All she had to do was put on an outward show for one more night.

It shouldn't be hard. Madison had spent a lifetime perfecting her mask.

She straightened her shoulders and shook out the last of her tension. This was what she'd been born to do. To play the part and present herself as a calm, confident, well-bred woman. No matter her insides were jelly, set quivering every time Cole came within five feet. The trick was to remember no one else knew that except her. And she'd had years of experience squashing bad feelings into a place no one could find.

Madison locked herself in the bathroom for a long, leisurely shower. She took her time washing her hair and scrubbed down every inch of her body until it glowed with freshness. Only when she felt truly clean did Madison step out from under the water and build up the layers of her outward appearance. Each sweep of the brush boosted her confidence, each dab of lotion, every stroke of moisturizer against her skin. Until she oozed poise and composure out of her perfectly exfoliated pores.

A pity it was wasted on an empty apartment.

She told herself it was a relief to be left on her own. Madison had never had sleepover nights with girlfriends and Patricia wouldn't be seen dead at anything less than five star. But as she looked around the room, it did seem empty. Despite the mess.

She bit back a smile. The Langford siblings knew how to fill a space, their belongings sprawled across her lounge as if they owned it, discarded wrappers and debris scattered on every available surface. But instead of irritation, Madison found herself humming as she wiped crumbs off the bench and put cushions back in the right place. Thank God she'd let the cleaner go last week. Danika wouldn't have known what to do if she'd had to actually clean something.

With the apartment restored to reasonable order, Madison pulled out a blank notebook from her polished cherry wood desk. Cole had given her a job and she intended to do her best to fulfill it.

First, she spent an hour researching local trails and city walks, mapping out routes she and Jess could take in her area. Once she'd exhausted all of those possibilities, she considered other places of interest. There was a pool and mineral spa nearby that Jess might find therapeutic and Madison's gym membership was alive for another six months. Jess could go as a plus one once Madison figured out her capabilities.

Something she needed to understand before she planned anything further. When Cole came home before Jess, it provided the perfect opportunity for Madison to discuss Jess's physical limitations in private.

“What's this?” Cole was surprised when she started reading through her notes and asking questions.

“You're paying me to do a job,” she reminded him.

He raised his brow. “So there are things you take seriously besides handbags and shoes.”

“Don't presume to know everything about me.” Madison bristled.

The smile gave Cole away. “It's okay. I get it.” He put up his hands and his expression sobered. “And I think it's great the way you're trying to stand on your own two feet.”

“This is hardly standing on my own two feet,” she scoffed.

“Oh, I don't know.” He nodded towards the notebook. “I'd say you're doing a thorough job.”

His gaze wandered over Madison for a second, more detailed appraisal. Awareness followed the path of his stare, heat flickering between them as if his fingers scorched a path across her skin. Something sparked in the depths of his ice-blue eyes, his stare slowly changing from thoughtful, to intrigued…to hunger. Madison felt it licking between her breasts, smoldering in her belly. Her grip tightened on the pen.

“Very thorough,” he purred.

His approval made her feel good. Desired.
Deserving.

Her chest swelled when he smiled. It felt good to be recognized as more than just a show pony. She pushed her emotions behind a layer of professionalism, clicking the nib of her pen in and out.

Cole edged closer, each small step intensifying her reaction to him, until she thought her body might explode into flames.
Was he going to kiss her?
God, she hoped he was going to kiss her. Her hands were clammy, fingers numbly clutching the pen as he leaned close…

“Would you be just as meticulous in taking care of me?”

A cold wave of reality crashed in, extinguishing Madison's desire. She struggled for breath, humiliation cutting through her. Cole thought of her as an object to look out for his sister, but hell, if he could get a little extra thrown in…

“Madison?” The smile had disappeared from Cole's face.

Her fingernails bit into the softness of her palm as she struggled to tamp down the hurt welling up like blood from a cut.

“Thank you for your offer,” she said, super-sweet. “I'm sure you can understand if I'm not interested in overtime.” Her gaze flicked down, then back up in dismissal. “I have better things to do.”

Cole's eyes narrowed and his lips tightened into a frown. Madison didn't wait around to hear his response. It was better to believe he was being an asshole than remind herself how nice he could be.

How much she wanted him.

She grabbed her gym bag from the closet and flew out of the apartment, feeling the burn of his attention all the way out of the door.

A few thousand miles on a treadmill would help. Because a part of Madison—a very big part—had wanted to say
yes
to Cole. Regardless of what he thought.

She hit the gym hard, pounding out a harsh rhythm on the treadmill until sweat trickled between her breasts, tracking like tears down her cheeks. And while the exercise helped hold back her tide of sexual energy, it did nothing to extinguish the fire burning in Madison's belly for a certain blond-haired devil.

The couch managed to make itself even more uncomfortable the second night.

She shifted restlessly, trying to find an angle which supported her aching neck and kept the blood circulating to her feet. She was in the process of re-bunching her pillow for the third time when the door to her bedroom eased open. Madison froze mid-gather as Cole's silhouette filled the doorway. She slammed her eyes shut, pretending to sleep.

There was a slight rustle. A scuffle of feet on the carpet. Silence.

She slitted her eyelids open.
Shit.
Madison rocketed upward.

Cole stood not two feet away, his arms folded over his chest—
his very naked chest—
staring down at her. She clamped her mouth shut, swallowing back the soft moan of temptation and squeezed her eyes closed.

“You're interrupting my sleep,” he stated.

“Then you shouldn't have taken my beeee…argh.” The rest of the sentence never made it past Madison's lips as Cole scooped her into his arms. “What are you doing?” she yelped.

“Shh.”

In the time it took for the shock to wear off and her limbs to start working again, Cole had reached the bedroom and dumped her on the bed. Madison scrambled to get off, but Cole was quick, diving after her, wrapping her in his arms and pulling her hard against him. His breath rasped in her hair, his heartbeat a wild tempo she could feel pulsing through her back.

What the… Was he…
spooning her
?

“Seriously. What are you doing?” Madison's voice rose in time with her own pounding heart. And it wasn't indignation. The heat of his body along her spine ignited fires in all kinds of interesting places. Madison renewed her efforts to escape and he slung a leg over the top of her thighs, pinning her down.

“Giving us both a good night's sleep,” he said firmly. “Now hold still or you'll stir things up.” Cole flexed his hips and Madison felt the hard shaft of his cock press into her buttocks. She froze.

“That's right. Settle down, or believe me, neither of us will get any rest.” His voice rumbled through her back, his words a dark promise she had no doubt he would fulfill.