The Bachelor Pact (30 page)

"Maddie?"

Chase?

Excitement warred with anger. How was he going to act today?

He'd been in pain the day before, and the medication had affected his behavior, but she'd half-hoped he'd call this morning. When he hadn't...

No, maybe today they'd talk, they'd make love again, everything would be perfect....

"Downstairs, Chase. I'm in the weight room."

She heard his boots pounding on the floor above, the steps creak, the sound growing muffled as he walked across the carpeted basement rec room. A knot of anxiety pressed against her chest, her breath whooshing out when she saw him lean inside the doorway. Just as he had when she'd first met him, but he was even more endearing now than he had been then.

He looked even taller today, his shoulders broader, the overly long strands of his hair still damp from his shower. She could smell his soap and aftershave all the way across the room, or maybe the scent had been imprinted in her memory forever.

A sheepish grin curved the corner of his wide mouth. "Hey. What are you doing down here?"

"Just making a list, checking it twice," she said, indicating her clipboard.

"Everything looks great."

"This house is all ready for the show. I'm starting to get excited about the tour." Her stomach fluttered. "And a little nervous, too."

"You don't have any reason to be nervous," he said in a husky voice. "You've done a super job. Lance and Reid are going to be proud of you."

His praise thrilled her, reminding her of the conversation they'd had the night they'd make love. God, she wanted him again.

His eyes seemed to pick up on her feelings, and she silently cursed herself for being so transparent. But why hide—why not go after what she wanted?

Because he might not want you.

His smile faded into seriousness. "I, Maddie... we need to—"

Lord, she wasn't ready to
talk.
"Have you seen the exercise room?" she asked instead, moving toward him. "The weight set, treadmill, Stair Master—everything you need to get your heart rate going is right here in this room."

His gaze tracked the contents, then rested on her, that loneliness she'd sensed calling out to her. Then hunger flickered across his face, and his voice dropped to a husky whisper. "Yeah, everything I needs right here all right."

She gently lay her hand on his heart, her own heart racing when his pulse quickened. His chest felt so strong, so solid, so masculine. Her body responded with a tingle of want that rippled through her, settling in a pool of heat at her very core.

"Are you feeling better today, Chase—up for a workout maybe?"

* * *

Chase stared at Maddie, the words he'd practiced saying on the way over evaporating into thin air at her breathless invitation and the desire written so plainly on her face.

Desire for him.

Her finger traced a teasing path along his neck, down the center of his chest, to his groin where she reached down and boldly cupped him. "I missed you yesterday."

"I..." What was he supposed to tell her? "I missed you, too."

No, that wasn't what he meant to say.

But he couldn't find the words. Or the determination to think of them. Or the willpower to resist her and walk away.

The allure of her deep-set dark eyes, the flicker of her tongue, the way she wrapped her leg so seductively around his thigh and tucked her womanhood into the heart of his sex... his body thrummed with instant arousal, and all his reservations died. Lights dimmed in his brain, and he forgot where he was or why he shouldn't have this woman—because everything seemed so right. So perfect.

With a moan of pure primal lust, he grabbed her to him. His tongue beat a foray along her body as his hands stripped her clothes and tossed them aside. He took her fast and hard and deep against the mirrored wall, against the barbells, on top of the exercise mat where she sprawled, her legs spread in invitation, her whispered moans and pleas orgasmic in themselves. And when she cried out his name in a thunderous sound of rapture, he growled and let his release spill into her depths, grinning as her hands clawed down his back, pulling him so deep inside her he thought he might be lost within her warm, loving chambers forever.

Lying sideways, she draped herself across him so he received the most tantalizing view of naked butt and cleavage, and his breath rasped out, his sex straining for her again. His heart was beating so fast he swore it sounded like horse hooves all around him.

No... footsteps.

"Maddie, Chase?" Voices drifted from the floor above, in the foyer.

"Dear heavens, it's Lance and Reid," Maddie said in a panicked whisper.

He took one look at their naked, sweat-slicked bodies, Maddie's panties still around her ankles, his underwear and jeans hanging on to one boot, Maddie's hair tousled and wild around her face, the bite marks on her neck—had he put them there?—and totally freaked.

"We have to hide!"

Jerking her up, he yanked his pants up to his waist and raced to gather their clothes, where was her bra? Had she even been wearing one? He couldn't remember taking it off. And his shirt, where had she thrown it?

Maddie grabbed their shoes, frantically searching for a place to hide. "In here, the closet."

He nodded, spotted one of his socks dangling from the treadmill, yanked it down, then ran into the closet with her.

"Hurry, get dressed in case they find us," he whispered.

"I think they're going upstairs first."

"How did they know we were here?"

"They probably saw our cars."

"Good grief, I can't see, it's dark." Maddie grabbed her bra and slipped it on, her elbow jabbing his face. "I can't get the clasp," she said, pivoting so her bare back brushed his chest. His sex automatically jutted toward her backside, and he groaned in agony.

"Shh," Maddie whispered.

He fumbled with the clasp. "I can't get it!"

"Just give it to me." She yanked off the bra and dropped it to the floor. He stuffed the lacy contraption in his jeans pocket while she dragged on her silk blouse and began to work the tiny buttons.

"Some of the buttons are missing," Maddie whispered.

He winced, remembering he'd popped them in his haste to get her naked, and tried to help her fasten the few remaining little pearls. God, he'd been like an animal. The buttons were probably on the floor. Or the exercise mat. What if Lance or Reid found them?

His leg hit a paint can, making it rattle, and his heart nearly stopped. He halted the can's movement with his foot, then reached out to hand her the hair clasp. Unfortunately she reached for the clasp at the same time, jabbing her finger with the end.

The whites of Maddie's eyes shone in the dark as her eyes widened. "Oww!"

He covered her mouth with his hand. "Shh."

She nodded, then grinned devilishly and licked at his hand.

He yanked his hand away. "Maddie, stop that!"

Footsteps and voices sounded again.

"They're coming down here!" Maddie whispered.

He stuffed his arms in his shirt and tried to zip them.

"Chase?" Lance yelled.

"Maddie?" Reid called.

His damn zipper was stuck! Maddie noticed him tugging and reached down to help him, but her hand brushed his fledging erection, stirring it to life again. He swelled against his fly just as she tried to zip his pants.

Owww!

Maddie stifled his groan by planting her mouth over his with a firm kiss.

He doubled over as far as he could inside the tiny space, but pain shot through his back, his head connected with Maddie's breasts, and his mind turned traitorous again, conjuring images of naughty things they could do in the closet, with Maddie's brothers right upstairs. Of course, first he had to get his sex uncaught from his zipper.

Maddie's brothers were right upstairs! He must be losing his mind!

The footsteps grew closer, louder, hit the creaking steps, then grew softer on the carpet.

"Where do you suppose they are?" Lance muttered from near the doorway.

"Beats me," Reid replied. "I don't get it. Both their cars are out front."

"Maybe they took a walk around the property."

Maddie massaged Chase's aching sex, only adding to the problem. He pushed her hand away, willing his manhood to go down and his body to stop screaming in pain and arousal.

"Let's see if they walked down by the river," Lance suggested.

"Good idea. They're probably surveying the property line."

He should have been surveying the property, Chase thought in remorse. Not surveying every inch of Maddie's body.

Finally, the stairs creaked as Lance and Reid walked up the steps. Chase said a quick thank-you to the man above, then cursed himself for his foolishness. As soon as the boys left, he would have to explain things to Maddie, end this crazy affair.

"I'm sorry, Chase. Are you all right?" Maddie whispered.

The concern in her voice only heightened his arousal. Grinning like a she-devil, she dropped to her knees, whispered an erotic promise that sent a shudder through him, then placed her mouth above his swollen shaft and licked the tip. His knees almost buckled.

"Let me kiss it and make it all better," Maddie whispered.

Chase shook his head no, but Maddie's hot mouth closed around him, and he lost his voice. Unable to fight the temptress Maddie had become, he shut his eyes and gave in, momentarily forgetting his guilt and the snagged zipper as Maddie replaced the pain with sweet oblivion.

Chapter 22

He was out of control, Maddie was out of control,
everything
was freaking, completely out of control.

"Stay here, Maddie. I'll go head the guys off by the river."

"No, let me come with you, we'll explain—"

"No." Chase grabbed her hand, forcing her to look at him. "Not now." He indicated their disheveled state of dress, then brushed his fingers tenderly along Maddie's whisker-burned cheek. "I'll tell them but... not like this, Maddie."

She stared at him long and hard, questions and uncertainty in her eyes. Chase felt like the worst kind of lowlife, torn between hurting Maddie and losing his best friends' friendship. Still, if or when he did tell the guys, he didn't want to confess with the scent of his sex still lingering on Maddie's body as if he'd intentionally seduced her to throw the affair in their faces.

He suddenly felt sick to his stomach. "Please, let me handle this," he said gruffly.

She finally nodded, then reached up to gently trace a finger over his lips. "All right, Chase. We'll do it your way."

The trust he saw in her expression only compounded his turmoil.

He'd already broken her brothers' trust—could he do the same to Maddie?

With a sigh of contentment, she reached up and kissed him on the mouth, then patted his butt and smiled. "Go on now before they come back. I'll slip out the front."

His stomach churning, his back throbbing, he nodded and hurried away, slipping out of the back basement door and scooting through the woods. Seconds later, he jammed his hands in his pockets and ambled up the path toward Chase and Reid.

"Hey, we were looking for you," Lance said, waving him over to the clearing.

Reid leaned beneath a maple tree. "Where's Maddie? We figured you two were down here together?"

If they only knew
how
together, they'd have a fit.

"We were." His throat burned with the lie and he could barely stand up straight for his backache. "I was showing Maddie the property, but she had an appointment and headed back. I guess you just missed her on the trail."

Lance narrowed his eyes, studying him. "You all right, Chase? You look kind of funny." Lance's gaze dropped to his pocket. Chase glanced down guiltily, grimacing when he noticed the edge of Maddie's bra peeking out from his pocket.

"Well, you must be feeling better," Lance said with a chuckle. "Daphne again?"

Chase nodded, mumbling that he was fine, the lies and guilt growing. He couldn't even use the pain pills as an excuse for his crazy behavior today.

And no, he wasn't all right. And he wasn't sure he would be ever again.

* * *

After changing her clothes, Maddie hurried toward town, remembering she'd promised Cynthia, Jeff's coworker, she'd meet her at her new town house today for a consultation, worry nagging her. Had Chase been slightly distant when he'd left? Was he mentally withdrawing from her?

Or had her imagination been going wild?

He had said he'd handle things, right—meaning he would tell Reid and Lance about the two of them?

Would he tell them the sex had been cataclysmic?

It certainly had been to Maddie. Euphoric beyond anything she'd ever dreamed. Passionate, hot, exciting. Even their first kisses had been full of fire and erotic promises.

Nothing like the humdrum kisses she'd shared with Jeff.

Of course, now she realized the reason why. She'd never been in love with Jeff, not the wild, have-to-have-you sexy kind of love she felt with Chase. Not that her feelings were all about sex; she admired Chase. He was a self-made man, a talented architect, and he'd risen above a rotten childhood to make something out of himself, had overcome obstacles Jeffrey Oglethorpe knew nothing about. Roses and candy be damned.