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eBooks are not transferable. They cannot be sold, shared or given away as it is an infringement on the copyright of this work. This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the writer’s imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locale or organizations is entirely coincidental. Samhain Publishing, Ltd. 577 Mulberry Street, Suite 1520 Macon GA 31201 Querida Copyright © 2008 by Jamie Craig ISBN: 1-60504-123-8 Edited by Sasha Knight Cover by Angela Waters All Rights Are Reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. First Samhain Publishing, Ltd. electronic publication: July 2008 www.samhainpublishing.com

Querida Jamie Craig

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Dedication

We’d like to dedicate this to hot young men everywhere.

Querida

Chapter One

“Shawn! We need to leave in twenty minutes if we’re going to miss traffic,” Maddy Terrell shouted as she walked through the house. “Shawn? Are you ready to go? I didn’t see your bag in the car.” A door opened and closed upstairs, followed by the creaking of the floorboards as her son came down the hall. She was at the bottom with her purse slung over her shoulder when his carrot-top appeared, but the sight of his bare feet drew her brows together. “Before you say anything…” Shawn stopped three steps up, palms up in his timeworn Don’t kill me, Mom pose. “It’s not my fault.” “Oh, God…” Maddy pinched the sides of her nose. She hated conversations that began this way. “What’s not your fault, Shawn?” “I can’t drive you to San Francisco for the wedding.” Maddy’s lips thinned. “You’re telling me this…seventeen minutes before I need to get on the road? Shawn, of all the thoughtless stunts you pulled, this is right up there on the list.” “It’s not my fault!” His gray eyes beseeched her. The rest of his fine features were hers—the heartshaped face, the red hair, the wide slash of a mouth—but the eyes were all his father’s, who’d been dead for the past eight years. Maddy tamped down the slight edge of sympathy creeping into her frustration to focus on the fact that her twenty-two-year-old

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son was leaving her high and dry when all she needed was one simple thing he had promised to her months ago. “Dr. Kauffman is having orientations all weekend for the entire department,” Shawn went on. “Kind of like mini-seminars. For everyone, including the grad students. I’m stuck. I don’t go, and he’ll find a way to fuck me over when it comes time for me to present next year. You know he will.” It was on the tip of Maddy’s tongue to remind him of all the ways she could—and would—fuck him over for this, but now she only had fifteen minutes to figure something out. “That’s great, Shawn. But you couldn’t have told me this morning? Or last night? Now what am I supposed to do? And do not suggest I just drive myself. You knew I didn’t want to go up there alone.” “I didn’t tell you because I was trying to figure something else out. Relax, Mom. Everything’s in control.” “Well, son of mine, what’s your brilliant idea?” “I got you another ride. A friend of mine.” He smiled, a broad swathe that displayed the thousands she’d poured into his dental work to its best advantage. “It’s not so bad. Tonio said he’d do it. Remember him? He came over at Christmas when his parents took off for the holiday.” Maddy remembered Tonio Herrera. He wasn’t the sort of young man a person could forget. Two years older than Shawn, with a charming smile and teasing eyes, he had done his best to drive her to distraction the entire time he stayed in their home. The only thing that kept her from responding to his flirtations was reminding herself that he was Shawn’s friend, and so entirely off-limits. “Is he going to be here within the next ten minutes?” “Any minute. I just got off the phone with him. See? I’m totally looking after you, Mom.” It was the smile more than the words that broke her anger. The damned kid knew exactly how to push her buttons, and he always had. Maybe she spoiled him a little, but

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usually, when he wasn’t trapping her in cars with his gorgeous friends, he was a good son. “You’re not out of the woods yet, Shawn. If he’s not here in—” A horn honking loudly from her driveway cut her off. When she opened the front door, he was already out of the car and coming up the walk. Maddy knew she shouldn’t stare at the younger man, but she couldn’t help it. No matter how many times she reminded herself he was off-limits, he was still one of the most gorgeous men she had ever seen. Tonio Herrera was a lean six feet, with burnished skin stretched taut over his muscular arms. His jeans were designer distressed, almost indecent where the denim frayed across one thigh, and his red T-shirt moved like liquid fire over his torso. Black hair spiked so casually she couldn’t help but question if it was genuine bed head. Sunglasses hid the dark, snapping eyes she remembered, but the smile was firmly in place, a dimple dancing in his chiseled cheek. “The gods are smiling this weekend,” he said as he paused on the porch. “I didn’t hit a single light on the way over.” He glanced over her shoulder. “Hey, Shawn. We set?” “I don’t know. Mom?” “You’re on kitchen duty for the rest of the week,” Maddy said, finally pulling her gaze away from Tonio. “And I want this house sparkling when I get home.” She turned back to her new chauffeur. “My car is already packed, but we can take yours if you’d rather.” He shrugged. “If you trust me driving yours, I’m easy.” Maddy nodded. “We’ll do that then. Shawn, be good!” Shawn’s reply drifted back to her as she shut the door. “I will!” “So you’ve driven up to San Francisco before?” Maddy asked, pulling her keys out of her purse and holding them out to him. His long fingers brushed over hers as he took the ring. She couldn’t not notice the contact. Had he done that on purpose?

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“I’ve got family in Palo Alto. At least once every couple of months, I get sent up there with packages, gifts, that kind of thing.” When they reached the car, he opened the passenger side door and held it open for her. “My parents have this blind spot when it comes to the post office.” Maddy chuckled, feeling a little better about the situation. He apparently got himself to and from the Bay Area all the time without any problems. That was at least a step in the right direction. Tonio shut her door, then went to his own car and pulled a duffle bag out of the trunk. His muscles flexed under the thin T-shirt, and her throat tightened. In the meantime, she could distract herself from the monotonous scenery by looking at him. Maddy mentally shook herself. She could not watch him instead of the scenery. Maybe if he wasn’t young enough to be her son’s friend. Hell, things would be different if he wasn’t Shawn’s friend at all. She could have met him at the grocery store, or at work, or at the beach. Then, if he had flirted with her, she could have flirted back, completely ignorant of his real age. And most of all, she wouldn’t be at risk of upsetting her son. She and Shawn had a great relationship—even though he could be a brat at times—and Maddy would never want to do anything to hurt that. “That’s good to know,” she said, once he tossed the bag in the backseat and settled behind the steering wheel. “I don’t know how much Shawn told you about this weekend. Tomorrow is my niece’s wedding, complete with a reception on a yacht in the Bay, so an all-day thing. I figured we’d drive home Sunday afternoon.” She paused before adding, “But I guess you can visit your family or something tomorrow.” He didn’t respond immediately to that, pulling out of the drive with practiced ease. He handled the steering wheel with a light touch, and while she couldn’t see his eyes, she suddenly had no doubt that they were drinking everything in. “Have you been up there before?” he asked instead, once they were in the steady stream of traffic. “It’s beautiful this time of year.” “We’ve taken a few vacations up there to see my husband’s family. Usually around the holidays. But this is the first time I’ve been up there since he died.”

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Tonio’s sensual lips pressed together, his smile fading. “Shawn doesn’t talk about his dad very often. I guess it’s been awhile?” “Eight years. I don’t think that’s been enough time for Shawn to fully…recover. Honestly, I think he made up an excuse to get out of going to the wedding. It’s hard for him to see that side of the family.” “But not you?” He didn’t wait for a response. “I’m sorry. That’s none of my business.” “No, that’s okay. It isn’t easy for me either.” Which was the understatement of the century, but Tonio didn’t need all the family drama and history. “But Jane is my only niece, and she told me it would mean a lot to her if I attended the wedding. I know Bill would have wanted me to go.” His teeth flashed as his smile returned. “If it gets too bad, it’s not like you’re stuck trying to find a taxi to escape. Just jump overboard and swim. I’ll stand on the shore and wave you in.” Maddy snorted. “I hope that means you’ll be standing there with coffee and a blanket too. That water is cold.” They coasted to a red light right before the highway exit. “Whatever it takes. This weekend, I’m here to serve you.” “All weekend? I thought I was just getting a chauffeur out of this deal.” “Chauffeur, lifeguard.” He shrugged, though the glance he shot her seemed to linger long enough for her to feel a slight flush. “Just so we’re straight, Shawn didn’t have to twist my arm to do this for you. I would’ve volunteered as soon as I found out he was having problems.” Maddy remembered all the ways she had sidestepped him before, and a part of her knew she should start being evasive again. It wouldn’t do to encourage him. If she remembered correctly, it didn’t take much to encourage young men Tonio’s age. But curiosity prompted her to push a little further. “And what’s in it for you to lose a whole weekend, with no notice, to drive somebody’s mom three hundred miles?”

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“Six hours there, six hours back, alone in a car with one of the sexiest women I’ve ever met.” The light turned green, and Tonio turned his attention back to the road. “That’s the best trade I’ve ever made.” Maddy knew it was silly to feel warm with pleasure, but she couldn’t help it. She was a forty-year-old woman, with a son practically the same age as Tonio, not some nervous teenager. But logic had nothing to do with the way her face heated. Clearly, her body couldn’t be swayed by anything as insignificant as logic. She would have made a poor Vulcan. “So is any woman safe from your charms?” “I don’t know. You tell me.” When he turned the wheel to pull out onto the highway, her gaze was drawn to the way the muscles in his forearms flexed. He had nice hands, she realized. Long fingers. A broad palm. Nails that looked like he didn’t bite them down to the quick. That said a lot about a man, regardless of how old he was. Of course, the fact that they were attached to very strong-looking arms, tanned and flawless, didn’t hurt, either. Maddy was certain girls fawned all over Tonio, patiently waiting for him to pick up the phone or crook his little finger. She couldn’t even blame the faceless girls in her imagination. But she needed to hold on to that thought. Though she had already been married for several years when she was twenty-four, she still knew enough boys to know they liked to play the field and keep their options open. That wasn’t what she needed in her life. “Do you have a girlfriend?” His mouth twitched. “No. Do you have a boyfriend?” “Nobody I see exclusively.” “So I won’t have to worry about someone showing up at my door wanting to flatten me because I tried to seduce you this weekend?” “Well, I do have a very protective son,” Maddy said lightly, deflecting the oddly serious question into a joke. “I wouldn’t put it past him to try to flatten you.”

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“He could try. And then I’d remind him who bailed his ass out with those frat boys. He’d fold.” Maddy decided she didn’t want to know. Besides, her boy’s exploits were a lot less interesting than Tonio’s calm statement of intent to seduce her. Even if she shouldn’t encourage said calm statement of intent. “Do you have an actual plan for seduction, or are you going to wing it?” “Which answer is going to get me a kiss at the first gas stop?” Maddy pretended to consider his question. Neither answer would get him a kiss at the first gas stop, because she was not going to kiss him. “A plan. I want to see some real effort.” She was startled when he reached between the seats for his duffle, rooting around in the outside pocket. By the time she turned around to see what he was looking for, he was done, and a folded piece of paper landed in her lap. “Shawn told me what hotel we’re booked at for the weekend,” Tonio said. “So I made a reservation for dinner.” Slowly, Maddy opened up the paper. A panoramic view of the bay at night decorated the top, and her eyes widened as she recognized the graphics from the Mark Hopkins website. Top of the Mark, on the nineteenth floor of the hotel, was one of the more prestigious lounges in the city, with magnificent views and even better food. “You’re serious?” At his nod, Maddy laughed—a shocked, uneven sound. She had no idea how he was able to get reservations on such short notice, though frankly, she would have been impressed if he’d merely made the effort to get a table. “You have to eat, don’t you?” “I don’t think I’ll have much of an appetite tonight. Not that I don’t want to have dinner with you,” she hastened to add. “The restaurant looks great. But I need my beauty sleep.” “Do that and you’ll outshine the bride tomorrow. Though I think you’ll probably do that even without it.”

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“I couldn’t outshine the bride if I slept for a month. One look at her and most redblooded males forget how to breathe.” “What if I promise to get you into bed at a decent hour?” He glanced at her, and for a moment she wished he wasn’t wearing the sunglasses. She wanted desperately to see if he looked as serious as he sounded. “The reservation is at nine. I can have you back in your room by ten thirty.” She needed to give him a straight, unambiguous answer. No, thanks or yes, that sounds lovely, but she couldn’t continue to hedge and avoid his invitation. No, thanks was clearly the most reasonable answer, but she wasn’t sure it was the best. He did go to the effort to make a reservation, and he was sacrificing his entire weekend, regardless of his ulterior motives. The restaurant would be public and safe. “If you promise to return me to my room at a decent hour, then I’ll be happy to join you for dinner.” His smile was brilliant. “You won’t be disappointed. Have you ever been?” That was the problem. Maddy suspected Tonio never left anybody disappointed. “No, I’ve never had the chance, unfortunately.” “It’s beautiful. The best views of the city you’ll find. Though it’s a good thing I’ve seen it all before. I don’t think I’m going to be able to take my eyes off you.” She quirked a single brow. “You’re not going to give up no matter how much I pretend not to hear you, are you?” “Hear me tell you you’re beautiful, you mean?” He shrugged. “I don’t know why it’s so hard for you to believe. You must own a mirror.” Maddy chuckled softly. “I don’t need reassurances about my looks, Tonio, though I appreciate receiving compliments. I’m not ignoring you because I’m insecure. I’m ignoring you because I don’t want to encourage you.” “Why?” “Because you’re practically my son’s age. In other words, too young for me.” Tonio changed lanes, gliding into faster traffic. “So if I was older, you’d say yes to me without arguing so much.”

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“Sure. If you had another ten or fifteen years. But you don’t. I could be your mother.” “But you’re not.” “No, I’m not. I’m Shawn’s mother. And Shawn is your friend. You can see how this could get…complicated, right?” “Not really, no.” Steering with his left hand, Tonio dropped his right between them, caressing her pinky with his. “If anything, it means Shawn knows me. He can trust me. He knows I would treat you with the respect you deserve.” Or he would be intensely uncomfortable because his friend had seen his mother naked. God knew Shawn was squeamish enough at any indication that Maddy had a life outside of full-time motherhood. “I’m not quite so optimistic about that. I think it would be best if we remain friends.” Tonio sighed. “You’re making this a lot harder than it has to be, Maddy.” He paused. “I can call you Maddy, right? Because I stopped thinking of you as Mrs. Terrell a long time ago.” Maddy looked at the spot where his pinky was still touching hers. He had such good hands. “You can call me Maddy. I don’t really think of myself as Mrs. Terrell either. It makes me feel…old.” “So…let me get this straight.” He punctuated each of his points with a gentle tap against her finger. “You don’t feel old. I definitely don’t think you’re old. But you think you’re too old for me.” He hooked his pinky over hers, trapping it. “That doesn’t sound like a double standard to you?” Maddy tensed, but she didn’t pull away from him. The contact made her skin feel pleasantly tight. “It’s not a double standard.” Her voice was less convincing than she wanted it to be. “I’m just trying to be realistic here.” “You want realistic? Here it is. You’re the sexiest woman I’ve ever seen. We’re both single. And I’d be an idiot not to try and show you just how good I think we could be together.”

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“I think you might be right. Which is the perfect reason to tell you I can’t join you tonight, and make up an excuse about getting ready for the wedding, or visiting my family, or something.” Tonio edged his hand closer, his touch warm where their fingers tangled. “But you’re not going to. You’re just as curious as I am about what it might be like. Whether we can sit down, face each other across a table. If we can look each other in the eye and not think about what the other one feels like, or tastes like.” Now her skin wasn’t the only thing that felt tight. Her throat clenched. She knew exactly how Tonio would look at her. His eyes would be dark and arresting, his thoughts written plainly on his face. She was a sucker for men with dark eyes. She was especially susceptible to men with dark eyes who watched her like they wanted to eat her with a spoon. “That almost sounds like a challenge to me.” “It’s not.” His thumb caressed her palm. It almost tickled. Almost. “It’s an invitation.” “Are you always this determined to get your way?” “Only when it’s something I’m passionate about.” “You’re passionate about me? You barely know me.” “Which is why I want this time with you.” Tonio cast a soft smile in her direction as he took his hand back in order to navigate through heavier traffic. “The woman I met at Christmas intrigues me. I’d like to know if she’s real.” Maddy dragged her attention from him and turned her head. They wouldn’t escape the traffic for at least another hour, and she was beginning to understand just how long the two of them would be trapped together. Instead of filling her with dread, it sent a thrill down her spine. “Tell me what you think about the woman you met at Christmas, and I’ll tell you if you’re right.” His dimple danced in his cheek. “Oh, I’m pretty sure I’m right. And I think that’s what bothers you the most.”

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Watching his proud profile, outlined by the sunshine streaming through his window, Maddy had a sinking feeling Tonio was absolutely correct.

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Chapter Two

Tonio had known it wouldn’t be easy. The events at Christmas had pretty much dictated that he’d have to work his tail off in order to get Maddy to take him seriously. There was a distinct difference, however. At Christmas, she had been busy with the party. Tonio hadn’t known her well enough in order to be rude and monopolize her time. Now, Maddy had nowhere to hide. Every mile they went was another minute he got to show her how good it might be if she only took a chance. And all because Shawn had been nice enough to invite him around for a couple days…

*** “Are you sure this is going to be okay? I don’t want to intrude.” “Mom and I have an understanding. And it’s not like you’re a slob like Rueben.” Adjusting his pack on his shoulder, Tonio followed Shawn inside. “Nobody’s like Rueben. Thank God.” The distant sound of Christmas music filtered from the rear of the house. There might even have been singing, and he tilted his head to peer around Shawn down the hallway. “Does she even know I’m staying here while my family’s gone?”

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“No, not yet. She’s been going nuts the past couple days getting ready for tonight’s party.” He stopped on one of the risers when he realized Tonio wasn’t coming upstairs with him. “What’s wrong now?” Though he hadn’t been thrilled about his parents abandoning him at Christmas, Tonio had jumped at Shawn’s invitation. He hated being alone during the holidays. He liked the warmth and laughter of the season too much to spend it cooped up in his apartment or sitting at his desk at work, knowing there were families out there, celebrating together as they should. But he hated being a third wheel even more, and knowing Shawn’s mom wasn’t even aware of his presence left him feeling itchy. “Maybe you should introduce us,” he said. “Let her know what’s going on.” “I’m telling you, she’ll be okay with it.” “Humor me.” Shawn rolled his eyes. “That’s all I ever do.” But he said it with a half-smile, and the punch he jabbed at Tonio’s arm as he descended the stairs and brushed past him down the hall was more playful than anything else. The corridor emerged into a large, open-plan kitchen/dining room. Sunlight streamed in through the sliding glass doors behind the table for four, and again through the diaphanous curtains covering the window over the sink. The music was louder here, and now, he heard a woman humming along to the classic carols. He trailed behind Shawn as he rounded the counter, but when his gaze landed on the woman crouching on the polished floor, Tonio immediately froze. Her back was to them, her head of brilliant red hair bowed as she burrowed around in a low cupboard. She wore a white blouse tucked into a tweed skirt, evidence that she’d yet to change from her work attire. It wasn’t her position or the clothing itself that drew his attention, though. It was the way her skirt rode up her thighs, revealing miles of long, toned legs. They were shapely without being skinny, with the creamiest skin he had ever seen. His body hardened just at the sight of them. “Mom?”

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“What? Do you know where we put the oblong tray we used for the meat plate last year? I can’t find it anywhere.” “Did you try the party stuff in the garage?” “It’s not there. I already checked.” She continued to root around without looking back at them. Shawn gave her a couple seconds, but when it became obvious she wasn’t going to respond again, he repeated, “Mom. Someone’s here I want you to meet.” That worked. Maddy glanced back, and as soon as their gazes locked, everything in Tonio sizzled. Her green eyes were sharp with intelligence, her mouth wide and inviting. Slowly, she straightened. And straightened. And those legs went on even longer than he’d imagined. They went all the way up to rounded hips, and a nipped-in waist, and soft breasts covered with a lacy bra visible through her blouse. “Tonio Herrera,” he said before Shawn could say anything. He stepped around him and held his hand out. “It’s a pleasure.” Her eyes narrowed slightly, wary for a brief moment before she accepted his greeting. Her slim fingers curled around his, but the contact was fleeting, over before he had the opportunity to best savor it. “Tonio got ditched for Christmas,” Shawn said. “I told him he could crash here for a day or two.” Tonio smiled, trying to mitigate how Shawn made it sound. “My parents got the chance to take a cruise for the holidays.” “And Tonio’s a big baby about being alone.” He bit the inside of his cheek but kept the smile firmly in place as he kept his attention on Maddy. “Does anybody really like being alone this time of year? As long as it isn’t a problem, of course. I don’t want to intrude.” “No.” The word came with a shake of her head. “No intrusion. Shawn’s welcome to have guests if he wants.” Shawn slapped Tonio’s shoulder. “Told you, man.”

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“Is there something I can do to help for tonight?” The offer was out there before he could think about it, though he wouldn’t retract it now. “An extra set of hands might come in handy.” Her gaze darted to the hands in question hanging at his side, then slid back up the length of his body to his face. She assessed him for a moment too long, a moment where he thought just maybe she’d accept, a moment where possibilities seemed endless. He suspected she was going to occupy his thoughts for the next couple days. “That won’t be necessary, but thank you,” she said. “A guest of Shawn’s is a guest of mine.” Shawn tugged at his arm, his impatience with the situation more than clear. “Come on, Tonio. I’ll show you where to put your stuff.” With a last smile and nod at Maddy, Tonio let himself be led out of the kitchen, glad he’d packed something nice to wear for the party. This was one night he wanted to be at his best. Shawn distracted him for the rest of the afternoon, keeping him upstairs where they messed around with some of the new features in Tonio’s latest project. They were kneedeep in animated alien guts when the knock came at his closed bedroom door. “Guests are starting to arrive, Shawn,” Maddy said from the other side. “I need you to come down and start dealing with the coats.” “Be down in a minute.” While her footsteps echoed away, Shawn sighed and tossed his game controller onto the floor. “It’s a good thing you’re going to be here tonight. I’ll actually have somebody to talk to for a change.” Tonio stood and stretched. “It’s not just your family?” “It’s not any of my family.” “So who’s coming?” “Mostly people Mom works with. People from the hospital, the charity, that kind of thing.”

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He knew very little about Shawn’s mother, but in the space of excusing himself to go change and stepping into the guest room, Tonio decided he was going to try and rectify that in the next few hours. He dressed with extra care, even opting to put on the tie Shawn told him was unnecessary. Looking at his reflection in the full-length mirror attached to the back of the door, he plucked a piece of lint from his sharply creased black trousers, then tucked the back of his navy shirt a little more tightly. That squared his shoulders better. He countered the polish of his clothing with a careful disarray of his hair, black spikes moussed within an inch of their life. If Maddy Terrell didn’t notice him tonight, it wasn’t going to be from lack of trying on his part. The main thrust of the party was in the living room, a large open space that stretched the depth of the house. The Terrell home reflected an easy décor throughout, calm blues and greens punctuated with soft corners and softer details. The tree set up in the corner glittered against the windows behind it, and the quiet strains of Nat King Cole warmed the air. Shawn stood near the front door, looking decidedly uncomfortable as he took the jackets of an elderly couple chattering with Maddy. As he passed Tonio for the stairs, he shot him a look that begged for rescue, but Tonio only smiled and shook his head. He actually rather enjoyed this type of get-together. Maddy glanced in his direction. For a moment, her eyes widened, sweeping over him with a quick duck of her lashes. By the time her attention returned to his face, his smile had grown, though not necessarily because she had noticed him. She looked even more devastating than she had that afternoon. Her red hair was pinned up, flaming tendrils gracing her long, slender neck, and the midnight sheath she wore hugged every curve and hollow of her body. It was impossible to believe that she was anybody’s mother, let alone that of one of his closest friends. He knew more than a few twentysomethings who would kill to look half as good as Maddy did. “Are you sure there’s nothing I can do to help?” he said when the older couple had adjourned to the living room. “My offer still stands.”

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He’d taken a step forward, but almost immediately, she withdrew the same distance. “Everything’s taken care of. All you have to do is have a good time.” “What about you?” “What about me?” “Are you going to get a chance to relax?” Maddy smiled. “I’m the hostess. I don’t get to relax.” “Well, that’s not right.” “That’s the name of the game.” Her gaze flickered past his shoulder. “If you really want to help, there’s at least one or two women in there who might give heavily to the charity if a certain young man laid on the charm. Donations are always good.” His agenda didn’t include charming other women, but the look on her face made up his mind for him. “Just point me in their direction.” “Do you even know what the charity is?” Tonio smiled. “Does it matter?” Her lips twitched, but she shook her head as she turned toward the kitchen. “Something tells me, with you it won’t.” He watched her walk down the hall, lingering on the way her dress molded over her ass. When she hesitated at the end, his pulse leapt at the glance she tossed over her shoulder. Their eyes met, and he quirked a brow in questioning. Without uttering a word, she disappeared into the kitchen. There were a dozen or so people milling about the living room, most of whom were older than Tonio by at least a decade or two. He honed in on the woman in the most expensive dress, but took his time working his way over to her. Part of him hoped Maddy would return and talk to him again. There was a lot more to her than a gorgeous pair of legs, and if he had to work on her all night to discover it for himself, he would. Except when she returned, she stayed on the opposite end of the room, deliberately avoiding looking in his direction as she offered to refill the wineglasses for the elderly couple he’d seen her greet earlier. “So how is it you know Maddy?”

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The woman he’d zeroed in on for the donation regarded Tonio with a bemused smile. She was in her late fifties, but the smoothness of her forehead and angle of her jaw suggested more than one plastic surgery already. Botox, too, if Tonio wasn’t mistaken. He tried not to let his repulsion show. It was one thing to take care of yourself as you got older; it was something else entirely to be so vain that you paid others to try and do it for you. “I’m a friend of Shawn’s, actually,” he replied. “Oh, are you a student too?” “No, I’m in computers. Shawn works part-time for my company.” It puffed up his importance by leaving out the detail that he was an animator, but in this crowd, it was probably necessary. That sparked an argument between the two men who stood with her, questions bandied back and forth about operating systems and interfaces. Tonio fielded them gracefully, every once in a while offering a sly comment to the woman that made it seem like them against the men. By the time one of them drifted away, she was laughing and leaning into Tonio, touching his arm as often as she could. “You haven’t told me how you know Mrs. Terrell yet,” he said with a smile. “Do you work on the charity with her?” She frowned, or at least he thought she was frowning. “Charity?” “You know,” her male companion said. “The one through the hospital. They help out the families of terminally ill children.” Tonio kept on smiling as if he’d known all along, but he couldn’t resist a glance at Maddy. The charity didn’t surprise him. If anything, it made him admire her even more. “Do you help with that too, Tonio?” He shook his head. “Not yet. My expertise tends to be more technical, and I don’t quite have the funds yet to really make any sort of an impact. Soon, though, if work keeps going well.” “I’m sure it will.” “From your mouth to the consumer’s wallet.”

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She laughed and leaned into him again. Her cloying perfume made his nose itch. By the time he was able to disengage, he had a promise that she was going to talk to Maddy before the night was through, to the tune of several thousand dollars. It boggled his mind a little that people tossed money around like that without much thought, and even more that Shawn ran in circles where that occurred. Tonio was all for spending money on quality—and charity certainly qualified for that—but he hadn’t been lying. It would be a few years yet before he could consider donations on that kind of scale. All his attempts to corner Maddy again failed. Without her attentions, he threw himself into getting as much money for her as possible, circling among the older women in the growing crowd until the faces began to blur. One wanted him to meet her daughter. Another invited him to take her home. None of them were as remotely interesting to him as the hostess flitting around at the edge of his awareness. He pretended to need a refill on his wine when he saw her duck out of the room for the kitchen. Shawn tried to intercept him as he maneuvered through the crowd, but Tonio held up his empty glass and raised an eyebrow to ask if he wanted more too. Shawn shook his head and wrinkled his nose at the nearly full glass he still held. Tonio simply laughed and slipped into the quieter kitchen. Maddy stood at the counter, adding fresh cold shrimp to the cocktail tray. More tendrils had worked their way free of the ornate clasp, and her cheeks were stained pink from the rising heat and a little too much wine. She looked up as Tonio approached, then immediately looked back down again as he came to a stop directly opposite. Only the counter separated them. He leaned forward onto his elbows to make the distance even less. “I think I like your parties,” he said. “I think I’d like them even more if I got to spend more time with the hostess.” “I’ll keep that in mind if I ever invite you to a party,” Maddy said, not unkindly, her concentration still on the shrimp. “Oh, you’ll want me around.” He plucked one of the shrimp off the tray and tore the tail off. “I’ve made over ten grand for your charity tonight.”

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Maddy looked up, her gaze pinning him, like she was trying to look through him to see the truth. “How did you do that? Or do I not want to know?” “You asked me to use my charm for good, didn’t you?” “I did.” Now she smiled. “I suppose I owe you an apology for severely underestimating your charm.” “Nah, you don’t have to apologize.” He dipped the shrimp liberally in the cocktail sauce. “I’ll settle for meeting me under the mistletoe.” “I don’t know if you’re quite that charming.” She opened the jar of sauce and refilled the bowl. “And I didn’t hang mistletoe this year.” “Damn.” He chewed slowly, watching her slim fingers work. A drop of sauce kept tempting him to take her wrist and suck it away. “And I suppose holding a poinsettia over my head would just look silly, huh?” A smile tugged at her lips and made her green eyes dance. “It would probably decrease what charm you do possess, yes. Though I’m sure Mrs. Sedgwick would find it terribly endearing and may donate even more to the charity. You should go try it.” It was good to see her relaxing, better to see her smile. She had a mouth made for it. She had a mouth made for a lot of his favorite things. “You’re always trying to get rid of me,” he complained good-naturedly. “A guy could start thinking you might not want him around.” “Oh, I wouldn’t say I don’t want you around. I just have a feeling that if I encourage you, you’ll find new and interesting ways to distract me.” “And you’re only interested in old and boring ways?” “What can I say? I’m a boring person.” His mouth canted. “Not according to Mrs. Sedgwick. She had quite a few interesting tales to tell. Enough that I’m tempted to go back and do exactly as you want, just to hear more.” “Mrs. Sedgwick is known to exaggerate. I wouldn’t get too excited.” “That sounds like you’d rather I stick around and distract you, then.”

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Maddy leaned over the counter, giving Tonio a decent view of her cleavage. He didn’t think it was entirely an accident. “Maybe. But I don’t have time to let you distract me tonight. I’ve got shrimp to distribute.” He leaned even closer. “So let me distract you another night.” “Tempting. But I’m too busy to make any promises.” Tonio let her pick up the tray without stopping her again, though he tracked the sway of her hips as she rounded the counter and walked past him for the living room. Maddy might be too busy now, but there was one detail she was forgetting. He wasn’t going home with the other guests. The party might end for the others, but for him, things were just beginning.

*** Three hours into the drive, Tonio pulled off I-5 and into the gas station with a smile playing on his lips. So maybe it hadn’t worked like he’d hoped. Life had intervened; months had passed. But fate had stepped in and given him a second chance. He wasn’t going to blow it now.

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Chapter Three

Tonio finally pulled over halfway to San Francisco, and Maddy wasn’t sure if she was pleased or disappointed that they had three hours ahead of them. She had wanted Shawn to drive her to San Francisco because she found road trips to be long, tedious and boring. But she liked having her own car while she was in San Francisco, and she didn’t like flying, so it made sense to drive up. Shawn usually kept her pretty entertained, and she liked spending time with her boy. But Tonio was keeping her entertained too, in a much different way. A much different and pleasurable way. She liked watching his hands on the wheel. She liked watching the sunlight on his dark skin. She liked the way he hummed along with the radio, a completely unconscious and unselfconscious sound. She even liked the way he kept the conversation going, finding interesting topics to discuss without making constant detours into the possibility of getting more than dinner from her. With three hours left in the drive, she was finally beginning to feel relaxed with him. Maddy unfolded herself from the car while Tonio began to fill the tank. It felt good to stretch her legs and get some fresh air, even if it was tainted with gas fumes. “Do you want anything from inside?” “I’ll come in and look around after I’ve finished pumping. I’m not sure what I’m in the mood for. Food-wise, that is.” “What are you in the mood for, non-food-wise?”

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His sensual mouth curved. He still wore his sunglasses—he hadn’t removed them once during the ride so far—so it was impossible to know the full extent of his mood. She had to rely on all the other cues he was so liberal with. “If I tell you, you might not come back.” Maddy ran her tongue over her teeth. She felt safe responding to him. The car was still between them. “Try me.” His smile widened. The dimple came out to play. “A woman after my own heart.” Locking the pump in place, he leaned forward, folding his arms to lean against the roof. How he could tolerate the sun-scorched metal, she had no idea, but he didn’t even flinch at the contact. “I’m in the mood for finding out if that little throb in your throat tastes as good as it looks. It’s the most delicious-looking hollow, you know. I’ve been watching it. I watched it jump every time you looked at me, when you thought I wasn’t paying attention. Then it would slow down again when I’d change the subject.” He moistened his lower lip. “Do you think it would speed up if I kissed you? Or maybe we should test it more slowly. Start with just a touch first. What do you think?” “I think you’ll have plenty of time to think about it while you fill up the car,” Maddy said, pushing away. She thought her voice was surprisingly even, considering the fact that her pulse was hammering again. And he probably noticed. Probably? Of course he noticed. He never looked away from her. She walked a straight line to the gas station door, grateful for the rush of cold air against her flushed skin as soon as she stepped inside. She wasn’t sure what she was even looking for. A cold Diet Coke didn’t seem nearly as appealing as the sinful promise in Tonio’s voice. Nothing seemed appealing, actually. She stood in front of the cooler, staring at the varieties of soda and juice inside, and didn’t see a thing. Instead, her gaze kept focusing on the reflection in the glass, the blurry outlines of the pumps outside. She couldn’t even tell which one was Tonio or her car, but that didn’t stop her from looking. Did he watch her as well? Why was he so determined to get under her skin?

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Answers eluded her. Maddy moved restlessly down the row until the images from outside faded away. A bell tinkled behind her. Maddy grasped the cooler door handle, fingers tapping impatiently as she regarded the various sizes and flavors of bottled water. She hadn’t promised to get Tonio anything. It would be better if she made her purchase first, then sat in the car while she waited for him to make his. That was the safe choice. Before she could open the glass door, a familiar dark hand folded over hers. “You’re not having trouble making a decision, are you?” The query was practically whispered in her ear. She had no idea how he’d gotten so close without her realizing it. “Because I have no problems making it for you, if you want.” “You’re interested in my beverage preferences?” “Why shouldn’t I be? What someone drinks says a lot about them.” His fingers tightened, and the muscle in his forearm flexed as he pulled open the door. It made a little sucking sound as the rubber sealant came away from the cold metal, and more chilly air rushed across her skin. Tonio didn’t let it go. He held it open and reached inside with the other hand, effectively pinning her in his embrace. “I usually get water,” he said, pulling out a Dasani. “The colder, the better.” The door drifted shut again, but his hand remained over hers. “And as much as your skin glows, I’ll bet you drink more than your fair share too. Am I right?” “Usually.” She tugged at the door, but he didn’t move his hand or let her open the cooler. “But I think I’m in the mood for something a little sweet today.” He tipped the water sideways, bringing it closer and closer to her body. The icy edge of the plastic bottle glanced along her collarbone, then trailed up the opposite side of her neck. “This seems refreshing enough to me,” Tonio said in her ear. “Though right now, I have to admit I’m imagining it running over your body instead of drinking it.” Maddy shivered. She couldn’t help it. It was far too easy to imagine Tonio pouring the ice-cold water over her flushed skin, bringing her nipples to sharp points. And then he would follow the streams of water with his hot tongue, warming her again.

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“No, I’m pretty sure water isn’t what I want right now.” She nodded at the soda bottles on the top shelf. “Would you mind getting me a liter bottle of Diet Coke?” He didn’t move. The water stayed poised at the side of her neck, and his breath, warm and even, tickled over her ear. Then, his thumb caressed the heel of her hand. His chest lifted against her back as he inhaled. “Your wish is my pleasure,” he said softly. He stepped back, and immediately, she regretted his absence. Though he only edged a foot or two to the side, the distance was acute. The one good thing that came from it was seeing that he’d taken off his glasses and hung them at the T-shirt neckline. She could finally see his piercing eyes, though right then, she was too riveted by the way he reached for her soda to notice anything else. His shirt pulled up a little, revealing a narrow band of skin the same color of his arm and neck. She knew he would hiss if she licked that strip of skin, or scraped her teeth over it. When he handed her the bottle, their gazes clashed, and Maddy felt sure he was reading her thoughts. “You know, you shouldn’t say things like that. A person might be tempted to take it literally.” “Which? Granting your every wish, or wanting to see you wet and naked?” “I already take the latter literally. I meant the part about granting my every wish.” “If I haven’t shown you yet that I’m willing to follow through on anything I promise, then clearly I’m doing something wrong.” She tilted her head back to get a better view of his face. “So far you haven’t shown me anything. I’ve just heard a lot of talk from you.” Tonio smiled. Without the glasses blocking his eyes, she saw it light up there too. “You did not just challenge me,” he taunted, stepping closer. He tucked the soda beneath his arm, freeing his hand. “Because that sounded to me like permission to do more than talk for a change.”

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“It’s not a challenge.” Maddy felt removed from herself. She could not believe she was having this conversation in a convenience store. She could not believe they hadn’t had this conversation earlier. “It’s an invitation.” He quirked a brow. Lifting his hand, he trailed his finger over the same path the bottle had taken earlier, his skin cooled by the soda he had just handled. It dragged along her collarbone, resting for a moment in the hollow at the base of her throat. “If I start…” he tapped at the delicate skin, “…I may not stop.” “I think I’m safe here. They’d probably turn the hose on us, or call the cops, if you don’t stop.” “But we have three more hours.” His hand smoothed over the side of her neck. “Stuck in your car. That’s not necessarily safe.” He threaded his fingers through her hair, so solid and inviting that she leaned toward him without even thinking. “I know I don’t think it’s safe. It’s been torture.” She watched the muscles in his throat work as he swallowed, her heart pounding louder and louder as he tilted his head. “But worth every second.” “Torture?” Suddenly, she didn’t feel safe in the gas station, either. “But I haven’t done anything to you. No touching. No teasing. I could make the drive torture for you, if you like.” “Oh, yes, please…” He drew the last word out, stretching longer and longer until it faded into a low caress that tightened every muscle in her body. His head bent closer, and her gaze fixed on his mouth—that luscious, sinful, kissable mouth. She wanted it. God, did she want it. Anybody could be watching, and she really didn’t care anymore. Except he turned his head. The lips she wanted so desperately to feel avoided hers, settling instead at her ear. “Perhaps I should take a page from your book. No touching. No teasing. After all, it’s not torture, right?” Maddy exhaled a ragged breath. She couldn’t remember the last time a man had driven her so crazy by doing so little. “I think you intend to take a page out of my book,

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but I don’t think you can keep your hands, or your flirting, to yourself for another three hours.” “I have to drive. I can keep my hands busy enough.” Gently, he flexed his fingertips against her nape. “Why are you so preoccupied with my hands, though, Maddy? Maybe you’re nervous because of what you want me to do with them.” It was Maddy’s turn to move her mouth close to his ear. Despite the obvious temptation, she didn’t let the tip of her tongue catch his salty skin. “Tonio, honey, this isn’t nerves you’re seeing.” She broke away from him before he could respond and sauntered toward the counter. She might have put a little extra swing in her step to keep his attention on her. He kept pace and set the water and Diet Coke in front of the cashier. “I had thirty on pump three too,” he said, pulling out his wallet. She touched the back of his hand—and maybe she did have a small fixation on his very nice hands—and shook her head. “You don’t have to pay, Tonio. I mean, you put the gas in my car.” He paused long enough for her to think he was going to protest. Then he bowed his head and tucked his wallet back into his pocket. “Only because I’m buying dinner tonight.” “I’m relieved to see your nobility doesn’t necessarily overwhelm your common sense,” she said, rifling through her purse to find her wallet. She paid for the drinks and the gas, her attention still mostly focused on Tonio. He didn’t say another word as the cashier rang it up, and he didn’t touch her again when she led him back to the car. Maddy reached to open her door, only to be stopped when his hand passed hers to settle on the handle. She paused and waited for him to open it for her, enjoying the gallant gesture for what it was, but rather than do that, Tonio stepped a little closer, pinning her to the side of the hot car. “My nobility only goes so far, querida,” he murmured in her ear. Something about the way he said the Spanish word made her knees turn to rubber, even if she didn’t know what it meant. But she couldn’t turn around and climb up his

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body, as much as she might have wanted to. “I’d be disappointed if your nobility went too far.” “I’m going to remember that.” The metal burned against her palms where she braced against the car, but she would have stayed like that for hours longer if Tonio chose not to move. He did, however. The handle lifted, and the latch clicked, the door swinging open at the same time he separated from her. He rounded the front of the car, and it wasn’t until he was on the other side that it even occurred to Maddy to get in. Tonio smiled. Sincere. Sexy. Devastating. “Only three more hours to go,” he said. “We’re halfway there.” Maddy had been uncertain about whether or not she wanted the ride to be halfway over, but she made up her mind in that moment. She wanted the three hours to melt away. Not because she was eager to escape his company, but because she wanted to have his undivided attention.

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Chapter Four

If he had been a gambling man, Tonio would have gone out and bought a lottery ticket as soon as they checked into the Mark Hopkins. Because he hadn’t had luck this phenomenal in months. When Shawn had called with his dilemma, it had taken everything Tonio had not to offer his services before Shawn could even ask. Drive Maddy Terrell to San Francisco? Spend countless hours sitting next to the woman who had been driving him crazy with fantasies ever since Christmas? This was the opportunity of a lifetime. If he hadn’t been able to convince Maddy to give him a shot after having the entire drive to get to know him, he never would. He had never considered the reservation at the Top of the Mark as a sure thing. He wasn’t even convinced she would go through with it. He’d hoped, certainly, and he’d had high hopes when she didn’t slap him down right away, but there had been a niggle of doubt all the way through checking in at the hotel. While they’d ridden up the elevator in comfortable silence. It had lasted until the moment they reached Maddy’s door, she smiled back at him, and said, “Give me half an hour to freshen up.” Tonio washed up and dressed in record time. He’d chosen his clothes very carefully for the weekend, knowing that a woman of Maddy’s experience wouldn’t be satisfied with anything less than the best, and wore black dress pants with a light tan dress shirt, the finest of white pinstripes running through the soft fabric. He left the collar undone

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and forewent the tie. He didn’t want to look like he was trying too hard. But the ensemble highlighted both his build and his coloring, and Maddy didn’t seem immune to his looks. He was going to use every advantage he had. With two minutes left on his half hour, he pocketed his wallet and room key. His stomach was doing the jitterbug, but a glance in the mirror said that it didn’t show. It was now or never. Do or die. And God, he really hated all those craptastic movie clichés. Even if they were mostly true. Maddy had the adjoining room, and he reached her door exactly thirty minutes after they parted. He knew she would change out of her jeans and into something more formal, but he was entirely unprepared for the vision she presented when she answered his knock. She wore a sleeveless, dark green dress that ended several inches above her knees, showcasing her perfect legs. Had she known his fascination with her legs? Had he been that blatant in his appreciation? He didn’t think so. Even so, Tonio forced his attention upward, over her tempting curves, past the cleavage the sweetheart neckline teased him with. She’d pulled her hair up, and a few curls escaped from the knot to hang softly against her cheeks. He itched to touch her. He wanted to know if the memory he had from their gas stop of how silken she’d felt against his fingertips was a valid one. But this wasn’t the time or place for it, not yet. Maddy smiled at him. “You clean up nice.” Pleasure burned in his gut. She’d noticed. “I’d say the same for you, but you looked amazing back in LA. This, however…” He gestured toward the dress. “If you look half this good at the wedding tomorrow, nobody is going to be looking at your niece.” “You’re very sweet.” She stepped into the hallway and shut the door behind her. “My dress for tomorrow night is not quite so…revealing.” Taking her hand would have been too forward, so Tonio moved easily at her side as he led her down the hall for the elevators. Her perfume was delicate, something floral with just a hint of musk, but it still managed to make him want to press her into the wall then and there and bury his nose in her neck.

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He settled for allowing their arms to brush against each other, ever so casually. It was enough to make his cock twitch. “What time does everything start tomorrow?” he asked as they waited for the elevator to arrive. “The ceremony is scheduled for ten, then we set sail at six for the reception.” The doors whooshed open. Tonio rested his hand in the small of her back and guided her onto the car. “Then I don’t have to worry about keeping you up too late tonight.” “You promised to have me safely tucked in by ten thirty. Though I might be willing to extend that to eleven.” “Might be? That’s going to be a definite.” He pressed the button for the nineteenth floor. “You haven’t tasted the food yet. Or heard the band.” He smiled down at her. “Or seen the dance floor.” “You sound like quite the expert. Have you brought dates here before?” “Dates? No. My Aunt Lily has a soft spot for the city. She uses me as an excuse to come in and splurge a little bit.” She arched her eyebrow. “So is my image of you all wrong? Here I’m thinking you’re quite the player, and you really spend your free time entertaining old ladies?” Tonio held a hand to his chest in mock pain. “A player? What the hell has Shawn been saying about me?” “Hmm.” She tapped her chin. “Let me see if I can remember. He did mention that you got more tail than you knew what to do with, but he didn’t know I was listening to that conversation.” “To Shawn, ‘more’ means anything other than a girl a year,” he teased back. Turning to face her, he took a dangerous step closer, unable to resist. “And if you have any doubts about me knowing what I’m doing, I’d be more than happy to turn this elevator around and show you, Maddy.” Her gaze traveled up and down his body, and Tonio knew she was mentally undressing him. He could almost feel the clothes being removed from his body, an item

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at a time. He didn’t fidget or back away from the appraisal, and her slow smile made his pulse quicken. “You can show me. On the dance floor.” Beside them, the doors whispered open, the distant sounds of the band filling the car. That was the only reason Tonio found the fortitude to pull away, but it didn’t stop him from capturing her fine-boned hand in his to lead her toward the hostess. “Two for Herrera at nine.” The plump blonde looked over the listings in the book in front of her before turning a brilliant smile to Tonio. “Right this way, sir.” Without letting go of Maddy’s hand, he followed the hostess along the edge of the dance floor, aware of the multiple gazes turning in their direction. At least two men raked their attention down Maddy’s legs, but all that did was make Tonio caress the side of her palm with his thumb. Tonight, she was his. He was going to enjoy it for as long as she let him. The hostess stopped at a table along the outer wall. Through the long windows, the lights of the city twinkled in rainbow hues, brighter for the velvet sky blanketing overhead. Tonio held the chair out for Maddy, but her eyes were fixed on the view, delight shining in their light green depths. “Was it worth it?” he asked, taking the chair opposite. “Was it worth being stuck with you all weekend?” She bent closer and lowered her voice. “Between you and me, a trip to McDonalds would have been worth it.” Tonio leaned in until only a couple inches separated them. “Does that mean I can redeem my real kiss now?” The decision not to kiss her at the gas station had been a risky one. She had clearly expected him to do it, but at the last moment, Tonio knew a roadside peck wouldn’t suffice. If he was gauging her correctly, the touch against her cheek fueled both her confusion and her desire. It kept her on edge. He liked it that way. She tilted her head to the side, the corner of her mouth lifting. “Yes, it does.” He didn’t reach for her, as much as his palms yearned to curve around her face and hold her still. Instead, Tonio stretched those few extra inches and touched his lips to hers, keeping it tender while lingering as long as he possibly dared.

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Her lips were warm and soft, and he traced them with his tongue, though he didn’t push for entry and she didn’t offer. When he pulled back, her eyes glittered and his mouth watered for more. “Was it worth it for you?” “Yes,” he said without hesitation. “And now I’m beginning to wish I hadn’t done that before we’d eaten. Because I have no idea how I’m going to get through this meal without wanting another one.” “You could always earn another one for dessert.” “I thought you were my dessert.” “I thought I said I planned to be in bed by eleven. That hardly gives you enough time to…enjoy me properly.” He dropped his gaze to her slightly swollen mouth. “You never said you were going to be alone.” “You’re right, I didn’t. But I did say I wanted you to show me what you’re capable of.” She nodded toward the floor. “Up to dazzling me?” They hadn’t ordered yet, but Tonio wasn’t going to let that stop him. Shaking his head at the approaching waiter, he rose from his chair and held out his hand to Maddy. “Always.” Though Maddy accepted his lead willingly, he didn’t take more than a step onto the dance floor before pulling her to him. She fit perfectly with his body, her breasts pressed into his chest, her body warm. Her perfume was enough to make him heady. He hadn’t had a sip to drink, and he already felt a little buzzed. Tonio rested his hand on the small of her back, resisting the powerful urge to let it drift lower. The quiet jazz number had a languorous rhythm, slow enough to allow him the luxury of focusing on Maddy, fast enough not to be standing still. Their feet moved automatically, but every shift brushed a different part of her body touching his. A supple calf against the back of his leg. A swell of a hip along his own. A brush of her arm across the top of his.

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He never looked away. Not when he anticipated a momentary surge in the music, and whirled her away in a new direction. Not when her mouth parted and the tip of her pink tongue darted out to moisten her lower lip. Not even when her fingers began to caress his nape, fragile touches that she would have every right to deny if he chose to say anything. “Did your Aunt Lily teach you how to dance too?” she asked in a throaty whisper. “Only the basics.” Tonio bent his head and rested his mouth at her temple so that his words washed down her neck. “It’s all about having the right partner.” It might have just been the vibrations from the music, but Tonio thought he felt her shiver. “Perhaps. I can’t remember the last time I moved this well with somebody.” “I think that’s a shame. You’re the most sensual woman I’ve ever met.” Stretching his hand, he let his fingertips graze over the upper swell of her ass. Just that faint contact left his mouth dry. “I see you, Maddy, and I have all kinds of bad, bad thoughts.” He definitely felt her shiver this time, and his groin tightened as he realized he was getting to her the way she got to him. “What kinds of bad, bad thoughts?” “Thoughts of how tightly you could wrap those gorgeous legs around me.” Tonio lowered his head further, tracing the curve of her ear with the tip of his tongue. “Thoughts of whether you would taste better tied to a bed or up against a wall, with me on my knees in front of you. You’d be surprised how many of my fantasies have me on my knees, pleasuring you.” “You’d probably be surprised about how many times I’ve fantasized of that very thing.” For the first time since taking the dance floor, Tonio faltered. All the air disappeared from his lungs. He had known she was attracted to him—he wasn’t blind, after all—but this was more of a confession than he’d thought he would earn. Hell, this wasn’t even teasing. This was reaching into his gut and holding on while offering the very thing he wanted most. “You don’t have to fantasize, you know,” he murmured. “Just say the word, and we can order our meal to go.”

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“The food won’t taste as good if we lose the ambiance.” He didn’t think it was possible, but she moved closer to him, pressing against his growing erection. “But that doesn’t mean we have to linger over the meal.” Tonio mouthed the side of her neck, too tempting not to sample. “I’ll linger over you instead.” Her breath hitched. “Before you do that, can I ask a favor from you?” “Anything.” At that moment, he would have rappelled down the side of the hotel if she asked. Naked. “What would you like?” “Will you be my date tomorrow? Shawn was supposed to accompany me for moral support.” Tonio straightened, surprised at the request. He searched her eyes, wondering if he would find any hint of teasing, but nothing was there. Just that same desire he’d noted earlier, though this time it glowed with an added warmth. “Of course. I’d love to go with you.” She moved her mouth closer to his ear. So close, he thought she was going to kiss him. “I’ll be sure to show you my appreciation.” He shut his eyes, focusing on the soft rhythm of her body in hopes that it would help control his raging arousal. Taking a deep breath, he said, “Only if you let me show my gratitude tonight.” She swayed forward, brushing his cock with her hip. “It feels like if we don’t sit down soon, you’ll be showing me your gratitude right here on the dance floor.” Maddy had a point. And as wonderful as she felt, he hadn’t come this far only to fuck it up now. Sliding his hand along her hip, he let his fingertips caress her waist before lowering their other hands to start leading her back to their table. “Let’s eat, then. Gotta keep my strength up.” She hesitated before taking her seat again, almost as though she didn’t want to break contact with him. He didn’t want to let her go, but he relinquished his hold on her before holding out her chair.

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“What do you suggest from the menu?” Maddy said. “I can’t really concentrate on the words.” “Would you like me to order for both of us?” Maddy inclined her head. “Please.” With a small nod, Tonio gestured for the waiter to come over. “We’ll start with the smoked duck and black currant dressing.” His gaze flickered across the menu. “Then the lemon snapper with saffron sauce, and…” His finger tapped the hard edge as he debated the dessert options. “The mocha cheesecake for dessert.” “Would you like any wine with that?” Personally, he felt drunk already, but he glanced over the wine list before adding, “The Hanna Sauvignon Blanc, please.” “I’m impressed,” she commented, once the waiter left. “I expected you to at least flounder a little bit.” Tonio cocked an eyebrow. “I sincerely hope that’s because you think I’m too dazzled by you, rather than because I’m only twenty-four.” “Why? This menu is a bit beyond the experiences of most people in their early twenties.” “Mid-twenties,” he corrected. “And I like nice things. If I’ve learned anything, it’s how to pick out and appreciate only the very best.” “I suppose if you really are dazzled by me, I shouldn’t have questioned your taste.” “There you go, then.” But the subject niggled at him, and he wondered just how much of an issue his age was going to continue to be. Clearly, she was attracted to him, and the fact that she had as much as promised to spend practically the whole weekend at his side—both in bed and at the wedding—meant she was at least marginally okay with the fact that he was younger than she. She had voiced her concerns about his friendship with Shawn, but Tonio honestly believed that could be worked out. Shawn was a reasonable man who hated seeing his mother alone. If she was happy—and Tonio had every intention to make sure that she was—Tonio didn’t see how Shawn could argue against their relationship.

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“Is there anything I should know about tomorrow? What people to avoid, who to impress?” A frown marred her forehead for the first time that night, but it cleared quickly. So quickly, he wasn’t even sure if he saw it. “Well, I’m probably going to scandalize half the family by showing up with somebody my son’s age. Avoid Marlene—Jane’s mother. She’s turned into a real monster since her daughter got engaged, and I doubt she’ll be sane tomorrow. Bill’s…Jane’s grandparents, Edith and Howard, will want to feed you.” She smiled. “Not that you look like you’re starving, but that’s how they treat everybody. Hopefully everybody else will be too distracted by the happy couple to give much thought to us.” The waiter arrived, and after having Tonio sample it, poured out the wine. Tonio waited until they were left alone again before replying. “I’m sure it’ll be fine.” He lifted his glass and smiled. “To a wonderful weekend.” Maddy raised her glass as well. “To an unforgettable one, at least.” He only had one thought as he sipped the white wine. It’s already unforgettable.

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Chapter Five

Maddy was certain the food was delicious, but she couldn’t really taste it. It seemed she didn’t have enough concentration to focus on the food because her other four senses were drinking Tonio in. She wasn’t sure when she had officially made the decision to throw caution to the wind and have a weekend fling with a boy almost half her age, but the decision had been made, and she couldn’t go back on it. Not now. Not with her entire body aching for another touch. Not while her pussy clenched and fluttered every damned time he smiled at her. And he smiled at her a lot. Maddy had had other flings like this one—well, not exactly like this one. Her lovers tended to be her peers, age-wise and professionally. After Bill died, she didn’t have the energy to raise a teenage son on her own, work full-time as a hospital administrator and nurture a relationship with a new man. But none of those other men made her half as nervous and excited as Tonio did with his sly smiles. Once the plates from their entrée had been cleared, Maddy realized she wouldn’t be able to suffer through the next course. “Do you want to ask them to box up dessert?” His long fingers toyed with the stem of his empty wineglass. Instead of answering her, though, he gestured for the waiter to return. “We’d like the cheesecake to go, please. But no forks.” He glanced at Maddy. “We won’t need them.”

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If Maddy wasn’t already sure about her decision before, she was convinced now. This felt like a good idea. She idly wondered if Tonio did this sort of thing regularly— seduce the mothers of his friends. The thought didn’t really bother her, but she dismissed it anyway. Despite Tonio’s blatant sensuality, he didn’t seem interested in collecting trophies. “I hope you plan on sharing that cheesecake.” Tonio leaned forward, capturing Maddy’s hand and bringing it to his mouth. He turned it upward and kissed her palm, letting his tongue linger and trace along her lifeline as he gazed up at her through his lashes. “Trust me. I’m a selfish bastard. Half the reason for picking cheesecake was wanting to feel you eat it off me.” Maddy thought it was a good thing she wanted a chance to do just that, because otherwise she would have dragged Tonio out of the restaurant before getting dessert or paying the bill. She already had the feeling that pulling herself out of bed the next morning for the wedding was going to be hell. The waiter arrived with their to-go container and the check. Maddy automatically reached for her purse, but Tonio quickly and calmly beat her to it, passing the waiter his card. Maddy couldn’t help but smile, but a small voice nagged at her. Could he afford a meal like this? Most of Shawn’s friends didn’t even have spare change for a cheeseburger. “So what do you do that allows you to enjoy only the best in life?” “I’m in computer animation. Games, mostly.” He grinned at her, a twinkle in his eye. “So the next time you see a gorgeous redhead with long legs shooting an alien’s head off on the front of a game box, you’ll know who inspired her.” “You can make me famous. That doesn’t sound too bad.” Neither did his career. Young, handsome—handsome enough to be beautiful—and successful. Tonio would have been quite the catch if she was looking for anything to last beyond the weekend. The waiter returned with the receipt, and Tonio signed off on it, barely looking at the scrap of paper. He rose and held out his hand, waiting for her to take it before picking up their dessert and heading for the elevator. His fingers closed possessively around hers,

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warm and sure, so that by the time they stood in front of the doors waiting for them to open, Maddy’s skin had gone hot yet again. He didn’t speak as the elevator arrived, didn’t do anything until after he’d pressed the button for their floor. Then, the hand that held hers let go, his arm curling around her waist. In the next instant, she was flush against his chest, his dark eyes burning into hers. “I’m sorry, Maddy. I’ve waited too long already.” She didn’t have time to protest before his mouth covered hers, or before he pushed her back against the wall, or before his lips parted and his hungry tongue demanded entry. She didn’t have time to breathe before hers parted as well, but she did have time to lift her arms and wrap them around his neck. Their first kiss had only teased her senses, but now he overwhelmed her. She smelled his aftershave, something sharp and spicy, and tasted the wine on his tongue. She felt his body hard against hers, hotter than she expected, holding her firmly against the wall. She heard her own heart thundering in her ears, and she was certain it echoed his. She vaguely heard the elevator chime and realized that was probably their floor. She couldn’t pull her mouth from his. When the door began to whisper shut, his hand shot out to jab the button to keep it open. Tonio licked along her lower lip one more time before easing back, but the rapid rise and fall of his chest told her how badly he didn’t want to. “Whose room?” he rasped. “Mine.” Her room was more convenient for her, and she didn’t think Tonio cared. In fact, judging from the light in his eyes, she thought he’d be perfectly happy to spend the night in the elevator. She fished the key from her small purse, then took Tonio’s hand again. Not that he needed any encouragement to follow her. Her fingers were slick by the time they reached her door, but she managed to get the card into the slot without too much problem. She didn’t have time to reach for the light before he pressed her face-first into the wall, grinding his arousal into her ass as he bent his head and began devouring her neck.

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“I don’t think there’s a safe surface in this room,” he said as he bit and licked at the soft spot below her ear. “I’m going to taste you everywhere, every way I can.” Her body throbbed with his promise, and his lips seared her skin. Had she ever felt anything better than Tonio’s mouth? Maddy didn’t think so. She reached behind her, gripping his hip to pull him closer. But she realized that wasn’t what she wanted, or what she needed. She needed to get the clothes off, to remove the final barriers between her flesh and his. Plastic rustled as he dropped the desserts to the floor. With both hands now free, Tonio grabbed the hem of her dress, dragging it upward until his hot fingertips met her bare stomach. One hand lingered, while the other continued to forge a path over her skin, stopping only when it touched the lace-covered curve of her breast. “What do you want, Maddy? We’ll make the first time lady’s choice.” She tried to look at him, but she didn’t have enough room to move her head. It didn’t matter. “I want to stay against the wall…with you on your knees.” He nudged her hair out of his way, lips skimming across her nape. When he reached the zipper, she heard the muted click as his teeth caught the tab and then it was parting, opening up as Tonio pulled it down without ceasing his hands’ exploration. She shivered as he exposed her spine. She shivered again when he released the zipper and licked a path back up to her ear. “I’ll bet you taste sweeter than the cheesecake.” Goose bumps covered Maddy’s skin by the time Tonio worked the dress down her body. The soft material of her bra felt unusually abrasive against her tender nipples. Each slide against the rough wall only heightened her senses. The texture was a sharp contrast to Tonio’s soft tongue, and smooth hands, and warm breath. “There’s only one way to find out.” “Lucky for me, it’s the very best way.” He pushed her hose down her hips, keeping his palms curved around her legs. He sunk to his knees at the same time until she felt his breath heating her ass. “Lift your feet.”

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She did so without hesitation, closing her eyes at the slow, sensual glide of his fingers along her soles. Her shoes ended up tossed somewhere behind them, followed by her hose. It left her standing there in just a bra and panties, clinging almost desperately to the wall for support. Maddy gasped when she felt his tongue along the back of her thigh. It left a wet trail as he licked up to her underwear, but though she expected his tongue to follow the path of the rest of her clothes, Tonio never touched her. Instead, he mouthed the delicate fabric, nipping at random intervals along her ass. Maddy wasn’t going to beg to feel his mouth, but nothing could stop her from moaning and whimpering as he continued to tease her. She was going to scream as soon as his tongue touched her pussy. But Tonio didn’t seem like he wanted to give her the chance to shout his name. He sucked on her flesh through the thin material until she squirmed, trapped between his mouth and the wall. His hands stole up her legs, tickling the inside of her thighs as he slowly forced them to spread. There was no denying his strength—not that she wanted to—and her hips angled further and further away from the solid support of the wall. Her shoulders remained flat, though. Tonio only seemed intent on being able to get closer to her pussy. “My mouth won’t stop watering,” he said softly. His broad thumbs slipped beneath her panties, pulling the fabric to the side, and he licked along the crease where her ass met her leg. “I could probably spend all night eating you out.” It was on the tip of her tongue to tell him to start already, but then he traced over her swollen lips, and the words were lost. He barely touched her clit, using just enough pressure to send sparks of electricity up her spine. Every brush of contact, every warm puff of breath threatened to break her. Finally, he circled her opening, moving his tongue in faster and faster swipes, until he thrust into her passage. Tonio groaned, a sound that reverberated through her. His fingertips dug into her soft flesh, hard enough for her to feel the pinch, and his teeth scraped against her inner folds as he buried his tongue again and again inside her. It felt like he wanted to reach every

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inch of her, taste even more than he’d promised. Another groan came. Then another. Soon, all she heard were Tonio’s hungry sounds. Maddy braced herself against the wall with one hand, and buried the other in Tonio’s hair, her fingers resting on the back of his head. She moved with him, riding his tongue, straining for more even as his moans vibrated through her. Her clit throbbed, and pleasure began to wind around her stomach and into her chest. She palmed her breast and pinched her nipple, pulling the hard flesh between her fingers as his tongue licked faster. Her panties shifted. Tonio eased his hand beneath the delicate fabric, gliding over her hot skin. She was almost disappointed when he replaced his tongue with three of his long fingers, but then she felt his rapid breath tickling across her wet folds and the quivering returned to her muscles. “Do you scream?” she thought she heard him say. “Ah, well, only one way to find out…” Her nails dug into his scalp when his head moved deeper between her thighs. With his hand pumping in and out of her, Tonio flicked his tongue across her clit just once before catching it firmly between his teeth. Maddy went rigid, shouting Tonio’s name. He sucked on her flesh, each gentle pull prompting another cry. She couldn’t even remember the last time anybody had made her feel this way. His fingers moved faster, the tips finding her G-spot. Her head spun, and each time she gasped for breath it was followed by a new shout. He applied more pressure to her clit, the sharp point blossoming from a moment of pain into drawn-out pleasure. She slammed her palm into the wall again and again as the orgasm—just the first of many, she hoped—overtook her. Coming didn’t seem to stifle Tonio’s desire to taste her, but now it was broad sweeps of his tongue across her opening that made her tremble. He even licked along her thighs, as if in search of every drop of moisture, so that by the time he straightened along her body, her muscles had long gone liquid. His strong arm wrapped around her waist, holding her firmly while the world still spun around her. “I’ve waited six months to hear those sounds from you,” he murmured.

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Maddy spun in his arms, immediately claiming his mouth. His lips parted, allowing her to dip her tongue inside, seeking out her own taste. She kissed him until her lungs began to burn, and then pushed for more and more, until they both gasped for breath. “Take me to bed,” she rasped before he found her lips again. His arms locked around her, lifting, twirling, spinning away from anything solid until she felt the soft edge of the bed at the back of her legs. Gently, Tonio laid her atop the comforter, but though she clung to his broad shoulders, he eased back, straightening as his hands went to his shirt. “One of us has too many clothes on,” he said. Maddy propped herself up on her elbows to watch him disrobe. The only illumination in the room came from the open curtains, but it was enough light for her to fixate on the way his long fingers moved from button to button, the fabric falling free when he tugged the garment from his waistband. His chest was as luscious as it had felt pressed against her, the muscles sculptured by youth and good health, nipples flat and dark and begging her to taste them. A thin line of dark hair began mid-navel and descended downward, and it was impossible not to follow it and see the thick bulge of his erection straining against his pants. She put her hand out. “Come here.” As soon as he was within touching distance, she pulled his belt out of the loops and tossed it aside. Watching him strip was satisfying, but she couldn’t wait to get her hands—and her mouth—on his cock. They both sighed as she unbuttoned and unzipped his pants, freeing his erection. Her pulse raced at the sight of him, and the lethargic satisfaction that had accompanied her orgasm disappeared entirely. She was hungry for him again. Unable to resist, she swiped her tongue over the velvety head, collecting the drops of pre-come. Tonio hissed. “I can’t remember the last time I was this on edge.” “Maybe I could help.” As her lips moved against the smooth skin, Maddy shoved his clothing down his legs, waiting until he stepped out of them to reach between his thighs. She cupped his heavy balls. “Take the edge off a bit.”

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His muscles quivered. It was intoxicating, knowing she was the reason for it. “It would mean I last longer when I finally get inside you.” His voice had gone rough, the effect of his ragged breathing. “That can only be a good thing.” “The longer the better,” Maddy agreed. She teased his head with a few light strokes of her tongue, her fingers flexing and massaging. She wanted to prolong the torture the way he had done, but she didn’t have the patience. Maddy inhaled and drew him deeper into her mouth. His cock was thick and smooth, and it throbbed against her lips as she slid down the steel shaft. The sigh that came from Tonio dragged out with every inch she took inside, drifting down to settle over her skin. He might have taken pleasure in tasting her, but this was exactly what she had wanted all night long—the salt, and the heat, and the faint stickiness when she pulled back and dipped her tongue into the slit, sampling even more of his pre-come. When she slid back down, Tonio rested his hand on the back of her head, not really pushing but heavy enough for her to know its weight. It sounded like his breaths were growing even more shallow, but it took several passes up and down his cock for her to realize they were words, too soft for her to make out. The more she tasted, the more she wanted. She resolved to be in this position again before the weekend was out. Maybe on her knees. Or maybe on her back so he could sink into her throat. But for now, she only wanted to take that edge off so he could finally pound her into the mattress. The fingers around his balls tightened, and now she wasn’t so careful about using her nails on his sensitive skin. “Fuck, what you do to me, querida…” With the added force of her mouth and hand, Tonio’s voice found power as well, his encouragement pouring out in fits and pieces as he began to match her with his own thrusts. Maddy reached around his hip and felt his muscular ass flexing with each movement. Fresh desire flooded through her. It would flex even more when he was filling her up with his gorgeous cock, and she’d hold on with hands and legs so that she could

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feel every taut squeeze of it. Tonio might claim to appreciate only the best, but so could she. A body like his needed to be savored in every way possible. With her hand on his ass, she guided him deeper until his head reached her throat. She relaxed her muscles, swallowing and holding him. He jerked his hips, trying to force her to move again, but she just flexed her throat around him again and again. He gasped her name—her only warning before his balls tightened against her palm. Tonio shuddered, his hand coming down on her skull, and his salty come flooded her mouth. She closed her eyes, letting it all flow down her throat. Fingertips trailed along her hollow cheek, drifting lower to her shoulder. “Come here,” he rasped, curling a grip around her arm. Reluctantly, Maddy let his still-semi-hard length slip from her mouth as he tugged her up against his chest. His lips crushed to hers, his arms almost as bruising. She responded because she had to; everything in her seemed to be rushing forward to embrace what Tonio offered, heedless of what any common sense might have said hours and hours ago. He kissed her as if it was their first, or maybe their last, a desperate need that had both of them trembling by the time he stopped. “We still have cheesecake.” His hands molded over her curves. “And I still plan on eating it off you.”

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Chapter Six

All he wanted to do was stare. Maddy was stretched out on the bed, fully nude, her hair a riot of color against the pale pillows. Her porcelain skin glowed with only the moon and streetlights to illuminate it, making her pebbled nipples appear all the more appetizing for the contrast. She watched him with heavy-lidded eyes, devouring him as surely as she had his cock. Tonio wasn’t sure he’d ever seen anything more beautiful. Whatever god was smiling down on him this weekend, he was prepared to open a vein in worship, just for this golden opportunity. With the rest of his own clothes off, he retrieved the desserts from where he’d dropped them near the door, losing the bag as he prowled back to the bed. His cock was nearly hard again, and he didn’t doubt that if he climbed on top of Maddy, she would spread her legs and welcome him in without hesitation. He didn’t want that yet. He’d had only a taste of her glorious body, and he wanted more. If she thought he’d been kidding about the cheesecake, she was about to get a big surprise. Tonio stretched out on his side next to her, propping his head up on one hand while opening the Styrofoam container with the other. “So which part of my plan worked the best?” he asked, dipping his finger into the cake. He smeared it over the top of her breast, spreading it thin so that there would be more to taste when he licked it off her. “So I know for the next time I want to seduce you.”

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“The dancing, I think.” She stretched her arms above her head, lifting her breasts. The tip of his tongue moved over one nipple before she relaxed against the bed again. “Lucky for you, there will be a lot of dancing tomorrow.” He concentrated for a moment on the texture of her skin beneath the sweet confection. It was tempting to catch bits of her between his teeth, but that was a treat he was saving for later. He wanted to lull her into a sense of security before surprising her with the quick jolt of a nibble. “So the trick is to touch you, not feed you. Got it.” Maddy smoothed her fingers over his shoulder, then up his neck and through his hair. Her touch was light, but deliberate. “Not quite. The trick, apparently, is to let me touch you.” He lifted his head, gazing down at her with rising hunger. “You just asked for trouble.” “Oh? You think you can give me any trouble I can’t handle?” “I think you’re going to be hard-pressed to keep me from giving you as many opportunities as possible.” Cheesecake still clung to his fingers. He reached up and smeared it across the corner of her mouth before bending down and licking it away. Maddy turned her head to try and kiss him, but Tonio straightened before they made contact, making a show of tasting the lingering sweet on his lips. “Good.” She reached over and dipped her fingers in the dessert, then wiped it across his abdomen. Leaning toward him, she looked up through her lashes and added, “It’ll give me something to look forward to.” Tonio clenched his jaw at the first touch of her tongue across his stomach, fixated on how close she was to the wet head of his cock. Watching her suck him off had ignited all sorts of fantasies. They wouldn’t be doable tomorrow, or even Sunday for that matter, but once they were back in LA, all bets were going to be off. He’d known they would be hot together. He had every intention of discovering everything there was about this woman. And more.

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When she lay back, he grazed his fingers over her hip. “So did you really fantasize about me before tonight?” he asked, unable to resist. “Or were you just pushing my buttons when you said that upstairs?” “I wasn’t immune to your…obvious charms. But when it comes to Shawn’s friends, I keep a policy of looking but no touching.” “Until now.” “Until now,” Maddy agreed. “I’m only human, after all.” “Oh, there’s nothing ‘only’ about you, querida.” He brushed the back of his knuckles over her mound, while lowering his head back to her breast. Swirling his tongue around and around her nipple, he listened to her gasps, each one rippling down his spine. Maddy slid her hand over his stomach, but avoided touching his cock. His muscles clenched against the soft scrape of her nails, and she buried her other hand in his hair, holding his mouth to her chest. “What do you keep calling me?” “Querida.” Tonio looked up at her through his lashes, flicking his tongue across her nipple. “You live in LA and you don’t know what that means?” “My Spanish is pretty much limited to what I need at the hospital. And most of the time, they’re not calling me anything nice. It is something nice, isn’t it?” The tone of her voice drew him upward, shifting his weight to cover her body with his. His cock was trapped between their stomachs, her nipples hard against his chest, but all he felt was how perfectly she fit into him, just like she had on the dance floor. “It means ‘dear’.” He caught her mouth in a slow kiss. “But I think querida is more sensual. Like you.” Maddy wrapped her arms around him, her fingers gliding against his spine. “Now I wish I had a pet name for you too.” “You’re here with me.” When he turned his head to savor her neck, the heat jumped between them. “That’s all I need.”

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Her legs went around him as well, hooking over his hips. There was only one way for them to be closer. She dropped her head back, letting him explore her neck, moving to the hollow of her throat. He licked her skin, and it tasted salty and sweet. “I need you inside of me.” The desire in her voice went straight to his cock. As each grind of their lower bodies slicked more of her arousal over his balls, teasing him with how hot she was going to be once he was pounding into her, Tonio had to summon every ounce of his control to break away from the temptation of touching her to reach across to the nightstand. He’d set his wallet there when he’d undressed, leaving it and the condoms it held in easy access for this moment. But now that it had arrived, his fingers had gone clumsy, dropping the billfold to the bed before he managed to get the foil packet out. Maddy watched with amusement. When he peeled away from her, sitting back on his heels to put on the rubber, she sat up as well. She took it out of his hands, tearing it open and tossing the packaging aside. Tonio shuddered as her slim hands rolled the condom down his length, taking her time to touch every inch. “You’re doing that on purpose.” She fluttered her lashes at him innocently. “Doing what on purpose? I’m just trying to help.” With a growl, he pounced, pushing her back to the mattress and smothering her body with his. “I told you, you were asking for trouble.” When she tried to wrap her arms around his back, Tonio caught her wrist and twisted it above her head, pinning it in place as he adjusted the angle of his hips. The head of his cock dragged over her folds, across her clit, stopping at her slick opening. “Now what was that about needing me inside you?” Rather than wait for the reply she wasn’t going to give him anyway, he thrust forward, burying his thick length deep inside her quivering channel. She immediately rose to meet him, clenching around his shaft. Her lips covered his jaw and neck, glanced over his mouth, then went back to explore his throat. Tonio buried his nose in her soft hair, picking out the cinnamon-sweet scent of her shampoo and soap.

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He held himself still for a long moment, trying to absorb everything about her, trying to burn her into his senses. Maddy forced him to take the first, long stroke. The impulse was to drive back into her body. The urge was to fuck her hard and long and listen to her scream as she creamed around his cock. But even more than those temptations, Tonio had the desire to make this last as long as possible, to experience everything he possibly could until both he and Maddy were saturated with sensations. He wanted Maddy to feel exactly what it was she did to him, feel every degree of heat, feel each shiver and tremor until it was impossible to discern one resonance from the other. So he pushed back in at an excruciatingly slow pace, pinning her legs so that she couldn’t force more. When he felt her body strain to meet his, he lifted his head and gazed down at her, all too aware that everything he felt was written across his face. “Slow,” he murmured. “We have all night, querida.” Maddy moaned, a sound that might have been protest or might have been agreement. But she didn’t try to push him again. Once he was satisfied she would follow his lead, he tilted his head, seeking her lips for a tender kiss. She cupped his face with her free hand, gasping into his mouth as he rotated his hips. Tonio took his time rocking back. He teased her with his tongue, letting it slip between her lips, brush against hers, then pull away again. Her body tensed and quivered beneath his, her skin slick. Pulling out of her heat was one of the hardest things Tonio had ever done. Each time he stroked forward, he had to bite back his sigh of satisfaction. He couldn’t remember the last time a woman had made him feel like this. She matched his rhythm without question, without hesitation, leaving him able to focus on making her surrender elsewhere as well. In her breath, for instance. Every time he sheathed himself, Tonio sealed his mouth to hers, breaking away only when he began to withdraw. By the time he kissed her again, her breath was a little bit shallower, a little bit hotter, until he felt the rapid hitch of her nipples across his chest like an echo inside his skin. When he broke his mouth from hers, she leaned forward, resting her brow against his shoulder. Each breath flamed against his skin, and he buried his face in her neck. They remained locked in that embrace, barely moving against each other as his thrusts slowed

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further. The sudden, unexpected points of her teeth in his skin spurred him to begin moving faster again. “Next time,” he rasped, “I think I might tie you to the bed, just to make sure you behave.” He didn’t see her smile, but he did feel it. “You can try… I think I’d like you to try.” “I won’t have to try.” Tonio pressed his mouth to her ear, his tongue tracing the delicate shell. “I just have to promise to give you the same opportunity.” She shuddered. “Are you sure you want to risk it? I might not untie you.” “I don’t remember asking to be untied.” He began to quicken his strokes, the images his mind was conjuring driving him harder. “Watching you ride my cock, your skin all sweaty, your mouth swollen…that’s a reward, in and of itself.” “Oh God…Tonio…” She writhed, grinding her clit against him with each thrust forward. Hearing her breathe his name like that made him long to hear her shout it. He slid his fingers down her arm, down her ribs, smiling as she twitched each time he hit a sensitive spot, and then between their bodies. She began to pant more words—soft, broken pleas that betrayed how close she was to her orgasm. He wanted to feel that. He didn’t want her to come when he was in the throes of his own orgasm. He’d already had a teaser of what that would be like—the way she shouted, the way she thrashed. He was a little surprised the room next door hadn’t complained about the way she pounded on the wall, but if they wanted to get a thrill listening in, he wasn’t going to stop them. Tonio sucked hard at her salty skin, choosing a spot lower on her shoulder that could be easily hidden by her clothing. When they woke up the next morning, Maddy would see the evidence of his desire when she looked in the mirror. She’d have the reminders for the ride back to LA, and then on Monday, when he called to find out when he could see her next week, he wanted her toying with the spot while they discussed dates. Maddy moved her hips faster, slamming against him harder, while her voice grew louder. She gripped his wrist and tugged at his hand. Tonio allowed her to guide him between their bodies, and on the next thrust forward, he found her clit. She jerked, crying

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out again. He pressed his finger against her pulsing flesh, and then she was arching her back, shouting his name. He lifted his head, intent on watching her face, intent on seeing every second of her orgasm. Her pussy clenched around his cock, the walls fluttering and throbbing, her flesh unbearably hot. He didn’t think he’d ever seen her more beautiful. So focused on watching her, he wasn’t aware of her pulling away, of her hand disappearing from his wrist. He only became aware when she reached between his legs and found his balls, slim fingers tight on his sac as she tugged at them. The jolt went straight through him, and Tonio pistoned in and out only a couple more times before he erupted. He fought against her tightness, against his muscles locking, against his vision tunneling down to only Maddy, to fuse their mouths together, stealing her breath when his failed. It would be impossible to move away from her, and Tonio had no intention of trying. Even though his muscles felt like gelatin, he didn’t want to be anywhere else. Maddy seemed content to let him cover her, to hold her against the mattress as their breath and pulses gradually slowed and returned to normal. When he finally lifted his head, she smiled at him. “I’m beginning to wonder if there’s anything you aren’t good at.” “Cooking.” He tasted the corner of her mouth, a sated smile on his lips. “I’m a lousy cook.” “Who needs to cook when you can afford fine dining?” She gently pushed him until he settled on his side, then curved her back against his chest. She sighed, pillowing her head on his arm. “You’re the first guy in a long time to wear me out like this.” Discreetly, Tonio slid the condom off with his free hand and reached behind to toss it into the bin next to the bed. He didn’t really want to hear about the other guys she’d been with, but since he was already being compared favorably, he supposed it could have been worse. Coiling his arm back around her, Tonio buried his nose in her hair, pausing to enjoy the feel and scent of her. “Just tell me you’re not going to send me back to my room.”

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When it dawned on him how desperate that sounded, he turned it into a tease by adding, “I think you broke my legs.” “No, you can stay. But try to let me sleep tonight. I don’t want to look like a zombie in the morning. Even if I’d be a zombie with a very handsome date.” His reply was a tender kiss below her ear. If sleep was what she wanted, sleep was what she was going to get. The fact that she was allowing him to spend the night with her was more than enough already.

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Chapter Seven

The ceremony had been gorgeous and Jane was beautiful. Maddy almost made it through the entire wedding without crying, but when Jane and Bobby exchanged vows, tears pricked the back of her eyes. She rapidly blinked them away, but Tonio took her hand and squeezed her fingers gently. The gesture shouldn’t have surprised her, but it did. The reception was also gorgeous. No expense had been spared for Jane’s fairy tale wedding, and Maddy had to admit she was happy she hadn’t found a reason to avoid attending. It might have been difficult to spend time with the people who reminded her most of her husband—many of whom never liked her to begin with—but the booze was free, the food was plentiful, and almost everybody had done a double take when they saw her on Tonio’s arm. Of course, she had done a double take herself when he showed up that morning to escort her to the church. He looked liked Prince Charming. She didn’t know how else to describe him. She stole disbelieving glances at him all day, and she wasn’t alone in that. She had caught people giving him the eye throughout the ceremony and the reception—a few women stared at him with an almost naked hunger. She didn’t know how she felt about their obvious appreciation. Not jealous, but maybe a little proud. And more than a little vain. How would they look at him if they knew what he was capable of behind closed doors?

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She leaned close to him as the waiters cleared the salad course from their small table. “I can’t wait until it’s time to dance.” Unseen due to the white tablecloth, his hand found her knee, pushing the fabric of her dress out of his way so that his fingertips could caress the inside of her lower thigh. “I found an alcove on the upper deck where you can see out across the water without being easily found,” he murmured back. “When the sun sets, I’m getting you up there, one way or another.” The back of Maddy’s neck prickled, and she wished the damned party wasn’t on a boat. She felt a little resentful that so much of her final night with Tonio would be spent at the reception. “It won’t be hard to get me up there. Or anywhere else you want.” He smiled at her and turned his head, brushing a kiss along her jaw. “I’m going to hold you to that.” Maddy closed her eyes at the contact, but immediately opened them again when somebody cleared their throat. She had been assigned a table with Bill’s Aunt May and two of his cousins, Dillon and John. All three of them were staring at her with vaguely disapproving eyes. May sniffed. “You’re acting like you’re the newlyweds.” Maddy smiled. “Not quite.” “My apologies,” Tonio said, his tone easygoing and sincere. “I sometimes forget myself around Maddy.” Maddy glanced over, noticing his wide smile. The same smile that had been tugging at the corners of his mouth all day. “They’re fine,” Dillon directed to May, then shifted back to Maddy. “How long have you two known each other?” “Since Christmas,” Tonio replied before she had the chance to. “Shawn introduced us.” Maddy frowned at the implication. “We haven’t been…seeing each other since Christmas.”

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“Oh, you’re one of Shawn’s friends?” May asked with clear disapproval. Maddy’s frown turned from Tonio to the older woman. “What’s your problem? So what if he is?” “It’s okay, Maddy.” Regardless of her rising anger, Tonio still sounded perfectly calm. “I met Shawn through my work, actually. He signed up to do some beta testing for my company. And Maddy’s right. We’ve known each other since Christmas, but I haven’t had the opportunity to get to spend any real time with her until this weekend.” John looked up, showing interest in something other than his food for the first time. “Where is Shawn? I thought he was going to be here.” “He had an issue come up with school,” Maddy said, with a slight pain. She hadn’t even thought to call Shawn. Resolving to phone him that night as soon as she could, she added, “He was sorry he couldn’t make it.” The main course was brought before anybody could ask another intrusive question, and Maddy eyed the chicken without an appetite. Tonio had to remove his hand from her knee in order to eat, but he pressed his leg closer to compensate. “You’ll have to promise me a dance later,” he said to May with a charming smile. “I’ll bet you could show me a thing or two.” Maddy watched as the thin line of May’s mouth turned into a tentative smile. It seemed even judgmental old ladies weren’t impervious to Tonio’s charms. She’d be hardpressed to think of anybody who could resist Tonio’s charms. A part of her suspected that if Tonio had spent more time at her house, she would have given in to him a lot sooner. What if he starts spending more time at your house now? Maddy chewed on her bottom lip. He wouldn’t do that, would he? He didn’t seem like the sort of person to make things more awkward. But she couldn’t expect him to stop being friendly with Shawn, either. For the first time, the consequences of their tryst began to intrude on her mind, and she struggled to push them away. She was probably being silly, anyway. “As long as it’s only one dance,” Maddy said lightly. “I heard that May could really move when she was younger.”

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“I can still move,” May informed them. The corners of Tonio’s eyes crinkled as he smiled at May. “That’s what I’m counting on. We’ll have to show these guys how it’s really done.” May’s face broke into a genuine smile now. “You’re on.” How did he do it? Maybe she never had a chance against him. Maybe nobody did. Which wasn’t exactly fair. She slipped her hand under the table and gently squeezed Tonio’s knee. “Everybody’s going to be lining up to get a chance with you.” When he glanced at her, she thought she saw his good humor falter, a shadow passing behind his dark eyes. Almost as quickly, though, it vanished, making her wonder if she wasn’t just obsessing far too much today. “Well, then, they’re out of luck,” he said. “Because my dance card is now officially filled up. You and May. That’s it.” Tonio managed to keep his hands to himself for the rest of the meal, and the conversation stayed light and impersonal. But his hand found her leg again when the toasts began. Maddy couldn’t help but step into his touch and lean against him. His body was warm and strong, and each simple touch reminded her of the way he moved above her the night before, the way he held her while they slept. Once the music started, she put her mouth to his ear. “I think now is a good time to show me that alcove you found.” His gaze flickered across the other people at the table before he curled their hands together and rose from his chair. “Save that dance for me, May,” he reminded, wagging a warning finger at her. “I’m going to be back to collect, and if I find you dancing with someone else, I’m going to be very put out.” May laughed and waved him off, leaving Maddy to follow as Tonio led her to the edge of the room. “Hopefully, nobody else will give you a hard time,” he said, once they were out of earshot. “I’m sorry. I probably should have been a little more discreet.”

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“No, you were fine. She would have found a reason to give me a hard time whether you were more discreet or not. Last time I brought Shawn to a family function, she wanted to lecture me about how I was obviously starving the boy.” Tonio snorted. “Shawn’s got the metabolism of a team of long-distance runners. I’ve never known anybody who can eat as much junk as he does and still say so skinny.” They stepped out of the main ballroom, the music muting behind them. “There’s a May in every family. I learned a long time ago, if you get the Mays of the world on your side, everybody else falls into place.” “I’m still worried that boy is going to eat me out of house and home before he finally moves out on his own,” Maddy joked, trying to ignore everything else he said. Did he want to get her extended family on his side? By itself, it meant nothing. But with all the other small clues and signs, the first alarm bells were beginning to ring. There was a slight chill in the air, the sun nearly gone beneath the horizon. Maddy welcomed the change in temperature, though not for the obvious advantage that it meant she could walk closer to Tonio. It was easier to keep her head clear, easier to just be. “You must have been young when you met Bill,” Tonio said. “You were…what, eighteen when Shawn was born?” “I was sixteen when we met. He had just moved to Los Angeles to start college. He was a sophomore when I was eighteen, and he dropped out of school so he could marry me and work full-time.” Maddy smiled wryly. “His parents were less than thrilled.” “But you knew it was right. You were happy.” “It wasn’t easy, but we never regretted the decision to get married and keep Shawn. It really didn’t matter what anybody else thought.” They reached a flight of stairs, and Tonio led her up them, his thumb caressing the side of her palm. “So why didn’t you ever remarry?” he asked when they reached the upper deck. “A woman like you, smart, beautiful. You should have been beating them off with a stick.” “I needed to focus on Shawn. Losing his father so suddenly in the car accident was hard on him. I know it’s hard to believe now, but he was really a handful. And not too

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many guys are falling all over themselves to play stepdad to an out-of-control teenager.” Maddy smiled. “And now that he’s not the issue, I can’t seem to find anybody who can keep up with me.” His teeth flashed in the darkness. “Hey, you fell asleep first last night. Not me.” “We had a long day. Try me when we don’t spend all day traveling.” She half expected him to turn it into an innuendo, or at the very least, pull her closer. Instead, Tonio continued to stroke her hand, leading her along the deck as if he didn’t have a care in the world. “Does your work keep you in LA a lot then?” “I don’t get too many vacations, no. What about you?” “Nah. I’m still earning my stripes. Some day, though.” “Some day? Already have big plans to see the world?” Tonio shrugged. “It’s a big place. It seems a shame not to take advantage of traveling if I ever get the chance.” They rounded a corner, and he guided her toward yet another flight of stairs. “Nothing extended, though. LA’s home. I couldn’t go far away from my family for very long.” “I think once I get Shawn pushed out of the nest, I’m going to go to Africa. On safari.” “Really?” He paused at the bottom of the stairs, his eyes dancing in surprise. “You playing jungle mistress? I think I’d pay to see that.” “Well, it’s risky. You might get eaten by a lion. Or a hippopotamus.” She glanced to the top of the stairs. “When did you have time to explore the boat?” His smile broadened. “Before we sat down. When I went to go to the bathroom. I had to check to see where the best points for jumping off and swimming to shore were.” Maddy laughed as he turned to lead her up. “I’m glad one of us remembered to check.” As soon as Tonio pushed the door open, she took a deep breath, inhaling the fresh smell of salt water. She couldn’t help but smile as the golden light from the setting sun

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illuminated his face and eyes, and her hand rose of its own accord to caress his warm cheek. “It’s lovely up here.” The soft gleam in his eyes matched the gentle way he pulled her against him. Turning Maddy around so she leaned back into his chest, Tonio wrapped his arms around Maddy, giving both of them the best view of the water. Her hair tickled the side of her face when he lowered his mouth to her ear. “It pales next to you.” Maddy didn’t want to go back down to the reception. She didn’t want to leave that spot. And she didn’t want the weekend to end. It wasn’t like there were other Tonios waiting for her at home. “Thanks for being here today.” “Trust me, Maddy. This was all my pleasure.” His hand splayed flat across her stomach, absently caressing her. “I don’t think this is a weekend I’ll forget for a very long time.” “I definitely won’t forget it. It’s not every weekend I get charmed and seduced.” “I’d say there’s something seriously wrong with this world when a woman like you doesn’t have any man she wants at her beck and call, but I really can’t argue when it’s got you in my arms at the moment, now can I?” “No, I guess you can’t. But I’m still trying to figure out why you don’t have some sweet young thing waiting for you in LA. Or several, for that matter.” “I don’t know what you think about me, Maddy, but it’s not my style to play around.” “I don’t think you play around.” Maddy stared across the bay, wondering if the weekend had to end. “I think you’re a handsome, charming, hot young man. The sort of young man who would be spending time with young ladies who aren’t old enough to be his mother.” The last thing she expected was to feel him chuckle behind her. “Trust me. I definitely don’t think of you as anything remotely like my mother.” One large bronze hand covered hers where it gripped the railing. “I date, yeah. But I don’t

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have a type like you seem to think I do. I like women who are smart, who don’t back down, who know what they want without a lot of games. The rest of it is just gravy.” “What do you plan to do with such a woman, once you find her?” “Who says I haven’t?” Maddy swallowed. He said he didn’t like women who played games, and there was no point in pretending she didn’t know what he meant. “Tonio…what do you think is going to happen when we get back to LA?” The hand that had been caressing her stomach slowed. “When we get back, I’m going to ask you out. On a real date. Now, in a perfect world, you’ll say yes, we’ll have a wonderful time, and we’ll see how far exactly we can take this thing between us. But something tells me my perfect world and your perfect world aren’t the same thing.” “I thought this was only going to be a…fling. For the weekend. Then we’d go back to our normal lives.” “Why can’t our normal lives have each other in them?” “Because I’m not looking for a relationship right now, Tonio. And I fear my son will have a fit.” “Shawn wants you to be happy. He worries about you as much as you worry about him.” Maddy tried to think of all the reasons why she did not have room for Tonio in her life, but those reasons were growing more and more distant. “In your perfect world, just how far do you think this thing can go?” His mouth returned to the soft spot below her ear. He made it almost impossible to think straight when he did that. “I don’t have a crystal ball,” Tonio murmured. “I know I’m attracted to you, that I love the sound of your voice, the way you laugh. I know you’ve got this amazing heart, that you work your fingers to the bone for your job, for your charity, for your son. I know you’ve had it hard, that you’ve risen above your loss and moved on, but I also know you think my age is an issue.”

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He pressed a tender kiss into her skin, his embrace contracting as he held her a trifle closer. His heat consumed the cold the brisk evening air had settled in her limbs, and for a moment, Maddy closed her eyes and luxuriated in the enticing warmth. “There’s only one way for us to find out just how far we can take this, querida,” he continued. “And that way starts with you agreeing to see me when we get back to LA.” He wasn’t playing fair. Holding her and calling her querida and touching her with his mouth wasn’t playing fair. Forcing her to remember what they had done the night before, and how he made her feel, how he made her shout until her throat was raw, wasn’t playing fair. “You can be very persuasive when you want to be, Mr. Herrera.” “I’m only persuasive if you say yes.” She turned to face him, spinning in his arms. The setting sun reflected in his dark eyes, and he looked at her with a curious combination of hope and desire. Her attention was drawn to his mouth. His beautiful, kissable mouth. “I think I might need a bit more persuasion.” Tonio lifted his hand and brushed his thumb across her lower lip. “Someone’s greedy,” he said, but there was a laugh in his soft voice. “Someone can’t seem to get enough of you. That might be something you should encourage.” His fingers stretched to cup her face, tilting her head to gaze up at him. “You’re making this very difficult for me, you know.” “Hard for you? You’re kidding, right?” Tonio smiled, but he continued to touch her. “Absolutely not. On the one hand, I can have the most amazing sex with someone I’m absolutely crazy about. On the other, I don’t want you to think of me as some kind of boytoy. That’s not what I want.” Maddy arched a brow. “I didn’t mean to imply I thought of you as a boytoy. But I’m not going to lie and say the fact that you’re amazing in bed isn’t playing a decent part in this decision.”

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“As long as it’s not the only part,” he said, but there was no time to answer him before his firm lips were on hers, the sweetness of dessert lingering on his tongue. It wasn’t the only part, but as he deepened the kiss, it was the only part she could think of. She gripped his lapels, her body melting against his. His arms were strong around her, his chest solid, and each slide of his tongue made her head spin a little. When the kiss slowed and he tried to pull away, she followed, keeping her mouth sealed against his until he moaned and deepened the kiss once again. Tonio cupped her ass, holding her firm against his arousal, but his other hand drifted to her breast, tweaking her hard nipple through the silky fabric of her dress. The hunger in his touches shattered her last defenses. Why should she deny herself time with a gorgeous man who clearly wanted her? She could think of more than one coworker who’d call her crazy for even considering this only a weekend fling. When she finally had to gasp for air, Tonio scorched a wet path along her jaw, forcing her to turn back around at the same time. He pressed her forward into the railing, pinning her with his body, as his mouth continued to devour every bare inch of skin it found. “You want more persuasion?” he breathed. One of his hands dragged the hem of her dress up the front of her thighs. “I’m going to fuck you right here, querida. I’m going to make you come, and then I’m going to make you come again, and by the time we walk back into that party downstairs, everybody is going to know that you belong with me.” Maddy lifted her foot, rubbing the heel of her shoe along his calf. She tilted her head back, searching for his mouth, but he avoided kissing her lips, focusing more on her neck and jaw. Anybody could walk through the door and discover them, but she didn’t care. Nothing could make her push him away. Especially when he slid his hand between her thighs, rubbing the ridge of his thumb and finger against her sensitive flesh. She gripped the railing tightly, dropping her head forward, only to stare directly down at the gray, choppy waves. “What you said about a relationship…” He nibbled at her nape, while his hand pushed inside her panties and hose. Maddy made a mental note to start wearing garters

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and stockings around Tonio; it would make things infinitely easier for them in the future. He bit down at the same time he touched her clit, making her choke back a whimper. “Just because you’re not looking for one doesn’t mean you can’t accept one if you find it, you know.” “I know.” She widened her stance and he applied more pressure to her clit. She felt it all the way through her body, up to the back of her throat. “I know, Tonio. But usually…it’s not so easy to find a good one…” “Ah, but you and me…” Without moving his thumb, he slipped two fingers past her wet folds, sinking them into her heat. “We have always been better than good, querida.” Always was one date and some flirting on the drive up. But as he began to move his wrist, that fact seemed entirely inconsequential. Because when he fucked her, it would be better than good. And when they went back to the hotel, and he followed her into her room, it would be better than good then too. She pushed back against his hand, eager for him to replace his fingers with his cock. His arm locked around her, only his wrist moving to continue stroking inside her. The other shifted between them, but she was too lost in how his talented mouth danced along her neck to notice what exactly he was doing. The tip of his tongue licked along the outer curve of her ear. His breath alternated between flushing her with heat and sending shivers down her spine. Always, his seductive whispers reached out to her, detailing how desirable he thought she was. When she heard the sound of a zipper being undone, Maddy’s pulse jumped. The thick length of his cock had been a constant reminder of how close and yet how far he was from her, but now, its heavy weight pushed against her ass. Slowly, Tonio pulled his fingers out of her pussy, and he pressed a kiss along her quivering jaw. “If you don’t want me to tear everything off you,” he said, “you might want to move things out of my way while I get this condom on.” Maddy nodded as she pulled her skirt up higher, and slid the hose down her legs. Her underwear followed, and the ocean breeze raised a rash of goose bumps on her thighs. She shivered, listening as Tonio tore the foil open, then slid the condom down his shaft.

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The yacht shifted, lurching a bit before righting itself. Maddy caught her breath, but before she lost her balance, Tonio had his arm around her again. “I won’t let you go.” His hold tightened even more, strong and sure. The tip of his cock dragged down the crack of her ass, slipping between her thighs. “But you might want to hold on to the rail anyway.” Though Maddy followed his instruction and clutched the rail, she felt secure. She believed Tonio, trusted his strength and his promise. His cock pushed into her channel, and heat spread through her, despite the cool breeze. Below them, the band struck up, the party getting into full swing. The deck vibrated, and the boat lurched again as he sheathed himself inside her. Tonio shuddered, molding over her back. Her body was angled awkwardly in order for him to get penetration, almost precarious as she gazed down at the churning waters. Between his strength and her certainty, there was a sense of weightlessness to their joining, heightened even more when he held her still and pulled out. “You make me forget everything,” he said as he pushed back in. “I have all these ideals, and then I touch you, and I can’t remember anything but the need to touch you again.” That seemed fair enough, since she could barely remember her name when he touched her. She couldn’t remember why she shouldn’t let him this close. She couldn’t even remember what her life was like before him. “I know…what you mean…” The rhythm he set rocked her at the same tempo as the waves buffeting against the side of the yacht. Back and forth, in and out, always even, always sure, filling her again and again until she vibrated with the force of it. His free hand stole around her, seeking out her mound, and when he began caressing her clit, Maddy had to bite down on her tongue in order to keep from calling even further attention to what they were doing. The sun disappeared behind the waves completely, and lights began to flare to life across the city, like stars that were close enough to touch. With each slow and deliberate thrust, her body seemed to spark and glow like the bay surrounding them. She dropped

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her head back, watching his strong profile in the flickering lights. His eyes were heavylidded, his lips partly open. He tilted his head, catching the corner of her mouth, teasing her lips with his tongue. “You don’t want to give this up,” he murmured, never breaking his rhythm. “I don’t want to give this up.” Maddy shook her head in silent agreement. She didn’t want to give this up. Not yet. If things went to hell in the future—well, that was the risk that came with any new relationship. His finger moved faster against her clit, as if in reward for her accession. Her blood ran hotter, closer to the surface of her skin, her color rising. She wanted to touch him as well, but she didn’t dare move her hand too far from the rail. She settled for gripping his arm, caressing him through his jacket. She realized that, unlike the night before, she wouldn’t be able to force him into moving faster. She had to surrender entirely to the rhythm he set. In spite of the chill settling in the air, beads of sweat began to drip between her breasts, infuriatingly out of her reach. Maddy squeezed her eyes shut, only to feel Tonio ghost a kiss over the nearest closed lid, his lips soft, his breath sweet. His tongue trailed along her temple. Each tender kiss made her itch to feel his mouth on hers, but that, too, was out of her control. Next time would be hers. Next time, she would have the control, like he had promised the night before. Next time— Tonio pinched her clit. Hard. Unyielding. Thoughts of next time were scorched in light of now. His mouth finally reached hers, muffling the shout that would have carried easily across the water. She couldn’t hold the sound back, but Tonio never pulled away. Her hand tightened on his arm, and though she knew it was just the boat rocking beneath her, everything seemed to be swirling out of control around her. She closed her eyes as the pleasure flowed down her body, flooded her, hit the bottom of her feet. And Tonio didn’t stop. She remembered his promise to make her come again, and he wouldn’t let her pull away, would barely let her catch her breath.

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“Querida.” His tempo might be even, but his voice was not, evidence of just how close Tonio actually was. It didn’t last. Fusing their mouths back together, he shifted the arm that held her waist, angling it upward. She whimpered when he cupped her breast and squeezed, as rough and hungry as his kisses. More. She wanted more. And there, as if he was reading her mind, Tonio gave it to her, long fingers finding her pebbled nipple. A larger wave pushed the boat up, slamming her against him. The angle and the force made him hit her G-spot sharply, and her second orgasm exploded beneath her skin. She clenched around his shaft, and they both moaned as his cock jerked inside of her. His hold on her loosened, and they stumbled backwards, hitting the door without breaking contact. Tonio dropped his brow to her shoulder. His arms trembled, and his ragged breaths slithered down her back. “Tell me you’re persuaded.” He brushed a kiss over the side of her neck. “Otherwise, May is going to dance me into the floor.” Maddy took a deep breath. “I’m persuaded. I’m definitely persuaded.” She turned to face him again, resting her cheek on his shoulder. “I’m also tempted to risk swimming to shore. I’d rather not go back to the party.” “We’ll get off with the first drop-off,” he promised. “And we’ll stay up here for as long as we can get away with it.” Maddy stepped back long enough to pull her hose up and her skirt down, while Tonio tucked himself back in his pants. Their clothes were still askew and Maddy thought one look at them would reveal what they had been up to, but she stepped back into his arms without bothering to straighten anything. He embraced her, and she buried her face in his neck. Regardless of what ultimately happened, she thought this was a pretty damned good place to be.

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Chapter Eight

Maddy started dating again two years after her husband had passed away, but she never dated seriously. She never tried to replace Bill with another man. Not because she didn’t want to marry again, but because Shawn needed to be the most important person in her life. He had been confused and angry. She didn’t want him to feel abandoned by her, as well. Consequently, she never had to consider how she would tell him that there was a new person in her life. And the thought had never crossed her mind that her first real boyfriend would be a friend of Shawn’s. As she got out of the car and gazed up at the house, it dawned on her she couldn’t remember the last time she felt so uncertain and uneven with her only child. “I can go in with you,” Tonio offered as he lifted her bags out of the trunk. Maddy shook her head. “No. I should talk to him on my own.” “I’ll be moral support.” She leaned over and kissed his cheek. “Thanks, but you should go home and unpack. This will probably be weird enough for him as it is.” “You’ll call me tonight?” “Of course.” She lingered in the driveway, watching as Tonio settled in his car and pulled into the street. There was no question about waiting to tell Shawn. She didn’t want him to find out from anybody except her. And if Tonio was running around with Shawn’s mother, he

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would find out. Especially since Tonio never left any doubt what he wanted from her. This would not be a fling. He wanted dates. He wanted quiet nights on the couch. He wanted her to fall in love with him, and she thought she could. “Mom?” Maddy spun around, immediately holding her arms out. “Come here and give your mother a hug.” He obediently embraced her, then stepped back, his wide smile in place. “So Tonio got you there and back in one piece. I told you he would.” “He was a fine escort. Get these bags for your old mom, would you?” The words were barely out of her mouth before he was bending to lift them from the ground. He shouldered them easily. “Why didn’t he come in? I needed to talk to him about something.” “You can talk to him later. Did you get in any trouble this weekend?” Like me, who found more trouble than any woman ought to find. “Of course not. I was home and in bed every night by ten.” “Alone?” She was rewarded with the satisfaction of knowing she could still make the kid blush. “Yes, alone. What do you think? I was sneaking girls into the house all weekend?” “Yes.” “Maybe one girl.” He dropped the bags at the foot of the stairs. “How was the wedding? Was it nice?” “It was. Your grandparents missed you.” Shawn looked down, his shoulders hunching forward. She hadn’t meant to make him feel bad, but that thought had obviously been on his mind over the weekend. “I know. I… You told them why I couldn’t make it, right?” “I did. They understood. Everybody’s very proud of you.” “I’ll call them.” Maddy nodded. “They’d like that. I don’t suppose you’ve eaten any real food while I was gone?”

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“That girl I mentioned made me dinner.” “Is that girl you mentioned a girl I’ve met?” “No.” Maddy moved into the kitchen and Shawn followed, clearly hoping she’d find food for both of them. “I think I should, if you’re going to be inviting her over to the house.” “Sure, no problem.” Shawn settled on his favorite barstool, slouched over the counter, like he was trying to negate some of his six-foot-plus frame. She had long ago stopped arguing with him about his posture. He was still smiling, and she had to resist the impulse to ruffle his red hair, like he was still her little boy. But he wasn’t her little boy anymore. He was a grown man. With his own thoughts, capable of forming his own opinions. No longer viewing his mother as the woman who could do no wrong. And that got to the heart of all her fears and trepidations. Shawn didn’t have to agree with her choices when it came to her private life. She wasn’t necessarily seeking his approval. But Maddy didn’t know what she would do if her son looked at her with disappointment in his eyes. What kind of woman slept with a man she barely knew? Who decided to have a relationship after a few nights of sex? Shawn was young enough to view the world in black and white terms, no matter how much she tried to teach him about the shades of gray. “I think you’d like her,” Shawn said as she opened the fridge. “Hmm?” “My girlfriend…well, I don’t know if she’s my girlfriend. I mean, I think she likes me. The date we had went well. I think.” “I’ve never heard you this worried over a girl.” “I’ve never dated this girl before.” “What’s her name?” “Willa.” “That’s a pretty name.” Shawn’s smile turned a little goofy. “Yeah, it is.”

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“Is she why you couldn’t drive me to San Francisco?” His face instantly cleared. “No, no. I really did have a seminar to attend. I just thought the timing was right and… It wasn’t so bad, was it? Going to San Francisco with Tonio?” “No, it wasn’t so bad.” Maddy carefully laid out everything she would need to make two big, thick roast beef sandwiches. Shawn’s favorite. She wasn’t above trying to appeal to him with food. “In fact, I wanted to talk to you about that.” “About what?” Now that Maddy had introduced the topic, she wasn’t sure exactly what to say. She remembered what Tonio said—Shawn loved her and wanted her to be happy. That was true. And Shawn could be a little oblivious and a little selfish, but he had the best heart she had ever known. “About me and Tonio.” “What about you and Tonio?” “We’re seeing each other now.” Silence blanketed the room. Shawn stared at her, openmouthed. She let the silence continue, giving him the chance to speak first. “What?” “We’re seeing each other,” she repeated. “I heard that. But what does that mean? Like, you’re…” He paused, his face twisting. “You’re dating?” “Yes.” “But…he’s my age.” “I know that.” “You’re, like, old enough to be his mother.” “You really know how to hit below the belt, don’t you?” she said lightly, but Shawn clearly wasn’t in the mood to smile. “How did this happen?”

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“The way this sort of thing usually happens. We enjoy each other’s company. We had a good time together. We want to see if there’s any kind of…future there.” “I don’t really know what to say.” “You don’t have to say anything right now,” Maddy assured him, welcoming a shocked silence instead of angry shouts. She focused on the sandwiches, smearing mayonnaise thickly over the bread the way Shawn liked it. “I just wanted to be sure that you found out from me.” “Do you really like him?” “Yeah, I really do.” “How come you’ve never dated before?” “I have.” “Never seriously enough to talk to me about it.” Maddy shrugged one shoulder. “Tonio is different, I guess. I don’t feel like he’s somebody who’s going to be out of my life after a couple of dates.” “Did you two…? I mean…the two of you…did you…you know?” If the conversation had been a little less serious, Maddy would have taken great joy in teasing him about his sudden coyness. His skin was even a little pink again. She considered lying to him, but she had already decided on complete honesty, and that meant telling him the truth when he asked questions. “Yes.” “Oh.” “Oh?” Shawn nodded. “Oh. I mean…I’m a little weirded out right now. I never expected anything like this. But…he makes you happy, right? He’s good to you?” “He’s very good to me. He’s a good guy.” “Yeah. Hey, Mom, can I get that sandwich to go?” “Sure. Where you going?” “Just for a walk.” “You going to be back tonight?”

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His easygoing smile returned. “Of course.” Maddy put the finishing touches on his sandwich, then wrapped it in a paper towel and handed it over. “Good, because I had big plans for the two of us tonight.” “Did the big plans include watching Terminator 2?” Shawn asked hopefully. “Whatever you want.” “Awesome. I’ll be back in a few hours.” Maddy finished her sandwich once he bounded from the kitchen, but she didn’t really feel hungry anymore. Things had gone better than she had expected. She knew this wouldn’t be easy for Shawn, but now she didn’t think it would be impossible for him to deal with it, either.

*** As much as the weekend was the best he could ever remember, Tonio’s good mood was tempered by the knowledge that Maddy was facing Shawn alone. He understood her reasoning. He even agreed with it. But it killed him knowing she had to do it by herself, that Tonio couldn’t be there to help convince Shawn that he had nothing to worry about. That was probably why he wasn’t surprised to have somebody knock at his door less than an hour after he got home. It was even less surprising to see that it was Shawn. “No gun,” Tonio commented, then grinned. “Though considering you’ve got shit aim when we play on the Xbox, I should be more worried about you taking a swing rather than shooting me.” He just wanted to put Shawn at ease. Show him they could still be friends, joke around, that nothing had changed. But Shawn didn’t smile. He shoved his hands into the pockets of his baggy shorts and glanced over Tonio’s shoulder into his empty apartment. “Can I come in?” Tonio opened the door wider and stepped out of the way, giving Shawn plenty of room to enter. Though he had known Shawn for a year now, this was the first time he had ever questioned just how strong their friendship really was. He didn’t want to lose it just

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because he had feelings for Maddy, but there was no denying all of this would have been a hell of a lot easier if he’d fallen for a woman not related to somebody he knew. Shawn stood in the middle of the room, fidgeting instead of sitting down. His gaze kept jumping back to the duffle bag Tonio had yet to unpack. “My mom told me what happened.” At least he wasn’t beating around the bush, though Tonio sincerely doubted Maddy had shared all the blissful details of their weekend together. “Yeah, she said she was going to.” He jerked a thumb toward the kitchen. “You want something to drink or eat or something?” Shawn shook his head. “I didn’t believe her at first.” “She wouldn’t lie to you.” “No, but apparently you would.” Tonio frowned. “I never lied to you. It’s not like I planned for this to happen.” “Really?” “You’re the one who called me. I haven’t even seen her since Christmas.” A pink stain crept up Shawn’s neck. “Oh God. You two did something at Christmas, didn’t you?” “No, nothing—” Tonio cut himself off with a frustrated sigh and perched on the arm of the sofa. “Will you sit down, please? You’re making me nervous.” “You’re nervous?” Shawn snorted as he flopped into the corner of the couch. “This is the last conversation I ever thought I’d be having.” “I didn’t lie to you,” Tonio reiterated. “Not once.” “Yeah, but you never told me you had the hots for my mom.” “Would you have wanted to hear something like that?” “No!” “Exactly.” Tonio paused, weighing his words. “Look, I’m not going to pretend I didn’t notice Maddy at Christmas. I did. She’s gorgeous, and she’s smart, and you of all people know how much she gives of herself. But she blew me off, so I figured…opportunity lost.”

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Shawn’s gray eyes regarded him steadily. “Then I threw you two together again.” “You gave me another shot with her,” he corrected. “And if Maddy had turned me down again, I would have respected that.” He decided to leave out the part about how he’d been tenacious in getting her attention. Shawn didn’t need the sordid details, but that didn’t change the fact that Tonio would have backed down if Maddy had insisted. “So she’s…what? Just another conquest?” “No.” The denial came out more vehemently than he expected, though he hated the thought that Shawn might really see it that way. “I really like her, Shawn. I wouldn’t put our friendship on the line if I didn’t think she was worth it.” “She is worth it.” “I know.” “I can’t believe you’re not weirded out that she’s old enough to be your mom.” Tonio grinned. “You’ve met my mom. You really think my brain is going to go to a place that compares the two?” It was a relief to see an embarrassed smile play on his friend’s face. “Okay, so maybe you’ve got a point there.” Of course, he did. Manuelita Herrera was fifty-six, with two children older than Tonio, and the soft, rounded body of a woman who should have a dozen grandbabies clinging to her bosom. “But that doesn’t mean it’s not still weird.” “You’re right,” he conceded. “And I’m sorry for that. But that doesn’t change the fact that I like her. A lot. I’m not going to do anything to hurt her, I promise you.” “So you’re serious. You’re really going to date her.” “For as long as she agrees to see me, yeah.” “And you’re going to ignore the fact people are going to think she’s your mom.” Tonio snorted. “Because we look so much alike?” “You know what I mean.” “The age difference doesn’t bug me. I don’t even think about it until somebody else brings it up.” With a sigh, Shawn leaned his head against the back of the couch and stared up at the ceiling. “Do you know you’re the first guy she’s ever bothered talking to me about? She

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said she doesn’t think you’re going to disappear after a couple dates.” He turned his head to the side in order to look at Tonio, without bothering to lift it from the cushion. “Is she right?” Warmth washed through him. It wasn’t just that Maddy trusted him enough to talk to Shawn about; it was that she trusted him enough to believe the sincerity of his devotion. He’d meant everything he’d whispered to her in bed, on the boat, on the dance floor. This was all worth it, knowing he hadn’t wasted his breath. “Absolutely, one hundred percent yes.” Shawn closed his eyes and settled into the cushions. Tonio let him. One of the things he liked about Shawn was that, at heart, he was a levelheaded guy. It took a lot to ruffle him. He drank everything in, and then came to whatever conclusions he felt right without batting an eyelash. All he needed was time. He’d see that Tonio only wanted the best for Maddy. “I’m not calling you Dad.” Tonio bit back his smile, though Shawn hadn’t opened his eyes anyway. Rising from his seat, he headed for the kitchen to grab some drinks. “Turn on the Xbox. Let’s kick some alien ass.” Everything just might be all right, after all.

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Chapter Nine

“Is Tonio coming over tonight?” Shawn asked from the doorway. Maddy glanced up before she took the fries out of the oven. Hamburger patties sizzled on the stove, and tomatoes and onions waited on the cutting board to be sliced. “Yes, we’re going to have dinner and watch a movie. Do you want to help me out here?” Shawn pushed off the wall and sauntered into the kitchen. He sliced through the tomato, grimacing as some of the juice covered his hand. “I don’t think I’m going to stay.” “Why not? You wanted to see the movie.” “I don’t want to see the two of you making out all night.” Maddy rolled her eyes and slid the fries from the pan to the plate. “We never make out in front of you.” “You might as well. Plus, I know you make out when I get up to get a drink or take a leak or something.” Maddy laughed. “We do not. But if you’re sick of it, you could always find your own place to live.” “Nah, I think I’ll stay. Well, except tonight, I’m hanging out with Willa.” “I made you a burger.” “Save it. Please. I’ll eat it when I get home.” “And when will that be?”

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Shawn shrugged and stole a fry from her plate. He popped it in his mouth and grinned. “She just bought a new game system. We’re going to play with Jack, Rueben and Phil. Oh, and Phil’s brother, and his girlfriend.” Maddy looked at him blankly. “Did that answer my question?” “We’re going to be busy all night.” “So tomorrow morning?” “Or afternoon.” “Don’t you have homework?” Shawn’s smile widened. “It’s under control.” The doorbell rang and Shawn rolled his eyes. “Why doesn’t he have his own key?” “You think he should?” “Isn’t he over here like, eighty times a day?” “No. And go answer that. I don’t want my meat to burn.” Scowling, Shawn snatched another fry before shuffling out of the room. In the distance, she heard the low murmur of masculine voices, followed by the shutting of a door. She was flipping the burgers one last time when strong arms wrapped around her waist. “I drove him out again. Sorry about that.” “Well, he’d stick around if you didn’t insist on kissing me and touching me and all those other gross things you do.” Tonio’s warm mouth found her nape, worrying over his favorite spot. “Then I guess he’s screwed. Because that’s not going to happen.” “Apparently, he plans to be gone all night.” She tilted her head back and kissed his cheek. “How was your day?” “Boring. I spent half of it arguing with Vishi about why his wireframes sucked, and the other half waiting for the main server to come back up when his rendering crashed it.” He let her go and went to the tomato Shawn had abandoned, picking up the knife with a deft hand. “So if Shawn is going to be gone, does that mean I can stay?”

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Maddy watched him slice the tomatoes. He always looked so at home in her house, whether he was helping in the kitchen or just watching television. Maybe giving him a key wouldn’t be a bad idea. “You can stay. Do I ever want to let you go?” The corner of his mouth lifted. “I don’t really give you much of a chance to say no, most of the time.” Maddy laughed. “No, you usually don’t.” She took the burgers off the heat and began to assemble the buns. Between the two of them, they had the food plated within minutes. “You take the plates into the living room. I’ll grab the beer and get the movie started.” By the time Maddy settled on the couch, she wasn’t terribly concerned about the movie or the food. She just wanted to curl against Tonio’s body and let him do all the things Shawn complained about. They ate in silence, watching the action fly by on the TV. When Tonio ran out of fries, he began eating off her plate, curling his arm around her shoulders in order to pull her closer. His long fingers stroked her biceps, an absent gesture Maddy wasn’t sure she’d ever grow tired of. One thing she had learned about him in the six months since that fateful weekend was how tactile he really was. Even now, he was constantly touching her, both small gestures like this and more sweeping ones when they were in bed. He didn’t speak until after he’d taken both of their empty plates back out to the kitchen, returned to sit next to her again and pulled her against his side. “I was going to wait until later to bring this up, but…” A new tension was in his body, one that hadn’t been there moments earlier. “Do you have plans for two weeks from tomorrow? That’s the Saturday before Christmas.” “No. Unless you count recovering from the hangover I plan to get after the hospital Christmas party on Friday night.” “Oh.” Her response seemed to flummox him, a state she very rarely saw in Tonio. “Well, never mind then.”

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“No, not never mind. Is something going on that Saturday?” Something exploded on the TV screen, but Maddy didn’t really see it, too focused on Tonio’s profile. “It’s not a big deal,” he said. “That’s my parents’ Christmas party, and I was hoping you’d go with me.” “Really? You want me to meet your family?” He glanced down then, and his dark eyes glowed with warmth. “I’ve wanted you to meet them for awhile, but I didn’t want to push too hard. Mom is starting to think I’ve made you up.” Maddy rested her head on his chest. “I’d love to go to your family’s party and prove I exist. But I want something in return. A Christmas celebration for just the two of us at some point.” His arms tightened around her. “Oh, I figured we were having that already. You’re sure, then? Mom can be a little…pushy.” “I know a few things about pushy moms. I can handle it. Besides, I want to meet them.” Which wasn’t a lie. The more time she spent with Tonio, the more she wanted to know about him, his family, his childhood, his future—everything. “As long as nobody is going to accuse me of robbing the cradle.” “No, no, you’re okay there. But you’ll have to deal with a lot of baby talk. My cousin Ric just had twins, so Mom’s been on a kick lately.” Maddy frowned. “Is she the only one on a kick?” She wasn’t really that surprised when Tonio reached for the remote and paused the movie. He sat back, angling sideways in order to better face her. “I didn’t ask you because I’m trying to sell you on anything. I asked because you’re a big part of my life, and they’re a big part of my life, and it would be nice if the people who are most important to me could recognize each other on the street. But if we need to talk about this, we should do that now instead of later.” Maddy nodded. It made sense to talk about it now instead of letting things progress blindly. “Okay. We’ll talk. I’m too old to have another kid.”

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His eyes remained solemn. “I’m not going to argue and say you’re not, because I know we don’t agree there. But when you say another kid, what do you mean? You don’t want to be pregnant again? You don’t want a baby? You don’t want any of it? What?” “I definitely don’t want to be pregnant again. As for the rest of it…raising a child is a lot of work. Plus, I’ll be almost sixty when it graduates from high school. I just…I had Shawn so young that I didn’t really get a chance to have my own life. I don’t regret Shawn at all, but I’ve also been looking forward to putting that part of my life behind me.” “Would you consider adopting an older child?” “Maybe. I’d also consider taking in foster children. There are a lot of kids who need a home.” A soft smile curved his mouth, and he reached out to curl a strand of her hair around his finger. “You know, I really don’t mean for any of this to sound like I’m hounding you. I just never think about the age difference. To me, you’re just my querida.” She leaned in closer. “That’s good. Because I really like just being your querida.” Their lips met in a tender kiss. He could have deepened it into something else and she wouldn’t have protested, but Tonio kept it simple, lingering long enough to leave her mouth tingling when they parted. “You make my life so much better by being in it,” he said. “I don’t tell you that enough.” Maddy smiled. “I don’t tell you enough, either. But I can’t…I really can’t remember the last time I’ve been this happy with somebody.” “I can. Yesterday with you. And the day before that with you. And the day before that…” He laughed as she shoved at him, reaching out to bundle her back into his arms. “So how much am I going to gross Shawn out if I start saying ‘I love you’ in front of him too? Will that be better or worse than the kissing, you think?” Maddy blinked. “I think it might be worse for Shawn. You’ll just have to make sure to say it often enough Shawn gets used to it.”

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“I don’t think he expected me to stick around long enough to fall in love with you, but then he should have realized I was mostly there already by the time we got back from San Francisco.” “I don’t think I expected…” She stopped. “You were mostly in love with me since San Francisco?” Amusement danced in his dark eyes. “You can’t honestly be surprised by this.” Maddy thought of everything he had said and done in the past six months, and everything they had done together. He was always there when she needed him. He always insisted he didn’t want to be anywhere else. He always looked at her with the softest eyes. He never took her for granted. Maddy had assumed that was just part of the rush of being in a new relationship, unwilling to ascribe any other motives to him. “No. I guess I can’t be.” She touched his cheek. “I think it’s been so long since I’ve fallen in love with somebody, I wasn’t paying attention to the signs.” The only indication of his delight at her words was the slight hitch in his breathing, the way his muscles tensed for a fraction of a moment before he smiled. “That probably worked in my favor. I was afraid that if you thought I was too serious too soon, you’d use it as an excuse to stop seeing me.” “I’d need a much better excuse than that to stop seeing you.” She brushed her lips across his. “Actually, I can’t think of anything that would make me want to stop being with you.” “Works for me.” Tonio chased her mouth, crushing her back to his body as he shifted to stretch upon the couch. For long, dizzy seconds, Maddy got lost in the hunger of his kiss, blind to everything but the hard length of him beneath her and the hot exploration of his tongue. Then she felt the hammering of a pulse against her skin, and knew instantly that it was Tonio’s heart, racing like wildfire. “Oh, querida…” He caught the corner of her mouth before she lifted her head to see his eyes burning up at her. “Since two weeks is taken with all the Christmas parties, let’s take next weekend and go up to San Francisco. Just us. For our private Christmas party.”

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Maddy squirmed against him. “I think I love that plan. Maybe we should go up there every six months.” “Don’t mention that plan to my mother. We’ll have to do mail runs when we go then.” She laughed. “It’ll be our secret.” Lacing their fingers together, he scooped her into his lap as he sat back up, then placed her on the floor when he stood. “Come here,” he said, leading her toward the front door. She followed without question, but when they stepped into the foyer, laughter bubbled free. There, on the lintel over the front door, was a bright poinsettia, hanging from the hook she’d had some garland strung from earlier. “You should have seen the look on Shawn’s face when I asked him to help me hang it up.” Laughing softly, Tonio pulled her against his solid chest. “He got that look of, ‘I don’t wanna know.’” It amazed her that he even remembered his flirtatious comments from the previous Christmas. She let him lead her beneath the leafy fronds, turning around in his embrace before he needed to prompt her, and looped her arms around his neck. “There’s a word for guys like you, you know,” she said. “Irresistible?” She laughed. “I was thinking ‘incorrigible’, but that’ll do.” Maddy found his mouth again, and this time, she melted into the kiss. She had no intention of breaking it, and as his mouth grew hungrier, she realized he didn’t either. Their tongues tangled as he buried his hand in her hair, holding her tightly. It seemed impossible and wonderful to be kissing under a poinsettia. Impossible and wonderful to be in the position to talk about kids with another man. Impossible and wonderful to be in love with somebody. But not just with somebody. With Tonio.

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About the Author

Jamie Craig is the sum of two wholes: erotica writers Pepper Espinoza and Vivien Dean. Pepper has been writing since she was a child, but began her professional writing career in 2005 and now writes full time as well as attending graduate school and working toward a Masters in British and American Literature. A former resident of Los Angeles, she now lives in Utah. Vivien, the daughter of an author and sportswriter, also began writing at an early age, but eventually explored storytelling through acting and film production before coming back to prose. Vivien, her British husband and two children live in Northern California. To learn more about Jamie Craig, please visit www.jamie-craig.com. Send an email to Jamie at [email protected].

Look for these titles by Jamie Craig

Now Available: Liaisons in Jubilee Craving Kismet Trinity Broken A Hidden Beauty Querida

A younger man bent on seduction. An older woman determined to resist. A love that cannot be denied.

The Seduction of Widow McEwan © 2007 Melissa Schroeder Part of the Leather and Lace series. Jameson McEwan is widowed, but happy with her lot in life. After suffering through an arranged marriage to an older man, she’s had little romance and very little experience with men—other than ordering them around on her ranch. Seth Conner has harbored a bit of an obsession for Jamie since the tender age of sixteen. Now that she’s widowed, he has sensed her reluctance to wed again and has kept his distance. When she says she’s marrying another man—strictly as a business arrangement—Seth decides he’s waited long enough. Jamie never expected to find herself in bed shivering with desire, especially not with Seth. One taste of a night filled with passion, and she finds he’s as addictive as liquor. But their age difference and her responsibilities hold her back from considering a future with him. Seth refuses to take no for an answer. As the dance of seduction heats up, trouble brews. Someone is poisoning Jamie’s cattle, setting fires on her ranch. Someone is hell-bent on making sure Jamie and Seth never find happiness, someone who will stop at nothing—including murder. Warning, this title contains the following: Explicit sex, spanking, seduction by a younger man, a little bit of bondage for fun, and a whole lot of teasing guaranteed to make ya hot under the collar and enough passion to give your spurs a twirl.

Enjoy the following excerpt for The Seduction of Widow McEwan: “Seth, this can’t go anywhere. I already told you—” All of her thoughts halted and her hormones danced when he nuzzled the side of her neck just below her ear. “I heard ya.” He nipped at her lobe. “I just decided to ignore ya.” She huffed in annoyance and he chuckled. His chest vibrated against her back. Her nerves jumped before a burst of energy slipped over her skin, causing her to shiver. As he

kept one hand splayed across her stomach, he skimmed his other up to her breast. She should pull away from him and order him from her room. Seth would go if she were serious, if she really wanted him to leave. That was the problem. Propriety insisted that he leave, but she couldn’t seem to get the words out through her lips. Not with his teeth grazing her earlobe, his hand caressing her breast. “Ahh,” he whispered as his thumb grazed her nipple. It tightened under his attention. “Now, I would say that was more than a good sign.” With one last little nip, he pulled away, the action so fast she almost lost her balance. She bit back the irritated sigh that rose in her throat. He turned her to face him, then backed her up against the post of the canopy bed. When Jamie looked up at him, she drew in a quick, loud breath. She had known him for years and had probably seen just about every human emotion from him except this one. Desire etched his facial features. The arrested look in his eyes deepened their color as he drew her near. Slipping one hand around her waist, he stepped closer. Gently, almost reverently, he brushed the backs of his fingers over her cheek, then allowed his fingers to play along her jaw. “Seth.” Her tone no longer held the stern reprimand it had earlier. Even she could hear the change in her pitch and the way her voice caught on his name. But he said nothing. He trailed his hand down to cup her untouched breast. Her breathing hitched when he rubbed his fingers over her nipple. Everything seemed to slip away. As he held her gaze, it was as if they were the only two people in the world. Jamie wanted to close her eyes, wanted to slip into a blissful daze. But he would not allow it. Instead, he leaned in and brushed his mouth over hers. The sweetness of the gesture, the simple touch, had her mind whirling. Jamie sighed, shutting her eyes and losing herself in the pleasure of it. He groaned in reaction, wrapping both his arms around her waist. She lifted her hands to his shoulders as he pressed his lips against hers. This was no longer the gentle caress but a kiss full of desire and passion. His tongue thrust into her mouth and she welcomed it with a moan. The taste of him was beyond anything she had ever experienced. Before she was ready to stop, he pulled away. Their harsh breathing was the only sound in the dark room.

“Tell me now.” He was talking. She saw his mouth move but she didn’t work through what he said. Her brain was melting, and he wanted to have a conversation? “Wh—what are you talking about?” When he spoke, his voice was harsh and abrupt. “Tell me now you don’t want me. If you don’t stop this now, there will be no going back.” She should tell him to go. Doing this, taking him as her lover even if for one night, would not be a good idea. The ghost of her marriage would never disappear. It wouldn’t solve her problems. But none of those things truly mattered to her at the moment. What did matter was the heat blazing through her blood, the way her body responded to his every touch, and she never wanted that feeling to go away. It would in the morning because this would never be anything but a one-night affair, but she needed this. She craved to experience one little taste of heaven. “Jamie?” “God help me, I know I shouldn’t want it, or even think about doing it.” She took a deep breath, gathering her courage. “But I can’t seem to refuse you.” He rested his forehead against hers and released a sigh of relief. She thought she heard him say, “About time.” After he gave her a kiss, Seth tugged her away from the bedpost and pushed her back on the bed. With a laugh, she bounced on the mattress. Before she could adjust to her new position, he was slipping his body over hers and stealing her breath again. This time there was no sweet interlude, no wooing. Possessively, Seth settled his mouth on hers. Spearing her fingers through his thick hair, she held him closer, wanting nothing more than for this feeling to continue. He pushed himself up to his hands and looked down at her. The smile he gave her made her curl her toes into the bed linens. “I knew you had passion in you, Jameson.” He gave her a quick, forceful kiss. “And I intend on enjoying it.”

All small towns have secrets. This one could be deadly.

The Seduction of Shamus O’Rourke © 2007 N.J. Walters Book 4 of Jamesville. After her father’s death, Cyndi Marks returns to Jamesville, determined to settle here and lay the ghosts of years ago to rest once and for all. But the past has a way of catching up—and hanging on. When her car breaks down outside of town, a handsome stranger stops to help. He intrigues and attracts her, but then she discovers who he is. Shamus O’Rourke enjoys his job, his family and small town living. What he’s missing is someone with whom to share it. Immediately drawn to Cyndi, he is determined to get closer to her, even as he senses her pulling away. But not everyone in Jamesville is happy to see Cyndi. People are hiding secrets. Secrets they would kill to protect. When violence erupts in her home, Cyndi turns to the only person in town she can trust—Shamus. In a situation where family loyalties are strained, Cyndi’s life is threatened and everyone is a suspect, will their emerging love survive?

Enjoy the following excerpt for The Seduction of Shamus O’Rourke

Jamesville, Maine. It looked so peaceful nestled down in the valley below, but Cyndi knew that even a small town had dirty little secrets. Turning her back on the picturesque scene, she strode to the trunk of her car. She needed to keep focused on the task at hand and right now that included getting her car back on the road so she could reach her destination before dark. The sun was low in the afternoon sky, but she had an hour or so until it finally sank. Lots of time to change a flat tire and get to the lawyer’s office before it closed for the day. Unlocking her trunk, she pocketed her keys and hauled out her two suitcases, setting them beside the car. Next came her laptop, which she tucked into the backseat for

safekeeping. Two boxes containing her pillows and comforter, specialty teas, and her favorite snacks were next. She figured she’d need all the comforts she could get. She was under no illusion that the task ahead of her would be easy. Cyndi ignored the small voice in the back of her head that whispered she didn’t have to stay. She’d made her decision and she wasn’t about to back down now. It was time for her to face down the demons of her past and put them to rest once and for all. The only way to do that was to settle in Jamesville. She’d put all her belongings in storage, let the lease on her apartment lapse, and quit her job as manager of an upscale bed and breakfast. For better or worse, she was here to stay. Dragging out the jack and the spare tire, she carried them one at a time to the front of the car. The left-hand tire was as flat as a pancake. She must have picked up a nail or something. As soon as she hit town, she’d have to go to a garage and get it seen to. As she was shoving the jack beneath the car, she heard another vehicle rumbling up behind her. She scooted in front of her car, not wanting to be out in the road as the other vehicle passed. She’d pulled her car as far off the road as she could, but the shoulder wasn’t that wide and part of the vehicle was still on the pavement. A dusty, blue truck passed her, but the brake lights flashed almost immediately, and the vehicle rolled to a stop several yards up the road. Cyndi climbed back into the driver’s seat and locked all the doors. Maybe she was overreacting, but a woman on her own, on a fairly deserted stretch of road, couldn’t be too careful. She knew what Jamesville used to be like, but that was a long time ago. The whole world seemed to have changed in the intervening years. The truck door opened and a long, jean-clad leg came into view, quickly followed by another. The man who got out of the vehicle was huge, standing at least several inches over six feet. His shoulders were wide, straining the seams of his dirty, white T-shirt. The short sleeves of the shirt did nothing to hide his thick biceps and muscular forearms. His jeans were faded white at the knees and crotch area. Cyndi forced herself to look away. A stranger was coming toward her, and she was staring at his crotch. It had to be the stress she’d been under making her so loopy. Still, she did enjoy the view.

His large, booted feet quickly ate up the distance between them. Cyndi reached into her purse and yanked out her phone, ready to call for help if necessary. The man stopped beside her door, leaned down and tapped on the window. “Didn’t mean to frighten you, ma’am.” Cyndi got her first, really good look at his face and it started her heart pounding, but not from fear. The man was gorgeous, in a rough sort of way. His thick, molasses-brown hair was tied back at the nape, falling just below his shoulders. His face was all sharp angles and planes; his nose was large, but somehow suited his face. Eyebrows the same color as his hair were straight slashes above a pair of concerned, blue-gray eyes, eyes the same color as the sky just before a storm. “Ma’am?” She heard his voice through the glass and realized she was sitting there like a fool simply staring at him. Quickly she rolled the window down, but just a crack. “I’m sorry. What did you say?” He tilted his head to one side, staring at her. Cyndi knew she looked a mess. She’d been traveling for hours, and the past few weeks had been extremely stressful. She knew she had dark circles under her eyes and wasn’t wearing any makeup, save her clear lip balm. Her days of dressing to please other people were long over. “I said that I didn’t mean to frighten you.” He smiled then, a slight upturn of the corners of his mouth, but the effect was devastating. Butterflies danced in her stomach and she felt a throbbing between her thighs. She shook her head, desperately trying to fight the unwanted burst of physical attraction. She was thirty-nine years old, for heaven’s sake, long past the stage of being ruled by her hormones. And he looked to be at least ten years younger than her. “A woman alone can’t be too careful these days.” His words echoed her earlier thoughts. “You stay put in the car and I’ll take care of that flat tire for you.” “No,” she snapped. Realizing what she’d done, she softened her tone. After all, it wasn’t his fault she was attracted to him. All he’d done was stop and offer to help. “That’s fine. I’ll take care of it myself.”

He scrubbed his hand across his jaw and her eyes followed the action. She could see the five o’clock shadow on his chin. It made him appear even sexier, if that was possible. There was something elemental about this man. Even dressed in old work boots, faded jeans and a dirty T-shirt, there was an air of barely restrained power about him. “I figured you could handle the problem on your own, ma’am, but there’s no need for that now that I’m here.” Was he for real?

Desire doesn’t care how settled your life is.

Craving Kismet © 2007 Jamie Craig Jenny Rohm thinks she has it all—a job she loves, an engagement to her high school sweetheart, a future bright with promise. Then she meets attorney Ashley Edwards and discovers desire doesn’t care how settled your life might be. It starts with a single fantasy. His. Hers. One leads to two, two leads to three, three leads to more. Fantasizing about his wicked mouth or her sinful curves doesn’t satisfy either of them for long, though. The more she gets to know him, the harder Jenny finds it to deny the truths Ashley insists on exposing. The question remains. Is it worth risking everything she has to quench the cravings? Not even Ashley can answer to that. When it comes to what she wants, only Jenny can make the choice. Warning, this title contains the following: explicit sex, graphic language, anal sex, mild bondage.

Enjoy the following excerpt for Craving Kismet: Ashley stood outside Jenny’s apartment for several minutes, fighting with the instinct to knock on the door again. Bryan wasn’t going to wake up. What harm would one kiss do? He just needed to taste her. It wasn’t like he was going to fuck her on the bed next to Bryan’s unconscious body. Fuck. He walked away from the door quickly, trying to will his erection down. Had she been able to sense how much he wanted her? Did she know that nearly every word she said sounded like an invitation to him? Had she been taunting him? Her card burned him through his pocket, and she had just seemed so very…eager. Except, she wasn’t eager. She was engaged. She was just a flirty, carefree, sweet creature who knew how to play nice. That didn’t mean she wanted him to slam her

against her door and fuck her into oblivion. Even if she flirted back. Even if she offered her card. Even if she drove him to absolute distraction. Ashley didn’t know if he could make it all the way back to his apartment without shoving his hands down his pants, but he intended to give it the old college try. There was the chance that his blood would cool the farther he got away from her. Maybe he wouldn’t even need to jack off by the time he got home. That was too much unfounded optimism. He was still hard as a rock when he opened his front door. The table, he decided. Not the door. The table. Over the dinner she made for her fiancé, while he was passed out on the couch. And Ashley had absolutely no ulterior motives for agreeing to take Bryan home instead of just putting him in a cab. Ashley went directly to the bathroom, shedding his shirt along the way. It would only take a few minutes, and then maybe he’d be able to concentrate on all the work he still had to do.

*** “And I suppose you think you know what those would be,” Jenny dared. Ashley was certain he knew what would make her happy, what she needed. He licked his bottom lip, his tongue toying with the skin for a moment, attracting her attention. “I know exactly what those would be.” Almost lazily, Jenny leaned against the counter, eyes dark and inviting as she set her beer bottle down and out of the way. “One of these days, I’m going to make you put your money where your mouth is.” “One of these days?” Ashley stood, stretching his legs before he approached her. He walked slowly, giving her the chance to bolt if she wanted to take it. “Why not today?” She never moved. Her eyes never wavered. “Because Bryan’s just in the next room.” “He’s not waking up. Still…” He touched a finger to his lips. “We’ll just have to be quiet.”

When he stopped a hair’s-breadth away from her, Jenny finally let her sooty lashes dip long enough to glance at his attire and lower. “I’m not really good at being quiet. Especially if you’re half as good as you think you are.” “Actually, I’ve been quite modest.” His hands went to her hips. He moved his mouth over her jaw, never quite touching the skin, as he inhaled deeply. “I’m twice that good. But…” Now his lips skimmed over the same path, a light caress. “I promise, he won’t hear a thing.” Her sharp breath was audible, her subsequent exhale warm and ticklish in his ear. She didn’t fight the curl of his fingers into the soft denim, but neither did she add to the embrace by lifting her arms and pressing closer. She simply stood there, absorbing the feather kisses along her jaw, her pulse pounding visibly in the hollow of her throat. “You should stop,” Jenny breathed. “Oh, absolutely,” Ashley agreed, the trail of his mouth shifting, bringing his lips closer to hers. He rotated his hips, grinding his hard cock against her, his grip on her tightening. “Make me.” “Stop.” Her voice was barely a whisper, and when his mouth skimmed the corner of hers, her tongue darted out to taste him almost delicately. “I mean it.” “Okay,” he sighed, before his mouth closed over hers. Her lips were inviting, welcoming, and they parted for him without hesitation. The kiss began slowly, as though he really did think she’d push him away, but soon the pure lust that had been settled low in his gut since he saw her erupted through his body, and the kiss became something harder, more demanding. She clung to his arms, her nails digging through his jacket as he spun her around, backing her up against the table. Though she tasted faintly of garlic, the beer lent a sweet tang to her mouth as Ashley devoured her, every swipe of his tongue releasing a fresh explosion of flavor that had him hungry for more. Jenny shoved at his suit coat, until only the thin cotton of their shirts separated his hot skin from hers. She broke from his mouth, gulping for air. “You can’t kiss me forever. And if you make me come, I will scream.”

Ashley smiled briefly at the challenge, his hands going to her pants. He worked them open with quick efficiency, his lips teasing hers in a series of hard, short kisses. His fingers dipped between her thighs, testing the dampness of her thong, and he knew she was ready for him, perhaps had been since the moment they shut themselves in her tiny kitchen. Her hands were busy as well. With his jacket gone, Jenny worked at his shirt buttons, pulling them free so roughly that he wondered if he would lose one or two in the process. “Want to feel you.” Her nails caught on his bare stomach, scratching up his torso as she pushed the shirt out of her way. “I can’t stop thinking about you. You’re driving me fucking crazy.” Jenny’s hurried words sent a jolt of desire right to his cock, and Ashley knew that he wasn’t going to be able to hold off. He wanted her too much; his need was almost palpable between them. He could almost taste it. He kissed her fiercely before turning her around, his hand moving between her legs to spread them apart. She put her hands flat on the table, looking over her shoulder at him with naked longing. “Are you trying to let Bryan know what’s going on between us?” she taunted. Ashley shook his head and tapped his lips again. “Shh.” He unzipped his pants, pulling himself out of the constricting material and guiding the head of his cock to her wet heat. Jenny didn’t look away as he slid into her, slow, measured, filling her an inch at a time. He didn’t want to force a gasp or yelp out of her. Ashley saw the strain on her face as she bit back the moan and knew it was a mere reflection of his own efforts.

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