at her waist, not letting
her retreat one inch.
Maddison moaned, pulling him even tighter to her. So
much for keeping her hands off Jack.
The phone rang, startling both of
them. She refused to let him pull away, clutched at his shirt over his
shoulders, to keep him in place and focused.
“No,” she murmured, even as he
stroked the side of her face and stepped back.
“You want your mom coming over here
to see if you’re okay?” he asked, voice low. “Because I’ll put money on it
that’s who’s calling.”
Maddison sighed and put her palms flat to his chest to push him away. “Fine. Answer it.”
He grinned and turned around,
reaching for the phone. She couldn’t get
enough of him . No matter how much she tried to tell herself that she
couldn’t ruin the relationship between their families, if things didn’t work
out. Because as soon as she so much as looked at his lips she
was a goner.
If only she had the guts to yank at his
shirt until the buttons popped and have her wicked way with him…
“It’s your mom.”
He passed Maddison the phone. H ow the hell had he ended up
kissing Maddison like a man possessed again. Not listening to the part of his brain that
usually steered him in the sensible direction.
Jack watched as she spoke to her
mom, reassured her that she was fine, that she was just going to stay put for
the night at Jack’s place.
The night . The last thing he
needed was her here for the night. Although maybe it would give them a chance
to discuss what the hell was happening between them.
Bullshit. He was lying to himself and he knew it. Because when it came to Maddison , all he could seem to think about was…
“Is it okay if I stay?”
Jack cleared his throat. Teach him to have his mind in the gutter. “Sure.”
It wasn’t like he could say no without sounding like a prick.
They stood, staring at one another.
She was probably as confused as he was.
“So, um…” Now it was Maddison clearing her throat.
“You hungry?” he asked.
“Yes.” The smile was back on her
face, eyes dancing like he’d said something way more interesting than he had.
“What shall we cook?”
He’d been planning on a quiet night
in, something easy when he was exhausted from a long day working. Not with Maddison in the kitchen with him. Not with exhaustion being the least of his
worries.
“You mind if I let the dog in?
She’s kind of used to hanging out inside these days.”
“Why would I mind?”
Jack chuckled. “Well, she’s kind of
smelly, and I don’t recall your family letting your working dogs in the house.”
“Don’t you remember how I used to
sneak our dog into my room at night?” Maddison laughed as she shuffled back into the center of the kitchen.
“Yeah, and I recall your mom having
a fit when she found out.”
“Go get the dog. I’ll take a look
in your fridge.”
Jack watched to make sure she was
okay hobbling on her own, before heading to the back door and whistling for
Rosa. She was never far away, and he liked the company. Up until now he’d
preferred the conversation with Rosa than with his dad. Now the old dog was all
he had.
“Hey girl,” he said, dropping to his haunches
to give her a pat. “Best behavior, okay?”
The dog gave him a look and trotted
off, obviously seeing Maddison in the kitchen and
wanting to know what was going on.
Jack groaned. He was happy on his own. If he married Maddison ,
it wasn’t going to be about love. It was going to be about convenience. About companionship and helping one another out. Which meant he had to stop giving in to lust, because she’d take
more from that than he would, and he didn’t want to hurt her.
Jack walked back into the kitchen
and found her reaching into the back of his fridge. He went up behind her,
touched her arm to let her know he was there. He’d just wanted to make sure she
wasn’t hurting her ankle, but now he was wondering if touching her had been a
smart idea.
“How old are these
her retreat one inch.
Maddison moaned, pulling him even tighter to her. So
much for keeping her hands off Jack.
The phone rang, startling both of
them. She refused to let him pull away, clutched at his shirt over his
shoulders, to keep him in place and focused.
“No,” she murmured, even as he
stroked the side of her face and stepped back.
“You want your mom coming over here
to see if you’re okay?” he asked, voice low. “Because I’ll put money on it
that’s who’s calling.”
Maddison sighed and put her palms flat to his chest to push him away. “Fine. Answer it.”
He grinned and turned around,
reaching for the phone. She couldn’t get
enough of him . No matter how much she tried to tell herself that she
couldn’t ruin the relationship between their families, if things didn’t work
out. Because as soon as she so much as looked at his lips she
was a goner.
If only she had the guts to yank at his
shirt until the buttons popped and have her wicked way with him…
“It’s your mom.”
He passed Maddison the phone. H ow the hell had he ended up
kissing Maddison like a man possessed again. Not listening to the part of his brain that
usually steered him in the sensible direction.
Jack watched as she spoke to her
mom, reassured her that she was fine, that she was just going to stay put for
the night at Jack’s place.
The night . The last thing he
needed was her here for the night. Although maybe it would give them a chance
to discuss what the hell was happening between them.
Bullshit. He was lying to himself and he knew it. Because when it came to Maddison , all he could seem to think about was…
“Is it okay if I stay?”
Jack cleared his throat. Teach him to have his mind in the gutter. “Sure.”
It wasn’t like he could say no without sounding like a prick.
They stood, staring at one another.
She was probably as confused as he was.
“So, um…” Now it was Maddison clearing her throat.
“You hungry?” he asked.
“Yes.” The smile was back on her
face, eyes dancing like he’d said something way more interesting than he had.
“What shall we cook?”
He’d been planning on a quiet night
in, something easy when he was exhausted from a long day working. Not with Maddison in the kitchen with him. Not with exhaustion being the least of his
worries.
“You mind if I let the dog in?
She’s kind of used to hanging out inside these days.”
“Why would I mind?”
Jack chuckled. “Well, she’s kind of
smelly, and I don’t recall your family letting your working dogs in the house.”
“Don’t you remember how I used to
sneak our dog into my room at night?” Maddison laughed as she shuffled back into the center of the kitchen.
“Yeah, and I recall your mom having
a fit when she found out.”
“Go get the dog. I’ll take a look
in your fridge.”
Jack watched to make sure she was
okay hobbling on her own, before heading to the back door and whistling for
Rosa. She was never far away, and he liked the company. Up until now he’d
preferred the conversation with Rosa than with his dad. Now the old dog was all
he had.
“Hey girl,” he said, dropping to his haunches
to give her a pat. “Best behavior, okay?”
The dog gave him a look and trotted
off, obviously seeing Maddison in the kitchen and
wanting to know what was going on.
Jack groaned. He was happy on his own. If he married Maddison ,
it wasn’t going to be about love. It was going to be about convenience. About companionship and helping one another out. Which meant he had to stop giving in to lust, because she’d take
more from that than he would, and he didn’t want to hurt her.
Jack walked back into the kitchen
and found her reaching into the back of his fridge. He went up behind her,
touched her arm to let her know he was there. He’d just wanted to make sure she
wasn’t hurting her ankle, but now he was wondering if touching her had been a
smart idea.
“How old are these
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