Crime & Passion (31 page)

Madeline tried to squeeze her legs shut and
refuse him access to the pulsating core of her body—the betraying
core of passion that cried out for her to relax and let him have
his way with her. In all her life, she’d never had someone kiss her
so intimately. It didn’t seem right somehow.

“Don’t be a prude, Maddie,” came his muffled
voice. “You earned this punishment.”

She gasped as his hot tongue lapped a lazy
circle around her sensitive center. “Donovan, you can’t.” She knew
she should protest harder, but her body warred with her mind.

Pure, unadulterated pleasure shot through
her, seeming to join in her spine. She clenched down in one tight
spasm as his tongue flicked upward. Whatever Donovan was doing down
there, she felt his lips and teeth graze her, and she couldn’t
quite remember why she’d argued with him to begin with.

“Oh, please, don’t stop!” she cried as
Donovan dipped a finger inside her and his tongue flicked rapidly
against the epicenter of her pleasure. “Yes, yes!”

She writhed beneath him, trying to guide his
tongue to just the right spot as she ran her fingers through his
hair. She gasped as his wet hand slipped back further between her
legs to caress her ass.

“Please, Donovan, please,” she urged. “I’m
ready. Oh, God, I’m ready!”

He slid effortlessly along her body. His
mouth took hers as he guided himself into her tight passage. The
slight sting of him completely filling her mingled with her
over-stimulation. She clenched down with excitement, barely able to
catch her breath as Donovan surged into her.

Tasting herself on his lips, knowing he was
the only man to ever do that for her, increased her pleasure. She
raised her hips to meet his as he drove her into the mattress time
and again.

“Yes, yes!
Oh Donovan
!” A huge tremor
descended on her and she screamed out her abandonment to the
moment.

Donovan groaned and surged into her one more
time. The spasms of his body mingled with hers, completing their
lovemaking in perfect harmony.

Madeline lay quietly under the covers next to
Donovan. She had been correct with her first impression. Donovan
was certainly skilled in the area of lovemaking.

She sighed and slipped her leg across his,
snuggling into his chest. She didn’t want to move ever again, just
stay here with him forever.

“Something wrong?” he asked, smoothing her
hair down her back. “Why the big sigh?”

“Nothing wrong,” she replied. “Content.”

He laughed and kissed her forehead. “What one
might call satisfied?”

“Mmmm hmmm. Definitely satisfied.”

Donovan let out a sigh of his own, but his
sounded decidedly wistful. “No regrets?”

Madeline propped her head up on her elbow and
looked at him. “Do
you
have regrets?”

He gripped her neck and pulled her toward
him, kissing her softly. “I’m just so afraid that tomorrow you
might wake up, decide sex is all there is to me, and call things
off.”

Madeline smiled. “The sex would be reason
enough to stay.”

She meant it as a joke, but Donovan’s eyes
clouded over. He blinked and looked away from her. “So, that’s all
it was then, just meaningless sex?”

“Oh, Donovan.” She slid her hand against his
cheek, forcing him to look at her. “I know my prior actions don’t
make it seem this way, but I really don’t sleep around. Throwing
myself at you right after we met was a first-time experiment for
me.”

“And a disaster.” He shook his head. “I
should have handled that better.”

“Well, I sort of thought a woman throwing
herself at you wouldn’t be a new experience.”

“Not new.” He grinned. “But coming from you,
it surprised me.”

“Actually, it surprised me too.” She bit her
lip and looked at him. “As far as today goes...I wouldn’t have
slept with you if it was just about fantastic sex. I want to be
with you.”

“That’s good to hear.” He captured her hand
in his, kissing the sensitive skin on the inner side of her wrist.
“I haven’t felt this way before, Maddie. I never thought I’d find a
woman who’d make me want to settle down.”

She lay across his chest. Even though he
continued to call her Maddie, somehow it no longer mattered. She
now understood he didn’t mean it the way people had in her past.
She no longer heard the implied ‘McFatty’ when he used the
nickname.

“There’s something different in the way I
feel about you, too, compared to other relationships,” she said,
stroking the dark trail of hair on his stomach. “I never hoped for
more than tolerance from Cameron when I planned to marry him.”

“I still don’t understand what you were
thinking. Why marry a jerk like him?”

She laughed. “It seems silly now. But I
thought he was my only shot at a big, white wedding, children, the
whole nine yards.”

“So, you do want children?”

Hmmm...might have been smarter to discuss
life goals before the wild, passionate, mind-blowing sex.

“Don’t you?” She hated the way her voice
shook, but this could be a deal breaker.

“Of course I do. The sooner the better.” He
rubbed her arm lightly. “I’m not getting any younger. Do you think
I’m already too old to start a family?”

She laughed, relief flooding through her with
the knowledge he wanted kids. “What are you, forty?”

“Forty-two,” he replied. “And you’re only
thirty-three… Am I too old for you?”

She shook her head. “There’s something
extremely sexy about that streak of silver at your temples.”

“So I shouldn’t go buy that hair dye for men
and get rid of it?” He smiled. “I did think about it, you know,
while you were in the hospital. I imagined you’d wake up, see me
looking all sexy, and forget all about being angry with me.”

“Don’t
ever
do that—you’ll lose half
your sex appeal,” she teased. “So, now that’s out of our way.
Enough age discussion. They say you’re only as old as you feel. Do
you feel up to having kids?”

“I’m always up for making them.”

She punched his stomach lightly. “Be
serious.”

“I am. I am.”

She couldn’t help but laugh. “You’re not up
right now, but I bet I can get you that way.”

“I know you can, foxy lady.”

Madeline thought about the best way to go
about that lofty goal, but was interrupted by pounding on the front
door before she could put her plan into action. She looked at the
digital clock on the nightstand. It was past 7:00. Who would bother
them tonight?

She groaned and climbed across Donovan,
making sure to rub all the right places on her way past. “I wish
the world would leave us alone for a few days.”

Donovan climbed out of the bed behind her and
grabbed his pants, slipping them on. “I’ll come with you. Just in
case.”

She walked to the dresser, opening the top
drawer to get her second-favorite robe. It still pissed her off
that Suzie ruined her best one. Madeline pulled on the short,
purple robe, wrapping it around her and tying the sash.

Donovan glanced at her with a raised eyebrow.
“You’re not answering the door like that, are you?”

“Unless you’d rather I go without this on.”
She laughed.

“Why don’t I get the door by myself?” He
buttoned his pants and fastened the zipper. “I don’t want any other
man seeing you in that robe ever.”

“Why’s that?” She looked down and spread her
hands wide. “I’m covered up in this.”

He looked her over, his eyes spending a long
time on both her legs and chest. “What do you think made me want
you so bad in the first place?” He let out a low whistle. “Your
choice in robes sure shows off your sexy legs.”

The person outside pounded again.

“In that case,” she said, feeling
ridiculously pleased, “you go ahead and answer it.”

Donovan stepped past Madeline to unzip his
duffle bag. He reached inside, pulling out a black handgun in a
holster. He slipped it behind his back to tuck it into his pants,
and suddenly Madeline didn’t feel as happy. After all, it might not
be someone friendly at the door. She couldn’t let herself forget
that fact.

She stood in her bedroom doorway and listened
anxiously as Donovan walked across the living room. The front door
creaked as he opened it.

“Hello, Brice. What can I do for you?”

“I came to talk to you about what I found out
today at Bill’s. They found a tape with her on it,” Brice
replied.

“Hang on,” Donovan said. “I’ll let you
in.”

Madeline sighed in relief and retreated
further into the bedroom. The men might want to talk shop for a
bit, and Madeline wasn’t sure how long the other officer would
stay. While Donovan took care of business, she wanted a hot shower.
It had been a very long day. Despite the fun with him, her
shoulders were tense.

She walked into the bathroom and turned the
hot water on in the freestanding shower. She smiled as she hung up
her robe. She’d definitely put it on once she dried off, now that
she knew what it did to Donovan.

She stepped into the shower and let the hot
water run through her hair, taking away some of her stress as it
beat down on her shoulders. A bath in the whirlpool tub would be
nice too. Maybe she could interest Donovan into taking one together
later. She washed her hair, put conditioner in it, and then grabbed
her body gel. Maybe if Donovan got rid of Brice before she
finished, he’d come in and give her a hand.

Unfortunately, she completed her cleaning
ritual, toweled off, and brushed out her hair, all without hearing
anything from Donovan. She wondered if Brice was still in the
house, or if Donovan had just decided not to intrude.

She wrapped the robe around her body and
opened the door to the bedroom, steam following her out.

Donovan lay on the bed, still dressed only in
his pants. He held something in his hand and looked up when the
door opened. “Hey you. I started to wonder if you were ever coming
out.”

“I hoped you’d join me, so I took my
time.”

His eyes grew wide. “Oh, man. We’ve got to
lay down some ground rules so I know about these things.”

She laughed. “Maybe next time.” She sat on
the edge of the bed, tucking one leg beneath her. “What you looking
at? Something Brice brought?”

“No. Brice came by to let me know about
Suzie. She did steal the rope she used on you.”

“What about the other one? The one they found
in your stuff?”

He shook his head. “No such luck. Bill
trained the security cameras on the ropes after the first batch was
stolen. You couldn’t see them on the tape before that.”

“I’m sorry, Donovan. Eventually, your name
will be cleared. Brice is going to keep digging?”

“Yeah. I keep worrying he’ll decide I must
have done it and stop helping me. I guess I’ll deal with that when
I have to.”

She stroked his bare back. “
We’ll
deal
with it,
if
we have to.”

He smiled. “We’ll deal with it.” He held the
small paper in his hand out to her.

Madeline accepted it—an old photograph. An
unsmiling Donovan, who must have been around fifteen years old, had
his arm around the shoulders of a very slim girl. She didn’t smile
either, but had a sparkle in her brown eyes belying the serious set
of her mouth. She might have been thirteen or fourteen.

“Who’s this with you?” Madeline asked,
looking back at Donovan.

“I’ve been meaning to tell you about her.”
Donovan shrugged. “She was the only woman I’d ever really loved,
until I met you. Well, I thought it was love. Heck, we were so
young. I didn’t even understand what that was.”

She smiled. “We all have to have our first
true love, don’t we? Mine was Matt Henry. ‘Course, he didn’t even
know I existed. At least you have a picture with your girl.”

He nodded. “It’s all I have left.”

Madeline didn’t say anything, but set the
picture on the bed between them. She chewed on one of her nails,
waiting for him to elaborate.

He sat up and folded his legs beneath him,
facing her. “Maddie, I know you said you want kids, but how would
you feel about adopting a few too? I don’t mean babies. Older kids
who have no chance for a good home.”

“I’ve never really thought about that
before,” she admitted, surprise making her a little breathless.
“I’m taking it you have?”

He grabbed the picture and stroked the
surface with a light finger, tracing the young girl’s face. “That
was our plan, to have a big home full of unwanted kids. Give them a
real family.”

“You and that girl in the photo? You were so
young to think about that.”

He shrugged. “We were already acting as Mom
and Dad to some of the younger kids where we lived. It was our
dream to keep them safe. It was all Maddie’s idea.”

The nickname hit her like a blow to the
stomach. “Wh-who?” Madeline managed to choke out.

“The girl. Madison.” He smiled at her, as
though this information should make her happy.

So what the hell am I to him? Some sort of
Maddie substitute?

***

All the light drained from Madeline’s
face.

Concerned, Donovan set the picture of Madison
and him aside, wrapping his arms around Madeline’s shoulders. “Are
you okay, Maddie?”

She shuddered against him. “Please don’t call
me that.”

Okay. I’ve been calling her that all week
without a problem. She minds now?

“You’re not still worried about that
nickname, are you? You must understand now I don’t mean anything by
it. Maddie is a wonderful name to me.” He moved in to kiss her, but
she pulled out of his reach. “Why are you acting this way?”

Madeline picked the picture back up and
stared at it for a moment. “Tell me about her. What happened to
your Maddie?”

Donovan watched Madeline’s face, confused to
see anger there. “You’re not jealous of Madison, are you?”