My Heart Can't Tell You No (19 page)

He went into the bathroom next, emptying the medicine cabinet of all the shaving gear he would not be keeping. The prescription bottles that he tossed away came as a shock to him. He hadn’t realized his father was on so much medication. He imagined there was a lot about the old man he would be discovering as he went through his belongings.

By the time he finished the bathroom, his gaze kept returning to the front door, and by the time he was finished with the hall closet he was occasionally moving back to the front window in search of his neighbor. Halfway through the kitchen he was so restless he had to fight to keep himself from marching up the Baker lane and physically removing Maddie from her home. The knowledge that Bob Green was there kept Joe where he was. The simple fact was that Bob always had an insight into how Joe felt about Maddie; it would take only one look at the two of them together to know what had transpired.

If it were up to Joe, he’d be up there with her now. He’d go straight to Sarah and Jack and inform them of his intentions, and the hell with Jack’s wrath that he would be sure to face. He knew they had so many things they would object to, things he had battled with himself for the past three years; things such as her tender age and the fact that he was a close, trusted family friend. The fact that he was married would be the final straw. That was what would get him tossed out—and, knowing Jack Baker, it could be straight through a wall. Personally, that was the least of his worries. He wouldn’t be married much longer. He would take care of that problem as soon as he got home.

But it wasn’t only his decision. It was Maddie’s choice as well, and he could fully understand her feelings. He knew
he
certainly hadn’t run home to inform his father when he had lost
his
virginity. He didn’t expect her to either; it was a much more delicate matter when a girl’s virginity was at issue.

The longer Joe waited, the more irritated he was becoming. What the hell was taking her so long? The idea that Bob might still be up there was driving him mad. All kinds of images ran through his imagination; nothing extraordinary, but even the simple thought of Bob up there, sucking up to Maddie and Sarah all day, was enough to ruffle his already stressed feathers.

Finally, after he had been lounging in the darkness of the living room for more than an hour, the front door opened.

“Where were you?” Joe growled.

“Up at the house.” Maddie seemed surprised as she closed the door.

“With Bob?”

“Bob’s not up there.” She turned on a lamp.

“I saw him drive up.”

“That was hours ago. He came to give Tom a ride to work. Tom’s truck wouldn’t start.”

“Then what took this long? It doesn’t take this long to clean a house.”

“My Aunt Mae died today. Mom wasn’t in the greatest condition when I got home, so I sat with her until she was ready to go to bed. I had to be sure she was all right.”

“Is she?”

“Yes. She’ll be okay.”

“Come here.” He shifted on the couch, making more room. She slowly removed her coat, then came toward him, but his anxiousness wouldn’t wait. Before she could sit he was pulling her down next to him, covering her mouth with his as his hand slid inside her shirt, meeting the material of her bra. “Do you have to wear this?” he breathed as he dragged his mouth away. “You don’t need it.”

Her body stiffened as she pulled away.

“Are you saying they’re too small?” she asked angrily.

His laughter intensified her anger, but he merely pulled her back and replaced his hand. Breasts the size of large grapefruit were not his idea of small. “What do you think?”

“I don’t know! You tell me!”

“I’m saying you don’t need it—they’re great without it. You don’t need the support—you’re supporting yourself,” he said, but when he still saw doubt in her eyes he went on. “No! They’re not too small! As a matter of fact they’re on the larger side of average. They’re not too big either, if that’s what you’re thinking. They’re just right!”

“Prove it.”

Her bluntness surprised him, excited and delighted him, as he quickly opened her shirt while her hands moved to his shirt. They almost tore their clothes from one another, showing Joe that the day had been just as long for her as it had been for him. Their move to the floor came when they found the couch wouldn’t permit them the room they needed to rid themselves of their jeans and shoes; but, once everything was removed, Maddie sat on her legs a few feet away, tossing her mane of hair over her shoulder as she looked at him with a smile that made his heart twist. He sat on the floor and leaned against the couch, watching her a moment before reaching for her.

“Come here.”

He pulled her against him and lifted her leg over his as his arm encircled her waist. He held her tightly as he looked into the velvety brownness of eyes that were still smiling down at him. Her eyes searched his face before stopping at the thick stubble on the upper lip that he hadn’t shaved in two days; this time when she reached for it, he let her touch it to her heart’s content. Her fingers first outlined its shape, then stroked it, making her smile at him before she moved closer to touch it with her lips.

“I told you once before it looks good on you,” she told him.

“If I would have known it has this effect on you, I would have let you touch it back at Lew’s birthday party three years ago.”

“I probably wouldn’t have. I wanted to—but I wouldn’t have.” She kissed it again. “But then you look just as good without it.”

Her lips clung to his as her hands moved to his chest and her hips moved against his lap. His hands moved up her back to the thickness of her hair, taking pleasure in its softness as he took handful after handful. Her gentle twisting had him fully aroused, and this time when he lifted her above him, he didn’t think twice about pulling her back down as he guided himself into her. Her eyes widened with surprise as she looked at him, but she showed no pain as she pressed herself down until she was flat against him. In her eyes there was only a twinkle of amusement.

“What’s so funny?” he asked.

“Not funny. I just didn’t know.”

“I take it you approve.” He smiled lazily as his hands slid over her hips.

“
Mm-hmm
.”

“Then I’m going to let you take charge this time.” At her puzzled expression he smiled gently at her, and with his hands on her waist, slowly lifted her and then lowered her again, her warm center holding him tightly, exquisitely. “Your turn to take us for the ride, Angel.”

This time she needed no instruction as she slowly began to move on him, tentatively at first; then, as Joe’s guttural groan expressed his satisfaction, her confidence grew with each thrust. His hands gripped her, pulling her against him as his mouth covered hers. His emotion was overflowing. He didn’t want to ever let go. He sensed the same feeling in her as she answered his kiss, giving all she could, holding nothing back. Their lovemaking was slow and tender as their fingers relished the pleasure of touching skin and hair and muscle, only quickening toward the end when their bodies took complete control and once again they were feeling the spiraling sensations that rocked them.

“I love you, Joe,” she said quietly afterward as she pressed her head to his shoulder and stroked the hair at the back of his neck.

“Oh, Maddie.” His mouth found hers in the gentlest of kisses. He felt as if his heart would burst with the emotion he felt for her.

He lifted her off of him, then got up and pulled her with him as he moved to his father’s bedroom. They had the rest of the night to make up for the hours that day had denied him; a night that allowed them to touch, and caress, and take pleasure in simply holding one another and satisfying a hunger that drove them both.

It was past noon when Joe woke the next day, and when he reached across the bed to pull Maddie close, the coolness of the sheets woke him completely. The sight of the empty room sent a strange chill through him, a fear that tore at him.

“MADDIE!” he roared, about to get up and race through the house in search of her, but the sound of her running from the kitchen stopped him. She rounded the doorway to look at him through huge eyes.

“What’s wrong?!”

“Nothing,” he sighed heavily with relief as he sat back against the pillows and pulled the blanket over his lap.

“Good God, Irish! Do you wake up like that every morning? It’s enough to scare a person half to death!” She turned and strode out again.

“Where are you going now?”

“I’ll be right back.” She was gone again, making a few clinking sounds in the kitchen, then returning with a full plate of bacon. “I got hungry. You’re not a very good host, ya know.”

“I would have been a worse host if I had made it. It would have come out black as charcoal.” He watched her move to stand in front of him, dressed again except for her bra, socks and shoes. “Are you going to stand there and eat it all by yourself?”

“Oh, I don’t know. I might.”

“There must be a half a pound of bacon on that plate!”

“Don’t worry. I’ll leave some change on the counter.” She smiled mischievously as she crunched away on a strip of curling goldness.

“It sure looks good.” He tried a new tactic.

“It is.”

“Smells good too.”

“I know. My mouth was watering as I was making it.” His tactic didn’t work.

“Are you going to give me some?”

“After last night—I would have thought you had enough.”

His hand snaked out and grabbed her wrist, then pulled her down on the other side of the bed, taking the plate from her on the way, so it wouldn’t spill. When she sat up to take some of the bacon, he playfully pushed her away and guarded the plate.

“Guess what? I didn’t have enough of either,” he told her.

She sat back against the headboard and watched him eat the golden strips until there were only two pieces left. He looked at her, smiled, then handed her the plate.

“You pig!” she scolded him.

“Well, now that that appetite is satisfied . . . .”

“Oh, no you don’t! You go out there and make me some! Here, finish it!” She pushed the plate back on his lap.

“No,” he laughed. “I’m full now.”

“I wonder why. Jesus, you keep that up, and you’ll weigh three hundred pounds by the end of the year.”

“Would you still want me?” He put the plate on the night stand and pulled her down with him as he stretched out on the mattress.

“Well, maybe we can work some of those calories off sometime today.”

She reached up and kissed him. The kiss would have led further but, when her hand reached across him to sneak some of the bacon, he twisted her around until she was lying beneath him.

“I thought you said you didn’t want it,” he teased.

“Just a piece,” she laughed.

“I’ll give you a piece.”

“You’re not talking about bacon now, are you?”

“No. I’m not talking about bacon.” His fingers moved up her sides, gently tickling her as she laughed and squirmed beneath him.

“Bigger than a slice of bacon?”

“Mmm.” He lowered his head and kissed her. “And it’s getting bigger every second.”

Any response she might have made was interrupted when the telephone rang, and he looked from her toward the sound.

“You can’t answer it this way,” Maddie told him.

He sighed deeply then got off the bed and headed for the doorway that separated the kitchen from the living room.

Bob Green’s voice came over the line, “Joe, I’ll be out in about twenty minutes to help with the house.”

“You don’t have to,” said Joe. Dammit, why did Bob always have to be dangling around in the background?

“I know—but I figured the less time you’re in the area, the less chance you have of trying anything.”

“Trying anything,” Joe repeated flatly. “Like what?”

“I’ll be out in about twenty minutes.”

The line clicked. Joe hung up, then moved into the living room to put on the jeans he had left there the night before. When Maddie joined him, she was carrying the empty plate.

“Is anything wrong?”

“Yes,” he said dryly. “Bob’s coming out.”

“Oh. Is there something wrong with that?”

“Never mind.” He didn’t want to get into it with her. Instead, he turned his attention to the empty plate. “Couldn’t resist it, huh?”

“Nope.” She took the plate to the kitchen, then returned to pick up her shoes and socks and put them on. “I guess I’ll see you later then.”

“Will you be back before I leave?”

“I’ll try.” She walked to him and kissed him, but, when she tried to leave, he pulled her back and kissed her properly.

“Now, you can leave.”

Bob lingered around the house until nine that night, always coming up with something else that needed to be done. Joe was positive he was doing it intentionally. Finally, Bob said that if Joe planned to make it up north by a reasonable hour he had better get started—that is if he did intend to go to work the next day—and didn’t they only give employees three days off for a death in the family? Joe knew he was right, so he left with Bob, not having the chance to see Maddie again. But it mattered little, he’d be back for her by the end of the week. God, it was going to be one hell of a long week.