Tempting the Best Man (A Gamble Brothers Novel) (Entangled Brazen) (6 page)

At the beginning of the year, like every place in the world, the Smithsonian was facing budget cuts, and volunteer services was one of the first departments to take a hit. It had taken months to petition, blood and quite a bit of frustrated tears, to finally be awarded a grant that allowed them to continue operating.

Madison nodded.

His eyes warmed with pride, and she felt all kinds of warm and fuzzy from seeing that. “That’s really good.”

Never comfortable with compliments, she flushed and looked away. “It took a lot of work, but I enjoyed it.”

“It’s good…seeing you doing something you enjoy.”

Her chin jerked toward him as she tried to decipher why he had said that, but then realized he probably meant it exactly how it sounded. “Same for you.”

Chase nodded and then took a deep breath. Madison steeled herself. She knew that sound, knew he was going to say something she probably wouldn’t like.

“About what happened…yesterday afternoon…?” A muscle pulsed in his jaw. “I shouldn’t have left like that.”

Surprised, she stared for several moments and then found her voice. “No, you shouldn’t have.”

He took that in stride. “It did happen, and I shouldn’t have told you it didn’t.”

She wondered if there was an apocalypse going on outside. Comets falling from the sky. Poles shifting. Icebergs melting. Her parents would be thrilled.

The tips of his cheeks flushed. “And I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have—”

“Don’t,” she said, on her feet before she realized it. In the cramped space, there was very little room between them, and her anger was like a third person crowding them in. “Don’t tell me you shouldn’t have done it.”

His eyes went wide and then narrowed. “Maddie—”

“And stop calling me that.” Her hands balled into fists. “I think you’ve made it perfectly clear how unattractive you find me.”

“Whoa. Wait.” He threw up his hands. “This has nothing to do with that.”

She huffed. “Yeah, because when you’re attracted to someone, you actually enjoy kissing them and afterward, you don’t act like you kissed Adolf Hitler.”

His lips twitched as if he were trying not to smile, and he stood, too. “For one thing, that’s not how I acted. And secondly, I don’t want to hear ‘kissing’ and ‘Hitler’ in the same sentence ever again, because now I’m picturing you with that little Hitler mustache.”

“Shut up.”

“And that’s not hot—not hot at all.”

His tone was light, playful even, but now her face was burning, and there was no escaping him. “Whatever.”

Anger darkened the hue of his eyes, turning them cobalt blue, and the mischievous glimmer was gone. “Talking about this—trying to be a decent guy about the situation—was obviously a mistake.”

“Just like kissing me was yesterday, right?”

“Obviously,” he shot back.

Madison flinched, and for a second, she thought she saw regret flicker in his eyes, but then he looked away. Everything came to a head in an instant. Years of confusion and regret mixed together to form a nasty ball of emotion. She tipped her chin up. “Tell me, do you call your other girlfriends after you make out with them and apologize for your drunken behavior?”

The muscle in his jaw popped out.

Undaunted, she took a step forward, getting right in his face. “I bet you don’t. They probably get phone calls that don’t include an apology and flowers instead of being left behind like discarded trash.”

Anger flared in his eyes. “You’re not discarded trash.”

“Yeah, I guess I’m just not good enough, then. But hey, be happy, because soon we’ll have our own rooms and won’t have to keep
apologizing
to each other.” She turned away and walked down the steps to find a damn chest to hide in, because tears were burning her eyes and she knew how jealous she sounded.

She was making a fool out of herself. Again.

Madison made it down one step before Chase’s hand caught her arm and whipped her back around. He glowered at her. “You don’t have a freaking clue, do you?”

She tried to pull her arm free, but he held on. “A clue about what?”

“It has nothing to do with you being good enough or me being attracted to you. Not at all.”

“I’m not sure who you’re trying to convince, bud. I think your track record with me speaks for itself.”

One second she was in the middle of the step and the next her back was against the wall and Chase’s body was flush to hers, meeting in all the right places.

“Tell me,” he said, voice low and thick. “Does it seem like I’m not attracted to you?”

Oh, oh yeah, he was
definitely
attracted to her. The breath went out of her lungs and her mouth felt dry. Every inch of his body pressed against hers, and she could feel his erection, long and thick against her belly. Electricity hummed over her entire body.

“I’m…I’m starting to get the picture,” she said. “It’s a pretty big picture.”

Any other day, Chase might have laughed, but not now. He was furious and there was more, but she wasn’t afraid. Fear and Chase’s name were two things that would never go together.

She tried to swallow, to take a breath, but her eyes met his, and there was nothing but aching intensity in his gaze. And she was drawn in, swept away.

Maybe she really didn’t have a freaking clue.

Chase’s warm hand slid up her bare arm, to the edge of the tiny strap on her tank top. A wave of small bumps followed his touch, and when his fingers edged under that fragile slip of material, her legs would’ve cut out from under her if he hadn’t been pressed so tightly against her body.

He dipped his head, placing his mouth to the space below her ear. He nipped her there, just a tiny bite that sent a wave of heat through her veins. And then his lips moved lower, leaving a hot trail behind. “You drive me insane, absolutely freaking insane. Do you know that? I bet you do.”

Hushing the voice in the back of her head that screamed and ranted a thousand warnings, she gripped his shoulders as her head fell back against the wall, giving him all the access he wanted.

And he did want.

Those firm lips of his traveled back up her throat to pause above her own. Her chest rose sharply, and his other hand fell to her hip, fingers digging into the denim as he held her in place.

Their eyes locked.

“We shouldn’t be doing this,” he growled, and then he kissed her deeply, stealing her breath as he pulled back, nipping at her lower lip. “Not because I find you unattractive.” His pelvis thrust against hers as if to drive his point home. “And not because I don’t think you’re good enough. You’re too good, Maddie, too damn good, and that’s the problem.”

Madison didn’t know what he meant by that, and she couldn’t breathe as his thick thigh pushed her legs apart and she gasped as the rough material met her bare, sensitive skin. Finding out why they weren’t supposed to be doing exactly what they were doing took second seat to the ache in her core and the wild rush of feelings she’d harbored for this man for years.

“God,” Chase groaned as his hips pressed forward. “We’re really going to have to do something about the not-wearing-panties thing, Maddie. Seriously.”

She closed her eyes and arched her back as her hips swiveled, the friction from his thigh and her own eagerness igniting a fire deep inside her. When she spoke, her voice was breathy and unrecognizable. “Do what?”

Both of his hands grasped her hips as he lifted her onto his thigh more fully, and she could feel him burning through the thin cotton of her shirt.

“This is crazy,” he said, which wasn’t much of an answer. Not that she cared.

His eyes were on fire as he pulled her up against him and kissed her so deeply she felt like he was devouring the very taste of her.

She looped her arms around his neck, her fingers digging into the soft hair at the nape of his neck. Her body moved against his, and all she could hope for, all she wanted, was for him to not stop. To never stop.

For him to prove what his body was saying meant more than his words.

…

Discarded trash? Those words rang in his ears like a drum. His father had left his mom behind like that—something to rot away in their million-dollar home, surrounded by jewels, furs, pool boys, and everything the woman could want except the one thing she needed—her husband’s love and fidelity. Maddie would never, could never be discarded trash.

Chase sucked in a ragged breath a second before she fastened his mouth to hers. This was insane, but his control had snapped somewhere between her accusing him of not being attracted to her and her fiery show of temper.

He couldn’t stop now, knew that he didn’t want to, not when she was so warm and eager against him. His sex surged even harder as her hips rocked and she made those breathy sounds against his lips.

His hand trailed to her breast, felt the pebbling of her nipple, and all gentlemanly whims went right out the damn cellar along with his common sense.

Chase could feel her body tremble as he kissed her. Even though he was hard as granite in his jeans, he struggled to stop this catastrophe from happening. Because in the end, could he really have her? She was so far above him, and she didn’t even see it.

But it was like he didn’t have control of his hands. His finger nudged under the straps of her tank top, lowering them down her arms, baring the soft swells to the cold air and his hungry gaze.

“God, you’re beautiful.” He cupped her breast, losing a little more of himself in her softness as his thumb brushed over the hardened peak. “So perfect…”

Her breathy moan of denial shattered him as his hand traveling farther south, beyond the flare of her hip.

Then her back arched, the skirt sliding farther up her thighs. “Please, Chase, please.”

How was he supposed to deny her? How could he ever?

His head dipped to one rosy tip, his tongue flicked out, and he drew her into his mouth. Her skin was too tempting to resist. The taste of her…blew his mind.

Chase’s hand teased under her skirt, along the curve of her taut ass, to the moist, slick petals of her sex. He drew his finger along her core, and she felt like satin. He was in awe, enthralled and captured by her. Honestly nothing new, but…

Christ, she was soft and yielding in his arms, and so very damn perfect.

And he wanted her, all of her—

Footsteps on the other side of the door knocked him out of this fantasy like being blasted with a nuclear weapon.

Jerking back, he caught Maddie before she tumbled down the stairs. She stared up at him, the look on her face so shell-shocked and demanding that he wanted to bar the damn door shut and do this, keep doing this.

In a miraculous feat, he readjusted her clothing seconds before the door swung open. Spinning on the step, he used his body to block hers, giving her time to regain her composure.

The tour guide stood there, holding a key. Behind him, Chandler arched a knowing brow. Great.

“Ah,” Chandler said, “there you are. I’m guessing the little shadow behind you is Madison? We’ve been looking everywhere for you two.”

“Well, we’ve been
here
the whole time.
Locked in
.” He said it with emphasis and glanced over his shoulder, finding a wide-eyed and flushed face staring back. Steeling himself, he faced his brother’s mocking stare. “Took long enough.”

Chandler snickered. “For some reason, I have the exact opposite impression.”

Chase ignored his brother’s snide comment. He was more concerned with how in the hell he was going to keep his hands off Maddie now.

Chapter Six

What the hell just happened? Madison was lost. One moment they were arguing and the next, they were kissing and doing way, way more than that. Really hot stuff that had strung her tight as a bow, so close to shattering, and then…

Then Chase’s brother showed up.
Awkward
wasn’t even the word for that.

She was still in a daze when they were ushered to the hillside where the picnic had been set up. Chase had returned to stoic silence while his older brother had a smirk affixed to his handsome face the entire way back, and Madison… She honestly didn’t know what to do.

She felt like a bipolar zombie—a horny bipolar zombie.

Her mom rushed up and squeezed the daylights out of her the moment she was spotted. Madison almost took a hat to the eye. “We were so worried, honey! I thought you fell off the truck or something!”

Squeezing her mom back, she reassured her. “I’m fine. Just got locked in the wine cellar.”

“Oh, that’s terrible!”

Her father frowned. “Actually, in the event of nuclear fallout, the wine cellar may be the best place.”

“Da-ad.” Madison groaned.

Mitch grinned from his seat next to Lissa. “At least you had Chase to keep you company. Couldn’t have been that bad and hey, you didn’t kill each other.”

Madison stiffened.

Strolling past her, Chandler glanced over his shoulder and winked before adding, “Which makes one wonder what they
did
do to each other.”

Tugging down her hair to hide her flaming cheeks, she shrugged and settled on a blanket, busying herself with what was left of the food. Right now, surrounded by family and friends, she couldn’t even begin to analyze what had happened, but she couldn’t stop herself from checking out how Chase was hanging in there.

He was over with his brothers, his long legs stretched out in front of him, smiling now like he hadn’t a freaking care in the world.

Okay. So this could be good. At least he wasn’t brooding and coming up with an apology. Her heart flip-flopped. If he wasn’t coming up with an apology, what did that mean? That he didn’t regret what happened? That maybe there could be some sort of future? That maybe she was jumping way ahead of herself? But it was hard not to when she’d loved him for so long.

God, she sounded like a thirteen-year-old. “FML,” she muttered.

“What, honey?” her mom questioned.

“Nothing—nothing at all.”

After the picnic, the rest of the tour set into motion. Thankfully, she wasn’t left behind again…
Or maybe not thankfully
, she thought as she glanced over at Chase for the hundredth time.

When everyone departed from the truck and headed back to their cabins to rest up before the formal dinner that evening, Madison headed toward the main lodge to knock out the wedding programs. Hopefully the mindless task would get her brain back on track. And it was probably a good idea she wasn’t going back to the cabin. Being alone with Chase again so soon would likely end in disaster. She already had a mad case of nerves, having no idea how he was going to act or how she should behave. Would they argue? Would they act like nothing happened? Or would they pick up where they left off?

Door number three, please.

Before Madison made it to the steps leading to the sprawling porch, her mother wrapped an arm around her waist. “Honey, are you feeling okay?”

As frazzled as she was, the truth was bursting to come out. Well, at least a half truth. They were far enough away from the rest of the group for some privacy, but she kept her voice low. “I really don’t know, Mom.”

Her mom took off her hat and smoothed her hands over the wispy dark hairs sticking out haphazardly. “Is it the wedding? Work?”

“No.” Madison laughed. “I’m happy for Mitch and Lissa. It’s not that at all. And work is perfect.”

“Then what is it?” She clasped Madison’s hand. “You haven’t been yourself since you arrived.”

She wanted so badly to confide in someone, but what could she tell her mother? She’d die before she admitted what had happened in the wine cellar.

“It’s really nothing.” She smiled and then her stomach dropped as she caught a glimpse of Chase stretching. In the afternoon sun, he looked amazing. His shirt rode up, revealing the dip and roll of his abs. She had to tear her greedy gaze away.

Her mom may say and think some crazy stuff at times, but man was she observant. “Yes, I see.”

“You see what?” Madison frowned.

Her mom chuckled softly. “Chase—it’s always Chase.”

As offensive as the statement was, there wasn’t anything Madison could say. Too nervous—too anxious—about what had happened, what might happen between them, she kept her lips glued shut.

“You two have played cat and mouse for far too long,” her mother said softly.

More like they played cat and cat. Madison shook her head in denial.

“Honey, I know your heart has always belonged to that Gamble boy, from the moment you started seeing him as something other than Mitch’s friend—which I think was when you turned ten.” Mrs. Daniels glanced over to where he stood with the guys. She tilted her head to the side. “But he’s always seen his father in himself. Poor boy has no idea that he’s nothing like that jackass.”

“Mom!”

“What?” She laughed. “That man was a horrible father and worse husband. What that boy needs—what every Gamble boy needs—is a good woman to show him he’s worth loving.”

Madison opened her mouth to change the subject, but something else entirely came out. “He’ll never see himself as anything different, and he’ll never see me as anything other than Mitch’s sister.”

“No, my dear, he already sees you as something other than Mitch’s sister. He just doesn’t realize it yet.”

…

Her mother’s words lingered long after Madison settled into the small room in the back of the main lodge, seated on the floor, legs tucked under her. Two heavy boxes sat in front of her. One full of programs and another stocked with little cards and holders.

Maybe she should’ve asked for help… She was going to be here all night.

Glancing at the deer head mounted on the wall, she shuddered. Sighing, she reached for the programs and began tri-folding them.

He just doesn’t realize it yet.

Could that seriously be the only thing holding him back after all these years? He wanted her, cared for her, but hadn’t come to accept it all yet? There was no way she believed that. And she also didn’t think it was his father’s influence. Either you wanted someone or you didn’t. In her mind, there was no in between.

She’d considered calling Bridget, but her friend would just rant and rave over how idiotic Madison was being, which she probably deserved. Doing the non-platonic thing with Chase was stupid. But damn it, she had no willpower when it came to him.

There was a neat stack of ten folded programs by the time someone knocked on the closed door. A second later, it swung open, and Chase stood in the doorway. “Hey.”

Shocked to find the object of her angst standing in front of her, all she could do was stare and remember how freaking wonderful he’d felt pressed against her. “Hey?”

Running a hand through his dark hair, he squinted. “Your mother thought you could use some help.”

Damn that meddlesome woman.

Taking a deep breath, she plotted about a thousand ways to stitch her mom’s mouth shut. “It’s okay. I got this. I’m sure there are other things you’d rather be doing.”

He raised one brow suggestively and she blushed. And now she was thinking there were things she’d rather be doing, too. Damn him.

He motioned at the full boxes. “From up here, it looks like you need help.”

She shrugged as she folded a program, ducking her head and letting her hair shift forward and cover her flaming red face.

Inching into the room, he nudged the door shut. “At the rate you’re going, you’ll be here until the wedding.”

“Hardy-har-har.” She watched him sit down on the other side of the boxes. “Chase, I appreciate this…but you don’t have to.”

He shrugged and grabbed a program. A frown creased his forehead. “What the hell?” Turning over the stark white paper with crimson lettering, he shook his head. “This layout makes no sense.”

Laughing softly, she set hers aside and leaned forward. “See these faint dots?” When he nodded, she sat back and picked up her own. “You have to fold them at the dots, going in a different way, like a pamphlet. See?”

It took Chase a couple of tries before he got the edges to line up perfectly. As she watched his nimble fingers slide along the crease of the second program, her cheeks heated.

He looked up, fingers pausing. “So now that I’m here, you’re just going to sit there and…stare at me?”

Madison blinked and snatched another program. “I’m not staring at you.”

“Sure.” He drew the word out.

“Certain you don’t have something better to do?” Dividing the programs into halves, she again wanted to strangle her mom.

“Better than annoying you? There’s no such thing.”

Madison tried to ignore the teasing tone to his words, but it was hard. A small grin broke free and after a couple of moments, they fell into an easy, companionable silence as they worked on the programs.

The quiet was broken by Chase’s low chuckle, drawing her attention. “What?” she asked, wondering what she had done now.

“It’s just strange seeing you do this. Crafts aren’t your thing.”

Relaxing, she steadied the growing pile between them. “You never struck me as a craft guy, either.”

He laughed again. “I have no idea what I’m doing.”

“You’re making sure that Mitch and Lissa’s wedding goes off without any problems.”

“And helping you.”

Madison smiled at that. “And helping me. By the way, I’m really grateful you are helping, because this would’ve taken me forever.” Pausing, she placed another on the stack and reached for one more. “But I’m sorry my mom conned you into doing this.”

Chase’s fingers stilled over the program, and his gaze met hers. It was crazy. Dressed down in worn blue jeans and a black shirt, he was the most beautiful man she’d ever seen. And the moment was sort of perfect.

Even with the deer head staring over his shoulder like a total creeper.

His gaze moved to the program in his hands. “Your mom did mention you were doing this now.”

His sentence seemed loaded, like she was missing the punch line or something. Tilting her head to the side, she waited. “Okay?”

“But she didn’t ask me.” The tips of his cheekbones flushed. “I figured you could use the help.”

Her mouth opened but nothing came out. Sure, he was just helping her fold programs out of the goodness of his heart, so it wasn’t a ringing declaration of love, but still…

Chase cleared his throat. “And with all this wine laying around, someone needs to keep an eye on you.”

Madison laughed. “I’m not a wino.”

“You were last night.”

“Was not!”

He arched a brow. “You were dancing on a bench with some tool.”

Shaking her head, she smiled. “His name is Bobby.”

“I think his name is Rob.”

“Oh.” She bit down on her lip. “Same difference.”

He leaned forward, tapping her knee with his knuckles. “And you sat down in the middle of the pathway.”

She remembered. “I was tired.”

“And you started talking about how big the moon was.” He sat back, grinning. And suddenly… God, suddenly it was five years ago and everything…everything was normal between them.

Her chest ached, but in a good way.

“It was like you’d never seen the moon before. Surprised you still don’t think it’s a ball of cheese in the sky.”

She threw her folded program at him. “I’m not five, Chase!”

He picked up the paper. “But you were that tipsy.”

Giggling at his comment, she grabbed the box of programs and realized it was empty. Scooting over, she reached into the other one and pulled out a dozen place-card holders. Disappointment swelled when she realized they’d be done within an hour.

Madison also remembered what she’d said to him last night as he held her so tenderly in his arms, which was proof that she hadn’t been that drunk.

She had admitted that she missed him—missed this. Just being together, teasing each other or sitting in comfortable silence. Back in the day, they could go for hours like this. It was why for the longest time, she believed they were meant to be together.

Seemed silly now and maybe even a little sad, but she didn’t want this moment to end. Most importantly, she didn’t want to miss him anymore.

…

Chase watched her stick the little cards into the holders, wondering what had caused the glimpse of sadness that had flashed across her face. The smile was back now, and she was telling him about the project she was delving into at work. He lo—liked her like this best.

He could easily see her with someone, just sitting around, shooting the shit, and still being incredibly sexy. Maddie had this ease about her, a natural charm that drew people in. Some guy was going to be a lucky son of a bitch one day.

The cold slice of air that came out of nowhere and shot down his neck was hard to ignore.

Pushing those thoughts away, he told her about the couple his manager had caught last weekend in the storage room. “Stefan got an eyeful when he went back to get fresh towels.”

Madison tipped her head back and laughed. “And this was at Komodo? Don’t they have to go through the employee lounge for that? How did they get back there?”

“One of the waitresses left the door unlocked.” He grinned as her laugh bubbled up again. “Stefan said they had their iPhones out and were filming the whole thing.”

“Wow.” She snickered. “Amazing multitasking skills.”

“Jealous?”

Her eyes rolled. “Yeah, there’s nothing more romantic than getting it on while someone is shoving a phone camera in your face.”

An image of Maddie under him, naked and writhing, getting it on with a camera, and then without the camera, flashed in his head.

Yeah, not romantic, but sexy as hell. It suddenly felt stifling in the small room, and he tugged at his shirt collar.