Trouble Walks In (8 page)

“Hey!” Maddy shoved the credit card back into her evening bag and snapped it shut more harshly than necessary. “That is not what I meant, okay? Look, I warned you. I'm not good at this dating stuff. I offered on instinct. Rick and I always split the check, and I guess…”

Her throat tightened with a tsunami of unexpected emotion, and she stopped talking for a split second because she thought she might cry. Regret lingered in his eyes and they sat there in silence, a swell of unspoken apologies swirling between them.

“Shit,” Ronan whispered. He ran one hand over his face and let out a slow breath. “I'm sorry, Mads.”

“No, I'm the one who's sorry, Ronan. Look, this whole
date
business was probably a mistake. It will only make everything really messy between us. We're both adults, and we won't let any of this interfere with Jordan and Gavin's wedding. Let's forget it.” She waved one hand and pushed her chair back before rising to her feet. “I'm going to the ladies' room. I'll meet you at the coat check, and then I'll get a cab home.”

She hurried toward the safety of the restroom before Ronan could stop her. Maddy slipped inside the lavish lounge and tossed her bag on the marble counter. How long had it been since she'd felt so totally unsure of herself? She'd been working like a dog since last year to put her life back in order and feel safe. Now, here she was, dallying with Ronan McGuire, and it was like attempting to walk through a bed of quicksand.

No matter what she did or said, it was a wrong move, and she only sank deeper.

She placed both hands on the counter and closed her eyes, struggling to get herself together.

Nice going, Maddy. So much for not making it weird.

Her bag started to buzz. Maddy gave the attendant, who was standing at the ready with hand towels, an embarrassed glance. She took out her phone, and a smile bloomed when she read the text from Ronan.

Glad we got the awkward part of the date out of the way. Shake a tail feather, Mads. The night is just getting started.

Mads? The sweet nickname hadn't been lost on her when he used it back at the table, and the easy, familiar way it tumbled from his lips was surprisingly wonderful. No one had ever called her that, but somehow, coming from Ronan, it seemed as though
he
always had. Maddy cradled the phone in her hands and bit her lower lip, debating what to text back. Finally, after tossing around various responses, one cheekier than the next, she simply sent back:

Be out in a minute.

The guy was incorrigible, cocky, proud, and playful. Maddy let out a sigh and gave her reflection one last look before heading out. Ronan was exactly the type of man she could fall in love with, and that's what made him dangerous. She really should put a stop to this whole thing before it got messier than it already was.

Maddy wove her way through the crowd in the bar area, but she had her sights on Ronan the entire time. His tall, broad-shouldered frame stood out amid the sea of people milling near the entrance, but the draw was about more than his size. Ronan had an air of authority: he gave the impression of a man in total control of himself and his surroundings. His careful, intelligent gaze scanned the crowd, not in a weird Terminator way, but subtly and consistently. It was the cop in him. No matter where he was, Ronan took note of what was happening in the immediate vicinity.

When his penetrating stare met hers, her stomach swirled and she caught her breath. It was unsettling to know that when he looked at her, he was seeing
her
more than anyone else had in a good, long while. Ronan had been right on the money when he called her out for hiding in her apartment and in this city.

In some ways, it was a relief to have someone simply know where she was coming from, and in others, it was terrifying. With that one revelation, Ronan had stripped away the protective blanket she'd thrown over herself, leaving her naked and exposed. Maddy let out a short laugh and shook her head. If Rick had been there for that conversation, he would have slapped Ronan on the shoulder and congratulated him for calling Maddy out on her bullshit.

“Mind if we walk awhile?” Ronan asked as he helped her into her coat. “It'll probably be a bitch to get a cab around here anyway.”

“Sure.” Maddy nodded and avoided looking at him while she tied the sash tightly. The embarrassment of insulting him lingered. “Let's go.”

She hurried ahead of him and started walking toward the corner.

“Hey,” Ronan called after her. He caught up easily and linked his arm around her bicep. “Mads, what's wrong?”

Maddy stood on the corner and stuffed her hands into the roomy pockets of her coat. She paused long enough to suck in a deep, cleansing breath of cold air. Being around Ronan was quickly becoming a real-life roller coaster ride. One minute it was easy and fun, the next, awkward and fumbling. Through it all, however, no matter what part of the ride she was on, she had no desire to stop. Maddy was intensely attracted to Ronan. It was carnal and primal and made her feel completely out of control.

She wanted him, but she didn't
want
to want him.

Ugh. She was a hot mess.

“I'm sorry about before.” She forced herself to look him in the face. Curiosity and a touch of humor lingered there. “I didn't mean it the way you think I did.”

“I thought we were past that.” Ronan tilted his head and flashed her that devastating smile. “Didn't you get my charming text message?”

“Yes.” She couldn't stop the laugh that bubbled up. “But I want to be clear that I wasn't implying you couldn't afford to pay for dinner. In all honesty, I'm feeling really nervous about this
date
and sorely out of practice.”

“Oh! We're being honest?” Ronan's lips tilted. “Well, in the spirit of honesty, I should fess up about something too.” He gathered both of her hands in his. “My male ego took a hit when I saw your building, and then when I saw your actual apartment…I guess I was feeling a little inadequate.”

“Why?” Her brow furrowed. “Your parents' house is one of the largest in Old Brookfield, and it's no secret how wealthy they are. It's not like you grew up without money. Didn't your great-grandfather invent the shoelace or something?”

“The seat belt, among other things.” He laughed. “And yes, my
family
is wealthy, but
I'm
not. I'm a cop, Maddy. I make a cop's salary. Let's just say that my entire place could fit in the lobby of your building. Twice.” He shrugged. “Hell, I was worried Bowser wouldn't want to come home with me after seeing it. He might be a dog, but he has expensive tastes.”

“Very funny.” Maddy rolled her eyes.

“I am sorry for jumping to a stupid conclusion, but I won't apologize for being old-fashioned or for insisting that this is a real date.” He tugged her closer and lowered his voice, a wicked glint in eyes. “Speaking of which, we aren't finished.”

“Ronan,” she said in a warning tone. “What are you up to?”

He raised his arm and tried to flag an oncoming cab that scurried by.

“Do you plan on telling me where we're going?” Maddy tugged her coat tighter against the bitter gust of wind. “Because I'm obviously not going home.”

“Nope.” Ronan took her hand in his and hailed another cab. “You aren't the boss tonight, Mads. I know you love being in control and calling the shots, but let it go for now. I told you I was gonna take you out on a real New York City date, and I meant it.”

“Fine,” she said, feigning annoyance.

By some small miracle, a cab barreling down the street toward them pulled over. Ronan opened the door, and Maddy scooted in quickly. Ronan slipped in behind her and whispered to the driver.

“You got it, man.” The cabbie hit the meter and pulled away.

“I have a love-hate relationship with surprises.” Maddy shivered and adjusted the scarf around her neck. “I don't even get a hint?”

“Nope.” Ronan sat on his side of the backseat with a smug smile on his face and his hands folded in his lap. “No hints.”

Maddy adjusted her position and pressed her body into the corner, a move meant to keep distance between them but also to allow her to study him. Except that her coat fell open when she did, and since the hem of her skirt had ridden up to precarious heights, it offered a generous view of her legs. She went to cover them but quickly recalled the way she'd caught him staring at them back at her apartment.

The emotional roller coaster had Maddy feeling more adventurous and alive than she had in a good, long while. She could blame it on the wine, but that would have been a lie. It wasn't booze or loneliness. It was the man in the cab next to her that had her head spinning and her body burning.

He was spot-on. She did love being in control. If she had to be at the mercy of her overheated libido, then she would grab the wheel.

“That's a damn shame.” Maddy sighed. “I do love a good…hint.”

Ronan, who had been looking out the window, turned—to argue with her, no doubt. But when he caught sight of her bare legs, Maddy shivered beneath the weight of his heated stare. His eyes, which had seemed greener in the restaurant's lighting, now gleamed smoky gray as they drifted slowly over her. She couldn't move. He pinned her there with his gaze, and in that instant, there was nowhere else on earth Maddy would rather have been.

“Something wrong, Ronan?” Maddy lifted her knee, gently adjusting her legs and doing nothing to cover them. “You look a little pale. Are you feeling alright?”

“I'm feeling a few things”—his voice was gruff and strained—“but none of them would be classified as
alright
.”

His heavy-lidded stare slammed into her, and the force of it drove all the air from her lungs. Maddy couldn't move. A hungry, almost feral look was carved into his features. The lights of the city outside flickered over him and highlighted the sharp angles of his well-chiseled jaw, wide cheekbones, and firm, full lips. But what stood out were those intense, glittering eyes peering intently from beneath jet-black brows.

“That so?” Maddy's tongue flicked out and moistened her lower lip. “Then how would
you
classify them? What words would you choose?”

Ronan's hand shot out with the same lightning-fast reflexes he'd used to catch her in the park, but this time his touch carried a far different purpose. It wasn't safe or comforting. It was hot and demanding.

His wide palm seared along the exposed flesh of her bare calf, and his fingers fluttered lightly beneath the crook of her knee. She gasped and bit her lower lip when he leaned closer and rested his arm along the top of the seat, closing in on her. He studied her intently, and Maddy fought the urge to moan when his thumb brushed over her kneecap. Ronan lifted her leg ever so slightly and ran his hand along the inside of her lower thigh.

She was cornered. Trapped between him and the door of the cab. Her breath came in short jags, and her hands were clamped around the small evening bag in her lap. Maddy was afraid that if she moved even one inch, the exquisite sexual tension between them—the rising, burning swell of lust and need—would shatter her into a million pieces.

“I've never been great with words,” Ronan murmured. “I'll have to show you instead.”

His hand moved higher up her thigh, and his hot breath, infused with a hint of wine, fanned over her cheek and made her dizzy. His fingers pressed into the sensitive flesh of her leg, gently but insistently, and Maddy moaned. When he brushed his firm lips across the corner of her mouth, the dam broke.

On a groan filled with desperate carnal need, Maddy grabbed his face and kissed him. His arm slipped behind her and held her close as his tongue sought to possess hers. The kiss was rough and edged with passionate desperation, as though neither of them could get close enough. She tangled her fingers in his dark hair and uncrossed her legs as he deepened the kiss, his hard, muscular body pressing her deeper into the seat. She reveled in the weight and feel of him. All she wanted to do was get lost in the all-consuming force that was Ronan McGuire.

Neither of them realized the cab had stopped.

“Yo, lovebirds,” the cabbie shouted. “You want I should keep the meter running or what?”

Both of them were breathing heavily when Ronan broke the kiss. He didn't let her go. One hand remained curled possessively around the top of her inner thigh, and the other was pinned behind Maddy's back.

“Where are we?” Maddy said in a shaky voice. She slid her hands down to his chest and grabbed the lapels of his coat before looking past him to the window. “You planned on taking me to the Plaza Hotel?”

“Not the hotel! I was going to take you on a carriage ride,” he said between heavy breaths. “But—”

“Driver?” Maddy's lips curved into a smile. She was going to do exactly what she'd told herself she wouldn't. “Change of plans. Take us to 115 Central Park West.”

“You got it, lady.”

Ronan pressed a kiss to her lips as the cab pulled away from the curb. Then he sat up and adjusted her coat to cover her legs.

“I guess I do like being in control,” she whispered.

“I just discovered something, Mads.” Ronan curled his arm over her shoulders and pulled her against him. “There's only one thing I enjoy more than surprising you.”

“What's that?” She snuggled into his embrace and rested her head on his chest. “Living up to your nickname?”

“No,” he said through a short laugh. Ronan kissed the top of her head and murmured, “When you surprise me.”

Ronan and Maddy didn't say a word the rest of the ride. They didn't have to. The taste of her lingered on his lips, slowly driving him wild. The cab ride might have been the longest one of his life, because all he wanted to do was gather Maddy's curvy little body into his arms and peel that dress off her one inch at a time. But they had already given the cabbie enough of a show, and Ronan wasn't going to share that part of Maddy with anyone. He did his best to be a gentleman and keep his hands to himself.

It wasn't easy.

“Good evening, ma'am.” A doorman Ronan hadn't met yet tilted his cap. “Happy Thanksgiving.”

“Happy Thanksgiving,” Maddy said sweetly.

“Did you have a nice night?” The older gentleman held the door open for them. “Eat a lot of turkey?”

“We had a lovely dinner, but I'm still a little hungry.” She shot a sly glance at Ronan before tangling her fingers in his. “Not quite sure what I want, though.”

“Could've fooled me,” Ronan murmured.

The door shut behind them and Ronan squeezed her hand, brushing his thumb along the inside of her wrist. Maddy's lips curved into a saucy smirk, and she nodded politely at Vincent, the concierge, artfully avoiding Ronan's gaze. She was toying with him, which was a hell of a turn-on. There was nothing he loved more than a woman who knew what she wanted, and even better when she wasn't afraid to go after it.

If Maddy was half as daring in the bedroom as she was in her professional life, he was a dead man.

Ronan punched the button for the elevator with more ferocity than necessary. Maddy undid the belt of her coat and let it fall open, a seductive sigh escaping her lips. He was greeted with a perfect view of her cleavage, and every inch of him hardened at the sight of it.

“It's warm in here.” She kept her bright-blue eyes on the elevator doors and brushed the long curls off her neck. “How about it? Are you getting hot, McGuire?”

He tightened his grip on her hand and hit the stupid button again.

“Where's the damn elevator?” he growled.

“Apologies, sir. It's been acting up tonight, Ms. Morgan,” the concierge said. “The service company will be here first thing in the morning to take a look at it.”

“Is the camera still out of service?” Maddy flicked her seductive blue eyes to Ronan. “David said it wasn't working yesterday.”

Ronan's mouth went dry and he swallowed hard. Was she suggesting what he thought she was? God, he hoped so.

“No, ma'am. We've been having trouble with the security cameras. The entire computer system is having issues. We couldn't get anyone here due to the holiday, but they assured us that they would have an attendant here first thing tomorrow.”

“Computers, huh?” Maddy shot a glance at Ronan and smirked. “What about my neighbor…”

“Tom,” Ronan murmured.

“Right.” Maddy giggled. “Maybe Tom could help you with it. Isn't he a technology whiz kid?”

“I hadn't thought to ask,” Vincent said nervously. “I hate to bother one of the residents with something like this. The emergency phone is functioning properly, however. If you have a problem just pick that up, and it goes directly to the front desk.”

“Good to know,” Maddy murmured. “Well, if we get into trouble in the elevator, I'm sure Officer McGuire can handle
things
.”

Ronan tapped his fingers impatiently and was about to push the button again when the damn thing finally dinged and the doors opened. Maddy slid her hand from his, stepped into the elevator, and leaned against the back wall with a smile curving those sweet lips. The doors closed behind Ronan, and he hit the button for the fifteenth floor.

“Camera's broken, huh?” Ronan asked quietly.

“Seems so.” Maddy sighed. “I'd like to add that to my list of things I'm thankful for.”

Without taking his eyes from hers, Ronan reached behind him and pressed the red emergency stop button. The shrill alarm rang three times announcing the elevator's sudden halt. Maddy's lips tilted, and she rested both hands on the brass handrail behind her. She raised her eyebrows and murmured, “Uh-oh. It looks like we're stuck.”

The emergency phone rang and Ronan spun around, picking it up immediately.

“Hello, Vincent.” Ronan took a couple steps back so that Maddy was directly behind him and the phone cord was stretched to its limit. “It's my fault. I wasn't looking where I was going and bumped into the emergency button. The damn thing is jammed.”

Reaching his left hand back, he found the hem of Maddy's skirt. He slid his fingers beneath and curled them around the crook of her knee. A breathy whimper escaped her lips and she adjusted her stance, giving him better access.

“I see, sir.” Vincent's nervous tenor came through the crackling line. “We'll get someone up there to try to fix it as soon as possible. B-but with the holiday…”

As Ronan listened to the concierge, he slid his hand higher along the soft swell of Maddy's inner thigh. He felt her shudder and moan softly when his fingertips brushed the damp heat between her legs.

“Not a problem,” Ronan said firmly. “Ms. Morgan is in good hands.”

Ronan leaned forward and hung up the phone before Vincent could protest further, keeping his hand on Maddy all the while. Moving slowly and with purpose. Ronan turned to face her. Her heavy-lidded gaze and parted lips told him more than any words she could possibly utter. He saw need and desire that matched his own.

“Looks like we could be stuck here for a while,” Ronan whispered.

He moved his hand higher, and she sagged against the railing when he slipped one finger beneath the damp edge of her panties. He brushed lightly over her sex, and she gasped and gripped the rail tightly. He loved seeing her let go, even if it was only for a moment. If he had anything to say about it, it would be for far longer.

“Is this how most of your dates end up?” Maddy asked through a shuddering breath.

“This isn't just
any
date.” Ronan cupped her neck and tipped her chin with his thumb. “Tonight isn't some getting-to-know-you snooze fest with a woman I doubt I'll ever see again. This evening, and every night from now on, I plan on finding out how many different ways I can get you to make that sound.”

“What sound?” Maddy asked absently.

Ronan withdrew his hand from her beneath her skirt and trailed his fingers up her rib cage to the generous swell of her breasts. He pressed a soft kiss to the corner of her lips and ran his thumb over her nipple, which poked insistently through the thin fabric of her dress. She shuddered against him and her eyes fluttered closed, a breathy moan sounding beside his ear.

“That's the one, Mads,” Ronan said between butterfly kisses along the delicate flesh of her neck. “I could listen to that for the rest of my life.”

Moving with surprising speed, Maddy grabbed his face with both hands and forced him to look her in the eyes. Urgency simmered beneath the burgeoning tide of lust and Ronan wrestled for control, but when she lifted her leg and hooked it over his hip, a smile curved her lips.

She was toying with him again.

“You're living up to your nickname.” She flicked her tongue over his bottom lip and tugged him tighter against her with her leg. “Motormouth.”

Ronan's eyes narrowed, and he placed both hands on the wall on either side of her, caging her in. “Tell me what you want, Mads.”

He tilted his hips, making no effort to hide his arousal. He wanted her to know what she did to him, to be fully and totally aware of the savage effect she had on his body. But it wasn't only physical. Everything about this woman turned him on, inside and out. She was smart, funny, full of surprises, and at the moment, completely open to him, which revved him up more than anything else.

Or anyone. Ever.

“This,” she whispered.

Maddy brushed her lips over his. The touch, brief but electric, sent a shock directly to his crotch. Two could play at that game. Ronan shifted his stance and slipped his thigh between her legs, pressing it against the heat of her sex. His gut clenched when her eyes widened and that breathy little sigh escaped her lips again.

“I want you to touch me, Ronan.” Maddy slid her hands up his arms until her fingers tangled with his, resting along either side of her head. She arched her back, her full, soft breasts pressing against his chest, and he groaned. “Make me feel again,” she pleaded. “I've been numb for so long… You woke me up, Ronan. I want to feel
you
. It doesn't have to mean anything. It can just be tonight.”

Between the weight of her body pressed against his and the needy plea in her voice, Ronan couldn't hold back any longer. He cursed and his lips covered hers, his tongue pressing deep inside the warm cavern of her mouth. The kiss was demanding and rough, but she met his challenge eagerly. Her tongue lashed along his with the same urgent sense of possession and need. The kiss was laced with wine and spice, and he fleetingly wondered if he could get drunk simply off the taste of her.

Ronan held Maddy's hands overhead and kissed her deeply, but he craved more. He suckled her lower lip and covered her wrists with one hand before dragging the other down to the nape of her neck. He tilted her head, giving him better access, and took total control of the kiss. She arched her back and moaned, the sound reverberating along his lips and intensifying the experience. In that moment, she surrounded him completely. Still, he wanted more.

Breathing heavily, Ronan held her lower lip between his teeth briefly before releasing it. Her breath came in jagged gasps, and her mouth, only an inch from his, was red and swollen from their kiss. The mane of dark curls framed her lovely face, and those brilliant blue eyes were glazed with stark, unabashed lust.

He'd never seen anyone more beautiful or sultry in his life.

“Don't move,” Ronan ground out. “Keep your hands over your head, and don't move an inch.”

She opened her mouth to respond, but he silenced her with a deep and savage kiss. When he lifted his head and finally came up for air, she gasped, as though trying to catch her breath.

“Not an inch,” he murmured.

Maddy gave a short nod, and when he released her wrists, she kept them high above her head. Ronan trailed kisses along her neck as his hands found their way to the dip of her waist. He flicked his tongue in the valley of her cleavage and dropped to his knees, worshipping the electric, vulnerable woman in front of him. His mouth covered one breast, the thin fabric of her dress and lacy bra the only barrier, and he captured her nipple between his teeth, biting down gently.

Maddy twitched and moaned but he held her still. His large hands easily spanned her waist before slipping behind and slowly gathering up the fabric of her skirt. She shivered against him and sighed when he palmed her bare ass cheeks. She must have been wearing one of those thong things, and damn if he wasn't grateful for it. Ronan groaned when her heated skin filled his hands, but when he peered up at her, he almost came from the vision alone.

Eyes closed, lips parted, with a flush of pink in her cheeks, she looked like the goddess Aphrodite come to life. Her espresso-colored curls tumbled over her shoulders, and her breasts heaved with each labored breath. Maddy looked primed and ready for whatever came next, and that might have been more of a turn-on than anything else. He pressed a kiss to her quivering belly, the smooth fabric of her dress covering the rest of the as-yet-undiscovered bounty.

God, he wanted her.

But was an elevator really the place he wanted to make love to her for the first time? The answer was a resounding and surprising no. He rested his head against her hip and pressed his fingers into the soft dip of her waist.

He could have her right here and right now, but for the first time in his life, Ronan wasn't thinking about his own sexual satisfaction. Maddy deserved more, and he wanted more from her. No matter how tough she pretended to be, she was in a vulnerable place. He had to tread carefully and take it slow, or there was a good chance she'd count their date as nothing more than a hookup.

Her words haunted him…
It doesn't have to mean anything
.

Bullshit. Deep in his soul, buried in the recesses of his heart, a place he never thought he would share with anyone, Ronan knew that wasn't true.

When he made love to Maddy, it would mean
everything
.

He rose to his feet without another word and reached over her head, taking her hands in his. Ronan drew them to his mouth and pressed a kiss to each palm. Maddy's eyes fluttered open, glimmering pools of blue rimmed with a hint of confusion. Ronan gently tugged her coat closed, covering that gorgeous cleavage, and tied the sash tightly, all while avoiding Maddy's inquisitive stare.

He stepped back and released the emergency button. A second later, the elevator car jolted and continued its ascent toward Maddy's floor. Ronan grabbed her by the arm when the sudden movement of the car made her stumble. Her hands curled over his shoulders as she steadied her stance. Her breathing had slowed, but the confusion in her eyes increased.

“I-I don't understand… I thought that…”

“Not like this,” he said quietly. “I am going to give you everything you want, need, and deserve, Mads. But not in an elevator.” A smile curved his lips. “At least not tonight.”

“Right.” Maddy's cheeks reddened and she looked away, quickly dropping her hands. “Whatever. Let's just forget it.”

She tried to step away, but Ronan linked one arm around her waist and tugged her against him. Maddy's hands flew to his chest, and she gaped at him like he'd lost his mind. Maybe he had.

“I will not forget it,” he growled. Ronan cupped her neck with his other hand and brushed his lips lightly over hers. “I want you, Maddy. I want you more than I've ever wanted any woman in my life.”