Playing for Keeps (3 page)

"
Sure." Maddie grabbed her keys as they walked out the door. "Harry's is great." She shoved her keys in her jeans pocket, and watched him pull the front door shut then rattle it to make sure it locked. Maddie kept her arm through his, enjoying the anticipation of the evening to come. "Nice truck," she told him as he helped her in.

It was an old Ford, sadly in need of a paint job and new upholstery. Rob chuckled as he got in the driver
's side and slammed his door shut. "I put every one of the 200,000 miles on this baby myself. I've done every oil change, tune up, you name it. She may not be pretty to look out, but I'd bet my last dollar that she's a safe and reliable ride. I drive my daughter everywhere in this truck. What better reference could you ask for?"

"
Hold on there, cowboy." Maddie raised a hand. "I never asked for a reference. I believe all I said was 'nice truck'."

"
With just the proper hint of sarcasm," he teased, and pulled onto the road.

"
Okay, I see a toolbox in the back next to Sophie's car seat. So what do you do? I don't even know that."

"
I put her car seat back there to get it out of your way."

Maddie laughed.
"Well no shit. I didn't think you made her ride back there. Although, I did it when I was a kid, and I lived to tell the tale."

A wide grin split his face. "
Hell, we rode in the back of my dad's truck every day. We never knew any better. Anyway, I work construction. I'm with a crew that's building the new houses out in the Riverland District right now."

"
Oh man, those places are fancy. You're building them?" She eyed him admiringly.

H
e nodded. "Yeah, I am."

She thought about that, and finally said
, "You're pretty clean when you get off work for a construction worker."

Rob laughed.
"Only this week. I couldn't arrive at Sunny Days Childcare Center for my five-minute fix looking all dirty. I've had to try and clean up between the job site and the center. Not an easy thing to do, I might add."

Maddie looked at him appreciatively.
"I wore the dress with the low neckline, just for you. All day long, I had to hold the damn thing closed so I wasn't giving any kids a free shot."

He pulled into the parking lot of Harry
's bar and stopped the truck. He turned to Maddie and took one of her hands. "I'm glad to hear this was not a one-sided fixation." He brought her hand to his lips and kissed the back of it gently.

She
sighed and smiled at his touch. "It most definitely was not."

"
Hungry?" he asked, still holding her hand.

Starved!
"

Rob opened her door for her, and Maddie was in heaven as they entered the bar. It was a noisy country music
establishment with good music and tasty food. Always crowded on the weekends, tonight was no exception. Rob found them a table in the back and led her to it. He moved his chair closer to hers, so they could talk over the music. It didn't take long for her to become so engrossed in conversation, she didn't even notice the music at all.

They ordered steaks
, fries and beer, and talked for two hours about everything under the sun. Maddie felt very comfortable and a little tipsy when Rob finally asked her to dance. She let him pull her onto the wooden floor, and they danced separately to several fast songs. A line dance formed and Maddie shook her head no, but Rob insisted. He stood behind her with his hands on her hips until she mastered the steps. They laughed when she stepped on his feet, and eventually the whole dancing crowd cheered when she completed a song with no mistakes.

They finally stopped for a drink, and sought out some cold ice water over their lukewarm beer. The dance floor
became more crowded and both of them had worked up a sweat. "Screw fashion," Rob peeled off his shirt and tossed it on a chair. His black t-shirt showed off his firm chest, and Maddie ran a finger over his pecs.

"
Yeah, screw fashion," she repeated.

"
How about you?" Rob tugged at the knot of her over shirt. "It's a lot cooler without."

"
Um, I don't know…" Maddie hesitated, but he'd already untied the shirt and helped her slip it off.

"
Let's dance." He pulled her by the hand back on to the floor, and they danced to a fast song. Maddie could tell by the stares of the men around her that her tank top was see-through. Rob pretended not to stare, but it was obvious he noticed.

T
he song ended and Maddie crossed her arms over her chest. "This was a bad idea."

The first slow song of the evening played, and Rob pulled her into his arms.
"Nah, this was a good idea. A very good idea." He noticed her tattoo uncovered for the first time and ran his finger over it lightly. "Hey, this is pretty."

"
Thanks." She swooned when he planted a soft kiss on the little heart.

Maddie didn
't know if it was the beer or the heady scents of sweat and sexuality floating around her, but she felt like hot molten lava in his arms. She sunk into him and let him guide her around the floor. Rob pressed against her, and Maddie felt a shiver zip down her spine. She enjoyed the sensations as she tried to decide exactly how she wanted this evening to end.

She
'd slept with men on first dates before. Sometimes it ended up being the last date, too. She knew how easy it was to give in to the exquisite sensations and just do it. But she also realized, the guys she had sex with on their first date,
and that's all it was, pure and simple sex,
meant nothing to her. They filled a need at the moment; it was as simple as that.

Tonight didn
't feel that easy. Maddie didn't want it to be. As incredible as it sounded, after spending only a few hours with him, but she wanted it to mean something to Rob.
I want to mean something to him
. She'd never thought about the distinction between 'having sex' and 'making love' before, but tonight it seemed crystal clear.

She
leaned into his touch for one more moment, then pulled away slowly. "I think I need some air."

"
Sure." He led her back to their table, where they both drank the last of their water. Rob tossed some cash on the table, picked up both of their shirts and his hat, and led her out to the parking lot. "You okay?"

Maddie nodded.
"I'm fine. I had such an incredible time tonight."

He opened the door of the truck for her, and went around to his side. He sat with his hands on the steering wheel for a moment before he spoke.
"I'm sorry, Maddie. I knew I was going too fast. But you look so damn hot tonight. I didn't want to stop myself."

She put a hand on his shoulder
. "I didn't want to stop, either. But we had to."

"
I know." He nodded.

She pulled her hand back and looked out the window.
"I do have one regret."

"
What's that?" He looked at her.

She gave him a tiny smile.
"I was hoping you'd kiss me. It's okay, I mean, maybe we'll have another chance, another date if you'd like." Her voice trailed off as Rob reached for her and cupped her face in one of his hands. He brought her mouth to hers for a sweet, gentle kiss. He tasted faintly of beer and something minty, and Maddie opened her mouth to taste more of him.

She gasped with pleasure as his tongue
nudging its way into her mouth. She tried to stifle her moan but was unsuccessful, and she could tell by his low growl that her whimpering turned him on. She opened her mouth more fully, and sank against him.

He kissed her hungrily, his hands run
ning down her arms. His fingers were strong, and Maddie felt like putty to his touch. Her senses overwhelmed her and she tingled at each spot he caressed. They both smelled smoky from the bar, but something about the odor mixed with his cologne turned Maddie on, and she kissed him back with the same voracity. His hands slid up her sides, settling just below her breasts, where his thumbs formed circles. He took every new step slowly, as if giving her a chance to stop him. But stopping him was the last thing on her mind. Whatever this man wanted to do to her, right here, right now, was fine.

A
s if reading her mind, he pulled away. "We probably shouldn't do this."

"I know," she agreed wistfully.

Rob settled into his seat, then took her hand. He gently kissed the back of it as he had done earlier. "You mentioned another date? Make no mistake about it, there will be another date. Many more, if I have anything to say about it. But nothing's going to happen until you're ready. You mean too much to me for a quick roll in the hay. I'd like to take my time and really get to know you."

She nodded,
overwhelmed by his words.
He feels the same way I do.
She closed her eyes tight to keep an errant tear from falling.

Rob squeezed her hand, smiled,
then quietly drove her home. "Here we are."

"
Home again, home again, jiggity jig."

He chuckled.
"You know all the best nursery rhymes. I'm totally jealous."

She yawned.
"Yeah, I'll bet. I can't believe I got so drowsy all of a sudden. Must be the beer kicking in." She looked at him. "I had a really good time."

"
Me, too." He helped her out. "If you give me your keys, I'll unlock your door then go."

She
obliged.

He
opened the door and flipped the light on. Maddie looked at him. "You never told me where you live."

He leaned
against her porch railing. "I have a house on the edge of town, on a little piece of property. Can't hardly be called a ranch yet, but it will be someday. I built it myself. It's a work in progress."

"
Wow." Maddie was amazed. "I'd love to see it sometime."

"How about tomorrow
? We could have a picnic by my pond."

"
Only if you'll let me bring the picnic."

"
It's a deal. Why don't I call you in the morning with directions? Your eyes are only half open now, and I don't want you to get lost."

Maddie pulled him by a handful of his t-shirt
toward her for a kiss. They embraced gently for one moment, then it ended. "Call me tomorrow." She let her hand drop from his chest.

"
Sweet dreams, beautiful." He ran a hand over her face then walked back toward his truck.

Chapter
Two

"This is not the finest example of my work," Maddie explained, setting a box of store-bought fried chicken on the blanket Rob spread out the next day. "With a little more notice I can whip up a picnic that would knock your socks off." She offered him a can and said "Soda?"

"
Sure." He chuckled as he helped her set out the food. "Well, I'm sorry. But I couldn't wait any longer to see you again. After that debacle last night, I'm lucky you'll let me see you at all."

S
he nibbled on a biscuit. "Last night was great. Definitely not a debacle."

"It felt like it, there at the end
."

"Nah."
Maddie looked around the grounds. The house was set at the front of the lot, with a huge yard behind it. There were fields off to the side and a big pond, where they sat now. "It really is beautiful out here."

"
I think so, too. Someday, I'm going to have horses in a stable over there," he motioned, "and a red barn over there. Just because I've always wanted a red barn."

M
addie nodded as they ate. "So, did Sophie's mother live here with you?"

Rob looked at her
then back at his chicken. He seemed to be deciding if he wanted to talk about it. "No, she didn't. We lived in Oklahoma City. I moved here after we split up."

"
When did you build the house? How long ago did you break up?"

He grinned at her.
"Are you going to answer all these questions about yourself when we finally get around to talking about you?"

Maddie wiped a crumb off Rob
's lip with her thumb. "Of course. Anything you want to know."

He closed his eyes for a second, and when he opened them again, he was smiling.
"Actually, this place was one of the reasons we split up. I started working on the house, thinking one day we might live here. Dionne is a lawyer in the city. She had no interest in living out here in the sticks. I tried to convince her we could come here on weekends, but I think she knew I'd want to stay once I got here."

"Y
ou got a divorce because of that?"

He shook his head.
"Dee and I were never married. We met in college at O-State, dated around a little bit, and by the time she went off to law school in Kansas we were pretty serious."

"
Oh my, law school in Kansas, huh?" Maddie smiled.

He shrugged.
"It's a good law school, and it was close to home. Are you a snob when it comes to things like that?"

She chuckled.
"No. Just a jab at Dionne. I was already thinking she must not be very bright if she let you slip through her hands."

He laughed and pushed his plate aside. He leaned back on the blanket to stare up at the sky.
"We tried. We really did. Sophie was a surprise, sort of threw a kink in our plans, but she's the best thing that's ever happened to me."

Maddie
loved the way Rob's face lit up when he talked about his daughter. "So, was Dionne finished with law school?"

"
Just barely. She had to push back her bar exam, but she eventually took it and passed on the first try. She got a job right away. I was working for my father at his feed and grain supply. I told him I wanted to work outside, and he thought that's what I meant. I thought it was the most boring thing I've ever done in my life."

"
Feed and grain, eh?" Maddie pondered that as she lay back next to him. "Sounds truly Oklahoman."

He
looked at her. "You, on the other hand, do not. Tell me, where are you from?"

"
What makes you think I'm not from Oklahoma?"

He grinned.
"You offered me a 'soda'. We call it 'pop' around here."

"
Damn." She snapped her fingers. "I've got to remember that."

Rob rolled up on his side next to her. All the picnic stuff was between them, so he wasn
't too close. "Spill it. Where are you from?"

Maddie stared at the sky as she answered
, "Hartford. Insurance Capital of the world."

"
Connecticut?" He seemed surprised.

"
Only Insurance Capital of the world I know of. Unless someone is trying to sneak in on our territory."

"
How the hell did you wind up in Meridan, Oklahoma?"

Maddie rolled over to face him.
"It's a fascinating story, and I promise to tell you every word. But first I would truly love one kiss."

He looked at her skeptically.
"Were you so tipsy that you don't remember where our 'one kiss' was leading last night?"

She smiled.
"Oh, I remember."

"We agreed to take our time and get to know each other."
He stopped short when she placed two fingers on his lips.

"I heard what you said, and I appreciate it. I'd been thinking something along those same lines
. But I was also thinking we're both adults. What better way to get to know each other?"

He touched her face.
"Only if you're sure. I respect you too much to do anything that might make you uncomfortable, Maddie."

"
Thank you. I just couldn't handle a one night stand then have to see you at work every day."

He caressed her
cheek. "We are
not
going to have a one night stand. Truth be told, I hoped this would happen when I invited you for lunch today. Sophie's gone for thirty more hours. I'd like to spend the better part of that making love to you."

A shiver ran down Maddie
's spine and she nodded.

"
But we're going to do this right. Let's get this stuff back to the house. I want to take you to my bed."

She patted the blanket beneath them
. "This is pretty cozy, right here."

Leaning in to whisper in her ear, he said
, "Our first time is going to be a lot of things, but 'cozy' is not high on my list."

"
Whatever you want."

He nibbled her earlobe.
"You know what I want. You, naked, with plenty of time and privacy to act out all the fantasies I've had this week."

Maddie
was instantly aroused by the pure lust she heard in his words. "Let's get going, then."

They shoved the remnants of the picnic back into the basket, and the trash into another bag. Rob folded the blanket, and they walked hand in hand to his house.
"Hey, Bo," he said to the big Golden Retriever who met them inside the kitchen door.

"
Oh, hi Bo!" Maddie patted the dog's head, and he licked her hand.

"
He likes you."

"
Or the chicken on my fingers," Maddie reminded him.

"
Oh, yeah." Rob sent Bo to the back yard and put away the food from their picnic basket. He turned on the water and washed his hands.

Maddie stuck her
fingers under the stream with his. "Make sure you use plenty of soap." She lathered all four of their hands, and rubbed hers over his seductively.

He groan
ed as she massaged his fingers one by one. He shut the water off and wiped his hands quickly on a towel. "There's something I've wanted to do since I met you." He reached for the band at bottom of her hair braid and pulled it out, using his fingers to unweave the braid until her hair was loose and flowing. Running his hands though it, he murmured, "This feels as wonderful as I imagined it would." Rob wound his hand in her hair and gently tugged at it, pulling her close to him. He covered her mouth with his, no longer tentative, moving his tongue forward to what he desired.

Maddie opened her mouth and
drove her tongue forward to meet his. His mouth was hot and wet, a condition Maddie found that the rest of her body was rapidly sinking into. She slid her arms around his neck and pressed her body against his, urging him to take more.

Rob growl
ed. "God, I want you!" His mouth skimmed down her neck, nibbling and sucking as it went. "I don't think I've ever wanted anyone as much as I want you."

"
Take me," she encouraged, bending her neck to the rough scrape of his face. "Take all of me."

Rob pulled back slowly and smiled at her with a glazed look in his eyes. Maddie thought hers probably looked the same way. She was so aroused
, she feared she might explode if he kept touching her. "Where's the bedroom?" she asked urgently.

"
This way." He took her hand and led her down the hall.

* * * *

When she opened her eyes later, it took a few heart-stopping moments for Maddie to remember where she was. The room was unfamiliar, but she quickly recalled the events of the afternoon. She smiled and settled back as she relived them in her mind.

She
glanced around the room. Rob was nowhere in sight. She yawned and stretched. She'd never felt as safe and secure as he made her feel that afternoon.

The sun was on its way down
, and she judged it to be late afternoon. Maddie didn't know how long she'd slept, but knew she slept soundly. She crawled out of bed, reaching for her clothes before reconsidering and pulling on a shirt from Rob's closet.

After a quick stop at the bathroom, she wandered into the kitchen where she heard him talking on the phone. She stopped in the doorway to listen.

"Hey, Fred, it's Coop. Yeah buddy, I'm fine. Listen, I'm not going to make it to Smoky's birthday bash tonight. No, nothing's wrong, I've just got some stuff going on. Give him my best, will you? Okay, I'll see you guys Monday. You bet. Bye." He hung up and went to the stove, where he was heating a wok.

Maddie entered the kitchen.
"Would that be a wok?"

"
Hey, gorgeous." Rob moved kissed her temple. "Sleep well?"

"
Very well. Must have been making up for the lack of sleep I got last night, tossing and turning in a frustrated puddle of perspiration."

He laughed.
"Oh yeah, I hear that. Same thing was going on over. Isn't it great knowing we're past that?"

"
Very great," she agreed, and looked at the stove. "Your wok is smoking."

"
Oh, shit!" He hopped back there and added some food to the hot oil. "Hope you like Chinese."

"
I do. But I've never had homemade Chinese before."

"
It's the best. Much less salty." He grimaced.

She watched him cooking wearing nothing
but jeans, unbuttoned at the waist. It was a pleasant sight. Finally she asked, "Might you have something to drink in that refrigerator?"

"
I do." He nodded, chopping vegetables and adding them to the wok. "Tea, water, and some pink bottles of an unrecognizable flavor of juice. Help yourself."

"
Thanks, Coop." She opened the fridge and perused her choices. "Want anything?"

"
Whatever you're having." He smiled sheepishly as she handed him a bottled ice tea. "So you heard."

"
A bit. Didn't mean to eavesdrop."

He shrugged.
"No big deal."

"
Why didn't you tell me?" She took a sip from her bottle and watched his face.

He shrugged again.

"Who calls you Coop?"

"
Pretty much everybody, except my mother. She calls me Robert."

"W
hy didn't you tell me?" she asked again.

"
Maybe I like the way you say my name. I especially like the way you said it today." He kissed her neck and imitated her voice. "Rob, oh Rob, yes Rob, yesssss!"

"
Are you making fun of me?"

"
Certainly not." He kissed her neck again. "I told you, I liked it. And I really liked the way you talked dirty to me. That put me through the roof."

She crossed her arms.
"I just don't understand how anyone can be quiet making love. I have to shout it out, halleluiah!"

Chuckling
, he returned to his steaming wok. "You've obviously never done it with your parents in the next room. That tends to shut you up pretty quickly. More of a 'get-r-done' type of thing."

Maddie
laughed. "No, I've never done that. I didn't have my 'sexual awakening' shall we say, until I was off to college."

Rob poured rice into two bowls and topped it with the chicken and vegetable mixture he
'd stir fried. He grabbed a couple of forks and napkins. "Bring the drinks. We'll eat out here on the back porch. It's cooler."

She
carried their teas and followed him outside. There were two Adirondack chairs with a table between them, and they each took a seat. Rob held his bowl in one hand to eat, and Maddie followed suit. "These chairs are comfortable."