Sandra Hill (27 page)

Ian had never been so twisted out of shape by a woman before … not even by Jennifer when she left. In fact, there had been a bit of relief when she’d skipped out on him; he’d already begun to suspect his feelings for her weren’t that deep. It was probably why she’d cheated on him. But now, if he didn’t know better … no, it wasn’t possible … but what if …

Holy hell, I am in bigger trouble than I thought.

I have fallen in love with a looneybird.

Heartbreak Hotel … uh, Home …

Madrene stood under the hot shower for a long time that night.

She was crying and could not stop. She’d always known that if she started to let the tears escape, there would be a flood. And that was just what was happening.

She cried for the loss of Norstead and the death of so many of her people. She wept for the women who had been raped by Steinolf’s men. She sobbed aloud when she pictured herself in the longship departing from the Norselands. She moaned the death of all her family members. There were tears, too, for the two long years in Arab lands, always, always determined that she would go back one day and unseat Steinolf. She even threw in her anguish over being barren.

But mostly, she cried for Ian because she truly wanted him to believe in her. Unrealistically, she had half expected him to be so enthralled with her that he would acquiesce.

I love him
, she admitted to herself.
For the first time in my life, I have fallen in love. And it cannot be. It cannot be.

With her forehead pressed against the shower tiles, with the hot water turning tepid, she sobbed her heart out where no one could see or hear her. It would be the last time she allowed herself the female weakness of tears, but for now she just let go of all her grief.

So engrossed was she that she didn’t hear the door open.

Ian had stepped into the shower, wearing a pair of
his running shorts. He held her from behind, his arms wrapped around her middle, his chin resting on her shoulder. “Shhhh, don’t cry, sweetie. Everything will turn out all right. I promise it will. Please don’t cry.”

Ian’s heart was breaking over this strong, broken woman in his arms. He’d been in his office when he heard her go into the shower at least a half hour ago. When the running water had continued for such a long time, he’d gotten up and walked to the bathroom door. He’d rapped and got no answer. Then he’d opened the door a crack and heard her heartwrenching sobs.

“I am not crying,” she cried.

“I know, honey. You never cry.”

“And I am not cry … being sad over you.”

“I hope not. I’m not worth it.”

“You are so.”

“Okay.”

“I will never bear children, you know.”

“That’s what this is all about? Children?”

“Nay! I just thought I would mention that.” Another sob escaped her. “Do you plan on having children someday?”

Now, there’s a loaded question if I ever heard one.
“I don’t know. Finding someone to love would be more important than finding a mother for my children.”

He turned off the shower and pulled an oversized towel off the rack behind him. Wrapping her in it, he picked her up and carried her into the bedroom. Sitting down on the side of the bed, he began to move his fingers through her wet hair like a comb so it was off her face.

For a few minutes she allowed him to minister to
her and make soothing sounds to stop her crying, but then she began to struggle. Her arms were bound at her sides by the towel. “Let me out,” she demanded when he just held tighter. “I am over my … self-pity …”

Self-pity? Hah! More like all-out bawling.

“… I am back to myself again. Let me go.”

“No. I don’t think so.”

Her head shot up. “What do you mean?”

God, she was beautiful. Even with red-rimmed blue eyes. “I mean, I like you in this position. You’re easier to talk to this way.”

She squirmed.

He chuckled. “Give it up, baby. I’ve got you now.”

She narrowed her eyes at him. “What are you going to do?”

“I’m not sure. Perhaps I’ll start here.” He lowered his mouth to hers and kissed her startled lips.

She was startled for only a second, before she squirmed some more.

“Have you any idea what your squirming is doing to my … lap?”

She stopped instantly, probably feeling his erection through the towel. Her cheeks flushed and she turned on him. “You would take me against my wishes?”

“No. Never. You’ll be willing.”

“Troll.”

“You say that like an endearment. I’ve decided that every time you call me troll, you are really saying, ‘Darling.’” He kissed her then, in earnest. Long, drugging kisses that went on forever. He kept his tongue in check at first, figuring she might just take a bite out of him. But when she moaned and opened
for him, he entered the hot wetness of her mouth, and moaned himself.

He never knew there were so many ways to kiss a woman. Truthfully, he was probably inventing a few new ones. A woman like Maddie made a man creative.

While she was being so compliant, he lifted her off his lap and onto the bed. As he lay on his side, leaning over her, she stared up at him from the pillow. “Are you going to help me when this is over?” Her eyes were wide and sad as she waited for his response.

“Probably,” he said. “Are you going to make love with me, regardless of what I would do for you in the future?”

“Probably,” she said with a long sigh.

Probably. She said probably. When a woman says probably, she usually means yes. Holy cow! We’re gonna make love again. And all I had to say was probably.
He allowed himself to smile then.

“Stop smiling,” she ordered. “You know what your smiles do to me.”

He continued to smile, of course.

“Release me from this towel. Now that you got your way, you don’t have to restrain me.”

“You got your way, too, Maddie. And, no, I am not going to release you.”

“Why?”

“Stop asking so many questions. I’m going exploring.”

“Exploring what?”

He made a tsk-ing sound at her continuing questions. “You.” With that, he moved down the bed, knelt
over her legs, which were spread as far as they would go, then shoved the towel up to her waist. That allowed him to spread her legs wider and move between her legs. Her arms were still held by the towel.

“Eeeeeek! What are you doing down there?”

“Exploring.”

“With your tongue?” she shrieked. “This is embarrassing.”

“No, it’s not. Besides, you asked me if I like oral sex.”

“I didn’t mean
this
. JAM described something entirely different when he explained oral sex to me.”

Note to self. Kill JAM.
“Be quiet, Maddie, or I’ll stuff a washcloth in your mouth.”

“You wouldn’t dare. Oooooooh! What did you just do?”

You don’t wanna know, sweetheart.
“You’re right. I wouldn’t put a gag in your mouth, but I might do something perverted.”

“Seems to me you are already doing something perverted.”

“Not even close, baby.”

She went still.

He put both hands under her buttocks and touched her
there
.

She bucked up and screeched. “I’ll be quiet,” she promised.

“Good. But, for the record, that wasn’t perverted. You can trust me, Maddie.” She was quiet; so he asked, “You do trust me, don’t you?”

“Maybe.”

That was good enough, for now.

He got down to business then, and what a delicious business it was. By the light of both bedside
lamps, he was able to see Maddie’s sweet spot and all its surrounding pink folds. She was only slightly aroused now. He looked forward to changing that situation.

It all came together quicker than he’d expected, but not quick enough as far as his own raging libido was concerned. Maddie was so cute—okay, not cute; more like hot damn sexy—when she made those little whoofing sounds as she came closer and closer to climax. And then she arched her hips off the bed, tried to bring her legs together, which he wouldn’t allow, then howled as she came … and came … and came. Like everything else his Maddie did, she gave it her all and then some.

And, yes, he was thinking of her as his.

Before she had a chance to catch a breath, he moved up and over her and eased himself into her still spasming inner muscles. He was the one who felt like howling now.

“Ian?” she said.

Oh, God, oh, God, oh, God! She’s going to talk
now! He was gritting his teeth and could not respond.

“Troll?”

Didn’t I just tell her, about an orgasm ago, that I would interpret troll as darling in future? Yeah, I did.
He unclenched his teeth and grinned down at her. “What, sweetie?”

“If you don’t unwrap me, you will never, ever be reciprocated for … what you just did.” Her face was pink with embarrassment. At least she wasn’t red from crying.

“That is a threat worth heeding.”

Still embedded deep inside her, he managed to pull the ends of the towel out from under her,
releasing not just her arms but those magnificent breasts.

“Why are you leering at my breasts?” she groused.

“Because I like what I see.”
And because I consider them mine now. No other man is going to see you … them … like me.
“Did you like what I did to you?”

“Nay.”

Her inner muscles belied her by clutching him even tighter. He would have teased her about that, but he was suddenly overcome with such love for her. The emotion was so powerful it made him breathless, and not just because a part of her was embracing him like it would never let go. There was an expression he’d heard one time about “loving someone to distraction.” That was exactly how he felt. She mixed him all up. She nagged and berated him, refused his orders, gave him orders, turned him inside out and upside down with anger and frustration. Then, in the midst of it all, she told him that his smile made her fluttery.

He wanted desperately to tell her that he loved her, but he was afraid it was too soon. She would interpret his declaration as pity, coming so hard on her cry fest. And she would also tie it in somehow with her irrational quest for an army.

So he couldn’t tell her. But he could show her how much he loved her.

“Move off me, you big lout, so I can make love to you.”

“Not yet, sweetheart,” he said, nuzzling her neck. And then he made slow, slow love to her. With each long stroke in and out of her slickness, he gave her soft words of praise and explicit whispers about what he was about to do or wanted to do. He worshiped her.

And she returned the favor tenfold. She caressed his face and shoulders and back. She murmured what she liked and told him what she wanted. She kissed him, alternating between coaxing and hunger. She offered him her breasts with her own hands. She reached between where they were joined and touched him and herself at the same scorching moment.

When they came together in an ever-increasing spiral of sweet agony, he wished he could tell her what was on his mind.
I love you, Maddie. Forever.

You can’t deny love …

Maddie was never one to hold her tongue.

So when Ian eased himself out of her and rolled to his side, taking her with him in a gentle embrace, she raised her head and looked down at him. “Ian?”

“Uh-oh! We’re going to start talking, aren’t we?”

“What’s wrong with talking?”

“There’s a time and a place for everything. And right now I want to make love to you. Over and over.”

She liked the sound of that. Still … “Be that as it may. Ian, I have a question for you.”

He groaned, leaned over her and kissed her softly on the lips, then dropped back down to the pillow. “Okay, spill, baby.”

She twirled his chest hairs nervously, then looked him steadily in the eyes. “Do you think you could ever love a woman like me?”

He just stared at her for a very long moment. Then he whispered in a husky voice, “Do you read minds now, too?”

Confused, she tilted her head.

“Maddie, I love you. I honest to God do. I probably did the moment I saw you with that Phyllis Diller hair and camel stink on you. I think I will love you always.”

“Oh, Ian.” She began to cry. “I am not crying,” she quickly said.

He brushed some hair off her face. “Why are you not-crying?”

“Because I love you so much it scares me.”

Ian blinked several times, as if he might have tears rising, too. Then he pulled her down for a kiss that lasted this side of forever.

“What are we going to do about this love?” she asked him when they came up for air.

“I don’t know, but one thing is certain, wife …”

It was the first time he’d addressed her that way, and a thrill rippled through her.
I am his wife. Truly. And he is my husband.

“Are you listening, Maddie? I am
never
going to let you go.”

His words sounded a little bit autocratic, as he often was with her. But this time, she liked the sound of it. Betimes it was all right to love a tyrant, Madrene decided.

People are not always what they seem …

Madrene was floating in a haze of love that morning when Ian left for the base and Geek came to take his place. She felt the same way all morning as she performed what had become routine chores for her. She could tell she was making Geek uncomfortable with her incessant smiling.

Then everything came crashing down.

Ian returned at lunchtime, and he had five seals and a
woman
with him. “Maddie, meet Maddie,” he said cheerfully. He must have noticed the glare on her face, because he quickly explained, “Everything is going down today, and I found a way to protect you … keep you out of harm’s way.”

She folded her arms across her chest. “Did I ask you for protection?”

Ian’s seal comrades began hooting with laughter and making remarks at the interplay between them,
such as, “Give him hell, Xena.” Let them make mirth. She did not care.

“No, but I’m giving it anyway. It’s my job, sweetie.”

“Sweetie?” she saw Cage mouth to Pretty Boy before the two of them raised their right hands high and clapped them against each other.