The Key To Micah's Heart (Hell Yeah!) (14 page)

“That’s fine, Wolfe. And thanks. You’re a good friend.”

“Yea.” Wolfe gave him a salute as he dialed the Thunderbird. “Good thing I like to live dangerously.”

Getting to know you…

Madison sat on the edge of her seat, her fingers tapping on the arms of the chair, checking the clock on the wall every few minutes. Micah had texted her an hour ago, saying he was halfway there from Kerrville. Hearing a noise outside, she jumped up, peeked out the window and saw a dark red truck. She watched long enough until the door opened and she could see it was him. Dang! She didn’t want him to come up. Grabbing her macramé purse, she started for the door, then realized she’d left the cookies. Crap!

Running back to the cookies which were still cooling on the counter, she found they were still a little soft. “Oh, shoot,” she lamented as she tried to place them carefully into a plastic container. She was keeping Micah waiting longer than she’d intended. She finally closed the lid on her container, drew the strap of her purse over her shoulder and started out the door. “Shoot, shoot, shoot.” Fumbling to lock the door as quickly as she could, she dropped her keys and had to pick them up to try again.

“Hey, hey, there’s no rush. Give me those.”

Oh no, Micah had come up to get her, this was the last thing she’d wanted. Madison felt her heart constrict with embarrassment. She’d cleaned up the best she could, but nothing could hide how cheap and shabby her little place looked. “Thank you.” He took the keys and she watched him put the key in the lock and turn it. “How was your trip?”

“Good. I came in the front and could hear your sweet grumblings from the bottom floor.” He allowed his gaze to sweep from the toes of her boots to the top of her pretty head. She’d dressed in jeans and a rust colored sweater topped with a blue jean jacket. To forestall the chill, she’d wrapped a crocheted silk scarf around her neck. “You look so pretty. Can I carry those?” He held out his hands for the cookies. Lifting the container to his nose, he popped the lid and inhaled. “They smell great. Thank you for making these. I have a sweet tooth that just won’t quit.” He gave her a smile and loved the way her lower lip quivered. “I bet you taste even sweeter. Come here and give me a kiss.” He leaned over and waited for her to come to him.

Madison felt a thrill course through her. She wanted to kiss him more than he’d ever know. Taking a tentative step forward, she stood on tiptoe, curling one hand around the nape of his neck underneath that soft sandy blond hair. The other hand found a home just beneath his jaw. Madison didn’t rush–no hurried peck would do. She brushed her lips over his, beginning at the right corner and moving to the left, then gliding back before parting her lips and teasing his to open, urging Micah to let her explore.

Micah’s toes curled in his boots. He barely stopped himself from dropping the cookies onto the worn carpet and hauling her up against him. Her mouth was so sweet and when he responded, she let out the softest sexiest sigh. That was it–he took control, diving into her succulent mouth. He was starving for her, but forced himself to go slowly, he’d devour her later. A low rumble drifted out of his mouth as he felt her lips clinging to his, her tongue sliding and rubbing against his own. 

“Oh, my goodness,” she breathed when she let her heels down and their kiss ended. “That was intense.”

“That was just the beginning. Let’s go.” Micah escorted her to the truck, saw her safely inside, placing the cookies in the back seat. As he walked around the front of the cab, he adjusted his swollen package. “Calm down. Your time will come.”

Once he was inside, Madison smiled at him. “Who were you talking to?”

“My cock. He’s an impatient rascal.” He gave her a wicked grin, loving the way her cheeks bloomed at his comment.

“I never know what you’ll say next. You constantly throw me off-balance,” she confessed. The idea that she could affect him so much made Madison feel good.

“I like to keep you guessing.” He pulled out into the street and headed towards I-35.

“You live near Johnson City?” She took a deep breath and decided to enjoy every minute of her time with Micah. He hadn’t mentioned anything about her tacky little place and for that she was grateful. It would probably be dark when he brought her home tonight, which would be even better.

“Yea, just a few miles out of the small town. Our ranch butted up to LBJ’s. My father always took pride in that fact, but he sure gave them hell when they wouldn’t keep up their part of the fence.” At her puzzled expression, he explained. “Lyndon Johnson was born, lived and died at his ranch between Johnson and Stonewall. After he passed, the place was transferred to the Park Service. Of course there were no tours or anything while Lady Bird was alive, but now you can get a driving pass and go through, even stop at their home. I’ll have to show you sometime, it’s quite a show place. We call it the Texas White House.”

“I’ve never been. I do know she was the one they named the lake for and I’ve been to the wildflower conservatory built in her honor.”

“Yea, he was a controversial figure, what with him backing the Civil Rights movement and getting the country mixed up with Vietnam. But she was beloved in the state. Lady Bird was responsible for ensuring that every state road is banked by fields of wildflowers in the spring. I’m not sure how she put up with LBJ, he was a rascal I understand.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, he died before I was born, of course. My grandfather knew him, they went to school together, played on the same baseball team.” Micah stopped, wondering if he should continue his story. It wasn’t exactly proper–but what the hell, he wasn’t what you’d call proper. “LBJ was pretty obsessed with his manhood.”

Madison giggled. “Really? The president?” She loved looking at Micah, it didn’t matter if he was talking about his brisket or a dry ole’ politician. When he gave her that sexy little smirk, her heart melted in her chest.

“Well, by everything I’ve heard, he was pretty well endowed. He nicknamed his dick Jumbo and would whip it out at inopportune moments and say, ‘Isn’t this the biggest thing you’ve ever seen?’ No one was immune, he would use it to intimidate senators and world leaders alike. Supposedly when asked why we were in Vietnam, he took it out and said, ‘this is why’. Apparently, he was pretty popular with the ladies, he’d appear in the bedrooms of women staying at the White House, walk up to their beds and say, ‘move over, this is your president’.”

“That’s quite a pick-up line.” Madison choked back a laugh.

“I guess it worked. They said he tried to outdo Kennedy in the romance department.”

“I wonder if that’s why they call it,” she pointed to his lap, “a Johnson.”

Micah roared with laughter. “I don’t think so, but that’s funny.” He laughed some more. “I like you, Fellows. You make me happy.”

He couldn’t have said anything she liked more. “Have you been there–to the LBJ Ranch?”

“Oh, sure. A few times. The last trip I made was with the Stonewall VFD. There was a small grass fire on the property.”

“You fight fires?” Her eyes widened.

“It’s a small unit, all volunteers. The chief is a friend of mine. His name is Logan Gray. You’d like him and his wife, Jenna. Their place is not too far from mine. We might ride down that way. She’s a trick rider, can stand up on a horse while it’s galloping.”   

“I’m not so sure I can stay on one just sitting.”

“Oh yea, you will. We’ll be riding double.”

Suddenly Madison got warm all over. The idea of being held in his arms while horseback riding was a heady thought. “I think I’d like that.”

The countryside between Austin and Johnson City was beautiful. Madison hadn’t ventured out this far west of the city very often, she’d just never had reason or the time. When they passed the LBJ Historical Park where the ranch was located, she smiled, venturing a glance at Micah. He winked at her, knowing what she was thinking about. She blushed wondering what Micah’s cock looked like. The idea that she might soon find out had her squirming in her seat.

“What’s up, wiggle worm? Are you hot? Cold?” He reached for the climate control buttons.

“Hot,” she admitted, which was the truth–but not the kind of hot he was referring to.

He gave her a steady stare before looking back at the road, lowering the temp and pointing a vent so it would blow more directly on her body.

The moment they turned off the main highway, Madison was entranced. “This looks nothing like I expected.”

There were big oaks and pecan trees, rolling rocky hills and an honest to God log cabin nestled in the middle of it all. But it wasn’t a Davy Crockett type log cabin, this was a magnificent, custom designed home made from logs, stone and glass. At first glance it appeared to be one story, but as they drove closer, she could see it was built into the side of a hill and at the back there was a wide verandah on the second floor and a covered patio area on the bottom. Cattle and horses roamed the adjacent pastures and a circular drive seemed to connect it all.

“Welcome to my humble abode.” He parked in the front and cut the engine.

Humble
wasn’t the word. “This is gorgeous,” she breathed, as she opened the door and slid out. She hadn’t been wrong. Seeing how Micah lived made Madison want to draw in on herself. What was she doing here?

“Not as gorgeous as you,” he whispered in her ear as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders. His words gave her the confidence to continue walking beside him. “Watch your step,” he cautioned when she was so busy looking up at the huge beams forming the roof, that she almost missed the first step up on the porch. She gave him a quick smile and held on to the railing. The corner posts were big and round, her palm couldn’t even cover the domed top.

“I love your front door,” she breathed. She’d never seen anything like it. The door was part wood, part glass and depicted a tree, it’s branches winding toward the top, it’s roots reaching down into what appeared to be a rock strewn stream. Madison ran her finger over one of the stones and was surprised to see it was real. “This isn’t a door. This is art.”

“Yea, a local artist made it. I have lots of things inside created by locals. I think you’ll like it.” He opened the door and invited her inside.

Madison had been in nice places before, but nothing like this. She craned her neck looking first one way and then the other–from the vaulted ceilings, to the massive wrought iron chandelier–from the large wet bar to the mammoth fireplace. The walls were made of logs that she probably could barely reach around and the floors were hardwood adorned by an occasional colorful area rug.

“Can I take your jacket?” He was being just a good host, she pulled it off and the scarf and he laid both over the arm of the couch. “Follow me to the kitchen and we’ll get something to drink while I put the steaks on to marinate. What would you like–a soda, a margarita, coffee?”

“A Diet Dr. Pepper if you have it.”

“That’s Hannah’s drink of choice, there might be some in the back.”

He walked to the double door stainless steel fridge and bent over to look inside.

Madison’s mind began to work. He kept drinks on hand for another woman?

He’d have to be very close to her to do that. The thought worried her so much that she couldn’t enjoy checking out the farmhouse sink or the granite countertops.

“Who’s Hannah?” she asked before she could bite her tongue.

“Kyle’s wife.”

She wished she could remember all of his friend’s names, but she couldn’t. He had so many. “Can I help?”

“Yea, if you want to make a salad, the fixings are in the crisper.” He pointed to the cabinet. “You’ll find a bowl up there.”

For a few minutes they worked together side by side. Once she was finished tearing the lettuce, cutting up a tomato and a cucumber, he showed her where the shredder was and she grated a carrot and a radish for the top. “There, how does that look?”

“Scrumptious.” He kissed her on the end of her nose. “It’s too early to put these on to grill. Come on I’ll give you a tour of the house and then we’ll go for a ride.”

“Okay.” She let him lead her past the comfortable dining area back out into the living room where she marveled at the large round support pillars made of a single tree. There was even a game room with a pool table and a TV that seemed to cover an entire wall. “Do you live here alone?”

Micah snorted. “No, I keep a harem upstairs.”

She swatted him on the shoulder. “How about your parents?” As soon as she brought up the topic, she wished she hadn’t. She would hate for him to make comparisons; her mother was such a paragon of virtue.

“They’re dead.” Micah stated flatly. “Look up there, one of my favorite spots.”

She did and saw an upstairs landing, but instead of a wooden railing guarding the expanse, it was a wrought iron mural depicting deer, a bear, a roadrunner and two majestic wolves. “Wow.” She couldn’t believe how well everything melded together. This wasn’t a house; it was a home. Micah’s home. “I’m so impressed–with everything.”

“Thanks.” He led her across the living room to the stairs. “I have a couple of guest rooms, but they’re boring. I’ll show you my room though.”

They climbed the stairs, then walked down the wide hall a few feet before he opened a door. Madison stepped in, managing to keep her jaw from dropping. He had a sitting room, complete with a fireplace. Her whole apartment could fit in his bedroom. And the bed… Madison just stared. It was huge, a king size with high posts and a canopy, but not a girlish canopy, this was more like an inside arbor.