Hide and Seek (3 page)

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

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."

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.

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.

"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.

The 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 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 running 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.

As 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.

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."

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."

"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."

She 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."

Maddie 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."

"You 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."

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 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."