Tempting the Best Man (A Gamble Brothers Novel) (Entangled Brazen) (9 page)

And she wasn’t sure who was to blame the most for this catastrophe. Sure, Chase wasn’t innocent, but it was she—and the feelings that she’d brought into this—that complicated everything.

Madison squeezed her eyes against the rush of tears and clamped her mouth shut.

Chase hovered for a few more seconds and then the bed shifted as he moved to stand. Unable to stay quiet, to pretend that this wasn’t happening, she rolled onto her back. “Chase?”

He froze, one hand planted deep in the covers beside her hip. In the darkness, his eyes looked black, his features stark, strangely open and vulnerable.

She really didn’t know what she was doing. Her body was at war with her heart and thoughts, and ever since she was a child, she’d had terrible, horrific impulse control.

She reached up, placing her hand on his smooth jaw. Instead of pulling away, he pressed his cheek into her hand and closed his eyes.

“This has been a wedding to remember, huh?” he said, his cheek rising against her hand as he gave a little smile. “And there hasn’t even been a wedding yet.”

Then he placed his hand over hers and slowly brought it to his lips. He pressed a kiss to her palm, and her heart flipped over. “I’m sorry, Maddie. I really am. I don’t know what the hell I was thinking to say that to you earlier. Getting it out of my system isn’t what I want.”

Her fingers curled around his. Confusion swept through her. “I don’t…I don’t understand.”

He drew in a deep breath. “I don’t even know what I’m thinking. Chad was spouting all this
Oprah
bullshit and some of it made sense—as insane as that is.”

“What?”

Chase smiled a little, and then his eyes met hers. “I want you.”

Madison’s breath caught. Hope was back, beating at her insides. With Chase, everything was like a roller coaster. Up. Down. Up. Down. “You said that earlier.”

“And I meant it.”

So much confusion still churned inside her, but her heart moved on, creating more space for him. The word that left her mouth pretty much sealed her fate. “Stay?”

Chase hesitated, his body going so still, so tense that she could feel the edginess rolling off of him. Then he sprang into motion, kicking off his shoes as he unbuttoned his shirt. It fluttered to the floor like a white flag.

Her heart was in her throat as her gaze flickered over the expanse of his well-defined chest, across the dips of his rock-hard abs. He was beautiful, something straight out of her fantasies. In the pale light of the moon, in the shadows of the cabin, she swept aside her reservations and fear. She existed on what she always had—her love for Chase.

And in an instant, she believed this was the turning point that had been building for years. There’d be no going back. And if she couldn’t prove that he wasn’t like his father, no one could.

Chase shifted onto his side, facing her with very little space between them. Neither of them said anything as she twisted toward him, their faces and bodies inches apart.

Slowly, tentatively, Chase placed his hand to her cheek. His fingers trailing along the arch of her face, down to her parted lips. She felt the light touch in every cell of her body and her response was immediate, consuming.

His fingers drifted down her throat, to the edge of her cotton shirt. A small smile played across his lips. “Do you know that seeing you in my clothes is a huge turn-on?” He edged his fingers under the collar, brushing them across her collarbone, and her toes curled. “I don’t know why that is, but it is.”

She wondered if he felt the same when she was out of his clothes. Then she remembered the hard length that had pressed against her in the bathroom and she went with a yes.

“What do we do, Maddie?” he asked, voice deep and husky.

Madison swallowed, her body joining her heart and already making up her mind for her. Before she even knew what she was doing, her body moved toward his.

Rising up on her knees, she placed both hands on his shoulders and pushed him until he was flat on his back. She straddled his hips, biting back a moan when she felt his erection straining through the rich material of his trousers, hot against the
V
of her thighs.

“Make love to me,” she whispered. “Please.”

Chase stilled and then his thick lashes lifted, his stare piercing her. He didn’t answer, but he placed his hands on her thighs, sliding them up to the hem of the shirt. His fingers bunched the material. There was a pause, a moment when the only thing moving was her pounding heart, and then he lifted the shirt up.

And that was her answer.

By the time the borrowed shirt joined his on the floor, her mouth was on his and his big, warm body was under hers. The kiss wasn’t soft or gentle. It was deep and scorching, a product of years of pent-up desire on both their sides. His lips swallowed her breathy moans as his hand landed on the small of her back and jerked her to his chest. The feel of his skin flush with hers swamped her senses. Chase kissed her like a man starved, possessed by need…need for her. Madison’s hands clutched his shoulders as he staked his claim.

A hand tangled in her hair. “If we’re going to stop,” he whispered against her swollen lips, “we need to stop now. Do you understand me?”

She shuddered as his teeth nipped at her bottom lip. “I don’t want to stop. Ever. Do you understand me?”

He stilled again, and then with a near-feral growl, he moved so quickly that in a heartbeat, she was on her back, open and vulnerable to him, and he hovered above her. Concentration marked his striking features, emphasizing his full lips.

Then he was on her. His mouth clamping down on the tip of her breast as he hastily worked on the buttons and fly of his trousers. Madison let out a strangled cry as her back bowed off the mattress.

Flesh against flesh, she felt him hot and hard against her thigh, and she gripped his arms, placing tiny kisses all over his face and down his throat.

Chase caught Madison’s chin, held her as his mouth plundered hers again, kissing her until she writhed and thrashed beneath him. He was in control. Part of her wouldn’t have wanted it any other way.

Some reality snuck back in, and she placed a hand on his chest. “I’m on the pill, but…”

A wry smile tugged on his lips. “I got it covered.” He was off her, rummaging around in his luggage for a few moments before he returned with a foil package in his hand.

Madison arched a brow. “Planning to get laid this weekend?”

“Not really,” he admitted. “But I always have some with me.”

There wasn’t any time to let jealousy seep in because her gaze dropped and her stomach hollowed as she watched him slide the condom on his thick shaft. Then his lips were on hers and he was guiding her back, stretching out over her.

Amazed by the power in his body, she ran her hands down his ripped stomach and around his taut hips. His skin was like satin stretched over steel. Perfect.

The taste of him was on her lips as the kisses slowed, turned tender as she felt him hot at her entrance. Rolling her hips, she moaned at the feel of him there, close but not close enough. She was so ready, had been ready for what felt like an eternity.

Rising up on his elbows, Chase stared down at her. His eyes were a heated, vibrant sapphire, penetrating and intense as they locked onto hers.

“Don’t stop,” she whispered. “I want to feel you inside me.”

“I couldn’t stop now, even if I wanted.” He kissed her, marking her with all the passion and yearning she had felt for so long. “I need this. Damn it, I need you.”

And then he plunged into her with one deep stroke.

Madison let out a keening cry at the feel of him stretching and filling her. None of her fantasies, none of the men she had been with in the past, had ever felt like this, because this…this was completion.

He stilled, seated deep inside her. One hand came up, brushing the damp hair back from her forehead. “You’re so tight…” His voice was guttural, near animalistic. “Are you okay?”

She nodded and then wrapped her legs around his hips. Chase tipped his head back, groaning, and then she rocked her hips up. The veins in his neck protruded, as they did in his arms. And then he started to move, slow and languid strokes that drove her crazy. The friction of their bodies moving together, the sounds in the otherwise silent cabin, heightened her pleasure.

Lost… Madison was lost.

For so long, he held back while she cried out for more, and when he finally gave it to her, she gasped as his hands clamped down on her wrists, holding her still. He thrust hard, her hips surging to meet his.

Pressure built inside her, zinging through her veins like bottled lightning. It was too much—too intense. Her head kicked back, her body trembling.

“Come for me,” Chase whispered against her neck. “Let go.”

And Madison did. She came apart, shattering around him as she called out his name. Two quick, hard thrusts later and she felt him find his release, his huge body spasming over hers as aftershocks racked his body.

When it was over, he eased out of her and onto his back, gathering her close so that her cheek rested above his pounding heart. Both of them struggled with their breathing.

She’d never felt anything like that before and knew she’d never feel it again. Heaven.

Madison closed her eyes. There was a good chance she’d regret this in the harsh light of the morning and after weeks, maybe months from now. But in a few years, she’d be able to look back and know that she’d had him, if only for one night.

Chapter Nine

Lazily, Madison stretched and smiled at the pleasant burn in her muscles. Last night…yes, it had probably been the best night of her life. No lie. After Chase had a few moments to recover, he’d flipped her onto her stomach, drew up to her knees and…yeah, like she said, best night of her life. And her body was already warming, readying for him again.

Last night had to have been a turning point for them. The way he’d…the way he’d made love to her, it meant something deep, irrevocable, and perfect. She just knew it. Somehow they’d burned down those barriers without words. He had to see he was so much better than his father and he had to know that they were meant for this.

She rolled over and reached for the warmth of his body and found…nothing.

Her eyes snapped open.

The spot next to her was empty, but the scent of woods and something wild lingered on the pillow and twisted sheets.

Madison turned to the couch, but that, too, was empty. A deep sense of foreboding took root, and she scrambled off the bed, clutching a sheet around her. She checked the bathroom, but he wasn’t there, either.

He’d left without saying anything.

Her heart turned over painfully.

Okay. She was being stupid. He could be doing anything. Getting them breakfast or walking outside, enjoying the clean morning air.

Hurrying over to the window, she parted the blinds, wincing at the bright glare. The deck was empty. As far as she could see, there was no Chase. Turning around, she shivered as her gaze drifted over the bed. He didn’t leave her, not after a night like that. There was no way, because that…that would be like working it out of your system. That would be like getting what you wanted and then bailing, like guys did on one-night stands.

Last night wasn’t a one-night stand.

Her gaze traveled to the couch again, then to where her suitcase was near the small closet, and then…her eyes darted back to the suitcase.

Coldness seeped into her bones.

His luggage was gone.

Heart pounding, she crossed the room and threw open the closet door. Two of her dresses and her bridesmaid’s dress hung in the closet, but all of Chase’s stuff—his tux, his dress shirts—was gone. As were his shoes, and she knew if she checked the bathroom, his stuff would be gone from there, too.

Madison stood in front of the closet until she realized she was shaking.

He’d left her.

He’d actually left her.

In a numb, painful daze, she went back to the bed and sat on the edge. Her throat burned and her eyes stung, but she clamped it down, pushed it all down. Minutes turned into an hour and still he didn’t show.

He really had left her.

Her brain had a hard time processing it, but the evidence was clear. She was a fool. Last night she had given in to her body and her heart, and it had come back and bit her in the ass.

Maybe she should’ve listened to him. He’s warned her—had been warning her all along. He said he was like his father, and he’d proven it.

And he’d demolished her.

…

Chase wanted to strangle the clerk by the time the man had handed over the key to one of the new cabins. He had made Chase wait for damn near a half an hour while the cabin was cleaned, which put him seriously behind schedule.

Taking his stuff to the new cabin, his eyes gazed at the regular king-size bed with satin sheets. Sheets he could easily see Maddie spread naked upon. That made him think of last night and his cock hardened. He was ready for round three…and then round four.

But he needed to shower first. Although he loved the lingering scent of vanilla—of Maddie—the last thing he needed to be doing was running around smelling like he’d just had sex with Mitch’s little sister.

Last night had been amazing—Maddie had been amazing. And it was more than sex. It was that connection, that whatever-it-was that went beyond an orgasm. It was something more—special. Once in a lifetime kind of shit. None of the women he’d been with had felt like that, and in that moment, he knew none of them would.

Now
he
sounded like he’d been watching
Oprah
reruns.

But…but it had to mean something. And he was tired of fighting the need to find out what that “something” was. Tired of denying what he really wanted—had wanted for far too long. Maddie was more than Mitch’s little sister. More than the little girl who’d shadowed him for years. She was everything to him. And he was more than his father’s son, too, because he knew deep down he could never hurt Maddie. Not after last night.

And now he was just realizing that?

He’d mucked up things yesterday with that God-awful offer, but last night…

It had to be a new beginning.

He took the fastest shower of his life and then headed back to the lodge. There was a tiny florist shop in the back, and he picked up a dozen roses. Tucking them under one arm, he grabbed a slice of cheesecake from the in-house bakery before making his way back to the Love Shack.

Chase was hoping Maddie was still asleep. He had a real good idea of how to wake her, with his hands, fingers, and then his tongue. Maybe some cheesecake afterward, but knowing her, she’d probably knock him over to get to the good stuff. No one got between Maddie and the sweets.

He climbed out of his car stiffly and strolled into the cabin. His gaze went straight to the bed—the empty bed.

“Maddie?”

The cabin was unnaturally quiet. No shower was running. Nothing. Putting the roses and slice of cheesecake down on the end table, his gaze danced around the room. “Shit.”

Maddie was gone. So was her large suitcase. Peering into the bathroom, he found no trace of her. Her blow dryer and curling iron were gone, as if she’d never been there.

Cursing under his breath again, he spun around and stalked to the front door. He was going to find her, drag her back here… With his hand on the door, he stopped.

Two problems: He had no idea where Maddie went. She couldn’t have gone far, but she could be in any number of cabins, and short of banging like holy hell on every door, he needed a better game plan. And two, he didn’t know why she’d left. After last night, it seemed pretty obvious what he wanted, so he couldn’t even fathom why she’d leave, especially when he’d already gotten another cabin for them, one not outfitted with a heart-shaped bed and velveteen blankets.

Though, he was going to kind of miss that bed.

Chase drew back from the door, thrusting his hands through his hair. A game plan for what? Chasing after Maddie? Shit. How the tables had turned.

He spun around, his gaze falling to the rumpled sheets on that damn bed.

Double shit.

Scrubbing the palms of his hands down his face, he then snatched the flowers up and left the cheesecake behind. The first place he went by was her parents’ cabin. They were sitting on the deck, enjoying tea while thumbing through a wilderness survival magazine. Chase shook his head as he fought a grin. The two of them looked like a normal couple on the verge of retirement.

Maddie’s father looked up first, smiling broadly. “Hey, Chase, what are you up to?”

“Nothing much,” he said, leaning against the railing. “Hello, Mrs. Daniels.”

She smiled, shaking her head. “Honey, it’s about time you start calling me Megan. And those flowers! Aren’t they lovely?” Her eyes glimmered. “May I ask who they’re for?”

“A lovely person,” he replied.

“Is that so…”

Mr. Daniels was on his feet, bringing the magazine over to him. “I’m glad you swung by. You can help end a debate between me and the wifey here.”

A picture of a man in a flannel jacket standing next to a herd of cows was shoved in his face before he could respond. “Organic beef,” Maddie’s father announced. “I’m trying to tell Megan here that even if an apocalypse happens, most people will still want some meat on their plates.”

So accustomed to these types of questions, Chase took it in good stride. “I’m sure people will still want a steak.”

“Exactly!” Mr. Daniels agreed. “So I said we should ‘sponsor’ a herd of cattle and put them up for sale. The lovely wife over there thinks it’s a waste of time.”

“And money,” Mrs. Daniels added, twisting in her seat to face the two men. “I’m pretty sure the last thing people will be thinking about during nuclear fallout is a medium-rare steak.”

Chase smiled. “Or a zombie apocalypse.”

Mrs. Daniels threw up her hands. “That’s what I’ve been saying.”

Her husband huffed. “When the sun doesn’t shine for three years and you’ve run out of mint leaves to eat, you’ll want a steak.”

She rolled her eyes. “That would be the last of our worries.”

“Wait.” Chase stepped in. “How would you be keeping the cows alive if the sun isn’t shining?”

Mr. Daniels straightened. “Underground bunkers large enough to hold organically grown fields. There are bunkers all over the world, bigger than five or so football field lengths. Like Noah’s Ark—”

“Chase doesn’t care about Noah’s Ark, so before you get started on that, we’re not going to start selling Build-Your-Own-Arks, either.” She smiled at Chase. “You couldn’t imagine the cost of warehousing something like that.”

“No, ma’am,” Chase said, grinning.

Mr. Daniels snapped the magazine shut. “This discussion isn’t over.”

Sighing, his wife shook her head. “Are you looking for Madison, dear?”

Taken aback, Chase wondered if it was that obvious. “Well, actually, I was.”

Mr. Daniels returned to the table, smacking the magazine down. “You lose your roommate?”

“Seems that way,” Chase said.

“We haven’t seen her, dear, but you might what to check with Lissa.” Mrs. Daniels took a sip of tea. “They’re probably getting things ready for tomorrow.”

Thanking both of them, he started up the pathway. If Maddie was with Lissa, he didn’t want to bother her, but…

Chase found himself at the front desk of the lounge. The clerk stared back at him, clearly not wanting to go for round two already. “Was the new cabin you gave me this morning the only one available?” Chase asked.

Bob inclined his head, as if confused. “No. There were two. Both were readied this morning.” He started pecking away at his computer. “Was the one we assigned this morning unsuitable?”

He took a deep breath. “No. It’s perfect. What about the other room?”

“For Miss Daniels?” he asked, smiling fondly. Obviously Maddie had left a much better impression on the clerk than he had. “She stopped by maybe twenty minutes ago and picked up the key for cabin six.”

Chase stared at the clerk, feeling as if he’d been punched in the stomach. Anger lit off a firestorm inside him. As irrational as it was, he was pissed and offended. She left him after last night?

Spinning around, he left the clerk without a second glance, tossing the roses in the trash on the way out.

…

Madison was in a weird state of mind. Caught between the remnants of absolute bliss she’d experienced last night and the coldness that had lingered deep inside since she’d left the cabin, she wasn’t sure if she should feel happy or sad.

Mostly sad, she decided as she stuffed little white bells into the boxes being used for wedding keepsakes. At least she’d had a night to experience. No more wondering what it would be like to be with Chase. Now she knew. It was amazing.

Her heart ached.

That afternoon she’d almost called Bridget again, but she figured that conversation was best to have in person. No way would she want to miss all of Bridget’s what-the-hell expressions when she described how she basically straddled Chase and he’d bailed on her the next morning.

Madison glanced up as one of the bridesmaids dumped a truckload of mints in front of them. She snatched one, starving, since she’d been too wired this morning to eat.

Lissa giggled. “Are they any good?”

Popping one in her mouth, Madison nodded. “Minty. Very yummy.”

“Speaking about yummy,” Sasha, a bridesmaid, said. “I think the Gamble brothers’ nickname should be yummy.”

Cindy, another bridesmaid, snorted as she glanced at the tall, curvy blonde. “Weren’t you all over one of the brothers last night?”

Sasha smiled secretively. “Maybe…”

Good to know Madison wasn’t the only one. She dropped a bell into a box.

“I can never tell them apart.” Cindy grinned.

“They’re really easy to tell apart,” Madison replied sharply. “They’re not triplets.”

“Yeah, but the three of them are sex on a stick—dark haired, beautiful blue eyes, and muscles I’d eat chocolate off of,” Cindy said, passing one of the other bridesmaids a wicked look. “Of course, if only I wasn’t married. Anyway, which one was it? Chase? Chad?”

Madison’s eyes narrowed.

“Chad,” Sasha answered, her cheeks flushing. “Though, I wouldn’t mind if it had been Chase, too. Hell, all of them at the same time.”

The bridesmaids laughed, but Lissa cut Madison a worried look. It probably had something to do with the expression on her face. One that said she was mentally going over how many little metal bells she could shove in Sasha’s mouth.

“Didn’t you grow up with them, Madison?” Sasha continued, oblivious of the death’s door she was knocking on. “Always at your house and stuff? God, I wouldn’t have been able to control myself, but I’m sure it’s different for you.”

Madison shoved a bell through the bottom of the box. “Why is that?”

“Well, I’m sure you’re like a little sister to them,” she explained. “I mean, aren’t you rooming with Chase?”

Crimson swept across her cheeks. Jesus, was that what everyone thought? She had half a mind to go into great detail about just how un-brotherly things were last night with Chase.

“Actually, I’m not sure if that’s the case,” Lissa said, smiling evenly. “Madison is close to all of them, but from what I’ve seen…” She trailed off, sending Madison a sly look.

Sasha arched an elegant brow. “Well, then, kudos to you…”

After that, the girls pretty much kept mum about the Gamble brothers and Madison, although they did hammer Sasha for juicy details.

Once the boxes were made, the group broke apart to get ready for the rehearsal. Maddie gave Lissa a quick hug and headed back to her new cabin.