The Cowboy’s Runaway Bride (BBW Romance - Billionaire Brothers 1) (7 page)

Garrett teased her, coaxing, searching. Maddie responded; she had never been kissed like
this
before. Her hands tightened on the cotton fabric of his shirt as excitement rippled through her.

She almost whimpered in disappointment when Garrett finally lifted his mouth from hers. His eyes smoldered in satisfaction as he took in her flushed face and slightly swollen lips.

“You don’t know how long I’ve wanted to do that,” he murmured, cupping her face.

Maddie stared at him, a smile touching her well-kissed mouth.
He
had no idea just how long she’d been waiting for him to do that.

###

V
acuuming the dusty cabin, Maddie thought about yesterday. After that incredible kiss, they’d walked back to the house, just as easy in each other’s company as they had been before that moment. But something had changed. In an unguarded moment, she’d seen it in Garrett’s expression. He wanted her.

At least, she was pretty sure he wanted her. She wasn’t exactly an expert when it came to men. But it looked like her instincts about Garrett wanting to kiss her the first time they’d gone horseback riding had been right. Although, she still didn’t know why he’d appeared to change his mind at the last moment. And she probably never would, she mused, as the vacuum cleaner made satisfying inroads into the thick layers of dust on the wooden floor.

But he hadn’t made a move last night. Instead, they'd spent the evening as they usually did, watching a movie on TV before going to bed - in their separate bedrooms. He hadn’t even given her a goodnight kiss, although she had been half expecting one. Or even something more. Like seducing her.

What would it be like to be seduced by Garrett Trask?

Telling herself not to even
think
about that delicious fantasy, Maddie worked hard for the next couple of hours, gradually transforming the dirty cabin into vacation accommodation someone would actually pay to stay in. Once she’d gotten the worst of the dust and grime off the floors, she turned her attention to the cobweb laden bedrooms.

Thank goodness there weren’t any spiders in residence. She shuddered at the thought of encountering one. Her stomach growled as she wielded the vacuum like a pro, and she wondered if it was lunchtime yet.

The chug of the SUV’s engine alerted her. Mmm. Garrett. When she worked down here, he always came to pick her up for lunch, ignoring her protests that she could walk the five minutes back to the house.

“Ready for lunch?” His rich voice sent a flutter of excitement through her, even though they’d had breakfast together just a few hours ago.

“Sure,” she called out, picking up a bucket that contained dusty rags as she headed outside to greet him.

“Hey.” His molten brown eyes snared hers.

“Hey,” she repeated, a breathless note in her voice. When he looked at her like that, her brain seemed to turn to mush.

“Let me.” He took the bucket from her, slipping his other arm around her waist at the same time. Pulling her toward him, he studied her upturned face as if he were memorizing every detail.  His firm, sensual lips closed over hers, kissing her slowly and thoroughly.

Maddie dimly heard the clang of the bucket as it dropped to the ground. Garrett’s other arm wrapped around her waist, molding her against him.

She clasped her arms around his neck, her soft breasts pressed against his hard, muscular chest. He deepened the kiss, his hands caressing her back, and Maddie reveled in the sensuality of his touch, hazily thinking that Garrett must be the best kisser in the country, if not the world.

Garrett finally ended the kiss
,
resting his chin against her forehead. She breathed deeply, enjoying his clean, masculine scent. His arms loosened around her waist and she took a regretful step back, wishing she could spend the rest of the day in his embrace.

“I guess we better get some lunch.” He held out his hand.

“I guess so.” His strong, tanned fingers closed around hers as they walked the few steps to the SUV.  Was it her imagination or did he sound just as regretful as she felt?

T
he next day, Maddie hummed as she dusted the walls of the cabin. After that amazing kiss yesterday, they’d driven back to the house for lunch, and then gone horseback riding afterwards. She’d protested that there was plenty of cleaning still to do at the cabin, but Garrett had insisted it could wait until tomorrow.

Really, she thought, a smile on her lips, she’d have to give Garrett back about two-thirds of her wages. She wasn’t going to allow him to pay her for giving her the chance to ride a horse or...

Or to kiss him.

Just like Sunday, when he’d kissed her when she stumbled on the bit of loose gravel, he hadn’t made another move. Last night she’d become engrossed in a mystery novel after she’d told herself to stop wondering if he was going to kiss her again. Garrett had closeted himself in the study, saying he had an urgent business matter to attend to, although she had no idea what kind of business he needed to conduct at 7.30 p.m.

The sound of the SUV’s engine cut into her thoughts. She hadn’t been here that long. Surely it couldn’t be lunchtime already?

Putting down her dust cloth, Maddie headed out to the small porch. Garrett’s vehicle was parked in front. She watched him emerge from the driver’s side, then a second later, the passenger door opened, and another man exited the vehicle.

Maddie stared in shock.

Howard.

“Maddie,” Garrett said tersely, “there’s someone here to see you.”

Her lips parted as Howard walked toward her. Average height, average build, with designer-cut sandy hair, he wore an expensive suit and tie that looked out of place.

No, no, no!
Her mind screamed. She wrapped one hand around the porch railing, her knuckles whitening.

“Maddie.” Howard had a nice, well-modulated voice, she recalled, except when it ascended to a nasal whine.

“Howard.” She inclined her head.

His pale green eyes assessed her, noting her dusty appearance.

“I think we should talk.”

Garrett cleared his throat. Maddie swung her gaze toward him, having forgotten for a second he was there. All her attention had been focused on the man she’d jilted at the altar.

“I guess I’ll leave you to it,” he said gruffly. He stared at her. “If you need anything - anything at all, I’ll be waiting over there.” He gestured to a large pine tree several feet away from the cabins.

Somehow, Maddie managed to nod as she watched Garrett walk away.

“Maddie.” Howard’s slightly impatient tone regained her attention.

“I thought you’d be in Greenland,” she blurted out.

“I could hardly go on my own, even if it meant missing out on seeing the Barnacle Goose.” He shook his head. “Besides, your father said it would be best if I returned to work as soon as possible.”

Maddie tried not to roll her eyes. One of the reasons she preferred to be independent and make her own living was so she didn’t have to answer to her father. Now that she was aware of Howard’s real reason for marrying her, all the times he’d deferred to her father while they’d dated made a lot more sense.

“I’m sorry.” She didn’t like to cause pain to anyone, and although Howard’s motives for marrying her had come as a shock, she guessed her running off like that had equally appalled him.

"Why, Maddie?” He looked earnestly into her eyes. “I thought we were a good match.”

“Until I found out you were only marrying me so you’d become partner in a year,” she replied crisply, folding her arms across her chest.

A crimson tide tinged his cheeks. “That was business.” He waved a hand in the air. “Your father approved of me dating you, and when it started to became serious between us, he hinted at partnership possibilities. And when we became engaged ...” He shrugged self-deprecatingly. “He said he’d make me a partner on our first wedding anniversary.”

“How did you find me?” Right now, she didn’t want to think about her father’s machinations.

“It wasn’t easy.” He flicked a speck of dust off his Italian suit. “Lyndsey refused to tell me where you were. I finally found out that she’d sent your purse to you, and managed to get the address from the delivery company.”

Maddie raised her eyebrow. When he wanted something, Howard was like a terrier, digging away until he got what he desired. That was what probably made him a good lawyer. But it didn’t change her feelings toward him.

The amazing thing was, she felt nothing but luke-warm friendship toward him now. Had they been her feelings for him all along? It was scary to think that just over a week ago, she’d almost pledged 'til death do us part.

“Maddie.” He caught her by the shoulders. “We can still get married, pretend this never happened. You could spend the rest of your time off work settling into our house. And if any of our friends ask what happened, we can just say it was a temporary blip.”

A temporary blip?
She stared at him, wondering if Howard had lost his mind. It gradually sank into her that she hadn’t even registered the contact of his hands on her shoulders. Not the way she was fully conscious of Garrett’s touch. 
Or the way she wanted Garrett to touch her.

“No, Howard.” She shook her head. “It wouldn’t work.”

“Why not?” He looked at her soulfully. “Nothing’s changed.”

Except for the way I feel about you
. How could she tell her ex-fiancée that her feelings had altered - permanently?

“I can’t marry you.” She kept her voice low. Although Garrett was about ten yards away, she still owed Howard and herself some privacy, even now that their relationship had imploded.

“You’re not thinking clearly.” Howard caressed her arm, but she shook off the annoying brush of his fingers. Right now, she was glad she’d overheard her father on her wedding day. Why on earth had she thought she could marry this man? She realized now the minute amount of physical attraction she’d felt for him was nothing compared to the attraction she felt for Garrett. Just one kiss from Garrett turned her knees to jelly. Howard’s kisses, on the other hand ...

“Actually, I’m thinking more clearly now than I have in the past year.” Maddie took a step back.

“Please, Maddie.” Howard narrowed his eyes. “You have to come back with me.”

“Why?” She crinkled her brow.

“Because ...” He hesitated. “Because your father said if we don’t get married I can forget about making partner. He said we’ve embarrassed him.” Howard frowned. “Haven’t you listened to your voicemail?”

“No.” Her fingers dug into the palm of her hand. “And now you’ve told me what I’ve got to look forward to when I turn on my phone, I don’t want to.” Her dad might think she’d embarrassed him by running away on her wedding day, but what about what he’d done? Practically bribing Howard to marry her? She didn’t even want to think about it.

“I'm very fond of you, Maddie. I wouldn't have proposed otherwise. We could have a comfortable life together.”

Maddie looked at him, knowing he was sincere. Howard might care for her in his own way, but being married to him would be like being married to a friend. And while she thought friendship was important in a relationship, so was passion. There just wasn’t any between them.

“I’m sorry, Howard.” She sighed. “And I’m sorry about Dad. Maybe he’ll change his mind when he’s had time to calm down.”

Her ex- fiancée's lips thinned. “I doubt it.”

“You’re a good lawyer. Dad knows that.”

Howard shrugged. “He used to.” He seized her hands. “Are you sure this is what you want?”

“Yes.” Maddie nodded. “I’m sorry it didn’t work out between us.” She tried for a self-deprecating smile. “But I guess it’s better to know now than after six months or a year of marriage.”

He let go of her hands as suddenly as he’d grabbed them. His whole body seemed to deflate. “Well, I guess I better go and admit defeat to your father.” He turned his gaze to Garrett, standing tall, his booted feet planted on the earth. “Who is that guy, Maddie?”

She followed his gaze, unable to stop the small smile from gracing her lips. “My employer.” When she noticed Howard’s look of shock, she hastily added, “For the next three weeks.”

“But you’ve got a job at the library in Portland. What’s going on?”

“When I left—” She swallowed the rest of that sentence. There was no point rubbing it in. “I had twenty dollars and a flat tire. I was lucky Garrett came along when he did.”

“That doesn’t mean you have to work for him.” He seemed to notice the bucket of cleaning rags and the not-quite-clean interior of the cabin behind her for the first time. “Are you...cleaning?”

Maddie bit back a giggle at the look on Howard’s face. Although fastidious, her ex-fiancée didn’t actually do much in the way of cleaning himself. He preferred to leave it to the cleaning lady who came in twice per week, and who also did his laundry.

“Yes.”

“Well, there’s no need for you to do that anymore.” He inspected the front of her T-shirt. “You’ve got dust all over you. You can come back with me now, even if it is over between us.”

She shook her head. “I’m working here for the next two weeks.”

“But you
are
coming back to Portland, aren’t you?”

Why did the thought of returning there tighten around her heart like a vice? She enjoyed being a librarian and had some good friends there, but lately, every time she remembered she’d have to go back home in a couple of weeks’ time, she felt depressed. And it wasn’t just because she’d be known as the runaway bride. She knew she’d had a lucky escape.

Maddie shrugged. “Probably.”

“Are you sure you’re safe with him?” Howard frowned. “Just because you jilted me at the altar doesn’t mean I want something to happen to you.”

“I’m sure.” She shooed him away. “Go home, Howard. Tell Dad I’m sorry, but it wouldn’t have worked out between us. Would he really want me to be a divorcee?”

Howard grimaced. “You might have a point.” He gazed at her for a moment. “I guess I’ll see you around some time.”

“I guess so.” She watched him trudge to the SUV, feeling a twinge in the corner of her heart. Although it hadn’t worked out between them, Howard had been a large part of her life for the last year.