The Troublemaker Next Door (7 page)

“He hasn’t been a problem, has he? Don’t feel like you have to tolerate all the McCauleys now that you’re renting. I can have a talk—”

“No, no. Your sons have been more than helpful.”

“Brody too. He’s mine, as much as he thinks he’s not,” he muttered and glared at Brody talking with Beth and Abby. “Boy moved in when he was six and never left. Definitely family.”

She wanted to say she knew the feeling, but she didn’t. She and her mother had never been a boisterous household. And visits with Vanessa’s calm, contained family didn’t count either. “You have a terrific family. I grew up without brothers or sisters. I always wanted to do this, big family parties with the neighbors.” She smiled at a few of them sitting close. Two couples with young children, a pair of grandparents, a single dad tickling his son.

“So where’s your family?” he asked.

“My mom lives in Pennsylvania. Refuses to move, though I’ve tried to talk her into coming out here.”

He nodded. “Well, she’s probably set in her life. Got her own way of doing things. Much as I love my family, I realize my sons are independent thinkers. Have their own lives to lead, like you and your roommates do.”

She agreed. “Yeah. I just wish Mom was closer. I miss her. I have Vanessa, my cousin. And Abby of course. She’s my best friend. But they’re not Mom.” She leaned closer. “Between you and me, Vanessa’s too bossy. As my mom would say, she’s a bit too big for her britches.”

James laughed, and his wife looked over at him. As did Flynn, who frowned and stood. He looked as if he meant to join them when Cam yanked him back down. Then Brody distracted him with something that made him laugh.

She’d never thought of humor as sexy, but hearing Flynn’s laugh aroused her. Just what she didn’t need sitting so close to Flynn’s
father
. Talk about bad timing to like men again.

“You okay?” James looked from her to Flynn and narrowed his eyes.

“Fine. I’m going for dessert. Want anything?”

“I sneaked a brownie when no one was looking.” He winked. “But I’ll have another.”

Laughing, she left to get him one. But she found nothing left, just a few crumbs, so she put a piece of Beth’s apple pie on a plate for him.

“Mom’s pie is pretty good.” Flynn spoke from over her shoulder. “But if you bake pie as well as you made the brownies, I’ll concede you the winner.”

He took the plate from her and delivered it to his father. He darted away before his dad could smack him in the head, and she wondered what he’d said.

“Well, nice to see you come up for some air.” Vanessa looked a little too smug.

Not in the mood for Vanessa’s teasing, Maddie readied to rip into her cousin when a blast of water between the eyes shocked her into stuttering. “Wh-wh—”

Flynn hoisted her assailant in the air. “Aha! Gotcha, you little monster.” He ripped Colin’s squirt gun aside. “Well, Maddie? What should we do with him?” He handed her the gun and set a squirming Colin on his feet.

She eyed the gun, saw the dismay on Colin’s face, and handed it to Vanessa. “I’ll leave the weapon in my cousin’s brutal hands.”

“Hey.” Vanessa frowned.

“Me, I’m more of a tickler myself.” She watched Colin’s eyes grow wide before she tickled him until he was writhing on the ground.

“Daddy! Help!” he said between laughter.

Mike tried to intervene. “My son, I must save you!”

But Flynn grabbed the gun from Vanessa and shot him in the face with a blast of water. Then Brody and Cam joined in with Super Soakers that appeared out of nowhere. Everyone started squirting everyone, and the party got down and dirty.

Maddie hadn’t thought they’d stay so late. An hour, maybe two, to be friendly before they left for the day. Who’d have thought she’d enjoy herself so much?

Flynn’s brothers turned out to be as fun-loving and teasing with her as they were with each other, except in a nicer, gentler way. Flynn had suffered a few tackles, not to mention headlocks and a body slam from Mike that put him on his butt. The neighbors seemed nice and interested when Flynn had mentioned her career as a professional stager and designer.

And then the guy she couldn’t stop thinking about had told his mother about her new business. Beth had immediately called her sister, the bigwig realtor. Now Maddie had an appointment on Tuesday with Linda Donnigan that could be a big break in her new career. Maybe.

Abby and Vanessa stood with her as they said good night to the McCauleys.

“We had a blast, Beth.” Abby had her hand on the front door. “Thanks so much for inviting us. What a terrific way to spend our Saturday. Normally by now we’d be on our hands and knees scrubbing something while Vanessa cracks her whip. Thank you again for saving us from a fate worse than death.”

“A fate worse than death? I thought that was what you called running. Wimp,” Vanessa scoffed.

Beth grinned. “Anytime. And Maddie, let me know how your appointment with my sister goes. You’ll do fine with her. She’s a lot like Vanessa, very businesslike and very successful.”

Vanessa beamed. “Now let’s go, my minions. Time to clean the house, from top to bottom. Muhuhahaha.”

Maddie groaned. They started walking away when Flynn darted after them.

“Wait up.” He handed Maddie the brownie pan. “Would you ladies like a ride?”

Would
I
ever.
Flynn’s brows rose, and she coughed with embarrassment when she realized he’d caught her staring at him like dessert. Good Lord, she’d been ogling his package. How embarrassing.

“That’s great. A way to escape Vanessa. Sure.” Abby dragged her to Flynn’s truck, a manly type vehicle with a Hemi, whatever that was. She shoved Maddie in the front seat while she hopped in the back. Then she leaned toward the window and yelled at Vanessa, “See you at home.” To Maddie, Abby whispered, “You can thank me later.”

Flynn arrived at their house in minutes. But before Maddie could get out of the truck, Abby stopped her. “Flynn, could you do us a big favor?”

“Sure.”

“It’s cleaning night, and I just remembered we don’t have any more glass cleaner. Would you mind running Maddie to the store to buy some? I’ll keep Vanessa at bay while you guys get it.”

Possibly the lamest excuse she’d ever heard. But Flynn picked it up and ran with it before Maddie could decide how she felt about being dumped in his lap.

“Not a problem. I’ll bring her right back.” He took off the minute her roommate shut the truck door.

Aware of the quiet intimacy between them, she shifted in her seat. To her discomfort, her nipples chafed against her shirt, as if she wasn’t wearing a bra.

Flynn maneuvered them through traffic away from the closest grocery and headed downtown. “As I see it, you have two options.”

“Only two?”

He grinned, and that flash of amusement turned her inside out. She’d actually liked talking to him today. She’d connected to him, person to person, in a way she and Ben never had. That weird fluttering and nervousness returned. Half of her wanted to tell him to turn the car around and take her home. The other half wanted… She didn’t want to think about what
it
wanted.

“I can get your cleaner for you, then take you back and give you to that whip-wielder Vanessa.” He gave a pretend shudder, and she chuckled. “Or I can take you someplace where the music is great, the wine is even better, and we could watch a movie, or whatever.”

The
whatever
grabbed hold of her and wouldn’t let go. But the pragmatic part of her warned her to tread warily. This man made her feel different than the others had. He didn’t feel safe, and he didn’t fit in a contained mold, like Ben. Flynn set her on edge in a very sexual, very emotional way.

He screamed
trouble
.

So she surprised herself when she asked, “What kind of movie?”

Flynn McCauley sat one foot away from her on a black leather sofa in his apartment, and she still didn’t know what she thought she was doing. Two wineglasses perched on the coffee table while a movie droned on in front of them. She hadn’t heard one word of dialogue since Mr. Sexy had put his arm over the back of the couch. He brushed her neck from time to time with long, calloused fingers.

She shivered again when his forefinger traced its way along her nape.

“Cold?” he asked, his voice husky.

Oh, he knew what he was doing. Yet she didn’t care. A glance down at his lap showed he was just as excited to be next to her. Her entire body throbbed.
Everywhere.
She wanted to blame her sudden need for Flynn on her recent dating dry spell, but she had a bad feeling it was more than that.

“Come closer. I’ll keep you warm.”

Ridiculous considering how hot she felt, but hell, she’d use the excuse and hope she didn’t come across as desperate. Then again, that pole in his pants told her she affected him in the same way. Randy indeed.

She let him draw her against his body and gasped. “You’re like an inferno.” A great big body of heat… that fired her own. Lust consumed her, the need to touch him, to feel his skin against hers. To taste him again and see if that kiss had been an anomaly or the prelude to the combustible chemistry she could feel blistering her libido.

He curled his hand over her shoulder and sniffed her hair. “You smell good.”

“Like hot dogs and hamburgers?” she teased and put her hand on his knee. He tensed, and she liked the reaction.

“Better.” He nuzzled her hair aside and whispered in her ear, “Like those chocolate brownies. I’m just dying to eat you up, Maddie.”

The image that thought conjured made her more than wet. She arched her neck, too drugged by his touch to heed the signs of no return. He nipped her earlobe and trailed his mouth down her neck, sucking in places that torqued her body into a man-hungry machine.

“Fuck me, you taste so good.” He stroked her hair, running his fingers through the long strands.

She let go of his knee and ran her hand up his thigh.

He turned her head to kiss her flush on the mouth, and she sighed her surrender, not wanting to stop this journey until they finished. Her body
begged
her to reach the end. And fast.

He moaned her name and licked his way past her lips. Still slow, not pushing her too hard. And his continued persistence totally turned her on. She put her hands around his neck and dragged him closer, trying to take charge of the kiss. But he refused to be rushed.

“Oh no. I’ve been waiting for this. We’re going to take it nice and slow. If I don’t come in my pants first.”

She smiled, pleased not to be the only one needing more.

“Mmm, that’s it. Sit back for me. Let’s take off your clothes and make you more comfortable.” The line should have fallen short, but he didn’t seem aware of what he said as he stripped her down to her bra and underwear. “Christ, you’re hot.”

She blushed. She couldn’t help it. She hadn’t planned on any of this, but she could only be glad she’d chosen today of all days to go with pink lace. “Now you.”

He removed his shirt, shoes, and socks, but left his jeans on. “Trust me, this will be better for both of us if I leave these on.”

“You’re not a minuteman then? Good.”

He pulled her over to straddle his lap. “Minuteman?” His gaze settled on her breasts.

“You know, one of those guys who says he’s a great lover but lasts a minute?”

He chuckled and ran his fingers over her breast. The heat shot from her nipple to her core and startled a gasp out of her. “And that’s why I’m wearing the jeans. Seeing you like this… I’d be tempted to shove inside you and come hard.” He kissed her, his fingers making magic over first one breast, then the other. “We need to take this slow.”

“I’m, ah, I don’t have any condoms.”

He pulled back to watch her as he pinched her nipple through the sheer fabric. “I do.”

She moaned and threaded her fingers in his hair, wanting his mouth on her in the worst way.

Willing to please, Flynn kissed the tops of her breasts, then sucked her nipples through the material of her bra.

She writhed over him, wanting to feel him deep inside her with a desperation very unlike herself. “
Flynn.
”

“Oh yeah. That’s it, baby. You feel so good in my mouth.” He stopped sucking her through the material and pulled the bra down, exposing her wet nipple. Then he took her flesh between his lips and applied his teeth.

She bucked, perilously close to coming in her underwear, and over his jeans. He’d called her
baby
, and it had sounded so natural, so
sexy
. Normally she hated endearments, but this turned her on in a big way. Embarrassed by how easy she must seem, she tried to pull back, but he wouldn’t let her.

“Oh no. Come, Maddie. Let me feel you come in my hands.” He pulled down the other side of her bra, exposing her breasts while plumping them together. He set his teeth on her other nipple, rolling the bud with a gentle bite. While he kissed and fondled her breasts with one hand, he dragged his other down her belly and beneath her underwear.

His fingers stroked lower, gliding over her swollen folds before delving into the heat of her. He groaned and sucked her nipple hard while he shoved a thick finger inside her. Her clit felt so hard, so sensitive against the pad of his thumb.

Flynn kissed her nipple and leaned back while he fingered her, watching her expression. She should have been embarrassed, but for some odd reason, she wasn’t.

“God, I want to fill this pussy. You are so sweet.” He sawed his finger in and out of her, but she wanted more. He seemed to read her mind, because he added a second finger, stretching her. “Tight, so fucking tight.”

The hunger on his face undid her. He looked at her as if he wanted to devour her, as if nothing else existed right now but him and her. “Come all over me, baby. Drench me, Maddie. We’ll come hard, then we’ll come again in my bed. Together.”

He thumbed her clit and thrust his fingers back inside her, and she came on a cry, locked up tight around him. Her whole body pulsed, the pleasure so intense she felt dizzy. But as she rocked down to earth, she felt his tension and knew he had yet to find release.

“That was incredible.” He kissed her, slowly removing his fingers. Without breaking eye contact, he sucked one finger clean and groaned. “I am two seconds from coming in my jeans. Scoot back a second.”

She moved back and unbuttoned his pants, her hands shaking as she lowered his zipper inch by inch. He pushed his pants and underwear down his thighs, exposing the hot length of him.

She stared down at his cock and swallowed. “You’re big.” Holy shit, he was huge.

“And hard. And hurting.” He wrapped her fingers around his cock and showed her how to stroke him. He released her hand but couldn’t seem to take his eyes away from her holding him. Nor could she. “Oh man. I’m gonna come all over you. I can’t stop it. Your hand looks so good there. So goddamn good.” He groaned when she squeezed and moved faster. Ropy jets of come splashed over her hand and landed on his belly.

His face contorted in pleasured agony, and she couldn’t look away. She slid her hand up and down once more, lingering under the head of his shaft, and a large spurt of semen shot out again. He jerked, his stomach clenching, and eased her hand away from him.

“
Maddie.
” He lay back, breathing as if he’d just run a marathon. To her surprise, she sounded the same.

In a moment of clarity, she saw them as they were. Maddie, in a bra pulled down beneath her boobs, sat over his denim-covered knees in soaking-wet lace panties. Flynn’s jeans and underwear gathered at his thighs. A mess covered his belly, his cock, and her hand.

He held a finger to her that held a bead of his semen. “Lick it,” he said in a deep, gritty voice.

She didn’t know him that well despite the fact that he’d just had his fingers inside her. Even though they’d kissed as if they planned on exchanging tonsils. Licking his come would be so very, very stupid.

But the demand in his voice, the sexual hunger rejuvenating in his eyes… She grabbed his hand and took his finger inside her mouth. Salty and male, the flavor of the man she planned to get to know much, much better.

He groaned and kissed her again, and she knew this was only the beginning.

***

Flynn couldn’t believe he’d just come all over himself. Like a friggin’ teenager, he’d shot his wad in seconds from her small hand. The sight of her dainty fingers wrapped around his cock had been permanently seared into his brain. Despite the fact he’d just come all over, he wanted her again. But this time he wanted to explode inside her.

“Let’s clean up and do this again, in a bed this time.” He hoped she wouldn’t be the type for self-recrimination. She didn’t seem like a woman with easy morals, nor did he get the impression she often went home with a guy and had sex. For one, she had the cutest blush on her cheeks and refused to look at him directly. And two, she’d been so damn tight inside. He’d bet it had been a while for her. Hell, she’d gone off as fast as he had. He took comfort in the fact and prayed she wouldn’t think him a—what had she called it? A minuteman.

He swore under his breath as he stood with her and righted his pants. Then he used his shirt to wipe the mess from his belly.

“What’s wrong?”

She’d slipped her breasts back in her bra, and damn if he didn’t want to do her all over again. She could have starred in her very own adult movies. Large breasts, a tiny waist, long, thick red hair that framed a siren’s face. And those lips. When she’d sucked that drop of come from his finger like a dream come true, fantasies of her mouth around his cock refused to go away.

“You have too many clothes on,” he rasped and reached for her hand. He gave it a gentle squeeze and pulled her with him into the bedroom. “Let me clean up. And I swear, this time I’ll be more than a ‘minuteman.’”

She laughed, relieving him. “I think that was me. I lasted maybe thirty seconds. So embarrassing.”

“Hey, I barely took a breath and came. The minute you wrapped your hand around me, I was toast.”

“Well, I’m using the excuse that it’s been a while.”

“Me too.” Good. She hadn’t been with anyone. “So I take it you’re not involved with anyone right now.”

“No.” She frowned. “You?”

“Nope.”
And
I
’
m not looking for a steady girlfriend
should have been the next words out of his mouth, but she beat him to the punch.

“Look, Flynn. This is weird. I don’t do this, have sex with people I just met.” She let out a long breath. “I’m attracted to you. And this might sound really stupid, but I like what we just did. I just don’t have time in my life right now for anything more complicated.”

He blinked. “So you just want the sex. No dating, no holding hands, no cuddling?”

Her lips curled. “Well now, we could cuddle after, maybe a little. But the whole boyfriend/girlfriend thing is impossible for me right now. What with my business getting started. If it gets started,” she added in a softer voice.

Flynn wanted to get down on his knees and promise to continue doing whatever he’d done to receive this reward again in the future. A woman built like Maddie, who had a brain, could socialize, and didn’t bed hop, didn’t want more than sex from him. No pressure, no commitment, no games.

“Are you real?”

She laughed. “Are you? I don’t think I’ve ever seen a man so well put together as you.” Her gaze drifted down his belly and settled on his semi-hard cock pushing at his jeans.

“I wouldn’t know how put together you are.” He tugged her closer. “You’re not naked yet.”

“Neither are you.”

He kissed her but stopped before he forgot himself. “Time to fix that. You need to stop worrying about this future success of yours and focus on something much better.”

“Like what?”

“Like a nice, long ride on your favorite stud.” He leered at her. “Neigh.”

“I don’t know how to ride,” she teased.

“I’ll show you. No worries, darlin’.” His accent sounded terrible, but her smile told him it didn’t matter. Once in his bedroom, he left her to finish cleaning himself in the bathroom. He returned wearing his boxer briefs and found her lying on his bed. Naked.

“Holy shit.” He didn’t know where to look first. At the pouting lips parted for his cock, or the swollen breasts and cherry red nipples begging for a taste. Or maybe the incredibly erotic sight of her legs parted, revealing a wet pussy and the trimmest strip of red hair over her mound. “If I had a camera, I’d—”

She leaned up on her elbows and scowled at him. “Get yourself slapped.”

He pulled off his underwear and grabbed himself, hard. “You are so fucking sexy when you’re mad. I swear, the other day when you were storming around your house, I wanted to throw you over my shoulder and haul that pretty ass upstairs.”

She blinked. “You did?”

He couldn’t wait. Doing what he’d been dying to, he joined her on the bed. Slowly crawling from the foot of it to just between her legs, he knelt before her. “Look how hard you make me.” He rubbed his thumb over his tip, not surprised to find it slick. “Do me a favor, reach into the drawer beside you and grab a packet.”

She bit her lower lip. “Wow. You’re a lot to handle.”

“And getting bigger looking at your tits. You are a wet dream, you know that?”

She snorted and dug in his bedside drawer for a condom. “Flatterer.”

Flynn smiled. “You think I’m bad, you should hear some of my brothers’ lines. No, let’s not go there. No way I’m bringing them into this bed. This is just you and me.”

She held out the packet.

God, he felt like the star in one of his X-rated fantasies. Why not indulge himself? Who knew if he’d ever be lucky enough to have her again? “Put it on me, baby. Roll it real slow over my cock.”

Her cheeks flushed, and she sat up and rose on her knees to face him. Slowly ripping the packet, she took out the condom and put it over his tip. His entire body locked up.