Then & Now (3 page)

“Yeah?”

Yes!  He was flirting back.  This was going well.  Maybe she could push it further.  “Where would you like to take me?”  She purred.

He moved closer.  “Where ever you would like.”

She took a moment to answer.  She wanted to wait until she was married before she slept with anyone.  Not that she was a virgin.  It was only that her first wasn’t that great.  It never is when your first is in the back seat of your prom date’s car; correction parents car.

But now, with him….She knew it would be better than great, it would be fantastic.  “We could get a room.”  The suggestion came out easier than she thought it would.  Maybe, it was because
she had been practicing the line since the moment those blue-green eyes first collided with hers.

One of his eyebrows shot upwards. 
“Um, Maddie.  I don’t think…”

“Good.  I don’t want you to think.”  Getting up, she sashayed away from the table.  She glanced back to see if he was trailing behind.  He wasn’t.  He was watching her back side; intensely. 

Stopping, Maddie forced down a giggle.  She turned slowly and seductively motioned for him to fallow.  To her delight he jumped out of his chair, knocking it over with his over eagerness.  Without waiting for him she made her way towards the lobby.           

        “Madeline, wait.” He called after her.

She slowed, but didn’t turn around.

He gently gripped her arm, turning her to him.  “This isn’t a good idea. Not that I don’t want to—God, trust me I
want
to.  But…”

Putting a finger against his warm, delicious mouth, she pressed her soft curves into his hard ones.  She understood why he didn’t want to.  Under the circumstances this would be confusing.  “I don’t want to wait.  I know that we—” She was cut off by an elderly lady yelling after them.

“Jordan!  Jordan Faris, you come here and say hello to your grandmother.”  The woman demanded pulling his face down to hers.

Justin kissed his grandmother’s soft cheek willing.  He couldn’t bring himself to correct her, not in front of Maddie.  It would humiliate her.  She still had that amazing body pressed into his. 

“Oh! Hello.”  His grandmother beamed as she greeted Madeline.  “You must be the fiancé my daughter can’t stop talking about.”  Smacking her grandson on the shoulder, she gestured towards
Maddie.  “Introduce us.”

Clearing his throat, Justin gave himself a moment.  This should’ve been
Jordan’s command.  Too bad he was somewhere up stairs giving a whole set of different commands.  Shaking his head he tried to rid himself of the unwanted images that erupted at the thought of his brother and Kendra.

“Grandma, this is Madeline Tuner. 
Maddie this is Grandma Grace.”  As he introduced them, he watched Maddie carefully.  She seemed at ease.  Probably, because she thought her
fiancé
was making the introductions.

“You know my d
aughter was right about you.  You are beautiful.”  His grandma observed, as she tilted her head to the side.

“Thank you.”
Maddie flushed, causing him to pull her closer.  Her arm wrapped itself around his middle, holding him to her.  This felt too…right.  Standing there talking to his grandmother as if nothing about this was wrong.  That couldn’t be good.

He needed this to end before it went too far.

He just didn’t know how to without mortifying her.  She was putting herself out there, thinking that she was doing it for the man she intended to marry.  This would have to be dealt with carefully.  Only the real problem was that he seemed to have a side to him—he didn’t want to admit existed—that wanted him to go along with it.

As his grandmother raddled on his mind was suddenly trained on
Maddie’s hand that was gently caressing his ass.  Glancing down he saw her face.  It was peaceful as if her wandering hand wasn’t causing madding things to happen below the belt.         

Was she a vixen hidden under that sweet little façade? 
Man, he would give anything to find out.  Anything.  She did think he was his brother…

“Oh, that reminds me. 
Jordan, I need to barrow you for a minute.”  His grandmother announced, pulling him out of his insane thoughts. “If that’s alright?”

“Of course.”
  Maddie smiled with red still staining her cheeks.

His grandmother shifted her eyes back and forth between them.  Then bringing a finger to her chin she gave an all-knowing grin.  “I was interrupting personal time wasn’t I?”

He couldn’t suppress a chuckle when Maddie’s flush became more pronounced. She tucked her head slyly into his shoulder and his heart double in rhythm.  Sweet and a little spicy, the fates were purposely messing with him.

His grandmother laughed.  “Don’t
worry you’re young and have the rest of your lives to…well you know.”  She winked.  “Now, all I need is a minute, Jordan.  Then I’ll put you right back where I found you.”

Reaching up
Maddie kissed him lightly on the cheek. Then she gracefully slid her lips delicately up his jaw until she reached his ear.  “I’ll be right here when you get back.”  She whispered seductively.

All he could do was
swallow.  God, if his grandmother had not been standing right there, there wasn’t telling what he would’ve done.

“Come on.  She’ll be fine until you get back.”  His grandmother giggled, as she pulled on his arm. 
“My, my.  It’s not like I’m taking you to the other side of the moon.”

He hadn’t even realized that he had been holding onto
Maddie like some love sick puppy.  This wasn’t good.  Isn’t it interesting that no matter how many times a person repeats something to themselves, it never seems to stick?

Watching her as his grandmother pulled him away, to which ever relative she was forcing him to greet, should have
given him the space he need to think clearly, somehow it wasn’t.  His mind seemed to be revolving around one thing and one thing only.  Taking her up on her offer. 

Spending some time with her
alone
would be exceptional.  Although he knew he would want to drag it out as long as he could, an hour would be enough.  Then he could bring her back and trade with Jordan.

This logic was crazy.  He knew that.  But if he could pull it off then….Then what?  Would that single hour be enough to tame his wild craving?  Or would it start something that he couldn’t tame?

Madeline scurried into the ladies room.  Her nerves were making her jittery.  Taking a long look at herself in the full-sized mirror, which hung in the entrance of the enormous bathroom,
she felt a twinge of panic.  Squaring her shoulders she shook it off.  This was about her tonight.  She would make this worth it and the consequence will be solely hers.

Sleeping with this beautiful man was something s
he needed to know.  Marriage was a huge step and if she didn’t find out now then she could be making the worst mistake of her life.

Of course, he will try to talk her out of it.
  The decision was a little rash, which was probably adding to his confusion.  Yet, she knew that she would see this through to the end.  Rejection wasn’t an option, not for tonight.  Despite the fact that she was making herself vulnerable, she couldn’t let herself back down.

Not wanting to take too much time,
she rushed through the grooming process.  She wanted to look perfect for him.  Making sure all the pins in her hair were still in place, and her dress looked just right, she ran a fresh coat of lipstick over her lips. 

Giving herself one last self-assured look,
Maddie headed for the front-desk.  To her luck there was no one waiting in line.  She quickly went through the procedure of renting the room, and after receiving the keys she made a bee-line for exact place were his grandmother and him had left her.

She didn’t have to wait long.  His smile came to her over a sea of children’s heads. 
Maddie laughed as she watched him tassel one of the little ones hair.  There was just something very charming about a man who had a way with kids.  His mother had once told her that he would make an excellent father.  As she watched him, she would have to say that she would agree.

“Hey.”  Madeline greeted as he came up next to her.

“Is that your girlfriend?”  One of the girls called after him.

“Are you going to
kiss
her?”  Another one yelled.

“He is!  He is going to kiss her! 
Ewe!”  A boy cried as he covered his mouth.

“Oh, calm down all of you!”  His grandmother scolded.  “When you’re old enough you’ll understand.”

“My mother says you can get sick swapping spit with other people.”  One of the boys stated mindfully.

“Yeah, well when you’re that age,” His grandmother gestured towards them.  “
you won’t mind so much.” She declared as she ushered the children back into the party.

“That’s
sooo
gross!”  A little girl’s squeal was the last of the comments before Maddie turned to the man who was smiling ear to ear.

She also had to smile at the innocents of it all.  “You know your mother was right about you.” 
Maddie giggled while she nuzzled up to his strong side.  “You are wonderful with kids.”

“Yeah.
  But my brother’s better with them.  Personally I think it’s because he still is one.”  His laugh was brief.  He became all serious when his eyes locked with hers.  “Maddie…”

“Please don’t.”  She knew what he was trying to do. 
After all he was a good man and he would never let her go through with it unless she was ready.

Oh, she was so ready. 
Ready for him.

Stepping back, she lifted one of the key cards.  Although his incredible eyes widened with shock, she saw the raw hunger that he couldn’t hide.  Seeing it there so prominent, so wild, it gave her courage to push forward.

“I want this.  With you…only you.  And I know you want this too.”  Her seductive tone and cool bravado surprised her.  Keeping the flow she pressed the card-key into his palm.  “We can make this a
very
good experience.  Or we can call it a night.” Pouting out her bottom lip as if that choice wasn’t an option, Maddie stood up on tip-toe and whispered.  “Please don’t choose that one.”

“Oh, Madeline….your making this really hard.”
  His gruff voice vibrated over her lips that were skimming his.

She raised her eyebrows.  “Good, that means we’re half way there.  And we’re not even in the room yet.”

He let out a delicious groan.  “That’s not what I meant.”

She had to laugh.  This was fun. 
Maybe too much fun.  A sudden zing of guilt assaulted her.  The
other
thing, that she hoped wouldn’t come up, kept rising in the back of her mind.  Although Maddie wasn’t about to let it get to her, it throbbed at the base of her conscience.

Backing away she took one long look at the breathtaking man who stood completely baffled
before her and knew this wasn’t a mistake.  “I want you.  I want this.  The consequence will be solely mine.  Just come with me.”

“I can’t let you take all—”

Covering his mouth with hers, Maddie fought to make one last stand.  “Yes you can.”  She replied with her lips still brushing his.  Stepping away she lifted the key-card that she had kept and motioned to the one she gave him.  “212. If you want me, you know where to find me.”

She moved slowly towards the elevators, as the inner battle of some kind took hold of him for a moment. 
Waiting for the elevator to arrive—with his eyes trained on her only a few feet away—seemed like an eternity. 

God, what if he didn’t show?  Where
would that put them?  Nowhere.  That is exactly where they’d be.  Would she put off her wedding because of it?  Her mother would throw a fit.

Just then the ding of the elevator doors snapped
her out of her thoughts.  Sliding a quick, and hopefully sexy, look over her shoulder she saw the blue flame take over all the green.  She took a few steps into the lift without taking another look back.  How?  She wasn’t quite sure, for all her nerve endings where trained on him.

The doors closing behind her nearly killed all of her resolve.  He wasn’t going to come.  Or worse he would come later and be something she didn’t want.  There was always the appalling option which was to send his brother
to come fetch her with some ridiculous excuse.  That would be just plain mortifying.

“
Maddie!”  He called barely slipping through the closing doors.  “You’re going to hate me after this.”  He claimed right before his mouth crushed hers.

Her kiss was everything and more.  So sweet he could taste her forever.  Yet, that little hit of spice was enough to make his blood pool at the base of him.  He found himself hard before the elevator even began its climb.

Her vibrant moans caused his head to swim, and with her body rubbing against his, caused everything else to get rigid and ready
.  One hand held her head, keeping her where his mouth could devour hers, while his other hand caressed every curve, from hip to breast.