Dangerous Grounds Read online

  She just wasn’t in the mood to appreciate it right now. Madison sat on the couch and waited for him to return.

  Gabe grabbed their bags from the trunk of his car. His rush of anger had already dissipated and guilt gnawed at his stomach for snapping at Maddie. He shouldn’t have been surprised that she expected him to do more with his life. The Phillips came from a different social class. They were nice people. Hell, more than nice, they’d been his second family.

  But they had money and lived the lifestyle. It was what they were used to. So why was he so surprised that Maddie thought he should move up in the field? That he should want to scoot up to that higher class?

  He was nothing like the Phillips. He’d grown up in poverty. When his aunt had taken him in, finances had still been tight. They’d never had fancy spaghetti dinners delivered. There were some weeks when they’d had Top Ramen five nights in a row for dinner. Hell, eggs had been a luxury.

  But Martha had provided him with a good life until the day she’d died from cancer. Even after. She’d left him the only thing she’d ever owned. Her home.

  He’d gone to college on a scholarship and had worked his ass off to graduate with a 4.0. He was proud of where he stood today, how far he’d come.

  He might not be able to afford a cabin like this, but he wasn’t on the bottom rung anymore. He’d been investing and saving, and his nest egg was looking pretty good. Of course Maddie didn’t know that, seeing as it wasn’t exactly something he advertised.

  Be honest with yourself, Gabe. That’s not the only reason you’re pissed. Her encouraging him to seek a more prestigious career than being a local cop wasn’t the whole reason he was annoyed. It was her delving into his reasons for becoming one. It was personal. It was painful. And he wasn’t quite ready to share that with her just yet.

  The only person he’d ever shared it with was Eric. And Eric was his best friend. Almost like a brother. His thoughts grew grim again. But he didn’t have a brother. Not anymore.

  The startled expression he’d seen on Maddie’s face flashed through his head and he winced. You dumb shit, get your ass back inside and apologize. You don’t treat a woman like that. Aunt Martha would have ripped you a new one.

  When he got back to the house, Maddie sat on the couch staring at the turned-off television.

  He shut the door, set the bags down, and went to sit beside her.

  “I shouldn’t have snapped at you.”

  “No, I deserved it. I’m sorry, Gabe. I spoke without thinking.” She turned toward him. “I think being a police officer is a wonderful career, and I hope I didn’t make it sound like I thought otherwise.”

  Gabe searched her eyes and saw her sincerity reflected there. “It’s all right.”

  “I think it’s a very demanding, honorable job.” She paused and then waggled her eyebrows at him. “And, hey, even kind of a turn-on.”

  “Kind of a turn-on, huh?” Gabe smiled and took her hand.

  “Mm-hmm.” Madison gave a slow nod. “So here’s an idea. Let’s stop saying stupid things that hurt one another and do some making up.”

  He sucked in a hard breath as her hand slipped from his and down to the crotch of his pants.

  “And I’d like to show you how much of a turn-on I think cops are, Officer Martinez.”

  He heard the zipper of his jeans being pulled down, and his blood pounded at the little bit of role-play Maddie had decided to slip into.

  “Please do, Miss Phillips,” he managed to say as she slid off the couch and onto her knees in front of him.

  She freed him from his jeans and boxers and wrapped her soft hand around his flesh. “I’ve been waiting all day to see this guy again.”

  “Really now? Take off your shirt,” he commanded in a low voice and her gaze flitted up to his. “And your bra. I want to see your breasts.”

  “Anything you say, Office Martinez.” Madison pulled her T-shirt over her head. His breath hitched as she opened the front clasp of her bra and pulled it off.

  “Very nice.” He reached forward to lift one heavy breast into his palm and drew his thumb across her nipple. “I love your breasts, Maddie.”

  “And I love your penis, Gabe,” she answered with an impish grin, then gasped when he brought her nipple between his thumb and forefinger, and gave a light pinch.

  “Show me how much you love it, Maddie.”

  “With pleasure, Officer.” And her hand that grasped him started moving up and down his length. “I think we need lubrication.”

  Her tongue found the base of his cock, sliding over his length and up to the sensitive dent on the head. She took a moment to swirl her tongue around his throbbing head, before drawing her tongue back to the base and repeating the path again.

  Soon her mouth closed over the tip of his head, and then almost too slowly, she sucked the rest of his length into her mouth. Gabe arched his hips to push him deeper into her mouth, and she took him with ease, sucking harder and faster.

  He reached out to fondle her breasts again, pinching both nipples and evoking a soft cry from Maddie. He pushed her breasts together, squeezing and kneading their plump softness.

  She sucked him even deeper, until his cock stroked the back of her throat. He knew he wasn’t going to last and pulled out of her mouth.

  “Maddie.” He groaned.

  “Yes, Gabe…whatever you want.”

  Her invitation proved too much to resist. With her breasts still pushed together, he slipped his cock into her cleavage, moving in small thrusts against her soft flesh. She groaned and covered his hands with her own.

  Pulling on her nipples, he came in quick spurts on her breasts.

  “God, Maddie.” He gasped, his hands massaging the milky white semen into her skin.

  Madison leaned forward and kissed him while he pinched her nipples, moving his palms over the slippery flesh of her breasts. Her tongue stroked against his, and he kissed her back.

  “I’m sorry. I went too far—”

  “No,” she interrupted and covered his hands with her own. “I liked it. A lot. Please don’t apologize.”

  “You’re amazing, Maddie.” Gabe closed his eyes. And she was. How the hell had he gotten this lucky?

  Madison stood and offered a delicate shrug. “Besides, I owed you an orgasm, remember?”

  “Ah, how could I have forgotten?” He laughed and shook his head.

  She yawned. “I think I’m going to shower and get ready for bed.”

  “There’s only one bedroom. If it’s a problem, I can take the couch.”

  “A problem?” Madison gave him a chiding look. “A benefit is more like it. Will you join me soon?”

  “Of course.”

  “All right.” She yawned again and leaned down, pressing her lush lips against his. “Thank you again for everything, Gabe.”

  “Thank you.” He tucked a wayward strand of hair back behind her ear and murmured, “And anytime, mi vida.”

  Chapter Eleven

  Madison put the cap back on the toothpaste and looked up, staring at herself in the mirror. The memory of the erotic moment they’d just experienced ran rampant in her head. That and the fact that he’d just called her mi vida. Didn’t that mean my heart in Spanish or something? Whatever, Madison, it doesn’t mean anything. He was just being sensitive and a good friend. Right. Good friends call each other mi vida all the time.

  And why did it evoke images of old television reruns, shows in black and white that her parents had grown up on, where couples were in love, and the men called their women sweetheart. Or maybe it was darling, but in either case…it was the same idea.

  Madison groaned. Why am I doing this to myself? Why am I trying to make this romantic and sweet? It’s sex. It’s nothing more than sex. She brushed vigorously, taking out her frustration on her teeth.

  She finished and set her toothbrush on the counter, then looked back in the mirror and raised a finger to the image.

  “You will not make this into something it’s
not,” she whispered with a fierce scowl to herself. “It’s sex. Damn good sex. But nothing but sex. So get over it, sister.”

  Satisfied with her self-administered pep talk, she pulled off the rest of her clothes and climbed into the shower.

  Gabe finished typing the email to Eric and hit send. He’d informed Maddie’s brother of what had happened this afternoon and the change in plans. He didn’t specify where they were, but guaranteed her safety. Her parents were more than likely beyond freaking out by now.

  With that out of the way, he took care of some other needed online business and signed off, then went to prepare for bed. He couldn’t stop thinking about what Maddie had let him do to her a few minutes ago. Maybe it wasn’t so shocking on the grand sex scale, but this was Maddie. She always seemed so conservative and proper.

  Gabe shook his head. She revealed different layers of herself to him every day. And this was the same woman who’d just handcuffed and performed a striptease for him the night before. He shouldn’t be surprised by anything she did.

  The more he thought about their intimate moment in the living room, the more eager he became to climb into bed with her.

  When he opened the door to the bedroom, the light from the hall shone a beam onto Maddie’s sleeping form. She lay on her stomach, with her cheek turned on the pillow toward his side of the bed. She was fast asleep.

  His gut tightened at the image she made. So vulnerable and beautiful. His desire subsided. The desperation and urgency hit him then. He would do anything to keep her. A vow to protect her resonated again in his mind, pounding a silent mantra while he took off his clothes and climbed naked into bed beside her.

  He ran a hand over her back and paused to massage the soft curves of her bottom. She had gone to bed in panties and a tank top again. It seemed to be a favorite of hers for bedtime attire. And he loved it.

  Gabe pulled the panties down, so he could look at her. The firm globes of her bottom popped free and his palms slid to cover them. He kneaded them and moved his thumb up and down her crack.

  “Mmm.” She stirred, and lifted her ass further into his hands. “You decided to join me.”

  “Like I could resist.” He moved his fingers back down and probed the hot moistness between her thighs.

  She moaned and wiggled against him, opening her thighs wider. He started to finger her until she grew hotter, wetter, and she squirmed on the bed.

  “Gabe…you’re teasing me.”

  “You like it.” He reached underneath her to squeeze her breast.

  “Yes. But I like other things too.” She giggled and then groaned when he rubbed her clit.

  He pulled her panties all the way off her body. “All right. Why don’t you get up on your hands and knees, mi vida.”

  Maddie struggled to pull herself up, shrugging off her tank top at the same time. She moved onto her hands and knees as he’d requested.

  “I like the sound of that.”

  His gaze lowered to her sex, shiny with moisture. So do I. He grabbed a condom out of the bedside table and put it on.

  He grasped her hips and probed the slit of her sex with the head of his cock. Taking a deep breath, he pushed inside her slow and steady. Her inner muscles tightened around him, her liquid warmth welcoming him.

  “Oh God.” She pushed back against him, sending his cock deeper. “You feel so good.”

  “I was going to say the same thing.” He pulled out and thrust back inside.

  He reached in front of her to cup her breasts, which bounced with each thrust. She moaned as he plucked at her nipples, bringing them to their full length.

  Gabe started pounding into her harder. Maddie’s cries turned to screams, and her body clenched around him. The sensation drew a ragged groan from him and sent him over the edge. He came hard, squeezing her hips and thrusting until he had fully spent himself.

  Madison’s knees gave out and she fell forward with a sigh. Gabe pulled out of her and lay down beside her, kissing her shoulder and nuzzling her neck.

  “God, you are sexy, mi vida.” He nipped at the nape of her neck, loving the saltiness of her damp skin. “I’m sorry I woke you up.”

  “Don’t apologize,” she replied, drowsy again. “It was a helluva way to wake up.”

  Gabe smiled, nuzzling her neck again before he closed his eyes. God, she was an incredible woman.

  Madison opened her eyes the next morning and realized Gabe’s head was just an inch away from her.

  She smiled and sat up. His arm slid off her back where it had been resting. He lay sleeping, but the dark circles under his eyes showed that he hadn’t been getting enough.

  She climbed off the bed, hoping he would stay asleep. She watched his brows draw together in a slight scowl, but he didn’t stir.

  Once out of the bedroom, Madison headed straight for the kitchen. It was time to repay Gabe in the cooking department. Biting her lip, Madison glanced into the somewhat stocked fridge. Someone must have been here not too long ago because there were eggs and milk that hadn’t yet expired.

  She pulled the eggs from the fridge and began searching the kitchen for bread. When none could be found, Madison grabbed the box of pancake mix she’d seen earlier and opened the freezer. Aha. Chocolate chips. Gabe might not need a chocolate fix, but she sure did.

  Especially when she was also being deprived of her morning latté. They were going to have to find an espresso stand sometime in the next couple days. One day, she could handle. Two days and someone would get hurt.

  Ten minutes later she was in the midst of flipping a pancake when Gabe walked in. The stunned look on his face made it difficult not to smile.

  “You’re making breakfast?”

  “Yeah, the eggs are almost ready,” she replied and slid the pancake onto a plate beside her.

  Gabe’s glance slid to the stove and he frowned. He must have been looking for the frying pan.

  “Not there. There.” She jerked her head to the left just as the microwave dinged.

  His eyebrows drew together and he opened his mouth to say something, but then shook his head. Instead he walked over to the microwave and opened the door, pulling out the steaming bowl of scrambled eggs.

  “What, you’ve never microwaved eggs before?” She took the bowl from him and dished out equal portions onto two plates, and divided the remaining pancakes between each plate.

  “I can’t say that I have.”

  He cleared his throat, and looked down at the plate, obviously hesitant to try it.

  “You should. It’s so much quicker. Just be careful not to leave them in too long or they start exploding.” Just then there was a popping sound and the scrambled eggs shifted on his plate. “See, like that. Have a seat.”

  Gabe sat, sliding his chair toward the table. He stared at the plate in front of him. Did people really microwave their eggs? Why, when they were so easy to make on the stove?

  “Do you want syrup and butter?” She waved a hand. “Never mind, I’ll bring them out, because I do.”

  She went to retrieve them and came back a moment later, setting the syrup, butter, and a bottle of ketchup on the table.

  “Ketchup?” Gabe raised an eyebrow. What the heck did she need ketchup for?

  Madison grabbed the bottle and flipped open the lid. “I like them on scrambled eggs.”

  He watched as she squirted a glob in the middle of her microwaved eggs, holding back a shudder. He would never have picked her for a ketchup-on-eggs type of girl. Shaking his head, he decided to try the pancake. He wasn’t avoiding the eggs—he just wasn’t quite ready to try them yet.

  The pancake couldn’t be bad. It looked like she’d even found some blueberries. He took the first bite and stopped chewing.

  “Are these…chocolate-chip pancakes?” He forced himself to swallow the ultra-sweet concoction.

  Madison glanced up from her task of drenching her pancake in syrup. “Yeah, do you mind? I guess I could have made some plain.”

  “No, this is fine
,” he heard himself say, and then it hit him. He was in way over his head.

  He sat here eating microwaved eggs and chocolate chip pancakes, for God’s sake. He could have refused her breakfast in a polite way, come up with some excuse. Instead he shoveled it in and grinned like it was a five-star meal.

  “You like it?” Madison responded to his smile, looking happy with herself. “You should let me try dinner sometime. I can do the most creative things with chicken.”

  “I’ll bet you can.” He forced a bite of egg and immediately realized why she used ketchup. He moved his teeth back and forth over the rubbery eggs until they were chewed up enough to swallow. “But you’re treating this time here like your vacation, so I should do the cooking. You relax.”

  “Yeah,” she waved a fork at him. “But I got you shot yesterday. It’s the least I can do.”

  “Grazed, it’s just a graze.” He forced himself to keep eating. “Do you want to go for a walk on the beach after breakfast?”

  Madison glanced up at him, her eyes shining like he’d just offered to take her to Paris.

  “That sounds great. I need time to shower and put on makeup—”

  “Skip it,” he interrupted. “You can take a long bath tonight. You’ll need it more later. Just throw on some jeans you don’t mind getting dirty and a T-shirt. Pull your hair back in a ponytail, and you don’t need makeup.”

  “I don’t know.” She shrugged. “Bare-faced in the morning is okay…but as the day goes on, it’s not pretty.”

  “Oh, please.” He stood, having managed to eat more than half of the breakfast, and took his plate to the sink. “You’re gorgeous and you know it. With or without the makeup.”

  The room went dead silent, and he turned to see what he’d done wrong. She stared at him with wide eyes, her mouth parted in a smile of amazement. It was a look that broke all the rules, one that said the word rebound might once again just be a basketball term. The thought struck a strange note inside him and he turned back to the sink.

  “Why don’t you go get ready when you’re finished eating and we’ll head out. Wear a bathing suit under your jeans if you brought one.”