sucking the lobe into his mouth as he slid a finger inside her.
With a strangled cry, she rocked to him. “It means I’m ready.”
He brushed his lips against hers. “Just making sure.”
“I’m
He added another finger, gliding deep while brushing his thumb over her in just the right rhythm until she came with a rush. While she was still shuddering, he rolled on the condom and slid inside of her with a single, sure push of his hips.
She gasped, arching helplessly as it extended her orgasm. When she could open her eyes, she blinked him into focus. His eyes were solid black and locked on hers, intense and fierce. As he began to move within her, she felt the tile at her back, warm from both her own body heat and the hot water pulsing down over them. His strokes were strong and steady and sent her spiraling. He came with her, the both of them rocking together, gasping for breath. Unable to stand, they slid to the shower floor, still entwined.
Completely spent, Maddie dropped her head to his chest, managing a smile when he drew her in against him with a wordless protective murmur, pressing his face in her hair. At the tender touch, something came over her, something new. It was both warm and wonderful.
And terrifying. Because he’d given her just what she wanted.
Only she already wanted more.
Chapter 13
PHOEBE TRAEGER
The next day Jax spent most of his time at the inn, stripping old windowpanes and carpeting.
And watching Maddie.
She’d pretty much kicked him to the curb after yesterday’s shower. It was a first for him, not being the one to need space, and he hadn’t known what kind of reception to expect this morning.
She’d greeted him with a sweet, warm smile, and because she wasn’t one to fake anything, that had told him that they were okay. “How about dinner tonight?” he asked her midday.
Maddie glanced at him, then back to her task of hauling out the debris. She was looking hot and just a little bit breathless. Her hair was wild, her shirt untucked, and the seat of her jeans was dirty.
He couldn’t take his eyes off her.
“Can’t,” she said.
He tossed the load in his arms into the back of the Dumpster they’d had delivered and brushed his hands off on his jeans, catching her arm before she could turn away. “Can’t? Or won’t?”
She closed her eyes but then surprised him by dropping her head to his chest. “I’m all dirty and sweaty, Jax.”
“I like dirty and sweaty,” he said, drawing her into his arms. “And it’s just dinner, not a ring or a white picket fence.”
Choking out a laugh, she pressed in even closer, sighing when he kissed her temple. But then after a moment, and far before he was ready, she backed away from his touch and met his gaze. “But no condom on this dinner date, right? Because…”
“… Because you’re not ready for this.”
“I just need… I really need to take a step backward from anything serious.”
And sex for her was serious. He understood. Hell, what they’d experienced in the shower was so serious, he still hadn’t recovered. “Take the step back if you need it. Hell, take two. Just don’t go running away.”
That brought a small smile. “I no longer run.”
“Good,” he said and went back to work, for the first time in five years wanting something he couldn’t have.
Maddie divided her time between the marina office and painting the inn’s bedrooms. Tara helped with the painting. Chloe couldn’t do much because of her asthma. Maddie got that, but the way she held herself separate from them, working on her skin care line instead of the inn, was more worrisome than annoying. At some point, Chloe was going to have to exercise the swing vote, and Maddie had no idea which way she’d go. With a sigh, Maddie watched Tara walk across the yard, gingerly carrying paint supplies. Tara had at least deigned to get her hands dirty, risking her manicure. Not because she believed in the cause.
Nope, what Tara believed in was saving money.
Over the past few days, Maddie had finished the paperwork for refinancing their loan and filed it at the bank. Her fingers were crossed. Tara and Chloe were both leaving tomorrow, and Maddie would be on her own. But that was a worry for later, she told herself. For the moment, she was covered from head to toe in paint.
“I’m changing my penny-pinching stance,” Tara huffed at her side, with hardly any paint on her. “We should have hired someone to do this part.”
Maddie had no idea how her sister had managed to stay clean, but it was really annoying. Perhaps it was the invisible bubble of righteous perfection that clearly surrounded her. “We should have hired someone? You did not just say that.”
Tara sighed. “I hate being peasant stock.” She swiped her brow, but Maddie didn’t see a drop of sweat on her. Maybe she had a sweat-gland disorder or something. That thought made her smile a little. Only Tara could have a medical condition that aided her perfect southern belle image.
“You okay?” Tara asked.
“Yes, why?”
“Because for the past few days, you’ve been… different somehow.”
Yes. Multiple orgasms tended to do a body good.
“You went out with Jax last night.”
“Just for dinner.” And a few hot-as-hell kisses. Turned out, she didn’t really want to take
“So you’re okay?”
“Yep.”
Tara nodded and looked at her hands. “You know, I’m not normally one to gripe.” She narrowed her eyes when Maddie snorted. “But I would like to make an official complaint that
Maddie had to give her that one. Chloe was sitting a hundred yards away on the dock, free of the chemicals that would have sent her into asthma hell, surrounded by bowls and containers filled with ingredients like eggs and honey and almonds. “What is she making today?”
“Some facial to clean out our pores when we’re done,” Tara said. “And she’s brewing some sort of soothing homemade sun tea that reduces stress.” Her tone said this was as likely as them making a go of the inn. “She said it’d be better than a spa day.”
“I’ve never had a spa day,” Maddie said on a sigh.
“And you have the pores to prove it.”
“What? I do not.” Maddie moved to the hallway and stared at herself in the full-length mirror leaning against the wall, the one they’d pulled off one of the interior guest room doors. Oh, boy. Her hair looked like she’d stuck her finger in a live electrical socket, and her skin was shiny with perspiration, but she didn’t see any pores. Probably because she was layered in a fine dusting of paint. She paused, searching for a natural transition to the question she wanted to ask and found none. So she jumped right in. “Why are you mad that Chloe kissed Logan’s best friend?”
