Senses on high alert, and deciding it was past time to toss Sean a lifeline, Madison pushed to her feet and made her way toward him. Her eyes gauged his every movement as she approached, and when he lifted his head and those passionate baby blues of his met hers, her flesh quivered in erotic delight.
In a valiant effort to maintain her composure, Madison sucked in a tight breath and let it out slowly. Damn, she hated how Sean could reduce her to a jittery, lovestruck teen without even trying. She was a professional, not one of his wild, promiscuous groupies, and it would serve her well to remember that.
With that last thought in mind, and refusing to let her feelings overshadow her work, Madison straightened to her full height of five foot nine and shoved the crowd aside to give him air.
“Time to get you belowdecks for a break,” she announced, but when she reached his side, she lowered her voice for his ears only. “You don’t look so good, Sean.”
“I don’t feel so good, either,” he murmured as he rubbed his hand along the stubble shadowing his jaw.
“You need to lie down.”
He nodded in agreement and warmth passed over his eyes when he said, “Thanks, Madison. You’re a real lifesaver.” The genuine sincerity in his voice captured her attention and did the weirdest things to her insides.
“Let’s go,” she said, but before she could get him below deck, the blonde bombshell tried to muscle past her.
“I’ve got this,” the girl purred, and intimately touched Sean in a public display of affection that annoyed Madison more than it should.
With her former officer training taking over, Madison said, “No. I’ve got this.” Even though she spoke calmly, the authority in her tone stopped the pretty reporter cold.
Looking miffed, the girl turned back to Sean. When she thrust her breasts forward, Madison stiffened, fully expecting them to burst out of her skimpy halter dress and put someone’s eye out.
“Don’t you want me to take care of you, baby?” She pouted her lips in a seductive manner and added, “I know just what you need.”
Looking ill at ease as the girl mauled him, Sean peeled her long manicured nails from his bare chest and placed them at her sides. In a tone that was both firm yet placating, he said, “It’s okay, Tara. Madison is just doing her job.”
Innocent, doe-like eyes lost all their allure as they turned on Madison. Madison met her gaze unflinchingly and widened her stance in a challenging manner. Honestly, if she could single-handedly disarm a street thug, she could sure as hell handle an oversexed reporter.
After giving Madison a onceover, Tara opened her mouth to speak. But when Madison continued to hold her gaze, Tara seemed to change her mind.
Tara turned back to Sean and blinked thick lashes over hopeful eyes. “Call out if you want me. I’m just a shout away.”
As Madison watched the exchange, she thought more about Sean and the wild, vivacious women who threw themselves at him. Honestly, she saw no reason why he shouldn’t go for it. Sean might be a guy who wasn’t in any hurry to settle down, but he was an adult and his sexual escapades weren’t hurting anyone, least of all the women he crawled between the sheets with—women who knew full well what to expect from the heroic firefighter.
One erotic night of unfettered passion with a sexy guy who knew just how to douse the raging flames inside.
Feeling heat flare between her legs and hating the carnal way her body was reacting to that last thought, she bit out, “Let’s go,” with much more force than necessary.
Sean tossed her a grateful smile and the warmth in his gaze seeped under her skin and curled her toes. With her body moistening all over, she reached for the cabin door, but gentleman that he was, he pushed it open for her. As a firefighter, it was simply in his nature to take charge, so it shouldn’t have surprised her when he instinctively placed his hand on the small of her back to guide her down first.
Madison was about to insist he go first so she could watch his back—after all, she was the one in charge—but the feel of his warm fingers on her flesh had shockwaves rocketing through her. As her mind went on an erotic journey, it awakened the woman in her and she couldn’t help but wonder what those calloused hands of his would feel like tracking along her neck, her breasts, between her legs. Before she could stop it, a strange noise crawled out of her throat and she nearly lost her balance.
“Whoa, you okay?” Sean asked.
“Fine,” she rushed out. Needing to escape his intimate touch before he threw her off her game, she ducked her head and hurried down the stairs.
When she reached the bottom, she turned and watched Sean’s long strong legs negotiate the three steps behind her. Feeling a bit breathless as she zeroed in on his hard thigh muscles, she glanced past his shoulders, trying to focus on something other than the sexy sight of him, and what it was doing to her insides.
Seconds before the door slammed shut behind them, she caught Tara glaring at her with pure hatred in her eyes. Tara’s aggression triggered alarm bells in the back of Madison’s brain and had her old cop senses going on high alert. Sean was a firefighter and a hero, a combination that brought out the crazies. Madison knew firsthand how hostile and possessive groupies could get when they felt threatened.
She arched a brow and questioned, “Girlfriend of yours?”
Sean pulled a face and gave a quick shake of his head.
