My Heart Can't Tell You No (41 page)

“I don’t know.” His answer indicated he was more interested in the upcoming program on television than Joe’s questioning.

“You don’t know,” Joe repeated dully, his irritation turning to anger, as he remembered the way Lena would
go
out
and
relax
. “Do you know where she goes to relax?”

“No.” Jackie turned to look at him. “Only that she does it with Rodney.”

“Does
what
with Rodney?!”

“Relaxes.”

“Isn’t it past you guys’ bedtime?”

“No. It’s summer. We can stay up until midnight,” Jackie lied, then went back to watching television.

Joe sat in silence. His anger brewing as he thought of how Maddie was relaxing at the moment. Tom had said she’d be back by eight-thirty. It was already nearly ten o’clock, and there were no signs of her. He watched the television without listening, glancing at his watch and the clock on top of the television as Robby fell asleep in his arms. Jackie was yawning deeply as he lay on the floor, trying to stay awake until his mother returned. Joe suspected that if Tom had stayed to watch them, the boy would have gone to bed long ago. He allowed Jackie to continue his battle with sleep until ten-thirty before suggesting he go to bed. Jackie obeyed without resistance, as sleep tugged at his eyelids. After tucking both boys into their beds, Joe returned to the living room and turned out the lights and television. He left only the counter light burning in the kitchen, darkened the living room in deep shadow, then lay on the couch, wanting only to rest his eyes. He was asleep within minutes.

Maddie was doing inventory at the store when she realized she hadn’t warned Tom she would be late that night. Oh well, she thought, he knows where to find me if he needs me
.
At that point she was more interested in finishing so she could head home, than in taking the time to call. Calling, she might risk waking the boys.

The fact was she could have been home long ago, but her mind kept getting side-tracked. More than once Rodney had to correct her calculations. This wasn’t like her; she knew her business, and she knew it well.

Little things disrupted her concentration all evening. A song on the radio began the cascade of memories that would sneak up on her. Her mind was being boggled with thoughts of Joe; Joe’s smile; their first kiss. She nearly dropped a box of thread on poor Rodney’s head when she thought of the first time Joe made love to her. Her breath was catching in her throat at the memory of his touch—and oh, how he could touch her.

That’s it! She knew she had to go home. They could finish inventory tomorrow. She couldn’t go on like this. Whether she needed a good night’s rest or a cold shower, she wasn’t sure—but she knew she needed to get home.

When she drove up to her house, she saw most of the lights were off and the door was open, with only the screen door closed. The only illumination coming from inside was a dim light in the kitchen. Tom must have grown tired of waiting for her and gone to sleep. She looked at the clock on the dashboard. It was eleven.

As she went inside, she saw a figure sprawled across her couch, then approached it to touch its shoulder. “Tom, are you going home or are you sleeping down here? If you’re sleeping down here, why don’t you go in on Robby’s bed? I’ll put him in bed with me.”

“How about if I get in your bed with you instead?” Joe grabbed her arm and quickly pulled her down on top of him.

“Joe!” She moved to get back up, but his hands went around her waist, holding her there. “What are you doing here? Where’s Tom?”

“He was called in to work. I took his place. Little did I know I’d be here until nearly midnight.” His hands released her, enabling her to move her feet back to the floor.

“I’m sorry. I would have called had I known you were here. Tom knows where I am when I don’t come right home.” She stood up and pulled her dress down from where it had risen while she was on top of him.

“And where would that be?” he asked lazily as his hand moved to touch her leg, slowly sliding up the inside of her thigh.

“Well, I do have two sons to support. I have to make a living.” She reached out to the back of the couch, as her knees nearly buckled at his touch, then moved out of his reach.

“Does that include staying at a store that closed two hours ago?” He slowly sat up.

“Sometimes. Yes, it does.” She eyed him warily as she took a step back from him.

“And there’s nothing I can do to change that?” He stood up and came closer to her as she retreated. “Nothing I could do to change your mind so you wouldn’t be inclined to late evenings in town anymore?” His hand reached out to her again, stroking her cheek, her eyes staying on him as he lowered his head to meet her lips. His mouth enticed her; coaxed her; teased her; until she was responding to him, first hesitantly then more intensely as he persisted. “Nothing I could do to make you want to come home every night to your own bed, right here?”

“What are you doing to me, Joe?” she sighed, almost sadly, as her lips responded to his. She knew she could no more fight her addiction to this man than she could cease breathing.

“What do you want done, Maddie?”

She responded with her hands as she reached up to him; with her lips as she returned his kiss; and with her body as she leaned into him. He responded by walking her backwards, ushering her to her bedroom as she worked at unbuttoning his shirt and pulling it from his jeans. He closed the door and locked it behind them, taking her close to the bed. She urgently pushed his shirt open, her hands going to his chest as her mouth moved to his shoulder and neck. She felt him pulling her dress up, letting his hands slide with the satiny cloth as it moved along her sides. Her hands moved to his pants, unbuckling his belt before unsnapping and unzipping his jeans, pulling away when he lifted the dress over her head.

She stepped back and tossed her hair over her shoulder as she tilted her head back to look at him. His darkened skin contrasted against the light blue of his opened shirt, making her inhale deeply at the picture of pure virility he presented. The erotic picture of him standing in front of her with the whiteness of his underwear revealing the intensity of his need where she had opened his jeans was stealing her breath away. She looked up at his face, seeing he was watching her just as closely.

She stood before him, nearly three feet away, as she steadied herself by holding onto a chair against the wall. They watched each other, completely encompassed in the appearance of one another, noting physical changes that had taken place over the past four years. Their attraction was electrifying, both feeling what the other needed. Maddie watched his hand come toward her ever so slowly. In the softest of caresses, it started at her hair before moving down over her shoulder to the top of her chest. His finger stopped momentarily at the mauve-colored strap of her lace bra. Then it moved down, the back of his fingers tracing the cup and continuing down to the center of the bra where the tiny clasp held it closed. His hand paused momentarily before moving down over her flat stomach to her side and over her hip to the string-like band of her matching panties.

“My God, Maddie. You are breathtaking.” His voice was low, almost as if he hadn’t really meant to say it aloud.

Maddie took his hand in hers and walked with him to the bed where she moved onto her knees. Sitting on her feet and facing him, she watched him before her. She wanted him. It didn’t matter that he would leave as usual. Tonight he was hers. He moved his hand back to her hair again, enjoying the silkiness of it as it flowed over her shoulders. When she turned her face toward his hand she pressed his palm to her lips, kissing it tenderly, tasting the salt of him, and a low groan came from him. He put his other hand behind her head and coaxed her onto her knees, his lips moving to her forehead, her cheeks and her throat as she pushed his shirt over his shoulders and let it drop to the floor. He turned her until he had her lying on the mattress then sat on the side of the bed with her, watching and looking, taking in every inch of her loveliness. His hand flowed softly over her skin as it opened her bra then moved down and slipped her panties over her hips, sliding them down her legs. He moved to lie next to her, leaning over her, his thumb stroking her cheek as he looked down into her face.

“When will I ever get enough of you, little girl?”

She felt her heart lurch at his words. Her hands moved to him, pulling him toward her, showing him that she needed him as much as he needed her. He tasted her mouth, teasing her lips, meeting her tongue as they fed on one another, fueling the fires that had been smoldering in them for weeks. He moved on to her neck, sending kisses over her throat then pausing at the base of her shoulder. His downward movement took him to her breasts, his lips and tongue encircling the hardened nipples and sending her hands to his head as she felt the soft thickness of his dark hair. She knew where she wanted him to touch her, where she needed him to touch her and within seconds his hand slid over her stomach to the softness of those dark curls. He took his time as he neared the area that needed his touch, until her tension-filled anxiousness moved her hips nearer to him. Finally his fingers moved lower, spreading her legs as his mouth moved on her right breast. His lips moved to the top of her stomach, making her moan quietly with disappointment at their absence from her breast. When his tongue circled her navel, her stomach quivered at the new experience, his fingers moving to fill her as his head went still lower.

“Joe!” she breathed, her body stiffening as she tried to move away from him, but his hands pressed her legs against the mattress, holding them apart for his pleasure.

“Shhh, little one.” His kiss moved to the inside of her thigh, feeling her legs tremble.

“Joe . . . ,” she whispered, but the rest of her words caught in her throat as his mouth moved nearer and his tongue touched her, sending splintering jolts through her at its contact.
Oh
my
God—was
that
a
scream?
Did
I
scream?

Her hands clutched the bedspread as she lost herself in the new pleasure he was teaching her. All her reasons for him to stop evaporated when she heard his deep groan of satisfaction as his hands moved beneath her hips and he shifted between her legs, giving him further access to her. He made her feel as if their act of love was the most natural thing in the world. He was making her aware of more sensations than she had ever felt before, making them more vivid as sounds came from her that she tried to muffle, but the intensity of his mouth pressed so intimately against her moved her past the reason she had to be quiet. His desire was apparent as he savored her, his guttural moanings of such a deep gratification that the mere sound of him amplified her sense of excitement. Her body was moving on its own, turning and twisting as the sensations went down her legs, shooting through her toes. Her hands went to his head, taking in the sensuous feel of his soft hair, pulling him to her as she arched against him. Her fingers clutched him, needing to hold onto something, anything that would keep her from spinning away. The explosion that rocked through her made her oblivious to everything else until she lay motionless, feeling drained and limp as she opened her eyes to see him gently smiling down at her as his hand brushed her hair from her face. His smile didn’t hide the desire flooding through his eyes or the perspiration coating his skin, making it an open invitation she could not resist as she slowly touched his chest.

“I feel—so much for you, Maddie. And this is the only way you let me show you.” He moved away from her, getting off the bed but continuing to watch her as he removed the rest of his clothes. His movement back onto the bed, then his attempt to move on top of her made her turn away, positive that as spent as she felt there was no way she could respond again so soon. “Don’t turn from me! Not now!”

She looked up into the eyes so much like both of her sons, knowing she wouldn’t deny him anything. She was destined to love him, and the thought of hurting him at that moment made her arms go around him and pull him close, wanting to comfort him as her mouth moved to his face, gently kissing and nipping at the strong features she adored. She could feel how he was restraining himself until she showed him that her body felt the need to be filled with him. She moved her legs around him, giving him the indication he was searching for. When he moved to his knees, her hand moved down to him. Her unexpected touch stopped him as he gave a sharp intake of breath then moved his hands to her face and looked at her.

“Maddie, look at me,” he whispered to her, his entrance slow and gentle until her legs tightened their hold.

She looked back at him, taking in the features of his face, features that had attracted her at a very early age and captured her heart; features that continued to hold a firm grasp on her as their attraction intensified through the years. God, he was beautiful; a virile sexiness that could make her stomach flutter with only a teasing wink from him. Looking at her as he was now she knew she couldn’t have enough of him until their touching was complete, and she pulled him down until their chests were touching. His mouth moved back to hers, his breathing quickening with hers as their kiss heated their passion and desire, bringing their hips together, slowly at first then gradually building impact and tempo until there was no longer gentleness, only a driving force that controlled their search for mutual fulfilment. She hadn’t thought it was possible to feel a climactic end as powerful as his, but as she slowly opened her eyes and stroked the dark hair near her face she knew he could make her feel any way he chose. He was the one who always knew exactly how to touch and play her like his own personal instrument. He was the one who always knew.