Boomer turned. “I could eat.”
Boomer walked back into the house. Through the windows he could see MaeBe already had her laptop out. Kyle stood behind her, his hands on her shoulders. Boomer immediately started picking up the menus Maddie had left out.
It was a cozy scene.
“I like your friends a lot.” Maddie joined him at the edge of the pool, her arms wrapped around her torso as if she didn’t trust herself not to put a hand on him.
Had he been reading her body language all wrong?
“They like you, too.” He turned her way. “I think they’re going to enjoy staying in this amazing house you have. Boomer will spend all his time sitting in the hot tub eating sandwiches if we let him.”
Her lips turned up in a grin and she relaxed. “I’m glad to hear it. I think he might spice the place up a little. Give the neighbors something to look at. This is a quiet neighborhood. It could use some scandal.”
Like the neighbors could see anything. The backyard had been meticulously designed for privacy, complete with lush, tall bushes and a ten-foot fence, but he could play her game. “I might try the hot tub myself.”
He watched as she seemed to make a decision.
Her chin came up, a challenge in her eyes. “Yeah, I think that might be a good idea. We could sit in the hot tub tonight, if you like. I’m now used to being mostly naked a lot of the time, so a swimsuit should be easy.”
“You won’t be wearing a suit, baby.”
She bit her bottom lip, her tongue darting over it. “Okay. I should get used to being around you like that. I thought today went pretty well. The practicing part, that is. I talked to MaeBe, and she and Kyle are trying to keep up the illusion even when they’re alone. She thinks it will help them look like a couple.”
Little liar. He knew damn well Kyle wasn’t on board with that plan, and MaeBe was going to get spanked at some point. Which would likely lead to exactly what that brat wanted—Kyle Hawthorne in her bed.
Maddie was going to get spanked, too, but he wasn’t in a hurry to call her on the manipulation quite yet. She was trying to tempt him. He could have told her all she had to do to tempt him was exist, but he might have more fun playing her game.
“I agree.” He turned to her, getting into her space. “You know what we haven’t done yet? I haven’t kissed you. Not properly.”
Her eyes went wide, and he could see he’d surprised her. Had she not thought he could play this game, too? “You think we’ll need to kiss in front of my boss?”
“I think we need to be prepared to.” He’d had his hand on her pussy, but he hadn’t put his lips on hers yet, and that seemed like such a mistake. He used to kiss her for hours. They would park by the lake and make out until they couldn’t stand it a second longer, until the windows of his old truck were glossy with steam.
She seemed to think about it for a moment and then she nodded. “Yeah, we should be ready for that. Wouldn’t want it to be awkward.”
That was exactly what he wanted to hear. He reached out and let his hand find her neck, running back and cupping her nape. He gently drew her up on her toes. “We need to look like we’ve done this a thousand times.”
“We have,” she whispered.
It was good that she remembered, too. He lowered his head, brushing his mouth over hers, and all the years between them melted away. Her hands came up to clutch his waist, and she pressed her body to his. Fire lit through him, and he knew he wasn’t going to be able to wait. They had to find a way to get into bed and soon.
She groaned when he dragged his tongue over her bottom lip.
“Let me in, baby. Let me taste you,” he whispered against her mouth as he tangled his fingers in her hair and tugged a little.
A gasp went through her, and her hands tightened, her mouth opening.
He let his tongue surge in, finding the velvet warmth of her mouth and stroking his tongue against hers. He moved his free hand over her back and down to the curve of her ass, cupping her there and locking her against his rapidly heating body.
She broke away suddenly, stepping back and reaching into the pocket of her jeans. “Sorry. I…my phone is vibrating. I’m pretty sure we’ve got the kissing thing down.”
His whole body revolted at the distance between them, and he was pretty sure his cock was going to wither and die if he didn’t have her soon.
She frowned down at her screen. “Damn it. I have to deal with this, Deke. Uhm. Can you call in dinner for us all?”
He could make a meal out of her. He nodded, well aware every muscle in his body was tense. “Yeah. I’ll try to find a delivery service that can handle Boomer.”
In a minute. He definitely needed a minute.
He watched her stride back into the house. She said something to MaeBe, who glanced down at her screen and nodded Maddie’s way.
Deke turned back to the pool and wondered how cold it was. He could just fall forward and cool his dumb ass off.
When was the last time he’d kissed a woman the way he had Maddie? It wasn’t like he hadn’t had sex while they’d been apart. He’d had his share. He’d had some long-term relationships, and not one of them had him panting the way he did after that woman.
He took a deep breath because it probably wasn’t a good idea to jump in her pool fully clothed the first night he was in her house. He’d meant to fluster her, and he was the one who was trying to make his brain work again. He sat down on one of the plush chairs that surrounded what he suspected would be a fabulous fire pit when it was lit up.
He could see himself here, cuddling up with her after a long day at work. She would come home and insist she should probably work a little more and he would tell her she’d done enough for the day, and they could sit out here and talk. He would hold her and she would relax, and at some point they would have kids who would run and jump into the pool and force their parents to have some fun.
He could see their lives.
What if he couldn’t get her to see it? What if all she would ever want from him was sex?
“Hey, Deke, I think you should get in here,” Kyle called from the doorway. “You won’t fucking believe what’s happening on the front porch.”
“Where’s Maddie?” He was on his feet in a heartbeat. What had happened? He’d thought she was going to make a phone call. Had someone shown up? Was Byrne already here?
“She’s on the porch, and her boyfriend is here,” Kyle said with a frown.
“What?” He could feel his blood pressure tick up.
MaeBe was watching the screen of her laptop. “She told me it’s the guy she’s been seeing. It’s why I didn’t send Boomer with her. He showed up and… I’ve only met the man once. It’s not my fault I didn’t recognize him.”
She turned the screen his way, and Deke saw Maddie talking to a man.
A familiar man.
He was so fucking dumb. “She told me she’d started dating someone very recently. Someone named Dan Gray.”
“You know he likes his color names,” Kyle said.
On screen, the man who’d called himself Dan Gray…and Mr. White and Mr. Black and any number of colorful surnames, reached for Maddie’s hand.
“Oh, that is not fucking happening.” Deke started for the door.