Chapter Eleven GRAHAM
Chapter Eleven
GRAHAM
I forgot all the reasons I shouldn’t be kissing Madison. Every single one of them. They were like slips of paper tossed into a bonfire, the flames flickering high in the air. Everything about her was another piece of kindling tossed on the fire.
She was wearing a robe, for God’s sake. How was I supposed to resist that? The moment she’d opened the door, I’d known she had just gotten out of the shower. Her cheeks had been flushed, her skin dewy, and her hair damp.
If it hadn’t been for that stupid coyote and her dog about to chase after it, I’d have been able to keep my senses and never crossed that threshold. Yet here we were.
Her lips were plump and soft, and oh-so-very kissable. The way she arched against me with her body coming flush with mine drove me wild. She made these little sounds in her throat, spurs in the flanks of my need, sharp and driving, heightening the pace of it until there was no slowing it down.
I dove into the warm sweetness of her mouth.
Holy hell could she kiss. She wasn’t shy, her tongue glided against mine in sensual strokes while her hand curled around the back of my neck.
I could feel her fingers sifting through the ends of my curls.
Everywhere we touched, which was a lot of places, it felt like lightning striking me.
I was tight with need, the sheer electricity of it sizzling to the point of burn.
All I wanted was more. My hand slid down her back, and I finally cupped her sweet bottom.
Her body was warm and inviting. That loose robe was nothing but a tease, showing off hints of what was hiding behind it.
She let out another sound into our kiss, and I broke free, nipping at her earlobe.
I loved the way she shivered against me before I let my tongue tease over the side of her neck. She tasted sweet and fresh.
I couldn’t help it. I was feeling greedy, and I squeezed her bottom, gratified when her hips rocked against my arousal.
Fuck. I was so hard for her I might as well have a tire iron in my pants.
I let my hand slide away from the unholy temptation of her bottom and slid it up over the dip of her waist. I couldn’t resist more.
Her robe was calling for it—the way it fell to a V just above her breasts.
Her collarbone was delicious, and the perfect place to tease kisses.
I trailed my fingertips along the edge of her robe, savoring when she let out a ragged gasp. “Graham, please.”
I was pretty sure she needed what I needed, and I let my hand slide under that soft fabric to discover the lush weight of her breast. Her nipple was taut, and I teased the peak even tighter, loving how she trembled in my arms. As established, I wasn’t thinking.
So, I pushed the fabric out of the way and leaned down to catch that sweet pink nipple in my mouth.
Her fingers speared my hair, and she gasped, crying out sharply when I drew a lazy circle with my tongue before giving her nipple a sharp suck.
I was riding the edge of insanity at this point. The only thing that stopped me was Wilbur. I heard the sound of claws skittering across the hardwood floor, followed by a sharp bark. We broke apart abruptly, staring at each other.
We were breathing raggedly. And, fuck me, she was a sight to behold.
Her hair had started to dry in waves around her shoulders.
With her robe open and one breast exposed, she looked wanton.
Her nipple was pink and damp from my attention, and her skin was flushed with passion all over.
It was all I could do not to reach out and push her robe off her shoulders so I could see everything.
But then, I knew I’d be taking her on the counter.
Kissing her was beyond dangerous. My need for her ran roughshod over any sensibility I had.
Wilbur barked again, and Madison finally tore her eyes from mine, quickly pulling her robe into place and tightening the belt. She started to move, but I caught her lightly by the elbow.
“It’s probably a bird or maybe that coyote,” I offered.
She stared at me with kiss-bitten lips. I wanted to kiss her again and lose myself in the fiery heat that burned between us. I opened my mouth to speak, but she shook her head quickly. “Please don’t apologize.”
I stared into her eyes, surprised to see a swirl of uncertainty there. I didn’t know what that was about, but I felt compelled to say, “I wasn’t going to apologize. I’m not sensible around you.”
Madison blinked, her cheeks flushing a deeper shade of pink. It was so endearing I wanted to kiss her all over again. In all honesty, my need to kiss her hadn’t diminished one tiny bit.
“It seems I’m not sensible around you either,” she whispered.
Wilbur barked again. This time, I followed Madison out front.
We peered through the windows flanking her front door to see a raven perched on the top step of the porch and eyeing Wilbur with a touch of arrogance.
At the sound of another bark, the raven gave him one last look before hopping down the stairs and flying into the trees.
I fumbled through a goodbye. I didn’t even know what I said, and then I found myself on the porch while she looked at me from the doorway. “Have a good day,” I finally said.
I didn’t even know what she said in return because the need rushing through me was roaring so loudly that I had to force my feet to keep moving, or I was going to kiss her all over again. I didn’t think I’d be able to stop this time.
As I drove away, I was beyond annoyed with myself.
I couldn’t be starting some kind of crazy fling with my sexy neighbor.
The list of reasons that was a bad idea was endlessly long.
Although she didn’t look like her, something about Madison reminded me of Allie’s mother.
I’d be willing to bet money she was homecoming queen in high school.
She had that vibe. If not that exactly, she’d definitely been the kind of girl my not-so-smart-head would’ve wanted when I was young. Hell, I wanted her now. Fiercely.
I shook those thoughts away, reminding myself I needed to think about my daughter. Actually, I knew what I needed to do—go to the grocery store. I was almost relieved to have a task, anything to distract me.