Cop's Passion Page 11

  “I never asked to be fixed up with blind dates!”

  “It’s the only way you’ve ever gotten a date, and the only way you’re likely to in the future,” he shot back.

  “Matthew! Madeline! Stop this at once.” Horrified, Mrs Lovett took a step nearer Maddy. “Honey, please. Just tell Belinda you’re sorry and then we can get past this entire horrid mess and-”

  “You want me to apologise?” Maddy couldn’t believe her ears. “What about my feelings, Mum? What about me?”

  “Honey, Belinda only tried to help.”

  “What’s wrong with me?” Maddy spread her arms wide. “Why does everyone want to change me?”

  “You want me to start listing things?” Matthew said nastily. “How about making a success of yourself to start with?”

  “I’m a nurse, I’m an asset to the community.”

  He sneered.

  “That’s nothing to be ashamed of, Matthew.” Mrs Lovett said sternly. “It’s good enough until Maddy finds herself a husband-”

  “Not if she keeps eating the way she does,” he interjected scathingly.

  “Mum.” Maddy looked at her mother. “This is me. I’m a nurse. I have my own home. That’s something to be proud of. What’s wrong with that?”

  “Nothing, honey,” Mrs Lovett replied soothingly. “But you can’t blame us for wanting more for you.”

  “Why can’t you accept me the way I am?”

  “Because you could be so much more,” Belinda jumped up. “Jeannie says you’re really pretty and if you’d only lose a bit of weight-”

  “Belinda!” Mrs Lovett said sharply.

  Maddy pulled the car keys from her pocket. “Well, this has been a pleasant visit, Mum. Thanks for the ambush. Thanks for your support. All of you.” Her gaze flickered briefly over her brother and sister-in-laws faces. “Always a pleasure.” Swinging on her heel, she walked out of the room.

  “Oh, honey, don’t be like that,” Mrs Lovett pleaded, hurrying after her.

  The sound of Matthew comforting Belinda sounded clearly to Maddy and she wondered bitterly if anyone would ever comfort her like that, but the answer was very clear - obviously not.

  Ignoring her mother, she left the house and got into her car. She glanced up as she started it to see Mrs Lovett standing unhappily on the doorstep of the house.

  “We only want what’s best for you,” Mrs Lovett called out.

  “Yeah,” Maddy said to herself, “As long as it’s what you all deem acceptable.” She left the house without looking back.

  Driving back home wasn’t an option right then, not when she still had her afternoon round to complete. The lunch-time visit to her mother’s had turned into a fiasco, which she should have suspected.

  The way her brother, mother and sister-in-law had treated her was so different to the way Mike was around her. At least he was kind, he wanted to discuss things, and….Maddy cringed inwardly. And she’d treated him exactly the same way her family treated her. She wouldn’t listen.

  Pulling over into the car park of a supermarket, she stared unseeingly out of the window. Okay, Mike hadn’t expected to sleep with her, hell, she hadn’t expected him to want to, but neither had he shoved her away in disgust after the…episode. No, the big bear had wanted to talk about it, and when he’d been honest, yes, she’d been a total bitch.

  She had more of her family inside her than she wanted, and she didn’t like it. No, she decided, it was time she apologised to Mike and got things out of the way, then they could go back to being just friends.

  If only she could forget the way he’d felt above her, all passionate and hot-eyed, so hard and thick inside her, so… “So not going to happen again,” she murmured.

  Refusing to even contemplate the small twinge of pain deep inside her at the thought, she put the car into gear and headed to the next patient.

  By the time she got home, she welcomed the warm shower. The late afternoon was chilly, and she actually pulled on a long-sleeved thin shirt, rather than the normal short-sleeved t-shirt she usually matched with the flowing skirt that swirled around her knees.

  Chaz ate a big bowlful of kangaroo meat, while Maddy took a bowl of fresh meat and some kitten biscuits to the kitten next door. She found it firmly ensconced in Mike’s battered wicker chair on the back veranda, and it meowed when it saw her.

  Placing the bowls on the veranda, Maddy saw an empty saucer beside the water dish. It wasn’t the bowl she normally brought the kitten’s food in and she realised that Mike must have fed it before he went to work. A warm feeling went through her.

  “You’re lucky you lobbed up in his yard,” she told the kitten, who peeked up at her before resuming eating. “Though I’m going to have to do something about you real soon. But right now, I have some baking to do before I start grovelling.”

  Back on her side of the duplex, she whipped up a large batch of chocolate chip muffins, remembering that Mike had once mentioned he liked them. She also cooked a batch of vanilla biscuits, and once everything had cooled down she packed them into containers and sat down to wait.

  It was well after dark when she heard the motorcycle pull in next door and she waited until she’d figured ample time had passed for Mike to have gone inside. Gathering up the containers and her courage, she said to Chaz, “Wish me luck,” and left the house.

  The chill was in the air and she shivered, glad she’d kept on the long-sleeved blouse. The breeze swirled the skirt around her knees as she climbed the steps onto Mike’s veranda. Taking a deep breath, she knocked on the door and then stood back clasping the containers in both hands. She actually felt her hands shake a little and her heart bumped unevenly behind her breast. What if he just shut the door in her face? Not that she’d blame him. She certainly would have if she’d been in his shoes.

  At first she thought no one was going to answer, but then she heard the deep rumble of his voice approaching, the light snapped on, and the door swung open to show Mike with a phone to his ear.

  He looked down at her, his face wearing that familiar scowl. Recognising her, he paused before saying into the phone, “Gotta go, Tim, I’ve got a visitor.”

  “Oh, no,” Maddy protested immediately. “I can come back-”

  “See you, Tim.” Mike clicked the phone off without removing his steady regard of her, his pale blue eyes revealing nothing of his thoughts. “Maddy.”

  The way he said her name, so full of meaning yet with hidden depths. He could make her shiver with heat or dread, she suddenly realised, depending on his tone when he said her name. He made her heart thump, and the memory of him above her…

  Uh-oh. Her nerves scattered and she shoved the containers towards him hurriedly, babbling as she did so, “I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to yell at you, well I did but I shouldn’t have and-”

  “Maddy.” The deep, calm tone cut through her babbling, and she looked up at him silently.

  In the light of both the veranda and the hallway behind him, he looked big and intimidating. Still dressed in his cop’s uniform, he was the epitome of a composed, authoritative man, and one criminals didn’t mess with if they knew what was good for them. He could scare the crap out of anyone when he was angry.

  And he’d taken the time to feed a little kitten before he’d left for work that morning.

  It was that knowledge that steadied her, and she took a deep breath and met his gaze, lifting her chin a little. “Mike.”

  He raised one brow inquiringly.

  The breeze blew around her legs, swirling her skirts and sending a shiver through her.

  “It’s getting cold.” He stood aside. “Come in.”

  “Oh no, I just came over to -”

  He simply reached out, placed a hand on her back and drew her past him into the shelter of the hallway. Shutting the door behind her, he said, “Go into the kitchen.”

  “I only came to-” But he was already behind her, his presence filling the very hallway, and Maddy found herself moving down the hall
even as she continued to protest. So with a sigh, she stopped talking and simply obeyed, walking into the kitchen and turning to face him once she reached the kitchen bench.

  Coming to a stop not far from her, his expression was unreadable as he studied her. That gaze was unnerving, especially when he didn’t say anything and she hadn’t a clue as to what he was thinking.

  There was only one thing to do. “Okay,” she said. “Here I am again, grovelling and presenting peace offerings.” She held out the containers.

  Mike’s gaze dropped to them.

  “Chocolate chip muffins,” she said. “And some biccies.”

  “Peace offerings.”

  “I yelled at you. I was…” She hesitated, then cleared her throat. “A little nasty. I’m sorry.” She jostled the containers. “Peace offering?”

  For several seconds she thought he was going to reject her, and she felt her cheeks flush in embarrassment and, yes, she had to admit it to herself, the idea of his rejection hurt.

  Mike stepped forward to pluck the containers from her hands and place them on the kitchen bench before he turned again to face her. Placing one big hand flat on the bench, he leaned on his arm, his muscles bunching as they took his weight. His other hand was braced on his hip.

  He was not happy. In fact, he looked so angry that Maddy felt her insides quake, something that didn’t often happen.

  “Maddy.” He almost growled her name and his eyes were hard. “What the hell is wrong with you?”

  Oh no, he was going to reject her peace offering. She swallowed.

  “I repeat, what the hell is wrong with you, Maddy?”

  “Nothing is wrong with me. I simply came over here to-”

  “You need a damn good spanking.”

  Dumb-founded, her mouth fell open.

  “Yeah.” Leaning down towards her, his expression was furious, which was downright bloody scary. “I ought to give you that spanking if you don’t even know what you did wrong.”

  She was still gaping at him. “But I didn’t do anything, Mike, I-”

  “You came over here-”

  “To apologise, damn it!” Temper as quick as ever, she jammed her hands on her hips. “I came to apologise and-”

  “Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t just turn you over my knee right here and now.”

  “What? Are you out of your freakin’ tiny mind?” She stepped right up to him, toe-to-toe, and glared up into his furious eyes. “Listen, boofhead, I came to bloody apologise, to give you a freakin’ peace offering which, I’m happy to tell you right now, you can ingest through another orifice in your body, and it isn’t your mouth in case that word escapes your impressive vocabulary! Maybe I’ll just stick it there myself. Like right now!”

  Eyes narrowed, Mike bent down until they were almost nose-to-nose. “It’s not the peace offering that infuriates me, it’s your foolhardy attitude.”

  “My attitude? My attitude?”

  “Let me rephrase that-”

  “Oh, please do!”

  “Your foolhardy actions.”

  “I totally agree, cooking you a peace offering was stupid!”

  He gritted his teeth. “Not the peace offering, woman, but coming here in the dark. Jesus, don’t you get it? You’re walking around on your own in the dark at ten o’clock at night.”

  Maddy flung her arms out. “So? It’s not like anyone is going to attack me!”

  “How can you be so intelligent about everything else, and yet so dumb in regards to yourself?” His eyes glinted as he loomed over her. “You could have been attacked, hit over the head, raped.”

  She laughed in his face. “Raped? Who is going to rape me? I’m not the kind of woman who gets raped.”

  He was stunned. “I beg your pardon?”

  “I’m a hefty sheila.” Every bit of pain and humiliation came to the fore, every bit of anger boiling to the surface, and it spewed forth without her even having to think about what she said. “I’m fat, Mike, and fatties don’t rate high on anyone’s list! My God, even you said you hadn’t expected to want me, so why the hell would another man want this body? Huh?”

  “I can’t believe I’m hearing this shit.”

  “Oh really? Really, Mike?” Maddy was well into her tirade. “Because let me tell you, I have it on good authority that I’m not going to get a man with the way I look! Geez, having you screw me was a miracle! Hallelujah! Who knew the time for miracles was still here? Someone call the freakin’ newspapers!”

  His jaw was clenched so tightly that the corners of his mouth were white. “Finished?”

  “Why? Don’t you like it? Don’t you like the truth? Do you want to hide behind your nice guy façade and pretend it doesn’t matter to you?” She poked him in the chest with one finger and hissed, “Thanks for the pity fu-”

  His mouth cut off the rest of her words as he crushed her lips beneath his. Muscular arms held her easily against his chest when she tried to pull away. The kiss was ruthless, fast, and left her breathless and her heart pounding when he lifted his head.

  His eyes glittered with fury and something else, something hot and carnal, something that made her eyes widen and her knees go weak. “Does that seem like something just any man would do to you, Maddy?”

  No way was she going to give in to him, not when she had her rioting emotions firing her anger. “If someone paid him enough, yes!”

  “You know how to press my buttons.” Every word was grated.

  “Want to see how much more I can press them?” she ranted.

  “Keep it up and you’re going to get burned. Really burned.” He didn’t release his grip on her, his arms like solid bands around her waist and back.

  “Oh, I am so scared. What are you going to do, Mike? Toss me out on my ear? Here’s a tip - go to the front door and let every perve in the neighbourhood know that you’re tossing me out into the dark on my own. I might get lucky!”

  “Jesus, you are begging for a spanking.”

  “Sure. Why not? Hit me. Who knows, it might be the only male hand laid on me for the rest of my life!”

  “Stop it.” He sucked in a deep breath, obviously trying to regain control.

  Now that all the humiliation and anger she’d pushed down were loose, there was no way Maddy could stop. She wanted to push him, something deep inside her wanted to know how far he’d go, what he’d do, and so she kept pushing.

  And there was something else, something dangerous in the air between them that called to her and spurred her onwards.

  “What’s the matter, Mike? Can’t handle it?” She leaned right into him, her breasts against his chest, her head titled right back so she could look directly up into his eyes. “Maybe you’re the one getting burned, ever think of that? Go on, Mike, toss me outside.” Yeah, there was that glitter in his eyes. “Call out to the perverts.” Hoo boy, the glitter was turning to a full-on shine of rage. “Find me a man who doesn’t care what I look like.” Slapping her hands against his chest, she pulled back out of his suddenly lax arms. “Yeah, find me a man, Mike. Find me any bloody man on the street who won’t care about screwing a fatty!”

  “Maddy.” Her name was a harsh growl in the air, but so full of heat it actually made her insides coil in delicious fear, a chill of anticipation.

  Would he do it? Would he really turn her over his knee? Toss her out? What did she want him to do?

  The danger between them was like a living, beating entity in the small kitchen.

  It called for one more push.

  Turning away, she spoke carelessly over her shoulder. “Don’t worry about it, Mike. I’ll go troll a street corner and see if I get lucky.”

  That was the last sentence she spoke. A hard arm snaked around her waist, pulling her back against a chest so unyielding with muscle that it wasn’t entirely comfortable. A big hand cupped her chin and tipped her head back against a broad shoulder, and she had a brief glimpse of Mike’s face, his cheeks flushed with anger, his eyes glittering with fury and yes,
oh God yes, passion so carnally wild it took her breath away.

  Just as he took her breath away. His mouth on hers, his tongue plundering deep, raking through her mouth and taking her essence without mercy. He dominated her and she welcomed it, wanted it. Needed it. Needed to feel like a man really did desire her.

  There was no hiding the evidence of his arousal, his shaft hard against her lower back as he held her mercilessly to him while he kissed her. Muscular thighs forced her forward, his body crowding her, and she was only dimly aware of moving before she was brought to a halt by the table nudging her legs.

  She half expected him to shove her against the table in his anger but he didn’t, instead, as soon as she touched the table he stopped. But he didn’t leave her mouth, his ruthless pursuit of her honeyed warmth continuing.

  Desire, hot and molten, flowed through her and she lifted her arm to curl it back around his neck, her hand sliding through the hair at his nape to cup and hold on.

  This was what she wanted, this unbridled lust, this knowing that a man like Mike actually wanted her. That Mike wanted her, that he lusted for her.

  Oh God, that Mike would really want her.

  His mouth left hers, his teeth nipping across her tender cheek and down, his tongue swiping a hot trail to the pulse beating so hard in her neck. He laved it, sucked hard, marking her.

  While he savoured her very skin, his other hand, so big, so easily able to hurt her if he’d been that kind of man, came around to cup her breast, his palm pressing against her so that her nipple pebbled through her thin top and against his hand.

  Fire went from her nipple to sizzle low down, hunger curling through her, heat and passion, desire as hot as -

  - as hot as the eyes that looked down at her.

  His hand still cupped her chin, holding her head back against his shoulder. Mike’s tone was harsh, his words a rasp in the air. “You’ll never troll for a man, Maddy, because I’m here. I’m the only man who’ll ever have you. Do you hear me?” When she could only look up at him in a daze of heated desire, he repeated harshly, “Do you understand?”

  “Yes.” Was that weak whisper really coming from her?