“We’ll take those ones, please.” He dropped a few extra coins into the woman’s hand as an apology for scaring away potential customers.
He didn’t miss Madelene’s flinch when he placed his hand at her back to lead her away from the flower shop. Bugger it. He hadn’t meant to scare her. Perhaps he’d grown jaded. His job required violence from him on a regular basis. Between that, and taking down this fake marriage scheme, he’d become quite nonchalant about causing men pain. The bad ones at least. It hadn’t even occurred to him that it might frighten her. But it very clearly had. Soon, he’d be finished with his list and could leave that life behind. Although, his new life, whatever that was, would likely include violence, as well. That's what he was good at, after all.
She tucked her arms in and walked quietly beside him, staring down at the flowers she carried as they returned to his townhouse.
He closed the door softly and sighed. She still hadn’t looked at him.
“I’ll never hurt you, Madelene. You don’t need to be afraid of me.”
She turned around and nodded but didn’t look up at him. Gently, he lifted her chin and looked into her eyes.
“I’ll never hurt you, Madelene.”
Her gaze was assessing as it moved over his face, but then she threw her arms around him, her paper-wrapped bundle of flowers pressed against his back. It surprised him and he froze, but after a moment, he pulled her tightly against him. He wished she would just tell him what she was thinking. He was bewildered, but glad to have her in his arms, all the same. Eventually, she let go of him and stepped back.
“Why don’t I see if I can find something to hold your flowers and you can take your books up to your room?”
A small smile found its way through her uncertainty as she looked at the parcel he held out for her. She nodded and handed over the flowers before accepting the books.
As she climbed the stairs, he felt as if they’d taken two steps back.
He tracked down his only vase and filled it with water. Even that vase he only owned because of his sister. While she’d lived with him, he’d brought her flowers regularly to try and brighten her mood. Sadly, they never helped. Not for long, at least. He removed the paper the orange flowers had been wrapped in, untied the string holding them together, and placed them in the water. Hopefully they would still bring Madelene some joy, even if he had frightened her.
As he placed them in the center of the small kitchen table, she appeared in the doorway.
“I have to leave soon. Will you be alright here alone?”
She nodded, fidgeting her fingers, but then she finally spoke. “May I kiss you before you leave?”
The question caught him so off guard he froze. Even his breathing stopped for a beat. It was his turn to nod. Perhaps they hadn’t taken two steps back after all.
She walked tentatively toward him. “I’ll need more than a nod, Simon.”
That surprised a laugh out of him. “I would like nothing more.”
She lifted herself on tiptoe, her lips soft and sweet as they pressed lightly against his. It took all of his resolve not to pull her in and plunder her mouth. As a precaution, he clasped his hands behind his back, allowing her time to explore at her own pace. The last thing he wanted to do was startle her. Her tongue traced along the seam of his lips, and when he opened for her, she slipped cautiously inside, teasing the tip of his tongue. Dear God. He groaned as lust stormed through him.
Slowly, she lowered herself back to the floor, his lips instantly agonizing over her retreat. “Thank you,” she said softly.
He laughed again. What was he supposed to say to that?
Chapter
Six
The house was quiet, and Madelene spent a few minutes just staring at the door like a simpleton after it closed behind Simon. Her lips tingled, and she could still feel the texture of his tongue as she’d slid her own across it. She’d dreamed of experiencing a kiss for as long as she could remember, but it was so much more than her mind could ever have imagined. She’d never enjoyed anything more than she did kissing him.
With a wistful sigh, she went to the kitchen to prepare some tea. As she waited for the water to boil, she could also feel the other man’s hand squeezing her bottom. Even now, ice filled her veins as she remembered it. Why had he done that?
Simon thought he’d frightened her with his response, but it was so much more than that. A whole cacophony of feelings had completely overwhelmed her. He’d seen her with another man’s hand on her backside but hadn’t asked a single question. Hadn’t accused her of somehow enticing the man. He’d simply protected her… and then bought her flowers, as if nothing had happened. His show of violence had been a bit startling, but the way he’d handled himself had been so unexpected. He hadn’t flown into a rage and started throwing his fists. With what looked like almost no effort he’d brought that man, who was significantly larger than him, to his knees and commanded his compliance. He hadn’t even raised his voice. It was his quietness in that moment that made her truly understand his power, and it had stunned her. He was dangerous. Or at least he could be.
It was that sudden appreciation of his strength that had also made her need to kiss him. Need to feel his gentleness toward her. And he’d been more tender than ever, even clasping his hands behind his back. She smiled at the memory. He’d allowed her to simply explore his mouth at her leisure, not pushing her or asking for more, but also not turning her away or telling her she wasn’t allowed to pursue what she desired.
She poured a cup of her finished tea and sat at the table, the flowers bringing another smile to her lips. She hadn’t often smiled before coming here.
Her thoughts continued to tumble. What was going to come of her? Why was Simon taking care of her? Why did she long for him in ways she didn’t even understand? It wasn’t only her, though. She wasn’t blind to Simon’s obvious desire for her. He looked at her in a way no one ever had. He saw her as a woman.
A knock startled her back to her present surroundings. Could that be Suzy already? She looked at the clock as she walked to the door. More than an hour had passed since Simon left. Lost in her thoughts, she hadn’t even felt it go.
