* * *
"Hey, do you want to join us for some champagne and Asti back at
my apartment?" Maddy asked, still attired in her ravishing red ensemble.
She'd been unsuccessfully trying to change for close to a half-hour, but
had been continually deterred by the sincere compliments of various
onlookers who'd made their way backstage after the show.
"Sure," Mark smiled, still in awe of what he'd just experienced.
"Great! I know it's getting late so I'll get back into my regular clothes
now and meet you over there in fifteen minutes. It is a "school night"
after all!" She laughed as she made her way back into the dressing room,
where Rebecca was busily getting herself together.
"Hey Maddy, great job again, girl! You were fantastic!"
"Thanks Becca! You were pretty spectacular yourself!"
"You know, I think your new man was equally impressed; I saw the
way he looked at you! Are you sure you want us all to come over? Maybe
the two of you should spend some quality time alone!"
Rebecca's green eyes sparkled with delight; she honestly believed
she'd be doing her friend a favor by opting out. Unaware of Madeline's
apprehensions regarding the opposite sex, she was perfectly content to
postpone the celebration for another time.
"No, Rebecca please come over!" Maddy pleaded. "We've all worked
too hard not to congratulate each other on a job well done. Besides, Mark
isn't totally out of the woods yet over SunFest, in spite of the fun date we
had!"
Technically, that wasn't true, but Maddy thought it sounded
plausible. Someone as ebullient and sexy as Rebecca would probably
never understand the real motivations for wanting to avoid being alone
with him.
"Well ok, but we're not staying for long!" She winked at Maddy as
she slung her duffle bag over her shoulder.
* * *
"See you guys at the studio!" Maddy called down the stairs as the last
of her guests-save for Mark-bid her farewell. When she closed the
door behind them, she felt his arms slip around her waist.
"Alone at last," he whispered sexily into her ear, before proceeding to
run his hands through her hair and plant sweet kisses down her neck.
"Mmm-hmm," she murmured, enjoying his affections yet
simultaneously alarmed by the fact that there were no sleeping family
members in the next room. While she trusted that Mark's character
precluded a criminal history, she was well aware of his normal, manly
needs. As with Kenny, Madeline abhorred the idea of being a tease,
though with her former boyfriend, serious intentions and a healthy respect
for her parents helped keep things in check. Now that she was on her
own, that sort of comfort level was nonexistent.
And as they fell on the couch together, she was temporarily swept
away by the taste of his mouth, the sultry feel of his stimulating caresses
and the warmth of his masculine body. In spite of her haunting fears, she
found herself unbuttoning his shirt and exploring his broad chest first
with her hands, and then with her lips. He closed his eyes and sank his
head back into a pillow while he savored her tantalizing ability to awaken
every nerve ending in his body. Lost in a haze of pleasure, he was quickly
losing control.
In one motion, he suddenly moved her beneath him and reached for
the zipper of her hot pink, knit top. It wasn't until he'd nearly succeeded
in removing it from her body that Maddy began to protest.
"Madeline, please let me touch you," he begged, his voice thick with
desire.
"Mark please, I'm so small anyway, I doubt you'd like them!" The
self-deprecating words were out of her mouth before she could recall
them.
"Shh, baby they looked damned good to me the other night," he
assured her. "Please let me show you just how desirable you are."
"I-I don't want you to get the wrong idea, about me inviting you here
tonight. I'm not ready to-"
"Maddy please, I know that. I came over here because I wanted to.
And we don't have to go all the way; I'd never force you to do that.
Please, just let me touch and kiss you."
With that, he succeeded in removing her top, which fell to the floor
gracefully as he discarded it. Her skin felt so smooth and warm as he
gently ran his hands over her stomach and then across the lace fabric of
her bra. Maddy was no match for his skillful caresses, morality concerns
notwithstanding. Combined with sheer exhaustion over recent
developments, she found herself fighting a losing battle; when she felt her
bra slip away from her shoulders she gave in to passion, relishing the feel
of his tongue as she ran her hands through his hair.