"It’s me," came Linda’s too-perky voice.
"What’s wrong? Everyone okay?"
"Yeah, sure. Why wouldn’t they be?"
"Because you’re ringing me at," Maddie checked her watch, "quarter past eleven. Shouldn’t you be in bed?"
"Shouldn’t you?" Linda said, teasing. "Well? How’d it go? Did you kiss him? Did you do the deed?"
Almost. Maddie risked a glance back at Sam, still sitting on the couch. He’d done up his fly and was watching her with equal parts curiosity and annoyance. Damn but he was sexy with his lips swollen from kisses and a lazy, take-me smile softening his features.
It hit her like a slap to her forehead. He’d wanted her. He’d wanted to do it right there on her couch. With her!
Or was it Pheramour making him want her?
Crap! Way to go, Mad, you sure know how to let reality destroy fantasy.
"Well?" Linda prompted.
Pete’s voice in the background said, "Hang up the phone and come back to bed."
"Do as your husband says for once," Maddie told her sister. "I’ve gotta go." Go and make excuses to the hottest guy in Melbourne.
He was going to think her insane. She probably was, but she couldn’t do it. Now that she was thinking properly again, she couldn’t let the evening progress any further. Not as a scientist, not as a woman, and not as a friend. She couldn’t take advantage of Sam while he was under the influence of Pheramour.
Damn, damn and crapola!
She heard Linda demand to know what had happened but Maddie said a quick goodbye and hung up. She turned back to Sam and made a big production out of yawning and stretching.
"Boy, I’m tired. Really, really tired."
Several beats passed in which he watched her from beneath lowered lids. No way did he believe her but he finally lifted one shoulder in a shrug and stood. "Guess we’ll see each other around sometime."
"Yeah, sure. Thanks for the date."
"Thanks for the ice cream." He leaned down and she thought he was going to kiss her on the cheek but instead he whispered, "and everything." His nose and lips brushed the spot beneath her earlobe as if he wanted to taste her there, smell her.
Her eyelids fluttered closed and it was all she could do to stop herself from kissing him again. The man had so much magnetism he was dangerous around metal, and women.
"Bye," he said, withdrawing way too quickly.
Her eyes flew open and she tried to pretend she was completely at ease and in control when in reality her head was spinning and her heart racing. She couldn’t let him walk out, not like this.
Yet she had to.
He opened the door himself because she was rooted to the spot. Then he was gone. She still couldn’t move. Didn’t want to. Didn’t want to break the spell of Sam Hennessy still lingering in her house. When she finally did, it was to take the empty bowls back to the sink but not before she picked up his spoon and licked it all over.
CHAPTER 7
Sam was on his morning jog around the lake when he decided Maddie needed to loosen up. Something had wound her up so tight last night that she'd pulled away from the kiss. Granted, the phone had rung at completely the wrong time, but she hadn’t been willing to rejoin him on the couch and restart what the call had interrupted. She’d shut him out and turned him down cold when he was still hot all over.
He was going to kill Linda when he saw her next.
That was an easy decision. The big question was, what to do about Maddie. Should he confront her? No, he wasn’t a confrontational kind of guy. He could let it go, let her go, and get on with his life. Nope, he didn’t like that idea either. The only alternative was to pretend it didn’t happen and get right back in there. He’d distracted her once with a kiss, he could do it again.
Good plan, Hennessy. Keep her occupied so she couldn’t think about whatever issue was stopping her from losing control with him.
He got the feeling that when Maddie Clarke lost control, she really lost control. He wanted to be in her life when she did it. Maybe it was her sense of humor, or perhaps it was the way they'd clicked last night, but he knew she was capable of letting her hair down and experiencing life the way she'd never experienced it before.
"Hey, Sam-my-man!" The shout came from Pete standing on the grassy open area nearby, a small football in his hand. Emily and David stood a few yards away, waving.
"Come play with us," shouted David, running towards Sam. Emily followed. Until she flopped face first into the grass.
Sam trotted over and picked her up as Pete approached.
"Thanks," he said, puffing. "Did you hurt yourself, Sweetheart?"