The customer. Maddie smiled into her pillow. This was great, just like a real business. And she was getting paid to shop and decorate. What more could a girl want? Who needed sex and Sam?
The smile faded as Sam's handsome face and delicious body crept into her thoughts. So much for being too busy to think about him.
Women like you and guys like me.
Would she ever be the sort of woman he could date?
Not likely. She might be changing professions, but she was still Maddie underneath. Boring, nerdy Maddie. She rolled over and took the pillow with her, wrapping it around her head to shut out the images of Sam. It didn't work and her heart still ached like it had been ripped apart. Tears stung her eyes but instead of biting back the pain, she let it out in a low, primal wail that lasted well into the night.
***
The last time Sam was in Maddie's house on a Sunday he got lucky. He hoped he'd get the same result this Sunday. He looked up at the sky as he stood on her porch but there were no flying pigs so it didn't bode well.
He hesitated before leaning into the doorbell, giving it a good, solid press. He was going to get this over with, no matter how awkward. He wanted answers. The squeezing around his chest had finally become too much and he'd caught the next flight out of Sydney, and now it was ten o'clock Sunday morning and the screws were getting tighter.
At least he'd know. As soon as Maddie Clarke opened her damn door, he'd know if his attraction to her had been due to Pheramour. If she still made his heart thud so hard it felt like it would punch a hole in his rib cage, then it wouldn't be Pheramour. If his groin still went "hello" at the sight of her, it wouldn't be Pheramour. It would be all her. All Maddie.
And then he'd just have to convince her that she wanted him as much as he wanted her. Yeah, no sweat. A woman who wrote lists longer than his high school detention lines would want a man who couldn't plan beyond the next five minutes. Yep, sure.
Sam ground his thumb into the doorbell again and this time he got an answer. The door swung open and Maddie blinked out at him. She was dressed in pink pajama shorts and a top covered with cuddling teddy bears. It was the sexiest thing he'd ever seen.
"Sam?" She frowned then rubbed her eyes as if he were an apparition she wanted to get rid of. Not a good sign. "What do you want?" And there was another.
"Are you all right, Maddie? You don't look so good."
"I didn't sleep well last night." She crossed her arms and blocked the doorway.
He took a step closer until they were only a few inches apart and he could kiss her if he wanted to. She didn't waver. She didn't lower her arms and she didn't move aside to let him in. Stubborn woman.
Stubborn, sexy woman he wanted to gather in his arms, haul into the bedroom and make wild passionate love to until she shook with ecstasy.
He bet she'd never done that before. Never let herself scream at the top of her lungs, let her body take over or let the fire within burn itself into exhaustion. He wanted to be the one to take her there.
Oh yeah, he was still hooked all right. Pheramour had nothing to do with it. Unless...
"What are you doing here, Sam?"
"I wanted to test something. Perform my own experiment." He leaned forward and lightly kissed her lips. Then he withdrew. She tasted good but he couldn't indulge, not yet. He needed answers. "Are you still wearing Pheramour?"
"Wh, what?" Her arms dropped to her sides.
"Pheramour? You know, that love drug you used to trick me." He couldn't keep the bitterness out of his voice. It still stung that she could use him like that, make him fall in love with her and callously walk away. "Are you?"
She blanched and he regretted his harsh tone. "I'm really sorry about that, Sam. I wish I hadn't done it. But," she took a step inside, placed a hand on the door, "I think you should just go. This isn't helping."
She shut the door on his foot and he swore. The door swung open again and this time he forced his way through before she could see he wasn't hurt.
"Maddie, just tell me." He gulped in a breath. Did he really want to hear this?
She stared at him, her mouth slightly open, her hair tousled from sleep. She looked hot. And confused. Maybe she wasn't awake yet. Or maybe she was thinking of a way she could get out of this without hurting his feelings.
"Maddie, answer me." He wanted to shake her but he clenched his fists and swallowed.
She made a small strangled sound in the back of her throat and it took several moments of intense, agonizing silence for her to answer. "Sam, what are you saying?"
Oh damn. How could she do this? Was she soulless? Couldn't she see how much pain he was in? Surely she could feel the thumping of his heart across the air between them. Hell, it was loud enough, she should be able to hear it.