Stud Finders Incorporated Read online

  “Why are you so uncomfortable with your body?” He frowned. “You’re a beautiful woman, you shouldn’t feel embarrassed.”

  Madison wanted to dig a hole in the sand and crawl right in there. Some sophisticated woman of the world she was.

  “Talk to me, Madison.” He ran his hand from her shoulder, down her arm, until he could twine his fingers with hers.

  A streak of heat followed Jake’s fingers. She made a move to pull away before realizing she liked the feel of his hand on hers. “I wasn’t always like this.” She indicated her figure. “I was the original Chunky Charlie, the proverbial dumpy housewife.”

  “So you were a bit overweight.”

  “More than a bit.” Madison shuddered. “Fifty pounds worth and I had to work damn hard to get it off.”

  “Were you overweight when you got married?”

  Madison grimaced and shook her head. Jake didn’t need to be a rocket scientist to work out she wasn’t at ease. Anyone with the power of observation could spot it a mile off.

  “It must have been a direct result of your unhappiness in your marriage. Often the way. Tell me about your ex.”

  “I don’t really want to talk about him. Suffice it to say, he made me feel rotten about myself. I was hopeless in bed, looked like a frump and had no social skills to speak off, according to Clifton. And sometimes it’s hard to forget the habits of ten years of worthless marriage.”

  “Sounds like your husband—”

  “Ex.”

  Jake grinned and held up his hand. “Sorry. Sounds like your ex-husband is the one with problems in bed. If he never attempted anything more adventurous than the missionary position, he’s the one at fault. Not you. And you have to remember that.”

  “Easy for you to say. I might have changed the outer appearance, but that’s all. Inside, I’m the same frump, afraid to look at a mirror because I hate my body.”

  “Okay, so the first lesson is to make you feel good about yourself, comfortable with your body.” He lifted his hand to brush at the feathery strands of hair across her forehead.

  Jake ran his fingers over her cheek and down the line of her nose. A delicious shiver tracked down Madison’s spine.

  “You have a beautiful face, Madison. High cheekbones any model would give her right arm for. A pert little nose perfectly in proportion.” He tapped the tip of her nose before he traced the outline of her mouth. “Lips so sensual it fires my blood just looking at them. Made for kissing.”

  Madison ran her tongue over her dry lips. Then Jake leaned forward and angled a light kiss across her mouth. She dragged in a startled breath. The steady thump of her heart threatened to deafen her as his fingers moved on.

  “A pointed little chin that tells me there’s stubbornness hidden away inside you somewhere, despite the fact you think you’re a mouse.”

  He walked his fingers down her throat, following the edge of her swimsuit where it dipped in the front. Madison held her breath as he moved lower.

  “And breasts the right size to fit neatly in my hands. Look, see how perfect they are.”

  She gasped with raw excitement as she bent her head and watched Jake follow the edge of her suit. Heat gathered where his fingers slid across the exposed curves. Her breasts swelled, the nipples growing hard and pushing against the fabric. He cupped one breast and she gulped, almost forgetting to breathe.

  “Perfect. You have a beautiful body, just made for love.”

  Fire streaked through Madison’s veins, driving downward until it coalesced into a raging inferno between her thighs. She rubbed her legs together to try to find some relief from the tension gripping her body, surprised at the dampness of the crotch of her swimsuit. Ah, God, she needed a swim, needed to cool off.

  About to jump up and rush into the ocean, she hesitated. A wry grin caught her unawares. God in the guise of nature had answered her prayers. A big fat raindrop plopped on her head, followed by another right on the end of her nose. She’d been so involved with how Jake made her feel she hadn’t seen the clouds rolling in. Now, the sky was dark and heavy as the first of the rain struggled to make its presence felt.

  “Jake, it’s starting to rain.” Madison jack-knifed into an upright position, arms crossed to hide the telltale sight of her reaction to his caresses. “Your weatherman got it wrong.” She quickly shrugged into her shirt. As Jake grabbed the picnic hamper, she snatched up her shorts and the sand-covered rug.

  “Lord, the car. Look, can you—”

  “Go. I’ll follow you up.” She laughed as she watched him take off at a run, picnic basket swinging against his leg.

  Men and their cars. She shook her head. A bit of rain never hurt anyone, although she did take a moment to speculate on the interior of the convertible open to the weather. She hated to think how his expensive leather seats would fare if it really started to pour.

  She took her time as she followed Jake, her eyes trained on the shape of his ass as he took the stairs at a rush. Something fell from his rear pocket at he bounded up the last step. It bounced once before sliding between the wooden treads.

  Madison went down on hands and knees at the base of the dune and reached between the steps for the object. A little red book. Embossed in gold on the front was the title: The Pocket Guild to Dating Techniques. She frowned. Now why would a paid stud want a book on the how’s and why’s of dating?

  She shrugged. Maybe a man in his line of work needed to keep abreast of the latest techniques, although she couldn’t imagine the practice had changed much over the years. If his performance on the beach was any indication, he didn’t need the help of a little red book. He was doing fine on his own. Her nipples throbbed just at the thought of his feather-light touch on her breasts.

  The rain was heavier now. Madison bundled the book up in the rug and took the stairs two at a time. Jake had the top of the car up and the passenger door opened for her. She raced across the parking area and threw herself into the vehicle, just as the heavens opened up and dumped all over them.

  Water ran down Jake’s face as he joined her in the car. He reached over the seat and groped around until he found a towel. After he’d dealt with some of the moisture, he handed the towel to Madison. “Sorry about the picnic. I didn’t expect the weather forecast to be right, it almost never is.”

  Madison laughed, not at all put out by the change of plans. She needed this time to get her equilibrium back on an even keel. “Never mind, it’s only a summer downpour. Let’s go back to my place. By the time we get there, what’s the bet it will all be over? We can have our picnic out beside the pool. And if all else fails, we can spread the rug in the middle of the living room and still have a feast.”

  “Your wish is my command, my lady.”

  If only. Madison grinned and settled back in the seat, ready to see what the rest of the day would bring.

  “See, told you it would be over by the time we got back here,” Madison said as Jake pulled up in her driveway. A few lonely little raindrops still bounced on the soft top of the vehicle, but the sun had already made its appearance as the cloud cover rolled back.

  “Won’t cool things off though.” Jake opened the car door and retrieved the picnic hamper. “It’ll just increase the humidity, make it steamy.”

  While Madison made her way to the front door, Jake reached into the back of the vehicle and grabbed the rug. He gave it a shake to get rid of some of the sand, not wanting to track it all though Madison’s neat little house.

  The little red book dropped out and his heart plummeted. He patted at his rear end, right over the pocket. Then he swooped and grabbed the book up off the driveway. It must have fallen out and Madison had found it. Lord, what must she think of him? A stud who needs instruction. He’d never been one for blushing, but he could feel the heat sweep across his face right now. God help him, men weren’t supposed to blush.

  With a silent prayer that she hadn’t been curious enough to check out the title, he reached over and thrust it into the glo
ve compartment. What an idiot, he should have left it at home. He struggled for nonchalance as he followed her inside. “So where do you want to have our picnic?”

  Madison opened the doors out onto the pool area. “There’s a gazebo out back. How about there?” She glanced at Jake.

  His tee shirt was drenched. The dusky brown of his nipples and a trace of dark hair showed through the almost transparent white fabric. The damp material revealed every rigid muscle, perfectly delineated, to advantage. She had to battle with herself to drag her eyes away. “You go on out and I’ll get a bottle of wine and some glasses.”

  She beat a hasty retreat to the kitchen. For someone who’d never had much interest in sex before, she wasn’t doing too badly. Her body hummed with frustrated longing and one thought filled her mind—rip that wet tee shirt off Jake, throw him down, and as her mother would say, jump his bones.

  With a determined effort to calm her raging hormones, she grabbed a bottle of white wine and two long-stemmed flutes before she hunted in the drawer for the corkscrew. She dropped it on the floor twice before she had herself under control and could calmly walk outside with her contribution toward the feast.

  Jake had spread a cloth over the picnic table and emptied the hamper. An eclectic selection. Pâté and crackers. Cold chicken. Crusty French bread. Slices of fresh ham. A small crock of creamy butter. A plastic bowl filled with tossed green salad. And a dish of the fattest strawberries Madison had ever seen.

  “Looks good enough to eat.” And so does Jake. The unbidden thought reverberated through her mind. He’d taken off his tee shirt and kicked aside his sandals. All he had on was a pair of black board shorts that hugged his hips. She had to discipline herself not to stare at all that bronzed flesh.

  “A banquet fit for a princess,” Jake said with a smile as he passed her a paper plate and serving tongs.

  Madison felt the smile all the way down to the tip of her toes. She tried to ignore the way Jake’s gaze slid over her upper body as she served herself ham and salad. She needed to get some conversation going. Otherwise, she’d never be able to concentrate on her food. “How long have you been in this line of work?”

  Jake nearly choked on his mouthful of salad. He swallowed, coughed to clear his throat, and tried to come up with a satisfactory answer. “A while now.” Yeah, right, a couple of days. He reached for a chunk of French bread and busied himself slathering butter on it.

  “What made you go into it?”

  Damn, he hated lying to her. He tried for a version of the truth. “I was in a long-term relationship. When it broke up, the lady in question made me doubt I was capable of pleasing any woman. I had to prove to myself I could.”

  Madison propped her elbow on the table and cupped her chin in her open palm. “I suppose you’ve had lots of women?”

  “A few.” He took a gulp of the cold white wine. Then another. Fucking shit, what a conversation.

  “And had sex in lots of different places, and used all the different positions?”

  Jake gulped another mouthful of wine before he answered. “It doesn’t matter where you have it or how you do it, as long as both partners enjoy the experience.”

  She popped one of the succulent strawberries into her mouth. Jake watched her swallow before she selected another one. She sucked at the berry before running the fruit along her bottom lip. He groaned. Such a small gesture, but so erotic. His body reacted, his cock growing more and more rigid by the minute.

  “There is one thing, Jake.”

  “What’s that?” He leaned forward over the table.

  “If we’re going to do this…” She paused a moment before going on. “Well, one hears so many statistics. These days it can be life threatening. But I guess a man in your position has to take that into account. So—”

  “Madison, what—”

  “So, do you?” she cut across him.

  “Do I what?” Jake’s brain was on a quick path to synaptic overload as he tried to keep up with Madison’s convoluted reasoning.

  “Have any little Germy Jims I need know about?”

  “Germy Jims?” What on earth was she on about?

  “Sorry, another of my mother’s crazy sayings.” She grinned. “You know, Germy Jims…as in germs that—”

  “I get the picture.” Jake nearly choked. Okay, so a person had to be careful, but he’d never been hit with this one, not so early in the piece and not in quite those terms. He shook his head. Talk about deflating a guy. In more ways than one.

  “So, do you?”

  CHAPTER 6

  “I could ask you the same thing,” Jake managed.

  Madison averted her gaze and sipped at her wine before she answered. “Clifton and I had only been married a couple of years before he started playing around. He was in and out of bedrooms faster than he could drop his trousers. The first thing I did when we split up was to get myself tested. So I know I’m fine.”

  Jake decided to be just as honest, at least in this. He owed her that much. “The only unprotected sex I’ve ever had was with my long-term partner, and we were both tested before we took that step. I had myself retested after we split up. So you’re quite safe.” He pushed his plate aside and took a gulp of wine. The manual said talk was good, but he wasn’t certain this was what the author meant.

  “I’ve never had sex with a condom. One of my girlfriends said it’s like taking a shower with a raincoat on. What do you think?”

  “You won’t be having sex with a condom. You’ll be having sex with me.” Jake worked hard to keep his face straight. This was becoming more bizarre by the minute.

  “Oh, you know what I mean.” Madison chuckled at his twisting of her words. “So are you going to tell me?”

  Jake grinned. She was like a dog with a bone. He’d been right about the stubborn chin. “Okay, so the ultimate is flesh to flesh.” Oh, yeah. “But the use of protection doesn’t mean the experience has to be less than enjoyable. If a man and woman are suitably…” He fished around in his mind for the right word. “…aroused, it needn’t be an issue.”

  He gazed into Madison’s eyes. Good eye contact. Another one of the rules from the good old dating manual. “Tell me, did your hus…ah, Clifton, spend much time on foreplay?”

  Madison busied herself packing away the remains of the picnic. “Clifton was more into self-gratification than making certain I enjoyed it. Or maybe I wasn’t responsive enough.”

  “He didn’t kiss you, caress you?” Jake dropped his voice a notch. “Make you feel hot?”

  She shook her head, refusing to look at him.

  “Know what I’d do if I were making love to you?” Jake whispered. “I’d kiss you until those luscious lips of yours begged for more. After that, I’d move on, work my way down your throat until I came to your breasts. I’d have to stay there for a while, breasts so beautiful deserve homage.”

  Jake dragged in a shaky breath. Holy shit, he wasn’t certain what all this sex talk was doing to Madison, but it had sure turned him on. His cock was so hard, he felt like it was going to punch right through the front of his shorts. He squirmed around to try to get comfortable, casting a glance at Madison to see her doing the same. She crossed her arms over her chest, pushing her breasts higher. The clingy fabric of her swimsuit clearly showed the outline of her jutting nipples. Sweat broke out on his brow and he had to clear his throat before he could go on.

  “I’d caress and lick them all over until your nipples were hard and throbbing.” Jake wasn’t right up there with all the current information on body language, but he knew enough. Madison was showing a definite reaction. “Only then would I take you into the warmth of my mouth, tease you with my tongue, draw your nipple deep.”

  Oh yeah, talk was good. He dragged in a shaky breath, noticed Madison do the same as she wiggled in her seat. He mirrored her movement, tried to ignore the tightening of his lower body. Synchronized breathing, blinking and shifting restlessly in the seat means your partner is turned on. Another pear
l of wisdom from his little red book. Looks like it didn’t only work for the female of the species.

  “All the while my hands would glide over your hips, along those incredible legs, as they searched for your heat. And you would be hot, so hot and wet, so ready for me, you’d—”

  “I need a swim,” Madison gasped. She jumped up from the table and took a running dive right into the deep end of the pool. The water was cold on her heated skin. Maybe it would damp down some of the good old-fashioned lust raging through her body. She stayed underwater as long as possible, before surfacing at the shallow end. Breathing hard, she rested her arms on the side of the pool and laid her head down.

  It took a major effort to calm the mad beating of her heart. Her nipples still throbbed. Her clit ached, her internal muscles clenching and unclenching. She squeezed her thighs together in reaction.

  Holy guacamole, Jake was good. She hadn’t felt this turned on since… She’d never felt this hot. It took all her powers of concentration to regain some of her shaken control. Just when she thought she’d done it, she felt a brush on her thigh.

  Before she had a chance to react, Jake surfaced behind her. Bronzed arms reached around and grasped the edge of the pool, creating a cage from which Madison had no intention of escaping. He nuzzled her neck, just below the sensitive spot behind her ear and she shivered in reaction.

  “You still hot, sweet Madison?” he whispered. “I think there’s another storm on the way.”

  Madison gasped. There was a storm all right, but she didn’t need to look up into the sky to find it. It was right here inside her. She angled her head back until she rested on Jake’s shoulder. His lips swept down her neck. His tongue swirled about her collarbone, igniting a fresh fire. One that burned away the cool caress of the water.

  Jake slid one hand across her stomach and pulled her back toward him until she could feel his body pressed against her. She didn’t need to ask if he was as hot as she was. His body spoke volumes, his rigid cock nudging her bottom. Holy guacam…. She couldn’t finish the thought. She was too busy concentrating on the soft brush of Jake’s palm across her breasts.