02 Madoc Read online

  Going back out into the living room, Shayna started to make her way to the kitchen, but then stopped at the sound of a knock on the door. Remembering Madoc’s warning not to open the door to anyone, she ignored whoever it was and continued on her way to the kitchen, only to stop when the knock came again.

  “It’s Mrs. McMurray from across the hall, dear,” a woman’s voice called. “Are you in there?”

  Her brow furrowing, Shayna walked over to the door and looked out the peephole to see an elderly woman standing there. As if somehow sensing that Shayna had looked out to verify the identity of her visitor, the woman smiled and lifted the plate of cookies she was holding in offering. Shayna knew she should probably ignore the older woman, but she couldn’t. When Madoc had warned her not to open the door to anyone, he obviously hadn’t meant his sweet, elderly neighbor. Besides, with her gray hair back in a bun and that warm smile, she reminded Shayna of her grandmother.

  Running her hands over her long, dark hair, Shayna fixed a smile on her face and pulled open the door. “Can I help you?” she asked.

  The elderly woman’s smile broadened. “I’m Mrs. Murray from across the hall,” she explained again. “I heard you and Madoc coming in earlier, and I thought I’d bring over some chocolate chip cookies. They’re homemade,” she added, holding out the plate.

  Automatically taken in by the other woman’s sweet manner, Shayna couldn’t help but reach out to take the plate of cookies from her. It would have been rude not to, Shayna told herself. Besides, they smelled so delicious. It was all she could do not to grab one off the plate and bite into it right then. “Thank you,” she said. “That was very sweet of you, Mrs. Murray.”

  Mrs. Murray waved her hand. “’Twas no trouble at all, my dear,” she said, and then glanced over Shayna’s shoulder. “I couldn’t help but notice Madoc leave earlier, so I thought you might like to sit down and have a little girl talk.”

  Shayna didn’t know what to say at first. Madoc had told her not to let anyone into the apartment, but the sweet woman had gone to all the trouble of making cookies for her. Shayna didn’t know how well Madoc knew the older woman, so she wasn’t even sure if he would want her in his apartment. But what was Shayna going to do, slam the door in Mrs. Murray’s face?

  “Actually, Madoc just went into work for a little while,” Shayna said. “He’ll probably be back any minute.”

  Mrs. Murray made a tsking noise. “I’ve lived next door to that boy for years, now, and one thing I know. When he goes into work, he’s never right back,” she said. “So, since he’s probably going to be awhile, what do you say we girls get some coffee to go with these cookies, dear? You can tell me all about the wedding.”

  If the woman knew about the wedding, then she must know the Marshal fairly well, Shayna thought. She supposed it wouldn’t hurt to let the woman in for a little while. Besides, it had been a long time since Shayna had been able to sit down and just chat with someone about everyday things. Smiling again, she took a step back to let the other woman into the apartment. With her sweet, take-charge demeanor, Mrs. Murray was beginning to remind Shayna more and more of her grandmother.

  “Why don’t you sit down and I’ll make some coffee,” Shayna suggested as she set the plate of cookies down on the coffee table.

  “I don’t think you told me your name, dear,” the older woman said as she took a seat on the couch.

  “It’s Shayna,” she said, giving the woman her real name without thinking.

  Shayna cringed inwardly. Oh God, what if Mrs. Murray remembered hearing her name on the news? It wasn’t a common name, after all.

  But Mrs. Murray merely smiled. “What a lovely name,” she said. “Is it Irish?”

  Shayna breathed a sigh of relief. “You know, I’m not really sure,” she said, and then quickly added, “Why don’t I go make that coffee?”

  Still chiding herself for tripping up like that, Shayna hurried into the kitchen before the other woman could stop her. However, since Madoc’s apartment had an open floor-plan, Mrs. Murray was able to continue their conversation while Shayna made coffee. To her relief, the older woman had let the subject of Shayna’s name drop and had moved onto Madoc’s brother’s wedding, wanting to know how it was. Though that wasn’t necessarily any better, Shayna thought as she got the coffee going. While Madoc had opened up quite a bit to her at the cabin the day before – something which still surprised her – he hadn’t really said all that much about his brother’s wedding. She needn’t have worried, though, because the sweet, elderly Mrs. Murray didn’t let her get a word in edgewise. All Shayna had to do was smile and nod her head in agreement at the appropriate times.

  Walking back into the living room, Shayna set the mugs she’d been carrying down on the table and joined Mrs. Murray on the couch.

  “Thank you, dear,” the older woman said. Picking up her mug, she sipped her coffee. “You’re so much nicer than the other girls that Madoc has brought home. And much prettier, too, I don’t mind telling you.”

  While Shayna blushed at the compliment, she also felt a ridiculous little stab of jealousy at the other woman’s words. Just because she had let Mrs. Murray think she was Madoc’s girlfriend didn’t mean she had any right to be jealous of how many other girls the Marshal had brought back to his apartment. He was an attractive man, after all. Certainly, he had lots of girlfriends. Besides, she had no claim to him. Still, that didn’t mean she couldn’t ask Mrs. Murray about them.

  Shayna reached for a cookie. “Really?” she said, trying to make her voice sound casual.

  Mrs. Murray waved her hand dismissively. “Not that I would ever say that to Madoc, of course, but none of those other women were right for him.”

  As she ate her cookie, Shayna felt an inexplicable surge of joy at hearing that none of Madoc’s previous girlfriends had been right for him. Which was just silly, of course, she told herself.

  “So, how long have you and Madoc been seeing each other, dear?” the older woman asked.

  Shayna sipped her coffee again. “Not long,” she said. Wow, was that an understatement! she thought.

  Mrs. Murray smiled. “Well, you’re just what he needs in his life, dear,” she said. “Someone to make an honest man of him.”

  Shayna almost laughed at that. She wasn’t exactly making an honest man out of Madoc. If anything, she was turning him into a criminal. She probably didn’t want to mention that to the older woman, though. Before she could say anything, however, the apartment door opened. At the sound, both Shayna and the other woman looked toward the entryway to see Madoc standing there, a grocery bag in the crook of one arm. For a moment, he just stood where he was, staring at the two of them, but then his eyes narrowed.

  Having come to recognize that look on the Marshal’s face, Shayna shifted uncomfortably in her seat. Mrs.

  Murray, however, gave him a warm smile as she got to her feet. Shayna set her mug down on the table and stood as well.

  “Madoc, dear boy,” his elderly neighbor said. “I was just having the most pleasant conversation with your lovely girlfriend.”

  Shayna saw Madoc’s mouth tighten at the words. “Really?” he drawled, his gaze going from the older woman to her.

  “Oh, yes!” Mrs. Murray told him. “Shayna was telling me all about how beautiful your brother’s wedding was, weren’t you, dear?”

  Mrs. Murray turned to give Shayna a smile, which she somehow managed to return, despite the fact that Madoc was still glowering at her.

  “Well, I’m going to go back to my own apartment and leave you two lovebirds alone,” the older woman announced. Reaching out, she took Shayna’s hand in both of hers. “Shayna, dear, it was so lovely meeting you.

  Do come by sometime, won’t you? I’m sure you’ll be spending lots of time over here.”

  Ignoring the glare Madoc was sending her way, Shayna nodded and told the woman that she would indeed stop by to see her.

  Still smiling, Mrs. Murray carefully made her way around the cof
fee table and walked over to where Madoc stood. Giving Shayna another smile over her shoulder, the tiny woman turned back to the Marshal and put a hand on his arm.

  “Don’t let her get away, dear boy,” she said, her voice a loud whisper. “This one is a keeper, I tell you.”

  Madoc glanced at Shayna, his expression unreadable. “I’d have to agree with that,” he said. “Someone definitely needs to lock her up.”

  As Madoc showed the older woman out, Shayna took the opportunity to make her escape. Picking up the mugs in one hand and the plate of cookies in the other, she carried them into the kitchen. Maybe if she acted like nothing had happened, then Madoc would do the same. Yeah, right, she thought.

  “What the hell didn’t you understand about don’t let anyone into the apartment?” the Marshal demanded as he followed her into the kitchen.

  Shayna let out a sigh as she turned away from the sink. Madoc had set the grocery bag down on the table and was now standing there with his arms folded across his broad chest while he glowered at her.

  Telling herself that engaging the Marshal in a shouting match would probably only get her into more trouble, she gave him a shrug. “Mrs. Murray knocked on the door and said she was your neighbor,” Shayna said as she walked past him into the living room. “She saw us come in together, so I couldn’t very well ignore her. It would have been rude.”

  Shayna heard Madoc swear under his breath as he followed her into the living room. “What if she had recognized you?” he said.

  She waved her hand dismissively. “I seriously doubt that sweet, old woman spends her days staring at wanted posters,” she said sarcastically, and then added, “In fact, I’m pretty sure no one does that, but you.”

  The muscle in the side of Madoc’s jaw flexed. “This isn’t a game, dammit! I’m putting my life on the line for you, Shayna,” he ground out. “If you don’t start using your head, you’re going to get us both thrown in jail.”

  Shayna didn’t need to be reminded how important it was for her to keep a low profile; she’d been doing it for months without Madoc’s help. “Lighten up, already, will you?” she snapped. “Mrs. Murray didn’t recognize me, so there’s no harm done. Sheesh!”

  Madoc’s golden-brown eyes narrowed warningly. “Maybe another trip over my knee would make you start to take this more seriously,” he said softly.

  She automatically took a step back, her eyes going wide at the mention of another spanking. “There’s no way I’m letting you spank me again!”

  His mouth quirked. “I wasn’t giving you a choice.”

  Madoc was starting toward her even as he spoke, and Shayna quickly darted to the side, putting the low-slung coffee table between her and the Marshal. They stood like that for a moment, each eyeing the other warily.

  Knowing the only way she was probably going to avoid the spanking would be if she locked herself in the bedroom for the rest of the night, Shayna made a run for it.

  But Madoc was faster. Cutting Shayna off, he grabbed her arm and, in one swift motion, sat down on the couch and threw her over his knee. Outraged, Shayna immediately tried to push herself off his lap, but Madoc merely shoved her back down with a hand. A moment later, he wrapped an arm around her waist and began to pepper her upturned bottom with hard, stinging smacks.

  “Owwww!” she cried. “Let me up, damn you!”

  But like he’d done the other two times he had spanked her, Madoc ignored her protests and continued to bring his hand down over and over on her bottom.

  “Not until you learn to start listening to me,” he growled.

  Shayna struggled against his hold, squirming this way and that, but much to her horror, all her wiggling and kicking did was cause the shirt she was wearing to ride up and expose her skimpy, bikini panties.

  Red-faced, Shayna immediately stopped squirming, hoping that if she lay there submissively, Madoc would think she had been spanked enough, and stop. But to her dismay, he continued to spank her, delivering a sharp smack to first one half-naked asscheek, and then the other. If anything, he seemed to be spanking her harder now. Or maybe it only felt that way because her cheeks were exposed.

  Shayna was too mortified to care about how much the spanks were stinging now, though. It didn’t matter that Madoc had seen her naked the night before. This was completely different. Being draped over his lap with her panty-covered ass exposed for his viewing pleasure while he spanked her was too embarrassing for words.

  Her face colored even more as she thought of Madoc looking at her rapidly reddening bottom. Though she hadn’t gotten a look at her derriere after the other times he’d spanked her, she was sure that after this spanking, it was going to be positively glowing! The idea of the handsome Marshal’s gaze fixed on her ass had her squirming all over again, but for a completely different reason. This time, it wasn’t to protest the spanking he was giving her, but because the thought of him gazing at her bottom was making her pussy start to tingle.

  Shayna’s eyes flew wide. Oh, God! She could not be getting turned on! Not while he was spanking her! But there was no mistaking her arousal. And the more she focused on the tingling between her legs, the more excited she became. To her shock, she realized that her pussy was actually getting wet! This could not be happening!

  A thought even more horrifying came to her then. What if she got so wet that it soaked through her panties? Then Madoc would be able to tell that she was excited. She couldn’t let that happen!

  Blushing hotly, Shayna renewed her struggles to free herself. “Madoc, please...” she begged. “That really...owwww!...stings!”

  Shayna wasn’t sure whether her words would have any effect on the Marshal this time, especially since they hadn’t the other times she’d tried it, but much to her relief, after giving her one more hard smack to each cheek, Madoc stood her back on her feet.

  Automatically, Shayna reached back to cup her freshly-spanked asscheeks with both hands, only to gasp at how hot they felt. If anything, her bottom seemed to be throbbing even more now that the spanking was over. She had to bite her lip to keep from crying out when she squeezed her cheeks with her hands. He had really done a number on her this time.

  She gave Madoc a sullen look. “That spanking really stung, you know.”

  He shrugged. “Well, I only did it in the hopes that you might actually be a little bit more careful. It was for your own good, you know,” he said, and then added more softly, “Come here.”

  Taking her hand, he pulled her closer so that she was standing between his legs. Reaching around, he cupped her tender asscheeks in both of his strong hands and began to gently massage them. Shayna instinctively opened her mouth to protest, but found herself sighing with pleasure instead. Wow, she hadn’t expected that! Just a moment ago, she was kicking and squealing at the feel of his hand on her bottom, and now she couldn’t get enough of his touch. She didn’t know how that could be possible after the spanking he’d just given her, but right then, she wasn’t interested in giving it much thought. Instead, she closed her eyes and let herself enjoy the sensation.

  Madoc must have noticed her reaction to what he was doing because he chuckled. “Did I tell you that I couldn’t help but notice how great you look in that shirt,” he said. “In fact, I wouldn’t mind seeing you in it all the time.”

  Shayna felt her heart leap with joy at his off-handed comment. Careful, she warned herself. Don’t read more into it than you should.

  Taking her hand again, Madoc suddenly pulled her down to sit on his lap. The rough material of his jeans against her tender bottom made her gasp, but the sound was swiftly muffled as he captured her mouth in a long, drugging kiss. And while the feel of his lips on hers didn’t make her completely forget about how sore her poor bottom still was, it did make her think a whole heck of a lot less about it. God, the man was a good kisser!

  He deepened the kiss, his tongue making slow, swirling motions inside her mouth, and she melted against him with a small sigh of pleasure, her arms automatically
going around his neck. His kiss alone was enough to almost make her go dizzy, but then he started to lightly trail the fingers of one hand up her bare leg, and she knew right then that it was only going to get better.

  Madoc broke the kiss to give her a long, soulful look as his hand slowly continued up her leg and toward her inner thigh. Shayna felt her pulse quicken as his hand slipped beneath the tail of the dress shirt and found its way to the edge of her bikini panties. She waited breathlessly for him to slide his fingers underneath her panties and touch her, but instead, he dipped his hand between her legs and caressed her tingling pussy through her panties. Even with the material in the way, his touch was enough to make her moan and she clutched his shoulders for support.

  The way he slid his fingers up and down her wet groove made her think he truly intended to tease her to orgasm before he ever got her panties off.

  Just when it seemed like she might actually come, he paused long enough to slide his fingers into the waistband of her panties and yank them effortlessly down her legs. She wondered how he could possibly have gotten them off so easily given their positions, but then she forgot about the logistics of the maneuver as his fingers delved into the wetness waiting between her legs. It seemed to Shayna that Madoc knew her body better than she did, and she began to moan softly as he found her clit, and caressed it gently.

  Sliding his other hand loosely into her hair, Madoc gently tilted her head to the side as he nibbled his way along her jaw line and over to her ear. Shayna shivered, gooseflesh pebbling her skin as he trailed hot kisses down her neck. That part of her body had always been an erogenous zone for her, and the Marshal seemed to know exactly how she liked to be touched there.