A frown furrowed her brow. “I have no idea what that is.”
“It tells you exactly where you are in the world. Latitude and longitude. Right down to a few feet either way.”
“Does it tell you where you’re going to be tomorrow or the next day?” she asked.
Kieran chuckled. “No. It doesn’t predict the future.”
“Then what good is it? I know where I am now. I’m in Topeka, Kansas.”
“It’s a good thing to have in case you get lost and you need to find your way back home.”
Maddie slipped her arms around his. “Maybe we do need it.”
“Or maybe it’s good to get lost once in a while,” Kieran countered. “What kind of adventure is this if you always know where you’re going?”
Kieran handed the GPS back to the salesman. “Thanks, but I’m going to pass on it,” he said with an apologetic shrug. “Are you going to buy anything?” he asked Maddie.
“I’m going to take the Martin guitar,” Maddie said, nodding. “It has a case, right?”
“A hard-shell case. It’s in decent condition.”
“Good. I’ll give you five hundred for both.”
The salesman thought about the offer for a long moment, then nodded. “Deal.” Maddie turned to Kieran and wiggled her fingers. “Cash, please.”
“I thought you were giving up music,” Kieran said.
“And I thought it would be nice to have on the train. I can teach you how to play.”
Kieran held up his hands. “Oh, no. I have absolutely no musical talent. Beyond singing in the car with the radio, I’m pretty much a hopeless case.”
“A lot of people start out that way,” she said. “I happen to be a very good teacher.”
“If you teach me how to play the guitar, what am I supposed to teach you?”
She thought about it, then smiled. “You can teach me how to drive,” she said.
“We don’t have a car.”
“We’ll figure that out. We could always rent one. A convertible. I’ve always wanted one of those old Cadillac’s with the tail fins. You know, a classic sixties car.”
Kieran looked around. “They don’t have any cars here,” he said.
“Actually we do deal with cars, as well,” the salesman said. “There’s a lot out back. I could show you a few if you like.”
“No, no, no,” Kieran said. “We’re taking the train.”
“We’re taking the train,” Maddie said, nodding in agreement.
They paid for the guitar and walked back out into the midafternoon heat. Kieran took the guitar from her hand. “I’m going to be your roadie,” he said.
“If you were my roadie, I would have broken one of the cardinal rules of touring.”
“And what is that?”
“Don’t sleep with the roadies,” she said, laughing. “You never would have gotten past my mother. She approves all hiring on tours. She would have known that you’d be too tempting to resist, so you never would have gotten the job.” She paused. “It’s funny, but we probably would have never met if we hadn’t run into each other at that bus station. I might have decided to fly. Or your bus could have arrived late. And yet all the fates conspired to—”
“What?”
“I’m going to write a song about that,” she said. “I have to go back to the hotel now.”
“You don’t want to get some lunch?”
Maddie shook her head. “No. You get something to eat. I really want to get this idea down before it slips out of my mind.”
“I’ll walk you back,” Kieran said. He took her hand as they hurried down the sidewalk, startled by the sudden change in her. He’d just assumed Maddie was always playful and a little flighty. But now, she seemed so completely focused that he had a hard time adjusting to the change.
Kieran wondered if he’d ever really know her completely. Maybe that was a good thing. There was always something new to discover, something interesting to learn about this beautiful woman. And he wanted to know it all.
* * *
“A
TOAST
,” K
IERAN
SAID
,
holding up his champagne flute. “To your new song. Whenever I hear it, I’m going to think of Topeka. And the two nights I spent with you.”
Maddie giggled, the effects of a half bottle of champagne bubbling up inside her. She sent Kieran a sexy gaze. “I left my heart,” she sang, “in Topeka, Nebraska.”
“Kansas!” Kieran said. “We’re in Kansas.”
“Whatever,” Maddie said. “Nebraska, Kansas. I’m just happy I’m here.”
They’d enjoyed an early dinner at the hotel restaurant. Maddie felt a bit guilty after she’d spent the afternoon, alone in their room, working on a new song. But when inspiration struck she knew enough to take advantage of it. It rarely came with such strength and focus as it had that afternoon. Though she wanted to leave her professional world behind her, at least for a time, she would have to make a living sooner or later. And she never knew where the next hit song would come from.
“Maybe sometime you’ll sing it for me?” Kieran asked, watching her over the rim of his champagne flute.
“Maybe,” Maddie said. She wasn’t sure why she wasn’t ready to sing for him yet. Maybe she just wanted to leave her professional life behind a little while longer. Or maybe, she was afraid if she did sing, he’d take her mother’s side in all matters and urge her to get back onstage.
Now that the song was written and committed to memory, she’d decided to turn her full attention back to Kieran. She put on her party dress, fixed her hair and invited him to join her in the hotel restaurant.
“That dress suits you,” he said.
“Thank you.” Maddie slipped out of her shoe and ran her foot along his thigh beneath the table.
His eyes went wide. “What are you doing?”
“I’m trying to seduce you. I’ve gotten you drunk and now I’m moving on to step two—overt physical contact. But I’m obviously not doing a very good job if you can’t figure that out.”
“Sweetheart, you don’t need to try. Just looking at you across the table is enough to get me going.”
“It’s the pink dress, isn’t it?” she said, brushing the tiny strap off her shoulder.
“No. I’d want you even if you were wearing that hoodie and your beat-up jeans. It wouldn’t make a difference.”
“You know, I’m not wearing anything under this dress.”
Kieran groaned. “Don’t tell me that. I was really looking forward to ordering dessert. They have banana crème pie.”
Maddie took another sip of her champagne, then reached for the bottle to refill her glass. But the bottle was empty. “Do you want to order another?”
Kieran shook his head.
“Are we going to do this?” she asked.
He nodded.
She set her champagne flute down, then stood up and tossed her napkin on the table. “I’ll race you. First one to the room gets to undress the other.” With a laugh, she took off through the restaurant. Maddie looked back over her shoulder to see him dealing with their waiter and the check.
She made it to the elevator first, but as she was waiting, he caught up to her. To her surprise, he headed for the stairwell. They were on the seventh floor and she knew she’d never beat him up the stairs.
Maddie punched at the button and a moment later, the elevator doors opened. She hurried inside and pressed the button for her floor, but as the doors were closing, an elderly couple hurried toward her.
“Hold the elevator,” the man called.
She glanced over to the panel, cursing softly, then stepped forward and caught the door. The couple smiled gratefully as they got inside and pressed the button for the third floor. The doors closed and the elevator moved upward.
When she finally reached the seventh floor, Maddie stepped out of the elevator and walked to the room. Kieran was waiting at the door with the key card, his shoulder braced against the wall, his arms crossed over his chest. He wasn’t even out of breath.
“You win,” she said.
“Oh, don’t look so disappointed,” he teased. He unlocked the door and held it open. “We’re both about to get naked and do what we’ve been waiting to do since the moment we met.”
She arched her brow, giving him an inquisitive look as she passed. “Since we met? You were thinking about this in the bus station?”
“Well, not this. But I was attracted and thoughts of a sexual nature did cross my mind. I remember thinking that your lips would probably taste like cherries. I’m a guy. What can I say?”
He followed her into the room, then grabbed the Do Not Disturb sign from the door and hung it outside. Maddie waited for him, the champagne making her mind buzz and her body boneless. He sat down on the end of the bed and slipped his hands around her waist, pulling her toward him.
For a long moment, he didn’t move. He just stared up into her eyes. Had he changed his mind? Was he going to find some excuse not to ravish her? Maddie knew the attraction between them was mutual. So why was it taking him so long to make a move?
But then he slowly turned her around and reached for the zipper of her dress. After it was down, he brushed the skinny straps off her shoulders. The dress slipped off her body and puddled at her feet in a pile of rustling tulle.
Maddie felt his hands on her body, smoothing over her shoulders, then moving down to her hips. She closed her eyes as he pressed a kiss into the small of her back.
She’d always been careful about her sexual relationships in the past, never completely trusting the man she was with. But now, for the first time, Maddie felt as if she could truly enjoy herself. Kieran had no ulterior motives. They were just two normal people who had met in a bus station.
She slowly turned. Though he was still completely dressed and she wasn’t, she didn’t feel a trace of inhibition. Maddie watched as his gaze skimmed her body. When he looked up at her again, she smiled. “Excuse me for a moment,” she murmured.
Maddie walked to the closet and found the condoms that she’d purchased in the pocket of her hoodie. Clutching the bag in her fingers, she returned to the bed and held it out to him.
“What’s this?”
“Necessities,” she said. She turned the bag over and the three boxes of condoms fell onto the bed. “I wasn’t sure what kind you liked, so I bought a variety.”
He chuckled softly. “Thank you. For thinking of me.”
“I wasn’t sure that you’d—you know...”
“I always keep a box in my shaving kit, but these are very interesting...options.”
Maddie reached out and took his hands, pulling him to his feet. Her fingers dropped to the buttons on his shirt and she worked them open, then smoothed the soft cotton fabric from his shoulders.
His body was so perfect, so beautiful. Broad shoulders, a finely muscled chest, sinewy arms...it was all as it should be—undeniably masculine. His jeans came next and by the time she slipped them over his hips, he was already hard, his erection pressing against the front of his boxers.
Maddie took his hand and brought it to her breast. She smiled as he touched her, his thumb teasing at the growing peak of her nipple. And when she leaned forward and their lips met, she knew what he’d known all along. This was meant to happen.
It was crazy, so thrilling and a bit frightening, these feelings whirling around inside her. She’d never felt such raw desire before. The attraction between them was powerful and the need for intimacy so strong that it ached inside her.
“I think you should pick a condom,” she said.
“It can wait,” Kieran replied. “We have plenty of time.”
She slowly shook her head. “I don’t want to wait. I’m not a big fan of foreplay.”
“Sweetheart, then you haven’t been with the right man.” He grabbed her hips and pulled her beneath him, then slowly kissed his way from her lips to her neck to her breasts.
Maddie slipped her fingers through his hair as she arched against him. She didn’t care if this was both the first and the last time they made love. But she knew it was going to be the best she’d ever had.
When he reached her belly, Kieran slid off the bed and pulled her to the edge. Gently, he parted her legs and placed a kiss on her inner thigh. She moaned softly and he kissed her other thigh, gradually working his way up to the damp spot between her legs. When he ran his tongue along her slit, Maddie felt a current race through her, setting every nerve in her body on fire. Her fingers twisted in his hair, at first pushing him away, then drawing him closer.
It was obvious Kieran knew exactly how to pleasure a woman. He’d no doubt managed to satisfy a long string of beautiful women with this particular talent. But she didn’t feel an ounce of jealousy or envy. He was hers now and she wasn’t about to give him up.
Maddie felt the climax building inside her, teasing at her senses until every thought was focused on the feel of his mouth on her body. She arched against him and delicious shivers coursed through her body. So close.
She held him back one last time, trying to regain her composure. But by now, the orgasm was just a heartbeat away. When his tongue touched her again, her body tensed, then shattered into a series of deep and powerful spasms.
He continued to tease her, drawing out her release until it seemed that she couldn’t move. Every ounce of her self-control had dissolved until she was weak and spent. When he rejoined her on the bed, stretching out beside her, Maddie was smiling.
“I think I might have been wrong about foreplay.”
4
K
IERAN
GROANED
SOFTLY
as Maddie crawled on top of him. “We have to get up in two hours.”
She straddled his hips, rocking back until he had a perfect view of her naked body. He wasn’t sure he’d ever get enough of looking at her. There was still so much they didn’t know about each other, so many pleasures yet to enjoy. Missing the train again wouldn’t be the worst disaster in the world.
“I think we should just stay up. You know, remain active.”
“We’ve been active since you dragged me into bed,” he said, pulling her down into a long, lingering kiss. “I burned off that dessert I didn’t have for dinner.”
“Oh, I know how hard it is.” She giggled as she rubbed against him. “Or how hard it’s quickly becoming. But, don’t you think you could rise just once more to the occasion? We can always sleep on the train.”
“We’re not going to sleep on the train if we miss it. I couldn’t figure out how to switch our reservations, so I had to buy two new tickets. I’m not wasting any more of your money missing another train. Besides, anything we can do here we can do on the train.”
Maddie drew her finger along his bottom lip. “As much as public sex might be a personal fantasy of yours, I’m not going to do it on a train. I was brought up better than that.”
“I got us a room,” he said with a grin. “It’s really nice. It has a bed and a bathroom and lots of privacy. I figured, you wanting to remain incognito and all, we should probably spend the extra money.”
“Good idea. As my transportation coordinator, you’re doing a very good job. I think maybe I ought to be giving you a bonus.” She shifted against him. “A really...nice...bonus.”
“Whatever you say, boss.” His hands spanned her waist. “But I want you to promise me something.”
“What’s that?”
“You’re not going to hire any more employees. I’m not sure I’d like to share my bonuses.” With a growl, he pulled her down beside him and threw his leg over hers.
“Bossing you around is about all I can handle,” she murmured. “Now, are you going to take care of my needs, or will I have to take care of yours?”
“I’m the one getting the bonus, not you.”
Maddie reached for the box of condoms on the bedside, pulling one out and tearing it open. She smoothed the condom over his stiff shaft. Just the touch of her fingers was enough to push him closer to the edge. “I think this is much better than a few extra dollars in my paycheck,” he said, his voice low.
Maddie pulled him on top of her. “You don’t get a paycheck,” she replied.
Kieran nuzzled her neck as she drew her legs up alongside his hips. He already knew the incredible feeling of burying himself deep inside her and he’d come to crave it as much as the feel of her flesh beneath his fingers or the taste of her mouth.
What quirk of destiny or fate had put this woman in his path? When he’d stepped on the bus in Seattle, he was sure that nothing worthwhile was waiting for him in Bitney. He was sure that his grandfather’s plan was just an exercise in futility.
But then Maddie had just stumbled into his life and changed everything. Was this all part of some grand cosmic plan? Or was it just pure chance that had brought them together?
As he slowly buried himself inside of her, he couldn’t deny the power of their sexual attraction. But there was so much more between them. For the first time in his life, he’d found a woman who was completely open and honest with him.
In the past, he’d always sensed he wasn’t getting the whole story, that even in bed, women were just pretending to be who they thought he wanted them to be. But this was real. It felt right to be with Maddie.
Drawing a deep breath, he closed his eyes, enjoying the sensation of their bodies so intimately joined. And when he began to move, Kieran knew there would never be another woman like her.
She reached up and ran her fingers through his hair, drawing him into a passionate kiss. With every stroke, he felt the connection between them growing stronger.
Kieran grabbed her thighs, then gently pulled her on top of him, the weight of her body driving him more deeply inside her. He watched as she moved, her lithe body open to his touch.
At first, her pace was slow and languid. But when he reached between them, to tease at her need, her expression grew focused. She stared down at him, a tiny smile curving the corners of her mouth. The closer she came to her release, the more he found his own pleasure increase.
Kieran wanted to feel that moment when she lost control, but it was more and more difficult to deny his own body. Every cell seemed to be alive, vibrating together until there was no other choice but to surrender.
But then, as if she knew what he was waiting for, Maddie gasped, pressing her hands into his chest, her body tensing. A moment later, she gave him what he’d wanted all along, dissolving into breathless shudders. Kieran followed her, his orgasm deep and powerful, wringing the last bit of desire from his body.
Maddie collapsed on his chest, her hair tickling his face. Kieran closed his eyes and drew in the scent of her shampoo, smiling to himself. “We are never going to get out of this hotel room,” he murmured.
“Would that be so bad?”
“I guess not. But we’re going to run out of money sooner or later.”
“No, we won’t. We have plenty. I’ve still got a lot of cash left as well as my debit card. There’s lots of money in my account.”
“Aren’t you worried that your mother could trace the card?”
Maddie sat up, her hair tumbling around her face. “She doesn’t know about it. It’s my runaway money. I’ve been saving it for the past two or three years.”
“You’ve been planning to run away for that long?”
Maddie nodded. “I had to open a bank account. I couldn’t hide any more cash under the lining in my guitar case. I get a per diem when I’m on tour and I just saved it all. My mother never noticed that I wasn’t spending anything. I also get my royalty checks, but I send that money to my grandparents.”
“You said they lived near Bitney.”
Maddie nodded. “I haven’t seen them in such a long time. I’m glad we’re going there. They have a horse farm. You’ll like it. I used to spend summers there when I was a kid.”
“When I was young, I was fascinated with horses. My ma used to buy me little figurines and we’d play with them. I had palominos and pintos and dappled grays. And I had books and movies.
My Friend Flicka
was my favorite.”
“And you never learned to ride?”
“I had big dreams of being a cowboy. But after my mom died, I just kind of lost interest.”
“She died when you were young?” Maddie asked.
“You don’t want to hear my sad story,” he said.
“I do. You know all of mine. Well, maybe not all of them. But you know a few. How did your mom die?”
“She and my dad were sailing a boat to the South Pacific and they just disappeared. We never heard from them again.”
A gasp slipped from her lips and her eyes went wide. “Just like that? They were gone?”
Kieran nodded. “I was nine. We moved out of our house and went to live with my grandfather.”
“You were an orphan? Why haven’t you told me this?”
“I guess it just didn’t come up.”
“It should have,” Maddie said. She shook her head. “I feel awful.”
“It happened a long time ago,” Kieran said.
“No—I mean, I do feel awful for you. But this whole time, I’ve been going on and on about how horrible my mother is and how I could hardly wait to get away from her and—and—”
Her eyes filled with tears and she brushed them aside. Kieran sat up, alarmed by the sudden turn in her emotions. “Oh, don’t cry. It’s all right. It was a long time ago. And your relationship with your—”
“I’m selfish,” Maddie snapped. “I think everything revolves around me. I never even thought to ask about you and your family. I mean, you told me about your brothers, but I just assumed everything had been—happy. You seem so normal, I thought you’d had a normal life.” This brought another flood of tears.
“Don’t cry,” he said, brushing his lips against hers.
“How horrible for you. I feel so bad.”
“Maddie, we’ve known each other for three days. Not even that long. I figured we’d get to that story sooner or later. Sometimes, it’s just difficult to explain. And people usually react like you. Which makes things even more difficult.”
Forcing a smile, she brushed her tears away. “Sorry. It’s just so sad.” She wrapped her legs around his waist and kissed him again, her backside nestled in his lap. “I didn’t have a father, but I never really missed him. He was never part of my life. Your parents were just ripped away.”
“We adjusted,” Kieran said. “My brothers and I were—and are—really close. And my grandfather did his best. But he really didn’t know how to deal with grief like that. We hung out at work with him and learned the business. And that’s why I’m here, on my way to Bitney.”
“I don’t understand.”
“My grandfather wanted us all to find a different life for six weeks. Since we didn’t have a chance to follow our own dreams, he thought by sending us all out into the world with a bus ticket and a little cash, we’d find out whether we were living the life we wanted or the life we’d been handed.”
“You’re on a quest,” she said.
“Me and my three brothers. Although, I can’t imagine that their quests have turned out anything like mine.”
“Tell me more about your brothers,” she said. “And your childhood. I want to know everything. Even the bad stuff.”
Kieran pulled her down beside him, her body stretched out against his. “We’ll have time,” he whispered. “I’ll tell you everything you want to know. But right now, I’d rather kiss you.”
They had to get up and get packed in about an hour. And right now, he just wanted to close his eyes, pull her naked body against his, and sleep. Sad stories could wait.
“All right,” Maddie said, wiping away the last of her tears. “Next time, I won’t cry.”
“That would be good,” he murmured, kissing her temple.
* * *
T
HEY
BOARDED
THE
train fifteen minutes before departure. The attendant helped them find their room, a tiny cabin with a pull-down bed and a closet-sized bathroom. A bottle of champagne and a basket of fruit sat on the small table between the seats and they were informed that breakfast would be served in the dining car after the train left the station.
But Maddie wasn’t interested in food. She had the attendant pull the bed down, then crawled into it. The gentle rocking of the train lulled her into a deep sleep that began outside Topeka and didn’t end until the train was somewhere in Iowa.
For Maddie, this was the perfect way to travel. She and Kieran were alone, with everything they needed to be comfortable. They caught up on their sleep and after they got up, Kieran went to the dining car and fetched their lunch, a tasty sandwich with fresh fruit and French fries.
They continued their conversation about his childhood and hers. He opened up about the fears and confusion during the time of his parents’ disappearance, the grieving that never seemed to come, and the effect it had had on him and his brothers. And she tried to comprehend how a boy so young could handle such a tragedy.
As the rural landscape sped by, Maddie curled up beside him on the wide seat, her feet tucked under her, her head resting against his shoulder. They’d found comfort in each other, a mutual understanding that made sense of their childhood troubles. Maddie couldn’t imagine another person in the world who could understand her like Kieran did.
The train pulled into Chicago just after three in the afternoon. They disembarked, then wandered around the old station for a few hours, waiting to board the line that would take them to Cincinnati. From there, it was still another hundred miles to her grandparents’ farm, but she wasn’t worried. Kieran would find a way to get them where they needed to go.
“I don’t want this to end,” Maddie said, as they settled themselves into a new cabin for the nine-hour ride.
“Maybe we should just keep going. Where does this train stop?”
“Washington, D.C.,” he said. “And then I think it goes on to New York.”
“Oh, let’s keep going,” Maddie said. “I’d love to go to New York. We’d have so much fun.”
“I thought you wanted to see your grandparents,” he said.
Maddie nodded. “I do. But we can do that later. We only have six weeks before you have to go home. I want to do everything and see everything.”
He pulled her down beside him in the seat, settling her on his lap. “We can’t keep spending money like this. You’re going to have to stop running and face your mother.”
“But I’ve saved for this,” she said. “Why can’t I just go where I want? It’s my life now. And my money.”
“I need to find work,” he said. “I can’t keep sponging off of you.”
“You’re working for me,” Maddie said. “You’re like my bodyguard and tour manager and traveling companion all in one. I can pay you.” She drew a deep breath. “All right, let’s just get this whole money thing out of the way.”
“Money thing?”
“Yes. You always come back to it and I want to put it all out on the table. How much do you need to make? Now, think carefully because I want it to be enough so that we never have to discuss this again. And I don’t ever want to hear you whining about how much we’re spending. We spend what we spend. End of story.”
“I don’t need you to pay me.”
“But you said you had to find work. And I want you to work for me. For as long as you can.” She paused. “Six weeks. How much would that cost?”
“Six weeks?” Kieran said.
Maddie smiled. “All right. Six weeks.”
“I have to spend some of that time in Bitney.”
“We will. We’ll go there after New York.”
A knock sounded on their cabin door and Maddie jumped up to open it. The attendant stood outside. “Dinner will be served in an hour. Is there anything I can get you?”
Maddie shook her head. “We’re fine. How long before we get to New York?”
“Arrival time is 10:00 p.m. tomorrow night,” he said. He turned to leave, then stopped. “By the way, you might be interested in knowing that we have a celebrity on the train. Some country singer named Maddie West. I don’t know who she is, but some of the passengers said they saw her get onboard. If you see her, let me know. They all want an autograph.”