Wanting It All: A Naked Men Novel (3 page)

“You didn’t just hike out of the bush yesterday, right? You’ve been in a city before?”

That netted him an eye roll. “Of course. I did my undergrad at the University of Alaska in Fairbanks.”

“Nobody says undergrad unless they’ve got an advanced degree, too.” That bumped up his interest still another notch.

Knox appreciated all women. He had yet to find a single one, no matter her age or relative standing on the hotness scale, who didn’t have something remarkable going for her. A laugh smokier than twenty-year-old whiskey. Eyes that sparkled like the Chesapeake Bay in the morning. A sense of humor, or a great pair of legs, or the ability to bake a killer sweet roll.

But smart women? They hardened his dick twice as fast. Knox enjoyed the seduction. He wasn’t big on letting women stick around after the main event. Smarties, though, were another story. A woman whose eyes didn’t glaze over when he described his job didn’t just get pancakes the morning after—she earned a rare-for-him second date.

As the doors opened, Madison gave him a hip bump. “Well, aren’t you just Sherlock Holmes–ing this whole date?”

“I recognize fellow sufferers from the trenches of grad school. We share the traumatized wince at the mention of college that says we still haven’t caught up from the all-nighters.”

Knox knew exactly when she registered the view. This time she didn’t stop and gawk. But her knees bobbled and her breath caught. To her credit, it didn’t just happen to tourists. The balcony on the eleventh-floor bar of the W Hotel opened up practically on top of the White House. Front and center speared the Washington Monument, a third guest at every table.

“I’m definitely going to need the drink you promised me. My mouth’s gone dry,” she murmured.

“I can fix that without waiting for a drink.” Knox never,
ever
passed up an opportunity as obvious as this one. He bracketed her chin with his thumb and forefinger. Tilted her head up. Covered her mouth in a kiss that surprised even him with its passion. It must’ve been that talk about graduate degrees that got his engine revving hot. Or the enthusiasm she matched him with, stepping in even closer and gripping his forearm.

“Hey!” The exclamation broke him out of the lip-lock as much as the tug on the short hairs at the back of his neck. His friend Annabeth frowned at him. Tightened her already severe black ponytail. Then she shot a thumb toward the elevator. “There are three hundred and seventeen rooms and suites spread over these eleven floors. Go take your sexifying into one of them.”

Madison didn’t appear the least bit embarrassed by the interruption. She wiped at the smear of lipstick on her chin while she aimed an amused look at Annabeth. “You know, you’re the second person to tell us that in the last ten minutes.”

Nice, the way Madison rolled with the punches. And Knox always enjoyed watching someone stand up to Annabeth. The waitress was tough. A smart-ass. Which was why he and his friends adored her. Annabeth didn’t just serve them drinks. She dished out gossip on who was newly available, offered advice on what women wanted, and laughed at their dirty jokes. They didn’t come for the drinks, or the view. They came to hang with Annabeth. And out of respect for that friendship, none of the five of them had ever hit on her. Which happened to be one of the hardest things Knox had ever done…or
not
done.

“Maybe the universe is sending you two a message,” Annabeth snarked with a sneer curling her upper lip. But she gave Madison an assessing up-and-down, obviously impressed by the other woman’s spine.

Knox usually let Annabeth hassle him. Actually, he didn’t
usually
bring women here at all. Too obvious. Too touristy. Plus, he didn’t like taking his hookups to any of the spots that mattered to the ACSs. Already, things with Madison were off the rails. Weirdly enough, he didn’t mind. So he shut down Annabeth’s sure-to-be-endless nitpicking with a gentle tweak of the apron strings at her waist.

“If I follow through on that so-called message, you don’t get a tip. This is Madison’s first night in D.C. I planned to order her the good stuff—the
expensive
stuff—in celebration.”

“In that case, I’m Annabeth and I’ll be your server tonight. Please follow me to your table.” She gave a flounce as she spun on her high black heels. But she apparently couldn’t resist a parting shot. As Annabeth led them through the crowded room to the balcony and a table right on the edge, she said, “Pervert.”

No point denying it. “You know you love me for it.”

“That’s not it at all. I’m endlessly entertained by the notion that women fall for your Casanova shtick.”

In a stage whisper, Knox said, “In case you weren’t clear, I’m on a date. Right now.”

Madison fluttered her hand between them. “It doesn’t bother me. Technically, I haven’t fallen for your shtick. I fell for the obvious and impressive muscles you used to keep me on the sidewalk. The kick-ass way you kiss. Plus, the sheer amount of words you spit out per sentence.”

“I don’t talk that much,” he protested. Knox settled her into the U-shaped black-and-white striped chair.

“Compared to men in Alaska?” She snorted. Pointed across the table as he sat down. “You talk more than a teenager hopped up on soft drinks and candy.”

Knox filed that away to tell Logan. See if in all his globetrotting he’d ever stopped in the forty-ninth state. Because Logan doled out words as stingily as life jackets on the
Titanic.
He’d fit right in up there.

Annabeth caught Madison’s wrist. Turned it left and right. “I love that bracelet. The contrast between the turquoise and silver really makes it pop.”

“Thanks.” She peeled it off her wrist. “Here, you should take it.”

A bark of disbelief made heads turn at the red couches along the wall. Annabeth crinkled her nose. Gave Knox a sideways
Where did you find this one?
look. “I can’t take your bracelet.”

“Sure you can. I made it, I can give it away.”

“No way.”

As Annabeth snatched it to examine the workmanship closely, Knox echoed her words in his head. The only thing he knew about jewelry was that women preferred the expensive variety. But he never would’ve guessed the bauble was homemade. Or that the beautiful ultra-tourist was so talented. Not to mention apparently generous to a fault. He revised the plan for just drinks to add in dinner, too. He needed to discover all the other facets to the fascinating Madison.

“It’s truly not that hard. Just some sapphire shell beads on a leather cord with a silver floral button. I can whip one of these out in less time than it takes to make a cranberry apple pie.”

Knox leaned across the table to cover her mouth with his palm. “Stop. You have to stop. I can’t take another amazing revelation. The fact that you bake is almost enough to make my pants spontaneously combust with excitement.”

Madison turned to Annabeth conspiratorially. “See? Other guys would’ve just said cookies turn them on. This one turned it into more words than some marriage proposals.” She whipped her head back to Knox. “You’re kind of adorable.”

“In that case, we’ll take a bottle of the Veuve Clicquot, La Grande Dame.” Knox checked his watch, guessed when she would’ve eaten lunch, if at all, and decided to add some snacks. A passed-out date was no fun at all. “And a charcuterie and cheese board.”

“Back in a jiff. Welcome to D.C., Madison.” Just as Annabeth started to walk away, Madison slid the bracelet into her apron pocket. Annabeth didn’t notice the covert move, but Knox sure did.

“Why’d you give her that?”

A slow smile curved the corners of her wide lips. “Why not?”

He held up one hand to tick the obvious points off on his fingers. “You don’t know her at all. You incurred costs purchasing the inventory. The labor took time, not to mention the mental labor coming up with the design.”

Mimicking him, Madison held up her own hand. “She thought it was pretty. It made her happy. I got to be happy making it. She’ll enjoy wearing it, and I can make another.”

“But you just lost money.”

“No, I gained happiness. Funny how much better that makes me feel than twenty dollars in my pocket.”

“You’re not just from out of town. You’re from a whole different time and culture. One where entire towns come together to raise a barn.” Knox rested his forearms on the table. “Tell me the truth. Did you fly here, or use a time machine?”

The smile in her eyes dimmed. “People aren’t nice in D.C.?”

Might as well rip that bandage off, fast and clean. “No. Not as a rule. Everybody wants something. Politics, money, influence—that’s what turns the wheels of this town.”

“Which one are you?”

Knox liked talking. He didn’t, however, particularly enjoy talking about himself. That’s what came of having the media dog his steps for too many years. Plus, while his money usually impressed women straight into a striptease, he had a feeling it wouldn’t have anywhere close to that effect on Madison.

For now, he’d downplay everything. “Me? I’m a computer geek. No two ways about it. Not very interesting, either, to anyone outside the field. Or so my friends constantly tell me.”

“You’d be surprised at what I find interesting. Let’s go back to the beginning, because you’re one piece of info up on me. Where did you go to college?”

He could downplay, but he damn well wouldn’t lie. Knox was too proud of his full ride to one of the best universities in the country. “MIT. Your turn. Grad school?”

“University of Alberta. You?”

“Also MIT. I did a program that got me a master’s and bachelor’s simultaneously, in just five years.” Knox shrugged away the grueling course load and insane hours. “It kept me out of the bars.”

“In what?” She rooted around in that big bag of hers before coming up with a notebook and a pen.

“Computational Engineering, for undergrad. A master’s in Computation for Design and Optimization.”

“Nanotechnology?”

“Among other things.” Usually people either glazed over at mention of his majors. Or squinted as though he’d suddenly begun speaking Lithuanian. Her cool and informed response sort of thrilled him. “Your concentration?”

“Library Science. In fact, I start work at the Library of Congress in two days.”

“Impressive. Guess I don’t need to ask why you moved out here.” Her eyes shuttered. Clearly he’d said something wrong. Or at least
off.
Maybe she was running away from a bad situation at home. An ugly breakup. Neither topic was conducive to flirtation. Or a hot-and-heavy hookup. Knox drummed his fingers on the table. “Can we be done with the lightning round of background trivia now?”

“Sure.”

Annabeth reappeared with a bottle of bubbly, glasses, and a long wooden board covered with meats and cheeses. “I shouldn’t accept that bracelet, Madison, but it’s so pretty I can’t bring myself to do the right thing. Thank you.”

“You can do me a favor back.” Madison ripped off the paper she’d scribbled on and handed it to Annabeth. “That’s my cellphone and email. I’m staying in a hotel right now. Which I can only afford for about a week. If you know of anyone who needs a roommate, will you pass on my name and number?”

The cork popped out with a smooth hiss of air. Annabeth paid an inordinate amount of attention to pouring. “Do you have a job?”

Madison laughed. “Yes. I’m told this town is more expensive than I’m used to, though, so I want to start with a roommate situation while I get my bearings.”

After jamming the bottle into a silver ice bucket tucked to Knox’s right, Annabeth said, “I can’t believe I’m doing this, but…do you want to move in with me? My roommate just got sent back to work in a congressman’s home office. Big demotion. I told her that she shouldn’t sleep with a lobbyist. Anyway, she left this week, and left me holding the bag for rent. We could do a trial run of three months while you finish out her lease, and then see where we stand.”

Uh-oh. There was no possible way this would work out to Knox’s advantage. Yes, he liked Madison. A lot. They generated an exothermic reaction every time they touched. But his relationships tended to have a shelf life shorter than a Halloween movie. No way did he want her hanging around, bumping into him after a month. Annabeth knew his dating M.O. What was she thinking?

“That’d be terrific! Yes. Absolutely yes.” Madison bounced in her seat, grinning from ear to ear. As much as Knox didn’t want to notice, it made her boobs jiggle in a spectacular way. So spectacular that the marble statue of Jefferson was probably leaning in, trying to peer through the columns of his memorial to catch a glimpse. Damn it. He’d worry about next month…
next
month. And just concentrate for tonight on having fun.

Annabeth pocketed the slip of paper. With a glance at the man two tables down beckoning her, she centered the glasses. “I’ll email you the details on my break.” She rushed away. The balcony had already filled to capacity in the last few minutes. People liked to catch the sun set into the Potomac.

“I can’t believe I got a place to live and a hot date in under an hour.”

Knox really couldn’t believe it, either. The guys would laugh until they peed themselves once they heard the news. “Things move fast here.”

“Good. I think. I mean, I hope so. I’m in the mood to have things move fast.”

Yeah. Madison seemed entirely on board with hooking up. After all, she didn’t know how close Annabeth was to Knox and his friends. She probably just assumed theirs was a pleasant, waiter/guest relationship. If she didn’t see a complication, he sure as hell didn’t plan to fill her in on it.

“I can go as fast as you like. Until I decide it’s the right time to slow down.” Deliberately, he slid his hand across to flip hers, and then circle his thumb lightly in the middle of her palm. “Savor the moment.” Knox raised his glass. “Welcome to D.C. I hope it’s everything you’re looking for.”

“And then some, apparently.”

Madison raced along the marble floor of her office. Well, she thought of it as her office. As much as the nation’s Temple of Learning, with its Italian Renaissance–style architecture and gold-leaf mosaics, could belong to anyone. Two days in, and she already felt proprietary toward the Library of Congress’s Thomas Jefferson Building.

But because it had been
only
two days, Madison paused at the top of the steps to the Great Hall. Every spare second she had she took to ogle the books and art and amazingness of the building.

Well…at least, all the spare seconds that weren’t taken up by remembering how it felt to be ogled by the muscled manliness of Knox Davies. At five feet, nine inches in flats, Madison had come across a fair number of guys who didn’t like looking her in the eyes when she slid on a pair of wedges. Knox, though, had to top six feet by several inches. He didn’t look at her warily. He didn’t look worried that she’d snag a fry off his plate. When Knox looked at her, Madison felt as delicate and tiny and beautiful as a sky-blue forget-me-not. One just quivering to be plucked by his big, strong hands.

Madison snorted at herself. It should be illegal to even think such a horrible allegory in this place filled to the brim with spectacular writing. Shaking off her low-grade lust, she took another moment and looked up, seventy-five feet, to the stained glass skylights. Thanked her lucky stars that she’d made it here. And then carefully gripped the handrail as she descended the marble staircase. The guides were fierce about that rule.

Annabeth stood waiting at the bottom. “Surprise.”

“It certainly is.” Madison readjusted her tote on her shoulder. She’d been on her way out the door when Annabeth texted her to meet. Last night she’d picked Madison up to take her to a first-day-of-work celebratory dinner. Or a thanks-for-splitting-the-rent-with-me dinner. Madison couldn’t quite keep the reason straight. There’d been more than a few rounds of toasts. They’d more than hit it off as roommates. But she wouldn’t stand for Annabeth being her babysitter in the big, bad city. “Is this being picked up two nights in a row a pity thing?”

The other woman frowned as they pushed out into the muggy evening. “I wouldn’t call it that, exactly.”

So…not a
no.
Madison needed to set her straight. Because she’d doubled over more than one drunken idiot with a kick to the nuts. Won more than a few shooting tournaments, not to mention her handiness with a bow and arrow. A stereotypical helpless female in the capitol city she most certainly was
not.

“I mean, I know that you know that I’m new here. But I’ve studied how to walk through a city without looking defenseless. I know to keep my hand on my purse strap.” As they descended the stone steps, she patted the yellow leather of her tote. “I’m packing pepper spray. It’s just too bad they won’t let me bring my gun in here.”

Annabeth stopped with her red, peep-toe espadrilles on different steps. She looked around wildly, as if checking to see if anyone had overheard. But the stream of people exiting the Library probably cared more about getting to dinner before the rush than eavesdropping on strangers.

“A gun? What? Madison, nobody takes a gun to work unless you’ve got a badge to go with it. FBI, DCPD, Secret Service. You’re a librarian, for crying out loud. Why on earth would you need a gun at work?”

The sheltered city girl was missing the point entirely. Madison tucked an arm through Annabeth’s and continued down the steps. “By the time you
know
that you’ve got a reason to carry it, it’s too late. Honey, I’m from Alaska. You could have a run-in with a bear or a snake while pumping gas or buying cupcakes. We believe in being prepared for whatever nature throws our way.”

“There’s no nature here. Not unless you count the algae growing in the Tidal Basin. The pepper spray’s enough. Trust me. Sheesh.” Annabeth jingled her keys. “Hang on. You brought this gun from Alaska? Does that mean it’s in our apartment right now?”

“Of course.” Along with a shotgun tucked under the bed, for
real
safety. Probably not the right time to mention it, though.

Annabeth unlocked a bright blue Mini Cooper and got in. “I guess the idea of having built-in security doesn’t suck. Do you promise not to shoot any strange guys you see coming out of the shower?”

“Yes. Naked or towel-clad males will not set off my trigger finger. I promise. Just your stereotypical cat burglars.” They shot away from the curb at an alarming rate, almost cutting off a taxi. Traffic in D.C. was a whole level of insanity Madison hadn’t anticipated. A very real fear for her life had her white-knuckling the upholstery and babbling, “I wonder, do they still wear stockings as masks? Or did that quaint trait go the way of those egg-shaped pantyhose boxes?”

“No clue. But that’s actually why I came to get you. Wardrobe issues. Yours, specifically.”

Madison looked down at her navy knee-length skirt. She’d paired it with a sleeveless peach knit top that seemed harmless enough. “What’s wrong with my clothes?”

“We’ve known each other three days, right? How insulting can I be, or do I still need to tiptoe politely around emotional minefields?”

Considering they’d be sandwiched between a double-decker tour bus and a garbage truck in about three seconds, Madison didn’t really care. “I can take whatever you dish out.”

A last-minute swerve saved their lives. For now. Annabeth laid on the horn. “Here’s the deal.” Another pause, this time for three unmarked cars with a single light above the driver and sirens blaring. “There’s a chance I eavesdropped on your date with Knox.”

“How big a chance?”

“Given that it was a noisy bar and I was running my ass off with two extra tables…only around ninety-seven percent. Oh, and once he started nibbling up your arm, I had to look away. I missed whatever happened after that.”

Lots of good things had happened after he laid his lips on the soft skin of her inner wrist. Zings and flutters and heat had happened. The night culminated with his kissing her at the elevator, which came and went three times before he finally broke away and let her get on it.

“Don’t you have better things to do than watch Knox flirt?”

“Oh, yeah. Been there, done that every day that ends in
Y.
I was watching
you.
He’s never brought a woman to the POV Bar before. It’s his home turf. Something about you is making him chuck his playbook.”

The observation tickled Madison. She did like to stand out from the crowd. She very much liked knowing that she’d gotten Knox’s attention. Because he sure as heck had gotten hers. The man could kiss like nobody’s business. And he was smoother than an ice floe in the Bering Sea.

They’d left the marble and monuments behind them. This new neighborhood had crowded narrow brick buildings right up against one another. Adorable boutiques and pricey-looking stores alternated with bars and restaurants. The crowd was much younger—college kids and people her own age. Guess they’d crossed some invisible barrier that kept out everyone with crow’s-feet.

“Welcome to Georgetown.” As the light turned from yellow to red, Annabeth spun into a tight U-turn and squeezed into a parking space in a maneuver that left Madison breathless. And maybe with her very first white hair. “I just discovered this fabulous shop, Forever Summer. Well, I’ve shopped here before, but now I know the owner. Chloe, Griff’s new girlfriend, is best friends with Summer.”

Madison had no idea who any of those people were. But she had no objection to shopping. Window-shopping, that is. Her already tight budget didn’t allow for much more than that. Librarians didn’t rake in the big bucks.

Inside, the store was all exposed brick and floor-to-ceiling windows bringing in the late afternoon sunshine. A whitewashed armoire stood open, full of dresses. Color popped everywhere. Including in the yellow-and-green-streaked curls on the girl behind the counter.

A hard right brought them practically into the window display. The woman fussing with a mannequin had long black hair, huge dark eyes in a heart-shaped face, and a model-thin figure. What really caught Madison’s attention, however, was her outfit. A deep burgundy, crocheted lace dress with sleeves that flared at the elbow. Fistfuls of silver bangles on each wrist. And a black fedora trimmed with a wide burgundy ribbon. Madison had never seen anyone mix styles like that outside of a fashion magazine. It shouldn’t work. But good golly, it did on this woman.

“Summer Sheridan, meet Madison Abbott.”

Madison watched as the fashionista climbed over a straw beach tote and out of the window. “You’re wearing a hat.” It just boggled her mind. The middle of June, and she wore a fedora. Indoors. In Alaska, you wore hats because otherwise your hair could freeze and crack off. The minute it got above forty, they got ditched.

“Do you like it?”

“Not for me. But
you
look amazing in it.”

Summer gave her an assessing head tilt. “You’re right. You’re definitely not a hat person. If I had to choose a signature piece for you…” Her hand swept up and down, as if trying to figure out where to stop on Madison’s body. Then it shot to the right, yanked a wide black belt off the shelf, and had it wrapped around Madison’s waist in a heartbeat. A quick roll of the waistband shortened her skirt by two inches. Summer turned her to face the standing mirror. “…it’d be a chunky belt. Highlight those vavavoom curves of yours.”

It certainly did. The simple addition changed her outfit from…uh, drab to fab. Well…maybe not fab. Maybe just spruced-up drab. But a definite improvement, nonetheless. To this point in her life, Madison’s greatest concern was her clothes keeping her warm. She knew there’d be a different standard out here. Clearly, the proprietor knew her stuff.

With a chuckle, Summer offered her hand. “Other people shake. I do guerrilla makeovers. Anyway, thanks for letting Annabeth drag you to my shop.”

“I just got into the car. She did the rest. Although I don’t understand your reasoning behind bringing me here.” Madison turned to Annabeth, who was flinging a seashell print scarf around her neck. “What do my clothes have to do with Knox?”

“Oh my goodness, everything,” Summer blurted out.

It was official. She’d been shanghaied here for a purpose, not just for fun. Madison glared at Annabeth, and then turned to Summer. “I assume that means you know Knox, too?”

“Yes. He’s yummy. Super tall. Super muscled. But I crossed him off the possibility list the moment I met him. We’re like two positive ions. Electrons?” She banged the backs of her hands together. “Too similar to ever work. Not even short term. He certainly doesn’t repel me, but we’d spend all our time trying to outdo the other.”

“See why I brought you here?” Annabeth said smugly.

“No.” But it was good to hear that the stunningly beautiful woman wouldn’t be her competition.

Madison was also starting to wonder just how much she’d talked about Knox at last night’s dinner. Both before and after the drinks kicked in. She remembered telling Annabeth that theirs had been an adorable meet-cute. A great date. One where they discovered a fanatical shared love of grilled cheese sandwiches, U2 (except for that mistake of an album
, Pop
), and schlocky horror films where they crossed a velociraptor and a chicken. A date that lasted for four hours. A date she hadn’t wanted to end. Criminy. She had it bad…and had apparently blabbed all of that to Annabeth. Hence the clothing intervention.

Moving to the armoire, Annabeth began yanking out dresses. “Summer thinks just like Knox. She gets the game.”

Nope, Madison was still lost. And falling a little bit in love with a pale blue linen shift with scalloped cutouts around the neck. “What game?”

“Cat and mouse. Catch and release. For men like Knox, it is
all
about the chase. We want you to make him chase after you with his tongue hanging out.”

Madison was truly at a loss. She liked the visual that Annabeth painted, though. Who wouldn’t want a hunky man panting after her? But there were two obvious facts her new friend had overlooked. Madison had no trouble reeling in the opposite sex. She’d dated her way through all sorts of men in Alaska. It was precisely why she was so positive that she’d never find the kind of man she wanted out in the bush. Plus, she already had Knox on the hook. Zero chasing required, to her mind.

“Why? Why complicate things?”

“You guys have already hit it off stronger than I’ve ever seen. While good, that almost makes it too easy. We don’t want Knox getting complacent and thinking you’re the one who has to chase him.”

All this talk of chasing was exhausting. If Madison wanted something, she got it. Period. You worked hard enough, kept your eye on the prize, and you’d get it…eventually. This mindset had never let her down. Even with her strict budget, she knew she’d find a way to get that blue dress, for example. Then she looked at the price tag. And froze. “I can’t possibly afford these clothes. They’re beautiful, Summer, all of them, but way out of my price range.”

“I can’t afford to shop here, either,” Annabeth said with a grin. “Funny how easy it is for me to choose between making a car payment and splurging on a cashmere tank top.”

“So you’re just taunting me with all of this?”

Summer shook her head. “Not in the least. I’m planning to expand to online retail. I need lots of photos. But I can’t afford to spend money on models. Annabeth promised to help me round up real women who’ll pose for the online catalog.”

Madison had come to terms with her height and bone structure years before. No point whining over what couldn’t be changed. But she suddenly wished that she was forty pounds lighter. “I don’t look like a model at all. I’m too big. I’d look like a model on steroids who swallowed two other models.”

“You’re not big at all. Tall, yes, but proportionately so. And if you promise not to think I’m hitting on you, I don’t mind saying that you’re stunningly beautiful in a natural goddess type way. You’ll be perfect. You can keep what you wear for the photo shoot if you promise to come back and model for me in a fashion show in the fall.”

The offer was too good to be true. “I can’t accept clothes this expensive for just a few photos.”