Mad Love (Hearts Are Wild): Hearts Are Wild (9 page)

He overwhelmed her. Took her to places she’d
never dreamed of and had her wanting more—craving more.

Which is where the other part of her came in.
She didn’t understand why a man like Toby would want
her
.
Sex aside, which she was smart enough to know any guy would take,
no matter who offered, why did he want to be with her?

With a sigh, she flicked her indicator on and
prepared to turn onto her street. Another quick glance in the
mirror showed Toby right behind her.

The idea of spending the rest of the day with
him sent a thrill through her. Excitement with a twinge of fear
zipped along her nerves and buzzed in her ears. The urge to smile
and
frown as her mind fought over whether to be happy or
not about the coming hours confused her more.

How could she have two conflicting emotions
about the same thing?

It was times like these—not that she’d had
them all that often—that she wished she had a best friend. Or any
friend. She’d lived almost twenty-seven years without any real
friendships. She had acquaintances, during school and later at
work, but no one close enough to share things with, confide in. The
two men she’d dated in her early twenties didn’t count. One lasted
a total of four dates and the other four months.

Neither had left a lasting impression. Even
giving her virginity to Gerard hadn’t made an indent. She hadn’t
valued that as a prize or a precious gift and now she wondered why.
Shouldn’t something like that be special? Something she could look
back on with fond memories or at least some sort of emotion other
than indifference?

Would Toby have valued that privilege?

Pulling into the driveway of her modest
clapboard house, she shook her head and concentrated on now. There
was no point rehashing things she couldn’t change. She hadn’t
understood why she’d let things go so far at the time, rewinding
the incident now wouldn’t bring her clarification.

A tap on her window made her jump. Turning,
she found Toby beside her car smiling in a way that had her own
lips tipping up.

Madison might not understand what was
happening between them but she knew she didn’t want to miss a
second of it. For the first time in her life she felt
involved—alive. It was a strange feeling. Not anything like the
pleasure she got from teaching, which up until now had been her
only source of enjoyment.

Her door opened and Toby offered his hand.
Smiling wider, she placed her hand in his and let him pull her from
her seat. She laughed when he tugged her against him and dipped her
over his arm.

“What are you doing?” She sounded breathless
and her pulse sped up.

He grinned. “I missed you,” he said before
dropping his head and planting his mouth on hers.

Her lips parted under the pressure of his and
when he swept his tongue into her mouth, she stroked it with her
own. He may have started the kiss and she might not have had that
much experience with the sensual act before meeting him, but she
was a damn fast learner. And contrary to her initial beliefs about
Toby, he was a damn good teacher.

He broke their lip lock and righted her.
“C’mon. Let’s go. We’ll be late if we don’t hustle.”

“What are we doing again?” She led the way to
her front door.

“The shops to grab some food, then to a
barbeque.”

Madison glanced over her shoulder.
“With…?”

He smiled and brushed a fingertip down her
cheek. Tapped her chin. “It’ll be fine. You’ll be fine.”

How did he know she was worried? The man
appeared to have either mindreading powers or her forehead had
acquired an LED screen that flashed her thoughts.

Pulling her into his arms, he dropped a kiss
on her nose. “I promise. I won’t leave your side. You’ve got
nothing to be scared of.”

Easy for him to say. He’d probably never been
in a situation where he felt out of place or totally inept. Those
two things pretty much summed up every interaction she’d had from
the time she’d graduated high school at thirteen.

Stretching her lips into a wobbly smile, she
said, “All right. What’s the dress code for this barbeque?”

The last thing she wanted to do was look out
of place before she even opened her mouth. Of course, once she did,
everyone would know she was socially clueless.

“You got any sexy summer dresses?”

Madison glanced at the overcast sky. “It’s
not exactly warm enough for that.”

“Hmm…okay, as long as it’s not one of those
skirt-and-blouse combinations you wear to work, I’m sure whatever
you think is good for a casual backyard barbeque will be fine.”

Great. No help at all. She’d never been to a
backyard barbeque. She unlocked the front door and walked inside,
Toby right behind her, contemplating what she had that would fit in
with the type of event he described.

She remembered the lovely pantsuit she’d
bought on a whim last year and never worn. It had a halter-neck top
but she could throw on one of her light cardigans for warmth.

Heading down the hall, she called over her
shoulder, “Back in a minute. Help yourself to a drink if you
want.”

“Sure you don’t want any help?” Toby yelled
after her.

Laughing, she said, “What, like you
helped
me in the shower?”

The grumbling moan that followed her into her
room sent a thrill through her middle to pulse in her sex.

Need stirred. Lord. For someone who’d had
more sex in the last twelve hours than she’d had in her whole
entire life, she was craving more.

Toby had her stepping out of her comfort zone
with every second they spent together. And while the thought
brought fear, Madison felt excitement and joy at the prospect of
spending even more time with him.

Toby gripped Madison’s hand tightly. She was
half a step behind him and he had to tug on her arm a little to get
her to keep up. Not that he was walking too fast for her. It was
her sudden reluctance to be here that caused her to drag her
feet.

“It’ll be fine.” He gave her hand a gentle
squeeze.

“I don’t think…”

He stopped and pulled her into his arms.
“You’re not thinking, remember.”

“But—”

He pressed his lips to hers and spoke against
them. “What do you want to do? Don’t think about what the
right
thing is. Ignore the fear. Do you
want
to
spend the afternoon with me?”

“Yes.”

Toby grinned, popped a quick, hard kiss on
her then pulled away. “See? You should definitely be here.”

“But it’s a family thing,” Mad argued.

“You’ll soon see the Morelands have a
different view on what makes family.”

She opened her mouth but before she could get
a word out, he spun around and tugged her through the side gate to
his parents’ backyard.

At a glance, it looked as though they were
the last to arrive. Smiling, he pulled Mad under his arm and walked
into the middle of his sister and sister-in-law’s combined baby
shower.

Cassie and Shaye held court, side by side, in
two expertly carved rocking chairs he knew his Gramps had made. The
man might be pushing eight-six but he could still work magic with
wood. He had no doubt Granny had made the soft-looking baby
blankets both women had in their laps.

Making a beeline for the stars of the day,
Toby smiled and nodded as he maneuvered them toward his
targets.

“Toby!” Cassie jumped to her feet and threw
her hands on her hips. “You’re late.”

He grinned. “Better me than you. How long
now? Five days?”

“Five, forever, same dif.” Cassie’s eyes
rolled then widened when she caught sight of Madison beside him.
She arched on delicate eyebrow. “Did you bring me a present?”

Chuckling at her, he said, “Not yet.” He
glanced at Shaye. “Coop’s got that covered this year. Hey,
Shaye.”

It was a running joke in their family that
Cassie wanted a sister for her birthday every year, and when he’d
asked about a present for the baby, she’d told him the baby wanted
an aunty.

Looking around, he tried to find his youngest
brother. “Where’s Zac? Didn’t he get you what you want too?”

His sister ignored his question and held out
her hand to Madison. “Hi, I’m Cassie, Toby’s sister.”

“Oh.” Mad’s cheeks flushed as she untangled
herself from his grip. “Sorry. Hi. Madison.”

“Sorry. Mad, the other glowing lady is my
sister-in-law, Shaye.”

“Hi.” Shaye waved.

“Nice to meet you.” Madison smiled a little
nervously and Toby gave her hand an encouraging squeeze.

“Toby, get Madison a chair.” Cassie waved at
the area beside her rocker. “She can sit with us.”

Madison’s fingers trembled in his.
“I…um…”

He pulled her back against him and aimed a
glare at Cassie. “I’m going to introduce her around before you
start any inquisition.”

Cassie exaggerated a pout as she sat back
down. “Fine. Ruin all my fun.”

“Cassie.” The warning came for Cassie’s
husband, Luc, as he stepped up behind her chair. “You’ll have to
excuse my wife. She’s a little grumpy today.”

“What do you expect? I’m not allowed to
breathe without prior consent. I’m bigger than a whale, I have to
pee every three minutes and I haven’t seen my toes in weeks.”

“Oh god. Is this what I have to look forward
to?” Shaye asked.

“And those are the highlights, don’t get me
started about peeing your pants when you sneeze,” Cassie
growled.

“Cass.” Luc placed his hand on her shoulder
and Toby watched as his sister visibly relaxed, all but melting
under his touch.

It still amazed him that anyone could control
the hellion that was Cassie. He supposed growing up with five older
brothers had something to do with the fact his baby sister took no
shit and dished it whenever the chance arose.

“Speaking of peeing…” Cassie pushed to her
feet again.

“Wooee…hot damn, now the party’s getting
started. Who’s this sexy creature and where have you been hiding
all my life, gorgeous?”

“Gramps!” Cassie gasped.

“What?” Gramps didn’t take his eye off
Madison and Toby smiled and slipped his arm around her shoulders in
reassurance.

“You can’t say stuff like that,” his sister
reprimanded.

“Why the hell not? I’ve got eyes. She’s a
pretty little thing.”

“That may be but she doesn’t need a dirty old
man telling her that,” Cassie argued.

“Humph.” Gramps crossed his arms over his
barrel chest. Unlike most elderly, Gramps hadn’t hunched or lost
his robust form with age. “I’d rather be a dirty one than a dead
one.”

Luc hid a chuckle behind his beer.

“And what’s wrong with telling a pretty woman
she’s a knockout?” Gramps asked.

“Well…” Toby rubbed his chin while pulling
Mad more snuggly against his side. “It might have a little to do
with the delivery. The whole undressing her with your eyes and
leaning in with your tongue hanging out was a bit much, old
man.”

Gramps pointed a slightly crooked finger at
him. “And that right there is why. I’m
old
. I don’t got
time to waste on tact.”

Toby laughed. “Where’s Granny?”

“Shit!” Gramps spun around, a full
three-sixty. “Jeez. Give an old man a heart attack why don’tcha.”
He thumped his hand on his chest for emphasis.

“There’s no chance of that. You’re too
stubborn to have a weak heart.” Cassie grabbed Gramps’s elbow. “Now
walk me inside to the bathroom. This great-grandchild of yours is
playing punch-the-bladder again.”

“Now, Princess, I told you we should get one
of them porta-loo thingies so you didn’t have to keep going
inside.”

“I’m not peeing in a plastic box in my
parents’ backyard!”

Gramps patted Cassie’s hand as they moved
away. Before they were out of earshot, he fired a look over his
shoulder at Toby. “And don’t think for one second I’m not coming
right back to you to find out how you managed to punch so far above
your weight, young man.”

Toby shook his head. “I swear, he’s getting
worse with age.”

“He’s always been a rascal.” Granny stepped
in front of Toby. “How are you, my favorite grandson?”

“Aw, Granny, you say that to all your
grandsons.” Toby leaned down and placed a kiss on his grandmother’s
cheek.

“Besides, everyone knows I’m her favorite.”
Toby’s oldest brother, Damian, joined the conversation. “And I
was
first.”

“By one day,” Toby argued. “Mum beat Aunt
Janet by one day.”

“Still first.” Damian raised his beer
bottle.

Ignoring him, Toby turned back to Granny.
“Mad, this is my grandmother, Margaret. Granny, meet Madison.”

***

Madison endeavored to keep everyone’s name
straight but there were so many people. Usually putting names to
faces wasn’t an issue except this wasn’t the normal teacher/student
interaction. She’d taken part in little conversation because she
didn’t know what to say or how to contribute most of the time.

She was so used to offering information on a
subject and then answering questions or discussing the topic of
choice that entering into normal, everyday conversation was proving
beyond her.

And everyone here had such a rich history
together. They were all so relaxed and comfortable with each other.
Madison couldn’t help but feel envious of their connections and
ease. These people—this family—were everything hers wasn’t.

The out-of-control feeling she’d had earlier
had multiplied by one thousand. It threw her back to those horrible
years of school where she’d sat on the fringe of her peers and
watched them interact with confidence, leaving her with a sense of
inadequacy and loneliness. All those quiet times spent in
libraries, in her room, studying, her only connection to the world
the words on the pages in front of her.