She cried out as the orgasm swept through her, rocking against him as she came so hard, so fast, she couldn’t even breathe. With a groan, he gave in to his own release, and she held him tightly, squeezing her inner muscles around him to prolong his climax.
Eventually their breathing steadied and they grew still. As Maddie lay there, feeling the wild thump of his heartbeat against her breasts, a single, relentless thought burned through her mind. Mine. She loved this man, had loved him for so damn long, and she tightened her grip around his sweat-slicked shoulders, never wanting to let go. Owen Bishop was hers.
And her heart…well, that was his.
“I can’t believe you talked me into a day off,” Owen grumbled two days later as he ducked under a low-hanging branch and followed Maddie deeper into the forest.
“Oh, quit complaining,” she called over her shoulder. “You know you’re having fun.”
He was glad she was ahead of him and couldn’t see his face, because he knew she would’ve teased him about his big, goofy smile. She was right—his griping was nothing more than a show. Truth was, this was probably the best day of his life, and it was only midafternoon.
He and Maddie had shared breakfast in bed this morning, followed by a long shower that ended with the hottest bathroom-floor sex ever. He’d intended to get some work done at some point, but then Maddie had reminded him of what had happened yesterday, when they’d gone to work together only to lock themselves in his office for the entire morning and afternoon. She’d convinced him to take the day off, saying they’d just work extra hard tomorrow, though he couldn’t really see that happening.
Ever since Sunday, when he’d thrown caution to the wind and given in to his desire for Maddie, he’d been like a man obsessed. Obsessed with her delectable body, that is. He couldn’t seem to get enough of her, no matter how many times they had sex. Pretty damn amazing, considering it usually only took two or three days for him to get tired of the woman in his bed.
But he wasn’t tired of Maddie. Not by a long shot. If anything, he only wanted her more, and that, well, that was pretty damn troubling.
“We’re here.”
Maddie’s cheerful voice drew him from his thoughts and he blinked a few times to orient himself. Pushing branches aside, they stepped through the brush. A moment later the trees and shrubs cleared, and they reached the edge of a rocky cliff. Maddie was grinning as they approached the edge. “This was my first cliff dive,” she told him. “I was here with my brothers, and Jim went first, taunting Luke and Josh from the water and saying they didn’t have the balls to jump. They totally didn’t—the two of them were looking at each other all hesitant, trying to figure out which one would make a move first.”
“And let me guess, your balls were big enough for the both of them,” Owen said dryly.
“Yep. While they were debating, I ran right past them and dove in.” She laughed. “When I hit the water, Jim was there, scolding me and threatening to spank me for being so reckless.”
Owen looked down, not sure he disapproved of her older brother’s reaction. It was only about a fifteen-foot drop to the calm, murky lake below, but there were nasty-looking boulders down at the bottom. If the diver didn’t have a good running start, no way could they clear those rocks. He pictured Maddie diving off the cliff, and his throat tightened. He’d always known she was a bit of a daredevil, but he hadn’t experienced it firsthand before.
From the corner of his eye, he caught a blur of movement, and when he turned his head, he saw Maddie wiggling out of her jeans.
“What are you doing?” he demanded.
“Don’t want to get my clothes wet,” she answered breezily. “Wet jeans suck.”
His mouth went dry as she removed her T-shirt. She looked so freaking sexy standing there in her bra and panties. He knew her height bothered her, but he loved it. All those long, smooth lines of her body, the endless legs and graceful neck. He went into a daze for a moment, his cock thickening and pressing against his zipper, but he snapped out of it when he noticed Maddie striding away from the edge.
“Wait, what are you—”
“See you at the bottom!”
And then she dashed toward the edge of the cliff and soared right over it. Owen’s heart lodged in his throat as he watched her body curve in a dive. With a jolt of fear, he peered over the edge, relief coursing through him when he saw her slice into the water cleanly. Ripples formed around the spot where she’d submerged. She surfaced a few seconds later, pushing wet hair from her eyes.
Jesus Christ. The woman was insane. How hadn’t he noticed that when he’d hired her as his assistant?
The sound of her melodic laughter reached him. “Come join me, Bishop—or are you too scared to jump?”
His nostrils flared. Too scared, his ass.