Melody Anne's Billionaire Universe: The Visitor (Kindle Worlds Novella) by K. Lyn (1)

THE VISITOR

A Kindle World Novella

 

By K. Lyn

 

 

 

CONTENTS

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gavin fakes his own death for reasons he wouldn’t dare tell anyone, but when he meets a woman who is different from any he has known, he has no idea that she has a secret bigger than his own.  Billions of dollars are at stake and love is in the air in this billionaire’s world.

 

 

 

One last brief glance at Sutton Place and the upscale life he was leaving behind, the only life he had known, and Gavin was on his way.  He was on his way to a new life, a life he had dreamed about for a very long time, a life that would now be realized.  He was being driven speedily to John F. Kennedy International Airport by way of taxi, an unfamiliar mode of travel to the residents of New York’s prestigious Sutton Place, who were much more accustomed to limousines coming and going in their picture perfect lives.  He smiled and nearly laughed at what he had done.  He had faked his own death. But he would have done anything to get away from his controlling father. A cross country flight would take him to a life he had been planning in great detail to leave for the past three years.  From his window seat of the Boeing 747 he could see the vast, endless pool of water that was the Atlantic Ocean.  As the plane began its long journey to the west coast, he watched the gentle waves spreading out below him and thought of how it was the perfect metaphor for his life so far, a continual sea of emptiness for as long as he could remember.

The younger of two boys, Gavin was unlike his older brother, Randall, who had perfected the facsimile of a meaningful and successful life.  Randall had graduated from Brown University with the expectation of entering medical school, only to fall more than just a little short of the required admittance requirements.  Instead, he had been forced to settle for the career of a physician’s assistant, although he was pompous enough to convince himself, as well as several others, that his status equaled that of a physician.  As long as Randall worked for the dear sweet unassuming physician who cared for the elderly as if each was his own parent, he was free to strut around as a true physician as much as he pleased.  The mistake the old physician had made was giving Randall too long of a leash by allowing him to serve in his stead, a role of which Randall took full advantage.  He began his day not one minute before 9:00 a.m. and was on the golf course by noon.  He cared little for the elderly, and he took full advantage of the trust his boss had placed in his young charge.  Their father, likewise, considered Randall a real physician.  In fact, he had convinced himself that his son had completed medical school, unwilling to admit that the kid had screwed up during his undergraduate days, and also unwilling to admit that his power and position were not nearly enough to buy his son a place in Brown’s prestigious medical school.  The college would not compromise its standards by which it had become known the world over.  Its president had mysteriously died of food poisoning six months following Randall’s denied admittance.  Gavin’s father had not attended the funeral.

Gavin’s father was an entrepreneur who had built a Fortune 500 company in a very short time after having graduated from his prestigious alma mater, Brown University.  He had modeled his corporation after the empire that Joseph Anderson had built years ago.  Joseph was his idol.  Born into money, Gavin Matthews had enjoyed a very privileged childhood because of his father’s wealth and prestige, and he had attended the best schools from his preschool days until he graduated summa cum laude from Brown University, the only university befitting the future magnate of Matthews International, an enterprise worth billions.  But Gavin wanted no part of the greed he had known growing up as a member of the well known Matthews family.  Gavin wanted to paint.  He loved the arts and had painted some in college, caricatures mostly, of people he had found annoying.  He and his girlfriend would laugh about his drawings when she snuck into his dorm room late at night.  His girlfriend, Kate, had encouraged him to paint, although they both knew that his future had been predetermined years ago, as had hers.

Until now, Gavin had done what was expected of him by his father.  Knowing how ruthless his father could be, he had been too afraid to cross him.  He also felt indebted to the old man for what he had been given.  He had everything money could buy.  So when his father introduced him to a woman whose family connections he desperately wanted, Gavin had given in.  The woman certainly had no objections to the union.  She was a social climber and Gavin was her ticket to the top.  She was his trophy wife, and with her on his arm, he was certain to quickly climb to the top of New York’s social ladder, all the while Gavin’s father would ensure his son’s status in the New York financial circles.  Gavin’s life appeared to be idyllic life to many of his fellow classmates who would have done anything and everything legal and illegal to achieve.

But Gavin was not happy.  He wanted a real marriage with someone who loved him… not his money.  So after ten years of marriage to a woman whose thirst for the material was never quenched and whose temper was quick, and after having worked eighty hour weeks under his father’s watchful eyes, Gavin faked his own death, pushing his Mercedes into the Hudson River late the night before he left, planting some of his hair, his driver’s license, and the expensive watch his wife had given him, as evidence that he had been inside the car.  He knew what would follow.  They would drag the river but no body would be recovered.  By the time the authorities called off the search, Gavin would be long gone.

His father and wife had gotten what they had wanted from him.  His father had gotten the model of the perfect son, and his wife had gotten the model of the perfect husband.  For Gavin, however, the past ten years had been nothing short of pure hell.  Pleasing his father had nearly driven him to a nervous breakdown.  He was exhausted all the time and had resorted to taking amphetamines just to keep up the grueling pace demanded of him. To save himself, he told his father he had a business trip to the west coast.  He was amazed how relaxed he had begun to feel as the distance between his old life and his new life became greater, as the plane made its way steadily westward.

As the plane descended, the view from Gavin’s window was a familiar one, yet so very different.  He felt a sense of freedom, as well as anticipation, as he watched the water of the Pacific Ocean spread out before him like a ribbon of hope beckoning him to come ashore and enjoy all that his new life was anxiously waiting to offer him and leave his all too regimented past behind.  A month earlier he had secretly purchased an historic cottage that he had refurbished as a bed and breakfast on Bainbridge Island north of Seattle, Washington, where he planned to rebuild his life the way he had wanted it to be.  The real estate agent raised an eyebrow at the sum of cash that he had laid out, but Gavin made no comment.  He wanted to keep his secret hidden.  He would run his bed and breakfast, and in his spare time he would paint whatever sparked his imagination.  Painting was the only thing that had brought him relief from the long days in the corporate world. He had a simpler view of life, and he didn’t plan to live in the shadow of his father.

From the airport in Seattle, Gavin took a taxi to the ferry that traversed the waters several times a day to and from Bainbridge Island.  He loved the majestic view from the ferry, and he felt as if he were a part of nature, connecting with it in an intimate, emotional way.  From the ferry he could see the tip of the snow capped Olympic Mountains rising in the distance.  The last time he had been here was two months earlier to sign the final papers giving him sole ownership of the ten bedroom cottage he had secretly purchased.  He had hired his staff, sparing no expense with regard to salaries.  He would never mistreat his employees as his father had done.  He hired a decorator and gave her free rein to decorate each room as she chose, with one general guideline.  All that he had asked was that each room in the cottage boast an old fashioned country look, with handmade quilts on the beds, and complimentary homemade jams and jellies to take home with them, and any other wonderful goodies made at the picturesque shops of the beautiful island city.

The cottage reminded him of his grandparents’ farm in upstate New York.  It had wooden beams on the ceilings, large open suites, with big round beds for just a little bit of a contemporary feeling.  Within each suite was a large master bath set apart from the main room by a revolving wooden door.  “I love it,” he said aloud when he had first visited.  Gavin thought it was truly unique to have a revolving door in a cottage, and especially one in a bedroom.  It looked a little out of place, but what’s life without a little whimsy?  Once inside the bath, he stopped dead in his tracks as he realized how massive that room was as well, as it contained a king sized wooden hot tub with the water heated and bubbling.  The cottage was quaint, and Gavin planned to live here forever.  He had toured the entire island city of Bainbridge before choosing to purchase a piece of its history that needed nothing more than a little tender loving care.

As Bainbridge Island was a bedroom community of Seattle, the citizens of the island were very concerned with preserving its green spaces and keeping a tight control over development, both residential and commercial, and they were also concerned with maintaining the island’s open spaces.  The island was rich in history, culture, and natural beauty, and Gavin’s mind raced with the possibilities for his paintings.  He thought that Bainbridge offered the best of both worlds… a small town with big city amenities.  There were acres of parks, a variety of trailheads, fascinating historical sites, and dozens of attractions and annual events.  The people were friendly, offering their assistance to him whenever he asked, and the island was beautiful.  There was a sense of community throughout the island, with the residents determined to maintain the island’s charm, rural character, and central location in the heart of Puget Sound.  Each room in Gavin’s bed and breakfast offered a view of the Cascade Mountains, Puget Sound, the Olympic Mountains, or Mount Rainier, depending upon where the room was located.

The historic cottage was located within an easy walk of the unique downtown shops.  Gavin had never seen such an array.  There were antique shops, craft stores from which he had already purchased supplies for his paintings, bookstores, and specialty stores, each with its very own unique gifts.  He had yet to name his new cottage, but he knew that a name would come in time.  He had decided to wait and see, and allow the name to be supplied by its interesting visitors and the unique stories of each.

He opened his cottage inn for the very first time on the first day of October, in time for visitors to experience the beauty of autumn on the island.  They were already booked for the entire month, largely due to the Pumpkin Harvest with its many activities celebrated throughout the month.  Gavin couldn’t wait for the weekend’s first visitors.  He wanted to spend time with his guests, discover why they came to Bainbridge, what their interests were, and what their plans were for their stay.

The ferry brought visitors to Bainbridge from Seattle several times every day, and with every docking Gavin couldn’t wait for his guests to check in to their vacation getaway.  He had spent too many years behind a desk in a high stressed, politically motivated, wealth driven corporation not to appreciate the slower paced down-to-earth existence that was now his.  The first visitors were as diverse as Bainbridge itself.  There was a young couple on their honeymoon, a not-so-young couple on their honeymoon, a family with two young children, same-sex couples, as well as singles who had booked a room every weekend to escape the fast paced city life of Seattle.  Gavin talked with every one of them, and he and his staff provided the relaxing experience they sought and deserved.  Gavin wanted his guests to leave Bainbridge Island feeling as if they couldn’t have enjoyed a more pleasant experience anywhere else.  But it was the staff members that were most surprised with the inn’s owner.  They didn’t know where he had come from, but many suspected he was either running from something or hiding from someone.  Little did they know that he was doing both. Gavin tried his best to fit in with the island natives, so as not to raise suspicions.  He dressed as they did, and he did the same work they did, from escorting tourists to antique shops, various arts and crafts stores, or anywhere they wished to go.  Of all the visitors, those of greatest interest to Gavin were the single people, and he wondered if any of them were escaping their pasts as he was.

He spent many evenings alone in his room painting.  His room was spacious, with very little furniture and nothing on the walls, as they were reserved for his paintings.  He painted every night, and his muses were the beauty of the island as well as the people who visited his cottage inn.  On occasion one of the single women who had come to the island alone would boldly knock on his door in the evening, wishing to spend time alone with him.  They weren’t shy about admitting their attraction to him, especially after they had returned from one of the nightclubs and were feeling very uninhibited.  For the most part, Gavin wasn’t interested in their advances.  He had never been one for one night stands.  He had only been with two women… his college girlfriend and his money hungry wife, and he was in no hurry to rush into anything.  He had often wondered about his college girlfriend, where she was now, and if she had married.  The two of them had been best friends and things had taken off from there.  They were each other’s firsts in every way, but Gavin had never spoken of marriage.  He knew his fate had been sealed.  His marriage had been nothing more than a business deal, a merger of two great families approved of by his father and his wife’s father.

Upon escorting an inebriated young woman, who was insistent upon having Gavin’s attention for the night, to her room, he often thought of Kate, his college girlfriend.  Throughout his ten years of marriage, he had plenty of time to think about what the two of them had shared.  They had become friends, then roommates, and by their second year they had become what they considered “fun” lovers.  Their first time had happened by chance one night.  Following a dry and dull date with his to-be wife, Gavin had bought a bottle of the sweetest wine he could find, and the two of them had gotten more than just a little bit drunk.  They began kissing passionately, and things had gone from there.  They had sat on Gavin’s bed, drinking and laughing about how they must have looked, sitting there half crocked, and Gavin confessed his love for her.  Then in fun Kate had unzipped Gavin’s jeans and began giving him head.  God, it felt good.  He watched her pretty pink lips form a lipstick ring around his cock as she took him all the way to his balls.  It was seductive and before he knew it he was easing into her, claiming her virginity, and making love to his best friend.  She had somehow known what he wanted without asking.  She had wanted Gavin to be her first, but he knew she had wanted more than that.  Kate had wanted him for all time, till death do us part, and he had wanted the same.  The two young lovers had spent that first night stuck together as if by glue.  From then on, he and Kate had kept their love affair a secret from everyone.  It was theirs and theirs alone.

It had been ten years since the two of them had last seen each other.  He wondered what she was doing now, and if she was happy.  Most of all, he wondered if she ever thought about him.  He didn’t even know where she was.  There were nights when he would fall asleep thinking of her.

When morning arrived, he watched the sun rise up over the mountains like a big bright smile encouraging him to leave yesterday in the past and greet the new day with open arms.  He would lie in bed and watch the magnificence, and then he would begin the day by ensuring that everything was in order for the current guests as well as for those who would be new to the island that day.

The coffee was always ready in the sunroom, with its regular, dark roasted, blonde, lattes, and cappuccinos laid out in perfect order.  He had no idea when it was delivered or by whom, but he knew that it was always waiting for him.  One morning, however, the complimentary array was just being set up as he walked into the room.

“Oh hi, I’m Gavin.  You make the best coffee I’ve ever tasted.”

The woman turned and looked at him.  “Thanks.  I’m Matilda, but folks around here call me Maddy.  I own a coffee shop and restaurant by day, and a nightclub by night.  It’s good to finally meet you.”

Gavin shook her hand.  “Likewise.  Call me Gavin.  Join me for my first cup of the day?”

Maddy agreed, and she poured them both a steaming cup of dark roast.  She couldn’t take her eyes off of Gavin.  She had heard from the locals that he looked like a supermodel, but that was an understatement.  His body was perfect, not too thin, not too thick, and his face was also perfect, with patrician features, jet black hair, and the bluest eyes that Maddy had ever seen.  She was in awe of the unassuming man.  Does he not know how good looking he is?  Has he not seen his own reflection?

“You make great coffee.  The guests love your brews,” Gavin said as he smiled at her.

Maddy, usually very self-assured, could not help but be a little intimidated by the striking physical beauty of Gavin.  “Thanks.  I opened my coffee house a couple of years ago.”  As they talked, she quickly relaxed.  She never felt intimidated for very long.

Gavin enjoyed talking to Maddy.  She didn’t seem uncomfortable talking with him, as so many others seemed to be, though he didn’t know why.  He thought that maybe he had lost some of his ability to make small talk, having spent so many years inside a cold, stuffy office building in downtown Manhattan.  He was trying very hard to be as personable here as he could, and so far it had paid off.  The downtown shop owners loved him.  He always had something nice to say about their goods, and he had offered them a free night’s stay at the inn.

The two of them sat in silence for a minute, and then Gavin spoke.  “Anytime you like, Maddy, you can stay at the inn free of charge, you know, to be pampered the way you pamper the rest of us on the island.”

Maddy didn’t know what to say, except, “Thank you, I’ll do that.”

“Great.  I look forward to it.”  Gavin was definitely looking forward to it.  There was something about the woman that he found interesting.  Then it hit him full force.  He was attracted to her because she was a lot like Kate.  For the first time in ten years, he was physically attracted to someone.  So lost in his own thoughts, he didn’t realize that Maddy was talking to him.  “I’m sorry, Maddy.  What did you say?”

Maddy chuckled.  “I said I would be calling you real soon to take you up on your offer, you can count on that.”

“I look forward to it, Maddy.”

Maddy shook his hand, and the two of them stared into each other’s eyes for what seemed a long time before Maddy snapped them both back to reality by saying that she had better get going.  “Today is going to be a busy one.”  Gavin opened the door for her and watched as she walked to her car.

True to her word, Maddy called that very day and reserved a room for the upcoming weekend which was only two days away.  Gavin found himself thinking of the young woman most of the day, as well as the following day.  Even when he painted in the evenings he was distracted by thoughts of the conversation he and Maddy had shared over coffee.  He hadn’t felt that genuinely comfortable with anyone since Kate, certainly not with his wife or his family, nor anyone he had worked with at his father’s firm.  Maddy was one hundred percent real.  There wasn’t anything fake about her, and if there was one thing Gavin could sense, it was insincerity.

 

 

 

On Friday, Gavin and his employees were busy preparing for the weekend guests.  Maddy would be checking in tonight, and he was nervously looking forward to her arrival.  He enjoyed talking to her, but there was something else he wasn’t quite sure about.

Maddy arrived at 7:00 in the evening every bit as bubbly as she was in the mornings when she delivered the day’s specialty brew.  “Hey, stranger.  Good to see you again.”

Gavin was unaccustomed to Maddy’s forwardness.  She looked him directly in the eyes, rather than lowering her eyes during their conversation.  Her eyes were sweet, with a sincerity that was clearly visible.

“Come on in, to the inn,” Gavin said with a nervous chuckle.  Maddy laughed too, a warm funny laugh.  “Let me show you to your room.  It’s upstairs at the far end, so you will have two magnificent island views.  You’ll love it.”

Maddy smiled and followed Gavin to the coziest little place she had ever seen.  It was a sweet country haven, yet with all of the amenities of a modern hotel.  “I love it.  You’ve really done a lot to the place, Gavin.  No wonder I hear nothing but great things about you.”

Gavin smiled, but he was absolutely beaming inside.  “Make yourself at home.  Room service is available on demand.  Feel free to come downstairs to our old fashioned iced cream shop which serves all kinds of delicious treats, but from my first spoonful of Mora’s iced cream I knew I had to invite them to be a part of the inn.  It’s a big hit here.”  Gavin knew he was babbling, but he couldn’t seem to stop.  Maddy was studying him intently and it made him nervous.  Vanity was completely missing from the beautiful man.  He was completely unaware of his powerful good looks.  “Maybe that’s why I’m attracted to him, because he is unassuming, and I definitely am attracted to him,” Maddy said inside her head.  Maddy was as single as single could be, but she knew little about Gavin.  She knew that he was the sole owner of the inn.  She had done her research on that.  But how could he have afforded to purchase the property?  Its price tag was well into the millions, and remodeling the place must have carried a hefty price tag as well.  She also wondered if he was married.

“We should probably continue the conversation we started over coffee, don’t you think?” Maddy boldly asked.

“Sure.  If you like amateur painting, I can definitely supply that.  I paint a little bit every evening.  You can give me your critique.”

Maddy smiled and said, “Let me unpack and clean up, and I’ll be down.”

Gavin nodded and left the room.

Half an hour later Maddy was at the front desk.  “I see the artist, now show me the art.”

Gavin smiled his model-esque smile that was sexy, yet endearing.  “It’s very amateur art, if it can be called art.  Come on in.”  Gavin led Maddy into his room and closed the door behind them.  She looked around.  The room was sparse, with only a bed, and nothing on the walls.  He noticed the questioning look on her face.  “I thought I would put my own paintings on the wall, but I’m not sure they would look that good,” he said.

“Of course they would.  It would be your taste.  It’s your room.”

Maddy obviously didn’t have the inner turmoil that Gavin knew.  Gavin had been raised to believe that if something wasn’t perfect, it wasn’t worthy of display.

“Why not paint the walls, like a mural?” Maddy offered.  “Why limit yourself to the confines of a canvass?”  She walked to the window where even in the darkness the mountains were beautiful.  “Come here, Gavin.  Look out there.  There are no constraints to nature’s canvass.  It’s continuous.”

Gavin walked toward the window.  Maddy was right.  She had the ability to see outside of herself.  She wasn’t afraid to speak her mind, either.  “It’s beautiful,” he responded.

“Paint the walls, Gavin.  Be a kid again.”

Gavin didn’t have the heart to tell her that he had never really been a kid.  He just smiled and walked toward the bed.  Maddy followed and sat down beside him.  She reached for the bottle of wine that she had brought from her shop.

“How about trying the island’s best,” she said as she popped the cork and poured two glasses.  “I brought my personal favorite.”

Wine was one thing Gavin knew a lot about.  Wine was the drink of the upper crust of society, or so he had always been told by his father.  They always had lots of wine in the house and a fully stocked cellar when Gavin was growing up.  Maddy handed Gavin a glass and one sip told him that this was without a doubt one of the best.  He drank half the glass rather quickly.

“It’s easy to drink too much,” Maddy warned.

Gavin drank the rest of his glass of wine, and Maddy did the same.  Then she placed both glasses on the nightstand.

“Now, let me see your artwork,” she demanded.

Gavin went to the closet to get his sketches, all the while saying, “I wouldn’t call it artwork, at least not yet.”  Maddy wondered if Gavin was being humble or if he was insecure.  He didn’t give himself enough credit.  “Well, here they are,” he announced as he presented his two sketches.

Maddy took them from him and studied them closely.  After a while, she looked up.  “Gavin, these are absolutely wonderful.  I mean it, you’ve captured the mountains beautifully, and this painting of a single cup of coffee is exquisite.  You’re a natural.”

Gavin thought she was just being nice.  “Oh, come on, they’re not that good.”

“I mean it,” she said seriously.  “I’ll take you to some of the art galleries here on the island, and you’ll see.  Your work would fit in with the best of them.”

Gavin felt his cheeks growing hot, and he turned away.  He couldn’t believe that he was blushing.

Maddy went over to him and placed her arm around him.  “I didn’t mean to embarrass you.  I guess sometimes I’m a little too blunt.  But I did mean it.”

Gavin stiffened when he felt Maddy’s touch.  He hadn’t been touched in a long time, and the feeling of Maddy’s arm holding him was nearly overpowering.  He folded his arms in front of him.  He didn’t know what else to do with them.  He liked the heat of Maddy’s breath as she spoke and fought the urge to kiss her.  She broke her hold on Gavin and motioned for him to sit down on the bed with her.  She stacked pillows behind them.

“So, tell me, Gavin, do you have any fond college stories?”

Gavin froze at the question, and his eyes were wide with fear.  The fondest stories were of his roommate, Kate, but he didn’t think Maddy wanted to hear about that.  The perceptive young woman, however, wondered what he was hiding.  Was he a secret agent, with the Mafia, or a closeted billionaire from another country?  He seemed troubled.  So she offered her own story.

“As for me, I went to the University of Washington in Seattle, and after eight years I finally graduated with a B.S. in management.”  She laughed when she made the comment about eight years, and Gavin couldn’t help but smile.  The woman was so easy to talk to.  With Maddy, what you saw was exactly what you got, and Gavin was unaccustomed to honesty.  In his former world, the spoken word could rarely be trusted.  “I hope you’re not offended, Gavin, but I’m pretty direct.”

“No, Maddy, it’s a welcome change.”  Gavin thought he shouldn’t say anymore, at least not yet.

“Well, tell me about college, Gavin.”

Gavin felt that he could tell Maddy anything, and the wine was helping too.  “How about another glass of wine first,” he said as he reached out his hand.  Maddy reluctantly agreed and poured two more glasses.  Gavin took a big gulp and began his story.  “It was a long time ago, but I went to Brown University, degree in finance as expected to join the Matthews firm of enterprising men,” he spoke in a mocking tone.

“Brown, huh?  Anyone special at Brown?”

Gavin spoke softly and sadly as he told of his expected life, and then he was either brave enough or had just enough to drink to not care what he said and he went on to tell Maddy all about Kate.  “I guess our friendship went a little too far, huh?”  He looked at her for signs of disapproval, but he saw only understanding in her face.  He continued.  “We had so much fun, Kate and I, perhaps because we knew we were living on borrowed time.  She knew what was expected of me and she also knew that I couldn’t marry her.”

“Maybe you truly loved each other,” Maddy replied.  She took Gavin’s empty glass and set both glasses down on the nightstand.  She leaned over and held his face in her hands.  Gavin closed his eyes and offered his mouth to her.  She gently touched her lips to his and kissed him softly, opening his mouth with her own.  Then she kissed the side of his mouth, then his cheek, kissing his neck and all the way down to his shirt collar, and she gently pushed it open to kiss his shoulder.  Then she looked at him.  His eyes were still closed and his head was leaned back into the comfort of the pillows.  She placed one hand on Gavin’s neck and with the other she held his hand.  “Did Kate kiss you like that?”  Gavin opened his eyes.  He was at a loss for words.  His heart was beating faster and with the touch of Maddy’s lips on his, he had begun to feel something again.  Maddy didn’t need an answer.  She kissed him again, this time lingering a little longer and holding him in a loving embrace.  Gavin placed his arms around her somewhat hesitantly at first, but then he held her tightly.  It had been a very long time since he had felt this way.  Maddy moved closer to him until their chests were touching.  Each could feel the pounding of the other’s heart.

The gentleness of Maddy’s kisses was arousing to Gavin.  He could feel his jeans tighten in a way that he hadn’t felt in a very long time.  He had begun to think that he might be impotent.  His erection was pushing against his zipper so hard that it was beginning to hurt.  He shifted to try to adjust for the burgeoning entity that refused to be ignored.  Maddy broke her kiss, fearing that she may have gone too far.

“You okay?”

Not one to shy away from something she wanted, Maddy slowly guided the zipper of Gavin’s jeans downward, with her hand outlining what was eagerly awaiting its release as she went.  She looked at Gavin all the while she was doing this, and Gavin saw lust in her eyes, lust for him, something he hadn’t seen in quite some time.  She reached a hand inside Gavin’s jeans but kept it outside of his shorts as she gently cupped his balls.  Gavin closed his eyes.  Oh, what this woman was doing to him.  She outlined his erection again as she moved her hand upward.  She never took her eyes off of his.  She thought she saw deep hurt in those eyes but also a great capacity for love.  Keeping her hand around Gavin’s penis, Maddy leaned up and kissed him gently on the lips.  His lips were soft, and they tasted like sweet wine.  She kissed his cheek and spoke softly into his ear.

“I can give you an amazing blowjob.”

Gavin nearly choked on his own spit.  He was shocked by Maddy’s words.  No woman in his world would ever say something so bold.  His eyes were closed and his head was laid back as Maddy kissed him again softly on his lips.  Then she slowly pulled him downward on the bed until he was almost lying flat.  She slowly removed his jeans and pushed them onto the floor.  She stared for a few minutes at Gavin’s body, naked from the waist down.  The man was beautiful.  His legs were sexy, and in between those legs were the most delicious looking balls that Maddy had ever seen.  She spread his legs apart and stared at what she wanted.  Gavin’s cock was throbbing, begging for Maddy’s awaiting mouth.  Kneeling between his legs, she placed her hands inside his shirt and rested her fingers on his hardened nipples.  As she laid her tongue at the base of Gavin’s cock and slid it upward along the shaft, Gavin moaned, and for an instant he thought of Kate.  Maddy was every bit as loving as Kate had been, and the feelings that had until now been repressed came rushing back in a flood.  As Maddy’s mouth encircled the head of his cock and then engulfed it in its entirety, Gavin moaned even louder.  Maddy continued a slow and steady pace, pulling the cock into her mouth and letting it back out, driving Gavin out of his mind. He gasped and spread his legs as far apart as he could.  “Oh, Maddy,” he moaned over and over, louder and louder, until he came in one gigantic explosive orgasm.  Maddy continued until Gavin’s cock became completely flaccid inside her mouth.  Then she let it slip slowly out of her mouth.  She moved onto her side and held Gavin in her arms, kissed him on the cheek, and lay next to him.  She gently turned his cheek toward her and smiled.  Gavin opened his eyes, and not knowing what to say, he simply smiled back at her.

As Gavin dosed, Maddy looked as his perfect face.  The man’s features looked as if they had been chiseled to perfection, and she wondered what kind of life he must have led to cause him to leave it so suddenly.  Word got around and rumors were wild about what had brought him to the island.  It wasn’t just to open a bed and breakfast.  He could have done that anywhere. He was a kind and gentle man, unlike any man she had ever known.  She couldn’t help but feel protective of him.  Gavin was like a little bird that had broken its wings.

Maddy had not planned to stay the entire night, but she couldn’t leave the sleeping Gavin.  She liked her new friend, and she wanted to know him better, much better.  She pulled the covers up over them both, and was soon sleeping soundly.

Gavin awoke when the sun came streaming through the east window as it made its slow climb up and over Mount Olympus.  He stretched and looked over at Maddy sleeping beside him.  The memories of the night before quickly came to him when he realized he was naked from the waist down.  The woman certainly knew how to give a blowjob.  He felt exhilarated, just as he had after he and Kate had given each other that welcome release as they masturbated each other following a night of pretense that Gavin had spent with his predetermined wife-to-be.  He hadn’t felt sexually aroused since Kate, until last night with Maddy.  Although he had not known her very long, it seemed as if they had been friends forever.  They had hit it off from the moment they met, just as he and Kate had connected so many years ago.

Gavin stretched, and the movement of the bed caused Maddy to stir.  He wished he could grab his pants.  He felt exposed even underneath the covers.  He moved a little more, purposely trying to awaken Maddy.

Maddy’s eyes opened.  “Oh hey, good morning, Gavin.”

Gavin smiled nervously.

“Are you hung over?”

“No, I’m fine.”  He did have a slight headache, but there was no way he was going to admit it.  Maddy had given him what he had needed for a very long time, and she had given it good.

With the entire weekend to himself, Gavin couldn’t think of anything better to do than spend it with Maddy.  The young woman had checked into the inn for two days, so she obviously had some free time too.  He looked over to find her staring at him.

“What’s on your mind?”

Embarrassed that he was being watched, Gavin stammered a bit before admitting what he had been thinking.  “I was just thinking about what to do with my weekend.  I haven’t had any time to myself since the inn opened.”

“Hmm, we’ll have to think of something, won’t we?”  Maddy rolled onto her back.  “You’ve got to see my little coffee shop, and my country house.  It’s a little ways out, but it’s my peaceful retreat.  I love working, but going home to the country at night is a necessity.”

Gavin blinked a couple of times and looked away when Maddy mentioned home.  He really didn’t have a home any longer, and now he was starting over.  He wasn’t sure where he belonged.  His life had been planned for him since he was born, and now he felt lost.

“What’s wrong?  Did I say something to offend you?”

“Not at all.  I would love to see your business, as well as your country home.”  He was guarded with his answer, as he had been taught to be by his father.

“Great.  Let’s get going.”  Maddy excused herself and escaped into the bathroom.  Gavin was waiting for her when she returned.

Maddy drove them in her jeep to the coffee shop so Gavin could see firsthand where his favorite coffee was brewed.  “Here we are,” she announced proudly as she opened the door and motioned for him to enter.

It was a busy place as always, but it was especially busy on weekend mornings.  Everyone knew Maddy and they loved to stop and talk with her.  She introduced Gavin and made a shameless plug for his inn.

Back inside the jeep, she asked, “Well, what did you think, honestly?”

Gavin looked at her.  “I love it.  It’s beautifully decorated.  Did you do it?”

“I wouldn’t call it decorating, but yes, I painted the walls and hung a picture or two.  Maybe a local artist would be willing to paint a mural or two for my walls.”

Gavin laughed.  “I’m a novice, Maddy.  I’m not an artist.”

“Don’t sell yourself short.  You’ve got raw talent.”

Gavin smiled and changed the subject as he looked out at the scenery passing them by.  The island had charm, and now that they were away from town he could see miles and miles of green as it spread before them like a beautiful silk tapestry, surrounding them entirely the farther out they went.  Along the way were rows and rows of strawberry fields which gave the island a Christmas-like appearance, with the redness of the berries interspersed with the green of the stems.

“Who owns these?”  Once he asked, he wished he could have choked back the words.  That was something his father would ask and then offer to buy it all.

Maddy smiled uneasily.  “The strawberry fields are usually handed down from generations.  I don’t really know who owns each one.”  As Gavin continued to stare at the fields, Maddy glanced at him from time to time, wondering if his ambitions included much more than his bed and breakfast.  Perhaps he planned to purchase the entire island and build vacations homes, malls, or businesses.  He seemed to have an eye for business, but she wanted to know where his heart was.

They turned onto a long lane lined with trees on both sides, and when Maddy and Gavin emerged again, in the clearing stood Maddy’s home.  Gavin’s eyes were wide.  It was not the humble abode he had expected given the woman’s description.  It was a chateau-like home, much like the ones he had seen in France on his numerous trips abroad.

“Maddy, this is beautiful.”

“Thanks.  It’s been in the family for years,” she said with a smile.  “My great-grandfather built it with his own two hands.  Then Grandpa and Grandma planted thousands of strawberry fields by hand, and in later years my parents took over the ‘strawberry business,’ working the fields like their parents.  Mom still makes strawberry jam and provides it free of charge to the local restaurants.  She says it’s her little way of giving back to the island that has given her so much.”  She looked over at Gavin.  “But honestly, we aren’t a pretentious people… just hard working.”

Maddy chose her words carefully, trying to impress upon Gavin the importance of keeping everything on the island just as it was.  It wasn’t something to be bought and then sold off in parts, if that was his plan.  The island was in her blood and she would be damned if some city boy would waltz in and take it.

They walked inside, and once again Gavin was amazed.  He was amazed at the lack of ostentation.  Maddy’s country home was decorated simply, with country décor throughout.  It felt like a real home.  It was stuffed with oversized furniture, and it was bright and cheery, with ceiling-to-floor windows welcoming the natural light.  She showed him the entire house, saving her bedroom for last.  She led him to the second floor and said, “Okay, prepare yourself.”

Maddy opened the door to her bedroom, and Gavin laughed out loud.  “It’s sweet.”  Then he laughed harder, and Maddy stifled a giggle.  The walls had been hand painted by Maddy’s mother many years ago, and as far as the eye could see, on every wall there were strawberries of every size.

“I couldn’t bear to change it, so I left it.  But the rest of the room is all me.”  She had added a few modern touches… a computer, flat screen TV, and furniture that better reflected her own taste.

She led Gavin back downstairs and offered to make him pancakes from her grandmother’s famous recipe with, of course, her mother’s strawberry jam and syrup.  Gavin was starving, and Maddy loved to cook.  It was a love she shared with her mother.  Gavin stared out the large kitchen window at the beautiful lawn sprinkled with flowers.  I’ll bet this place could be sold for half a billion, he couldn’t help but think.  The lawn was beautiful, and the house was one-of-a-kind.  It was paradise.  He wondered how many of the country estates were near replicas of the French countryside.  It could be France in the U.S.

“Here we are… hotcakes and hot coffee,” announced Maddy.

Gavin snapped back to reality and downed several of the delicious cakes.  “Your culinary talents match your brewing talent, Maddy.  These are scrumptious.”

“Mm, mmm,” she replied.  She was too busy stuffing hotcakes into her mouth to carry on a conversation.

When they had finished their coffee, Gavin asked for a tour of the grounds, and Maddy led him into the back yard.  “The walk will do me good,” she said as she patted her stomach.

Gavin looked at her.  She was tall for a woman, but slender, like him.  Unlike Gavin’s runner type frame, however, Maddy had a curvy figure which was another thing about her that reminded him of Kate.  She showed him the strawberry shaped flower garden, the hedges her mother had trimmed in the shape of strawberries, and when they passed through the gate that enclosed the pool, Gavin couldn’t help but laugh.

“This is too much.”

She smiled.  “I know, I know.”

Inside the gate was a strawberry shaped pool.  “Bainbridge is known for its strawberries, but Mom may have taken it a bit too far.”

“Where is she, your mother?”  Gavin was afraid the woman may have died, but he felt comfortable asking Maddy.

“Mom lives in town now, in a much smaller house.  She still makes jams and syrups and delivers them to the restaurants, though, but someone else picks the berries.”

“Oh, I was afraid that…”

“Mom’s fine.  She just got tired of keeping up such a big place as this.  I’ll take you there real soon… to her house.  You’ll like her.”

It was mid afternoon by the time Gavin and Maddy returned to the house.  Maddy had planned to spend the night, and she hoped that Gavin would join her.  She missed having someone in her life, and she missed having someone in her bed.  “What can I show you next?”

“I don’t think anything can top this.  You’ve got a virtual paradise out here, Maddy.  How many more estates are like yours?”

Maddy smiled cautiously.  “They’re homes to us.  We don’t really go in for that estate business.”

Gavin nodded.

Maddy wanted to ask him straight out why he had come to the island, but she knew she had to be careful.  “How about staying here tonight?  You’ll love waking up in the country.”  She wanted him, and she also wanted a confession, even if it was between the sheets.

With an obvious invitation to share Maddy’s bed, Gavin said a quick “sure” and then looked away.  Maddy wondered if it was due to embarrassment or the secret she knew he was hiding.

After the long walk, Maddy admitted that she wasn’t in the mood to cook anything.  “You’ve seen downtown, so how about a trip to the water’s edge for dinner.  One of my favorite restaurants is a secluded little place that’s very quiet.”

Gavin had more questions for Maddy and wanted to stay where he was, but he played along.

“Whatever you like, sure,” he tried to respond with an upbeat tone.

Maddy walked closer to him and put an arm around him.  “Don’t be afraid to speak your mind with me, okay?  Let’s have something delivered.  It’s a long drive all the way out here, so I tip the drivers well, both in money as well as several jars of Mom’s strawberry jam.”

“That sounds great,” he smiled back and made himself comfortable in one of the oversized sofas.

Maddy made the call, and then she sat down beside him and took his hand in hers.  “So, tell me more about Kate, if you don’t mind.”

“I don’t mind,” he responded.  Maddy noticed immediately that Gavin’s mood seemed to brighten as he spoke of his former girlfriend.  “We were roommates for four years, and I guess the physical part began our sophomore year.  We just seemed to click.”

“You were young and in love,” Maddy stated.

“We both knew it had to end.  My future wife had been chosen for me.”  Gavin felt a stabbing feeling throughout his entire being.  He had loved Kate though he tried to deny it, but Maddy’s perceptiveness was something he couldn’t ignore.  They sat in silence for a while, until Gavin spoke again.  “I guess we were in love.”

Selfishly, Maddy was thrilled that Gavin had once loved a woman as deeply as he had.  If he had loved once, he could love again.  She wanted to tell him about her own past, but she wasn’t proud of the fact that since her father died six years earlier she had taken the ferry to Seattle almost every weekend for a quick lay in a desperate attempt to fill an emotional void.  But she knew emotional detachment wasn’t an option with Gavin.  She was already attached to the man whose intentions she questioned.  But one day she would tell him about her past… one day.

The doorbell rang twice before either of them heard it.  “I guess dinner’s here.  Let’s eat.”  Gavin smiled his billion dollar smile and followed Maddy into the kitchen.

With the food and the wine, Gavin felt much better and it was difficult for him to stop drinking, but Maddy stopped them after one glass.  “Let’s save the rest for later.  How about taking a swim in a strawberry shaped pool?”

“I’d love to,” Gavin exclaimed, “But I didn’t bring any swim gear.”

“It would spoil all the fun if you had,” Maddy said somewhat jokingly.  “It’s dark, the water’s warm, and the feeling of the water swirling around your naked body is exhilarating beyond belief.  Care to try it?”  She took Gavin’s hand and raised her eyebrows seductively.

“Sure,” he said.

The pool was stunning in the moonlight.  With darkness all around, the strawberry shaped waterhole shared the spotlight with nothing.  It was a star in its own right.  Maddy stripped off her clothes in record time and jumped into the pool, but Gavin had never felt comfortable with open nudity, and even though it was dark, there was enough light from the pool lights as well as from the moon to allow Maddy the pleasure of watching him undress by the side of the pool.

“I’m going to do a couple of laps to loosen up.  I like to swim underwater, so I’ll see you in a bit,” Maddy said hurriedly.

While she swam, Gavin quickly rid his body of every article of clothing and allowed the warmth of the water to swirl around him as he slowly made his way into the pool.  The water reached him mid chest, and the feeling was exhilarating.  The swirling water combined with the wine he had practically gulped was arousing.  He could see Maddy’s silhouette as she swam from one end of the pool to the other and liked what he saw.  Her nude body was a turn-on for him.  The roundness of her supple butt as it barely reached the water’s surface before disappearing again made him dizzy with desire.  She had meat on her bones and wasn’t caught up in her looks as so many women in his former world had been.

With the warm water swirling around him and lost in his own thoughts, Gavin didn’t notice Maddy swimming underwater toward him.  She popped up out of the water and pulled him to her, kissing him boldly as the water dripped onto his face.  Her hands moved to Gavin’s face and she kissed him passionately, drawing his lips apart with her own.  Gavin’s heart beat wildly and he kissed her with no holding back, and moved his hands down her back, stopping just as he felt the top of the round butt that he wanted much more of.  Maddy wanted Gavin, too.  His touch was electrifying.  She had never felt that way about any man.  She broke the kiss and moved Gavin’s hands down into the water and onto her butt that ached for the touch of a man.  “Don’t stop now, baby,” she whispered.  With those words, Gavin’s hands roamed over Maddy’s round butt that gently kissed the water’s edge.  She rose up on tiptoe to allow him a better hold.  He moved his hands to the sides and smoothed them up and down along Maddy’s womanly curves.  He wanted her tonight.  His cock ached to be between her legs and delving deeply inside of her.  He was hard just thinking about giving her a good hard fuck.  Maddy wanted Gavin, too, right there in the pool, but she also wanted to make love to him slowly in her bed.  She wanted to wake up in his arms.  She knew she had to stop now or she would take him right there in the pool.  I can make it, she thought.  All I have to do is pry myself away from this gorgeous sexy man.  That should be no problem.  She kissed him one more time, and then forced herself to stop.  She backed away and held his face in her hands.

“I want you, Gavin, but not here… not in the pool.  I want you in my bed… tonight.  C’mon,” she commanded, and she led Gavin by the hand out of the water.

She caressed his sexy body beginning with his gorgeous face.  She encircled his lips with her delicate fingers, and Gavin breathed heavily, parting his lips that begged for the touch of a woman.  Maddy kissed him with slow, lingering kisses, slowly making her way down to his chest, stopping to tease the taut nipples on either side.  Gavin raised his chest to welcome the sensual softness of Maddy’s lips, moaning, and urging the woman to suck them harder.  She immediately took the hint and swirled her tongue around the mini erections as she pulled them into her mouth.

Selfishly, Maddy wanted Gavin to enjoy sex with her more than he had with his ex-girlfriend.  She wasn’t the jealous type, but she felt that she would just die if she couldn’t have Gavin to herself after knowing him, no matter what his intentions were for her island home.  Gavin wasn’t thinking of anything.  He was completely lost in the ecstasy of someone wanting him this way.  Maddy moved down along his body, kissing the line of dark hair that led to pleasures forbidden.  She kissed his navel and then slowly and seductively allowed the bulbous head of his cock to enter the warmth of her mouth as she swirled her tongue around it and then downward along the shaft.  She moved down and spread his legs apart.  Holding his firm buttocks, she pulled his balls one at a time into her mouth, driving Gavin insane.  His eyes were closed and he moaned continuously.  Then abruptly, he grabbed Maddy’s hair and stopped her.  “Maddy, I want to fuck you.”  Maddy was so turned on that she was wetter than she had remembered being in a long time.  She pushed Gavin’s legs together and teasingly made her way upward until she was seated at the head of his cock.  She leaned down and kissed him as she slid the slick head of his cock between her pussy lips.  “Oh God, Maddy, don’t tease me.”  She eased down, taking his throbbing hardness deep inside of her, until she was sitting all the way down.  She made slow easy strides up and down, kissing him each time and absorbing his moans as he writhed beneath her.  Gavin groaned when she squeezed his cock and eased up, again and again, as he tried not to explode too soon.  Surprising the woman on top of him, he manhandled her to the bed in one sudden twist.  “Gavin!”  He held her arms above her head as he plunged inside of her.  Spreading her legs for the sex starved man, Maddy met his every thrust, her body responding in ways that it had not responded in a long time.  He caressed her breasts, molding them as if they were made of clay, watching her face as it registered pleasure and ecstasy.  Kneading her breasts like bread dough, he watched as the nipples hardened between his fingers, and he felt his cock grow larger inside of her.  He quickened his thrusts, and Maddy’s first orgasm came easily with this man, and more followed, becoming stronger as Gavin began fucking her harder and faster.  Gavin’s orgasm was building quickly as Maddy gasped as she reached climactic heights time and again.  The two lovers moaned as they climaxed, Maddy gasping and writhing, and Gavin unleashing inside the woman who had made him feel like a man again.

Gavin was drawn by Maddy’s loving arms to lie upon her womanly body.  He nuzzled into her breasts, sighing deeply.  They remained in that position, savoring their pleasing of each other and not saying a word, until they slept in each other’s arms.

 

 

 

Waking up with Maddy’s arms around him was a feeling that had long been forgotten by the love starved Gavin, and it was a feeling he never wanted to end.  He wanted her, but he doubted himself.  He saw a lot of opportunities on the island and didn’t know if he could be content with only a bed and breakfast to his name.  He could turn this island into a financial windfall, which would make a lot of money for Maddy’s business as well as the other shopkeepers.

On the drive back to town, talk of the week ahead filled the jeep.  Maddy dropped Gavin off at the inn, and then she hurried downtown to open her coffee shop.  It was early and she looked forward to her first cup of coffee today more than she usually did.  Gavin was so happy that he couldn’t contain his exuberance.  His employees noticed immediately.  He was always pleasant, but today he was nearly ecstatic.

“Looks like someone had a good weekend,” one staff member commented.

“The best,” was Gavin’s emphatic reply.

They had hoped the innkeeper would find happiness on Bainbridge Island.  They knew he had left the east coast for reasons other than geography, but no one was willing to ask what those reasons were.

When Maddy brought the coffee to the inn, she and Gavin sat and talked as they always did, about business.  Despite their attraction to each other, they were both business owners and knew the importance of keeping their mind in the game.  With their long hours, the two young lovers rarely saw each other during the week, but the weekends were now reserved for the two of them to share undisturbed.

Maddy had promised Gavin a surprise weekend following the long week apart save for the brief moments shared when she brought her delicious brews to the inn each morning.  Gavin had no idea what the woman had planned, but he had no doubt that the bubbly young woman had planned a weekend of fun, as well as sex such that Gavin had never experienced.  Last weekend with Maddy had made him realize the intimacy he had missed since he and Kate had parted ways.  He wondered if he would ever forget about her.

On Friday morning when Maddy brought the array of awakening brews to the inn, she and Gavin spoke about the long weekend ahead.  Two days came and went so quickly, but they reminded each other that it was quality, not quantity, that made their time together so special.

“You always look so rested in the mornings, even after the long days and nights you put in.  How do you do it?”

Maddy was impressed, but she was also a little embarrassed at her own response.  “I guess I should have been willing to admit it.  I stay with my mom at her house in town during the week and only drive out to the country house on the weekends, not every night.”

“That’s nice, Maddy.  You and your mom must have a good relationship.”

“We do.  She has been a great mom, and Dad was a good dad.”  She sighed.  “Even when I wasn’t the easiest daughter to deal with, they stood by me.  They’ve always encouraged my crazy business ventures and some were just short of wacky.”

Gavin felt his entire body stiffen.  Perhaps it was jealousy.  Maybe he was mad at himself for not standing up for what he wanted, or perhaps he was exactly like his father as thoughts of turning Bainbridge Island into a financial venture continued to swirl inside his mind.

“Well, Gavin, I’ll be back later, around 7:00, for our surprise weekend.”

Gavin watched as Maddy walked out the door before getting back to work.  He had to prepare the inn for the weekend which was always busy.  Later that morning a letter was delivered with a New York return address.  He didn’t want to open it, but he knew he had to sometime.  He went into his room and closed the door.  His hands were shaking as he struggled to open the tightly sealed envelope.  Inside was a letter from his wife’s attorney stating that she had filed for an emergency divorce because she was pregnant with another man’s baby.  Gavin felt dizzy, and he struggled to make his feet move so he could sit down on the bed.  She certainly never wanted my babies, he thought.  Then he read further, and as he did his entire body broke out in a cold sweat.  The man whose baby his wife was having was his father.  Apparently they had been having an affair for three years.  “The bitch really is a gold digger,” he said aloud.  “When she realized she had taken everything of mine, that wasn’t enough, so she went on to a bigger gold mine.  She was whoring around with my father and she deserves him, but not his money.  Clutching the letter to his chest, he lay upon the bed waiting for the room to stop spinning.  He closed his eyes and wiped the beads of sweat from his face.  He tried to focus his eyes on the words again, but they were blurred and out of focus.  Had he really read the words he thought he had read?

Once the beads of sweat stopped forming and his heart stopped racing, he closed his eyes.  He felt as if he had just run ten miles in as many minutes.  He didn’t hear the knock on the door at 7:00 p.m.

Maddy knocked again, but still no answer.  She tried to turn the knob, but the door was locked.  She went to the dining room where the employees were setting up for dinner and asked if anyone had seen Gavin.  No one had seen him for the last couple of hours.  “Is he not at the front desk?” a concerned staff member asked.  “No, and the door to his room is locked,” Maddy answered in a somewhat frantic voice.

The nice lady gave Maddy the master key and spoke quietly to her.  “You go check on him for us please.  If something is wrong, he will trust you.”  She, as well as the rest of the employees, felt certain that Maddy had been the reason for Gavin’s newfound happiness.

Maddy took the key and practically ran to Gavin’s door.  Opening it slowly, she called his name and tapped lightly on the door.  When he didn’t respond, she stepped inside, closing the door behind her.  When she turned to find him lying on the bed with his eyes closed, clutching the sheet of paper, she locked the door of his room and went to his side.  Sitting on the bed next to him, she lightly touched his cheek.

“Gavin, wake up.  It’s Maddy.”  Maddy struggled to control her wavering voice as she spoke.  Whatever was contained in the letter he was holding so tightly must have been very upsetting to the man she was falling in love with, and it hurt her to see him like that.  She slowly reached out and held his hand.  It was cold and clammy.

When he opened his eyes and saw Maddy looking at him, he had no idea what had happened, and he had no idea how long he had been lying on the bed.  Then he realized that he was still holding the piece of paper tightly to his chest and guessed he must have passed out from shock.

“Oh, hi Maddy, is it time to go?  I must have fallen asleep.”

They both knew that wasn’t true, but Maddy wasn’t going to pry, not just yet anyway, and Gavin wasn’t ready to share what the letter contained.  He was too afraid he would lose her, and he realized that he was beginning to care about her a great deal.  He was falling in love with her, and loving someone was the one thing he didn’t know if he was capable of doing.

“I was worried, Gavin.  Your door was locked and you didn’t open it when I knocked.  A staff member let me in.”

“Oh, I’ll get ready,” he said as he rose from the bed and went into the bathroom.

After closing the door behind him, he leaned against the wall and read the letter again.  It hit him just as hard as it had the first time.  He shifted a little and hit a towel rack by accident.  The noise startled Maddy, and she knocked on the bathroom door just as he was opening it.

“Gavin, you okay?”  Relieved to see that he was okay, she grabbed his arm.  “Come on out.  What gives?”

“I just got some bad news, that’s all,” he lied.

“Is everything okay, your family all right, um, is it…Kate?  Did something happen to her?”

Maddy hated asking about the ex-girlfriend, but she had to know.  If the letter was about Kate, and Gavin was troubled as much as he seemed, she didn’t know what she would do.  She could lose him.  Did he still love Kate?

“No, Maddy, nothing’s wrong.”  He hated lying and knew he had to tell her the truth.  He owed her that much.  He couldn’t have her thinking that he still loved Kate.

“Let’s come out of the bathroom, okay?”

She guided him by his arm back into the bedroom.  Gavin sat down on the bed with Maddy seated beside him.  He folded the letter and put it in his pocket.  “Would you hate me if I said I wasn’t up for a big weekend and that I would much rather go back to your house in the country?”

Maddy was relieved.  She thought Gavin was going to bail and not want to see her at all this weekend.  “Not at all.  We can spend the entire weekend, just you and me, in the country.  Fresh air will do us both good.”

Gavin packed a small bag and locked the door of his room on the way out.  Once outside in the sunlight, Maddy noticed how pale the man was.  That letter, she thought, what was in that letter?  Maybe once they were alone he would share its contents with her.  Perhaps it held his secret.

They took the jeep again, and Gavin laid his head back and let the cool breeze of the evening sweep his cheeks with light airy kisses all the way to Maddy’s cozy country home.  She parked the jeep in front, but before getting out, she looked at Gavin and said, “Hold out your hand.”  Maddy placed a key in his hand and said, “Keep this.  It’s a key to my house.  If you ever want to come here, you know, to get away and be by yourself, you don’t have to ask, just come on out.”

“Thanks, Maddy.  You sure?”

She winked and smiled at him.  She was sure, but in the back of her mind there was a tiny sliver of doubt.  Perhaps she had just handed him a loaded gun… an easy means to feed his corporate greed.

They walked inside and Gavin felt the same cozy feeling he had felt the weekend before.  He could feel the stress of the last few hours begin to melt away.  Maddy went into the kitchen and poured them some wine.  She knew she could certainly use some.  Gavin had given her quite a scare.  She handed him a glass, and they went into the sunroom off the kitchen and stared out at the beautiful lawn.  The strawberry shaped pool could be seen in the distance, bringing back memories of their first night of lovemaking.  Maddy wanted to know what was in the letter, and Gavin wanted to drink enough wine to forget all about it.  After he poured himself a third glass of the alcoholic beverage, Maddy returned the bottle to the kitchen.

“Don’t want to overdo it.  Not sure if I’m up to carrying you up all those stairs later,” she joked.

Attempting to drink problems away had never worked for her, and she doubted that drinking would solve Gavin’s problems either.  But Gavin was feeling good, and he didn’t appreciate having the source of his good feeling stripped away.  “Aw, c’mon, party pooper, one more glass can’t hurt.”

Maddy didn’t respond, but continued to stare out at the diminishing sunlight.  It was dusk, and she was tired from the long work week and from her latest scare from Gavin.  She was feeling relaxed, but he was feeling extremely relaxed, as well as horny.  He finished his third glass of wine, set it down on the table between the two of them, stood directly in front of Maddy, straddled her, and planted himself firmly on her upper thighs so their pelvises were touching.  Maddy set her glass down and placed her arms around him.  Gavin leaned in and placed his hands firmly on the back of Maddy’s chair.

“Do you want me, Maddy?” he asked seductively, so close to her mouth that she could almost taste the wine on his lips.

“You know I do, Gavin.”

Gavin’s desire for Maddy was evident and could be felt by both of them.  The front of his jeans was stretched to its limits as it pressed against her.  He ran his tongue along her lips, gave her a light kiss on her closed mouth, and then leaned back and looked into her eyes.

“Why, Maddy?  Why do you want me, huh?”

Maddy knew that at least part of this was coming from a hurt Gavin, part was coming from a Gavin who had too much to drink, but there was another part of him that she didn’t know.

There wasn’t much she could do for him right now except let him deal with things on his own terms, and if playing a tease made him feel good, then that was what she would let him do.  He would hate himself enough when he sobered up without her making it worse.  “I want you because just thinking of you makes me horny.”

“You want me to fuck you, don’t you, Maddy?  You want my hard thick cock inside of you stretching your sweet little cunt.”

Maddy wanted him more than she had wanted any man, but she had never liked being around men when they were drunk, and she hated seeing Gavin this way.  He was demanding, and he kissed her hard on the mouth, forcing his tongue inside hers.  He wanted Maddy to want him.  He needed her to want him.  He craved love.  Maddy pulled Gavin’s tongue into her mouth and held it there, letting it out slowly and sucking it back in vigorously.  She held him as close to her as she could.  But Gavin broke away from her, fearing he was losing control of the situation.  He unbuttoned her shirt, moaning as he did.

“You have a nice set of twins here.  Twin peaks, you might say.  Gavin likes.”  He ran his tongue all around her chest, stopping to suckle the nipples that were big and hard, the perfect size for sucking.  “Hard little babies.”  He pressed his hard penis against Maddy’s pelvis, grinding against her, moving up and down, causing friction which was arousing to Maddy.  “Does this make you want me?” he teased.

“You know I want you.”  She leaned forward toward to kiss him, but he pushed away.

“Sometimes we can’t have what we want,” he laughingly teased.

Maddy closed her eyes and laid her head back.  Gavin unzipped his jeans and showed off his full naked cock to tease and taunt her.  “Open your eyes, honey, and see what I’ve got.”

Maddy looked at Gavin’s hard cock and desperately wanted it inside of her.  Gavin arched his back.  “Wanna suck it?”

Was that a dare?  If it was, this guy didn’t know who he was dealing with.  While his back was arched and his eyes closed, Maddy leaned down and with one movement took the hard cock into her mouth, pulling it forcefully, and then slowly letting it back out again.  Gavin was nearly knocked off balance by the unexpected action.  If it weren’t for Maddy’s hands on his back, he would have fallen backward onto the floor.  But he recovered quickly and taunted her once again.

“So that’s it, one suck, you love me enough for one suck, huh?”

“Okay, Gavin, I think this game has gone far enough.”  Maddy lifted him up off of his legs and helped him to the sofa.  Then with one movement she had his jeans on the floor.  Naked from the waist down, the man lay there too drunk to move while Maddy seated herself on top of him, taking the head of his cock between her pussy lips and easing down slowly.  She made long slow strides up and down as she watched Gavin’s expression.  He lay there, moaning and thrusting upward, but he had little energy to keep up with Maddy.  She went faster, squeezing his cock as hard as she could, pounding him like no woman had ever done.  He gasped, barely able to breathe, until he felt the cum rising and then exploding like fireworks into the sexy young woman.  He felt dizzy.  His head was spinning.  He couldn’t believe what had just happened.  His body jerked as Maddy took the last from him.  He somehow managed to get out the words, “You still want me?”

In response, she leaned down and kissed him sensuously, causing him to gasp for air whenever her lips left his for only a second.  Gavin was exhausted from the day’s trauma, and with one last low moan into Maddy’s mouth, he fell into a deep sleep.  Maddy carefully lifted him up and somehow coaxed him to lean on her as they walked up the stairs to her bed.

Gavin opened his eyes to a blinding stream of sunlight and a pounding headache.  He fought the urge to vomit, with waves of nausea ebbing and flowing like the waves that ebbed and flowed off of Martha’s Vineyard during the forced summer vacations his wife had made him endure in an effort to impress her fellow society ladies.  Maddy was awake, and she quickly got out of bed and closed the drapes completely.  Gavin was hurting enough without the painful addition of a hangover headache.

Gavin looked at her for a second, and then he quickly closed his eyes and held his head.  He turned his back to her, too embarrassed to face her.  What had he done last night?  He could remember very little, other than the sex.  Maddy was a good lay.  She rolled onto her side and gently caressed his arm.

“It’s okay, Gavin.  No harm, no foul.”  She continued to smooth her hands along his arm as she spoke softly to him.  “I have the perfect remedy for a hangover.  It’s an old family recipe.  Be right back.”

She walked across the room and began to dress.  Gavin opened his eyes slightly.  Maddy’s back was to him, and he couldn’t help but stare at her butt.  He loved that ass.  He loved every part of her body.  He wanted all of her.  Maddy zipped her jeans and headed out of the room.

She blended her famous “hangover smoothie” that worked every time.  With the mix blending in the machine, she went into the sunroom to straighten up from last night.  She picked up Gavin’s jeans from the floor and as she did, the crumpled piece of paper that he had guarded so tightly yesterday fell out of the pocket.  Maddy knew she shouldn’t read it, but she cared about Gavin too much not to.  Plagued with guilt, she carefully unfolded the crumpled piece of paper and read every word.  What kind of rejection was this?  It was the worst kind.  His father and his wife together, and having a baby… and what about the money… how much money did Gavin really have and what was he planning to do with it?  Maddy had no idea how she could possibly give him love enough to deal with something as heinous as this.  Now she knew why Gavin had escaped, or at least part of the reason.  This was the best place to escape to, the best place to begin a new life, and she hoped it was the best place for Gavin to fall in love.  The blender stopped, and she headed back upstairs with much needed help for Gavin’s hangover.

Gavin was awake, but he continued to keep his eyes closed.  “Gavin, drink this.  I promise it will help.”  He slowly pulled himself up enough to drink the liquid that Maddy offered.  He drank it all and handed the glass back to her.

“What was in that?  I feel a little better already.”

Maddy got back into bed beside Gavin and propped up the pillows behind them.  “Can you sit up?” she asked.

“I think so.”

Maddy helped him up enough so that he was leaning against the pillows.

“Oh, man, what a night.  Tell me I didn’t do anything too embarrassing.”

Maddy was relieved that he didn’t remember everything and she hoped he never would.  “Nope.  You just had a little too much to drink.”

“I’m sorry I ruined your surprise weekend, Maddy.  I just needed to think.”

Maddy turned onto her side next to Gavin.  “You haven’t ruined a thing, baby.

Gavin looked at her.  “Thanks.  That means a lot.”  He reached underneath the comforter and realized to his embarrassment that his pants were gone.  He looked over the side of the bed.  Maddy quickly spoke up, “You left your pants downstairs.  I’ll go get them.”

“No, I’ll get them,” Gavin stated abruptly.  He remembered now why he drank so much last night, and he also remembered what was in the pocket of his jeans.

“It will just take me a second, Gavin.  Let me go get them.”

“No, that’s okay.  They can wait.”  He looked somewhat panicked, and Maddy would have been confused if she hadn’t known what was contained in the pair of jeans.

“Suit yourself.  I’m going to take a shower.”  Maddy left him alone, giving him the opportunity to retrieve his jeans.

While Maddy showered, Gavin quietly went downstairs and retrieved his jeans, making certain that the letter was still tucked safely in the back pocket.  Relieved that it was still there, he crept back up the stairs and into bed.  He was still a little light-headed, but not like he was before Maddy’s hangover cure.  Maddy emerged from the shower wearing only a towel, and she dressed openly in the presence of Gavin.

“I’ll go downstairs and let you rest or do whatever you like, okay?”

“I’m fine.  I’ll take a quick shower and be right down.”

Maddy left and Gavin hurried with his shower.  He didn’t want to waste a minute of his weekend with Maddy.

Maddy was sitting in the sunroom eating breakfast when Gavin came downstairs.  She quickly finished and poured some coffee for herself and offered him a cup.  He took a few sips and was surprised that he could keep anything down.  She had a packed bag beside the door and Gavin wondered if she was planning to leave, or if maybe she was planning for him to leave.

“I want to show you something.  I’ve packed a lunch.  Are you up for it?”

“Sure.”

Maddy swung the backpack over her shoulder and held the door for her weekend guest.  “Right this way.”

“Why, thank you, m’lady.”

They walked to the pool that brought back fond memories of their first night together… the night they had ended up in Maddy’s bedroom.  Gavin stared at the sparkling blue water which seemed to dance a dance of freedom.  He felt free here on Bainbridge Island.  Even when he had been with Kate, he had known their time together was limited.

Maddy took Gavin’s hand and noticed the faraway look in his eyes.  “Doing okay?”

Maddy pointed out the strawberry fields that stretched as far as the eye could see, and from the tops of the hills the fields looked like giant pieces of bread covered entirely with strawberry jam.  There was a gentle breeze that made the fields appear as gentle waves.

“It’s beautiful here, Maddy.  It’s no wonder you love it.”

Maddy did love it here, but she wanted Gavin to be here with her, unless he planned to change her peaceful existence.  In the distance was a small cottage.

“What’s that?” Gavin inquired.

“That, my friend, is my refuge.  That’s where I spend many hours alone with my thoughts.”  She winked at him in an effort to lighten the mood.  She hadn’t meant to be serious today.  This was a day for fun and love.  “That’s where I want us to have lunch.”

Maddy unlocked the door, and Gavin had not expected it to be so immaculate.  It didn’t seem like Maddy at all.  But it was beautifully decorated, and oh, so cozy, and that screamed Maddy.

“It’s perfect, Maddy.”

Maddy set down the backpack and turned to face him.  Then she held him and kissed him lightly on the lips.  She wanted this to be their place.  She led him to the bed at the far side of the cottage.  Without saying a word, she eased him onto the bed and climbed onto the bed with him.  She leaned down and kissed him slowly and seductively, while unbuttoning his shirt.  She kissed each of his erect nipples which she knew would give him an instant erection.  Gavin closed his eyes and arched his back to Maddy’s soft lips.  He moaned softly, and the longer Maddy licked and circled his nipples, the hornier he became.

Maddy was wet when she felt Gavin’s cock harden against her.  As she circled her tongue around his nipples, pulling the little devils into her mouth, she undid his jeans and slid them down and off, freeing the visibly engorged penis that threatened to burst from the denim.

Completely naked, Gavin anticipated Maddy’s mouth on his cock once again.  No woman had given him a blowjob the way that she had.  He raised his arms over his head.  Maddy kissed him lightly on the lips as she smoothed her hands downward along his stomach and onto his cock.  She pulled Gavin’s tongue into her mouth, sucking it in, and pushing it out with her tongue, over and over.  She broke the kiss just long enough to quickly remove her clothes.

Gavin opened his eyes to see Maddy leaning over him, her supple naked body hovering above his own slighter body, and her perfect pussy lips hovering over his cock.  She slid down just as she had done before, but each time she took the lead it aroused him more than the time before.  She leaned down to kiss his open mouth and he met her half way as he leaned up to kiss her.

Gavin tried to speak, but Maddy didn’t let him until she had brought him to an amazing climax.  When she finally did allow him to talk, he spoke breathily.  “Oh, baby, you are the best.”  He felt his legs go weak.  The only thing he could feel was the pleasure Maddy had given him.  He opened her pussy lips with his fingers and easily found what he wanted.  Moving wildly and moaning loudly, Maddy reached orgasm multiple times, and watching her, Gavin began to grow inside her again.  He rolled her onto her back and she opened herself to him, wrapping her legs around him.  They rocked back and forth as Maddy continued to orgasm and Gavin began building toward his own climax.  He gasped at the amazing feeling and exploded inside her.

Gavin lay on top of her, kissing her lips, and rolled onto his side to face her.  They lay holding each other, not talking, for nearly an hour.

Not realizing they had slept as long as they had, Maddy opened her eyes and looked at Gavin.  He could barely open his eyes, but when he did, he saw love in Maddy’s eyes… not just lust.  Then he watched as fear spread across her face and her entire body broke out in a cold sweat.  Gavin was confused and concerned.  Had he done something wrong?

“What is it?”  He stroked her arm.  “Talk to me.”

Maddy felt embarrassed, but she knew she should have told Gavin about her past.

Gavin wondered about her past, too.  She had not led him on about being a virgin, but her moves indicated that she knew what to do with a man.  How many had there been?  How could he have been so careless?

“I was just thinking about some things.”

“What things?  If you’re concerned about pleasing me, you have no worries in that area.  I’m the one who is inept.”

“You’re far from inept, Gavin, but if you’re wondering about men before you, yes, I have been with other men.”

“I didn’t mean to offend you.”

“You didn’t.  I’m not ashamed of being experienced, though I have done some things I’m not proud of.”  She propped herself up on the pillows and Gavin did the same.  Then she reached over the bed and pulled the papers out of her jeans pocket.

“Here’s the deal, Gavin.  I felt lost for a long time after Dad died.  Everything changed.  I was only twenty at the time, and I felt an emptiness inside of me for several years.  Mom moved into town, and I was alone out here.  I tried to fill the void with one night stands and brief flings in Seattle.  Every weekend I would take the ferry and find a guy in a bar to spend the night or the weekend with.  It didn’t fill the void, of course.  It only made me feel lonelier.  I didn’t care what happened to me back then.  It wasn’t until about three years ago that I began to take control of my life and at the time I was extremely concerned about AIDS.  During all those weekends with strangers I wasn’t practicing safe anything.  I was tested for HIV, and luckily and very thankfully, I tested negative.  Since then, I’ve been tested every six months, even though I haven’t been with anyone until you.  I get tested just to be sure, and every test has come back negative.  Let me show you.”  She opened the papers and showed them to him.

“I trust you,” Gavin said as he attempted to push the papers away.

“Well, you shouldn’t have trusted me, and I shouldn’t have let things go this far without letting you know about my sordid past.”

Gavin looked at the papers and then he looked at Maddy.  She looked frightened.  “Thank you, Maddy.”

“Why are you thanking me?  I certainly don’t deserve any thanks.”

“It’s obvious that you wouldn’t have gone this far with me had you not known that you were okay.”

Maddy kissed him on the cheek.  “You can ask me anything about my past, Gavin, at any time.”

It was then that Gavin broke out in a cold sweat.  He closed his eyes for a second, and when he opened them again they were wet.  Fighting back tears, he told Maddy everything that was written in the letter he had brought with him.  He told her about his unhappy prearranged marriage and his demanding father.  Maddy listened intently, still wondering about the money that was spoken of in the letter and what his motives for it were.

“I was unhappy, Maddy, and my wife didn’t want me.  My father used me as a pawn in his corporate games.”

Gavin expected judgment from her for leaving his wife, but instead he received compassion.

“How did your wife and father find you here, Gavin?”

“Who knows, but with my dad’s connections, I knew he would discover my whereabouts sooner or later, but I was in no way prepared for the contents of the letter.  I suspected that my wife was cheating, but I had no idea she was cheating on me with my own father.”

“You felt betrayed, Gavin, by the two people in your life who should have been most loyal to you.”

“Maddy, does your mother know… about the men?”

“She knows I had a hard time for a while but she doesn’t know about the men, and she doesn’t know how lost I felt.  I didn’t want to trouble her with my problems.  Looking back, I think we both would have been better off turning to each other.  She would like you, Gavin.”

Gavin lay down and took a deep breath.  Maddy looked at her watch.  It was past 8:00.  “Unless you really want to go back, I suggest we stay out here tonight.  It’s a long walk back in the dark and I didn’t pack a flashlight.”

“Sounds good.  I’m comfortable right where I am.”

The sun streaming in through the east window woke Maddy and then Gavin.

“Sleep good?” Maddy asked.

“Never better.”

“We had probably better head back to the house.  We didn’t eat much yesterday, and I’m starved.”

They dressed and headed outside into the beautiful day.

“Is the weather always perfect here?” Gavin asked with incredulity.

“Almost always.”  Maddy placed her arm around Gavin’s waist and kissed his cheek.

When they returned to the house, Maddy immediately began making her usual hearty breakfast of pancakes, with strawberry syrup, bacon and eggs.  Gavin made himself comfortable and watched the amazing young woman while she cooked.  He was not a chef by anyone’s definition, but Maddy absolutely loved to cook.

“You’re going to make me fat,” he said with a chuckle as he took the plate from her.

“I’ll love you fat or thin,” was the comforting reply.  She sat down beside him with her heaping plate of pancakes drenched with strawberry syrup.  “I do have other types of syrup if you would prefer.”

“I’m growing quite fond of strawberry,” he said with a laugh.

“I’m still planning a special weekend for us.  Next weekend good?”

Gavin nodded.  He felt much better having something in his stomach.  He was hungrier than he had thought.

“You ready to head back into town?  I’d better check on the restaurant.  Can you spend the day, or do you need to get back to the inn?”

“Most of my day is free.  I should probably get back before the dinner crowd arrives, though.  I feel like I’ve been gone a long time.”

 

 

 

They drove into town, enjoying the beauty around them.  It was mostly sunny which made the dew kissed green glisten all around them.  Maddy opened the door to her coffee shop and offered Gavin a cup of coffee.  After nearly three cups, he finally began to wake up.

With things under control, Maddy was able to enjoy the rest of the day with Gavin.  “Would you like to meet Mom?  She’ll love you, I promise.”

Gavin nodded.

Maddy’s mom welcomed Maddy with a hug, and then to Gavin’s surprise, she hugged him as well.  She didn’t bombard him with questions of his past, but instead she asked the two of them what their plans were for the day.  She knew that Gavin had come to the island alone and she was curious to know why, but she didn’t think it was her place to ask.  Her Maddy was happy, and if Gavin was the reason for that happiness, that was all she needed to know.  Maddy reminded her mother that she would be back much later, after she closed her shop, just as she always did.

They reached the inn just as Gavin’s guests were finishing dinner.  Maddy helped him with his newly purchased supply of paints and other materials, and closed the door behind him.  His room looked small compared to the spaciousness that had surrounded him at the huge country estate over the weekend.  Maddy’s lips on his suddenly snapped him out of his daydream.  He kissed her hungrily, wanting her even more than he had yesterday.

Maddy held him close to her, caressing his back.  “Would you have a room available Wednesday night?” she inquired with a wink.

“I think I might,” he teased.  “Will you be bringing anyone special?”

“Very!” she stated, looking deeply into his lust filled eyes.

She let herself out, and Gavin went over the books from the weekend, and when he finished what he had to do, he did what he wanted to do.  He painted.  He painted a perfect likeness of Maddy’s country estate, as well as the lush greens and strawberry fields, the strawberry shaped pool, and the cottage where they had made love and confessed their pasts to each other.  He was horny just thinking about her.  He couldn’t wait until Wednesday.

 

 

 

Wednesday night was the one night during the week when Maddy left her business in the trusty hands of her capable staff.  It was usually the night when she drove out of the city to the cozy refuge of her country home.  She would go for a swim, make herself a home cooked meal, and sit and read a book in the sunroom, alone, always alone.  Now that she had Gavin, she never wanted to be alone again, and she never wanted to be without him.

Maddy arrived at the inn promptly at 7:00 p.m. to find an eagerly awaiting Gavin.  They didn’t hide the fact that he was staying in Maddy’s room, but he was discreet.  As the innkeeper, he didn’t think that public displays of affection were appropriate, so he kept his personal life as private as he could.

Gavin had reserved one of the suites facing the east so Maddy could watch the sunrise from the comfort of her bed, just as he liked to do.  As soon as the door of Maddy’s suite closed behind them, Gavin lifted the young woman by her butt and pulled her legs apart to straddle his waist.  Maddy giggled and wrapped her arms around Gavin, squeezing him tightly in a big bear hug.  Their lips sought out the other’s, kissing each other passionately, fighting each other for the chance to pull the other’s tongue into his mouth.  Gavin carried Maddy to the bed, never allowing his mouth to leave the woman’s full luscious lips, and only intensifying his hold on her, pressing against her, his desire for her aching to be released.  He laid her down upon the bed and climbed on top of her.  Even with her jeans on, Maddy was aroused by the intensity of Gavin’s passion.  She made a line with her fingers along his spine and between the two halves of his butt encased in denim.  Gavin stopped kissing, but his mouth remained open as he gasped for air with the sensuous massage that Maddy was giving him.  The sexy woman continued, and with her free hand she pulled him down to her, forcing his mouth open and drawing his tongue inside.

Gavin couldn’t move, he could barely breathe, and from his mouth came only small gasping sounds.  His knees lay apart, and Maddy cupped his balls as best she could while still inside his jeans.  Gavin let out an audible gasp.  Maddy hurriedly undid his jeans, as he squirmed to free himself from their tight confines.  Naked from the waist down, his erection was hard and full, begging for Maddy.

She stripped off her clothes and flung them carelessly onto the floor.  She couldn’t wait to feel Gavin’s naked body against her own again.  She squeezed his tight perfectly shaped ass while she formed a warm hand around his shaft and made slow strides along the length, driving him insane.  Gavin was on fire.  He forced Maddy’s legs apart and pressed the head of his cock between her pussy lips, sliding it along the inner path until it pressed against her clitoris, causing the young woman to draw in a quick breath.  She moaned his name as the first wave of orgasm sent an electric current through her body.  He slid into her slowly, filling her like no other man had.  Maddy gave herself completely to him, pulling him inside.  She stripped the shirt from his chest, and they moved together, wrapped together like blankets.  He plunged deeply into her and she lifted her pelvis to meet his thrusts, forcing him deeper.  She squeezed and let up, again and again, until he moaned and gasped as he climaxed, filling her with his seed.

Maddy’s body went limp beneath Gavin.  Satisfied, she smoothed her hands along his back and brought his lips to hers.  She kissed him as if she couldn’t get enough of him.  “Oh, Gavin, baby, I wasn’t expecting all of that,” she said in a hoarse whisper.

“Neither was I,” he admitted.

When Gavin finally summoned the strength to move, he leaned up on his arms and looked at the sweet face beneath him.  He kissed her gently, and not willing to leave the warmth of her sexy body, he lay back down and scooped her into his arms.

Maddy ran her fingers through Gavin’s hair.  She wanted to know if he was happier with her than he had been with his beloved Kate, but she was too afraid of the answer.  She lifted his head and looked into his beautiful bright blue eyes.

“Why did you really come here, Gavin?” she blurted out.

“The inn.”

“It’s an historic landmark, costing millions.”

“Yes.  History is important to me.”

“But making money is important, too, isn’t it?”

Gavin swallowed hard.  “I’ve never been without money, but that’s not why I came here.  I faked my own death to escape, and yet they still found me.  There was no body found, and Dad has private investigators at his disposal everywhere for the right amount of money.”

“Okay. Take it easy, Gavin.  I just have a little trouble trusting men.”

“I understand,” Gavin said uneasily.

He closed his eyes and opened them to find Maddy’s eyes still fixed upon him.  He placed his arms around her and held her tightly.  With his head turned away from her, he said quietly, “I love you.”  Maddy said nothing, as they lay together for what became a few hours.

When they awoke it was dark outside.  Maddy kissed Gavin on the top of his head.  “It’s midnight.  We must have fallen asleep.”

Gavin yawned.  “I sleep so much better when I’m sleeping with you than when I sleep alone.”

Maddy kissed him again, this time on his cheek.  Gavin could feel his erection beginning to build again, and Maddy felt it too as she moved beneath him and reached underneath him to wrap her hand around his penis.  “Sleep has been kind to you, sir, very kind indeed.”

Gavin looked at her and grinned, and Maddy kissed him on the nose.  “C’mon.  Let’s have some fun.”

Maddy led him to the bathroom and to the large whirlpool tub that Gavin had installed in every room.  It was big, with multiple jets to ease aching muscles of weary travelers.  The warm water felt good as they stepped in and sat down on the bottom.  The water came to Gavin’s nipples, kissing them and teasing them to hard points as the jets forced the water to form waves as it flowed across his chest.  Maddy submerged her entire body, and emerged again directly in front of Gavin, kissing him firmly on the mouth.  Gavin held himself up with his arms on the edge of the whirlpool, letting his legs drift apart just beneath the water’s surface.  Maddy surprised him once again when she grabbed onto his balls underneath the water and ran her hands along the inside of his thighs.

Backed against the side of the whirlpool, he had no means of escape or the desire to break free.  Maddy’s mysterious hands made their way along his body, and when the jets hit him just right, the startling feeling lifted him, and Maddy’s mouth was waiting to surprise him as she took his cock unexpectedly.  She gave him what he wanted and more.  She held onto the side of the whirlpool and as the water buoyed him upward, she took him deep inside her.  He wrapped his legs around her and thrust into her, the warm water lifting them and drawing them back downward, the waves feeling like electric currents.  They had never experienced such a sensation.  Maddy kissed Gavin’s earlobe and then his mouth that was open and inviting.  She had always loved doing it in water, but knowing that this was a first for Gavin made her hornier than hell.  Gavin’s thrusts intensified and Maddy’s orgasms were more powerful in the water.  She moaned into his mouth as each new climactic wave washed over her.  It felt almost too good.  Holding on to Maddy more tightly, Gavin pounded her as he brought her to new heights of pleasure.  He came with a driving force, the water swirling around his cock as it mixed with Maddy’s wetness.  The two lovers steadied themselves as they held each other.

When Maddy had regained some strength in her legs and with Gavin’s slowly diminishing erection still tucked inside of her, she slowly lifted up and took her hands from the side of the hot tub.  Gavin kissed her again, breathing hard into her mouth, and he moaned softly with each exhalation.  The warmth of the water combined with the warmth of Maddy’s body had nearly been too much to bear.

They climbed out of the tub feeling like rag dolls.  Gavin pulled Maddy up and onto him as they lay by the side of the water.  He awoke later in Maddy’s bed and turned to find her lying next to him.  “Last thing I knew we were by the side of the hot tub.”

“I didn’t want to wake you, Gavin.  You look like an angel when you’re sleeping.”

“Sure, an angel with horns.”

Maddy laughed.  If Gavin was the devil, then she may be willing to go to his hot home.  “It’s 5:30 a.m.?  Where did the night go?”

Gavin kissed her.  “You don’t remember?”

“Yes, I remember.”  If he was trying to make her blush, it was going to take a lot more than that.

“That’s what I call a good night at the inn,” he teased.

“I’ve made plans for our weekend getaway beginning Friday evening, if that’s okay with you,” Maddy said, changing the subject.

“Definitely, yes,” Gavin emphatically stated.

“But now I’ve got to get going, and so do you.”

Gavin dressed and left Maddy to shower.  They agreed that showering together would have delayed them indefinitely.  Gavin showered in his own room and then he took the necessary fifteen to twenty minutes for himself… to paint.  He painted a perfect replica of the room that he and Maddy had shared last night.  His painting, which only a few weeks ago had been an outlet for his pain, had become an outlet for his joy and his new life.

 

 

 

A Democratic stronghold, Bainbridge Island was hosting a mini convention to support this year’s Democratic nominee for president who was from their very own state of Washington.  Gavin had yet to meet the woman, but the island natives were quite proud of the fact that their candidate was a woman and rumored to be a strong contender for the prized office of commander in chief.  She was a young upstart who had relocated to Seattle with her family about ten years prior, and had proven to be very supportive of the liberal causes of the state of Washington as well as the United States.

Maddy filled Gavin in on what little she knew of the woman and her family.  She told him that their nominee had visited Bainbridge Island several times with her family.

“She sounds nice,” Gavin said.

“She is nice, Gavin.  She and her husband have two young girls.  Her husband prefers to remain in the shadows of his wife’s political ambitions, though.  He has my respect for that.  He has his own thing going… computers, I believe… and the two of them seem to do their own thing.  I haven’t met her husband, but she never leaves here without a complimentary bottle of my best wine.”

Maddy went on and on about the democratic hopeful she so admired.  “Invite her family to stay here, if you like.  You’ll like her, I promise.”

Gavin agreed that it would be good from a business aspect, so he got the woman’s address from the democratic headquarters in Seattle and sent her a personalized invitation.  He was surprised to receive a call from the woman’s personal assistant stating that she would be thrilled to accept the invitation and that she was planning to visit the island this weekend.

The convention was two months away, but the assistant had said that the democratic hopeful had wanted to get away for the weekend for some much needed rest and recreation before the political season began in earnest.  This weekend Maddy had made plans just for the two of them, but now Gavin felt that he should be at the inn since he had personally invited the woman.

Maddy understood, as she always did, and she changed their plans to the following weekend.  “Send her over when she gets here, and you come to.  We’ll fill her with wine and the best of everything Bainbridge.”  Gavin smiled, and he wondered how he had gotten so lucky to have a woman like Maddy in his life.

On Friday afternoon, just as promised, the young democratic hopeful arrived at the inn.  Registered as Kathryn Tate, she checked in and a staff member went to find Gavin.  Gavin came to the front, all smiles, and held his hand out to the woman.  When they shook hands, however, and looked at each other, a look of nothing less than shock registered on their faces.  It was Kate, Kate from college, the girlfriend of girlfriends.  Gavin was sure of it.  But why had she changed her name?  She was headstrong and had sworn that she would never change her name for any man.  She had no intention of being any man’s helpmate.  The woman looked at Gavin, and she knew it was him.  Gavin, with his brilliant blue eyes, could not be mistaken.

Gavin didn’t want to make a scene in the presence of the other guests, so he invited Ms. Tate to see his paintings.  She followed him into his room.  “Kate, is it you?”

“Gavin?”

Neither could believe their eyes.  They hugged a usual “business hug” and stepped back and looked at each other.

“I wondered what happened to you, Gavin.  I thought you were working for your dad.”

The words cut deep, but Gavin tried not to let it show.  “I was, but my wife thought she could do better with my dad than with me, and now she’s knocked up with his kid.”  He laughed, but Kate could see that he was hurting.  “Why settle for an imitation when you can have the real thing, right?”

Kate looked down at the floor.

“Hey, baby, I’m fine.  I came here to paint and run this inn.  And, who knows, maybe outdo the old man if my play my cards right.”

“What do you have in mind?”

“Bainbridge is a little slice of heaven.  I could own this damned island and then the old man couldn’t resist becoming a shareholder.  I’d take him for all he’s worth.”

“You mean, turn it into a corporation or something.  You’d be just like him, Gavin.  Is that what you want?”

Gavin didn’t respond.  He changed the subject to Kate.  “Look at you, Kate.  You’re a big shot… and a presidential hopeful?”

“I plan to go as far as my ambitions will take me.  Why shouldn’t I?”

Gavin could hear the defensiveness in her voice, and he could see the stress in her face. They didn’t have anything more to say to each other, and the tension was growing, so he suggested they go to Maddy’s place for some wine.

“Hey, Ms. Tate, good to see you again.”  Maddy shook her hand, and Kate smiled and then looked at Gavin.  She wished she had told him why she had taken her husband’s name, but she couldn’t bring herself to admit it… not yet.  “Gavin get you all tucked in at the inn?”

Gavin and Kate both froze at the words.  Maddy’s question brought back college memories and their times together making out and going all the way for the first time.  “He has a nice inn, fixed it up perfectly.”

The three of them sat down at a table and shared a bottle of wine.  Maddy told Kate about some of the week’s activities in case she wanted to entertain her daughters.

“I’m planning to spend a few days alone here and then head back to Seattle,” she stated quickly.

Maddy noticed that Kate and Gavin were well into a second bottle of wine by themselves before the food arrived.  She also noticed that Gavin seemed quiet, maybe even a little frightened.  But of what?  She was having trouble figuring this one out.  The three of them ate the dinner that Maddy’s chef had prepared especially for them, and they made small talk the rest of the evening.  Kate and Gavin stayed and talked with Maddy until late in the evening, when Kate said she was exhausted and absolutely must get some sleep.

“I may see you tomorrow morning when I bring the morning’s coffee to the inn,” Maddy said sweetly as she shook Kate’s hand.

Maddy rubbed Gavin’s back and winked at him.  “I’ll see you tomorrow, bright and early.”

Gavin couldn’t hide the pained expression on his face when he smiled back at her.  Maddy watched them leave, still confused about why Gavin seemed so different tonight.

Gavin and Kate drove back to the inn in complete silence.  “Show me to my room, won’t you, Gavin?”

“Sure.”

Gavin took her to one of the best suites in the inn, and Kate was impressed.  “This is beautiful, Gavin.  You always did have the best taste.”

Being alone in the room together brought back old memories as well as old feelings.  Kate wasn’t shy and she took off her clothes all the way down to her Victoria’s Secret panties that moved with her like a second skin, and she climbed into bed.  “It sure feels good to get out of that stuffy suit and skirt.  Reynaud has me dressed up like one of the ‘suits’ who work for him.”

“Come sit with me, Gavin.  Let’s talk.”  She patted the bed.

Gavin sat down on the very edge of the bed and Kate reached out and held his hand.  Then she placed his hand on her mound and moved it downward.  “You’ve still got it, Gavin.  Just looking at you tonight made me wet.”  Then she took off her bikini panties and tossed them onto the floor.  “Look at me.  My stomach is as flat as a pancake, and my breasts are still perky after having two of that man’s brats.”  She unsnapped her bra and let the cups fall to the side, revealing the perfect nipples that Gavin remembered.  “You would think the old coot wouldn’t be so quick to pass up a good fuck with this, wouldn’t you?”  She moved her hand across her breasts and between her legs in an enticing manner.

Gavin felt sorry for his ex-girlfriend.  He knew what she was talking about, not being wanted by her own spouse.  But he was also feeling horny as he looked at the slender woman next to him.

“Let me see it, Gavin.”  Kate reached out and unzipped Gavin’s jeans before he could protest, and he was soon undressed sitting in front of her, just like old times.  “Mm, not bad, not bad at all,” she said as she petted his cock.  She firmly placed two of Gavin’s fingers between her pussy lips and slid them forcefully into her wetness.  With her eyes, she begged for his approval.  She spread her legs wide and pulled him to her.  He moved toward her and kissed her breasts, pulling the nipples he remembered into his mouth.  He laid her down and she pulled his cock inside of her, drawing him into her and taking his butt into her hands.  Gavin squeezed her breasts as he plunged into her.  Then he stopped, but Kate looked at him with pleading eyes.

“Please, Gavin.  He doesn’t want me.”

Gavin pulled her down until her head was flat upon the bed and began fucking her hard with slow and fast thrusts.  She moaned when he reached down and began stroking her clitoris as he fucked her.  Gavin was so buzzed that he had forgotten it was Kate he was with and not Maddy.  He somehow knew what she needed, and as she began to climax he sped up so they could come together.  She screamed her pleasure and Gavin was so absorbed in his own climax that he didn’t notice anything else.  The wine was flowing in his head like a fast moving stream and he couldn’t have slowed it if he tried.  He wanted the woman he thought was Maddy to be completely satisfied, and he didn’t stop until his flaccid penis would no longer remain inside of her.  Afterward, he waited for the warmth of Maddy’s arms around him as she cuddled with him after their lovemaking, but the feeling never came.  He looked up through dazed eyes to find a woman he barely knew leaning back and basking in the afterglow of her own sexual release.  What have I done?  He nearly screamed the words.  Then he quickly dressed and was out the door as Kate slowly drifted off to sleep.

Gavin looked at the clock on the wall when he returned to his room.  It was past 2:00 a.m.  He couldn’t be at the inn when Kate came down from her room in the morning, but where could he go?  He sobered quite quickly, it seemed, and got into his car and drove.  He had no idea where he was going.  He just needed to drive.  He rolled all of the car windows down, allowing the cool breeze of the night to sober him more.

When he drove up in front of Maddy’s country home, he couldn’t remember how he had gotten there.  He unlocked the door with the key that Maddy had entrusted him with.  Entrusted him, that was a joke.  What kind of person did what he had done to someone he cared about? His father, that’s who.  He had become his father. He wasn’t worthy of a woman like Maddy.  She wouldn’t want him now.  He was no longer perfect in her eyes.

He stepped inside the house and once again felt the familiar coziness that he loved about the place.  Maddy’s place was a home, not just a house, not just real estate.  He sat down on the sofa and realized he wasn’t as sober as he thought he was.  He took off his shoes and lay down.  He felt cold and somehow managed to climb the stairs.  He looked at Maddy’s bed in the cozy little room, climbed underneath the covers and held tightly to Maddy’s pillow that smelled like her.

“I’m sorry, Maddy, I’m so sorry,” he babbled into the pillow.  Holding onto the pillow as if it were Maddy, he finally slept.

It was 5:00 a.m. when Maddy arrived at the inn to deliver the morning’s coffee, but Gavin wasn’t waiting for her like he usually was.  She looked around.  Then she knocked lightly on the door to his room.  No answer.  “Gavin, you okay?”  Still no answer.  She turned the knob, and finding it unlocked, slowly opened the door.  The bed had not been slept in.  She asked some of the staff if they had seen him yet, but no one had seen him since yesterday afternoon.

She went outside and looked around for Gavin’s car.  It was gone too. She tried calling him but there was no answer.  She then remembered the troubled look on his face when he had left the restaurant and wondered if had received more news from his wife or father?  She should have asked him what was wrong.  She should have excused them from Ms. Tate and taken him into the office and confronted him directly.  The sun was just coming up, and Maddy tried calling the number at her house in the country, but there was no answer.  She tried again, and let the phone ring and ring and ring.

At the house, Gavin stirred in his sleep.  The noise was deafening, but he didn’t know where it was coming from.  When he finally realized it was the phone, he could barely coax his arm to move to pick it up.  He knocked the receiver off and it fell upon the bed.  On the other end of the line, Maddy was calling, “Gavin, are you there?  Gavin, is that you?”

Maddy was calling to him, but from where?  “Maddy?”

Maddy could barely hear him.  “Gavin, is that you?”

Not wasting any time, she hung up the phone and drove as fast as she could to the house.  Gavin’s car was parked out front and she opened the door and called to him.  “Gavin, Gavin.”  There was no answer.  He wasn’t in the kitchen or anywhere else that she could see.  He had not gone outside.  All of the doors were still locked.  Then she ran up the stairs and into her bedroom.

The phone was beeping when she placed the receiver back into its cradle.  She climbed into bed beside Gavin, eased the pillow out of his hands, and held him close to her.  She kissed his tear stained face and spoke softly over his shoulder.  It’s Maddy.  Wake up, Gavin.”

“Maddy,” Gavin barely spoke.

She held him closer and rubbed his back.

“Maddy, it’s you.”

“Yes, Gavin, it’s me.”

He felt cold and Maddy held him as close to her as she could and gently massaged his back, hoping to warm him up.  She reached across him and turned on the heated mattress pad underneath him, and he soon relaxed and fell asleep in her arms.  Maddy had no idea what was wrong.  Was it something about Ms. Tate?  Did the woman have connections with his father?

Maddy lay there for quite a while, and then she snuck away just long enough to make some coffee.  She had a feeling Gavin was going to need it.  He was mumbling something and thrashing about when she walked back into the bedroom.  She got into bed with him, pulled him to her, and leaned over him to quiet him.

“Gavin, wake up.  You’ve having a bad dream.  Let me see those pretty blue eyes.”

Gavin was barely able to open his eyes.  “Maddy?” he mumbled.

“Are you awake?  Do you remember driving out here last night?”

Gavin tried to think.  Then it hit him and his face went white.  He couldn’t tell Maddy what had happened last night.  It made him sick just thinking about it.  If she found out, she would be finished with him.  Maddy noticed Gavin’s body stiffen, and she also noticed that the same frightened look she had seen last night had returned to his eyes.

“What happened last night?  Why did you drive all the way out here so late?”  She covered Gavin with her body, straddling him, trying to keep him warm.  Gavin had pulled the covers up over his head so that it was dark in the room, and Maddy leaned up on her forearms with her hands beneath his head.  She kissed his cheek, still tear stained from last night.

“Tell me about these tear stains.  Is it about your dad?  You seemed different last night when you brought Ms. Tate to the restaurant.  Was it something about her?  Is that why you came all the way out here in the middle of the night?”  She pushed the hair from his forehead and waited for him to speak.

Gavin closed his eyes and spoke softly.  “I messed up, Maddy.”

“Why do you think that?”

“I messed things up between you and me.”

“Hmm, if you mentioned to Ms. Tate that I had slept my way through half of Seattle, it’s okay,” she teased to lighten the mood.

“That’s not it.  I would never do something like that.”

“I’m just teasing.  So, come on, out with it.  What heinous crime did you commit?”

Gavin was tired.  He tried to roll onto his side to avoid Maddy’s eyes, but she held him still.  “Tell me.”

“You’ll want me to leave as soon as I tell you, and I drank way too much last night to drive home right now.”

“Who said anything about leaving?  I’m not going to ask you to leave… ever.  I’m worried about you… really worried.”

“I was really drunk last night, as you saw, and I usually don’t drink much.  That woman, Ms. Tate, Ms. Kathryn Tate, is someone else.”

“Really?  Who is she?”  Maddy was intrigued, but she still didn’t know what it had to do with the two of them.  She stroked Gavin’s cheeks and kissed his nose.  “Tell me.”

“That woman is Kate.”  He spoke so quietly that Maddy barely heard the words.

“Kate from college?”

Gavin nodded.

“Did she not remember you?  Is that what upset you?”

“She remembered me.”

Maddy kissed him on the lips and continued to stroke his cheeks.  Gavin thought it might be the last kiss that she ever placed on his lips and he wanted to savor it for as long as he could.

“We drank too much, Maddy, even after we got back to the inn.  We talked about old times and it seemed I was back there, in college, but I knew the horrible fate that awaited me… the loveless marriage, the father who wanted to work me to death and encourage me to take from others everything I could… buying or stealing, and the father who was fucking my wife.”

“Is that why you drove out here, Gavin, because you needed to be in the present?”

“No, Maddy.  There’s more.  I helped Kate with her bags.  Then she asked me to sit with her, and we talked about old times.  She took her clothes off, and she wanted me, Maddy, she really wanted me.  She undressed me and touched me the way she did all those years ago.  She said that her husband didn’t want to have sex with her anymore, not since the girls were born.”

Maddy tried not to show her own fear.  If Gavin was still in love with Kate, where would that leave her?

“Do you want to hear the rest of it, Maddy?”

Maddy nodded.

“I swear I thought I was with you and not her.  She pulled me to her, inside of her.”

Maddy felt sick.  “And what else, Gavin?”

“It went too far… way too far.”

“You had sex with her, didn’t you?  You fucked her, didn’t you?”

“Yes,” he whispered.  “She fell asleep afterward, and when I looked at her and realized it wasn’t you, I left.”

Maddy could feel Gavin’s heart beating against her own, and she could see and feel his heaving chest as he tried desperately to breathe.  “It’s okay, Gavin.  I still want you.”

“How can you after what I’ve done?”  His eyes were big as he struggled to understand how she could still want him after being with another woman.

“Because I have the most important part of you, Gavin… I have your heart.  You admitted that I was the one you thought you were with.”

They looked at each other in silence.

“Gavin, do you want to be with Kate?  Do you want to know if old feelings might still be alive, but have just been dormant?”

“No, Maddy.  I’ve tried since last night to go back in time in my mind and somehow change everything, but I can’t.  I wanted to find you, but it was 2:00 a.m.  I don’t know what I would have said to you, but I had hoped that when I opened the door to the house, somehow you would be here.”

“I’m never far from here, and I’ll always be there for you, okay?”  She brushed his hair back and stroked his cheeks.  She smiled her warm smile.  “You okay now?”

He managed a half smile, and Maddy winked at him.  He wrapped his arms around her and they lay together until noon.

Maddy rolled onto her back and held Gavin’s hand until he awoke.

“I suppose I should go back to the inn.  After all, Kate is representing us, and who knows what she is saying now.”

“No, call your staff.  There’s no need to put yourself through that again.  Believe me, if she’s running for office, she’s not going to say a thing.”

Gavin called his staff and told them that he wasn’t feeling well.  They informed him that Ms. Tate had checked out early that morning and left for Seattle on the first ferry out.

Maddy winked at him.  “The woman is a true politician.  Now I wish we hadn’t postponed your weekend surprise again.”

“Next weekend is all ours, promise, just you and me.”

The next week Gavin received a thank-you note from Kate.  She thanked him for the hospitality, but the note said nothing more.  He also received divorce papers to sign, which he did.

It was Thursday evening, the night before his big weekend with Maddy, when he also received a notice that the inn would be returned to the historical society if back taxes were not paid.

Gavin stormed to the front desk, demanding to know who had sent the notice.

“It was delivered by a currier this morning.  He arrived on the ferry from Seattle.”

“Thanks.”

Gavin immediately contacted the seller who had assured him that nothing was owed on the property when he purchased it.

“I’m sorry, sir, but it seems a company from New York owned the property at one time, prior to it being registered as a historical site.”

“Name… what’s the name of the company?”

“Let me see… oh yes, Matthews International.”

Gavin threw the phone down and slammed his fist into the wall, prompting the woman at the front desk to call Maddy.  When she arrived, she put her hand to her mouth, gasping at Gavin’s bloody fist.

“What the hell?!”  After bandaging his hand, she tried desperately to calm him down.

“The bastard!”  He showed Maddy the notice and told her what his father had done.

“Let’s think about this.  It’s a lot of money, but we can swing it.”

“Half a million dollars!  If I don’t pay it, he will, and this inn will be his.  Don’t you get it, Maddy?  This is just the beginning.  Somehow he found out I faked my death and now he wants revenge.”

“But you have your own money.”

“I took as much as I could, but the rest is tied up in the company.”

“Liquidate your shares immediately, and we’ll go from there.”

Matthews International stock had taken quite a dip when the news broke of Drew’s mysterious disappearance, but Drew was able to get close to $100,000 in cash.

“No need to hide my identity.  The old man knows where I am.  But it’s not enough.  I need a lot more.”

“Let me help,” Maddy offered.

“I can’t take your money.”

“Why not?”

Gavin shrugged.  “Do you have that kind of money?”

“I have some.  But I also have a secret.  Do you know Joseph Anderson?”

“Not personally, but my father idolized him.”

“Well, he and my dad were friends and when he heard about my father’s death, he set up a trust for me.  I didn’t know about it until a couple of years ago.  He knew my family loved the island and didn’t want us to be forced to leave.  I can put up my business as collateral without risking my home.”

Gavin shook his head.  “Maddy, that’s still too risky.”

“Maybe a little, but what’s life without risk?”

“Let me think about it, okay?”

“Okay.  And I have just the place for thinking.  Will you be okay until tomorrow night?”

“Yes, Maddy,” he said.  “I’ll be fine.”

 

 

 

When Friday night arrived, Maddy picked up Gavin at the inn and he asked, “Where are we going?”

“I’m not going to spoil the surprise,” she said as she reached out and took his hand.

They came to an area of Bainbridge Island that Gavin didn’t know existed.  They parked in the area reserved for vehicles and loaded their bags onto a golf cart painted in the style of Japanese art.  Maddy began to follow the path to their weekend hideaway, while Gavin looked around in awe.

“What is this, Maddy?”

“This is Heaven, Gavin.  It’s Bloedel Reserve, a forest garden that belonged to Prentice and Virginia Bloedel.  Their wish was to capture the essence of the Japanese garden, the qualities of naturalness, subtlety, reverence, and tranquility, and construct a Western expression of it.  There’s a traditional Japanese garden, and the couple’s original home, a French chateau style home, has been preserved as a visitor center, with many of its original furnishings.  We’ll go there tomorrow.”

Maddy drove deep into the reserve until she stopped in front of one of the secluded cottages which held memories of couples that visited Bainbridge Island.

“Beautiful, Maddy.”

“This is our home for the weekend.  Glad you like it.”

Maddy opened the door and they walked inside.  It was a cozy little cottage, just as cozy as the cottage on Maddy’s property.

“This is like your cottage.”

“Why do you think I love my cottage? Mom and Dad came here every year on their anniversary, describing the place to me in great detail.  I still bring Mom here to enjoy the Japanese garden.”

Gavin wondered if Maddy had brought any other man here, but he wasn’t going to ask.  He didn’t want the answer.

She put her arms around him, and they kissed each other as if they had the rest of their lives to enjoy each other.  When they stopped kissing, it was only to eat a light dinner and relax.  They spoke very little as they lay on the beautiful cushiony rug that adorned the floor of the little cottage and celebrated with champagne.

They lay on their side facing each other.  Gavin slowly unbuttoned Maddy’s blouse and laid it aside.  He circled her nipples, watching the rise and fall of her chest.  Maddy’s body was electrified at every touch from Gavin, and she closed her eyes as he ran the zipper down in her jeans and pulled them off of her.  He undressed and pressed his body to hers.  Maddy couldn’t wait to have him inside her again.  They explored each other’s body as if discovering each other for the first time.  Gavin kissed Maddy as if he was trying to devour her, and he eased her onto her back.  He forced her thighs apart, lightly brushing her pubic hair and easing her pussy lips apart.  He knew exactly how to electrify Maddy’s body, and she begged for his touch.  “Fuck me,” she whispered seductively.  Gavin entered her slowly, giving the woman a long steady ride that would bring her to new heights of ecstasy.  Maddy gasped.  Writhing and moaning with pleasure, she squeezed his cock with every thrust.  Her moans made it hard for Gavin to hold on, and when she squeezed harder, he exploded with such force that he had to hold onto her to steady himself.

He could feel her heart beating beneath his own, and as their lovemaking reached its end, he kissed her.  They lay together and held each other, not saying a word.  Maddy kissed Gavin’s cheek and they slept in the warm embrace of each other until morning.

The weekend spent at Bloedel Reserve brought Maddy and Gavin closer to each other than they had ever been.

The following week, Maddy stopped by the inn late one afternoon and asked Gavin if he had thought about her proposal to pay the taxes on the inn.

He set down his paintbrush and turned to her.  “It’s a loan, right?”

“Absolutely.  But can you live with that?”

“I’ll have to live with it.”

“No, you don’t.  And what about the inn… does it bring in enough for you to live on?”

“It does.  I’m not rich any longer… in money, anyway,” he said with a wink.  “I expect a proper loan, though, with interest,” he added.

“I’ll draw up the papers.”

After the papers were signed and the back taxes paid, Maddy approached Gavin with another idea.

“Mom isn’t getting any younger and she needs me to be with her more than I am.  So I’ve got an idea.”

“I’m listening.”

“I want to turn my parents’ country home into a bed and breakfast.  That way Mom can have someone with her, and she’ll love the guests.  And I’ll be there, too.  I want to decorate it with your paintings adorning the walls of each room.  We can be business partners, if you like.”

“You’re not just doing this for me, are you, Maddy?”

“No.  I’m doing this for Bainbridge, my heritage, legacy, and I’m doing this for us.  I want you to stay here forever, Gavin.  I love you.”

“I love you too, baby,” he said with a kiss to her cheek.

“Are you still worried about your father?”

“Of course I am.  I’ll be bearing that cross for a lifetime.”

“There are at least a few things he can’t buy now.  That’s a start.”

“I’ll always be looking over my shoulder for his next move.”

“I know you will,” she said with a wink.

~K. Lyn~