As the kiss came to an end, Madison remembered how dirty she had gotten and shrank away from Trigger, suddenly self-consciously. “Um…” She couldn’t speak.

Trigger backed away two steps. “Um…what? Are you okay?”

“Yes. I just…um…” She turned and closed the window. “Maybe we should go downstairs for a while. Yeah?” She stepped by him and waited at the top of the stairs, flipping on the dim light so he could see.

Not stopping until they reached the kitchen again, Madison went to the fridge again. “You want another beer, or something?” His kiss still burned on her lips and she wanted so much more.

“No. I’m good, thanks. Are you okay? You act kinda like you saw a ghost or something. Is my kissing so bad?” He placed his hands on the back of a chair and leaned.

“No! God, no! You’re a great kisser. It’s me. I told you already that I let time get away from me earlier and now I’m paying the price, I guess.” She smiled apologetically at him across the dim kitchen.

“How’s that? Did you suddenly remember a late appointment, or were you supposed to meet your boyfriend? What is it?” He laughed humorlessly.

“Nothing like that.” She rubbed her face with her palms and groaned. “I didn’t get a shower before you got here and I’m positive I smell slightly worse than a goat.”

Trigger stared at her for a moment in disbelief and then burst out laughing. “You’re serious? That’s why you’re acting like I might be a serial killer all of a sudden. Are you sure my breath doesn’t smell bad?” He blew in his hand and sniffed, still eyeing her in disbelief.

“I’m serious, Trigger. I’ve sweated all day up there. It’s bad.” She held out her hands palms-down to him. “Look. Don’t you see the clay under my nails? And, look at my face. My face even had smudges on it.”

Laughing, he leaned over and plucked the damp washcloth from the table that she’d had earlier. “You still have clay smudges on your face, Madison.” He swiped at them with the cloth.

Madison dropped her gaze, embarrassed but not wanting him to stop touching her. She liked his closeness. “Told you I was filthy.” She rolled her eyes, wishing she had kept up with the time better before he arrived so she could have at least showered.

Trigger rubbed from her temple down to her jaw and then continued, letting the cloth drop. His bare finger left a fiery little trail from the shelf of her jaw line to her collarbone.

A little moan escaped her. She leaned toward the caress instead of away from it. Trigger ran his finger under the collar of her shirt, under the bra strap on her shoulder, and pulled them both to expose her shoulder.

Letting her hands find their way back to his chest, Madison closed her eyes. Trigger leaned down and placed a feathery light kiss where her neck and shoulder met.

“Maybe I don’t mind filthy as much as you think I would.”

His voice in her ear, deep, throaty, excited made her insides quiver. His tongue flicked out over the tender flesh and she moaned again, nearly swooning onto him.

“Nope. Oh, you gotta stop now.” Madison pushed away from him. “I’m sorry, but I have to stop or I won’t be able to stop.” Gooseflesh crawled over her body, tightening her skin pleasantly.

“What if I don’t want to stop?” Trigger leaned toward her again.

Madison placed her hands in the center of his chest and pushed gently. “I don’t want to either, but I can’t do this. I need a shower.”

Trigger grinned down at her, letting his hands drop to her waist. “Need some help getting cleaned up? A hot, steamy shower sounds pretty good right now.”

Taking a deep breath, Madison forced her body to move away from Trigger’s touch. “Please, Trigger. It’s not that I don’t want to, but this is all really…” She looked up at him. Was she really going to say fast? What was she now, a prude? Needing X amount of dates before the boy could get to home base? She’d never been that way before.

“Fast? Is that what you were going to say?” Trigger backed away, still grinning at her.

His arousal was obvious. Seeing his excitement, didn’t help Madison’s decision any at all. It really made her want him even more at that very moment. If she hadn’t been so worried about being dirty and smelly, she would have let him take her right there on the kitchen table. Hell, she would have let him take her right there on the fucking floor, who was she kidding? She hadn’t been so aroused in years.

Shaking her head, Maddy said, “No. It’s just odd timing is all. I swear it.” She hoped he understood and didn’t take offense.

Trigger rubbed his lips with his finger, nodding. As he backed up, he said, “I got you. I totally understand. I did come on a bit heavy, but I couldn’t help myself.” He kept backing until he was clear of the table and then he spun on his heel and headed for the living room.

“Wait! Where are you going?” Madison chased him.

“Um, I’m going to the bar and then home. Why? Did you want to join me?” He turned to her with his hand on the doorknob, the twinkle in his eyes now very dim.

“No. I’m still filthy. I can’t go out like this.” Chuckling Maddy backed away. “I just didn’t want you to be upset with me.”

Turning to fully face her, Trigger took her hand and placed it directly on his erection. Even through his jeans, Maddy could feel the throbbing hardness and she gasped. Her first instinct was to squeeze him, but she refrained, holding her palm against him there.

“Does it feel like I’m upset with you?” The heat in Trigger’s gaze was immense.

Again, Maddy shook her head in negation, words failing her completely as she pressed her hand against him. As she removed her hand, she did give him a slight squeeze and stepped close, tilting her face up to his. “Good. I don’t want you to think I’m a tease. I don’t want you to think that I don’t want you, because I do.” She gave him a final squeeze and was pleased when he moaned.

As Maddy stepped back, she lubed. It had been more years than she cared to count since that had happened last. She was probably no more than a rambunctious, hormone-riddled teenager the last time. Always thinking she had better control over herself than most other people had over themselves, she was a little shocked when it happened.

Trigger pulled the door open wide and the cool night air swooped through the full-length screen door, chilling Madison’s skin. Apparently she had perspired more since leaving the kitchen. Crossing her arms, she watched, taking in all of him as he turned to leave again.

“If I thought you were only a tease, I wouldn’t come back now would I?” He flashed that wicked grin again.

“I don’t know. Would you?” She bit her lip.

It was Trigger’s turn to shake his head. “Not on your life. I’ll come back by tomorrow. How’s five again?” He stepped out onto the porch.

Leaning on the door frame, Maddy considered it. “I think that would be great.” She smiled, appreciating that he was genuine in his desire for her. Had he not been genuine, he would have simply left and never returned, marking her off his little list.

“Do me a favor?” He stopped at the top step and looked back, chuckling.

“What?”

“Keep up with the time better tomorrow. Should I call you around four so you have time to shower before I get here?” He laughed.

Feigning shock, Madison let the screen door slam shut putting a very thin barrier between them. “Absolutely not. Maybe tomorrow I won’t mind being a little dirty.” She blew him a kiss off the tips of her fingers and stepped inside, shutting the door.