Monday, January 2, 1989

10:45 a.m.

'Isn't this exciting, Agnes?' Maddie asked, while sitting up tall and straight in her comfortable office chair. She was eager to get to work on the year-end bookkeeping. 'Seems almost impossible, but I think we may have actually beat last year's numbers!'

'Oh, yes... it is exciting, Ms. Hayes.' Agnes' level of enthusiasm did not quite match that of her boss.

'What's wrong, Agnes? You don't sound like yourself this morning. Did you enjoy your week off?'

'Oh, I did... well, I mean Bert and I did. He and I spent just about every day together.'

'That's nice,' Maddie said warmly.

'Just wasn't ready to come back to work, I guess. How 'bout you? You and Mr. Addison sure seemed to be enjoying yourselves at the holiday party before we all left.'

'The holiday party was a lot of fun,' she agreed, 'and yes, I did enjoy my week off.' Then, without getting too personal, she added, 'I think Mr. Addison enjoyed his week off, too.'

Maddie began making separate piles of paperwork on her desk. 'Agnes, I need you to collect last month's business receipts from each of the employees... and any paperwork they have that will need to be accounted for. That includes Mr. Addison's receipts, which I know can take some time to find and often require the use of Scotch tape and something heavy to flatten out the wrinkles. But once you have all that together, you can bring everything to me, and then I can start reconciling the December bank statement.'

'Sure thing, Ms. Hayes, but were you aware that Mr. Addison is not in yet?'

'Untrue, Ms. Dipesto!' David burst through Maddie's office doors. 'Yours truly is present and accounted for, and since that's the big news update,' he put his arm around Agnes, and scooted her towards the door, 'you can now return to your regularly-scheduled programming.' He saw her out, and shut the door behind her.

'David! Why did you do that? I was just telling Agnes what I needed her to do today!'

'Maddie, you won't believe this, but I did it!'

'Did what!?'

'Did you.' He winked and looked at her with a knowing smirk.

She pursed her lips. She was not amused.

He flopped himself down on the chair and laughed. 'I got us tickets to the California Investigators Annual Banquet and Ball!' He pulled them out of his suit pocket and waved them in the air. 'Do you have any idea what I had to go through just to get that woman to give me these tickets? I mean, for goodness' sake, Maddie! You had already RSVP'd with a firm "No"! They had already worked up the seating chart!' He chuckled, 'Talk about throwing the powers that be off balance.'

'Well, I'm sure they'll fit us at a table somehow.'

'Yes, but will we be sitting with other detectives or with the kitchen staff? That, my dear, is the question!' He joked.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door, and Bert poked his head in. 'Mr. Addison, you know how I hate to interrupt, but our appointment with Ms. Featherwood is at noon. We should probably leave soon... you know, to avoid the lunchtime traffic.'

David rolled his eyes. 'Okay, Bert, just let me finish up in here with the big boss, and I'll be right there.'

'Okay, Mr. Addison.' Bert pulled the door shut.

Maddie looked at David. 'Is that a new case? Ms. Featherwood?'

'Yeah, something Bert started working on before Christmas. I guess she came in on a day when you and I were not here. So, he jumped on it. Not her, the case, I mean. Somethin' about a missing antique birdbath... I dunno...'

'Right, well, I appreciate his initiative.'

David slapped his hands down on his lap. 'Well, I'm gonna get going. Don't wanna keep Ms. Birdbrain waiting.'

'Ms. Featherwood.' Maddie corrected him.

'Right. Did you wanna meet up somewhere for dinner tonight?'

'Not tonight, David... but thank you for asking. It's just that if we're going to be attending that event tomorrow night, I really need to have some time to get ready.'

'Wow! That's some lead time, Maddie, but you do what you gotta do.' David got up and went to the door. 'Listen, I assume you're not planning on coming into the office tomorrow. You want me to pick you up at your place, right?'

'Yes, my place would be good. What time do you think?'

'Well, the shindig starts at 6:00, so I'm thinking maybe... 5:30. Will you be ready by then?'

'I will.' She looked at him with a sparkle in her bright blue eyes. 'And I can count on you to be on time... this time.' She didn't mean for it to come out sounding like a question, but it did.

'Yeah, you can count on me.'

She could hear the sincerity in his voice, and it made her want so badly to believe in him. But the disappointment she felt on New Year's Eve was still so very fresh in her mind.

He grabbed the doorknob with one hand, and blew her a kiss with the other. Before she even had a chance to say anything, he was gone.

'Bye,' she whispered. And the little tug she felt on her heartstring told her she missed him already.

4:30 p.m.

Needing a break from her work, Maddie found herself staring out her window at the setting sun. Its golden rays gave her a false sense of warmth, for she knew it was actually quite chilly outside in the crisp January air. Definitely the kind of weather that makes a woman think about snuggling up to her man.

'My man,' she laughed, shaking her head back and forth, as if that was a silly notion to her. Being an independent woman, she'd never really thought of David as her man. But why hadn't she? After all, he was the only man in her life. And didn't she want that? For him to be her man? For a moment, the thought of that made her melancholy. Maybe deep down she did. But always looking for a way out, she thought... let's see how tonight goes.

It was shortly before five o'clock when Agnes came in to tell her that the dry cleaners had called and left a message. It was bad news... her dress would not be ready by tomorrow. Her red dress. The one David didn't get to see her wear on New Year's Eve. The one he had asked her to wear tomorrow night. His whole reason for wanting to even go to this ridiculous banquet and ball in the first place. This was not what she needed to hear... not when she had less than 24 hours to find herself a new red dress. She packed up her things, and in a flurry… left for the day. She headed straight for the mall.

Oh, what Maddie Hayes wouldn't do for her man.

Tuesday, January 3, 1989

5:31 p.m.

Ding - dong... the bell rang...

Maddie's head turned quickly towards the door, her eyes widened, and her pulse quickened. 'He's here... he's on time!' She didn't know whether to be happy or nervous. She ended up being both.

She got up from the living room couch where she had been waiting, and went to answer the door. She felt a dreaded sense of déjà vu, recalling the night two years ago when he took her to the symphony. But that was then... this, tonight, would be good... she just knew it.

She was a little unsure about her dress, though. She had torn through the racks last night at Macy's and Bloomingdale's in a desperate search for the perfect red strapless evening gown. Unfortunately, the holiday shopping season had left little to choose from, and so, she ended up deciding to wear something she'd already had in her closet at home. But she did find a little something in the lingerie department she thought he'd like. A little something for later… maybe.

She hurried to the door, and then stopped short to take a deep breath. After all this time, why did he still do this to her? Make her palms sweat and her heart race. She placed her hand on the doorknob and pulled open the door.

She was met with a grin and a dozen red roses.

'David, these are beautiful! Thank you!' She lifted them to her nose to smell them, and then carefully placed them in an empty vase near the door.

'You're welcome,' he looked her up and down as he stepped inside. 'They, uh, were supposed to be a dozen red roses for a lady in red...'

'I know, I'm sorry, my dress is still at the dry cleaners, so I found this one in my closet. Do you like it?'

She could tell he wasn't listening to a single word she said. They both knew he couldn't care less what color her dress was. It was the body inside the dress that mattered to him. 'Maddie, I think this is my new favorite dress. The black... and the gold, the way it just barely covers your...,' he nodded his head towards her chest... made like he was sneaking a peek..., 'yeah, I like,' he said, wetting his lips and smiling at her. 'You look... stunning...'

'Thank you.'

'Now, I can't say that this is proper business attire...'

'David, stop teasing. It's dinner and a dance, that's all!

'I know.'

'I'm a little surprised to see you in a tux, considering what happened to the last one you rented.'

'Yeah, I think the Men's Shop in the mall has banned me for life. I got this one at a different place. I clean up pretty nice, don't ya think?'

'You look very handsome.'

'Thank you. Shall we get going?' He extended his elbow out for her to hold onto, which she did, and they walked together out to the limo that was waiting for them in her driveway.

Maddie was very impressed.

6:15 p.m.

'So, Maddie, what's considered fashionably late these days? Is it ten minutes... twenty minutes?' David asked rhetorically, as they stepped out of the limousine in front of the Golden Terrace Banquet Hall.

When they entered the lobby, David checked in with the hostess in order to register and receive their assigned table number. As it turned out, Table #12 was situated in a corner about as far from... well, everything... as you could possibly get. The dance floor, the DJ, the buffet tables, the bar, even the restrooms... were all on the compete opposite side of the room.

'So, what do you think, Maddie?' He sounded annoyed. 'Seems somebody forgot to give us our dunce caps before they stuck us in the naughty corner. I think I should go complain.'

She placed her hand on his forearm to stop him. 'Please don't, David. We did register late, and they were nice enough to accommodate us. I like this table actually. Should be quieter back here... easier to hear myself talk and maybe I won't get a headache from all the loud music. It's fine... really.'

'Okay, the last thing I want is for you to get a headache. If you're okay with it, I'll be okay with it.' He agreed.

Just as David was about to pull a chair out for Maddie, a man and a woman walked up to their table. They were obviously a couple, as the man had his arm around the woman's waist. They looked to both be in their mid-30's... a nice, average-looking couple. He was very tall with light brown hair and glasses; she was petite with dark brown shoulder-length hair. He wore a dark gray suit with a burgundy tie; she wore a conservative floral print dress that came to just below the knee. And without a doubt, the two of them made Maddie and David look... well, really attractive and way overdressed.

The man held out his hand to David. 'Hi, I'm Michael, and this is my wife, Debbie. We own the Eagle Eye Detective Agency in Pasadena.'

'Hi, it's nice to meet you... I'm David, and this... is my partner, Maddie.' Maddie caught the hitch in David's voice as he stumbled over how to introduce her to these people. 'We're from Blue Moon Investigations in Century City.'

At that exact moment another couple walked up to the table and sat right down. They were a bit older, heavy-set, and in their late 50's, perhaps. Oddly, and looking a little out of place, the pair were dressed in what appeared to be matching his and hers western-styled button-down shirts, blue jeans, and boots. He wore a red paisley print tie, and she, an ornate turquoise bolo. Cowboy hats completed the look.

Fascinated, David was immediately drawn to the couple. 'Why howdy there, pardner! My name is David, and this here is my business associate, Madolyn.' He spoke in a southern accent.

'David, would you stop that?' Maddie leaned into him and whispered.

'Maddie, you know I'm just havin' fun. C'mon, this is supposed to be fun.' He whispered back to her.

'Okay, you're right,' she smiled.

'Hello there, David... Madolyn. We are Bill and Cassie from Blackstar Security. We're located up in Reseda.'

'Reseda,' David said. 'So much for my detecting skills. I would've bet the house on you folks being from somewhere east of the Mississippi and west of the Rio Grande.'

'Oh, no. Cassie and I just stopped here on our way back from a road trip to San Antonio,' Bill explained. 'See, that's one of the things she and I enjoy most about owning our own business. We can take off and travel whenever we feel like it. We love it!'

'So, you two are married and working together... just like us,' Michael said to Bill.

'No, no,' Cassie piped up. 'No, Bill and I aren't married. We met years ago when we both worked for a larger agency. When that agency folded, we decided to open up our own agency. We worked so well together in the office that we thought, let's see if we can make this work outside of the office. And you know what? We've been together ever since!'

'That's wonderful,' said Maddie, whose curiosity about these couples was growing. 'Debbie, do you and Michael work together?'

'Sometimes we do. We used to work together all the time. But then we got married and we had our first baby, and I just wasn't able to work as much.'

'Yeah,' said Michael, 'and that was five years ago. Now, we've got three kids. Three... all under the age of five!'

Directing her question to Debbie, Maddie asked, 'You must really have your hands full. You are still able to work... even with the kids?'

'Mostly I work from home. I do the bookkeeping, the marketing, you know, the office work. We have a nanny who comes in and watches the children during the day. It's tiring. I'm not gonna lie, but we love our kids. No matter how hard the day is, we get to spend the evenings with our kids, and they make it all worthwhile, you know?'

Maddie didn't know, not really, but she could imagine. And so could David, who was listening in on the conversation. He reached under the table for Maddie's hand and squeezed it.

'Are you two together? Do you have kids?' Michael asked.

Maddie didn't really know what to say, so by turning her head to look at David, she deferred to him. 'No, we don't have kids,' was all he said, and Maddie knew that he didn't mean to be short or curt. He just answered the question, plain and simple. It was a painful question.

Michael took the hint from David not to pry. And so, he moved on to Bill and Cassie, and asked them the same question.

'Kids? No,' said Cassie. 'But we got dogs! Two of 'em, Rocky and Cooper, and they're our kids. Aren't they, Bill?'

'Oh, yeah, Cassie sure pampers those pups, let me tell ya! We got this brand-new oversized RV, and Cassie had them install a doggie bed… damn thing's near almost as big as our bed! Yeah, they're like our kids alright.'

Maddie looked around the table and noticed there were still two empty spaces at their table. 'I wonder if there is a fourth couple that will be joining us tonight.'

Just as she said that, a man appeared out of nowhere and sat down on one of the two remaining chairs. He was young, tall and thin, with near-jet black hair, dark blue eyes, a thin mustache and a five o'clock shadow… not a bad-looking man at all. He glanced around the table, and said, 'Hey, how ya'll doin'? I'm Eddie... Easy Street Investigators in Hollywood.' Everyone spoke up at the same time and introduced themselves. 'Can't say I got all your names, but... hey, I'm heading up to the bar to get a drink. Anybody wanna join me?'

David was quick to say, yes, but then all three of the men got up and walked away with Eddie, leaving the women alone to talk.

Debbie looked at Maddie, and said, 'So, I heard David say the two of you don't have kids, but are you married, or do you just work together?'

Maddie didn't know either of the women at the table, and that made it easier for her to speak freely. 'We work together, but we... well, we are in a relationship... sort of… we care about each other... we... it's complicated.'

'Oh, Maddie, I completely understand. My relationship with Michael was "complicated" for years, but then I got pregnant and we decided to get married. It's been good for us, and it's even been good for the business.'

Next Cassie chimed in with her two cents. 'Maddie, you got yourself a good-lookin' man there. And honey, I've only just met you, but my oh my... the way he looks at you! If I were you, I'd lasso that stallion and ride off into the sunset with him. Don't ever let a man like that get away.'

The men returned with drinks for the ladies, and to announce that it looked like the buffet tables would be opening soon.

David sat back down with a vodka lime and soda for Maddie. 'So, what'd I miss?' he asked.

'Oh, nothing really, just something about me tying you up with a lasso...'

'Mmm, sounds very cowgirl dominatrix. Lemme guess, Cassie's been sharing how she whips Bill into shape. Is this really what you women talk about when the men go away?'

'So, what's up with that guy, Eddie? He seems cocky and he kinda gives me the creeps.'

'Recently divorced, bitter. He got the struggling business; she got the house and kid. Hey, you wanna go up and be first in line for the buffet? I don't wanna miss out on getting some of those pigs in a blanket.'

'Sure,' she took his hand. 'Let's go.'

7:45 p.m.

David and Maddie sat at the table finishing their desserts. They were both watching the couples dance out on the dance floor, and Maddie could tell David was itching to get out there. The music was loud and so Maddie touched his leg to get his attention.

'I'm sorry I'm not really one to wanna shake a leg. It's written all over your face that you want to dance.'

'It's okay, Maddie. I'm just waiting for the DJ to play a song with a tempo slower than my resting heart rate, and then I'm bringing you out there.'

She smiled at him to let him know she was okay with that. And that's when she heard it... the opening notes to that new Michael Bolton song she liked. 'Oh, David, let's go dance to this one!'

She took his hand, and she was the one to pull him out onto the dance floor.

While the DJ spun the "Soul Provider" record, David took Maddie's hand in his and wrapped his arm around the small of her back. He pondered aloud, 'How can God be so unfair?'

'Huh?' She pulled back to look at him… baffled by his question.

'I see a guy like Michael Bolton with his luxurious head of hair, and I think... How can God be so unfair?'

She laughed, but then she noticed his mood turn serious.

'Are you having a nice time tonight?' he asked her.

'I'm having a wonderful time tonight.'

'Good.'

He was holding her out on the dance floor. They were moving to the rhythm of the music, but she could feel him thinking, and that made her heart beat faster.

'I love you, Maddie Hayes,' he whispered into her ear.

She looked up into his green eyes, and without hesitation said, 'I love you, too.' She hadn't been able to say those words to him in a long time, not since she'd lost their baby. Deep down she'd always felt it, she just couldn't bring herself to say it. But saying it tonight felt good. It felt like the right time.

And she took his breath away. It took him a moment to respond.

'I think... I think you've just made me the happiest man in the world right now.' If he could possibly hold her any closer, he did, and they danced.

8:15 p.m.

After slow dancing for a while and then taking a quick pass at the Electric Slide, Maddie decided she was ready to sit back down at their table. She asked David if he would get her another drink and so he left her alone there while he went up to the bar. It was then that Eddie came by and sat down directly across from her. She could tell by his flushed skin and the glazed over look on his face that he was drunk. Maddie sat minding her own business, desperately trying to avoid eye contact, and hoping he'd leave her alone.

'Hey baby…' He addressed her loudly from across the table. His words slurred.

He called her baby. This was not going to go well, but she did her best to ignore him.

'Hey baby, can you hear me!?' He spoke even louder this time, trying to be heard over the music.

She ignored him again, and turned the other way.

'Damn! Girl, you are hot and stubborn as hell!' He scooted his chair close to hers, and threw his arm around her bare shoulders. 'So, whaddya say you ditch that schlump you're with… and you and me… baby, you and me can go out to my car and fu…'

'Call me baby again, buster, and I'll knock your socks off!'

'She can do it, Eddie.' David stood behind her, having just returned from the bar with drinks in hand. 'Don't risk it, man, you'll be walkin' home barefoot. Best you take your hand off the lady and disappear.'

'Okay, okay... I'll leave. But just so you know, buddy, she's gonna break your heart, man, the pretty ones... they always break your heart.'

David stepped to the side, while Eddie slunk away, out of the ballroom and into the night.

'You okay?' David handed Maddie her glass of wine, and sat down.

'Yeah, I'm okay.'

'I mean, I know you could've handled that on your own, but I...'

'It's okay, David... it's just nice to know that you're looking out for me.' She kissed him on the cheek.

Maddie appreciated that David didn't make a scene. He stood up for her, but he kept his cool. She could not have asked for more. He handled the situation perfectly.

'C'mon,' he took her hand in his, encouraging her to stand up.

She stayed put. 'David, I don't feel like dancing…'

'C'mon sweetheart, I'm not asking you to dance. Come with me… I want to show you something.'

8:30 p.m.

David walked Maddie to the back of the banquet hall and down a short flight of stairs to where he had discovered a classy looking billiards room.

'David, how did you find this place?'

'I'm in with the bartender… he told me. I don't think it's really meant for the private dicks upstairs, but who's gonna know. Now… if you remember, a few weeks back while out on a case, you and me played a little pool. I made a mental note that one day, I would have to teach you how to play.'

'Teach me, huh?' If he only knew…

'Yes, there's a lot to it… the game's not as easy as it looks. It's the principle of impact and angles. The right impact at the right angle. That's what the game's all about. Actually, it's what most games are all about. Physics. Politics. Seduction.' David put down his wine glass and picked up two cue sticks. He handed one to Maddie.

'Impact and angles.' …that she did have some knowledge of the game.

'Now don't be embarrassed if you mess up. You're inexperienced, and frankly, you're just not built to excel at this game. It's an aerodynamic thing.'

'An aerodynamic thing?' Did he really just imply that her breasts would get in the way?

'With a little practice, someday you might get the hang of it.'

'You think so?' She took off her long black evening gloves in order to get ready to play.

'Maybe,' he nodded.

'David, I really appreciate you taking the time to teach me.'

'My pleasure,' he said as he chalked the two cue sticks.

'I guess that's why we're such a good team. We know each other's strengths. We know each other's weaknesses. We fill in each other's blanks.' She was no longer talking about the game of pool. She had moved on to the game of seduction…

'We do, don't we?'

'Of course, that couldn't happen unless… you really know someone.'

'Orchestra to balcony.'

Maddie leaned over the pool table to line up her shot. 'Like this?'

'Lookin' good.'

Recalling a conversation they'd had not too long ago… about how many men she'd slept with in her past, Maddie asked, 'David, you know that guy in the fraternity house?'

'Slippery when wet?'

''We never really were intimate.' She took her shot and the balls scattered. Be it luck or a modern miracle, all the colored balls landed in a pocket… the cue ball slowly rolling to a stop.

David stood there watching, at first rather emotionless on the outside.

'But he sure taught me how to handle a stick.'

She was pretty certain he swallowed his pride as he turned to look at her. Between her perfect shot and her double entendre, she did it… she actually made David Addison… speechless.

9:45 p.m.

As Maddie settled in to the seat next to David in the limo, she suddenly perked up, and said with some regret, 'Oh no, we never got to say goodbye to those two nice couples we met tonight.'

'They probably left while we were playing pool.'

'Yeah...'

She leaned back into her seat. Maddie couldn't hide from him the fact that her mind was a million miles away… pondering something. He reached over to hold her hand.

'I can hear the wheels spinning, Maddie. What are you thinking?'

'Oh, it's nothing... it's nothing.'

'What is it? Don't say it's nothing. Tell me.' Concern was written all over his face.

'No, it is... it's nothing.'

'I know what it is... you're wondering how I would look in a cowboy hat, right? Like that one Bill was wearing?'

'No.' She laughed at how ridiculous the thought of that was.

He sat for a moment… studying her. 'Okay. How 'bout this?' he said, wholeheartedly and getting straight to the point. 'I think you're wondering if we could ever have what they have... kids, dogs... an RV.'

He hit the nail on the head. She got serious, and looked into his eyes, but she didn't say anything. So, he put his arm around her and pulled her back to lean against him. He was quiet, and she knew now that they were both thinking the same thing.

After several minutes passed, he pulled her hair back away from the side of her face, and he leaned down to whisper in her ear. 'Love you.'

It was short, and sweet, and simply everything she needed to hear at that moment. She lifted his hand up from where it rested on her waist, kissed his fingers, and then held it tightly against her chest. She had no intention of letting him go tonight.

When the limo driver let them off in front of Maddie's house, they walked the short distance to the door hand-in-hand. Once the door was unlocked, she looked at him and said, 'You'll stay...'

Whether that was a question, or an invite, or a command, it didn't matter because the response was the same. 'I'll stay,' he said. She knew he would.

Despite the comfort level she had felt in the limo, as soon as they walked into her foyer, it hit her... that little nagging bit of panic. She knew she had something she wanted to do for him, and if she didn't do it now, she was bound to lose her nerve.

'Why don't you go get settled in the living room? I'm going to go slip into something more... comfortable.' She let go of his hand.

'Okay, I'll go sit down. You get comfortable.'

She walked towards the stairs, knowing full well that his eyes were glued to her backside, watching her go. She could be a tease when she wanted to, and she smiled to herself.

When she opened the door to her bedroom, she saw what she had gone up there to find. Draped over her vanity chair was the red negligee she'd bought at the mall the night before... when she was unable to find the perfect red dress. She picked it up, and looked at all the intricate details. It was long with a high slit, had thin spaghetti straps and a delicate lacy trim. It was sexy and sheer... silky and elegant. And she wanted very much to wear it for him tonight.

She took off all her clothes, and slipped the red nightgown over her head. She fluffed up her hair, and dabbed just a touch of perfume behind her ears and on her wrist. She checked herself in the mirror, and felt she was ready. The anticipation alone was enough to excite her.

She flitted down the stairs and then made her way into the living room. The room was dark, save for the light from the two flickering candles David placed on the fireplace mantel. He was standing by her piano, waiting for her. He had taken the opportunity to get comfortable, too. His shirt was untucked, and his jacket and tie were neatly placed over the back of a chair. She saw his eyes light up as she glided across the room to where the stereo was. She wasn't sure if this was the silliest or the most romantic thing she'd ever done, but he said he wanted to dance with a lady in red. Tonight, he would.

She pushed a button, the song began to play, and Chris de Burgh began to sing... 'I've never seen you looking so lovely as you did tonight, I've never seen you shine so bright...'

'I found the song you like,' she said, as she turned around to face him. She felt a little anxious. She didn't need to be.

He gazed at her intently. 'You make all my fantasies come true… you know that?'

He had a way of looking into her eyes... deep into her soul. She blushed and looked away, a little embarrassed. 'Yeah, well... you've made my fantasies come true, too.'

'Good,' he said, drinking in the vision of her like she was a glass of fine red wine. 'C'mere, let me look at you in that.' Letting him look at her... really look at her... made Maddie shiver with nervous excitement. His commanding yet respectful approach to sex thrilled her in a way that only he could. He made her feel loved and desired... like she was the only woman in the world, and he had been that way with her since their very first night together.

Once she was within arm's reach, he took her hand and gently twirled her around... slowly, so that he could memorize every inch of her. She could feel David's hand on her back as it moved along the lace trim, leaving goosebumps in the wake of where his fingers gently grazed her skin. When she turned back around to face him, she watched intently as his eyes focused on her breasts. The excitement she felt made her nipples harden... poking through the fabric, begging to be touched. And he responded... slowly letting his palms and then his fingers caress each peak. The sensation drove her wild inside.

He pulled her to him, and his hands explored the contours of her body 'til his arms were fully wrapped around her, holding her close. It was then that he started to sway with her, as if he was just reminded that the song was playing and they should dance.

He nuzzled her ear, inhaling the exotic floral bouquet of her shampoo and perfume, all swirled together into one intoxicating scent. 'You smell great,' he whispered. Then his hands went to the sides of her face, his thumbs caressing her cheeks, and he kissed her. She could feel his hot breath on her skin, his warm tongue on her lips, and she opened her mouth to let him in.

When the song ended, she could feel him become more aggressive with her… hiking her nightgown up, squeezing her behind and pulling her close to feel his arousal. She unbuttoned the buttons on his shirt… letting her hands roam the expanse of his broad muscular chest and smooth back. He began backing up until he reached her couch, then he let his pants and boxers fall to the floor. He sat down on the couch, pulling her with him. She straddled him, and he pulled her down so that he could enter her slowly. She felt like she'd been waiting for this moment all day.

'Oh God, David, that feels so good…'

Spurred on by her words, his hands then steered her hips over wave after wave of intense pleasure, and at the moment of her release, she held onto his shoulders and buried her face in the crook of his neck.

'David, David, David…'

Then with every nerve ending in her body tingling, she felt his hands grasp her thighs tightly, and almost like an echo in her ears, she heard him.

'Maddie, Maddie, Maddie…'

Moments later… they lay together on the couch.

'So, was that good for you?' he asked in a soft whisper, as he ran his fingers gingerly up and down her spine.

'Mm-hmm, that was amazing… you were amazing. And you were right,' she said, in a breathy, sated voice.

'About what?'

'Impact and angles,' they said in unison, and they laughed.

She was quiet for a few minutes longer, and then, 'Maybe we should get up, David.' Now that the heat of the moment had passed, typical Maddie, she was suddenly concerned about her furniture getting messy. 'I hope you put a blanket down on the couch before we did this.' She went to sit up, when he gently pulled her right back down to where she was, resting her head on his shoulder.

'Of course, I did. I knew you'd want me to do that, so I did… I placed a blanket on the couch before you even came down the stairs.'

'Okay, well, thank you for thinking of that.'

'We'll get up soon… I just wanna hold you like this… keep this fantasy going for a little while longer.'

Like a genie in a bottle, she granted him his wish and relaxed back into him so that he could hold her.

'So, do I really make all your fantasies come true?'

He looked down at her with an adoring, yet mischievous grin and chuckled. 'Yeah, you do. Well, except for one…'

'What's that?' She looked at him, a little apprehensive about what he might suggest.

'Well, I heard something about a lasso…'

She slapped his arm, 'Oh, would you stop it! Besides, I didn't need a lasso to catch you.'

'Nah, you didn't need a lasso to catch me.' He stretched his arms up over his head, and then brought them back down to hold her again. 'I was all yours, lady, the minute you walked through my office door.'

In the middle of the night… Maddie was awoken by the sound of a soft snore. The air in her living room was chilly, yet surprisingly, she felt… comfortable. She was thankful he hadn't pulled her nightgown off, for the silky material felt like a satin sheet, helping to keep her warm. And then, of course, there was the body heat radiating from… his body. His strong, muscular, handsome body.

Lying there in the dark, with his arms wrapped around her, Maddie Hayes found herself very happily… snuggling up to… her man.