Free Far From Heaven by Cherrie Lynn Page B

was no description for the look on Delia’s face. She only wished she had a camera to capture it for posterity. Or just to hang on the wall in this place. Plenty of the regulars would get a kick out of it.
    “With who ?”
    “Oh God, Dee. This guy. I met this guy by some freak accident in the parking garage as I was leaving the restaurant. And he was…wonderful and gorgeous and sexy, and we talked for only a few minutes but…I took him home with me.”
    “Holy shit! I’m…speechless! And speechless never happens to me.”
    “I know, right?”
    “So, spill. Details, girl.”
    “Oh, I can’t go into all the lurid details. But he was…he was awesome.” Maddie practically felt the wistfulness in her own smile as she lifted her coffee to her lips. She glanced at Delia over the cup. Her friend shook her head slowly, still in disbelief.
    “Damn. I feel as proud as a…as a mother or something, like my little Maddie is all growed up now.”
    “Let’s not be ridiculous. It happened, and it was good, and it definitely got my mind off things. If nothing else, it showed me there’s plenty more out there. David wasn’t the be-all, end-all.”
    “So are you going to see this guy again? Tell me his name, at least. Maybe I know him if he’s from around here.”
    “I don’t think he is. He’s got a little bit of an accent, but I can’t place it. He didn’t talk about himself much…but his name is Ash…” Damn. She hadn’t even asked his last name. “Um, well, we didn’t get that far. But I doubt I’ll be seeing him anymore. It was just one of those things, you know?”
    “Maddie. To me it would be just one of those things. But to you? I don’t mean to sound all maternal on you for real, but…are you sure you’re okay with this?”
    The question sent an odd pang through her. She didn’t like it how it seemed to curl up and reverberate. Flashes from the night before assaulted her…Ash’s hands on her skin, his eyes looking down at her. His hard body, the sound of his voice. For that moment, all of her senses were overwhelmed and she could still feel him deep inside her where she was still tender and aching. She waved her hand, pretending to be absorbed in looking at a couple of CDs stacked on the counter. “I’m fine.”
    “You obviously like him.”
    “Well…yeah, of course—for the few hours I spent with him. But so what? I made the decision. I’m a big girl, I can deal with it.”
    “So what is David’s problem?”
    Oh no. To tell her that would be to admit what she was going through, what she’d always gone through. What if Delia came to the same conclusion as David? What if Maddie was slowly coming to the same conclusion? That was the worst thought of all.
    “David…doesn’t love me.” Hey, it was the truth. The truth underlying it all, actually. “End of story.”
    “I’m so sorry, hon.”
    “Yeah, well. You lose some, you lose some.” A bitter chuckle escaped.
    “Look, there’s someone out there for you. I think maybe you should give Mr. Hot Stuff from last night a shot, see if this can go beyond the bedroom. Any man who puts a look like that on a woman’s face is worth the chance. Hell, I wish I could find that.”
    Involuntarily, Maddie lifted a hand to her cheek. Did she really look that different from one night of sex? “I don’t really want to see anyone, though. I’m—” She cut off, coming dangerously close to explaining that she was dealing with so much crap right now, but she didn’t want Delia asking about it.
    Sadness settled in her soul. I don’t have one friend I can really talk to about this.
    Except Ash. The person she’d taken home to get her mind off life, the one she’d wanted to use for orgasms but keep at a safe distance, had been the one she’d effortlessly opened up to. The one who’d held her when she freaked out with not an ounce of judgment in his eyes.
    “I didn’t get his number or even his last name. I don’t know where he lives—he