Free Between You and I by Beth D. Carter Page A

balance to her weight. She kissed his chest, his neck, and his face, wherever her lips could reach. Their sweat mixed together and she could feel his heart thundering.
    “Oh, Hunter,” she said. “I’m going to come.”
    “Come for me, baby.”
    Her orgasm and her pussy clamped on him, interrupting his thrusts for a moment.
    “Oh yes, baby. I can feel you. Oh fuck!” His body tensed and his cock seemed to stiffen even more as he planted his nose into her neck. “Madeline.”
    “Yes, Hunter.”
    “Oh,” he moaned. He thrust deep into her one more time, holding her to him as he came inside her.
    They stayed locked together for a long while, until their hearts slowed from their frantic beating and the cool air dried the sweat on their skin. When Hunter finally pulled away, her legs dropped and their combined juices ran down her thigh.
    “Oh shit,” he muttered. “I forgot a condom.”
    “That’s okay,” she said. “I’m clean. And protected.”
    “Me too,” he replied. “Clean, that is. Usually I’m well protected, but you made me lose my head.”
    She chuckled and lightly kissed him on the mouth.
    He cupped her face. “Stay with me.”
    She had a feeling he was asking more than simply spending the night, and right then and there, she didn’t care what the double entendre meant. She was tired and she loved being in his arms. If she could manage to maintain a friends with benefits stance, this would be a perfect relationship.
    “Okay,” she whispered.
    He took her hand and led her to the bedroom.

Chapter Eleven
     
    Hunter skated around the rink, watching as Madeline lined up her puck and fired it toward the goal. When it went into the net, she let out a little squeal and threw him a big smile. Her dark eyes sparkled and his breath caught in his chest. Love hammered in his heart and he couldn’t wait till Valentine’s Day, when he planned to tell her his feelings.
    “Excellent!” he called out.
    Madeline skated over toward him and held up her hand for a high five. “Pretty soon I can join your team.”
    “You’d be a wonderfully distracting addition,” he said. “Especially when I couldn’t stop kissing you.”
    She giggled and skated away toward the goal to get the puck.
    “By the way, I made dinner reservations.”
    Madeline looked over her shoulders. “When?”
    “Saturday night.”
    She stopped and turned around. A frown creased her brow. “Isn’t that Valentine’s Day?”
    “Yes.”
    He watched the emotions flit over her face, and none of them were happy. One thing he had learned about Madeline Shaul was that nothing was ever simple with her. She kept her emotions reined in tight. One day he hoped to crack her shell, but she was one beautiful enigma who constantly kept him guessing.
    “You know, Valentine’s Day is nothing but a way for the greeting card industry to make a lot of money.”
    He shrugged. “Yeah, but it’s also a day not to forget that romance is the heart of any relationship.”
    “It’s also a day where every menu price is inflated.”
    “I’m okay with paying inflated prices, as long as we can have a nice dinner.”
    She ran a hand through her hair. “Long lines. No parking. Really, we can do without Valentine’s Day.”
    Somehow, he had expected this reaction from her. The way she’d been a few weeks ago when she’d practically disappeared for a week. That had scared him. It had been the one time that he hadn’t been sure of where they were headed.
    “Well, can I tempt you with a nice steak dinner? Lobster tail? A Barbaresco wine from the Old Country?”
    Madeline blinked, and he could see he’d piqued her interest. “Chocolate cake for dessert?”
    “Of course.”
    “You’ve got a deal.”
    He looked around. “Are we on a game show?”
    “Well, you made the right negotiation, Hunter.”
    “I know, right? Who can resist steak?”
    “And lobster.”
    She licked her lips and he knew he had her. Once more. Although he wondered how long he