Thunder - Willow Summers Page 0,11

that would miraculously help her dress dry faster.

“Thunder,” Janie said in a wispy voice, her tone low and sultry. Her arms limp at her sides. “I’d heard he was impossible to get.”

Madison could see why. He had a presence about him that dried up the saliva in her mouth and set her lady parts to tingling. The confident way he held himself, paired with his direct and intense stare, gave her goosebumps in the most pleasant of ways.

So, so incredibly hot.

The man’s face dropped before smoothing over into a blank mask. His large body tensed, proving that if a man’s muscles were large enough, they’d show through a suit jacket gloriously.

Despite his profession, he was clearly uncomfortable with the attention, something Madison could understand. She’d been gawked at a time or two at work, and it was a horrible feeling.

“Go,” Madison said, shaking herself out of the handsome-inspired stupor and pushing Janie. “You’re being dumb.”

“Takes one to know one,” Janie muttered, still staring. She shook her head and looked back at Madison with sparkling eyes. “Lucky bitch,” she mouthed before grinning and hurrying on.

Focus was what Madison thrived on in dire situations. How was being horribly distracted tonight a good thing?

Because that was exactly what would happen if he was her date.

“Sorry,” Madison said to the newcomer. “I spilled my drink and this is a new dress. We’re in chaos mode. Come in, please. Do you want a drink?”

“Sure.” He closed the door and glanced at the boxes.

“Don’t worry about those.” She waved away the sea of cardboard. “I recently broke up with a longtime boyfriend. He’s forcing all this crap on me.”

“I’m sorry to hear that.”

“It’s fine. He’s already found someone new, and I get a breather from looking after a toddler I didn’t give birth to.” She chuckled at her tone. “I sound scorned, I know, but I’m really not. His timing was the pits, is all. Come in. I’m only unhinged because of the dress.”

“Every breakup is an adjustment.” His deep voice coated Madison’s skin like a velvet blanket, tingling her insides and fluttering her stomach.

Which reminded her.

“I actually ordered— I’m sorry. You’re human. What a dick thing to say. I mean, not dick like your…” She cleared her throat as Janie hurried back out, blow dryer in hand. “What I meant is that I reserved someone else. His name on the website is Sam Evans, but his real name is Colton. In the picture, he had dark hair and half your…” She held her hands out to reference his girth. And height. And all around…bigness.

“Sam no longer works for our organization. I’m Colton,” he said, stepping forward with his arms out, as if he planned to hug her.

“Oh.” She jutted out a hand. She was an awkward hugger, and he was a stranger and a prostitute. All around, a handshake was safer. Especially since she wasn’t so sure she could stop herself from randomly humping him. “I’m Madison.”

Surprise flitted through his expression as he glanced at her outstretched hand. He adjusted seamlessly, going for the shake, his hand large and warm. Electricity surged through the contact, stealing her breath.

“Nice to meet you,” he said, a smile tickling his shapely lips.

Had the guy been carved from stone or something? He was a little too perfect.

And for sale. She’d do well to remember that.

“Wow.” She took a big step back. The crush needed to end now. “Okay. Well, this will have to work. Um, Janie, do you want to make him a drink?”

“No, because as soon as I start, you’ll remember that there are still two wet spots on your new, very expensive dress, and you’ll tell me to abandon ship. Come here.” The blow dryer was already plugged into the nearest outlet, and Janie gestured her over. “Hurry up.”

“Is that silk?” Colton asked, his smell wafting to Madison’s nose, spicy-sweet cologne riding a scent of fabric softener and man. Her toes curled and her eyes fluttered closed. The devil was in that smell.

“Yes,” she heard Janie say. “I already blotted it with warm water, but Madison doesn’t believe the damp spot will go away.”

“Big night, huh?” Colton asked, squeezing between her body and the boxes behind her, trying to get to the kitchen or a stool. His hands hit off the sides of her waist, sending glorious tremors through her insides before pooling heat deep in her core.

She jolted forward into Janie. “No touching,” she murmured. It was safer that way. Certainly less distracting. Her antisocial, nerdy