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СКАЧАТЬ I don’t think my mother really did either. I’ve always suspected that I was the result of a one-night stand, although she never really said for sure. She always wanted a career in music and when I came along, I ruined that for her. So she decided to make me into a country singer instead. Unfortunately for me, I was good at it. That’s how I ended up here.”

      “Did you ever think of finding your dad?” Kieran asked.

      “Not until recently,” she said. “But my mother gets really emotional when I ask about him. I’m starting to think she didn’t tell me the whole story. Maybe he’s married or maybe he’s just some lowlife.” She sighed softly. “When I was younger, I used to dream he was a big country star and I’d inherited his talent. Someday I’ll ask her to tell me everything.”

      “When was the last time you saw your grandparents?”

      “A couple years ago,” she said. “I call them on holidays and their birthdays, but they objected to me starting a career so early. They thought I needed to focus on school and have a normal life until I was eighteen. So things have been kind of tense between them and my mom. Sometimes it’s better not to rock the boat.”

      They continued to drive another two hours and just after ten, they pulled off the interstate and found a hotel room for the night.

      After checking in, they took the elevator up to the third floor, Maddie yawning as she watched the lighted buttons on the panel. “It’s been a long day,” she murmured. “Can you believe we started in Topeka this morning?”

      “It’s been fun,” he said, reaching out to pull her body against his. “But I’m not going to lie. I really just want to take off all my clothes and crawl into bed with you.”

      Maddie had been so afraid to face life on her own, so certain that she wouldn’t know what to do. But then she’d found Kieran and he’d changed everything. They’d settled into an easy relationship, with only the occasional silly conflict.

      Maddie had thought that falling in love was always fraught with emotional upheaval, yet, it was so simple with Kieran. Every moment they spent together convinced her that this was much more than just a passing infatuation.

      But how would they work out the details of a relationship when there was so much distance between them? He had a job, a family, in Seattle. And her life revolved around Nashville. Even if she did give up touring and recording, was she ready to pick up and move to a brand-new city?

      Kieran opened the door to the room and waited as she walked inside. She dropped the guitar case near the closet, then turned and took the bags from him, setting them on the floor at his feet.

      Without speaking, Maddie slowly began to undress him, unbuttoning his shirt and pushing it over his shoulders. Kieran smiled at her sleepily, unzipping the sweatshirt to reveal the pretty cotton dress beneath.

      This was all she really needed to be happy, Maddie mused. This man, his voice, his kiss, his naked body beside her in bed. Like breathing and eating, he’d become a basic need for her continued existence.

      Food, water, air, Kieran. She closed her eyes as he leaned forward and kissed her.

      As the kiss spun out, they worked at the rest of their clothes, shedding them piece by piece until they were both naked. He picked her up and wrapped her legs around his waist, then carried her to the bed. Holding her, he gently set her down on the mattress and stretched out above her.

      He really was a handsome man, she mused, staring into his pale blue eyes. He was smart and funny and sweet and kind. And he really didn’t care that she was famous or rich. He liked her for who she was.

      Maddie had never been able to trust another person completely. Not even the people who were supposed to be looking after her best interests—her agent, her manager, her producer. They all answered to her mother, who had been the ultimate authority.

      But she could trust Kieran. How strange was that? She only just met him a few days ago, yet she sensed that he was someone who would always be on her side.

      “I like this,” Maddie said, brushing his dark hair from his eyes. “It’s the perfect way to end the day.”

      “We’re not doing anything,” Kieran said.

      “I don’t need to do anything,” Maddie said. “I just need you near me.”

      “How close?” he asked. He was already hard, his erection pressed against her belly. He moved above her, teasing at her entrance until she could think of nothing but the moment when he’d bury himself inside her.

      “Closer,” she murmured. She whispered softly in his ear, telling him what she wanted him to do, enticing him with words.

      When he groaned softly, she knew that he couldn’t wait much longer. He nuzzled her neck, kissing and biting softly, moving above her in a slow, erotic dance. Maddie reached between them to caress his shaft, now hard and ready.

      “I have to get a condom,” he whispered.

      “I don’t want you to leave me,” she said.

      “I’m just going across the room.” He chuckled softly. “I promise, I’ll come right back.”

      The moment he broke contact, she felt the loss—of his heat, of his desire, of the comfort that his nearness brought her. But a moment later, he returned. Maddie took the box from his hands and after tearing open the plastic package, smoothed the latex over his shaft.

      He entered her slowly, the sensation so exquisite that it took her breath away. Everything seemed to be operating at half-speed between them. Time had ceased to exist and the outside world had gone dark and quiet. This was all that mattered, Maddie thought to herself as he began to move.

      Nothing in her life would ever be the same. From now on, she would live knowing that there was a man who was her perfect match in passion and pleasure. Every moment between them was a revelation, a discovery of the power of sexual attraction and simple affection.

      It was more than enough … for now.

      THE CADILLAC BEGAN to overheat about an hour after they got back on the road the next morning. Kieran pulled off the freeway and parked the car on the edge of the country road, letting it cool down before he started it again.

      Maddie perched on the back of the front seat as he peered beneath the hood. “What’s wrong with it?”

      “I don’t know,” Kieran said, wiping his hands on his jeans. “Maybe something wrong with the thermostat or the radiator. The belts look okay. It might be the water pump, although I’m not even sure this thing has a water pump.”

      “Could it be all of those things?” Maddie cried. “Maybe we should just replace the whole engine.”

      Kieran chuckled. “Maybe it’s just one of those things. But we’re going to have to get it looked at. It’s nothing I can fix.” He slammed the hood, then returned to the driver’s-side door. “We’ll try starting it after it cools down. If it overheats again, we’ll have to call a tow truck.”

      He was tempted to tell Maddie that something like this was to be expected when you don’t do your homework at a used-car lot. But she’d been so pleased with her purchase. And he’d been happy for her.

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