Page 100 of Hot & Heavy

"I have nothing more to say to you." She raised her chin haughtily and proceeded to walk away, and once again he had the niggling feeling he had seen her before. But then he didn't think any more because he almost lost it just looking at her ass in those tight jeans.

Ian decided to take a cold shower… again. He was beginning to develop prune skin.

A half hour later he came down to the kitchen, where Maddie was standing before the stove, stirring the gumbo. A rock station was on the radio and she was doing this kind of shimmy as she danced in place to "Wild Thing." Apparently, Cage had taught her more than the Cajun two-step and the shag. He spun around and returned for another cold shower. After that he shut himself in his office and did his work there. Good thing, too. His cell phone rang constantly with messages related to the upcoming trap being set.

It must have been five o'clock before he heard a soft rap on the door. "Yeah?"

Maddie cracked the door open and said, "You don't have to bark at me." She was wearing the same enticing outfit, but she'd ditched the high heels—her feet had probably been killing her—and her lipstick had worn off. "Dinner is ready if you're interested. But don't consider that an ' invitation.' I've already eaten."

He started to apologize for snapping at her. His distress wasn't her fault. Well, actually, it was her fault for dressing like that. It wouldn't do any good to apologize anyway, because she was already sashaying down the hall. Lordy, lordy!

"By the by," she said, turning and walking backward. "Do you like blow jobs?"

Ian almost swallowed his tongue. He would kill whoever taught her that phrase. Or maybe he wouldn't.

"Yeah. Why?"

"Because you're never getting one from me." She turned and continued walking away from him.

Amazing!

In the empty kitchen, which he noticed that Mad-die kept spotlessly clean, he scooped some gumbo and white rice onto a place, then added a couple of slices of French bread. He walked to the table and was about to sit down, but decided he wasn't hungry after all.

He went to the living room, where Maddie was stretched out on the couch, all five feet ten inches of hot stuff. She was watching—Ian checked and had to grin—the weather channel.

He went over to the side of the couch and stared down at her. "Maddie?"

"What?" she asked, not even looking up at him.

"Let's cut the crap. I want you. You want me. Let's go to bed and screw each other's brains out." I have the charm of a slug.

"Who says I want you?" She looked up at him now.

"I say so." He hunkered down beside her and took her hand in both of his. "Come on, sweetie. You win."

"I do?" she said brightly, turning on her side. When she did, her breasts almost fell out of the leather bustier, and his heart almost stopped. "Does that mean you'll help me raise an army to go back to Norstead?"

He rolled his eyes. "No, it doesn't mean that. Is that the only way you'll let me in?"

She nodded.

"Sounds a little bit like prostitution to me." That sounded crude, even to his own ears.

But Maddie didn't seem offended, just angry. She slapped his hand away. "Let me tell you something. If spreading my thighs for that beast Steinolf would have saved Norstead, I would have done it in a trice. If that be prostitution, so be it."

"Are you putting me in the same class as that monster?"

She sighed tiredly. "No. No, I'm not. I'm just trying to explain how important regaining Norstead is to me. I'll do anything to accomplish it."

"Even sleep with me?"

She nodded. "Even that."

"It's not much of a compliment."

She shrugged. "When I started this seduction game…"

Seduction game? Is that what this is? Why didn't someone tell me? I don't mind being seduced.