All You Can Handle (Moments In Maplesville Book 5) Read online

  “I’m Madison,” she said.

  His eyes went wide, as if she’d caught him completely off guard. As if she hadn’t seen the way he’d tracked her out of the corner of his eye the entire way there.

  Oh, the Honey Drop was adorable. And younger than she’d first thought. He couldn’t be older than her own twenty-eight years.

  His hair was cut close, and it waved in short ripples. A fine sheen of sweat pebbled along the edge of his forehead, making his light brown skin glisten. He had a set of the most beautiful eyes she’d ever seen, a soft, amber-green rimmed with gold. Gorgeous. Heart-stopping even.

  Yeah, she could do this. She could be the kind of girl who made the first move.

  “Ian,” he said, setting his pool cue to the side and stretching a palm toward her.

  Sonny looked down at his hand and allowed a small smile to curl up the edges of her mouth before taking the hand he offered. His palm was surprisingly rough, much rougher than she’d expected from a guy wearing a suit like this one.

  She gestured toward the pool table. “Are you winning?”

  “No.”

  “Good. Then you shouldn’t feel bad about abandoning the game so you can dance with me. Unless you have to stay here and babysit your friend.” She tipped her head toward the loudmouth, who’d just gotten up in one of the other player’s faces. That would not end well.

  Ian shook his head. “He’s probably going to get his ass kicked, so that would be a no on the babysitting front. However, I still can’t do what you suggested.”

  Her newly minted self-confidence took a slight hit, until he leaned forward and whispered in her ear, “I don’t dance.”

  Sonny’s smile widened. “Neither do I. But I’m sure we can find something else to do.”

  Whoa. Who was this woman hitting it out of the park in the brave and sexy department?

  With boldness practically oozing from her pores, Sonny led him to the only available booth remaining in the bar, which had swelled with patrons over the past hour. She hadn’t expected such a crowd on a Monday night, but apparently this was how they rolled in small towns like Maplesville.

  When Ian made a move to sit opposite of her, she tugged on his cuff, pulling him into the booth next to her. She twisted on the worn maroon Naugahyde and bent one leg to prop her sandal-clad foot up on the bench. The gold from her favorite toe ring gleamed under the lights. She set her elbow on the tabletop and rested her chin on her fist.

  “It sure took you long enough to notice me,” Sonny opened. “I’ve been sitting over there trying to snag your attention for nearly an hour.”

  “Have you?”

  “Don’t bullshit me,” she said. “You’ve been watching me all night. I just said that to stroke your ego.”

  He chuckled. “Okay, so maybe I’ve been watching you too. I’ve been trying to figure out those mixed signals you’ve been tossing my way.”

  She released an exaggerated gasp. “Mixed signals? I have not been sending you any such thing.”

  “Yeah, yeah, yeah,” he drawled, his eyes dancing with amusement. “You can save that drama for the stage. I’m not buying the innocent act.”

  “I wasn’t acting,” Sonny said. She traced her finger along the rim of the table. “I was trying to decide if you were worth it.”

  A curious brow peaked over those gorgeous amber-green eyes. “And?”

  His voice had dipped several octaves, making her skin tingle with that single word.

  Sonny matched his raised brow. “We’re sitting here together, aren’t we?”

  A slow smile stretched across his lips, and for the first time she noticed the small dimple in his cheek. Just like that, she was toast. Resisting that dimple was out of the question.

  Sonny lost track of time as minutes meandered into hours. Their conversation spanned the entire spectrum of ridiculousness, from arguing over the casting in the Marvel Comics action movies, to agreeing on the brilliance of McDonald’s perennial McRib. She’d never imagined there could be so many double entendres about a sandwich.

  With every sexy, flirty innuendo that passed her lips, the fake, cloistered Madison White she’d been molded into over the course of her life died a little more. She felt emboldened; the wild and free Sonny she’d embraced didn’t hesitate when it came to asking for what she wanted.

  And right now, she wanted Ian.

  “So, why don’t you dance?” she asked him.

  He shrugged. “Just not my thing. Why don’t you?”

  “Because I look like a drowning duck whenever I try to dance,” she said with a laugh. “Even years of classes couldn’t help me. I’m living proof that the ‘all black people can dance’ stereotype is just a myth.”

  “You can’t be that bad.”

  “You wanna bet?” She asked. She tipped her head back and downed the remainder of the drink she’d been nursing for the past half-hour, then grabbed Ian by the wrist.

  He tugged. “What are you doing?”

  “Come on,” she said. “I demand we get on the dance floor and make fools of ourselves.”

  Pulling him out of the booth, she grabbed him by the lapels of that nice-fitting suit and didn’t stop until they were smack in the center of the dance floor.

  She didn’t worry about learning the dance moves. She could get what she wanted by simply moving her hips from side to side. She turned around and fitted her back against his front, pulling Ian’s right hand around her waist and placing it over her bellybutton. He flicked his thumb back and forth over her bellybutton ring.

  “This is so damn sexy,” he whispered in her ear.

  Taking full control of the brazenness she’d been cultivating over the course of the evening, she rubbed her backside against him and was rewarded moments later with the reaction she’d hoped for. The telltale bulge that hardened behind his zipper spurred her on, feeding her self-confidence, daring her to be bolder than she ever thought she could be. She ground herself even more against him, her stomach fluttering at the desperate moan he made in her ear.

  “You okay back there?” Sonny asked over her shoulder.

  He answered with a deep chuckle, the rumble cascading down her spine.

  She swayed her hips again. “Just let me know if there’s anything I can help you with.”

  His other hand came around her waist, his fingers locking just above the snap of her jeans.

  “What are you offering?” he asked.

  His hips undulated the slightest bit, his erection fitting against her backside.

  Her blood quickened, a mixture of apprehension and anticipation shooting through her veins. Sonny looked back and pulled her bottom lip between her teeth. Ian’s eyes dropped to her mouth as he released a slow breath. She turned in his arms, so that his clasped hands now rested at the small of her back.

  She looked up at Ian and was nearly singed by the heat in his eyes. There was no doubt about what he wanted.

  This was it. Decision time. The moment was hers for the taking.

  How far was she ready to take this bold new Sonny? Far enough to sleep with a complete stranger?

  No.

  She was bold, but she wasn’t that bold just yet.

  Sonny’s mouth dipped in an apologetic frown. “I think maybe we should stick to dancing.”

  In that moment she loathed herself. She hated that she’d uttered those words, but Sonny knew she would hate herself even more if she’d said anything else. Embracing this new Sonny was a gradual process. She just wasn’t there yet.

  Dammit.

  “It’s okay,” Ian whispered. “I understand.” Sonny’s eyes flew to his. He nodded. “I do,” he said.

  After her heavy flirting, a lot of other guys would have accused her of leading them on. For the barest second Sonny reconsidered, but she knew she couldn’t go through with it. What if she did have to mail off a package one of these days and ran into him at the post office? Or the grocery store? Or the dry cleaners? Talk about awkward.

  She di
dn’t want to introduce any drama into her life, and trying to avoid seeing her one-night stand around town would be unnecessary drama.

  She reached behind her and pulled his hands from where they rested at the small of her back. “It’s probably time for me to get out of here,” she said.

  “You sure?”

  She nodded.

  “Okay, then. I’ll walk you to your car,” he said. He must have noticed the caution that flashed in her eyes because he followed with, “I swear, I just want to walk you to your car. I won’t try anything with you.”

  Could he really be as sweet as he seemed? Maybe this didn’t have to be one night…

  Sonny tossed that idea out of her head. The one thing she was definitely not looking for was a commitment of any kind. She’d just broken free from five years of captivity. The last thing she needed was to be shackled to someone again.

  At least this way, if she did happen to run into Ian during her short stint in Maplesville, there would be none of that uncomfortable small talk that she suspected happened when virtual strangers, who just happened to know what the other looked like naked, encountered each other again. That was the one bright spot to not taking tonight any farther than they’d already taken it.

  A genuine smile lifted the corners of her mouth. “Yes,” she answered. “I’d like it very much if you were to walk me to my car.”

  Taking him by the hand, they made their way off the dance floor and through the bar’s double doors. Ian’s friends had left over an hour ago, The Hulk, whom he’d introduced as Dale, had to help the other friend, Sam, out of the bar.

  “I’m parked over there,” Sonny said, pointing towards the graveled parking lot to the right side of the building. The number of cars crowding the lot had thinned considerably since she’d first arrived. Her vintage VW Bug sat nearly hidden against the seven-foot-tall wooden fence, the branches of an oak tree on the other side of the fence reaching over to create a canopy for her car.

  “That your car?” Ian asked, speeding up his steps. He let go of her hand as he rounded her VW. “What year is this? Looks like a ’62.”

  “You know your cars,” Sonny said.

  “This is a classic. You buy it already restored, or did you have it done?”

  “It was a rusty pile of junk when I bought it,” she said.

  “No kidding?” He looked up at her. “Original engine?”

  Sonny nodded.

  He let out a low whistle as he peered inside the car through the driver’s side window. “Can’t be easy finding parts for this baby.”

  “It’s a nightmare.” She laughed. “I had no idea it would be so ridiculously expensive to maintain, but I love it.” Sonny walked over and unlocked the driver’s side door. “Get in,” she said.

  He looked up at her again. “You sure?”

  She nodded. “I can tell how much you want to see it.”

  His lips quirked. “Now, if we’re talking about what I really want to see…”

  A coy smile drew across her lips.

  “It’s not what you think,” he said. He tipped his head toward the rear of the car.

  Sonny thought for a moment then burst out laughing. She went around to the back of the car and lifted the latch on the rear engine.

  “Oh wow,” Ian said. He reached for the engine, then pulled his hand back. “Can I?”

  “Go ahead.” She loved the pure awe in his voice. Anyone who could appreciate a classic VW Bug was gold in her eyes.

  Ian placed his palm on the camshaft and released a deep moan. “This makes up for no sex.”

  Her head flew back with her laugh.

  “I’m serious,” Ian said. “This is like touching history. Not that touching you wouldn’t have been historic, but this…this is a ’62 Beetle.”

  “You’re actually comparing sex with me to touching my car?”

  “I should stop while I’m ahead, shouldn’t I?”

  “I think so,” Sonny said, laughing again. She couldn’t help it. He was way too adorable. And sexy. And funny.

  A pall stretched over her at the thought of leaving him, and she suddenly could think of nothing more than extending their time together.

  “Do you want to see the inside?” Sonny asked.

  His eager nod wrenched another laugh from her. He ran over to the driver’s side and got in.

  Sonny lifted the duffle bag from the passenger-side floorboard and tossed it in the backseat with her other luggage before getting in the car.

  Ian sat behind the wheel, caressing the restored leather steering wheel with a reverence reserved for historical relics. They switched sides, with Sonny getting behind the wheel while Ian checked things out from the passenger side.

  She thought about Douglas’s reaction when she told him she wanted to buy this car. He’d called her ridiculous and told her—no demanded—that she get a car more suitable for a grown woman.

  How could she have compared Ian to Douglas? Attire aside, they were nothing alike. Sonny could tell after just a few hours with him.

  Ian ran his hand along the dash, and then he caressed the inside of the door. Sonny’s skin tingled with the need to have him do the same to her.

  “It’s nice to find someone who appreciates a classic when he sees it,” she said.

  He looked over at her. The searing heat in his hooded eyes was enough to scorch her. If her body wasn’t burning hot already.

  “I know a good thing when I see one,” he said.

  She pulled in a breath and let it out with a rush. “Do you now?”

  Ian nodded. The desire that pulsed between them was a living, breathing thing, occupying every available space within the small confines of the car.

  To hell with awkward moments at the post office. After a lifetime of playing it safe, she was ready to be a little reckless.

  Sonny climbed over the gearshift and straddled his lap, attacking his mouth with a desperation she’d never experienced before. Stripping his jacket off, she dove for Ian’s neck, sucking just under his jaw.

  He reached up and turned the interior light off. She hated that he did—she wanted to see him—but she knew it was better, just in case someone entered the parking lot. The tree branches provided some shelter, but not enough to shield them completely.

  His hands caught her at the waist and started to run up and down her spine with the same reverence he’d shown to the car’s interior. He brought his hands to the front and untied the knot under her breasts. His fingers trembled as he undid the buttons of her shirt.

  When he spread the shirt open, he released a moan.

  “How did I not realize you weren’t wearing a bra?” he asked. He leaned forward and sucked her nipple into his mouth.

  Sonny’s head pitched back as she cradled his head between her palms and held him to her aching breasts.

  “Are you sure about this?” Ian asked.

  “Are you carrying a condom?” she panted. He nodded. “Then I’m sure.”

  The awkwardness of the narrow space did nothing to detract from the heat pulsating between them. She lifted from his lap and unzipped her jeans. As she worked the tight denim over her hips, Ian pulled a condom from his wallet, opened the fly of his pants and pulled out a frighteningly hard erection.

  “That must have been uncomfortable,” she said.

  “I’ve been dying here,” Ian said. He covered himself with the condom, captured her hips, and brought her down on his hardness.

  Sonny bit her lip to stop herself from screaming with pleasure. With her shirt still on but the front open to him, she rode his lap with fevered strokes. Ian’s mouth went from one breast to the other, his tongue and teeth whipping her into a frenzy.

  It was raw and rough, this meeting of their bodies, and it was exactly what she needed. Sonny lost herself in the sensation of his solid length penetrating her. Every desperate grunt that escaped Ian’s mouth urged her on. She gripped his shoulders, using him to leverage her up and down, her pace increasing.

 
Her stomach tightened as all-consuming pleasure gripped her. Ian’s hands found her ass, his fingers digging into her tender flesh as he clutched her backside and held her down against him. His hips worked like a piston, pumping up and down in rapid succession.

  Pleasure tore through her as her body went up in flames.

  Even as the orgasm rippled through her body, Sonny felt another building within her belly. In seconds the pleasure erupted again, with Ian joining her this time. He growled against her, his mouth clamping on her nipple as her inner muscles milked his erection.

  She collapsed against his chest, her breaths coming in shallow pants. Sonny stole a few moments to collect her breath and savor the feeling of him inside of her before lifting her body off of him.

  “That was...mind-blowing,” she said.

  “Made me forget all about touching your engine.”

  Sonny laughed against his chest. “God, you’re such a charmer.” She pushed back and stared at him. “Not that it should matter, but I don’t want you to think I do things like this all the time. In fact, I never do things like this. You’re my first ever one-night stand.”

  “So, that’s what this was?” Ian asked. “A one time thing?”

  She nodded. “Yes.” It had to be.

  She’d had one thing in mind when she came to this bar tonight, to let her hair down and have a little fun. And once she spotted him, her definition of fun had become a bit clearer. But this was as far as she was willing to let it go.

  “I know this is a small town,” Sonny continued. “But I’m hoping Maplesville is big enough for us not to run into each other.”

  “It can be,” he said. “If that’s what you want.”

  “I’m new here, Ian. And I don’t expect to be in Maplesville for very long. You can turn into a complication I don’t need.”

  He shoved his fingers into her hair at the base of her head, massaging her scalp. “Or I can be your new best friend who shows you around town and gives you regular orgasms.”

  She laughed even as a delicious shudder rolled through her at the thought. “I think I’ll have to pass.”