Playing with Fire (A Steamy Older Man Younger Woman Romance) Read online

  PLAYING WITH FIRE

  A Steamy Older Man Younger Woman Romance

  Mia Madison

  Copyright © 2016 Mia Madison

  This is a work of fiction. All characters, places and events are from the author’s imagination and should not be confused with fact. Any resemblance to persons (living or dead), places or events is purely coincidental. All characters involved in sexual activity are 18 years of age or older.

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any material form, whether by printing, photocopying, scanning or otherwise without the written permission of the author or publisher.

  Applications should be addressed in the first instance, in writing, to the author.

  NOTE: This story contains scenes of a sexual nature and language only suitable for mature readers .

  Other Naughty but Nice Stories by Mia

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  CONTENTS

  PROLOGUE

  CHAPTER ONE

  CHAPTER TWO

  CHAPTER THREE

  CHAPTER FOUR

  CHAPTER FIVE

  CHAPTER SIX

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  CHAPTER NINE

  CHAPTER TEN

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  CHAPTER TWENTY

  CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

  EPILOGUE

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  PROLOGUE

  I’m on my way back from the kitchen with a glass of water when I collide with a hard body.

  “Hey!” It’s Jack, my dad’s best friend. He puts his hands out to stop me running into him in the dark and drops the towel that was wrapped around his hips.

  There's no unseeing that. I open my mouth and nothing comes out. I didn't know Jack would be parading around almost naked or even that he was staying with us. I just got back a few hours ago for the summer break. It’s the end of my first year at college, and I've been out, catching up with my friend Carrie.

  “Sorry,” Jack says, sheepishly, grabbing the towel to cover that thing up.

  I'm not sure who is more embarrassed, me seeing that...that...monster in full view. Or him because his best friend's daughter is staring at his mighty erection.

  “I didn't know you were here,” I say as if this was an everyday conversation, when in fact, I'm desperately scouting about in the hall to find a hole to swallow me and my red face up. But there isn't anywhere to hide. I just hope it's not obvious that I liked the sight of him without the towel just a bit too much (or a lot too much if the truth were told.) The man has a body to launch a thousand lust attacks—all muscled perfection, strong arms, broad chest, and washboard stomach along with a twinkle in his blue-green eyes that shows he doesn't take himself too seriously.

  “Your dad and I had a few beers and he suggested I stay here rather than get a cab. I thought everyone was in bed but I couldn't sleep.”

  “Me neither.” I indicate the glass. Shit! My hands are shaking. I hope he doesn't notice. I need that cool liquid more than ever. Jack can always get my pulse racing. When I was younger it was his ridiculous jokes and fun games that thrilled me but now he makes my heart speed up in an entirely different way.

  He has enough of an effect on me when he's clothed to drive me crazy but now I've seen him without a stitch on and my crush on him is going to hit the stratosphere. Talk about the difference between men and boys!

  But shit, I can't think like that. Even if he wasn't Dad’s friend, Jack would never look at me like I want him to. He has had a string of women doting on him ever since he and his wife Julie divorced years ago and I'm sure he still thinks of me as a little girl. He must be twice my age.

  CHAPTER ONE

  Madilyn

  Four Years Later

  “The gobshite! What excuse did he have?” My friend Carrie is fond of the Irish insult, her grandfather being from the Emerald Isle. I can hear a hint of Irish in her accent even on the phone.

  “He said the whole thing would be boring and he wasn't going all that way for any fucking silver wedding anniversary party.”

  “He'd better make it up to you when you get back.”

  “I don't want him to. It was the final straw. I've handed in my notice at work and I'm not going back. I brought all my stuff, everything I could carry anyway. Duncan can keep the rest. If I never see him again it will be too soon.” I glance up at the kitchen clock. I can’t stay chatting on the phone for long. It will be time to get ready for the party soon.

  “You're here to stay?” Carrie's excitement is obvious. I can imagine her grinning from ear to ear. “Chaos and Mayhem are back,” she says.

  That's what Dad used to call Carrie and me before I started dating the “gobshite” in my second year. I didn't get home so much after that or create much mayhem.

  “Yes, we'll be Chaos and Mayhem again. Lock up your sons.”

  Carrie laughs. “But I thought you loved Duncan.”

  “So did I when I said I'd marry him. But when I look back, it was just that he knew exactly what to do to make me think what a great guy he was. But after I moved in with him this year, let's just say I got to know him much better. And so did the girl in number twenty-six. She’s welcome to him as far as I’m concerned.”

  “The little shit.” Carrie is outraged on my behalf. That’s clear. “But I'm sorry it didn't work out.”

  “I think I'm well out of it, to be honest. Anyway, I thought you didn't like him.”

  “Was it that obvious? I would have put up with him for your sake though.”

  “I know you would but anyway it doesn't matter. I'm back now. I'll catch you later at the party.”

  When the call ends, I feel a bit down. In truth, I’m more upset than I make out to Carrie. It's sad when you think your future is all sewn up and then it's not. Still, there’s no doubt about it. Duncan was not the guy for me. And now, I just need a job, and some fun. It's been a long time since I had any fun.

  ***

  The party is at the Glynbourne, the biggest hotel in our corner of Oxfordshire. My parents have pulled out all the stops for their celebration. The pair of them are glowing, talking about “twenty-five happy years and never a cross word” which is funny because they do fall out like any other long-married couple. It's just that they never stay mad with each other for long.

  It’s a dull evening for me though—Duncan was right about that. I've greeted the members of my extended family and Mum and Dad's friends and neighbors I haven't seen for a while. I've told them about breaking up with Duncan when they ask where he is or, worse, when the happy day is. Though they were sympathetic to my face, I get the feeling they are wondering what is wrong with me that I can’t stay engaged more than six months. But that might just be the mood I’m in making me think like that.

  Anyway, now there's not a lot to do. Waiters are hovering around handing out glasses of sparkling Prosecco like it’s going out of fashion so I stand and sip mine. I'm trying not to knock the wine back too quickly but it's hard to resist.

  The band starts up. Why could my parents not have a disco lik
e everyone else? Ballroom is not my thing but Mum and Dad take to the floor. I expect Dad will drag me up to dance at some point if I'm not careful, so the evening can only get worse.

  Luckily, Carrie arrives at that moment to cheer me up.

  “Would you just look at you,” she says in her strongest fake Irish accent. “That dress fits in all the right places.”

  “My Christian Dior number.” I do a twirl.

  “Dior. Wow! Madilyn. Where did you get the money to buy that?”

  “I didn't—it's just a copy. I took pictures when we went to Paris.”

  “I forgot. Duncan even took you on all those romantic mini breaks and he still turned out to be a fuck-head. I’m really sorry.”

  “Me too, but I’ll live. Duncan twenty-four seven was enough to squash any romantic idea I had about him.”

  “That bad?”

  “That bad.”

  “Look at them,” she says, nodding at Mum and Dad who are still dancing. “I bet your dad can't wait to get your mum home.”

  “Pulease...in..app..ropriate!”

  “How was Duncan in the sack?” Carrie grins.

  “Also inappropriate. I forgot what you were like with your questions.”

  “Tell me anyway.”

  I pull a face.

  “A picture paints a thousand words. You need to get laid, girl, and forget dismal Duncan. We could go to a club after this, if you like. We’ll need to get you re-established around here, and you'll knock 'em dead in that dress. I wish I had your skills with a needle.”

  “I'm not sure about going out.” I nod over at Mum and Dad. “They'll expect me to go home with them. I said I'd arrange a cab later.” Dad looks like he only has eyes for Mum and my heart lurches just a little bit. I do want that. Just not with Duncan.

  “Your sister can get a taxi for them,” Carrie says. “Does she still have a pole up her ass? I'm sure she'd love to go on about you shirking your responsibilities again.”

  I laugh. “True, Sarah hasn't changed. Okay, let's see how it goes.”

  Bernard, Dad's irritating cousin, asks me to dance then. “You're looking well,” he says.

  I know what he means by “looking well” judging by the way his eyes are focused on my cleavage but I let it pass. I don't want to start a family fight tonight. I agree to dance with him only because I'll have to talk to him otherwise and I might never be able to shake him off. One dance. That's all he's getting.

  And then I see Jack, tall, dark and gorgeous as ever, across the ballroom, and my nipples react as if he pulled a switch. So much so, I'm convinced Bernard does a double take as he stares at my chest but it may be my imagination.

  How could I have forgotten the effect Jack has on me? Suddenly I remember him naked, his cock standing up in “full salute” in our hall. And I blush despite that incident being so long ago.

  The dance ends and the only person I look for is Jack. Where is he? And who did he bring tonight?

  CHAPTER TWO

  Jack

  I catch sight of a woman in a deep blue dress on the dance floor as soon as I get to Brian and Paula's party, though it's not exactly the dress that I notice but the body in it—curves in all the right places. I force my eyes away and look up. No! It can't be her.

  I look again as she turns in the dance, but it is. It's the Collier's daughter Madilyn. Her hair is longer than it was when I last saw her, much longer, but she's different in other ways too. Though I've seen Brian and Paula a few times since I moved back to Liverpool, it must be three or four years since I saw Madilyn. Time seems to have agreed with her from where I'm looking. She's all grown up from the vaguely pretty, gawky teenager I knew with green eyes and a honey blond pixie cut. No wonder I didn't recognize her.

  Of course, she's been away too and that's why our paths never crossed when I visited. It's a shame because it would have been interesting to see that transformation. I seem to remember Brian saying she was living in Scotland now and that she got engaged. Is it the guy she's dancing with? Surely not? She wouldn't marry him, would she? Whoever he is, I know I'm going to dislike her fiancé on first meeting.

  Brian and Paula come over and Brian shakes my hand and slaps me on the back. “Hey, Jack. You made it. How’re doing?”

  Paula kisses me on the cheek.

  “I couldn't miss your party,” I tell them. “Twenty-five years. That's a lot more years than I managed. Pretty good going.”

  “Sorry we couldn't invite you to stay,” Paula says. “We have a houseful just now with the party. How long are you here for?”

  “That's the thing. I just applied to rejoin the fire service here and I’ve been offered a job so I may be back for good.”

  “You're moving back?”

  “I'm still thinking about it but it's not the same in Liverpool. The promotion was good and the hours, and it was great to be back in my old stomping ground, but I miss the guys back here. I miss you two.”

  “Are you sure it's not all the broken hearts you left behind here you're missing?” Paula laughs.

  “Nope. Not a single one.”

  “No news on that front?” Paula asks.

  “No news.” I grin at her. Surely she knows me by now.

  “We'll have to see about that.” Paula, ever hopeful I’ll settle down, was always determined to get me fixed up with one of her divorced friends and I can just imagine what she will be like if I come back. But no man is safe with that crowd on the prowl.

  “Don't mind Paula.” Brian indicates the glass I'm holding. “And forget that fizzy crap they're handing out. Time for a real drink.”

  “You two can catch up over a beer any time,” Paula says. “I need to dance with Jack before all the ladies get hold of him.”

  I shrug my shoulders at Brian and laugh as she pulls me onto the dance floor. What can a man do? But damn, Madilyn has stopped dancing and she's standing at the side of the room with her friend Carmen or Carol or something. I can't quite remember. Chaos and Mayhem Brian used to call them when he went on about the two of them.

  I can't wait to talk to the Collier's younger daughter again, to find out what she's up to these days. Though if I'm honest, if she wasn’t engaged, there'd be more than talking on my mind. As Paula and I dance past her, she looks up and gives a little flirty wave, her fingers moving up and down. And then she blushes, bright red, and I can’t stop myself thinking I’d like to see what else I could do to make her blush. But no, I can’t go there. She’s Brian’s daughter, for fuck’s sake.

  CHAPTER THREE

  Madilyn

  “What? Don't look at me like that,” I say.

  Carrie is watching me too closely as my eyes follow Mum and Jack around the room. I wish I hadn't waved at him. I haven't seen him in so long. It's as if we're strangers again, though he's never been completely out of my mind so I don't think of him as a stranger.

  “It's that guy you keep looking at dancing with your mum. Isn't he your dad's friend—the one you used to have a crush on? What was his name?”

  “Jack.”

  “Impressive skills.” She's looking at him as he swirls Mum about like he's overdosed on celebrity dance shows in his spare time. “Does he still work with your Dad at the fire station?”

  “He's still a firefighter as far as I know but he moved to Liverpool.”

  “Pity. Still, while he's here he can carry me out of a burning building anytime.” Then she looks at me. “But don't worry, I wouldn't dream of letting him rescue me. You'd probably kill me when I got out if the smoke and flames didn't.”

  We laugh because that might well be true. I picture Jack's naked body again. There's just no forgetting his sculpted abs, the strength of his arms, his broad chest, his strong...er…everything. I can’t think of anything I'd like more than to be held in his arms right now, burning building or not.

  “Anyway,” Carrie says. “If you can peel your eyes away for two minutes, tell me everything. What are you going to do now you're back?”

  “I'm
not sure. That intern job I had at Duncan's work turned out to be really crappy.”

  “But you always wanted to work in advertising.”

  “It turned out to be just like life with Duncan. I used to think that was the job I wanted until I had to live with it. Maybe it was just that place. Duncan used to lord it over me because it was his uncle's company and I was one of the minions. It bugged the hell out of me because I always got better grades than him at college. I'm just going to wait tables or something while I decide what to do next.”

  I look over at the dance floor. Mum is back with Dad and Jack is being pulled onto the floor by one of Mum's friends, Peggy.

  Peggy is normally a scream the way she talks about men but I don't like the idea of her getting her paws on Jack. Not at all. They start to move around the floor. I think it's a quickstep or something.

  “Isn't she supposed to have her hands on his shoulders?” I ask Carrie. Peggy has no shame.

  “Yes, technically, but it looks like she wanted to put them some place else.”

  Jack catches my eye just as he removes Peggy's hands from his butt, putting them where they should be. He winks. He actually winks. My heart is thudding. This is insane. It's one thing to have a stupid schoolgirl crush on a fireman old enough to be my dad but I should know better by now.

  The only trouble is my graduated from college mind might know better but the rest of me is in giggly schoolgirl mode with pleated skirt and pigtails.

  “Did he just wink at you?” Carrie asks.

  “Yes, I think so.”

  “Go for it,” she says. “He's hot. Just what you need to cheer you up and take your mind off dimwit Duncan and your job-hunting woes. You can go on a Jack-al hunt instead.” She makes growling sounds and laughs.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  Jack