had developed a rash from the leaves he'd used to cover himself. And Chase's eye had swollen and gotten infected so he'd had to visit the emergency room, and now he was wearing a patch. The doctor had said the tree branch must have scratched his cornea.
It was late Sunday, and they still hadn't heard from Maddie. If she didn't call or come home soon, Chase was going to have to commit Lance and Reid to the psychiatric ward.
"When she comes back and I know she's safe, I'm going to kill her," Lance mumbled.
Reid paced the front porch. "And if that guy's with her, I'm going to pulverize him."
Chase stared broodingly at Maddie's empty parking spot, wondering where she was and why she hadn't at least called. Had she stayed at that nudist resort all night, all weekend? Slept with a strange guy after kissing Chase? Had the guy taken advantage of her?
Or had Maddie been willing, hot and passionate, the way she'd been with him?
No, he wouldn't allow himself to think about Maddie and passion... especially with another man. Not that it mattered—he couldn't have her. "Shit."
"What?" Lance asked.
He didn't realize he'd spoken aloud again. "Nothing. I was just thinking that Sophie and Maddie couldn't have gotten into too much trouble together. "Although they were both beautiful women—beautiful, single, desirable women in a town, a resort, filled with testosterone-driven, sexually depraved naked men like... like themselves.
Lance scratched at his crotch. "I have to convince Maddie to stay away from that damned Sophie woman. She's totally corrupting her."
Worry knotted Chase's stomach. Something was bothering his best friend, something more than his rash and his anxiety over Maddie not coming home. Lance really despised Sophie Lane. And Chase couldn't figure out why—Sophie was exactly the kind of woman his friend usually drooled over. He wished he'd confide in him but Lance seemed determined to remain tight-lipped.
The sound of an engine jerked up his head. Red flashed in front of his eyes, the sporty new convertible Maddie had bought sliding into her parking spot.
"Thank God," Reid said.
Lance clawed himself one last time. "Remember, not a word about us going up there."
As if they'd actually brag about their visit. Chase and Reid nodded. The brothers raced off the porch, practically catapulting themselves at Maddie as she strolled up the sidewalk. Her windswept auburn hair curled wildly about her flushed face, her rosy mouth widening at the sight of her brothers converging on her.
"Where the hell have you been?" Lance bellowed, wriggling his hips as another itching attack began.
"Why didn't you return my calls, Maddie? We've been worried sick," Reid said.
"That's why you left fifty-seven messages," Maddie said with a condemning look.
"We almost phoned the police—"
Maddie silenced her brothers with a wave of her hand, narrowing her eyes at Lance when he couldn't resist and scratched himself. "You two, on the porch now." Chase caught a hint of anger in her voice and saw fire flash in her eyes when she spotted him sitting on the porch swing, then a surprised look as she zeroed in on the black eye patch.
"What happened to you?"
"Just a little accident," he said, squirming. Lance stiffened, and Chase hoped he didn't give them away.
Her eyebrows shot up. "Playing in the woods?"
She couldn't know, could she?
"Uh, no."
"Gives you a pirate image, Chase. Maybe you should keep it."
The image of him dressed in a pirate costume dragging her aboard a ship to make love filled his mind. His stomach twisted again, only this time because he was aroused. And he was so glad to see that she was safe, he didn't give a rat's ass where she'd been. She looked so damn sexy.... On the wheels of that image, another set in. Her date rubbing suntan lotion all over her naked body. On parts no man should touch but... him.
No, he couldn't touch her there either.
And why should it bother him if another man rubbed lotion on her body? He'd
It was late Sunday, and they still hadn't heard from Maddie. If she didn't call or come home soon, Chase was going to have to commit Lance and Reid to the psychiatric ward.
"When she comes back and I know she's safe, I'm going to kill her," Lance mumbled.
Reid paced the front porch. "And if that guy's with her, I'm going to pulverize him."
Chase stared broodingly at Maddie's empty parking spot, wondering where she was and why she hadn't at least called. Had she stayed at that nudist resort all night, all weekend? Slept with a strange guy after kissing Chase? Had the guy taken advantage of her?
Or had Maddie been willing, hot and passionate, the way she'd been with him?
No, he wouldn't allow himself to think about Maddie and passion... especially with another man. Not that it mattered—he couldn't have her. "Shit."
"What?" Lance asked.
He didn't realize he'd spoken aloud again. "Nothing. I was just thinking that Sophie and Maddie couldn't have gotten into too much trouble together. "Although they were both beautiful women—beautiful, single, desirable women in a town, a resort, filled with testosterone-driven, sexually depraved naked men like... like themselves.
Lance scratched at his crotch. "I have to convince Maddie to stay away from that damned Sophie woman. She's totally corrupting her."
Worry knotted Chase's stomach. Something was bothering his best friend, something more than his rash and his anxiety over Maddie not coming home. Lance really despised Sophie Lane. And Chase couldn't figure out why—Sophie was exactly the kind of woman his friend usually drooled over. He wished he'd confide in him but Lance seemed determined to remain tight-lipped.
The sound of an engine jerked up his head. Red flashed in front of his eyes, the sporty new convertible Maddie had bought sliding into her parking spot.
"Thank God," Reid said.
Lance clawed himself one last time. "Remember, not a word about us going up there."
As if they'd actually brag about their visit. Chase and Reid nodded. The brothers raced off the porch, practically catapulting themselves at Maddie as she strolled up the sidewalk. Her windswept auburn hair curled wildly about her flushed face, her rosy mouth widening at the sight of her brothers converging on her.
"Where the hell have you been?" Lance bellowed, wriggling his hips as another itching attack began.
"Why didn't you return my calls, Maddie? We've been worried sick," Reid said.
"That's why you left fifty-seven messages," Maddie said with a condemning look.
"We almost phoned the police—"
Maddie silenced her brothers with a wave of her hand, narrowing her eyes at Lance when he couldn't resist and scratched himself. "You two, on the porch now." Chase caught a hint of anger in her voice and saw fire flash in her eyes when she spotted him sitting on the porch swing, then a surprised look as she zeroed in on the black eye patch.
"What happened to you?"
"Just a little accident," he said, squirming. Lance stiffened, and Chase hoped he didn't give them away.
Her eyebrows shot up. "Playing in the woods?"
She couldn't know, could she?
"Uh, no."
"Gives you a pirate image, Chase. Maybe you should keep it."
The image of him dressed in a pirate costume dragging her aboard a ship to make love filled his mind. His stomach twisted again, only this time because he was aroused. And he was so glad to see that she was safe, he didn't give a rat's ass where she'd been. She looked so damn sexy.... On the wheels of that image, another set in. Her date rubbing suntan lotion all over her naked body. On parts no man should touch but... him.
No, he couldn't touch her there either.
And why should it bother him if another man rubbed lotion on her body? He'd
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