Maddie rolled to her side and rained little kisses on Aidan's sleepy, stumbled face. Her hand slid across his abdomen, letting her fingers surf across the taut plains of his stomach. He gave an acknowledging groan. "Morning."

Maddie's fingers circled around the mysterious tattoo over his heart. It was a black paw print with the same markings around it as his necklace. It looked more of a seal of some sort. "Were you in the military?"

"Hmm. More of a private sector form of military." He yawned. "What brought on that question?"

"Your tattoo." She traced her finger around the paw print, feeling the slight pucker of his skin filled with ink. "And you seem like you would have military background, I guess you can say."

He raised a brow. "Should I be insulted?"

"No, not at all. I just find it an intriguing part of your character." She smiled at him. "I can totally see you in the military. So stubborn, probably commanding people twice your age."

She actually wasn't that far off. "Seems like you have me figured out." Aidan pushed her hair back. "But stubbornness and the military doesn't mix. All the men, including me, was respectful of that.  But that's not to say I followed every protocol to the letter. Some rules can be broken." He gave her a slow smile.

"Do you miss it?" Maddie asked sincerely. Her face inquisitive.

"I don't know yet. To be honest, I never completely left it. It's always a part of me.  The camaraderie of the men to fulfill duty and make sure we can all go home in one piece, it's invaluable."

"I see."

She kissed the rippled plains of his stomach and pouted. "Are you ever gonna leave this bed?," she asked. "It's 9 am."

Aidan smiled, his eyes still shut. "Not if you keep that up." He captured her lips as she leaned closer and Maddie burned with the heated promise of it.

Maddie gifted him an impish grin. "Well, this magazine Greta gave me did say sex is statistically better in the mornings."

He opened one eye at the enticing comment, his expression filled with wicked temptation. Aidan gently took her hand she had sprawled across him and swiftly pulled her across him, rolling her underneath him with his body pressing against her. Maddie couldn't resist moaning as she felt his erection hot against her inner thigh. The man had unrivaled agility.

"Ready to test that theory?" He flashed those gorgeous green eyes; the look was playful with an intensity she read as pure sexual desire.

Before she could answer, he lowered himself to run his tongue along her throat, his body rubbing against her bare breasts. As tempting as he made it, she'd be on her back all day if she'd let him. And even in coming to that realization, still she was trying to decide if that was a bad thing or not.

"Let me make some breakfast for you."

When he rose up to look into her eyes with a predatory gaze, her breath caught in her throat. He looked at her as if she was breakfast.

She smiled at him, almost nervous. How can I ever get used to this man looking at me as if I was constantly naked? "That wasn't a request, Superman. Go shower and I'll whip up something before I go to work."

Maddie wanted to laugh as Aidan groaned in protest and rose up enough for her to ease from under him. He playfully nipped her thigh as she slid away from him.

"You're not going to join me?" He asked lying on his side, propped on his elbow. In all his amazing morning glory.

How in the hell is a red-blooded woman supposed to walk away from that? Maddie cast him an impish smile to his somewhat innocent question.

But she knew better. This would not be a quick shower. In fact, the way Aidan looked at her kind of gave her an inkling that he may change the whole definition of "shower" to her, forever. Again, needed to decide if that was a bad thing or not. She did need to go to work...at some point.

Maddie grabbed her panties and tank top from the dresser and pressed them to her body as a sudden shyness prompted her. Funny, she never used to be so open with her body before, but this time she barely thought of it, until Aidan's heated stare.

"I'll go after I do breakfast. Now stop stalling and go." As she walked past him she swapped his butt playfully.

He smiled at her as she scampered off. She was so cavalier with his body and didn't behave skittish or frightened of him. She entertained no regrets of laying with him, of giving herself to him.

He picked up the sheet and inhaled her scent. Imbedding it to memory along with the images of her face as he made love to her.

Maddie trusted him.

And despite the nature of him, he desperately wanted to trust her too. Though he hasn't flat-out lied to her yet, he didn't tell her the whole truth of himself. Knowing it's quite impossible, and could very well endanger her more, he couldn't help but want to be free with her. Would she still let him touch her if she knew what he really was? He rose from the bed and head to the bathroom to shower. It took more energy than he imagined to control himself with her last night. Intense pleasure almost always inadvertently triggers a change for his kind. Both essences of their being wanted to be free with their mate, but it was only acceptable when both were ShadowShifters. He didn't even do so much as change his eye color when he was with her. It was a risk he couldn't take with Maddie's safety.

His feelings for her were confusing the hell outta him. If he could only stay away from her, but from the moment Aidan met her, it was an impossible feat. He'd been more successful in blood battles than he has trying to stay clear of this woman.

Aidan paused at the kitchen threshold to finally discover what all the commotion came from.

Maddie, still dressed in her black boy shorts, the scantily one with the word "LOVE" scrawled across the backside. Her blue tank top clung to her exquisite body as she swayed her hips back and forth to the music in her iPod, tucked between her skin and the shorts. He cocked his head and grinned as he watched her backside.

If this wasn't subliminal messaging, he didn't know what was. Maddie's voice was pleasant, with sudden changes in the key that were less than perfect. He choked down his laughter as Maddie scampered about the kitchen making what would appear to be breakfast to him. He didn't know why, but seeing her so domesticated and jolly was beguiling. He couldn't take his eyes off her. The woman had more energy than a toddler. Her glasses set on the table and it somehow tickled him she braved the kitchen without them. Without them or her contacts she could barely see 3 feet away from her. Entertained by the alluring minx romping across the linoleum, he propped himself against the kitchen's threshold. The aroma in the kitchen she conjured was amazing.

He squinted as she hit another off note. 

And so was she.

He scanned every bit of her with adoration. Long, fleshy thighs, the soft curve of her breasts...those swaying hips. He began to think of the night before, her body straddling his. He knew exactly what those hips of hers could do. His mouth watered, and it wasn't from the breakfast.  At that moment, Maddie caught sight of Aidan and damn near jumped out of her skin.

"Shit, Aidan!"

Her silver mixing bowl popped out of her hand and fell full force on her foot.

"Ow!" Her voice almost a whine. "I need these toes!"

Aidan snickering under his breath, hurried over to her side. He picked up the bowl of split batter, placing it in the sink. The floor wasn't a huge mess as he would have anticipated. The batter was too thick to really go anywhere. "Sorry about that dancing queen."
Maddie plopped down on the chair adjacent from him pulled her earplugs out and inspected her foot. Part of it was splattered with pancake batter.

She cut her eyes at him "You scared the crap out of me!" She stopped to look at the mess on the floor and sighed, "My Nana's recipe."

Aidan turned off the burner with the empty skillet and turned his attention back to her. He squatted down beside her with one of his ever-growing collection of smiles.

"Sorry, I'll clean up the mess. I didn't mean to scare you." He took the kitchen towel off the rack and gently wiped the batter off of her foot.

Maddie's cheeks mottled pink as she realized she was performing for an audience this time. She was so used to entertaining herself alone at home. Singing, dancing and reciting made it seem that she wasn't so alone. It filled the space in her empty home. Now she really wasn't. Leaning over, she watched as Aidan took her foot gently in his hands softly bending each toe. "Does that hurt?"

Maddie shook her head. "No." Then she smiled inquisitively. "Were you spying on me?"

"Do you always gyrate while you cook?" He looked up with a charming, sexy smile of his own.

She sat back in her chair folding her arms as his hands rubbed her foot. "I asked you first."

"And so you did. No, just admiring the um...view." Aidan leaned in and ran his lips up her calf, "Did that hurt?"

Maddie shook her head. "You trying to seduce me?"

Aidan grinned. "God, I hope so. Is it working?"

She tipped one hand side to side. "Ehhh. A little. I was going to make pancakes for you."

Aidan felt instantly warmed at her confession. It'd take him a lifetime to fully understand her kindness to him. It was the simple things she did that tugged at him. "I'm sorry about that."

Aidan got up and turned the burners back on under the bacon and the eggs. He grabbed the spatula and turned the bacon and turned to Maddie, who was grinning at him.

He scowled. "What?"

She folded her arms, smiling. "Don't tell me you know how to cook?"

Aidan shrugged. "I can hold my own, I guess. One has to cook in order to survive, right? How do you like your eggs?"

"Hard scrambled." Maddie tried to get up.

"I've got it, Maddie. Just rest your foot." He moved over to the bread box and grabbed a few slices of bread to put into the toaster and set it.

"Well at least let me get the juice or something." She threw her hands up in submission. "I'm feeling like a freeloader in my own kitchen."

"I'm already up." He grabbed the orange juice out the fridge and poured it into the glass she set on the table and set it down. He grabbed a plate from the rack, scraped the eggs onto the plate and grabbed the toast just as it was done.

Maddie grew hot as she watched Aidan make her breakfast. Wearing nothing but jeans and a smile—he made the simplest of tasks of cooking absolute eye candy. Nothing was sexier than this man and his enigmatic surprises in his personality. She'd imagined never getting bored with Aidan, as he had so many layers to him. Her mouth went dry as she stared down the length of him from his lean, toned torso, down to his hips where his vintage jeans rode on half-buttoned. Her eyes followed down to that sexy "V" muscle below his abdomen as he worked around the kitchen. Biting her lip was all she could do to not to pull him into the bedroom for round two.

Oh, I could definitely get used to seeing him like this.

Aidan wasn't blind to her looks nor the fact that she was getting pretty excited and wanted to play. He wanted to play too, but he had to get back into work mode again.  Aidan prepared her plate and handed it to her, trying his damnedest to ignore the fact they both wanted each other. He needed to concentrate now. Time to focus on Kieran and what's going on in this town.

"Thank you." She accepted it with great ceremony then set it down in front of her. She watched him turn everything off and sit down with his toast and bacon. Maddie laughed as Aidan eyed her eggs. "Why are you flirting with my eggs? Where are yours?"

Biting his bacon, he swallowed. "I honestly didn't think they'd come out so well. You aren't gonna share?"

Maddie continued to eat nonchalantly as if she paid no attention to him. "Nope."

Aidan sat back folding his arms. "But, I made those."

She waved her fork in his face. "Yup. And that you did. I thank you as they are perfect eggs. You could be quite useful around here after all." She took a bite and teasingly moaned at the taste, totally going over the top.

Aidan shook his head. "What a cruel thing to do. I feel I should retaliate."

"Oh yeah?"

Aidan grinned. "Yeah." Fuck it. He thought as his resolve disappeared. She's a beautiful distraction.

Before she could realize he was getting up, Aidan leaped up and grabbed her hoisting her over his shoulders. Giggling, she smacked his butt. "Put me down, or you'll be sorry!"

Aidan walked out of the kitchen with Maddie over his shoulders, her feet kicking. "I'm already sorry. How could I have met such a shameless and selfish woman? Discipline is in order." She wiggled her legs about to no avail. All her struggling to get free just threatened to burn her out. Aidan appeared totally unaffected by carrying her around like a caveman. "Now say you're sorry."

Maddie giggled. "Never! Those eggs were mine. Get over it, dude."

"Fine. You asked for it." Aidan plopped her on the sofa playfully. He couldn't stop himself from laughing at her hair wild from being tossed around. Maddie leapt up and toppled over the sofa, landing on him and knocking him to the floor.

"You're making this hard on yourself!" She yelled as she wrestled with him on the floor. There they taunted each other and tussled about playfully in the living room. Finally, she thought she had him pinned, until Aidan simply shifted his weight and pinned her beneath him holding her arms above her head. She tried to struggle away, but Aidan clearly won.

"Gees. You couldn't even just let me win, could you? Just so you know, you're not winning any points with me and you're a sore loser over those eggs. I hope they're cold as ice right now."

Aidan raised a brow arrogantly. "You would, wouldn't you? The whole 'if I can't have it, no one can' mentality?"

"Damn right. Now you're just trying to bully me over it. I tell you, Aidan it's pathetic."

"I'll let you up if you say you're sorry for eating my share."

Maddie scoffed. "Pfft! Well, if that's the case, we'll just be here all morning.

Aidan shrugged. "Fine by me." He gave her a cocky smirk. Loosening his grip on her wrists, he dipped down and kissed her neck. "Guess you better call in today."

Maddie purred at the sensations of his teeth playing on the sensitive flesh. It was a tempting suggestion she would admit, she loved being with him. Aidan had a way of making fun out of anything, which surprised her since when she met him he was quite guarded. It warmed her heart how he managed to open up to her.

"You drive a hard bargain." Maddie quipped, casting a glance below her. "You see what I did there?"

Aidan smiled at her and nodded. "Yeah, real nice. I take it you're here all week?"

She slipped her hands from him and poked his stomach. Aidan stifled a small laugh and Maddie gasped at the revelation.

"Superman's ticklish?" She poked him again before he tried to restrain her again. Finding it a charming vulnerability to a man who seemed like steel, she smiled at his controlled laugh. "Now I've found your Kryptonite, buster! You will submit!" Maddie rolled him over, catching him off guard. Aidan looked into her fun, bright eyes filled with peace and he wanted to fall into her.

She was his Kryptonite. 

He shook his head. "That was a win by technicality. The lamest of all wins."

Maddie blew a raspberry at him. "Whatever. I beat you fair and square. Beaten by a girl, no less." She gave him a quick kiss and got up.

He propped himself on his elbows, confused. "Where are you going?"

Maddie reached into her purse and grabbed her phone. "I'm taking your advice and calling in late. Greta wouldn't mind." Dialing the office number, she waited for Greta to pick up. But no one did, it went to the answering service.

"That's weird. Greta isn't there." She hung up and dialed Greta's personal number. A couple of rings and then she heard her assistant's voice with her daughter in the background.

"Yes ma'am? How are things?" Greta answered cheerfully.

"Hi there, Greta. Why aren't you in the office? I was calling to tell you that I'm going to be a bit late coming in this morning, but I'm on my way."

"What?" Greta paused. "We closed the office today, remember?"

Maddie frowned to Greta's response. "Huh?"

"Yeah, you have all day blocked off. Don't you remember?"

Maddie scowled on the other end. "Are you sure? What's my calendar say?"

"Hold on," Greta began to hum to fill the time it took to pull it up. "Here it is. It says November 2nd Hanging with Nana. Close office.  She's flying in to visit you, remember?"

Maddie nearly tripped over the chair. "What!? You've got to be kidding me!" Her heart jumped into her throat with shock. You freaking forgot Nana was coming in today?!  WTF!

"Nope, not kidding." Greta continued, obviously taking Maddie's remark literally. "It says so right here in your handwriting on my personal calendar. You were pretty anal about it a couple months ago. You put it everywhere. How could you forget? What time is she coming in?"

No sooner than Greta spoke those words, Maddie heard the doorbell.

###

EEEEK! Who's at the door? And who's rolling around on the floor half-naked with a sexy Alpha werewolf? Guess we can't get too mad at Maddie for forgetting. Aidan's quite a nice distraction for any warm-blooded female!