All She Ever Wanted - Barbara Freethy [87]
Clearing her throat, she turned a corner of the loft and saw a closed door. It was the only door in the room, and it was locked. That might have stopped someone else, but Madison had never met a locked door she didn't want to open. There was no way she wouldn't try to get in. There were five keys on Dylan's key chain, and the last one slipped in easily. The door opened. It was dark inside the small room, and it took Madison a moment to find a chain that pulled on a single lightbulb hanging in the closet. She jumped back as Emily's face appeared to her. Blinking rapidly, it took her a moment to realize that photographs of Emily covered every inch of the closet. They started from childhood and went up to college. In fact, the one right next to her was a photo of all four of them at Emily's nineteenth birthday party. They'd gone to a local restaurant to celebrate. And Dylan had taken a picture of them. She remembered that now, remembered all the times he'd been around with one of his cameras.
"Did you find what you were looking for?"
His voice made her jump. Whirling around, she looked into Dylan's furious eyes. A reason for being inside his locked apartment and inside his locked closet escaped her. She was busted. There was no way to defend her actions, so she decided to attack. "You're obsessed with Emily, aren't you? Even after all these years. Does Cole know about this?"
Dylan crossed his arms in front of his chest, his face as stony as a statue. A really pissed-off statue.
"I could have you arrested," he said.
"But you won't," she said with as much bravado as she could muster. "You don't want anyone to know about this."
Dylan suddenly grabbed her by the hand and yanked her out of the closet, slamming the door behind her. She rubbed her arm. "That hurt."
"You think I give a shit? What the hell are you doing here?"
"I wanted to talk to you."
"So you broke into my apartment? Have you heard of a phone?"
"Are you Garrett Malone?"
"No," he said shortly. "Are you?"
"Last time I looked, I was still a woman." Her words sent his gaze up and down her body, and she shivered at the look in his eyes.
"You are that," he muttered. "Get out."
"That's it? You're just going to throw me out?"
"Yes."
She stared at him, not sure how to react. She supposed she should be grateful he wanted to just let her go. But now that she had that option, she didn't feel like taking it. "I think we should talk," she said instead.
"You didn't come here to talk, did you, Maddie?"
Dylan took a step closer, and she was suddenly very aware of the fact that they were alone in his apartment, and there was a very good possibility he was insane. She glanced toward the front door. It was a long way away.
"Nervous?" he asked, a small smile now playing around his lips. "You like to be in charge, don't you?"
"I better go."
"Lost your chance."
Suddenly his hands were on her waist and he was walking her backwards, so fast she stumbled and fell flat on her back in the middle of his bed. He pulled her hands over her head as he straddled her body, his black leather pants rubbing against her bare legs.
She felt both terrified and aroused by the intense look in his eyes.
"This is what you wanted, isn't it?" Dylan asked.
Madison licked her lips, trying not to show any fear. She could handle Dylan. He was just paying her back for breaking into his apartment. He was trying to scare her. Wasn't he? "Is this how you treated Emily?" she asked.
Fury flared in his eyes. Oh, God! She'd just thrown a stick of dynamite into the fire. When was she going to learn to think before she