All She Ever Wanted - Barbara Freethy [91]
"That was different, and you always did have a high opinion of yourself."
"I know my strengths. Sex is one of them. I'm very good at it," she said candidly. "You don't know what you're missing. Although it might not be too late, if you play your cards right. I always did like a man who works with his hands, and I bet you can do amazing things with those magician hands of yours."
Dylan stared at her for a long moment, then shook his head. "You're a piece of work, Madison. You must have shocked the hell out of Emily—the way you talk."
"She liked that I was honest, that I didn't tell her what she was supposed to hear. I treated her like a friend, not a child."
"I never treated her like a child, but she was innocent. She needed to be protected."
Madison shook her head, truly confused by how many people had believed Emily needed to be protected. "What was it about her that made everyone want to take care of her?" she asked aloud. She thought about how few men in her life had ever even considered such a thing, and she came up with zero. "I can't imagine a guy doing that for me," she murmured. "I've been looking out for myself my whole life."
Dylan dug his hands into his pockets as he said, "What about your father? He must have protected you."
"Actually, he didn't bother to stick around past my conception. He was a big movie star and apparently a kid would have cramped his style. The rest of the men in my mother's life were more interested in getting her into bed and out of her clothes than they were in protecting her daughter. My latest stepfather isn't too bad though. He bailed me out of my almost wedding last year. But that was probably because my mother swore she wouldn't sleep with him again if he didn't."
"So the Covington women know how to get their way with sex."
"I learned at my mother's knee." Madison sat down on the ground and patted the patch of earth beside her. "Sit down. Tell me about Emily, how you became friends."
"Why would I want to tell you anything?"
"Because you're dying to talk to someone about Emily, and I'm the only one you've got. Come on, you know you want to."
He hesitated, then sat down, stretching his legs out in front of him. He didn't say anything for several long minutes. Finally, he said, "Emily was my inspiration. She believed in me even when we were kids. My tricks would fall apart, and Cole and Josh would laugh themselves sick, but Emily just told me to try again. When I did, she'd look at me with those big brown eyes of hers and clap as if I'd pulled off the biggest miracle in the world. I would have done anything for her."
Madison heard the love in his voice, and it was so strong, so powerful, it took her breath away. She'd never had anyone love her like that. It was something out of this world. Maybe that was appropriate since Dylan and Emily had dreamed of other worlds since they were young. Silence fell between them again. Madison didn't know what to say. Not one flippant response came to her mind. His last words stuck in her head, repeating themselves over and over again. I would have done anything for her.
"She probably would have done anything for you, too," Madison offered a moment later. "She said you were one of her best friends in the world. I couldn't quite figure it out, because you seemed so different. You'd come riding up to the dorm on your motorcycle, revving your engine, wearing your black leather, smoking a cigarette, acting all cocky, and you were there to pick up Emily, probably the most naive girl I had ever met in my life. Even Laura was more worldly than Em. I couldn't understand what you and Em would talk about."
"Anything and everything. No matter what the subject, she was always interested in discussing it." He laughed at some memory that he didn't bother to share with Madison.
"Did she love you, Dylan? As more than a friend? Were you two sleeping together?"
"That's none