Page 2

M addox

Thank God for small favors.

She did as I asked.

I remained behind her as we took off running, Charmaine was surprisingly fast after what she’d endured.

As we cut through the forest, I was keenly aware of our surroundings and the increasing noise.

I kept the pin light pointed forward, the beam not enough to attract any attention, but enough to guide our way through the muck.

Another loud voice was closer.

The escape had been discovered.

“Come on. Keep running,” I told her in a soft voice, remaining just behind as I constantly scanned the jungle.

There were too many fucking things that could go wrong. At least she’d figured out the danger we were in, remaining silent as we pushed our way deeper into the forest.

Within minutes, I sensed the soldiers were attempting to surround us. It would seem Charmaine was important. That was the reason I was here. My guess was the other women would be forgotten, their determination to recapture my target providing precious time for them to escape.

Panting, Charmaine looked behind her as the shouting sounded closer.

When she tripped over a fallen limb, I managed to grab her arm, placing my hand over her mouth before she had a chance to make a single sound.

I turned off the light, pitching us into blackness.

She tensed immediately, her ragged breathing becoming more pronounced.

I lowered my head as I pulled us into a crouched position behind thick foliage. “Be very quiet, Charmaine. Not a word. Stay right where you are.” I pulled my hand away, keeping my other on the weapon.

She took ragged breaths. She smelled of fear, but there was more, a primal strength stronger than she had no right to claim.

The sudden silence was worse than enemy shouts. I knew their tactics. I’d fought insurgents of every nationality, learning their methods and storing them in the back of my mind.

When I shifted, she squeezed my arm. I placed my finger across her lips.

There was no indication they’d approached, but my instinct told me otherwise.

Without second guessing myself, I bolted from my position, firing off several shots.

As gunfire exploded into the night, the fact we were outnumbered didn’t faze me. The fuckers would never take us down. That just wasn’t going to happen.

Movement caught my eye. I fired a series of shots then dropped and rolled, firing off again. The subtle sound as the dead men hit the dirt was sweet music.

But we were far from being out of the woods.

I grabbed her hand, pulling her through the jungle.

The sound of being followed lessened the deeper into the terrain we went.

Rain began to fall. Soon there would be a torrent.

She slipped, the single yelp breaking the silence.

I pushed her harder, dragging her into the deepest part of the jungle, closely following the path I’d taken before.

Red flags were everywhere, the sudden quiet more oppressive than the gunfire.

A slight crack drew my attention again, my instincts working overtime.

Without hesitation, I pushed her onto the ground just as a single sound once again cut through the night sky.

Pop!

Fuuuuck.

Charmaine

Who was this man?

My eyes provided answers. He was huge, his shoulders easily able to fill a doorway, his arms the size of my thighs, and his legs? Powerful. He was also extremely tall and even in the ugly lights used for the rescue, there was no mistaking his extreme good looks.

Dark, thick hair.

Chiseled features.

Tall and muscular.

My pussy fluttered from the thoughts jetting through my mind, no matter how ridiculous.

Shoving them aside, I glanced in his direction trying to figure him out. He certainly wasn’t happy being sent to rescue me.

Should I really trust him? Sighing, I looked toward the mouth of the cave, trying to discover the resolve I’d maintained up to this very moment.

As I headed outside, another wave of sadness settled in.

I’d been such a fool to come to El Salvador.

A single noise grabbed my attention and I shoved my hand across my mouth to keep from screaming. Tamping down my fears might be the least of my worries.

With a determined mind, I did my business.

He was on the other side of the cave when I returned, watching the entrance like a trained soldier. I returned to the spot where I’d been. He’d placed another shirt on the cold surface for me to lie on. As I eased down, I couldn’t seem to take my eyes off him.

Whoever Lieutenant Grant was, I knew one thing for certain.

He was hiding behind a thick layer of armor. No one would ever be able to get through to him.

Certainly not me.

Besides, I had no desire to get myself entangled with some grumpy guy.

Not even one who’d saved my life.

As I moved toward the clothes, I sensed he was watching me even though he was acting as if he wasn’t.

Turning around, I tugged the shirt into my hand first, being very careful that when I removed the wet material that the jump drive remained in place.

With the task accomplished, I unfastened my jeans, peeling them down my legs.

The moment I stepped from one leg, my other decided to give away. With a sharp cry, I came close to tumbling to the ground, stopped by the brusque man with the body of a god.

“Whoa. Careful now,” he said with more concern in his voice than before.

I gripped his massive forearms, taking several scattered breaths. “I’m sorry. I’m just…”

“I know. I get it.”

He wasn’t letting me go and in truth, I didn’t want him to. As I lifted my head, the returning warmth between my legs stripped me of all the nasty thoughts I’d had about him and his demeanor. The simple light allowed me to see the look in his eyes.

They were so expressive, but there was also an extreme sadness to them.

He took a deep breath as the air between us heated to a thousand degrees.

Maybe the hurt from going through a bitter divorce and all the ugly things Brian had said during the last weeks together had stripped me of common sense.

Whatever the case, when Maddox brushed his fingers down my arm, the jarring crackle of electricity brought an overwhelming need to be in his arms.

I rubbed my hand up his chest, darting my eyes back and forth across his. The connection was real. I could feel it in my bones. Everything about the moment was strangely alluring, pulling me into an entirely different kind of darkness than I’d ever experienced.

The moment he shifted one hand to my arm, an audible moan escaped my mouth. As I leaned in, my other hand clutched his shirt.

“I’ll get you out alive. I promise,” he muttered. His tone was huskier and more on edge.

I expected him to pull away.

But he didn’t.

As he cupped my face, rubbing his thumb across my cheek, I licked my lips. Maybe in anticipation. Maybe as an invitation. I didn’t care about how right or wrong this was or even about the danger lurking in the night.

I just wanted to feel something other than anxiety and self-hatred. I wanted to feel alive.

“God help me,” he whispered before capturing my mouth.

We were dirty and sweaty, wet and the man was injured, but nothing seemed to matter but touching each other.

Holding each other.

His kiss was as powerful as the man, his lips soft while his hold showed off his dominating style.

He lifted me off my feet, kicking the jeans from around my ankle aside.

As he cupped my bottom with one hand, I slid my arms around him.

I tugged on his shirt until I was able to slide my hands underneath, marveling at the feel of his sculpted muscles.

There were also scars crisscrossing his skin.

They were enticing, creating a need to see every inch of the man. But that wasn’t going to happen here and not now. What we were doing and about to do was dangerous. He thrust his tongue inside, taking control of mine.

My heart thumped in my chest and my pulse rose, yet that was nothing in comparison to the deep throbbing in my pussy. He was rough yet sweet, exploring every inch of my mouth. Every few seconds I moaned, the man capturing the sound.

The desire was strong, a need that consumed both of us. Just feeling the crushing weight of his massive body provided some sense of comfort, heightening the anticipation. I wanted this man like I had no other.

He pulled our lips apart, his breathing as labored as mine. As he pressed our foreheads together, I sensed he was debating whether to go any further.

“Please. Just… I need to feel again.” My words were laced with lust and they seemed to fuel his.

As he moved back, I was fearful the moment was over.

But it wasn’t.

With a gentle touch, he pulled me to my knees on the hard surface, positioning the clothes so there’d be something soft to lie on. He didn’t waste time, unfastening his belt and cargo pants. The moment he freed his cock, I half laughed.

“You’re huge.” Whether he wanted me to or not, I wrapped my hand around his shaft, stroking him and rolling my thumb in lazy circles. He studied what I was doing, a wry smile crossing his face. This was sinful, filthy in every way, but the erotic moment was one I’d remember.

With one arm around my back, he used the muscles in his other to lower us both to the rocky surface. The feel of his cock settling between my legs brought goosebumps dancing across my skin.

“Are you sure this won’t hurt you?” I asked as he slipped his fingers into the elastic of my panties.

His laugh was short and dark. “Not a chance.” For such a rough man, he was tender as he removed my thong, taking a deep breath immediately afterwards. “Stunning.”

I hadn’t felt stunning in a long time. As a shiver tore through me, he eased my legs apart. This wasn’t about a romantic interlude. There would be no additional foreplay and neither one of us cared.

This was about carnal need helping to break free of the fear and anger, the anxiety and danger.

His eyes never leaving mine, he eased the tip of his cock against my slickened folds. My pussy was already clenching and releasing, the rest of my body tingling from excitement. As he slipped his shaft inside, I arched my back, shuddering. The man was huge, my muscles aching immediately.

How long had it been since I’d experienced even brief passion? Months? Years? I gripped his arms as he pushed deeper inside, the last thrust pulling me into pure ecstasy.

“Oh, yes. So… Amazing,” I managed as he shifted his hips back and forth until he was fully seated inside.

“So tight,” he said as if answering my cry of passion. He remained on his forearms and there was no way he wasn’t feeling the pain in his shoulder. But he didn’t seem to care.

The man was made of steel, or maybe just determination.

Yet as he peered down at me, I caught the whisper of sadness once again.

He pulled out, thrusting into me again, studying my eyes as if checking for pain. I wrapped my legs around his thighs, holding him close as he plunged into me again. The same electricity jolted through me, the dancing vibrations like live wires.

His chest rose and fell as he attempted to control his actions. We rocked together as he developed a rhythm, my muscles clenching and releasing as he filled me. “Please, fuck me hard.” Our eyes met, and I nodded my head.

He captured my mouth, dominating my tongue as he began roughly fucking me. I doubted any other lover had gone this deep. The angle was perfect and within only seconds, the rush of adrenaline shifted into another wave of tingles.

He released my mouth, instead biting one nipple before relieving the pain with his tongue, then repeating his actions with the other nipple.

I was pinned to the rock by his powerful movements.

His tongue was too much and I felt a scream rising up, and in the heat of the moment I silenced it by biting into his shoulder.

He shook for a single moment before fucking me even harder.

I released his shoulder, holding on for dear life as he ground us against our warm clothes and the cold stone.

My body responded to his, a climax rushing through me just as stars floated in front of my eyes.

I bit my lip to keep from making a sound even as the joy increased with every brutal thrust.

His jaw was set, the stubble covering one side to the other highlighting his chiseled features. As a moan finally escaped, I pushed up from the hard surface.

He took a deep breath and I realized he was close to coming.

All I could do was watch, basking in what was left of our few minutes of passion. This would undoubtedly never happen again, but on the ugly night, I felt alive.

With a guttural sound, he erupted deep inside of me, slowly easing down to cover my body with his. His cock continued to throb just as my muscles remained tightly woven around his shaft.

Whatever would happen from here, I knew I’d be alright.

Because of one perfect hero.