Page 37

M addox

The room was shit.

But at least we were safe.

For now.

After sliding the chain on the door into position, I immediately headed to the open drapes, slowly pulling them as I scanned the parking lot.

There were few guests, trees surrounding half the perimeter of the two-story motel.

With the main road blocked, there was no chance of anyone catching sight of the vehicle I’d borrowed from Damon.

He’d also lent me some clothes since we were both close to the same size. At least that had freed me from the monkey suit I’d been forced to wear for the meetings.

As if anyone cared what I looked like.

“What do we do now?” she whispered, her voice shaking.

“We wait until tomorrow.”

“Someone compromised our position.”

Right now, telling any lies wasn’t in either of our best interests. “It’s possible. But we could have easily been followed from the airport.”

“You don’t trust Damon. Do you? At least not completely.”

Hearing the strain in Charmaine’s voice matched the heightened level of anxiety I’d felt for hours. “It’s not about trust. It’s about limiting what information he has.”

“To keep him safe?”

“To keep us safe as well.” I continued to debate how to handle the situation. My instincts continued to inspire even more dangerous beliefs. There were few we could trust with the information and I honestly doubted the FBI was in Charmaine’s corner.

She moved to the wall between the door and the dresser, folding her head into her hands.

The woman was extremely strong, so much so I’d come to admire every aspect about her. Yet, I felt her resolve was crumbling. How could it not after almost being killed only hours before?

I tossed the bag of weapons onto the floor, moving toward the dresser and placing the bag containing water and other essentials onto the surface. When I noticed my reflection in the mirror, I lifted my head and studied my appearance.

This wasn’t anything I’d intended on getting involved in, but I had to see it through.

Whatever would happen.

There was an electric buzz in the room, the harsh crackle digging at both my mind and my body. Being in close proximity wasn’t in either of our best interests. As I took a deep breath, I closed my eyes. Just thinking about her created a need that threatened every aspect of control. Damn it.

“Do you want a drink?” I asked as I turned my head toward her. Even standing in the ugly light of the shitty room, she looked beautiful.

Charmaine didn’t respond right away, taking several deep breaths as her body continued to shake. When she finally looked at me, I could sense her fear. “No. I want something else.”

“What’s that?” I inched closer, my balls beginning to swell.

“You. Don’t say it, Maddox. Don’t shove me aside. Please, make me forget. If only for tonight. Please.”

God, she was fucking gorgeous, especially with her lower lip trembling as she studied me.

Being with her in any other way but her protector wasn’t a good idea, but the sheer chemical connection we shared had only increased as the danger had done the same.

I closed the distance, placing my hands on either side of her.

She shifted slightly from foot to foot and rubbed her palms down her jeans. As she lifted her head, her eyes searching mine, I realized just how close I felt to the stunning woman.

More so than I had with anyone else in my life.

“You know this isn’t a good idea,” I told her.

“Yes, but I just don’t care.”

Every action slow and easy, I lowered my head, breathing in the light floral scent of shampoo and shower gel. Her lips were parted, soft and rosy and my need only continued to increase.

She continued to fidget, even dragging her tongue across her bottom lip. When she placed her hands on my chest, I realized I had zero control around her.

The moment I crushed my lips over hers for a searing kiss, she pulled away from the wall, arching her back. Every aspect about the woman created an intense fire and the way she clung to me increased the need to protect her against all costs.

I couldn’t care less what happened to me.

There’d always been a distinct tension between us, a strange promise of darkness and danger. We weren’t good for one another, but neither could erase the hunger we’d felt from the first few moments.

The possessiveness I’d experienced earlier flooded through me, the heat explosive. I thrust my tongue into her mouth, reveling in the sweet taste: sunshine and cherries, vulnerable yet hoping to keep her tough facade against all odds.

It was even more attractive than the stunning beauty writhing beside me.

As I ravaged her mouth, she brushed the flats of her hands up my chest and over my shoulders. I captured every moan she issued, every touch of her fingers creating an ache in my cock. There was nothing on my mind but the raging hunger and possessiveness that curtailed all thought of common sense.

She tangled her fingers in my hair, pulling her body even closer. As her hips rocked forward, I sensed all ability to be gentle with her was fading. A groan vibrated through me as I shoved her against the wall. The time for foreplay was over.

At this point, I had no intention of stopping.

Every sound was amplified, every action becoming manic from need. She ripped at my shirt, jerking the material from my cargo pants. The moment she slid her hands up the length of my back, my cock was instantly pinched, aching to the point of sheer pain.

She continued touching me, kneading my hard muscles as I sucked on her tongue. When I finally broke the kiss, she issued a ragged moan. Using just my thumb, I lifted her chin, nipping her bottom lip before dragging my tongue from one side of her jaw to the other.

Every moan she uttered fueled the fire. “You have no idea the power you hold.” I whispered the words against her ear.

“Show me. Show me exactly how you feel about me.”

I bit down on her ear, savoring her breathless sounds. “Be careful what you ask for.”

With her head tilted back, she gave me a sly smile. “I’m not asking. I’m telling you.”

Charmaine

All the intensity I’d felt before, the wild desires I’d allowed myself to try to ignore after our night together came crashing back.

I melted into his arms as he took rapid breaths, studying me even more intently than before.

There was such a powerful look in his eyes, one of absolute possession.

No man had ever set his gaze on me with such direct, intense need as Maddox.

We devoured one another again, this time the kiss searing every nerve ending. For such a tough man, his lips were the softest I’d ever experienced.

My hips tilted forward involuntarily until I felt him, his huge cock easily nestling against my lower stomach. Everything about the man excited me from the intensity of his eyes to the ruggedness of his body.

Somehow, my mind and body had sabotaged me into thinking this could be something more.

He jerked at his jacket, tearing it off and tossing it to the floor. Barely breaking the heated kiss, he jerked his shirt over his head by his collar, grinning as he pitched the unwanted item aside.

When he pushed away from the wall, we both panted, staring into each other’s eyes.

As soon as he sucked in his breath, he ripped off my shirt, allowing the material to flow through his hands. With trembling fingers, I rubbed down the length of his chest until I reached his belt. This felt like the calm before a cataclysmic storm, the desire building like a fire out of control.

The look in his eyes carnal, he wrapped his arms around me, continuing to kiss my lips, my cheeks, tasting every inch as I struggled to unfasten his belt.

I hadn’t felt this nervous with him before, the excitement raw and biting.

Just being able to touch his heated skin with my fingertips was freeing.

I was floating on a cloud of desire, incapable of experiencing the anxiety I had before.

“I could fuck you for hours,” he muttered.

“Then let’s see you try.”

He scoffed and unfastened my bra, leaning back long enough to tug it from my body. Everything was becoming a haze, a sweet fog I never wanted to fade. The man was so muscular, so strong and I was overwhelmed with a craving that had long since seemed forgotten.

Every action he took was decisive, the dominant side of him barely contained. Not that I cared. I wanted him to take what he wanted.

I gasped the moment he captured both breasts, flicking his thumbs across my taut nipples. They ached as much as my pussy, the sensitivity intensifying with every swipe of the rough pads of his fingers.

He easily unfastened my jeans while I kicked off my shoes, still fumbling to release his cock. There was nothing more I wanted than to wrap my hand around his shaft.

As Maddox pulled back, his expression was even more determined as a wicked smile danced across his tender lips.

I had an urge to suck on the bottom one, biting down until I tasted his blood. He kept his firm hold on my breasts, kneading and caressing as he took a single step away. “So fucking beautiful.”

The moment he wrapped his lips around one nipple, I threw my head back against the wall, staring up at the ugly stained ceiling. Everything about this was almost laughable and I would have done so had the tingling sensations not swept through me. I was electrified, incapable of thinking clearly.

Somehow, I knew that’s exactly what he wanted.

He sucked one hardened bud for a full minute, maybe longer, before brushing his lips to my other nipple.

A nervous laugh finally bubbled to the surface when he twisted the first between his fingers.

The flash of pain was awakening, prickles tickling every inch of skin.