by Karen Foley
“Madeleine, don’t,” he said, his voice rough with need. “If I’m not inside you in the next five seconds, I’m going to be the one who won’t last.”
To his astonishment, she pushed against his shoulders until he was forced to lie back against the pillows.
“You will be inside me,” she said in a husky voice. “Just not the way you think.”
She pressed a soft, moist kiss against his mouth and then began to work her way down his body, alternately licking and biting the length of his chest and stomach, even as her hand curled around his straining erection. Colton knew where she was going, and his balls tightened in anticipation. Still, he had to be sure.
“Maddie,” he rasped, “you don’t have to do this.”
She lifted her head and looked at him, and then smiled a wide, beatific smile. “I know I don’t have to. I want to do this.”
As Colton watched in astonished delight, she dipped her head and delicately ran her tongue along the length of him. He shuddered at the sensation, and when she took him in her mouth and drew on him, he dropped his head back and groaned loudly.
“Do you like that?”
Colton glanced up to find her watching him, even as she continued to stroke him with her hand.
“Oh, yeah,” he said, his voice low and rough. Reaching out, he tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and drew the back of his knuckles lightly along her jaw. “That feels incredible.”
Keeping her eyes on him, she wrapped her lips around him once more, and Colton had to grit his teeth to keep from losing it big time. Watching her was a huge turn-on, but he needed to slow things down. He let her stroke him with her mouth and tongue for another minute until his balls begin to tighten.
“Come here,” he commanded, and pulled her up until she lay sprawled on top of him, her hair falling around their faces in a fragrant curtain. “If I don’t stop you, this whole thing is going to be over real quick.”
Madeleine smiled and stroked her thumb over his lower lip, fixing her attention on his mouth. “Well, we don’t want that.” Dipping her head, she gave him a heated kiss and slowly rubbed herself over his aching flesh. Colton groaned into her mouth, and in one fluid movement, flipped her onto her back so that she lay beneath him. Her eyes widened as she realized he was right there.
“Colton...” She arched upward, rubbing sensuously against him. “I want you inside of me.”
Colton tore the condom open, rearing back on his knees just long enough to cover himself. She reached for him and guided him to her center, positioning him at her entrance. But Colton held back, resisting the urge to immediately sink into her welcoming body.
“Are you sure about this?”
She urged him closer. “God, yes.” Her eyes were slumberous with desire. “I’ve wanted you since that night at the cabin, when I handcuffed you to the sofa.”
Colton felt a smile tilt his lips. “So bondage excites you? I’ll remember that.”
Madeleine raised her knees, pressing her heels against the back of his thighs. “That only works when I have you restrained,” she said breathlessly. “Please, Colton...”
In answer, he pushed her hands over her head and held them there before bending to nuzzle one breast, flicking her nipple with his tongue before drawing the sensitized flesh into his mouth. Madeleine squirmed beneath him and tried to free her hands to no avail. He held her firmly in place as he worked his way upward, skating his lips over her throat and neck and sensing her mounting excitement.
“So bondage doesn’t turn you on?” He caught her earlobe between his teeth.
“No. You do,” she panted. “Please...”
Her soft plea, combined with the warm slide of her body against his, was too much. Nudging her thighs farther apart, he began to ease himself into her heat, gritting his teeth against the exquisite sensation. She was tight and hot, and her inner muscles gripped him like a sleek, silken fist. Releasing her hands, he braced his weight on his elbows and kissed her hard, mating his tongue with hers even as he pushed himself deeper.
Madeleine gripped his buttocks, urging him on. “Don’t hold back,” she breathed against his mouth. “I want all of you.”
Lust flooded through him, a savage need to claim her, and he drove into her, harder and faster. She made a whimpering sound of need, and drew her knees up to hook her ankles around the small of his back, rising to meet each thrust with an urgency that matched his own raw hunger. He was so close, but he could see from Madeleine’s expression that she strained for release. Shifting slightly, he adjusted the angle of his movements to provide her with the friction she needed. Almost immediately, she gave a soft cry, and he felt her tighten around him. A shudder rippled through her, and she arched upward, her mouth open on a soundless cry of pleasure. Her face as she reached orgasm was so sexy that Colton felt heat building at the base of his spine, and the sensation of her body fisting tightly around him was too much. He gave a hoarse shout as he came in a white-hot rush of ecstasy.
For several long moments, he was incapable of moving. The only sound in the room was their uneven breathing. Madeleine’s hands roamed over his back, languidly stroking his skin. As Colton slowly came back to earth, he realized he was crushing her into the mattress. With a groan, he rolled to the side, pulling her with him. He pressed his lips against her hair, breathing in her fragrance.
“Are you okay?”
She nodded and curled closer, sliding one hand over his ribs. “Oh, yeah. That was...amazing.”
Her voice sounded drowsy and content. Colton had to agree with her; he couldn’t recall the last time he’d had such mind-blowing sex. But there was a part of him that was also terrified. If he’d thought he was in over his head this morning, now he was convinced of it.
He’d promised himself that he wouldn’t sleep with her until she’d shared all her secrets with him. And she had. But now he was the one with secrets, and he couldn’t help but wonder how she would feel once she discovered them.
Reaching down, Colton dragged the covers over them both, and hugged her closer. Rolling against him, Madeleine pressed a kiss against his chest, directly over his heart.
“Don’t let me fall asleep,” she murmured.
He felt his mouth twitch with a smile. “Why not?”
She yawned hugely and curled herself around him. “Because I don’t trust you not to leave me.”
Something tightened in Colton’s chest. Tipping her face up, he kissed her softly. “Go to sleep,” he said against her lips. “When I wake you up in a few hours, I promise it won’t be because I’m leaving.”
* * *
BUT WHEN MADDIE woke up, she was alone. She didn’t need to look to know there was nobody beside her in the big bed. The room was still shrouded in shadows, but she could see the first fingers of light beginning to creep through the windows. What time was it? She turned on her side to peer at the bedside clock, only to find both her hands restrained over her head. In dismay, she twisted to discover her wrists manacled to the headboard with Colton’s handcuffs.
Struggling to an upright position, she yanked fruitlessly at the restraints. The blankets fell away, and she realized that not only had Colton shackled her to the bed, he’d left her naked and feeling helpless at being exposed this way to whoever might come to her rescue.
Worse, he’d left her behind while he carried out whatever plan he and his buddies had devised to rescue her brother. Maddie couldn’t believe he’d done this to her, even after last night.
Especially after last night.
He’d promised that he wouldn’t leave, and yet he’d slipped away like a thief in the night while she slept. Furious over his betrayal, Maddie wanted to scream in frustration, even as she wanted to weep with disappointment.
She had trusted him.
She sagged against the pillows, telling herself she
wouldn’t cry. She had no idea how she was going to explain her present predicament to Colton’s mother, but she’d figure it out. God knew she’d been in worse situations. And when she finally did get free—
“Well, this sure is a pretty sight,” drawled a masculine voice from the doorway.
Maddie snapped her head around to see Colton lounging in the open door of the bedroom, a steaming mug of coffee in one hand. Relief surged through her, so raw and strong that for a moment all the strength drained from her body, and she could only stare helplessly at him.
He hadn’t left.
He wore nothing but a pair of faded blue jeans, and the sight of his sleek, sculpted muscles made Maddie’s mouth go dry. He looked incredibly sexy, and as his dark eyes traveled leisurely over her body, she became aware of the fact that she was completely nude.
And handcuffed to the bed.
“Colton.” She rattled the metal cuffs. “Release me right now. I can’t believe you left me here like this!”
He stepped into the room, kicking the bedroom door closed behind him with one bare foot. A wicked dimple flashed in one lean cheek as he approached the bed and placed the mug of coffee on the bedside table. Ignoring her outrage, he sat down on the edge of the mattress and studied her with frank appreciation.
“So now you know what it feels like to wake up and find yourself handcuffed to a piece of furniture and unable to do anything about it,” he murmured thoughtfully.
“I said I was sorry.” She yanked again at the cuffs. “Let me loose. What time is it, anyway? We should get going.”
“It’s barely 5:00 a.m., and you are not going anywhere,” Colton said firmly. Reaching out, he caught a tendril of her hair and wound it lazily around his finger. “You need to trust me, Madeleine.”
She watched him warily. “I do.”
He tugged on her hair, drawing her face closer to his. “I’m not so sure.”
Maddie searched his face, trying to assess his mood, but his nearness caused her pulse to kick up a notch, and all she could think was how absolutely gorgeous he looked first thing in the morning.
“I already told you that I trust you.” She tried to sound annoyed, but her voice came out a little breathless.
“Then do what I tell you to do,” he said softly, and his gaze dropped downward, searing her skin wherever it touched
“Colton...”
She didn’t like this game. Didn’t like the surge of anticipation that leaped through her veins, or the immediate gathering of heat at her core as she wondered what he might have in mind.
Tugging her face closer, he searched her eyes, his lips a fraction from her own. “Lie back on the pillows, Madeleine.”
Before he had finished uttering her name, his mouth was on hers, working softly and sensuously as he pressed her down. While he kissed her, his hands roamed freely over her body, caressing her breasts and skimming over her waist and hips. With her arms secured over her head, Maddie could only shift restlessly beneath him, when what she really wanted was to touch him everywhere.
“Unfasten me,” she breathed against his mouth.
She felt him smile against her skin, and then he began working his way down the length of her body, licking and nibbling. Maddie watched him, her body already primed for what she knew was coming. When he eased one hand between her thighs and slid a finger through her folds, she had to swallow a moan of pleasure.
“Don’t hold back,” he said, scraping his teeth along the rise of her hip bone. “Isn’t that what you said to me?”
Her breathing was shallow now, and when he slid two fingers inside her, she was helpless to prevent herself from pushing against his hand. Colton chuckled softly. “I thought you said bondage didn’t turn you on,” he said in a wicked whisper. “I’m glad you were wrong.”
Then he dipped his head and licked her, using his fingers and tongue to drive her wild. Maddie stopped struggling and gave herself over to the pleasure, acknowledging that this was what she wanted. This man, focusing all his masculine attention on her, making her feel beautiful and sexy, and so aroused that she knew she wouldn’t last very long.
Colton pulled back enough to study her in the indistinct light, before swirling his tongue over her clitoris. Heat shimmered through her, and her heartbeat throbbed in every limb. Desire tightened her inner muscles, gathered at her core and spiraled upward, pulling her with it, until suddenly it exploded in a brilliant release of sparks.
Maddie heard herself cry out as wave after wave of pleasure crashed over her, but Colton didn’t stop until he’d wrung every last shudder from her trembling body. Only when she lay panting and replete, unable to muster up the slightest resistance, did he finally pull himself up to lie beside her. Reaching beneath his pillow, he withdrew a small key, fitted it into the handcuffs and released her. Then he gathered her into his arms until her face was pressed against his shoulder.
“Tell me.” His voice was an insistent rumble against her ear.
Maddie didn’t have to ask what he wanted; she knew. She closed her eyes and swallowed hard. “I trust you.”
“Then you won’t argue with me when I tell you that you can’t come with me to Reno.”
Maddie snapped her head up to meet Colton’s eyes. His gaze was steady, his expression implacable. She knew he wasn’t completely unaffected by what had just happened between them. His arousal was evident beneath his jeans, and his pulse beat strongly at the base of his throat. But there was something steely in his manner that told Maddie no amount of begging or pleading would change his mind.
Slowly, she withdrew from his arms and put some space between them, dragging the sheet over her nudity. Her body still thrummed from his touch, but inside she was slowly growing cold. Sitting up, she clutched the fabric beneath her chin and swung her legs to the floor.
“No problem.” She forced herself to stand up and face him. He looked like a fantasy come true, lying on the bed wearing only his jeans, his body layered in sleek, bronzed muscle. She had to fight the constriction in her throat. “I can do this without you. I don’t need you.”
12
SOMETHING TIGHTENED PAINFULLY in Colton’s chest at her words. Even knowing she didn’t mean what she said, he couldn’t prevent the sharp stab of regret that sliced through him.
She still didn’t trust him.
He sat up on the edge of the bed, trying not to let her see how deeply her words impacted him. “Madeleine, try to understand. There’s too much risk involved. You don’t know what these men are capable of. They’re career criminals with a network that extends across the country. They’re suspected of committing at least four murders. I won’t risk you getting hurt or killed.”
Wrapping the sheet tighter around her body, Madeleine glared at him. Colton wondered if she had any clue just how magnificent she looked, with her hair tumbling around her shoulders and her eyes shooting gold sparks.
“If that’s true, then there’s no way I’m staying here,” she said fiercely. “You are not leaving me behind. He’s my brother, and nothing will prevent me from being in Reno at ten o’clock.”
Colton stood up and took a step toward her. She clutched the sheet a little tighter, but didn’t retreat, even when he invaded her personal space. She tipped her chin up instead, defiant.
“And then what?” he demanded. “How are you going to pay them?”
He thought he saw a flare of distress in her hazel eyes, but she turned away and began snatching her clothing from the floor, dressing in jerky movements while trying to keep the sheet firmly in place. Frustrated, Colton scrubbed a hand over his head.
“Just get dressed,” he finally said. “It’s not like I haven’t already seen everything.”
“Yes, that was quite the performance,” she muttered, yanking her jeans on over her hips and shoving her arms through the sleeve
s of her shirt. “Sleep with me and get me to trust you when all the while you intended to ditch me.” She gave a bitter laugh. “When I think I could have been at the casinos, raking in the money I need to save Jamie. Instead, I’ve just been wasting my time.”
Anger surged through Colton at the insinuation that their lovemaking had meant so little to her. She pulled her sneakers on, her body rigid. Colton grasped her arm and turned her toward him.
“Is that what last night was to you? A waste of time?”
She tipped her chin up and jerked free of his grasp. “Why don’t we just call it what it was—your pound of flesh?”
He recoiled, stunned. “That’s bullshit and you know it.”
“Is it?”
She held his gaze, but Colton saw the real fear in her eyes. In a flash, he realized her words were nothing but a shield to hide her true feelings, and his anger evaporated. She was terrified, not only for her brother’s safety, but by the suspicion that he might have used her.
“Madeleine,” he said, softening his tone. “You’d never have won enough money at the casinos to pay his debt. Those security guards were onto you after you’d won a couple grand. Do you think they wouldn’t have noticed if you’d started to win even more? By now the casinos will have red-flagged you. The likelihood of you getting near another blackjack table is about zero.”
“Maybe so,” she conceded, “but I can’t just sit around doing nothing.” Her expression was almost desperate. “Please, Colton, I’ll go crazy if you leave me behind. He’s my brother. You have to take me with you. Those men will expect me to be there!”
Colton wanted badly to haul her into his arms, but he could see she wouldn’t welcome that. She was edgy and emotional, and on the very brink of ditching him completely and taking matters into her own hands. He knew Aiden and Siyota were already in position, but the thought of Madeleine being anywhere near the abandoned mine filled him with fear. Drawing in a deep breath, he decided the only way to convince her to stay behind was to tell her the truth.