Hard to Hold (14 page)

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.”

* * *

B
UT
WHEN
M
ADDIE
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

S
OMETHING
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 sleeves 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.

“Madeleine, listen to me,” he said carefully. He caught her upper arms, drawing her toward him. She watched him warily, but didn’t pull away.

“Last night was amazing,” he said, letting her see the truth in his eyes. “You and I haven’t known each other for all that long, but I’m beginning to think that you taking me hostage was meant to be.”

A frown puckered her forehead. “What do you mean?”

“I mean that of all the people you could have ended up with, you’re with someone who knows exactly the kind of men we’re dealing with.” He paused and dipped his head to look directly into her eyes. “Which is why I don’t want you anywhere near them.”

“Colton—” She stiffened in his arms and began to pull back.

“Madeleine, sweetheart.” He put a finger beneath her chin and raised her face, forcing her to look at him. “I think I’m falling in love with you, but if I let you go to that mine and something happens to you, we’ll never have the chance to find out what it is we might have had together.”

He watched as her eyes widened and her mouth parted on a soft “oh” of surprise. But everything he’d said was true. He was falling for her in a big way, and the thought of deliberately placing her in danger went against every instinct he had.

He thought he could see a sheen of tears in her eyes. “Colton,” she finally said, “there are things you don’t know about me, things I’ve done....”

Colton hauled her into his arms, feeling her resistance melt. “I know all I need to know, like the fact that you’re willing to risk everything for those you love. I know you did things when you were younger that you’re not proud of, but I know you did them to keep what was left of your family together.” He leaned back enough to look at her face. “I think you take insane risks, but I get why you do it.”

Now there was no mistaking her tears. “Colton, I don’t know what to say. But if these men are as bad as you think they are, what makes you think I want you risking
your
life?”

He gave her a lopsided grin. “Is that your way of saying you might care for me a little?”

Madeleine gave a choked laugh and raised herself on her toes to press a lingering kiss against his mouth. “Let me show you how much I care for you,” she whispered against his lips. “How much time do I have?”

Colton’s heart skipped a beat. “We need to be on the road within the hour.”

“Perfect,” she breathed. She wound her arms around his neck and led him, unresisting, toward the bed.

* * *

M
ADDIE
SAT
IN
the passenger seat of the truck and waved through the window at Colton’s mother as they pulled away from the ranch. Maddie still felt a little overwhelmed by the events of the past day, and how his family had welcomed her so completely. But more than that, she couldn’t stop thinking about how Colton had made love to her that morning. If she’d had any doubts about his feelings for her, they’d been completely dispelled by the intensity of his lovemaking. He’d been both tender and fierce and had held for a long time afterward. When he’d finally told her she could go with him to the mine, she’d been weak with relief.

She still couldn’t quite comprehend that this magnificent man could be falling for her. Until now, her own feelings toward him had been a confusing mixture of desire, attraction and frustration. Only when she realized he’d be putting his own life on the line for her brother did she understand the extent of her growing feelings for him. Just the thought of something happening to Colton terrified her. They’d known each other only a few days, yet he was quickly becoming the center of her world. She’d never had anyone make her feel as safe and as precious as he did, and she was racked with guilt that her first thought was for his safety and not Jamie’s.

“I’m letting you come with me on the condition that you do exactly as I tell you,” Colton was saying now. He glanced away from the road long enough to send her a meaningful look. “Understood?”

Maddie nodded. “Yes. I’ll do whatever you tell me to.”

She meant it. She was so grateful that he had changed his mind and agreed to bring her with him that she would have readily agreed to any of the conditions he imposed.

“I don’t like that these bastards will even get a look at you,” he grumbled.

Maddie had argued that the moneylenders would expect her to bring the cash, and if she wasn’t there, they might actually kill Jamie. In the end, Colton had relented, but only reluctantly.

“Your law enforcement friends will be there,” she countered. “You said yourself that they had a good plan.”

“I’ve learned from experience to expect the unexpected,” he muttered.

Maddie didn’t want to think about all the things that could go wrong. She just wanted to get to the happy ending, where she had both Jamie and Colton out of harm’s way. She could see how tense Colton was, and knew he was still trying to figure out how to make the exchange without involving her. She searched around in her mind for a way to distract him.

“What did your mother call me when we were saying goodbye?” she asked. “She said it was my Shoshone name.”

Colton’s mouth tilted in a half smile. “She called you Tadita.” He glanced at her, one sweeping look that took in everything, and made Maddie feel as if he had just seen into her soul. “It means One Who Runs.”

“Oh.” Maddie digested this in silence. “What’s your Shoshone name?”

“Kajika. It means Walks without Sound.”

She gave a small laugh. “Wow. That’s pretty accurate.”

“For you or for me?”

Maddie turned to look at him. “For both of us. I feel as if I’ve been running since I was a kid.”

Colton reached across the console and covered her hand with his, startling her. “Don’t you think it’s time you stopped?”

“I’m trying. I’ve told myself so often that I’m a respectable member of society, I’ve almost fallen for my own con.”

He gave her a quizzical look and squeezed her hand. “What are you talking about? I’ve seen the worst side of human nature and society, and, darlin’, I can tell you with absolute certainty that you are more than respectable.”

Maddie appreciated his words, but when she considered her upbringing, and even the current trouble that Jamie had gotten himself into, she wasn’t so sure she believed him. She’d worked hard to get where she was, but sometimes she felt her life was a sham. Eventually, someone was going to figure it out, and then she’d lose everything.

Again.

“What if I told you that I enjoyed winning that money at the blackjack table?” she asked quietly. “What if I said there was a part of me that missed that lifestyle?”

“I’d say you’re not being completely honest. Is that really the kind of life you’d want for yourself?” he asked quietly. “Or for your brother?”

“No,” she conceded. “Of course not. But sometimes I worry that what I can give him won’t be enough.”

“He’s twenty years old, Madeleine. You’ve given him plenty. The best thing you can give him now—once we get him back, of course—is some solid advice and a dope slap to the back of his head.”

Maddie laughed. She could picture Colton doing that with his own brothers.

They were less than five miles from the outskirts of Reno when Colton pulled off the highway and into the parking lot of an auto repair shop.

“What are we doing?” she asked.

Colton drew the truck alongside a parked car and turned off the ignition. “We’re switching vehicles,” he replied, checking his watch. “Once you make the call, I’ll drive you out to the mining site.”

Maddie watched as he reached across her knees and opened the glove apartment to withdraw a pistol. She stared at him.

“Has that gun been there this whole time?”

Colton slanted her one grim look as he checked the cartridge, and then slid the weapon into the back of his waistband. “Yes.”

“Even that night I took the truck?”

“Yes. Which was why I was so desperate to find you.”

Maddie suppressed a smile. “Was that the only reason?”

He didn’t look at her as he reached behind his seat, then handed her a bulletproof vest, but Maddie didn’t miss the smile that curved his mouth.

“Here, put this on.”

“Is this what I think it is?” She knew her voice betrayed her alarm, but she was suddenly aware of just how dangerous this could get.

“It’s for your own protection. You should wear it under your clothes, so take off your T-shirt.”

Maddie pulled it over her head, and made no protest as he helped her into the vest, securing the Velcro fastenings for her. Once he was satisfied, he handed her shirt back to her, helping to tug it into place.

“The T-shirt is baggy enough that you can hardly notice it,” he said, surveying her critically.

“It’s so heavy.”

“Stop complaining,” he chided her gently. “This could save your life.”

“What about you? Will you be wearing one, too?”

Instead of answering her, he reached behind his seat again and retrieved his backpack, dumping it on her lap.

“You’ll want to hang on to that.”

“What’s in here?” Maddie unzipped the top and peeked inside. What she saw made her gasp. She turned to Colton, stunned. “Where did you get this?”

He arched one black eyebrow. “What did you think we were going to use to get your brother back? Wampum?”

Maddie frowned. “I never asked you for the money.”

“No, you didn’t.”

“So I’m guessing this is on temporary loan from the U.S. Marshals Service?”

Colton shrugged. “You can’t get your brother back unless you have something to give in return.”

“I don’t want you to get in trouble if something goes wrong and you end up losing the cash.”

To her surprise, Colton grinned. “I promise you, I am not going to lose that money.” He sobered. “It’s time for you to make that call.”

Maddie checked the clock on the dashboard, shocked to see that it was already ten o’clock. Pulling her cell phone out, she drew in a deep breath, aware that her heart had begun to pound hard in her chest. With her eyes on Colton, she redialed the number from the previous day.

“Where are you?” snarled a male voice.

“I—I’m just outside of Reno,” Maddie stuttered.

“Take Highway 80 to Exit 99. Head north five miles until you see the turnoff to the abandoned silver mine. Follow that road to the mine complex, but do not—I repeat, do not—drive into the complex. Park by the gate and walk the rest of the way. And come alone. We’ll be watching.”