Hard to Hold

by Karen Foley

  Colton was still crouched by the hearth, where a small fire was beginning to crackle. Combined with the kerosene lamps on the mantel and side tables, it gave the room a warm, almost cozy feel.

  Maddie curled up at one end of the sofa and tucked her feet beneath her as she watched Colton add two more logs to the fledgling fire. He stood up and brushed his hands against his thighs.

  “That should help keep us comfortable tonight,” he commented, but his voice trailed off as he finally looked at her.

  Maddie felt suddenly exposed in the skimpy, sleeveless top, and she wished she’d kept her T-shirt on. More than that, she felt cheap. Did he see right through her ruse? She forced herself to meet his eyes, but his expression was shuttered.

  “Yes, I’d forgotten how chilly the nights can get in the mountains, but it feels warm in here.” She gestured toward the bedroom. “I’ll sleep in my grandfather’s room, if you don’t mind taking the couch. I’ll see if there’s a spare pillow and blanket in the closet.”

  Colton sat down on the opposite end of the sofa, turning slightly toward her and laying one arm along the back. “I’ve slept in worse places. Don’t worry about me. I have a sleeping bag out in the truck.”

  Maddie drew in a deep breath. If she was going to do this, she had better get on with it. There was no telling how long it would be before the sleeping pills took effect, and she didn’t want to spend the entire night waiting for him to pass out.

  She pushed herself to her feet. “I—I’m a little nervous about what will happen to me tomorrow. I probably won’t sleep a wink, worrying about it.” She moved to a small built-in cabinet beside the fireplace and opened the doors, revealing several bottles of hard liquor and some small glasses. She took two glasses down and selected a bottle of Kentucky bourbon from the shelf. Turning slightly toward Colton, she held up the bottle. “I’m going to have a small glass. It will calm my nerves and help me sleep.” She hesitated. “Will you join me, or are you on duty?”

  She could feel his eyes narrow in speculation, as if if was trying to figure out what she was up to. Finally, he shrugged.

  “Just a splash for me, no more.”

  Maddie turned quickly away, lest he see the relief on her face. If he’d chosen not to have the drink, she would have had to come up with another plan. Swiftly, using her body as a shield, she surreptitiously dumped the contents of the shallow cap into his glass. She splashed a liberal amount of bourbon on top, and then gave the liquid a quick stir with her finger, hoping the garish design painted on the outside of the glass would effectively disguise any sediment that might remain. She poured two fingers for herself and carried both glasses to the couch, settling herself back on the cushions.

  “Cheers,” she said, and handed Colton’s glass to him. She took a sip, deliberately not looking at him as he quaffed the entire shot in one swallow.

  “Whoa!” he gasped, as he set the empty glass down on the table beside the couch. “I’ve never been much of a bourbon drinker, and now I remember why. That’s awful.”

  Maddie looked guiltily at her own drink. He’d definitely noticed the bitter taste of the pills, and she hoped he didn’t suspect it was anything more than the cheap brand of bourbon. What if he picked up the empty glass and examined the residue that must surely be visible on the bottom? What if the powder hadn’t dissolved sufficiently for him to ingest much? What if it didn’t even work? She needed to leave tonight if she was going to have any chance of saving her brother.

  “Hey. You okay? You’re not going to cry again, are you?”

  There was no mistaking the genuine alarm in Colton’s voice, and Maddie struggled to push down the guilt she felt at deceiving him. She raised her gaze to his and forced herself to smile.

  “Of course not.” She gave a shaky laugh. “I’m as well as can be expected, considering tomorrow I’ll be thrown into prison, and who knows when they’ll let me out?”

  He gave her a tolerant look. “They’re not going to throw you in jail, Madeleine.”

  Maddie couldn’t help it; her eyes blurred with sudden tears that had nothing to do with acting. “I think they will. I’ll lose my job. I’ll lose everything.” She bent forward and rested her forehead in one hand. “What was I thinking?”

  “Hey.” Colton’s voice was low and warm. Before she quite knew what he was doing, he took her half-empty glass from her hand and set it down beside his own. Then he was tugging her gently into his arms. “Tell me what’s going on. Tell me why you were planning to rob the diner. I’m pretty sure any bank would work with you to settle an outstanding debt. So come clean and tell me the truth.”

  God, he felt so good. His arm was around her shoulders and one hand stroked up and down her bare skin. She was so tempted to just turn to him, wind her arms around him and let his strength seep into her.

  With difficulty, she pulled slightly away and blinked back the tears. “I already told you,” she finally murmured. “I’m over my head in debt, and I had a moment of insanity. I wasn’t thinking straight. I made a mistake. It won’t happen again.”

  “Damn straight it won’t.”

  Slowly, Maddie raised her gaze. His face was closer than she’d realized. His eyes were so black she could barely distinguish his pupils from the surrounding iris. As she watched, the resolve visible there became something else, something that caused her chest to tighten in anticipation and sent her pulse rocketing. His gaze wandered lower to her mouth.

  Maddie stared, fascinated, as his lips slowly descended. He was going to kiss her, and suddenly she wanted to know just how his mouth would feel against her own. She already knew how wonderful his arms felt around her; how would they feel when combined with the intensity of his kiss? Of their own volition, her lips parted and her eyelids drifted closed.

  She started when he pushed her gently away and surged to his feet. He strode over to the fireplace and braced one hand on the mantel, his back to her. He raked a hand through his hair and Maddie could sense the tension coiled within him.

  “Go to bed, Madeleine,” he said over his shoulder. His voice was low and rough.

  She rose to her feet and stood uncertainly for a moment. But the rigid set of his shoulders dissuaded her from saying anything. Turning, she made her way into the bedroom.

  As she pulled back the bedsheets, she heard Colton leave the cabin. He was gone for several long moments, and when he returned, Maddie peeked through the doorway to see a black duffel bag slung over his shoulder, and a sleeping bag tucked under his arm. He dropped the bag onto the floor, and Maddie saw the words U.S. Marshal emblazoned in yellow along the side.

  She quietly closed the door, leaving it slightly ajar so that she could still hear Colton as he moved around in the other room. She got into the bed fully clothed and settled beneath the blanket. It seemed she lay there for hours before the lights in the living room were finally extinguished, although she knew it was only about thirty minutes. How long would it be before the sleeping pills took effect?

  She stiffened when the door to the bedroom was silently pushed open. Forcing herself to breathe evenly, Maddie watched from beneath lowered lashes as Colton stood silhouetted in the doorway with the faint light from the fireplace behind him. He stood looking at her for several long minutes, until Maddie was certain he would hear her heart pounding. After what seemed an eternity, he quietly backed out of the room and drew the door closed behind him.

  She sat up and pushed her hair back from her face, her breathing uneven. What had he been doing, and why had he felt compelled to check on her? Was he just making sure she hadn’t escaped out the window? Or had some other reason warranted his sudden appearance? Was he feeling ill? Did he suspect her of drugging him? Or had he had a change of heart and decided he wanted to finish what they’d almost started out there on the couch?

  She knew he found her attractive; she’d seen the expression
in his eyes when he’d held her. She’d even considered using sex as a way to coerce him into helping her, but had rejected the idea. Colton Black didn’t strike her as the type of man to be easily seduced, and even if he was, she didn’t know if she had the courage to go through with it. Just the thought of being with him that way caused her stomach to knot up. He’d make it good for her; she knew that instinctively. But she also knew she’d hate herself afterward. She might not have much, but she still had some self-respect.

  Maddie forced herself to lie down again. For the next hour at least, her mind raced with thoughts of what she would do once she left the cabin. She checked the luminous face on her watch. It was nearly midnight. She hadn’t heard any sounds from the other room in quite a while.

  Cautiously, she sat up and pushed the blankets aside. Her backpack was still in the cab of the truck. At least that was one less thing she had to worry about. Drawing a deep breath, she stood up and stepped cautiously to the door, treading lightly so the floorboards wouldn’t creak. Picking up her shoes in one hand, she prepared to creep through the living room in her stocking feet.

  She opened the bedroom door and peeked out. The fire was little more than embers now, and the room was in darkness except for one kerosene lamp beside the sofa, turned low. Tiptoeing silently into the room, Maddie peered over the back of the couch.

  Her breath caught.

  Colton lay sprawled on top of his sleeping bag, one muscled arm bent over his head, his other hand resting on his taut stomach. His shirt had ridden up just a bit, giving Maddie a tantalizing glimpse of burnished skin above the waistband of his boxers. Even in sleep he exuded a raw sexuality that made her mouth go dry. His face was turned to the side, and his lashes lay dark against his chiseled cheekbones. His jaw sported a faint shadow of whiskers, and Maddie had a sudden urge to know how they would feel against her skin. She swallowed hard and found it an effort to pull her thoughts back to her task.

  Creeping past the sofa, she crouched next to the duffel bag, biting her lip at the soft rasping sound the zipper made as she pulled it open. Keeping a wary eye on Colton, she rummaged through his gear until she found what she was looking for—a pair of handcuffs. As she drew them quietly from the bag, her fingers brushed against something else; something cold and hard. With her free hand, she pulled out a pistol. It was Colton’s service revolver. It felt heavy and unfamiliar in her palm, not at all like the toy gun she had handled thus far. With a grimace of distaste, she dropped it back into the duffel bag. The small noise disturbed Colton, and with a soft groan he flung an arm across his eyes as if to block out the dim light from the nearby lantern.

  Maddie held her breath until he relaxed and his own breathing became even again. The ancient sofa was upholstered in a thick, tweedy plaid except for the slatted arms, which were oak. She studied the construction for a moment, trying to estimate the thickness of the wood. Colton’s breathing was still deep and steady.

  Clutching the handcuffs tightly, Maddie rose silently to her feet and crept to the sofa. She leaned over Colton. His arm still covered his eyes, but his mouth was exposed to her hungry gaze. She couldn’t help but stare. It was a luscious mouth, made for sinful pleasures. Her eyes traced the shadowed contours of his jaw and lower, to the strong column of his throat, where his pulse beat steadily.

  She told herself it didn’t matter if she stared at him; he was asleep and unaware of her perusal. And she was just looking, after all. She had no intention of...touching him. At least not in that way. But she would have to touch him if she was going to go through with her plan. With his arm flung across his eyes, it took her only an instant to cinch one handcuff around the strong wrist and lace the other end through the wooden slats of the couch.

  She wasn’t prepared when he mumbled sleepily and she suddenly found herself staring into slumberous dark eyes. He gazed up at her with a bemused expression and said something incoherent. Before Maddie could guess his intent, he brought his free hand up and slid it under her hair to cup the nape of her neck and draw her down for his kiss.

  For a moment, she was too shocked to protest. Then, as his lips moved warmly and sensuously against hers, she gave a moan—whether of protest or pleasure, she wasn’t sure. His mouth was hot and sweet, and with a soft sigh of capitulation, she melted against him and allowed herself to respond for one brief, blissful moment. He groaned in satisfaction and drew her closer, slanting his lips across hers and parting them for the intrusion of his tongue.

  His kiss was intoxicating; drugging in its effect. For a moment, nothing else mattered except the wild, sweet longing that surged through her veins. He had pulled her down so that she was lying almost fully on top of him, her breasts flattened against the muscled hardness of his chest. He tasted faintly of sweet bourbon, and he smelled like wood smoke and unadulterated male. The combination was devastating to her heightened senses. He shifted restlessly beneath her, and there was no mistaking his growing arousal.

  It took every vestige of willpower she had to pull free from that kiss. For a moment they stared at each other, their breathing ragged. The sleepiness in those black eyes had changed to something else; something hot and raw and full of sensual promise.

  Before she could change her mind, she reached behind her head and grasped his free hand, lacing her fingers with his.

  “Madeleine,” he rasped, “I don’t think—”

  “Shh.” She bent down to brush a searing kiss over his lips, and then lingered for several long, tantalizing seconds. She couldn’t help herself; the taste and feel of him were irresistible. Then, before he could guess her intent, she pushed his hand over his head and quickly snapped the other handcuff around his free wrist. The chain on the cuffs threaded through the slatted arm of the sofa effectively trapped his hands over his head.

  “Hey,” he protested with a bemused laugh. “What’re you doing?”

  “Just a little precaution,” Maddie said breathlessly.

  Avoiding his heated gaze, she straddled his lean hips and then scooted back on his thighs just enough to free his pelvis from her weight. She had seen him put his truck keys in his front pocket. She glanced swiftly at his face. He was watching her with a half smile, uncertain of her intent. With both his arms raised over his head like that, she couldn’t help but notice the impressive bulge of his triceps. She had to fight the urge to slide her hands along the contours of his chest and the undersides of his arms, to fit her hips against his and lean forward until her breasts brushed his chest.

  She couldn’t look at him as she slid her hand into his pocket, searching for the keys. The hard length of his arousal was evident beneath the denim fabric of his jeans.

  “If you’re trying to get into my pants, I’m more than happy to oblige.” His voice was slow and his words slightly slurred. He made a movement to help her, but was halted by the handcuffs.

  “What the—?” He twisted his head and stared in bemusement at his shackled wrists.

  Damn. The first pocket was empty. Maddie switched her attention to the other side. Colton jerked at the cuffs, twisting his body sideways in an attempt to wrest his hands free.

  “Please, Colton,” Maddie begged, struggling to stay seated on his lean body. “You’ll only hurt yourself.”

  He stopped long enough to fix her with a hard glare, his dark eyes beginning to focus with awareness of what she was doing. “Don’t do this, Madeleine.” His voice sounded rough, still groggy with sleep. “Uncuff me right this damned minute.”

  Maddie bit her lip, then swiftly shoved her hand into his other pocket. Colton gave a roar and bucked his hips in an attempt to unseat her. With a cry of alarm, Maddie found herself pitched onto the floor. She scrambled away from the sofa, watching in horror as Colton’s violent struggles lifted the piece of furniture clear off the floor.

  “It’s no use, Colton,” she gasped, and opened her hand to reveal the set of keys. “I al
ready have them.”

  If anything, his struggles became more enraged. Maddie pushed herself to her feet, intent on grabbing her shoes and getting out of there.

  “Madeleine,” he said, his voice harsh and his eyes burning into hers. “You can’t run forever, and there’s no place for you to hide. I’ll get free, and God help me, I will find you.”

  Maddie paused. He had stopped thrashing, and the fierceness of his gaze almost made her believe him.

  “Then I guess I’ll be taking this,” she said, and bent down to retrieve the gun from his duffel bag. She tried to hold it with a modicum of confidence, but was so repulsed by the cold slickness of it that she might as well have been holding a snake. “Don’t try to stop me, Colton. Don’t come after me, or you’ll force me to do something I’ll regret. Just let me go.”

  “Damn it, Madeleine!” It was obvious that he was struggling to harness his rampant temper. “Please. Just listen to me for a minute. I can help you. But don’t do this. Don’t go out there by yourself. Stay here, just until morning. We can figure this out together.”

  She couldn’t stay.

  She had to get out of there and fast. He was doing it again; using that compelling voice to cement her feet where she stood, listening to him despite her determination not to. If that wasn’t enough, the sight of him lying on the sofa with both arms handcuffed over his head was almost too enticing to resist. For one brief, wild instant, her imagination surged. How long would he resist if she decided to take advantage of his position? She wondered how much longer she could resist the temptation to find out.

  “I—I’m sorry, Colton. I have to go.” She shoved her feet into her shoes and all but ran toward the door, determined not to look at him. With her hand on the broken latch, she paused. “I left the keys to the handcuffs in your duffel bag. I just want to say thanks for everything. I’m sorry, too, that we couldn’t have met under different circumstances.”