by Paige Tyler
Thinking of the sex they had had brought all the memories of last night rushing back to her. Amazing was the only word she could think of to describe it. Then again, the word, unexpected, came to mind as well.
To say she had been surprised when Madoc had kissed her was an understatement. Shayna had been just as surprised to find herself kissing him back. But at the first touch of his mouth on hers, all reason and doubt had fled her mind. She had never lost herself to passion like that before.
But now, in the light of day, a small part of her wondered if she had slept with him in the hopes that he would let her go. Just as quickly, however, she realized that though it would be nice if he did let her go because of it, that hadn’t been the reason at all. The passion that had erupted between them had been real. And it had been magical as well. Madoc had awakened something in her that she hadn’t known existed.
But what about Madoc? What was his reason for making love to her? Back at the diner, he had made it no secret that he was attracted to her. Had he finally just acted on that attraction, or was there more to it than that? Part of her wanted to believe that it had been more. She couldn’t deny she and Madoc definitely had chemistry together.
God, why couldn’t she have met him before this whole mess?
Shayna was just daydreaming about how things might have been between her and the Marshal had they met under different circumstances when the door to the cabin opened. Holding the blanket to her breasts, she pushed herself up on her elbow as Madoc came in. Not sure exactly what to say to him after their romp in bed last night, she nervously chewed on her lower lip and waited for him to take the lead.
To her dismay, Madoc didn’t say anything right away, however, but just stood there, his expression unreadable, and as the silence between them lengthened, Shayna grew more and more uncomfortable. Maybe last night had been a mistake, she thought. She was just about speak when Madoc cleared his throat.
“It’s stopped snowing and I can hear snow plows off in the distance. We’re not that far from the highway,” he told her stiffly. “We can leave as soon as you get dressed.”
Shayna told herself that she shouldn’t be surprised by Madoc’s words. She hadn’t honestly expected him to let her go simply because they had slept together. And if she hadn’t been so caught up her own thoughts when he’d walked in, then she would have realized that the man she had made love with last night was gone, and in his place was the no-nonsense U.S. Marshal that had taken her into custody. But she had at least expected him to acknowledge that they had slept together. Then again, maybe he was already regretting it.
Swallowing hard, Shayna started to push back the blanket, only to pause when she noticed Madoc turn away so that his back was to her. Considering that she and the Marshal had just spent the night together, what he probably perceived as a gentlemanly gesture actually hurt her for some reason, and she found herself blinking back tears as she reached for her clothes.
It didn’t take Shayna very long to get dressed, and it wasn’t like they had any bags to pack, so they were ready to leave within minutes. Madoc left some money on the table to pay for the damage to the window as well as the food they had eaten. And then, without a backward glance, they left the small cabin.
They made the walk back to Madoc’s truck in silence. Shayna had been surprised that he hadn’t handcuffed her before they’d left the cabin. Maybe he figured that after she’d nearly frozen to death the last time she’d tried to escape, she wouldn’t be foolish enough to do it again, she thought. That didn’t stop him from taking her arm once they got back to his truck, she noticed. What did he think, that she was going to try to flag down a passing trucker? she wondered. But then she saw the Montana State Trooper’s car parked behind Madoc’s SUV, and her stomach knotted.
“You folks need some help?” the officer asked as they trudged through the snow to the SUV.
Shayna held her breath as she waited for Madoc to identify himself and explain to the other man that she was a wanted fugitive he had captured. Since Madoc had wanted to dump her off with the locals in the first place, he was probably going to ask the state trooper to escort her the rest of the way to Billings, she thought.
Madoc gave her a sidelong glance before turning his attention back to the trooper. “My wife and I were caught in the snow,” he told the other man. “We had to hole up in a cabin about a mile in.”
Shayna stared at Madoc in disbelief. What was he saying?
The state trooper nodded. “You two were lucky you found a cabin,” he said. “You would have frozen to death if you’d been out here in your truck. You need any help getting back out on the road?”
Madoc shook his head. “I don’t think so, but if you wouldn’t mind waiting for just a few until we get started, I’d appreciate it.”
Shayna’s head was spinning as Madoc helped her into the passenger seat. She sat there trying to understand what had just happened while he cleaned the rest of the truck off. Was he going to let her go after all? she wondered. Or did he just want to turn her in himself? If that were the case, then why had he told the state trooper she was his wife?
Desperately wanting to know the answer to that, but afraid to come right out and ask for fear of what Madoc would say, Shayna was silent as he got into the truck and they pulled onto the highway. With a wave of thanks to the trooper, they were on their way with Shayna feeling more confused than ever. She didn’t want to get her hopes up, but as they were driving down the highway toward Billings, however, her curiosity finally got the better of her.
“Why didn’t you turn me over to that state trooper back there?” she asked quietly. It was the first time either of them had spoken since they’d left the cabin.
The muscle in Madoc’s jaw flexed, but he didn’t look at her. “Because it’s just as easy for me to take you back to Denver,” he said.
Shayna felt her heart sink at his words, the small hope she had been holding onto collapsing. Blinking back tears, she turned to stare blindly out the side window. After last night, and then with what he had said to the trooper, she had truly begun to think Madoc might actually let her go. But apparently the fact that they’d slept together didn’t mean anything to him. He probably thought it was a mistake. She didn’t know what hurt more. That he didn’t believe she was innocent, or that he could still turn her in after they had had such amazing sex. Maybe it hadn’t been as good for him as it had for her, she thought bitterly.
They made the rest of the drive in silence, and Shayna found herself wishing that Madoc would turn on the radio or something. Anything to distract her from thoughts of what awaited her back in Denver. In a couple of hours, she would be back in jail. The one night she’d spent there after she had been arrested had been awful enough, and the thought of going back made fresh tears well in her eyes. Because this time, she didn’t think she would be getting back out.
As they reached the outskirts of Denver, Shayna glanced at the handsome man beside her, wondering if she should try to plead her case with him again, but then decided against it. She had spent the past two days working on him. If she hadn’t swayed him during that time, there was really nothing left to say. Besides, she didn’t want to spend the remaining freedom she had left arguing with Madoc. With a sigh, she tore her gaze away from the Marshal to gaze out the window again.
Shayna was so lost in her own thoughts that she didn’t realize Madoc had turned into a parking garage until he pulled the SUV into a space. Her brow furrowing, she gave him a curious look.
“Where are we?” she asked.
He turned to look at her with those incredible golden eyes of his. “My apartment,” he said. “I’ve decided not to turn you in. At least not until I can check out your story.”
Shayna blinked in surprise, unable to believe what she’d just heard. “What made you change your mind?” she said softly.
Madoc said nothing for a moment, and Shayna held her breath as she waited for him to answer.
“I didn’t say I cha
nged my mind. I just said that I was going to check into it before I turn you in, that’s all,” he said gruffly.
Shayna made no reply, but she knew from the way he said the words that it was more than that. If he were just interested in checking into her story, he could have done it while she was in jail. He must really think she was innocent for him to put himself at risk like this. Of course, some part of her was also hoping that his reasons might be a little more personal than that. That maybe last night had meant something to him after all. She tried to control it, but her heart began to beat wildly at the thought that not only might she finally have found a way to get out of this mess, but that Madoc might actually care for her.
What the hell was he doing? Madoc asked himself as he let Shayna into his apartment. He was risking his career, his reputation, even his freedom, all for a woman he had just met! And for what? Maybe going to his brother’s wedding had infected him with some kind of mental disorder or something, he thought. What else could explain such a serious lack in judgment?
But no matter how much he tried to tell himself that he was being crazy, and that he should just drop Shayna off at the Denver PD, he couldn’t. She was innocent; he knew that deep down in his gut. And while he hadn’t said anything to Shayna until they had gotten back to Denver, he had actually made the decision not to turn her in while they had been in bed that morning. She had looked so vulnerable lying there sleeping that he couldn’t bear the thought of her spending even one night in a jail cell much less going to prison for the rest of her life.
Especially for something she didn’t do.
And if he hadn’t slept with her, would he still be so willing to help her clear her name? he wondered. Of course he would be, he told himself. The fact that he had just spent the night having the most incredible sex of his life with her hadn’t factored into his decision at all.
Madoc ground his jaw. Who the hell was he kidding? He had criticized his brother for getting involved with a protectee in the Witness Protection Program, and here he was falling for a fugitive! That thought stopped him cold. He was definitely not falling for Shayna Matthews! He was helping her in the interest of justice, that was all.
His hand tightening on the handle of the overnight bag he held, Madoc cleared his throat. “I’m going to grab a quick shower and a change of clothes, then head over to the office and see what I can dig up,” he announced.
“Make yourself at home.”
Before Shayna could reply, Madoc walked down the hallway and into his bedroom. Stripping off his clothes, he took a shower, and then pulled on a fresh pair of jeans and a clean shirt. When he went back into the living room, it was to find Shayna standing at the window, gazing out at the snow-covered mountains in the distance.
“I’ll be back as soon as I can,” he said, pulling on his coat. “Don’t answer the phone or open the door to anyone.
And whatever you do, don’t go anywhere.”
A small smile curved her lips. “I won’t,” she said.
Digging into his pocket for his keys, Madoc started for the door.
“Madoc?”
His hand on the doorknob, Madoc turned to see Shayna chewing on her lower lip and looking at him gratefully.
“Thank you,” she said softly.
Madoc wanted to tell Shayna that she shouldn’t be thanking him yet. That if he didn’t succeed in finding something to clear her name soon, then she’d very likely end up going to prison anyway. But she looked so worried standing there that it was all he could do not to stride across the room and take her in his arms. Not trusting himself to speak, he merely gave her a nod and walked out.
The building that housed the U.S. Marshals offices was across town from his apartment, but the traffic was surprisingly light, so it took less than a half hour to get there. Once inside, Madoc went directly to his boss’
office. Since he knew he wouldn’t get much investigating done with the workload that was sure to be waiting for him, Madoc had decided to take a couple more days off. Though Deputy Chief Evans wasn’t thrilled with the idea of Madoc taking more time off, the other man agreed. Of course, it helped that Madoc went into great detail about the two “miserable” days he’d had to spend holed up in the cabin.
Deciding that the best way to check out Shayna’s story was to find what the Denver police had on the case, Madoc went over to the precinct where she had been arrested. Fortunately, he had a friend that worked as a detective there, so getting a look at the file wasn’t as difficult as it might have been if he’d had to go through normal channels. That didn’t mean his friend didn’t wonder why Madoc was interested in a case that had already been solved.
“It might be connected to another case I’m working on,” Madoc told the other man with a shrug.
Opening the folder, Madoc read through the file. Though everything had been done by the book, it was clear that the police hadn’t wanted to investigate anyone else after finding the evidence on Shayna. Though Madoc supposed he couldn’t really blame the cops. The evidence against Shayna was solid, and if he had been working the case, he probably would have come to the same conclusion.
With a sigh, he began to read through the file again, more slowly this time. Things had unfolded just like Shayna had told him. According to the lead detective that had investigated the case, the police had received an anonymous tip from someone saying that Shayna had embezzled the money. Of course, the call had come from a pay phone so there was no way of knowing who had actually made it, but the caller had to be the person who had framed Shayna. As for the emails she had supposedly sent to her boss, Evan Mercer, they had all come from her work email address. While that wasn’t as bad as being sent from her personal computer, it would be almost impossible to prove she hadn’t been the one who wrote them. Which left the bank account in the Caymans, but since there was no way to find out who actually opened it, that was another dead end.
Madoc picked up the crime-scene photos from Evan Mercer’s house. When Shayna had told him the police said they had found some blood, Madoc had assumed there would have been more than the half dozen droplets on the carpet in the picture. After seeing that, Madoc was even more inclined to think that Shayna’s boss had set her up.
Now, they just needed to prove it. But how?
Madoc thought a moment. The next logical step was to search Mercer’s place. While the police had probably already done that, there might be something they overlooked, especially if they were only looking for evidence against Shayna, he told himself. At least, he hoped they had.
Wondering whether to go straight there or back to his apartment first, Madoc opted for the latter. Since he was going to have to break into Mercer’s place, it made more sense to do it after dark. Besides, he hadn’t eaten anything since that morning and he was starving. Figuring that Shayna was probably just as hungry, especially since there wasn’t much in the way of food back at his apartment, he decided to pick up some Chinese food on the way home.
As he left the police station, Madoc realized that he was looking forward to seeing Shayna. Hopefully, she hadn’t done anything foolish while he’d been out, like call her family to tell them she was back in Denver, he thought. He could just imagine her telling them the whole story.
Shayna stared at the door in disbelief. She couldn’t believe Madoc had gone out and left her alone in his apartment. If she wanted to, she could make a run for it, she told herself. But she wasn’t going to. Outside of her family, Madoc was the only other person that believed she was innocent, and that meant a lot to her. She trusted him to help her, and she wasn’t going to let him down.
With a sigh, Shayna put her hands on her hips and surveyed the apartment. It was nice, she thought, taking in the roomy living area and modern kitchen. Very masculine, but then had she really expected any less from a man like the Marshal. Her lips curving into a smile, she decided she liked it. Then again, she had been living in the boarding house for so long that she probably would have liked his apartment if he’d ha
d shag carpeting on the floor, a lava lamp on the coffee table, and a disco ball hanging from the ceiling. Well, maybe not, she conceded.
Abruptly, she remembered Madoc’s invitation to make herself at home. While raiding his refrigerator was tempting, Shayna decided she needed a shower first. After being in the same clothes for the past two days, she felt totally grimy. Making her way through the living room, she walked down the hall toward the room the Marshal had disappeared into earlier.
Madoc’s bedroom was as masculine-looking as the rest of his apartment, and there was something equally inviting about it, Shayna thought. As she took in the huge four-poster bed with its navy blue comforter, she blushed hotly as she pictured Madoc making love to her there. An image of her beneath him, her legs wrapped tightly around his waist while he plunged deeply into her, played over and over in her mind. That thought, as well as all of the other ways the gorgeous Marshal would pleasure her with his body had her pussy practically purring, and she let out a little moan as she walked into the adjoining bathroom.
Thirty minutes later, Shayna had showered and dried her hair, and was standing in front of the mirror, wearing only her bra and panties. The thought of putting on her jeans and long-sleeved shirt again after she’d just gotten all nice and clean wasn’t very appealing, but neither could she walk around Madoc’s apartment in her underwear.
She chewed on her lower lip, wondering whether Madoc would mind if she borrowed a shirt to wear. While he had told her to make herself at home, she wasn’t sure that extended to borrowing his clothes. But it was either that, or put hers back on, she told herself. With a shrug, she padded back into the bedroom and over to the closet.
Madoc had a variety of shirts to pick from, including several white dress-shirts. Choosing one of those, Shayna slipped her arms into the sleeves and buttoned it up. It was big on her, coming to mid-thigh, and it reminded her of wearing her boyfriend’s shirt, something she’d always kind of liked. She knew it was improbable since the shirt was obviously clean, but she could have sworn she still smelled Madoc’s masculine scent on it. Regardless, it made wearing the Marshal’s shirt extremely comforting.
