by Lori King
Her words must have been what he was waiting for. He moved up her body, guiding himself into her with a gentleness that amazed and endeared Hailey.
“Fuck me running. Tight, so good. I knew you would be,” he gritted out. Maddox eased down onto his elbows as he worked his way in slowly, the effort showing on his face.
Hailey sucked in a breath at the fullness. Inch by inch, he gained ground, nibbling on her ear, whispering how good she felt, and for the first time, she felt loved. She quickly shut down that train of thought and concentrated on the here and now. She shivered as he slid out, then pushed back in, his pace picking up.
“Damn, Hales, you are even tighter than I imagined. You sure you’re not a virgin?” He held himself still above her.
She responded by locking her legs around his waist and lifting her hips to take him deeper. “You are just incredibly well-endowed, and my last lover was over two years ago, if you don’t count BOB.”
He stopped moving. “Next time I’ll be sure and grab him too, just so we can compare.” The growled words held an edge of danger.
A laugh bubbled out of her. “I’m not sure about that. Clearly, I should have bought the larger size. Now, could you move…Sir?” She squeezed her inner muscles, knowing he’d feel them and hopefully be inclined to move.
He started to shake, then laughed out loud. “Damn woman, you surprise me at every turn.” He leaned down and kissed her, his tongue pushed past her lips, fucking her mouth the same as he was her body. He cursed, pushing up onto his hands and stared down at her. “Hard and fast, baby. You ready to come?”
She could only nod. Watching his face bunch up and the muscles in his arms and shoulders flex were a sight to behold.
On each downward thrust, he swiveled his hips against her clit, making her moan. Every muscle in her body tensed, starting in her toes, and ending in her pussy, rolling over her like a tidal wave. She cried out as tremors shook her. Maddox continued to thrust in and out, prolonging her pleasure. She heard him shout as he came, thrusting one last time, then holding himself against her. She didn’t care that her arms were supposed to stay above her head, she needed to hold him. Running her hands over his smooth back, she knew one time, a stolen moment with her rogue SEAL wouldn’t be enough.
5
Hailey closed her eyes as she felt Maddox pull away. She searched her mind for words to say, but nothing came to her. The man was an enigma. He was her partner, sort of.
“I’ll be right back.” Maddox gave her a crooked grin, then climbed off the bed. She watched his muscled ass flex as he went into the bathroom.
The sound of the shower running had her looking up at the ceiling with a sigh. “Get up and start breakfast, Hales. Don’t lay around waiting for him to come back and show you some attention.” She slid off the side of the bed, searching for the T-shirt from the night before, and headed down the steps toward the kitchen. She made a quick stop in the bathroom downstairs first, then went to see what he had to make for breakfast. Her first stop was the coffee pot. God, she really needed some of the liquid gold.
Once she got the fancy machine started, she opened the fridge. “Bacon and eggs it is.” Whenever she was nervous, she tended to talk to herself, a habit she hated, but couldn’t seem to stop.
After the first cup, she felt almost normal. The scent of bacon frying along with the eggs perfumed the air, and still no sign of Maddox. Covering the bacon with some foil, she turned the oven on warm, and set the eggs inside.
The subtle sound of glass smashing had her hurrying toward the stairs. It was a sound she would know anywhere. She wished like hell she’d thought to grab her backpack, but had not thought for one moment that she’d need it. Her heart raced as she eased up the stairs. The third step squeaked, she’d noted earlier, and this time she made sure to skip it all together. No sound, save for her own heartbeat, and the slight puffs of air broke through the quietness. As she reached the top of the landing, she crouched down to make her way into the bedroom.
Steam from the shower still hung in the air. With no visible sign of Maddox, she tiptoed to where she’d left her bag. Her mind raced, thinking of the exits and what was going on. If someone had broken in, where were they?
Shaking her head, she palmed her gun after making sure it was loaded. Her extra pair of pants were quickly pulled out and on, then she was moving toward the bathroom. Back against the wall, a sick feeling welled up. An image of what she might find inside the small room popped into her mind. She breathed deeply. Her hands were steady as they held her Sig Sauer. The weight of the weapon giving her comfort as she moved into the room. Water still dripped from the shower, but she could see the window had been knocked out. A towel lay over it like someone had done it on purpose.
Hailey stilled and went to the shower, pulling back the curtain to find it empty. She breathed a ragged sigh. Where the fuck was Maddox? With the glass inside, she deduced blunt force from outside had broken it.
The loud crack of gunfire broke through the quietness, echoing through her veins. Making her way over to the window, she paid closer attention to the towel, and the smear of bright red blood. She could barely see down to the ground from the upper level, but the balcony outside the bathroom window ran all the way around the back of the A-frame structure. The size of the hole was large enough for a man, but if Maddox had gone out willingly, why hadn’t he alerted her?
A quick glance around, and the thought that she was a sitting duck hit her. She moved back to the bedroom, shoved her feet into her shoes and pulled a hoodie out of her bag. Her cellphone needed charging, but she was able to shoot a text to JoJo, letting him know in a few words what had happened.
“What the heck? Where are you?” JoJo’s text came back.
Hailey didn’t have time to explain, only wanted them to know who she was with and what had happened. “I’m turning on my app that will allow you to locate me just in case something happens. Don’t do anything stupid.”
“I’m calling in reinforcements which you should’ve done when you were nearly killed.” The quick response made tears come to her eyes. The guys had become like a second family to her. JoJo and Blake were like brothers from another mother.
She turned the sound off of her phone and shoved it into the pocket of the hoodie, sending up a silent prayer to anyone who would listen to keep them all safe. Dammit, where was Mad?
A creak had her eyes flaring. She knew exactly what that sound was and where it came from. Her training kicked in, making her eternally grateful she was able to push back the fear. Her nerves were steady as she went to stand by the wall, and waited for whomever to come through the door. Even as her pulse raced, scenarios ran through her mind. A glance at the mirror showed the stark white face staring back at herself. Time ticked by at a slow pace, but she held her position, not daring to breathe loudly. Her hand tightened slightly on the trigger. Fucking hell, she hated this. Her body tensed as the air thickened with expectation.
* * *
Maddox moved up the stairway. He’d chased after the shooter when the bullet had whizzed past his head. Foolishly, he’d thought for sure he could catch him before he’d disappeared. Why the hell hadn’t any of the security alarms alerted them to an intruder?
His gut twisted as he reached the top, and heard no movement. He hadn’t even thought twice about leaving Hailey alone in the cabin, unprotected, and vulnerable. Foolishly, he’d assumed the shooter was the only one out there. Now, he made his way up to the bedroom after searching the lower half with his heart in his throat.
Taking a deep breath, his Glock in his fist, he eased around the doorframe, then pulled up short. Faced with a petite woman holding a gun at his head, he didn’t think he’d ever find himself happier in his entire life. Breath whooshed out of him. “You scared the shit out of me, Hales.”
The gun didn’t lower or waiver. “Where have you been?”
He narrowed his eyes. “Put the gun down.”
She shook her head. “What the hell h
as happened here, Mad? I hear glass breaking, then come up here to find you gone, and then this.” She waved at him, her tone flat.
Oh hell. Maddox moved forward, eliminating the space between them. “I’d just gotten dressed and finished shaving, when I dropped my towel. I bent to pick it up. I’m pretty sure that is the only thing that saved my life. Once I realized there was a shooter, I took the towel and put it over the window, and saw him on the balcony. Fucker was that close, and I didn’t even sense him.” He was still disgusted by that fact.
Her sigh mirrored his. “Why did you chase him without letting me know?”
“You gonna shoot me or lower that damn gun?” He growled, tired of getting shot at.
“Did you get a look at him or her?” She placed her weapon in the back of her pants.
Maddox swore it was the sexiest thing he’d seen in a long time. “Not really. He was dressed in black and didn’t look to be much bigger than me, only slimmer. Hell, I’m trying to figure out why the security alarms didn’t go off.”
Hailey worried her bottom lip. The last thing he wanted to do was go back to work, when he could think of other things she could do with that perfect, bow-shaped mouth. He lifted his free hand and tugged her lip free from her teeth. “Come on, we need to get out of here. This location has been compromised.” His side ached from the wound.
“You’ve been shot,” she whispered moving forward to touch him.
Her concern caused the part of his anatomy he was sure only worked to keep him alive, to beat double time. Hell, Royce would laugh his ass off if he could hear his internal dialogue. His breath sucked in as her slim fingers lifted his blood-soaked shirt. “It’s only a graze, I’ve had worse.”
Milk chocolate eyes narrowed up at him. “I’ve heard that one before, big guy.”
He gripped her wrist in his fingers. “Baby, we need to go. Once we get to where we’re going, I’ll let you play nurse. But this guy, however amateur he was, may not have been alone.”
A nod was his answer, but he felt the shiver she couldn’t hide. Damn, he fucking hated seeing her fear. This place should have been a safe haven, one so far off the radar nobody should’ve known about it. He wondered how anyone could have found them. Eyes narrowed, he glanced down at the little spitfire.
“What is that look, Mad?”
“Give me your phone.” When she didn’t immediately comply, a tic began in the corner of his eye.
“Don’t be crazy. I hadn’t even called or texted anyone until I found you missing.”
The roaring in his ears nearly sent him to his knees. “Hales, the phone,” he demanded.
“Fine, but what if something happens to me?”
He shrugged. “You’ve got me watching your back. I’d say you’re in good hands.”
His little hellion actually blushed, something he was sure she would never do. As she handed him the phone, he let his fingers brush over hers, tracing the faint blue veins. With efficiency he looked through her apps, seeing the fact she’d activated the find me app recently. He gave her a sidelong look, sighing at her naiveté. He didn’t have time to check her phone for bugs, or tracking devices, and knew what he was about to do was likely to get her all riled up. Mad was looking forward to making her pay for what she did and said next. With precision, he set the phone back to factory settings, then dropped it before stomping it to bits.
“Damn it, Mad, that was the latest iPhone. Do you know how much that thing is going to cost to replace?” She knelt down by the bits of metal and glass.
“We don’t have time to fuck around, Hales. Get up.” He smoothed his hand over her hair, instead of grabbing it in his fist.
“Fine, but you are buying me a new goddamn phone, Maddox Lopez. A rose fucking pink one, too.” She stood up, poking him in the chest with each word.
Her words had his dick hard, and his inner Dom standing at attention. “How do you end that sentence, Hellion?”
She licked her lips. “Sir?”
Knowing time was ticking, but wanting to solidify his control, he bent the few inches, placing his lips next to her ear. “Good girl. Let’s go.”
As she went to grab her backpack, he shook his head. “Leave it. If someone knows you, then they know you always take that thing. There could be a tracking device anywhere on it, or in it.”
“What about that monster truck you have?”
Ignoring her outburst, he snagged her hand and pulled her behind him. Precious little darling had no idea the swats she was earning with her back talking. He shook his head but ignored her struggles. On the bottom level, they went toward the security room. His palm print opened the door.
“The oven is on. I cooked for us.” She blushed, then shook her head. “How the hell did I not see this?”
“I already took care of the food. As for this.” He inclined his head. “You weren’t supposed to.” The wall slid open, revealing the secret room. Once inside, he made sure the door closed securely behind them. “Come on.” Another door hidden behind a large map revealed the thick steel escape door to the outside. Automatic lights came on as they entered and descended the steps down. “Watch your step. This escape was designed for efficiency, not comfort.”
At the bottom, he waited, looking around for signs that anyone had trespassed. The dust hadn’t been disturbed, a clear sign nobody had been there since the last time he’d visited. They made their way back up, her steps as sure as his, barely making a sound. Maddox couldn’t fault her abilities as a soldier. Twenty minutes later, he was sure his side had stopped bleeding just as they came to the end. He held up his hand, indicating they needed to stop.
Hailey quirked a brow, watching him open up the live feed.
“All clear.” He used his palm again to open the locking mechanism.
“Damn, fancy machinery you gots here, Sir.”
Maddox swatted her on the ass. “Don’t get sassy with me.”
She touched his side. “You got a med kit around here? If we don’t treat this, this might get infected.”
Her concern touched him. “I’ll let you tend to me when we are far away from here.” The door took some effort to get open, filtered light spilled in.
“Where the hell are we?” Hailey’s hand touched his back.
“A good distance from the property.” He didn’t want to say too much as he still wasn’t sure, how much trust to put into the woman who held too much power over him. “Let’s go. We should be clear. Once we get in the car, I’m going to have you lie in the back and stay low. If they are on the road searching, they’ll be looking for a couple.”
Moving quickly, he led the way to the bunker hidden into the side of the hill. Once he used his access code to open the door, they entered to find an older model SUV that looked like a beater. Maddox knew for a fact looks were deceiving. Not wanting to dwell on thoughts of duplicity, he grabbed the extra gear bag, and checked it was complete with what he’d need. A ball cap covered his head, giving him a slight change in appearance.
“You don’t fully trust me,” she said without heat.
He sighed. “It’s not that I don’t trust you, but someone had to have tracked us to the cabin. I know I didn’t call anyone. That leaves only one other person, Hales. So, it’s not that I don’t trust you, but I am trying to save our asses, while my ass is dealing with a bullet wound.”
“Well, fuck you very much, asshole. I was shot at yesterday, and my bike was blown to kingdom come. The last damn thing I would want to do is wave a goddamn flag at the ones who tried to kill me, by letting them know where I was fucking the morning away.” Hailey turned away, but he saw the tears in her eyes.
Maddox felt like the asshole she’d called him. “Come here, Hailey.” He put his hand on her shoulder.
“Don’t. Just don’t. I would stomp out of here, if I knew where here was. However, one thing I’m not is an idiot.” She opened the back passenger door and got inside, shutting him out.
“Well, I for one, am not a happy camper you sh
ut me out of what was clearly a good morning,” Royce muttered through the earpiece.
“Fucking dickhead,” Maddox growled too low for Hailey to hear.
The chuckle in his ear set his teeth on edge.
When he got into the Bronco, Hailey was sitting in the middle of the bench seat. He noticed she’d buckled up, and with a nod, he started the engine then backed out. Jumping out once they were clear, he made sure the door was shut and hidden again. The entire fiasco took less than ten minutes, but he could feel her angry stare burning holes into him.
He couldn’t leave things as they were. “Hales, I’m sorry. Truly, I’m a dick and I shouldn’t have accused you of the bullshit that went down. I know you had nothing to do with what happened back at the cabin.”
She gave a short jerky nod. “Thanks. What are your plans?”
“That’s it? Fuck me. I said I was sorry.” For him that was huge.
* * *
Growing up with a family who had always thought she was a screw-up, she had promised she’d never be in the same position again. Especially not with a man she cared about. Flowery words were not going to make it okay for him to treat her like shit.
His arm flexed across the space between the driver seat and passenger, but he didn’t reach back to shake some sense into her. Points for him.
“Hailey, think about it. You called JoJo. Now, I am not saying he betrayed us. Just consider the fact your phone may have been bugged, or had a trace put on it long before we arrived here. Hell, maybe it was my phone. Although, I haven’t made a call since before I tracked you down on the side of the road.”
She listened to his explanations and realized she was being a bit of a bitch. Of course, he had accused her first. She rubbed at her temples. “Fine, let’s call a truce.”
“Can I have a kiss?” He pushed out his lower lip.
Never would she have thought in a hundred years to see the big bad Maddox pretending to be a baby. Well, she amended, a sexy man with a sexy lower lip needing to be sucked. Almost babyish in her mind. Unsnapping her seatbelt, she closed the distance between their mouths and kissed him. The awkward position made it difficult, and she wished they were anywhere except on the run so they could do more.
