Page 138 of A Dangerous Proposal

Madison folded her arms over her chest. “I couldn’t stand there and do nothing.”

“Yes, you could!” he shouted. “Or you could have called for Liev.Anyonebut yourself!” Alex paced a few steps away before turning back to her. His eyes burned with an intensity that made it hard for her to breathe, and heat began pooling between her legs.

Yeah, I should probably talk to a professional about this. There is something wrong with me.

Ordering her hormones to control themselves, Madison watched him carefully. His muscles were taut, and while watching the way his knuckles flexed repeatedly over and over at his side, it hit her.

Alex wasn’t just angry.

He was rattled.

She’d never seen that before.

“That article had to come from Armstrong,” she said to change the subject and give him a minute to get himself back under control.

Alex’s jaw clenched a few times, then he nodded.

The tension stretched between them, and after a long moment, Madison dropped on the couch. Her fingertips pressed to her temples, and she groaned.

“I’m sorry, Alex. None of this would have happened if not for me. I’ve ruined?—”

“You haven’t ruined anything. Mikhail wasn’tjusthere about the articles. Apparently, Felix was mugged last night leaving his AA meeting. He spent most of the night at the hospital.”

Madison’s mouth fell open. “Mikhail thinks that you—” Her jaw snapped shut at the look he gave her. “Oh.” She took a slow inhale. “Did he say?—”

“Unfortunately, Felix didn’t see his attackers—at least three, according to him. And for some reason, all the security cameras in the area were down.” Alex smirked. “My brother was concerned that there may have been some overlap.”

“What did you tell him?”

“That I had nothing to do with it. Poor Felix should really be more aware of his surroundings. Not that I’m victim blaming, of course.” Alex gave her a devious smile.

She swallowed past the thickness in her throat. He might act like this was a joke, but she knew how serious it was if Mikhail had come to their home.

“You don’t want me to put myself in danger for you, and I don’t want you to go against your family for me.” Her lip wobbled.

Mikhail might have let it go this time, but if Alex wasn’t careful, brother or not, she doubted he would get a free pass the next time. Mikhail was thepakhan, and from what Alex had toldher, he couldn’t afford to let anyone—even his own brother—defy his orders.

“He put his hands on you, Angel. Trust me, he got off easy compared to what I wanted to do to him. What I’mstillplanning on doing to him.” He muttered the last bit under his breath, but she heard him.

“You can’t go against your family.”

Alex drew her to her feet, cupping her face in his hands.

“You and Jax are my family.”

The words hung in the air, and for a second, all the unspoken things lingered between them, until Alex’s hands slid from her face to her waist. Pulling her hard into his chest, Alex’s mouth crashed down onto hers.

Madison gasped, the heat of his lips stealing her breath, as his fingers bit into her hips. Pushing up on her toes, she met his urgency, her hands ripping his shirt from his waistband. She had the sudden desperate need to feel his skin.

The muscles on his abs rippled as she clawed at the hot skin, making her even more frantic. “Alex.” She gasped when his hands shifted from her hips to cup her ass and he lifted her. Madison’s legs wrapped around his waist, and Alex used his grip to grind her against him.

“I need—” Her words broke off in another gasp as one of his hands slipped between her legs and stroked her over the lace of her panties. “Oh my god.”

She broke the kiss, her forehead falling to his shoulder, and her thighs clamped harder around his waist. “Why is this?—”

Madison barely registered when Alex pivoted and lowered himself onto the sofa so that her knees pressed into the cushions on either side of his hips. He rolled her against him with a low growl.

“It’s the adrenaline.” His hands were already gripping the hem of her dress, pushing it up, his fingers skimming the bare skin of her thighs.

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