Page 35 of Maddox

The awkward moment was extended. I had my hands gripping his upper arms, my fingers digging into his shirt. The fewseconds was excruciating and I was certain the man was going to kiss me.

Especially when he lowered his head. I found myself leaning into him, longing for the slight intimacy to happen. His eyes darted back and forth across mine. When he sighed, he also looked away.

“Just watch your step. Only go right outside the mouth of the cave.”

“Okay.” Swallowing, I couldn’t seem to get rid of the lump in my throat. He held onto me for a few seconds and I could swear he was reluctant to let me go.

But he did.

As I headed outside, another wave of sadness settled in.

He was on the other side of the cave when I returned, watching the entrance like a trained solder. I returned to the spot where I’d been. He’d placed another shirt on the cold surface for me to lie on. As I eased down, I couldn’t seem to take my eyes off him.

Whoever Lieutenant Grant was, I knew one thing for certain.

He was hiding behind a thick layer of armor. No one would ever be able to get through to him.

Certainly not me.

Besides, I had no desire to get myself entangled with some grumpy guy.

Not even one who’d saved my life.

CHAPTER 11

Charmaine

Passion inside a cave in the middle of a jungle.

The thought was as riveting as it was… primal.

I could still feel Maddox’s cock pulsing inside of me even though a half an hour had passed. I pressed my fingers to my lips as I inhaled, pulling in the scent of our combined sex and the incredible hint of his masculinity. After he’d pulled out, he’d allowed only minutes before returning to the other side of the cave where he sat watching the front entrance.

Always on guard.

There were so many questions I wanted to ask, but I knew he wouldn’t answer them. He’d allowed his guard to fall with me and I could tell by his standoffishness that doing so had broken several cardinal rules.

Meanwhile, my skin was still tingling from his gentle touch. Suddenly, my chest was tight, iron bands clamping around mylungs to the point I feared another anxiety attack. He was indeed a stunning man and if we weren’t in the middle of a dire crisis, I would enjoy learning more about him. If he even allowed that. My guess was he hadn’t been close to anyone in a long time.

Exhaustion had settled in and it was difficult to keep my head up. I shifted the wet clothes and laid down, trying to find a comfortable position while I continued to study him. Just thinking about the way his fingers skimmed along my arm kept me tingling.

When had a man caused this kind of reaction before? Even with Brian, the passion had died far too early in our relationship.

“Are you married?” I asked out of the blue, praying to God I hadn’t just had the best sex of my life with a married man. Extra guilt I didn’t need.

He didn’t react at first, barely giving me a look when he did. “Never and I don’t want to be.”

“Trust me. Marriage is difficult at best.”

His snort brought a smile to my face. “I’ll take your word for it. Why don’t you try and get some sleep? You’ll need your strength.”

“I know.” When he turned his head, the look he offered robbed the precious oxygen from my lungs. He was a dangerous man in his own right.

And sexy as hell.

I finally closed my eyes, trying to relax. In my gut I accepted the man would do whatever it took to keep me safe.

“Shush, sweetheart. Allow me to take care of you.” His voice was deep and rugged, yet the tone was soothing like soft velvet floating against my naked skin.

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