Search Me (22 page)

I didn’t give him a chance to question why the hell I was standing before him in my underwear watching him. Instead, I stepped into the shower, not even stopping to take off my bra and panties. His eyes, hazy with both surprise and unfulfilled lust, drank in my appearance. Soaked to the bone within a few seconds, I stood only a few inches from him. The heat radiated off his body and scorched against mine. A thousand unsaid thoughts and emotions whirled through my mind at what to say. But instead of saying anything, I reached over to tentatively wrap my fingers around his straining erection.

Maddox’s dark eyes widened. “Lane…”

“You called out my name,” I whispered.

He grimaced. “Yeah…I, uh, well, we were practically humping out there on the dance floor earlier tonight. Then it kinda got to me seeing you in your bra and panties when I stripped you.”

I cocked my head to the side while squeezing him a little tighter in my hand. “So I was just the most convenient image you could think of to jerk-off to?” I countered.

Maddox’s chest rose and fell both at my ministrations and my question. “No,” he murmured.

“Then why?”

His body shuddered when I stilled my movements. His dark eyes drilled into me. “Even though I shouldn’t and even though it’s wrong, I want you.”

My heartbeat thumped wildly at his admission. “Then take me.”

Tightening his jaw, Maddox shook his head. “I can’t. Not with all this life and death shit hanging around us.”

I shot him a scathing look. “So you’d rather jerk off in a soap scum infested shower than have sex with me?”

“I just don’t want to hurt you again.”

Inching closer to him, I said, “I’ll let you know if you’re too rough.”

“That’s not what I meant and you know it,” he growled.

He tensed when I slid an arm around his neck. “The only way you could ever hurt me again was if you ran away, and the way I look at it now, we’re both on the run.”

“This isn’t something to joke about, Lane.”

I sighed. “Fine then. It doesn’t change how I feel.”

“You still want me?” he asked incredulously.

“Mmm, hmm.” Picking up my pace, I asked, “And no matter what your mind and heart are telling you, I can tell how much your body wants me, right?”

“Yes,” he replied in an almost agonized groan.

I brought my lips to where they hovered over his ear. “And you loved me once.”

He jerked back to stare at me with wide eyes. “Even with all the tequila, you remember what I said on the dance floor?”

“Let’s just say it all kinda came back to me.” I smiled up at him. “When it comes down to it, you’ve always been the one, Maddox. Since I was fourteen years old, there’s never been another guy for me, and there never will be.”

A hesitant grin played on Maddox’s lips. “So you still love me?”

Cocking my head at him, I asked, “Now who is being stupid?”

He laughed. “I love you, Lane.”

“And I love
you
, Maddox.”

When he finally brought his lips to mine, every molecule in my body exploded, and I shuddered. I fought the urge to pinch myself to make sure this was all real, and I wasn’t having some late alcohol-induced hallucination. But then when Maddox’s warm tongue slid into my mouth, I knew it was oh so real. I reached up to bring my arms around his neck. His lips were slow and gentle at first, but then both of us grew hungry. I guess being shot at and on the run from thugs really amped up the passion.

We stayed lip-locked for what felt like a delicious eternity until I could no longer ignore the hardness pressing against my abdomen. As Maddox’s erection pulsed against me, I knew he needed taking care of.

Pulling my lips away from his, I started sliding down his body. When I was almost kneeling in front of him, Maddox grabbed me under my arms and lifted me up. “Don’t, Lane.”

As I slid my hand over his straining erection, I replied, “You need this, and I didn’t get to do this for you last time.”

He shook his head. “No way am I letting my girl service me on her knees in this disgusting shower.” Before I could protest, he shut off the water and then stepped out of the tub and onto the tile. His strong hands came to rest at my waist before he lifted me over the side. Once again, he slipped his arm under my knees to carry me out of the bathroom.

“What about drying off?” I questioned.

He gave me a wicked grin. “I like you better wet.”

Since I couldn’t argue with that, my lips went to nip and suck along his neck, causing him to groan. In a tangle of arms and legs, we collapsed onto the rickety mattress. In a flash, Maddox had stripped off my bra and panties. He then returned his lips to mine. Our tongues battled each other as Maddox moved his erection between my legs. I raised my hips to meet his, eager to have him inside me. He jerked away when we came a little too close. “Wait a minute, baby. We can’t do this without protection.”

“I’m on birth control,” I panted.

He shook his head. “I’m not risking anything with you, Princess. Not yet.”

I gave him a shy smile as he grappled along the floor for his pants. After digging out a condom from his wallet, he grimaced. “Dammit, this is my only one.”

Propping up on my elbow, I shot him a knowing look as he ripped into the foil. “Guess you used too many banging all the nurses in the hospital, huh?”

Maddox’s expression darkened. “Regardless of what West said, I didn’t do that many nurses.” Before I knew it, he had slid the condom on and pinned me back on the mattress. His dark eyes stared intently at me. “Believe me when I say this, Lane, that no matter who I was with after you, I always wished it was you.”

Maddox’s words left me breathless, and I fought to bring air in and out of lungs. “Really?” I gasped.

He nodded. “I wanted it to be your lips I was kissing.” He brought his mouth to mine, tenderly sucking my bottom lip between his. “And your tits I was touching.” He cupped my breast, palming the sensitive flesh in his hand. “Most of all, I wanted it to be you I was inside of.” His other hand slid between my legs, causing me to moan. Just as his fingers worked me into a frenzy of lust and had me drenched in need, he pulled his hand away, causing me to whimper. “But I never wanted just your body, Lane. I always wanted your heart. I was just too afraid to ask for it.”

“It was always yours,” I panted, my chest rising and falling in desperate heaves. “My heart, body, and soul have always been and always will be yours, Maddox.” I brought my hands up to cup his face. “Now make love to me.”

He grinned. “I’ll be happy to.”

Settling between my legs, he guided his erection to my folds. With one thrust, we were one again, just like that night under the stars so many years ago. Gently, he worked himself in and out of me in long, languid strokes. Our eyes stayed locked on each other as our breaths rose and fell in unison. “You feel amazing,” he murmured.

I smiled. “You do too.”

“Are you okay with this?” he questioned about his languorous pace.

“Take me however you want me, Maddox. Fast, hard, slow, I’m yours.”

“If you insist.” He winked before sliding out of me. “Roll over,” he instructed. Flipping over, I waited on my stomach. He then pushed me up onto my knees. “Hold onto the frame.” My fingers sought out the iron frame of the rickety bed. As I gripped the headboard, Maddox slammed into me, causing me to gasp.

“Oh fuck, was I too hard?” he asked in a panic as he pulled put.

“No, no, it’s good.”

“Are you sure?”

Glancing over my shoulder, I gave him a wicked grin. “Just do me like you want, Mad Dog.”

Maddox’s eyes narrowed. “Don’t call me that ever again. That was the past, and this is the future.” He thrust into me again. “I’m Maddox to you, never Mad Dog.”

I gasped. “Okay then. Do me like you want,
Maddox
.”

He licked his lips. “Okay, babe, you got it,” he growled as he slammed into me again. This was so much different than our first time, but I wasn’t going to complain one bit. With each hard thrust, my hands caused the iron headboard to beat into the wall, not to mention the creaky mattress was groaning under our exertions.

When Maddox pulled out again, I whimpered. Before I could question him, he was crawling underneath me. He leaned back against the headboard. Taking my hands, he put them on his shoulders and urged me to straddle him. At my questioning expression, he smiled. “I wanna be able to look into your eyes when you come.”

My heartbeat accelerated at his words as I eased my hips up to let him slide back into me. “I want to be able to see you too.”

Maddox brushed the long strands of my hair out of my face. Cupping my chin in his fingers, he brought his lips to mine. I rose and fell over his erection while his tongue thrust in and out of my mouth. His hands left my hair to grip my hips, working me harder and frantically against him. Closing my eyes, I felt myself growing closer and closer. When Maddox’s hand slipped between my legs to where we joined, I shuddered. “Oh Maddox!” I cried, as I started going over the edge.

“Open your eyes, Lane,” he commanded.

As I started to convulse around him, I opened my eyes. My gaze locked on Maddox’s as I rode out the waves of my orgasm. He continued thrusting up his hips until he too came. His eyes only left mine when his head fell forward onto my chest. He then brought his hands to my back to feather his fingers in slow strokes up and down. After several seconds of trying to catch our breath, he chuckled. Raising his head, he smiled at me. “Three years and we’ve still got it.”

Tilting my head, I grinned. “I don’t know. I think we might’ve gotten a little bit better with time.”

“You might be right there, Princess.” Maddox grazed my bottom lip playfully with his teeth. “But I still think practice makes perfect,” he said with a wicked grin.

“Of course you do.” I eased off of his lap to snuggle against his side. He wrapped an arm around my shoulders, drawing me nearer to him. We lay in silence for several minutes. Then I remembered what had me ticked off to start with and made me go to the bathroom. “By the way, where are my clothes?”

“I threw them in the grill’s washing machine downstairs after you puked on them.”

My brows furrows. “Wait, I puked on
you
.”

“The first time, yes. The second, it was all over you.”

Moaning, I rubbed my forehead. “How mortifying.”

He grinned. “Hey, it’s perfectly normal to toss your cookies the first time you get good and drunk.”

“If you say so.”

Maddox playfully trailed a finger back and forth across my collarbone. “I knew you’d be pissed that I stripped you down, but I kinda had to.”

“No, it’s okay. It would’ve been worse to wake up lying in puke.” Propping up on my elbow, I smiled at him. “Besides how can I be mad at you when you were only taking care of me?” I tenderly kissed the left side of his chest. “You really do have a good heart, Maddox.”

“It’s all yours, babe.”

“I’ll take it.” Leaning up, I bestowed a kiss on his lips. When I pulled away, I giggled. “Who would have thought it would take being on the run from treasure seekers to bring us back together?”

“Or that being in such shitty surroundings would get us so hot,” Maddox mused.

I took in our dismal surroundings and nodded in agreement. “Maybe when all the craziness has died down, we can combine our share of the gold and go somewhere really romantic?”

He groaned. “Now I’m going to have to be romantic too?”

I giggled and nuzzled my face against his chest. “Oh yes.
And
you’re going to have to be in a relationship. Just you and me.”

“Haven’t you ever heard of baby steps?”

“Not where this is concerned. It’s all or nothing. Better yet,
I’m
all or nothing.”

“Fine,” he huffed. But when I brought my head up to meet his gaze, he smiled. “Okay, I think it’s time for us to get some sleep.”

When I started to pull away for my side of the bed, he wrapped his arms tight around me. “No, we can stay just like this.”

I didn’t try to hide my goofy grin as I laid my head back on his chest. As I started to drift off into a contended sleep, I knew even if we didn’t find Pretty Fawn’s gold, this whole adventure had been worth it to hear Maddox tell me he loved me.