Stone Cold Surrender (23 page)

difficult.
“Yeah?”

“This
isn’t
good
is
it?”

He
chuckled
against
her
ear.
“You
don’t
hear
me
complaining,
Madison.”

“You
know
what
I
mean.”

Yes,
he
knew
exactly
what
she
meant.
“If
I
go
along
with

your
way
of
thinking,
that
we
should
place
our
full

concentration
on
your
mother
and
Uncle
Corey
and
not
on
each
other,
then
I
would
have
to
agree
that
it
isn’t
good

because
the
timing
is
lousy.
But
if
I
adhere
to
my
own

thoughts,
that
I
feel
whatever
is
going
on
between
my
uncle
and
your
mother
is
their
business
and
that
you
and
I
should
place
our
full
concentration
on
each
other,
then
I
would
say
it
is
good.”

He
said
the
words
while
a
barrage
of
emotions
raced

through
him.
They
were
emotions
he
wasn’t
used
to
dealing
with.
A
part
of
him
suddenly
felt
disoriented.
Totally

confused.
Fully
aware.

The
woman
he
held
in
his
arms
was
as
intoxicating
as
the
most
potent
brand
of
whiskey
and
she
had
his
senses

reeling
and
his
body
heated.
“I’m
going
to
leave
the

decision
as
to
how
we
should
handle
things
up
to
you,

Madison.
I
suggest
you
sleep
on
it
and
let
me
know
what
you
decide
in
the
morning.”

Leaning
down,
he
kissed
her
again;
this
kiss
was
tender
but
just
as
passionate
as
the
one
before.
He
pulled
back
and
released
her,
opened
the
door
and
walked
out
into
the
cool
Montana
night.

Clinging
to
the
strength
of
the
decisions
she
had
made

overnight,
Madison
opened
the
door
for
Stone
the
next

morning.
The
eyes
that
met
hers
were
sharp,
direct
and
she
immediately
felt
herself
wavering
on
one
decision
in

particular
as
she
inwardly
asked
herself:
how
can
I
stand

behind
my
decision
to
make
sure
that
nothing
happens

between
us?

Of
the
two
decisions
she’d
made,
that
had
been
the

hardest
one
and,
as
she
glanced
at
the
strong,
vital
and

sexy
man
standing
in
the
doorway,
she
knew
it
would
be
the
hardest
one
to
keep.
Stone
wasn’t
a
man
any
woman
could
ignore
and
being
alone
with
him
for
the
next
few
days
would
definitely
test
her
resolve.
If
she
were
smart
she
would
put
any
thoughts
of
a
relationship
between
them
out
of
her
mind
completely.
She
had
never
been
involved
in
any
sort
of

casual
affair
before
and
wasn’t
sure
that
type
of
relationship
would
suit
her.
But
then
she
had
to
remember
that
she
had
thought
her
relationship
with
Cedric
had
been
anything
but
casual
and
look
where
it
had
gotten
her.

“You’re
earlier
than
I
expected,”
she
somehow
found
her

voice
to
say.
In
the
predawn
light
that
encompassed
him,

she
searched
his
eyes
for
any
signs
of
decisions
that
he

himself
might
have
made
and
only
saw
the
heated
look
of
desire
that
had
been
there
from
the
very
first.
And
she
knew
if
she
was
ever
undisciplined
enough
to
risk
all
and
take
a
chance,
this
man
would
and
could
introduce
her
to
passion
of
the
hottest
kind.

He
was
standing
before
her
so
utterly
handsome
in
his

jeans,
flannel
shirt,
boots
and
Stetson.
He
looked
nothing

like
an
action-thriller
author
but
everything
like
a
rugged

cowboy
who
made
the
unspoiled
land
surrounding

Montana’s
Rocky
Mountains
his
home.
But
she
knew
there
was
something
else
about
him
that
was
holding
her

interest.
It
was
what
she
saw
beyond
the
clothes.
It
was
the
man
himself.
There
was
a
depth
to
him
that
was
greater

than
any
man
she’d
ever
met.
There
was
a
self-confidence
about
him
that
had
nothing
to
do
with
arrogance
and
a

kindness
that
had
nothing
to
do
with
a
sense
of
duty.
He
did
things
out
of
the
generosity
of
his
heart
and
concern
for

others
and
not
for
show.
And
she
felt
loyalty
to
him.
He

would
be
true
to
whatever
woman
he
claimed
as
his.

Cedric
could
certainly
have
taken
a
few
lessons
from
Stone
Westmoreland.

He
smiled.
“I
thought
we
could
grab
something
to
eat
on
the
way,”
he
said,
interrupting
her
thoughts.
She
sighed,

grateful
that
he
had.
She
could
have
stood
there
and