Stone Cold Surrender (38 page)

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Authors: Brenda Jackson

Tags: #Fiction, #Romance, #General, #Contemporary, #Arts&Photography

BOOK: Stone Cold Surrender
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Another
thing
she
believed
with
all
her
heart
was
that
he

was
someone
who
could
be
trusted.
She
had
felt

comfortable
with
him
from
the
first
and
the
thought
of
them
alone
in
this
cabin,
miles
from
civilization,
didn’t
bother
her.

Yes,
she
decided
to
admit,
it
did
bother
her,
especially

when
it
stirred
something
inside
her
each
and
every
time
he
looked
at
her
with
promises
of
untold
pleasures
in
his
eyes.
Pleasures
she’d
never
had
before.

She
walked
to
the
window
and
looked
out.
It
was
dark
and
everything
around
them
appeared
black
and
still.
She
had
actually
seen
a
bald
eagle
fly
overhead,
but
she
might
have
missed
the
experience
if
Stone
hadn’t
pointed
it
out
to
her.

“What
are
you
thinking
about,
Madison?”

Madison
quickly
spun
around,
holding
shaking
fingers
to
her
chest.
She
hadn’t
heard
Stone
approach.
In
fact
she

had
been
listening
to
the
sound
of
the
water
running
during
his
bath
and
wondered
at
what
point
he’d
turned
it
off.

He
was
standing
in
the
middle
of
the
kitchen
wearing

another
pair
of
jeans
and
a
T-shirt
with
the
words,
The

Rolling
Stone,
boldly
displayed
across
his
large,
muscular
chest.
His
hair
was
damp
and
she
felt
like
crossing
the

distance
separating
them
and
rubbing
her
hand
over
his
head.
And
that
wasn’t
the
only
thing
she
wanted
to
rub
her
hands
over,
she
thought
as
he
held
her
gaze.
His
eyes

blazed
with
a
deep
heat.
She
may
not
be
experienced
in

some
things,
but
she
could
definitely
recognize
sexual

desire
in
a
man;
especially
this
man.
It
had
been
in
his
gaze
the
first
time
his
eyes
had
met
hers.

“So,
you
want
to
keep
whatever
it
was
you
were
thinking
a
secret?”
he
asked
with
a
rueful
smile.

Madison
sighed,
turned
back
to
the
window.
“I
was
just

thinking
how
quiet
things
seem
outside
and
yet
I
know
there
are
plenty
of
animals
out
there
that
make
this
area
their

home.
In
a
way
I
feel
as
if
we
are
invading
their
territory.”

She
felt
the
heat
of
him
when
he
came
to
stand
beside
her.
“Invasion
is
fine
as
long
as
we
don’t
do
anything
to
destroy
their
natural
environment.”

She
nodded
and
turned
and
almost
collided
with
him.
She
hadn’t
been
aware
that
he
had
been
standing
so
close.

“There’s
something
else
I’ve
discovered
about
invasions,”
he
said,
holding
her
gaze.

Madison
knew
her
control
was
about
to
be
tested.
“What?”

“It
can
make
some
people
rather
uncomfortable.
Like
right
now.
I
am
invading
your
space,
aren’t
I?”

Madison
nodded.
Yes,
he
was
invading
her
space
but
she
didn’t
feel
uncomfortable
or
threatened
by
it.
Instead
she
felt

an
incredible
magnetism,
an
intrinsic
sensual
pull
to
him.

“Madison?”

She
inhaled,
pulling
air
into
her
lungs
before
answering,
“Yes,
but
I
don’t
mind
sharing
my
space
with
you,
Stone.
Are
you
ready
for
dinner?”

She
watched
as
a
smile
curved
his
sensuous
lips.
“I’m
ready
for
a
lot
a
things.”

She
didn’t
want
to
read
between
the
lines
but
did
so

anyway.
Visions
of
just
what
those
other
things
might
be
danced
around
in
her
head.
She
tried
holding
on
to
the
decisions
she
had
made
yesterday
morning
about
their
relationship
and
discovered
she
was
having
a
hard
time
doing
so.
She
cleared
her
throat.
“I’ll
put
the
food
on
the
table.”

Without
giving
him
a
chance
to
say
anything
else,
she
walked
off
toward
the
kitchen
cabinets
to
take
down
a
couple
of
bowls.

“The
stew’s
good,
isn’t
it?”

The
sound
of
Stone’s
husky
voice
drifted
across
the
table
and
was
as
intimate
as
a
caress.
Madison
glanced
up
from
eating
her
stew
and
met
his
gaze.
A
part
of
her
shivered

inside
from
the
visual
contact.
More
than
once
she
had

caught
him
staring
at
her,
and
against
her
will
her
body
had
responded,
each
and
every
time.

Common
sense
demanded
that
she
fight
her
interest
in
him,
but
it
was
hard
to
dredge
up
will
power
or
common
sense
around
a
man
like
Stone.
“Yes,
it’s
delicious,”
she
said
trying
not
to
feel
the
warmth
that
was
spreading

through
her
belly.

Stone
pushed
his
bowl
aside,
licking
his
lips.
“Too
bad
we
don’t
have
anything
for
dessert.”

Madison
swallowed,
eyeing
his
lips
with
interest.
Oh,
she
could
think
of
a
few
things
she
had
definitely
developed
a
sweet
tooth
for
over
the
last
few
days.
His
kisses
topped
the
list.
“Yes,
it
is,
isn’t
it?”
she
decided
it
was
safer
to
say.

“I’ll
help
you
with
dishes,”
Stone
said,
getting
to
his
feet.

Madison
considered
his
offer
and
quickly
decided
that
it

wouldn’t
be
a
good
idea.
Earlier
she’d
told
him
that
she

didn’t
mind
him
in
her
space
but
at
the
moment
she
needed
him
out
of
it
to
get
her
mind
focused.
“There’s
no
need.
I

only
have
a
few
items
to
take
care
of
anyway.”

“You
sure?”
he
asked.

“Yes,
I’m
positive.
I’d
think
you’d
want
to
retire
early.
Today
has
to
have
been
an
exhausting
one
for
you.”

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