Angel in the Shadows (16 page)

Damn it! He was becoming too aware of her. Of her voice, her scent, even her anger. And that was not a good sign. She was getting into his head and even more frightening, into his heart. And that was something he really didn’t need or even want. He needed to stop being a pussy and just get her out of here. Taking a deep breath, he stomped through the snow, following the lithe creature he had once again captured. One whose fate still rested in his hands . . . at least for the time being.

Chapter 18

Stepping from the shelter of the forest, Madison raised her head, gazing upon the prison that she was being returned to. Her heart sank in resignation and she lowered her head again. Her feet felt heavier with each step as she trudged to the cabin, well aware of Seth only a few steps behind her, should she try to make a run for it. But she had no intentions of doing that anymore. What was the point? He would only follow her, catch her, drag her back again to whatever hell he was currently keeping her in. Her level of self-preservation had hit its bottom. There was no more. She was done.

If and when she got out of this mess was not up to her. It was up to the man behind her. He was in control of her life. And she hated it. What she wouldn’t give to be away from here. To be in her office, cussing out a computer or visiting her happy-go-lucky sister and her charming husband. Her nephews, Tommy and Michael, the absolute most beautiful twins she’d ever laid eyes on. And her unborn niece.

And then there was Milo. Her poor adopted cat. Left all alone in her apartment, he was probably squalling like crazy right now with no one there to feed him. When she got out of here, she would make it up to him with all of the belly rubbings he could handle. But why in the hell did it have to be like this? That was a question that would probably never be answered. She had just been in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Once inside, she felt the true implications of the situation she was in pressing upon her and she struggled not to falter under its weight. Fear was still thick within her veins but acceptance also ran through her blood.

Turning, she was not surprised to see Seth leaning against the door, his tall frame blocking the entrance. Calm and relaxed, he regarded her with indifference as if he just didn’t care about anything. Maybe that was because deep down, regardless of whatever she had wanted to believe, whatever she had
strived
to believe, that was the truth. He was cold, deadly, with no emotions. He couldn’t care about anyone, least of all her. The fact that she was beginning to feel something for him only made this whole situation that much worse. God, she had never felt so dispassionate in her whole life.

“Hopefully you’ve gotten that out of your system. I’ve saved you way too many times in the last couple of days. It is getting to be a little tiresome.”

Rather than argue, she simply shrugged. “I know.” Hearing the listless quality in her own voice, a thrill of unease slipped through the numbness. But it was only a small ripple that had no lasting effect. She felt dead inside, cold and numb and strangely calm. Seth must have heard the tone in her voice because he gave her the strangest look, one she couldn’t have read, had she even bothered to try.

For once, her
guardian
seemed to be at a loss for words. She might have rejoiced in the fact that she had managed to strike this silence in him but she felt nothing. She watched remotely as Seth shrugged out of his coat and went into the kitchen. After a minute or two, he returned carrying a cup of coffee. Steam rose from it, the aroma heavy and sweet. He offered it to her but she made no move to take it.

“Don’t just stare at it like you’ve never seen a cup of coffee before. Take it. It’ll warm you up,” Seth said, pushing the cup toward her.

“I’m fine,” she replied dully, still not reaching for it.

“God damn it, Madison! Does everything have to be an argument with you? You’ve been walking around in the woods for the last hour and a half in the middle of December with no gloves on. Your clothes are wet, you have to be freezing. Now take the fucking coffee!”

The abrupt outburst jerked her out of her frozen state of mind and she automatically took the cup from him, the tips of her fingers brushing his. She sipped it slowly, the dark brew warming her instantly.

Watching her drink, Seth smiled softly. “Now see, isn’t that better?”

Regarding him over the rim of her cup, it occurred to her that he might have drugged her. It certainly wasn’t below him to do such a thing. Not that it mattered. She was only getting away when he allowed it. She finished the last of the coffee under his watchful gaze and returned the cup. Without a single word, she turned on her heel and walked toward the bedroom.

Seth didn’t follow her or attempt to stop her. With a quiet click, she closed the door behind her and went over to the bed. Sitting down, she faced the wall, her brow furrowed in concentration as she considered her lack of emotion. It was bizarre not to feel anything. It was if she had completely shut down, turned everything off. Even the thought of Robert failed to elicit any sort of emotion in her.

She laid on her back, staring at the ceiling. Following the simple patterns with her eyes, her mind drifted lazily as vapors of half-formed thoughts floated through her head. Seizing the ideas became impossible. They slipped away easily like smoke, leaving her brain fuzzy and dense as though it were stuffed with cotton. For several minutes, she struggled to stay awake as her eyes grew heavier. But at last, she gave up and closed her eyes, letting sleep claim her.

Darkness fell quickly in the mountains, especially in the middle of winter with skies heavy with snow. Cloaking the cabin in obscurity, Seth turned off every light and had the fire roaring just before the last of the light bled from the sky. The sedative he had slipped into Madison’s coffee worked beautifully. Not strong enough to kill her, it ensured him a couple hours of peace and quiet so he could figure out how to end this. After making a well-placed few phone calls, it was done. He had to solution to getting her out of this mess. Now came the difficult part. The waiting and dealing with Madison’s smart mouth and repeated attempts to escape until it was time to move forward

Although since returning to the cabin from her little excursion, she had been strangely compliant and distant, totally unlike the woman he had been used to over the last few days. The woman he had reluctantly come to admire and care about. She was stronger and more insightful than he had given her credit for. It was really too bad she was caught up in this mess. In another time, another place, he would have liked to met her, maybe even got to really know her. But that was crazy. Men like him didn’t get to know anyone. They couldn’t afford to. But he wanted to. God, how he wanted to.

Men like him couldn’t want anyone, couldn’t let down their guard to let anyone in. It was impossible. He had chosen this path long ago. A path filled with loneliness, secrecy, death. Once he took the first few steps in this direction, there had been no going back. He never really wanted to, never had the desire to turn around until now. Until
she
came along. With her long blond hair and brown doe-like eyes, her soft, warm body and unsuspecting, naïve ways, she had suddenly opened his eyes and his heart to what life was really all about. It didn’t all have to be death and lies and loneliness. It could be filled with laughter, joy, and love. Damn it, where had she been before he had made this soul damning decision? Before he committed his life to this hell? She’d found him too late in life. Found him a broken, soulless man with no hope of redemption. Regret and sorrow washed over him. Regret for not being a better, stronger man, choosing a different road to travel. Sorrow for the things that might have been, that he would never have.

The bedroom door opened and raising his eyes, he watched Madison cross the floor to the fireplace, silent as a ghost. She took no notice of him as he studied her. Beautiful as always, her blond hair gleamed with the flames of the fire. Her eyes were deep and shadowed, her mouth full. But dressed all in black, with no emotion on her face, no residual human quality, she looked as if she were about to attend a funeral. What she said next only made that idea all the more pertinent.

“How much time do I have until you kill me?” she asked, staring intently into the fire, her brown eyes incredibly large and dark.

The defeat was heavy in her voice. It was as if she had accepted her fate and there was no fight left in her. That pained him, far more than he could have imagined. He wasn’t sure how to respond. Her question caught him off guard, it being so far from what he had actually been thinking.

“Madison, I’ve already told you, I don’t want to kill you. Far from it,” he stated simply and truthfully, gazing at her from his crouched position, weighing her reaction.

Jerking her eyes from the fireplace, she focused on him. “Let me get this straight. You don’t want to kill me. But you don’t want to fuck me. You can’t keep me hostage forever you know. So just what in the hell do you want to do with me?” she asked, her voice beginning to simmer with the internal fire she was more than capable of. Inwardly Seth grinned. There were so many things he wanted to do to her but killing her was the furthest from his mind. That was not even an option. He would die before letting her be harmed. The magnitude of that thought stopped him cold. He was willing to lay his life on the line for this woman. This crazy, beautiful, pain in the ass woman. Oh Lord, this was not good. Not good at all. He was beginning to fall for her and that just couldn’t happen.

She was right. Or at least two thirds right. He didn’t want to kill her and he couldn’t keep her hostage forever. But she was wrong about one thing. He did want to fuck her. No, strike that, he wanted to make love to this woman. That scared the shit out of him but he couldn’t deny it. What he wanted to do with her was far more imaginative than what she could have ever dreamed. It wouldn’t take much to show her exactly what was running through his mind. But if he started down that road again, he wasn’t sure he could stop this time.

Madison licked her lips nervously, her wet, pink tongue caressing the smooth, full lips. And suddenly, with that one simple movement, his decision was made. He wanted her and by God, he was going to have her. Standing up from the fireplace, a slow, easy grin on his lips, his eyes focused on hers.

A moment of wariness crossed her delicate features, lending a hint of uncertainty to her eyes.

“What . . . what are you doing?” Madison asked as he came toward her, her voice quiet and trembling.

Without answering, he slowly advanced upon her, his movements silent in the darkness.

Chapter 19

Madison realized the stupidity of her words but it was too late to take them back. Fear leaped at her heart. What was he going to do to her? She had believed him when he said that he wouldn’t kill her but maybe she had been foolish to believe that. Maybe she was just as naïve as he thought she was.

Stepping back, she receded far into the shadows of the living room, sensing the change in him immediately, felt it in the air between them like electricity. And then she understood. It wasn’t death that was coming toward her, it was something else. Something powerful and sexual. The tension was thick and heavy and entranced by the transformation, she could only stand back and watch as he crossed the distance between them. His stride became graceful, silent, confident, unmistakably male.

The lean, hard muscles flexed underneath his shirt, moving sinuously as they had earlier in the day when he was chopping wood. Her heartbeat accelerated as she reluctantly imagined running her fingers over that torso, tracing the definition of those muscles. She stared, unabashedly, at his face, the dancing flames from the fireplace painting it in shadow and light. With her eyes, she caressed the smooth lines of his jaw, the fullness of his mouth. The pupils of his eyes dilated, sharpened to a point and the blue became black and obscure, their depths immeasurable.

He continued to advance on her slowly, assertively with no sign of backing down, only cold, hard determination. This was a man who knew what he wanted and she saw with alarming clarity that he currently had his sights set on her. Her heart was thumping so hard she was sure he could hear it pounding against her ribs. He stopped close to her, not moving, just staring down at her and she held her breath, waiting, watching, not sure what to do. She wouldn’t throw herself at him again. Her wounded pride could not survive under such crippling rejection. The silence between them stretched into eternity and the anxiousness swelled inside her, flooding her body. Feeling trapped, she made an instant decision and bolted, trying to move around him. Quick as lightning, he reached out, grabbing her and pulled her to him.

Instinctively, she began to fight, trying desperately to get away. Pummeling his muscled chest as hard as she could, she hoped to inflict pain but her blows were as effective as feathers hitting a brick wall. His strong hands captured hers, holding them still as he pushed her back against the wall. With only the barest of space between them, his closeness was alarming and his strength frightening. There was no hope of escaping but she continued to try, squirming and twisting defiantly.

In a roughened voice that sent shivers down her spine, Seth said, “Stop struggling.”

The hell if she was going to stop.
Determined to fight with everything she had, she continued to writhe, her efforts becoming more and more frenzied, her breath coming in short, ragged bursts. The hands were iron band encircling her wrists, imprisoning them within the heat of his fingers.

A soft, deep chuckle made her look up, even as she continued to kick out with her legs. “On second thought, don’t stop.” A sardonic smile curved his lips, making them even more appealing.

Gaping at him, Madison stopped her struggles immediately. She felt utterly helpless as he stood, looking down at her, his stare so long, so deep, and so intense that she felt stripped to her very soul. Knowing she was unable to get away, he took his time, drinking her in.

As his eyes roamed over her body, a sliver of lust sliced through her, stealing her breath. The longer he gazed at her, the more intense her lust became.
Good Lord, if he could make her react like this by just looking at her, what would it be like if he actually turned his full attentions upon her?
Madison nearly trembled with the thought. As if reading her mind, Seth suddenly moved into her, without warning and closed the gap separating them, crushing her body against his as he sought her mouth, kissing her with a brutal, punishing kiss that was both pain and pleasure. His mouth on hers was like fire, burning until she felt like she would melt underneath the intensity of it.

This had to be some kind of trick! He didn’t want her, couldn’t want her.
Gasping, she jerked her head to the side, trying to remove his mouth from hers but his lips held her captive with the force of his kiss. Her struggles only intensified the heat and passion that continued to rise and pulse through her blood and from somewhere deep inside her, a soft sigh escaped, passing from her lips against her will.
But oh God, he tasted so damn good.
He was unlike anything else she had ever experienced and she wasn’t sure she could survive him. Just the touch of his lips on hers alone was excruciating, she could only imagine how his lovemaking would be. It would be both fire and ice, heaven and hell. It would be all consuming and utterly overwhelming.

She felt lightheaded, almost faint with the strong emotions raging through her body. Her will to fight was seeping away as Seth’s lips sought hers in total domination. All she could do was stand against the wall, her legs barely holding her in place. Noticing the relaxation of her body, Seth lightened the kiss, still pinning her but just enough to keep her from escaping. He released her wrists, wrapping his hands around her waist, the heat from his fingers burning right through her clothing. Her brain was screaming for her to fight back, not to succumb to this man, this devil, but her body seemed to have a mind all its own. She couldn’t stop her hands as they crept up over his chest and shoulders, finally settling around his neck, her fingers curling into his soft, black hair.

Unexpectedly, he scooped her up as if she weighed nothing and her heart fluttered painfully. She sought his mouth with her own, barely feeling him carry her to the bedroom. The sweet taste of him danced on her tongue and she locked her hands around his neck, deepening the kiss. He laid her on the bed, fully covering her body with his, the weight pressing her into the mattress. Eyes closed, she felt him move slowly, almost painstakingly, as he stripped her down, leaving only the black, lacy bra and panties intact. He put his mouth on her again, kissing and licking every inch of bare skin. He had a devil’s tongue and each lick felt like a flame, burning deliciously into her flesh, branding her, marking her as his. And she let him, couldn’t have stopped him even if she had wanted to. Waves of heat ran through her body as she lay pinned beneath him. Running her hands down his back and then to his chest, she unbuttoned his shirt as she went.

“Wait, I want to see you,” she whispered softly, stopping him mid-kiss.

Not sure if he heard her, she started to repeat herself but he moved away, taking the heat of his body from hers, leaving her desperately wanting. But within seconds, he returned, carrying a candle, and placed it on the bedside table. His piercing eyes were like chips of blue ice, simultaneously freezing her and burning her into place. His lips were devastating, full and pouty, and so deliciously sinful. The mouth of a fallen angel. Dark hair grazed his strong shoulders and his long, lean, golden body was perfectly framed by the unbuttoned shirt. An undeniably luscious, well-muscled body. She took him in, enjoying the richness and magnificence of his skin. He was beautiful, absolutely gorgeous and she wanted to feel him, to touch him, to taste him.

Rising from the bed, she walked toward him as if he might disappear in a puff of smoke. Reaching out, she lifted her hands, trailing them down over his body, leisurely, gradually, relishing the feel of his warm skin underneath her fingertips. The shirt slipped from his smooth, golden shoulders and to the floor. Every inch of his lean body was rock hard, the muscles well defined. A small, jagged scar just across his ribs marred his perfect skin and she ran her fingers over it gently as though it might still cause him pain. Bending down, she touched her lips to it, feeling as his muscles tightened in response.

Replacing her lips with her hands, she continued her exploration of his body. She heard his sharp intake of breath as she scraped her fingernails over his ribs and down to the rough edge of his jeans. Slipping her fingers inside the lip of his pants, she touched the soft skin underneath. He grabbed her wandering hands, holding them hostage with his own as he again lowered her onto the bed, his mouth devouring hers. She closed her eyes as she tasted him, the heat between them exquisite. He moved away from her then and she opened her eyes, staring up at him, confusion breaking through her mind. For a split second, she was sure he was going to change his mind, leaving her like he did before. A tremor of fear, sharp and acidic ran through her, a solid blow to her stomach. There was no way she could survive that again so she attacked his mouth with hers, not letting him turn her away this time. He returned her kiss full force, the heat burning away any self-doubt.

Moving his lips from hers, he gazed down at her. At last, emotions filled his eyes. The passion and heat and lust burned in them, turning them from color of the sky to the deepest, most intense blue she had ever seen. But that was not all. She saw that he cared, truly cared about her. And that’s all she needed to let go and let her own emotions flow in. She was falling in love with this dangerous creature, this mysterious man. With his strong, confident ways. With his need to protect her and keep her out of harms’ reach despite her constant attempts to flee. With the softness that she knew was in there, deep inside, buried beneath his hard core exterior. How or when, she didn’t know but it was there. And now, she was going to make love to him. Her heart surged with emotion as he returned his lips to hers once more. This time, slowly, deliberately, exploring her mouth with his lips and tongue. Pleasure shimmered through her with silken heat and velvet aches. His warm breath mixed with her own, fanning the flames of wildfire that filled her. She could feel herself slipping way, giving into the need that suddenly built up inside her, threatening to overcome her completely. Her common sense tried to overrule her senses but she harshly shoved it away. Refusing to let herself think, she only wanted to feel. To get lost in him, to forget everything but here and now. There was no doubt in her mind she would pay for this stolen moment and it would be something she would probably regret later but that was later and right now, his lips and hands felt so damn good.

Seth took Madison’s hands from his jeans, holding them tightly as he lowered her to the bed once more, his mouth lingering on hers. Her mouth was blazing with heat and the black lace covering her pale skin was about to drive him crazy with need. His hands moved up to her jaw, cool against her heated skin. Her pulse pounded wildly as he caressed the nape of her neck, his thumb dancing across the smooth hollow of her throat. Letting his lips touch hers for a moment longer, he felt her need for him in the trembling of her mouth and reluctantly, he pulled away. Her eyes were lightly closed but when he ended the kiss, she opened them, insecurity shining brightly in their dark depths. He was going to pay for succumbing to this temptation. It would most likely be a price in pain. But at the moment, no price was too high. He would willingly pay later for the time right now. But would Madison be willing to do the same? As if in answer to his silent question, she sighed deeply and dragged her mouth once again to his.

Her mouth was so hot and hungry it practically begged for his. And he was more than happy to oblige. Decision made, he focused on her delicious lips, ruthlessly tearing away the black lace bra that covered her soft, velvety skin, releasing it from its prison. The fabric ripped easily in his hands and fell silently to the floor. Breaking away from her mouth again, he gazed upon her naked skin, his eyes drinking her in. With a slow, painful groan at the bare, creamy breasts that lay before him, he slid his hands over her, caressing her, taking her in with slow and undeniable pleasure. Madison sucked in her breath as his fingers traced the contours of her body. God, he wanted to spend hours exploring her, tracing every inch of her with his fingertips and with his tongue.

Her hands traced the muscles in his back, making his skin tingle in pure male response. Dragging them around to his stomach, she fumbled with the button on his jeans. He let her struggle with it for a moment before helping her, removing them quickly, adding them to the pile of clothes littering the floor. Gently, he laid her down on the bed, covering her body with his. The only thing separating their skin completely was the lacy underwear she wore.

He grabbed her wandering hands, holding them hostage with his own while he slowly and deliberately deepened the kiss. Pulling his lips away, he lowered his head, letting his mouth fall to her neck, moving ever so slowly, taking his time. Her skin was so fresh and clean, and he inhaled deeply. The light smell of soap and her own personal scent were perfectly intoxicating. He bit at her flesh, enjoying each gasp, each cry that she made. Running his tongue over the bites, soothing them, he continued down her body. He nibbled every inch of her. Devouring her as if he couldn’t get enough.

Wrapping his mouth softly around her breast, Seth swirled his tongue over her, sucking and pulling gently. Dragging his teeth over the rose-colored nipple, he felt it harden in his mouth and was rewarded with a sharp intake of breath as Madison inadvertently moved away. He pulled her wrists over her head, holding them there as he moved to the other side. Her breathing became quick and ragged and he realized that if he wanted to, he could make her come just by suckling on her beautiful breasts. While that idea greatly appealed to him, he had much, much better things in mind. Removing his mouth, he ran his tongue along the underside of her breast, sensing the gasp even before she uttered it. Moving on, he nipped his way down her side, along her ribs and stomach, tongue and lips following the trail he so carefully laid.

Her skin was like silk and the taste, heaven. Grasping the black lace of her panties in his teeth, he roughly pulled them away, hearing the thin material rip. Releasing her wrists, he hooked his fingers in the black lace and tore them off in one quick, fluid movement. Now she lay completely bare before him, glorious in her nakedness. The candlelight danced all across her body, shadow and light playing on her skin like fire. He ran his hands over her, touching, teasing her as he continued his slow descent with his mouth.

Slipping his hands between her thighs, he eased her legs open, making her gasp again sharply. Not pausing, he touched her and found her hot and wet. She whimpered softly through clenched teeth and his body hardened in response. Drawing in a deep breath to stave off a groan, Seth let his fingers trail upon her, massaging the most sensitive folds of skin, slowly, gently, not wanting to send her over the edge so soon. He continued to move his fingers leisurely, drawing out her pleasure, drop by precious drop.