She whimpered as the sensations overtook her again. She pulled away, needing to see him. The cords in his neck flexed under her fingers.
She pulsed more.
His teeth clenched.
The primal expression drove her over the edge, stealing her breath as she came. Shockwaves rocked her, leaving her slumped against the wood.
Throwing his head back he slammed into her three times, her boneless body jerking with every thrust until his own growl of release echoed in the small cabin.
And claiming one more chunk of her she didn’t think she had to spare.
eight
Brynn clutchedthe marble bathroom counter and studied herself in the mirror. The same wheat-colored blond hair hung down her back, the same cornflower-blue eyes stared back at her.
But everything had changed.
And now she had to go out there and face him.
And, in a matter of hours, possibly fight for her life.
So she needed to stop hiding in the bathroom.
She cupped her hands under the cold mountain water running out of the tap and splashed it on her skin, sucking in a breath at the shock of it as the droplets rolled down her face. She ran a terrycloth towel over her face.
Time to face the music.
She found him stretching his shirt down over his chest. His eyes met hers and he gave her a small smile. “We have work to do.”
She pushed up her sleeves and nodded her head. “What do I need to know?”
He took her hand and led her into the dining room, the show of affection more for function than to show her caring, but she understood. Danger loomed, and he needed to prepare.
“Everything. How good is your memory?”
She scoffed. She was a reporter, so it was already better than most. “When I’m trying not to die, the best. Motivation is key.”
“Okay, let’s get started.”
He led her to the light switches. “Do you see anything out of the ordinary?” he asked.
She leaned in and studied the white plates. She spotted a round, white-button-looking section of the plate, unlike anything she had seen before. The button sat flush, so you’d never even know without close examination that it wasn’t part of the original plastic. “What are the circles?”
“Good eye. They’re panic buttons, and do a variety of things. I have four. By the kitchen, this panel right here,” he started, gesturing to a section of narrower pine planks that wrapped around the bottom half of the wall, “opens up to a variety of weapons. A 9mm, three clips, two knives, and Mace.”
She had some experience with guns, but it had been at least ten years since she had gone to a range. “Umm, I haven’t shot a gun in a while.” She flinched at the admission. All of a sudden, a few hours didn’t seem like nearly enough time to prepare for something he’d spent his life learning to fight against.
“That’s okay; after this, I’m taking you out to get some practice. Chances are, if you need to use the gun you’ll be close-range, so accuracy is important, but not paramount,” he said. “The most important part of shooting? Don’t hesitate.”
She nodded. “Make the decision and commit. Got it.” It was just like pulling into traffic. Make the decision. Execute. No second-guessing.
“Next button is in the bathroom off your room. It opens a panel behind the toilet with the same things in it. If you get trapped and try to go out the bathroom window, know that there could be men out there, and make sure you’ve armed yourself before you go out that window,” he instructed.
The window was at least twice the size of the one she had squeezed through with Skyler. “Weapons before escape. Check.”
In a matter of minutes Maddox had slid into warrior-mode, shedding the lover altogether. She reminded herself not to be offended. When it came down to it his goal was to save her life, but she missed the sizzle of awareness that came from the passionate version. When all this was over, she hoped they’d get a chance to see where it went.
Taking on a long-distance lover. Great plan, Brynn.
