Forbidden Touch

Chapter Fifteen

"I don't want you to go." Maddox said quietly.

Iris looked up from the half-eaten omelet. "I have to go."

He shook his head, settling on the side of the bed beside her. "Quinn can find someone else. Look at you." He gestured at the fork trembling in her hand. "You need to rest."

Frowning, she laid the fork on her food tray and tucked her hand in her lap. "I'm fine. The shower helped. I just shouldn't have gone so long without eating."

His voice roughened. "I don't want to find you washed up on the beach in a day or two."

"Celia was a fake." she protested. "I'm not. I can do what they want me to do. They need me."

"You don't know what they want."

He touched her knee, the warmth of his touch seeping through the silk robe making her acutely aware of the fact that, other than her robe and a pair of panties, she was naked. Her sudden awareness of him almost eclipsed the anxiety pouring into her from his gentle touch.

She closed her hand over his. "I know you're afraid for me. I appreciate it more than you know. I'd feel very alone right now if you weren't here."

He cradled her hand between his palms. "I talked to Darcy today. The tampering with the surveillance tape at the Hotel St.George looks like an inside job. And that same company provides security here at the Princeton." He lowered his voice a notch to a rough growl. "It took me less than a minute to talk my way in here, Iris. If I can do it-"

She squeezed his hand. "Stop trying to scare me."

"You need to know what kind of people you're dealing with."

A ripple of terror washed through her from where his hands cradled hers. He snared her gaze with his, leaving her with no doubt he intended for her to feel everything he was sharing with her through his touch.

"Stop." she choked, tugging her hand away.

He let her go. "I'm sorry. I'm not trying to hurt you."

She cradled her hand to her chest, fear still churning inside. "Are you sure about that?"

He brushed her jaw with his fingertips. The touch was light, soothing and free of pain, though it evoked a twisting sensation in the center of her chest. "I'm sure."

The low nimble of his voice sent tremors up her spine. Need coiled into a tight knot. She reached for her fork, trying to distract herself from the onslaught of desire, unsure what part of the sensations were coming from Maddox and what was hers alone.

He retreated from the bed and stood by the balcony doors leaving her to finish the omelet and toast in silence. But his emotions filled the room like white noise, buzzing through her brain as she washed down dinner with a glass of orange juice.

When she was finished, she broke the silence. "Why did you really come here?"

"I told you, sugar. You're not safe."

"And that's all?" She started to put the empty tray on the bedside table, but he intercepted it, taking it from her hands.

He put the tray outside the hotel room door for room service to retrieve and turned back to her. "I let you down this morning. I want to make that up to you."

He sounded so serious, she thought, miles from his usual self. "You don't owe me anything."

He sighed, "You want me to leave?"

"No." She stretched a hand out to him. "Sit with me."

He closed the distance, taking her hand. He stared at their clasped hands for a moment, then lifted his gaze to hers, his eyes dark with questions. She moved closer to the edge to make room for him next to her.

His body felt warm and achy as he settled in beside her. She ignored the twinges of pain from his bruises and scrapes, focusing instead on the electric feel of him next to her. The pain started to fade away to nothing.

She leaned into his body and he shifted, sliding one arm around her to tuck her against his side. She laid her cheek against his chest and listened to the thud of his heartbeat, steady and a little fast.

"You look like you could use a good night's sleep" he said in a half whisper.

She smiled, "Such flattery."

He smiled back. "I guess I should stick to being the strong, silent type, huh?"

She smoothed a wrinkle in his shirt. "Big, tough Marine."

He didn't answer, drawing her gaze. A frown creased his forehead as he stared at the far wall.

"Why did you join the Marines?" she asked.

His chest rose and fell in a deep sigh. "Because becoming a nuclear physicist just wasn't in the cards."

"Seriously."

He ran his hand over his chin, his palm rasping against his beard stubble. "I was tired of being everybody's mistake."

She pushed up to look him in the eye. "You're not anybody's mistake."

"My father would've told you different"

"Your father thought you were a mistake?" She hid her reaction to the pain emanating from him in bleak waves, afraid he'd close up if he knew he was hurting her.

His smile was terrible. "Ever heard of Alton Sinclair?"

"The billionaire guy who left his money…" She trailed off, gazing up at him with dawning understanding. "You were-"

"-the bastard son he used to shaft his legitimate heirs."

"So you really do have a trust fund." she murmured, remembering something he'd said the first day they met.

He looked away. "I tried to give it back to them. But when they wouldn't even meet with me, I just said forget it. They don't care enough to meet me, why should I care whether they can afford a new vacation home or this year's Porsche?"

His bitterness burned like fire along her nerve endings, but she gritted her teeth and held on. "Your father must have wanted you to have it-"

His bleak laugh made her shiver. "He didn't want me to have it. He just didn't want them to have it."

"He could have given it to charity."

"But that wouldn't punish his kids enough" He sighed again, his breath stirring her hair. "Just proves he never even bothered to get to know me. I mean, if he thought his other kids were screw ups…hell, I messed up a lot as a kid, too. I was so angry at everything. Always in trouble."

"Did you choose the military or was it chosen for you?"

He looked down at her smiling. "A little of both."

"So the Marines straightened you out?"

His dry laughter rumbled against her cheek. "I'm a beach bum, baby. Do I look straightened out to you?"

She sat up. "You're not a bum, Maddox. You're a hero."

"Iris. I'm not-"

She pressed her fingers to his lips, shushing him. "I'm not even talking about what happened in Kaziristan, I'm talking about what you did for me." She traced the curve of his lower lip, fire smoldering inside her. "I didn't know what to do or who to go to, but you were there for me, and you didn't have to be. That's not the act of a bum."

He kissed her fingertips before tucking her hand to his chest. "You have a low threshold for heroism, baby." He started to get up from the bed.

"Where are you going?"

"I'm just going to settle in the chair right over there and let you get some rest."

She caught his arm. "I thought you were going to show me what you wanted to do with me."

He settled on the bed, his gaze intense. "Iris-"

She angled her chin at him. "I know you want me"

He cupped her jaw. "I do." he admitted.

She licked her lips. "Then what's wrong?"

"Just because I want something doesn't mean it's right." He smiled wryly. "Usually, it's just the opposite."

She cradled his face between her hands. "Not this time." She bent and touched her mouth to his.

He kissed her back. Lightly at first, his lips soft and curious. But when she touched her tongue against his lower lip, he curled his hand around the back of her neck and pulled her close to him, until her breasts flattened against the hard wall of his chest.

He dropped his hands to her hips and pulled her into his lap, parting her thighs until she straddled him. Heart racing, she slid closer, until the hard ridge of his erection pressed into her softness. A low whimper rose and died in her throat as his hips shifted upward in response.

"Are you sure about this?' he murmured against her throat.

"Yes." she whispered.

He slid the hem of her robe upwards, baring her skin to his touch. His thumbs stroked her inner thighs, sending white-hot need racing up her nerve endings. His hands moved slowly up her legs, until his fingers brushed the silk of her panties.

She bit her lip as his face grew still and focused, his gaze following the movement of his hands against her flesh. His intensity was both exciting and unnerving, and she trembled wildly when one thumb found her center and began to stroke her through the fabric.

He lifted his gaze to hers, "Do you like that?"

She couldn't find her voice, but her wobbly nod made him smile. He started to withdraw his hand but she caught it in hers, holding him in place.

With his free hand, he tipped her chin, forcing her to look at him. 'This isn't a race, baby. Slow down."

She let go of his hand, her heart galloping in her chest.

His eyes narrowed. "You've done this before, right?"

"Yes." she said quickly, then added, "once."

"Prom night?'

She chuckled, "College boyfriend."

"Just once, huh?" He didn't shift his gaze from hers, but he ran his hands soothingly over her shoulders and down her arms, his fingers leaving a trail of fire that branded her through her silk robe. "Either it was so memorable you didn't want to risk being disappointed with the next time, or…" He dropped his hand to the knotted belt of the robe.

"Definitely the latter." she admitted, her gaze following the sinuous movements of his fingers as they untied the sash.

Maddox murmured in a tone of amused contempt. He tugged at the belt and pulled it loose. The edges of her robe fell open, baring her flat stomach and the hollow between her breasts.

"Yes." She took a swift breath through her nose as he lifted one hand to the lapel of her robe and pulled it aside, uncovering her right breast. He grazed his knuckles over her nipple, sending a sharp ache shooting through her.

He looked up at her quick intake of breath. "Can you feel what I'm feeling, too?"

She didn't know if the heavy ache between her thighs was all her own or something she was sensing from him. Little twinges of pain from his scrapes and bruises flickered in and out of her consciousness, but the other sensations flooding her, swallowed them up like sharks feeding on minnows.

She felt hot all over. Her skin prickled, perspiration glistening on her bared skin. She touched the center of his chest and felt his heart racing in cadence with her own, his breath rapid and fierce. A feral restlessness settled in the pit of her belly, tight and hot.

"I don't know." she admitted, meeting his gaze, "I don't know what's you and what's me."

A low growl escaped his throat. He lifted his hands to her shoulders and pushed aside her robe. Dipping his head, he covered one nipple with his mouth and suckled lightly. She threaded her fingers through his hair and held on, shaken by the electric pulses racing through her body where his lips touched.

He dropped his hands to her thighs again, his thumbs resuming a slow, circling path up her legs until he reached her panties again. This time, he slipped one hand underneath the fabric and cupped her in his palm, the heel of his hand pressing firmly against the sensitive knot of nerves at her center. He lifted his mouth from her breast, his forehead resting against her collarbone.

He slipped a finger inside her, chuckling softly at her gasp, "You like that too, huh?"

She was helpless to stop the slow thrust of her hips against his hand. "Yes, Please…"

He kissed her breast. "I want you so much, Iris. You know that, don't you?"

"Yes" she breathed, her head falling back. Pleasure stole over her as relentless as an ocean tide.

"That's it, baby. Just let it happen." Between her legs, his fingers wrought dark magic. Heat bloomed at her center and spread outward, setting off tremors in her thighs and belly.

She dug her fingers into his upper arms, a groan rumbling through her chest as she unraveled beneath his touch. She felt hot, then cold, her heart slamming hard and fast against her rib cage. And still Maddox stroked her deeper into madness, murmuring soft words of encouragement as she rode an even longer wave of pleasure.

She collapsed against him, her head resting in the curve of his neck. Her breathing was rapid and harsh, edged with a low keening sound she hardly recognized as her own voice.

"Do you want to stop here?" he whispered in her ear, the soft words edged with fierce need.

She found the strength to lift her gaze to his. She shook her head slowly. "No. Don't stop."

He sat back and reached for the zipper of his jeans. She caught his hands and pushed them aside. Holding his gaze, she unzipped the jeans herself and slipped her hand inside, closing her fingers around him through his briefs. He uttered a heartfelt oath, making her smile.

"You like that?" she asked, feeling deliciously wicked.

"Oh, yeah." He laughed softly, but his expression bordered on agony as she stroked the length of him through the thin cotton. "I like that a lot."

She slipped her hand inside the briefs and took him fully in her hand, both shocked and thrilled by her daring. "How about this?"

Furrow appeared between his eyebrows and his eyes fluttered shut. He made a low growling noise that she took as an affirmation. She realized, with sudden dismay, that she didn't really know what to do next. Her touch faltered, her hand shaking.

Maddox opened his eyes and looked at her. "What's wrong?"

She withdrew her hand, hot tears burning her eyes. She looked away. Maddox caught her face between his hands, forcing her gaze up to meet his. The tenderness in his eyes brought the tears spilling down her cheeks.

'It's okay. We don't have to-"

"It's not that." she said quickly, "I just don't know-"

He shushed her with a light kiss, "You're doing fine."

"I know this was my idea-"

A smile curved his lips, caning dimples into his cheeks, "I don't know about that, sugar."

She laughed despite her growing mortification. "You're a nice guy, you know that?"

He shook his head, his hands settling on her hips. "Actually. I'm a naughty guy, I thought you knew that by now."

"I do want this, Maddox."

She pressed her palm to the center of his chest, allowing herself to draw on the sense of calm she saw in his face. He exhaled softly, his expression shifting as if he realized what she was doing. She started to remove her hand, but he trapped it against his chest.

"It's okay."

He let go of her hand, and she reached down and tugged the hem of his T-shirt upwards, baring his flat belly. He was sun-bronzed and well-toned, the conditioning he must have received in the Marine Corps still evident. He helped her pull the shirt over his head, then returned his hands to her hips and sat quietly, awaiting her next move.

She ran her fingers over the tattoo of a snarling bulldog and the letters USMC that blued the skin over his heart, then bent and kissed the tattoo. He cradled her face and drew her up for a long, deep kiss. He whispered words of encouragement as she helped him remove his jeans and boxers. He eased her panties down her legs, kissing her from hips to ankles and back up again. He pressed soft kisses against her lower belly, stroking her lightly between her legs with two fingers.

He moved up her body, dropping kisses along her rib cage and over her breasts. He rolled away from her long enough to retrieve a condom from his wallet. She lay back against the pillows and watched him sheath himself, her heart pounding.

What was she doing? Why was she here, naked with this man she'd met only days before, on the eve of the most dangerous thing she'd ever done in her entire life?

Maybe that was why, she realized as he settled his body over hers, his dark blue gaze as fierce as the pounding of her heart. Maddox made her feel safe. He cared whether or not she made it out of the Telarana lab alive. He might be the only person on the whole island who did.

Night fell like a whisper, surrounding them with shadows as they made love. Time melted into a riot of sensations, both hers and his, each one building on the other, twisting and twining until Iris couldn't tell where her body ended and Maddox's began. He was both gentle and demanding, pushing her deeper into the sweet heart of madness with each kiss, each touch, each roll of his hips.

She rose to meet the challenge of his passion, giving as much as she got, until she plunged over the edge once more, taking him with her this time. She hadn't thought she could sleep that night, with thoughts of the coming trip to Telarana Labs heavy on her mind, but nestled in the curve of Maddox's strong arms, she found the first real rest she'd known in days.

Maddox woke to an empty bed. He blinked away sleep and pushed up on his elbows, looking around the dark, unfamiliar room until he spotted Iris's silhouette by the window, softly outlined by the golden lamplight from the street below. He rolled off the bed and crossed to her side, closing his hand over her shoulder.

She jumped, whirling around to look at him. He could barely make out her wide eyes in the low light. "Sorry, didn't mean to scare you."

She remained tense. "I guess your knee is feeling better."

The cryptic remark threw him. "Actually, it's killing me."

She stared at him a moment, her expression unfathomable. Then she turned and looked out the window. When she spoke, her voice was distant. "It's starting to rain."

The cool tone of her voice made his stomach clench. He took a deep breath and brushed a tousled lock of dark hair away from her neck. "Sure you don't want to stay here instead? Lovely weather for lying in bed all day."

"I can't. I should go shower. I'm supposed to meet the Telarana Labs shuttle in front of the hotel at eight."

She slid away from his grasp and crossed to the bathroom. She flicked on the light, and he caught a glimpse of her pale face and dark, haunted eyes before she shut the door behind her. He walked slowly back to the bed, his gut twisting with unexpected dismay.

Her change of mood had caught him flat-footed. She'd seemed happy and relaxed after they'd made love, curling like a kitten in his arms, her sleepy smile making his heart turn flips. But maybe with dawn had come regrets. She barely knew him, and by her own admission, she wasn't a woman with any real sexual experience. Maybe she'd let nerves and hormones overcome good sense and was now kicking herself for it.

Maybe he'd been nothing but a distraction after all. He dropped heavily onto the bed, gazing at the closed bathroom door. The sound of the shower mingled with the soft drumming of rain against the window, a melancholy symphony washing over him like a cold draft.

He found his T-shirt and pulled it over his head, trying to ignore the slow ache spreading like poison through his chest. It was only much later that he thought to wonder why Iris hadn't felt the throbbing ache in his knee.