Hard to Hold by Karen Foley Page B

himself down onto the mattress. With their hands bound together, Maddie had no choice but to do the same. She yanked the sash of the bathrobe tight around her waist and giving him a disgruntled look, gingerly lay down, putting as much space as possible between them.
    Leaning over, Colton dropped his wallet onto the floor beside the bed where Maddie would have no chance of reaching it without crawling over him and waking him up. Without another word, he dragged the blankets over both of them and then snapped off the bedside light. They lay side by side in the darkness, but Colton was acutely aware of their linked wrists.
    “Just don’t forget I’m tethered to you. Don’t roll away from me in the night,” she said darkly. “I have no desire to wake up draped across your body.”
    Colton didn’t answer, but the images her words evoked ensured that he lay awake for several long hours. He listened to her breathing and knew the precise instant when she finally drifted into sleep and her body relaxed beside him. Her fingers brushed against his where they were shackled together, and as if subconsciously seeking more contact, she rolled toward him until he could feel her warm breath against his bare shoulder, feel the heat that rolled off her beneath the covers. With a groan, he flung his free arm over his eyes, knowing it was going to be a long night.

7
    M ADDIE OPENED HER eyes to utter blackness, momentarily disoriented. She was surrounded by warmth, and something thumped steadily beneath her ear. Slowly, she became aware that she lay with her head on Colton’s bare chest, with her free arm flung across his torso and their manacled hands entwined between their bodies. His breathing was deep and even, and Maddie lay completely still for a moment, listening to his heartbeat and savoring the sensation of being pressed against him. If he woke up, he’d probably shove her away, and as much as she hated to admit it, she liked their current position.
    She felt safe.
    She recalled again how turned on she’d been when he’d kissed her in the living room. Maybe she’d deliberately set out to seduce him in order to gain the upper hand, but she’d quickly found herself overwhelmed by his sheer potency. The guy knew how to kiss, and when she’d curled her fingers around his straining erection, she’d forgotten everything else. The only thing she’d been able to think about was how much she wanted him.
    She’d tried to get him to stop talking, but honorable to the end, he’d kept insisting that she needed to trust him. Maddie didn’t want him involved in the blackmailing scheme, didn’t want to drag him into the mess that was her life. She just wanted to lose herself in him, however briefly, and forget about everything else but the pleasure they could give each other. Had she planned to use him? Oh, yeah, but not in the way that he’d believed.
    He slept deeply, and as Maddie’s eyes adjusted to the dark, she could just make out his features. He’d turned his face toward her, and his chin rested against her hair. At some point, they’d pushed the blankets down, and Maddie could see her own hand, pale where it rested against his ribs. Except for the trail of dark hair that extended from his navel to beneath the waistband of his pants, his skin was smooth and tawny, his nipples dark, flat disks on his tautly muscled chest. Cautiously, she smoothed her fingertips over one small nub, watching in fascination as it puckered beneath her touch.
    Colton’s breathing didn’t change, and emboldened, she let her fingers drift over his skin, enjoying the warmth and texture. He stirred and muttered something, but didn’t wake up.
    Maddie wanted him awake. She wanted to feel the energy and strength that he radiated, and wanted it focused on her. She had never met a man like Colton Black before.
    Honorable.
    Capable.
    Sexy as hell.
    And once this nightmare was over, she’d be unlikely to ever meet anyone remotely like him again in her