A Reluctant Companion (22 page)

Tiernan was still stiff, clearly at war with himself. Finally, with a moan, he surrendered and drew her against him, his mouth capturing hers in a hungry kiss. Madison surrendered gladly, taking him as much as he took her. She tugged at his uniform jacket, forcing open the buttons with shaking hands. The white shirt underneath didn’t stand a chance. In her impatience, she tore open the buttons, needing to touch him.

He shifted their positions slightly to shove her skirt to her hips. Madison cried out softly when he pushed aside her panties to stroke her clitoris. She was already wet and ready for him, and she rocked against his hand as he gave her a quick release. Even as her orgasm left her body shuddering, she was working at the button on his pants, struggling to free his erection. He lifted his hips a bit to assist, and as soon as he was free, she straddled him, taking his length inside her with one quick thrust. It seemed like ages since they had been together, though it was only a few days. This was only a brief taste, a snack to tide them over, since they were so hungry for each other.

They came together just a couple of minutes later, staying in that position for a few moments after, her head buried against his shoulder as she struggled to slow her breathing.

She squealed when he abruptly stood up, shifting her so she was still in his arms, her skirt sliding down her legs to shield her semi-nudity. He spent a moment righting his pants with one hand, not releasing her.

“What’re you doing?” She put an arm around his shoulders to anchor herself.

“I’m taking the afternoon off.”

“Oh.” She wanted to purr with satisfaction, but knew that state would come later. Right now, she wanted more of Tiernan. Much, much more. Even though he hadn’t verbally acknowledged her declaration of love, his response let her know he cared. She refused to worry about how much right then, too happy to have her mom on the road to recovery and the breach in her relationship with Tiernan healing.

*****

It was only much later, as they fed each in bed from a tray sent up by the kitchen, that she allowed herself to ask, “Why did you hesitate when I told you I loved you?”

He sighed, returning the strawberry to the tray without offering it to her. “I was still trying to do the right thing.”

She frowned. “What right thing?”

Tiernan ran a hand through his curls, making them crackle. “You belong with your family. I need to send you home with them.”

Her heart spasmed. “Just until they get settled?”

He shook his head. “No, I should let you go back with them forever.”

She closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. “You’re tired of me.” How humiliating. Her impromptu confession had led him to offer her pity sex when he’d been planning to send her away.

“No.” He touched her cheek, making her lashes flutter open. “After what I did to you, the least I can do is try to let you go back to your family.”

“I don’t want to.” She pulled away to sit up, tugging the covers over her bare breasts. It was impossible to have a serious conversation with one’s boobs hanging out. “I know what you think you did, but you need to get over that. Just let it go.”

He frowned. “I can’t. What if I do it again?”

She lifted a shoulder, yearning for the right words to get through to him. “I don’t mind. It was intense, but I thought pretty satisfying for both of us.”

Tiernan’s frown deepened as he reached out to trail a strawberry-stained finger over a bite mark on her chest that had faded to little more than indents and a faint brown-purple bruise. “How can that be satisfying? I was an animal.”

“I don’t care. I wanted you then. I want you now. I can’t imagine not wanting you, Tiernan.” Softening her tone, she leaned forward, letting the blanket drop. “I love you. All of you. The good and the bad. The only thing you can do that will truly hurt me is send me away.”

He still looked uncertain, but reached out to cup the back of her head as he drew her forward for a kiss, stopping a scant inch from her lips. “I said I should do the right thing. I was already on the cusp of talking myself out of it before you said what you did. After that, I knew there was no way I could let you go.”

Relief left her giddy, and she sagged against him, not needing to express herself with words. Instead, their bodies melted together, still not spent even after hours of lovemaking. As they moved together, she swore she could feel love in Tiernan’s every tender touch. For now, it was enough.

Chapter Fourteen

A little more than a week later, Madison stood at her lover’s side and waved goodbye to her family as the train pulled out. She locked eyes with Rosie and waved a little harder, remembering their conversation the previous night, when she’d suggested her little sister stay in Seattle-Archer.

“
Nah, I can’t,” Rosie had said.

Feeling disappointed, she had still nodded. “I understand. The family needs you.”

“
Yeah, but it’s not just that. Eric…Nash…well…” She had shrugged, trailing off. “He’s different, you know?”

Madison had nodded. “You don’t think he’s too old?”

Her sister had shaken her head. “Nah, he’s only seven years older than me. That’s hardly anything. I’m not even sure how he really feels, but I gotta find out.”

“
That I definitely understand.”

The sisters shared a secret smile as the train pulled away, and she kept her gaze locked with Rosie’s until her sister was too far away. When she could no longer see any of her family, she turned back to face Tiernan, putting her hand on his arm. “Thanks for coming with me.”

He shrugged. “I like your family.” He grimaced slightly. “Okay, with the exception of Cam.”

She smiled, unable to feel aggrieved at his confession. Her brother treated Tiernan with thinly veiled contempt, and she’d had to tell him to knock it off more than once. Madison knew if Cam had dared act like that with Tiernan and hadn’t been her brother, he would have found the commander not so tolerant. “Still, they aren’t foreign dignitaries or anything. You’ve cleared your schedule to entertain them the past few days. I really appreciate that.”

“As I said, they’re your family.” He looked embarrassed. “Well, I have to make up for that now.” He dropped a kiss on the top of her head. “It’s back to work for me, I’m afraid.”

Madison sighed. “Me too. I’m off to the clinic this morning.”

Tiernan frowned, but didn’t comment other than to say, “Don’t forget an escort.”

“Of course.” She licked her lips as guilt panged her. “Um, that reminds me. Whatever happened to the guy who took me out that day?”

He didn’t need clarification for which day. “Corporal Figg was sentenced to two weeks hard labor for dereliction of duty, and he’ll be back at his post next week.”

She frowned. “It was my fault.”

“Yes,” he said, his voice cool, “But he still fell for it. Your escort’s duty is to protect you from everything, including yourself.”

Madison rolled her eyes. “Fine, but I’d still like to apologize to him.”

Tiernan shrugged. “You can as soon as he’s back at the capitol building.”

“Okay. Is Vinny still around, or has he been banished for being my favorite?”

Sternly, he said, “I thought I was your favorite.”

Madison let a slow, sexy smile slide over her lips. “Maybe I’ll show you just how much tonight, my love.” In a blink, she made her expression businesslike. “However, I need to get to work right now, and so do you. It’s amazing you can accomplish anything in this federation with the way you slack off.” She swatted him on the butt discreetly, not wanting to embarrass the commander in front of his troops.

With a growl low in his throat, he said, “You’re going to pay for that. Now, go find Vinny and stop bothering me, woman.”

With a laugh of pure happiness, she waved at him and headed off in the direction of the guardhouse as Tiernan turned the other direction, back to the side entrance of the capitol building, near his office. She was still feeling buoyant from their flirtatious teasing as she stopped at the window and waved to Vinny, who was thankfully the first face she saw.

He stepped outside a moment later. “Good morning, Miss Cole.”

“Hey, Vinny. You feel up to going with me to the clinic?”

He nodded. “Of course.”

As they fell in step together, she mused aloud, “I wonder what we’ve missed.”

“Not much. Everything’s the same,” said Vinny.

“Oh?” She tilted her head in his direction. “Have you been stopping by the clinic to help out, Vinny?”

He shrugged, his cheeks ruddy. “I took Lucy out for a meal a couple of nights ago.”

“Aha.” She crowed with delight. “I knew it. How was it?”

“Good.” His ears were now red too. “I like her, Miss Cole.”

“I’m glad. I’d say Lucy likes you too.” She didn’t bother to share with her guard that the receptionist had expressed qualms about their twelve-year age difference, along with concerns that her thirteen-year-old son might not be thrilled to have a new man in her life that was only eight years older than he was. It would work out. She was crazily optimistic about love at the moment.

As they neared the end of the driveway to step onto the street, a loud whoosh behind them had them both freezing. A millisecond later, a blast of heat hit them, along with a percussive wave that knocked them both to the ground. Madison’s ears rang, and she grasped her head intuitively, curling into a ball as debris rained down over them.

It might have been hours, but was probably only a few minutes later, that she regained the ability to focus her eyes and looked up to find a small group of soldiers bending over her and Vinny. One of the men extended a hand, and she took it, slowly getting to her feet. She still couldn’t quite make out the words he was saying, but could guess his general intent by the shape of his mouth forming the syllables.

“Are you all right, Miss Cole?”

She nodded, and then groaned as pain shot through her head from the motion. Cradling her neck, she asked, “What happened?” It was impossible to regulate her volume, and she thought maybe she had shouted, but it didn’t seem to bother the older man who had helped her to her feet.

“An explosion near the front of the capitol building.”

Her heart stuttered. “Tiernan?”

The other man shrugged, and she didn’t wait to hear more. Madison tore away from him, pumping her legs as hard as she could as she ran to the front of the building. It was only when she stumbled to a halt that she realized the soldiers had raced after her. In shock, she stared at the front of the building. The grand marble steps were gone, as was a portion of the front door and the two pillars closest to the blast. The roof sagged slightly, but that barely held her attention.

Instead, she focused on the three bodies that she could make out in the rubble and haze of smoke. Soldiers bent over them, obscuring identities, and she tried to force her way through, struggling against the restraining hands holding her. “Let go. I need to know if he’s okay.”

“Madison.”

Either a modicum of hearing had returned, or Tiernan had roared her name. Either way, she heard it and turned to him, collapsing against her lover as relief made her limp. “Oh, thank god. I thought you were dead.”

He rubbed her back, holding her close. His mouth was near her ear, but she still didn’t know how loudly he had to speak for her to hear him. “I would have been if I hadn’t gone in the side entrance.”

A sob shook her, and she clutched him tighter. If he hadn’t come with her to see her family off, or if he had gone a different route, he might be one of the three bodies strewn across the lawn in front of the building.

Tiernan moved carefully, not letting go of her as he negotiated their way through the debris to learn the identities of the victims. Madison didn’t recognize the first one as the soldiers moved aside, shaking their head, but she cried out with dismay to see the woman from the kitchens who had brewed her contraceptive tea weeks ago. To witness her so lifeless, burned from the blast of the explosion, made her stomach churn.

She lost the battle with nausea as they approached the third body, and she had a horrible sinking feeling of recognition even before they got closer. It couldn’t be…but she did have a suit just that shade of canary-yellow… “Oh, no.” Madison bent over at the waist, away from Tiernan, and vomited. “Not Cleo.” There would be no trip to Texas in her future, no new life as Tex’s companion—a prospect Cleo had greeted with ever-growing excitement as the time neared for her departure.