Paula Graves - Forbidden Touch

Maddox sighed. "I'll concede that. But if you know he's a terrorist, why is he tooling around here free as a bird? Why don't you have him locked up in some Eastern European hellhole, pulling his fingernails out or whatever you freaks do?"

Quinn slanted a dark gaze at Maddox before turning to Iris. "We want to know what Mahmoud and Grinkov are up to. We need inside Telarana Labs. You can do it."

"Nobody's approached me yet, so why do you think they'd let me in on the experiment now?"

"Mahmoud seemed pretty interested in you." Quinn said.

"Mahmoud wasn't looking at her mind." Maddox draw led.

Iris shot him a warning glance.

"We'll just have to set up an exhibition of your talents." Quinn said. "I can go in as a hotel staff employee and set up an accident. Nothing major-just set up a way for you to take away a little pain from somebody in front of the whole group."

Maddox shook his head, "This is insane. You're both insane, do you know that? Iris, you don't know anything about going undercover. And have you forgotten that at least one empath who went into Telarana Labs came back half-dead, only to be murdered in her own room? You are not going to be Quinn's pawn in this game with Tahir Mahmoud, and that's final."

Iris stood, grabbed his arm and jerked him to his feet. "Excuse us a moment, Mr.Quinn." she grated through clenched teeth, pulling Maddox with her toward the bathroom.

She closed the door behind them and turned to face him. "You're not my keeper. In fact, you made it clear this morning you don't give a damn about me at all, so what the hell do you think you're doing in there, trying to interfere with my life?"

Maddox's eyes narrowed. "I'm trying to interfere with your death. Iris. You have no idea how dangerous Tahir Mahmoud is."

She lowered her voice. "I have a pretty good idea"

"Then you know you don't have any business being anywhere near him" Maddox caught her by the upper arms, pulling her closer.

His fingers dug into her flesh, firm but not quite painful, "I'm sorry I kicked you out this morning. That was a mistake. Go pack your stuff and let's go back to my place."

She stared at him, stunned by the unexpected often "No."

He let go of her arms, sliding his hands over her shoulder and up her neck to cradle her face, "Why not? You don't want to go back with me?"

The heat of him, the strength of her attraction to him clouded her brain. Maybe it was the slow stroke of his thumb along her jaw line, or the feel of his thighs sliding against her hips as he moved even closer, but suddenly she was having a hard time thinking of a good reason not to go back with him.

"I don't want to waste what's left of our time together worrying about whether or not you're alive." He brushed his lips along the curve of her chin. "Come home with me, baby. Let's start over."

She slid her hands up his chest, curling her fingers in the soft cotton of his T-shirt. "Start what over?"

"This." He kissed her, his lips soft but firm. She clutched at him as the world around her swam into a maelstrom of heat and need. "I want you. Iris." he murmured, his mouth brushing over hers. "Come back with me."

She forced herself to pull away before all her good sense left her. "No."

His fingers twined in her hair. "Come on, sugar. Why not?" He tilted her head back, forcing her to look up at him. His voice was low and raspy, sending a surge of desire flooding into her core. "You want this. I want it too. I've wanted it since the first time I saw you."

She shook her head, fighting the urge to give in to him. "I can't walk away from what Quinn wants me to do."

"Yes, you can." He scattered soft kisses down the curve of her neck. "He can find someone else."

Desire overpowered her, doubly strong as his need tangled up with hers, swamping her with yearning. Threading her fingers through his hair, she pulled him into another kiss, parting her lips to welcome the slick heat of his tongue against hers. He lifted her to the sink counter, knocking bottles of hotel lotion and shampoo into the sink with a clatter. He closed his hands over her thighs and drew her legs apart. Stepping into the opening until his pelvis pressed flush against hers. He was hard for her, the frantic pulse of his desire racing through her own body, bringing the rapid cadence of her own heart into rhythm with his. She didn't know where he stopped and she began.

"Come home with me." he murmured against the side of her mouth. "Now."

She fought against the sweet spell of his kisses, aware of what he was doing and why. She put her hands on his chest arid pushed him backwards "No."

He struggled briefly against her hands but finally fell back, his back pressed against the opposite wall. He stared at her, breathing hard, his eyes black with need. "Do you want me to say I'm sorry again for this morning?"

"No. I'm not sure I'd believe it anyway."

His eyes narrowed. "What do I have to do to convince you?"

"Telling the truth would be a nice start." She slid off the sink counter, raking her fingers through her tousled hair. "Did you really think you could seduce me out of going undercover for Quinn?"

He didn't try to deny it, "What he's asking you to do is dangerous. I'm looking out for you."

That much she believed. "I can't walk away from this, I need to find Sandrine. I need to get her out of there. She'd do it for me, in a heartbeat."

"Then get me into that focus group. Let me go with you."

That one soft plea did more to melt her heart than his apology or his white-hot kisses. "Maddox, you can't. They wouldn't let you in."

"I hope they don't let you in." he said, his voice low and harsh. "I hope they think you're a fake, just like Celia. Maybe I'll start spreading that word around."

The softening she felt toward him hardened into anger, "Don't you dare try something like that."

"You can't keep me from it."

"Quinn can."

His expression shifted as if she'd struck him. She felt a tearing sensation deep in her chest. "You wouldn't do that."

She lifted her chin. "I will if I have to."

She felt a drawing sensation in her chest. Every emotion she'd felt from him drained out of her and into him. He shut his feelings off from her, packed them away somewhere inside him so deep, it was as if he'd never felt anything at all.

"Fine." he said stiffly, turning his back to her. "You do what you gotta do. It's nothing to me now."

She couldn't seem to draw a deep breath past the pain beneath her ribs, but the ache wasn't coming from Maddox. It was her own pain, raw and deep. She felt as if losing her connection to him had ripped a piece of her out and left her bleeding. She closed her eyes, a toxic cocktail of surprise and regret filling the hole Maddox had left inside her with his withdrawal. "Are you going home?"

He didn't turn to look at her. "What's it to you?"

He opened the bathroom door and walked out into the bedroom.

Quinn looked up. "Finished with your heart-to-heart?"

Maddox didn't answer, continuing toward the door. He opened it and walked out, never looking back. Iris walked stiffly to the chair she'd vacated earlier and sat gingerly, the ache in her chest growing stronger.

"I take it he won't be bothering us anymore." Quinn said.

She met his curious gaze. "Right."

Quinn leaned toward her, his expression sympathetic. But she didn't feel an ounce of compassion coming from him. He was all business on the inside. "It's for the best. He'd get in the way of what you have to do."

"I know."

He stood up, "We have fifteen minutes before the afternoon session starts at the St. George. I'll drive you over and tell you what I have in mind on the way."

Maddox revved the Harley's motor and started up the twisting mountain road at full throttle. The motorcycle bucked beneath him like an enraged animal as it took on the uneven terrain, but he held on and kept going, adrenaline fueling his determination. His anger-at himself, at Quinn, at her-whipped through him like the wind on his face, fierce and unrestrained.