Karen Foley - Hard to Hold

Colton sat down on the opposite end of the sofa, turning slightly toward her and laying one arm along the back. “I’ve slept in worse places. Don’t worry about me. I have a sleeping bag out in the truck.”

Maddie drew in a deep breath. If she was going to do this, she had better get on with it. There was no telling how long it would be before the sleeping pills took effect, and she didn’t want to spend the entire night waiting for him to pass out.

She pushed herself to her feet. “I—I’m a little nervous about what will happen to me tomorrow. I probably won’t sleep a wink, worrying about it.” She moved to a small built-in cabinet beside the fireplace and opened the doors, revealing several bottles of hard liquor and some small glasses. She took two glasses down and selected a bottle of Kentucky bourbon from the shelf. Turning slightly toward Colton, she held up the bottle. “I’m going to have a small glass. It will calm my nerves and help me sleep.” She hesitated. “Will you join me, or are you on duty?”

She could feel his eyes narrow in speculation, as if if was trying to figure out what she was up to. Finally, he shrugged.

“Just a splash for me, no more.”

Maddie turned quickly away, lest he see the relief on her face. If he’d chosen not to have the drink, she would have had to come up with another plan. Swiftly, using her body as a shield, she surreptitiously dumped the contents of the shallow cap into his glass. She splashed a liberal amount of bourbon on top, and then gave the liquid a quick stir with her finger, hoping the garish design painted on the outside of the glass would effectively disguise any sediment that might remain. She poured two fingers for herself and carried both glasses to the couch, settling herself back on the cushions.

“Cheers,” she said, and handed Colton’s glass to him. She took a sip, deliberately not looking at him as he quaffed the entire shot in one swallow.

“Whoa!” he gasped, as he set the empty glass down on the table beside the couch. “I’ve never been much of a bourbon drinker, and now I remember why. That’s awful.”

Maddie looked guiltily at her own drink. He’d definitely noticed the bitter taste of the pills, and she hoped he didn’t suspect it was anything more than the cheap brand of bourbon. What if he picked up the empty glass and examined the residue that must surely be visible on the bottom? What if the powder hadn’t dissolved sufficiently for him to ingest much? What if it didn’t even work? She needed to leave tonight if she was going to have any chance of saving her brother.

“Hey. You okay? You’re not going to cry again, are you?”

There was no mistaking the genuine alarm in Colton’s voice, and Maddie struggled to push down the guilt she felt at deceiving him. She raised her gaze to his and forced herself to smile.

“Of course not.” She gave a shaky laugh. “I’m as well as can be expected, considering tomorrow I’ll be thrown into prison, and who knows when they’ll let me out?”

He gave her a tolerant look. “They’re not going to throw you in jail, Madeleine.”

Maddie couldn’t help it; her eyes blurred with sudden tears that had nothing to do with acting. “I think they will. I’ll lose my job. I’ll lose everything.” She bent forward and rested her forehead in one hand. “What was I thinking?”

“Hey.” Colton’s voice was low and warm. Before she quite knew what he was doing, he took her half-empty glass from her hand and set it down beside his own. Then he was tugging her gently into his arms. “Tell me what’s going on. Tell me why you were planning to rob the diner. I’m pretty sure any bank would work with you to settle an outstanding debt. So come clean and tell me the truth.”

God, he felt so good. His arm was around her shoulders and one hand stroked up and down her bare skin. She was so tempted to just turn to him, wind her arms around him and let his strength seep into her.

With difficulty, she pulled slightly away and blinked back the tears. “I already told you,” she finally murmured. “I’m over my head in debt, and I had a moment of insanity. I wasn’t thinking straight. I made a mistake. It won’t happen again.”

“Damn straight it won’t.”

Slowly, Maddie raised her gaze. His face was closer than she’d realized. His eyes were so black she could barely distinguish his pupils from the surrounding iris. As she watched, the resolve visible there became something else, something that caused her chest to tighten in anticipation and sent her pulse rocketing. His gaze wandered lower to her mouth.

Maddie stared, fascinated, as his lips slowly descended. He was going to kiss her, and suddenly she wanted to know just how his mouth would feel against her own. She already knew how wonderful his arms felt around her; how would they feel when combined with the intensity of his kiss? Of their own volition, her lips parted and her eyelids drifted closed.

She started when he pushed her gently away and surged to his feet. He strode over to the fireplace and braced one hand on the mantel, his back to her. He raked a hand through his hair and Maddie could sense the tension coiled within him.

“Go to bed, Madeleine,” he said over his shoulder. His voice was low and rough.

She rose to her feet and stood uncertainly for a moment. But the rigid set of his shoulders dissuaded her from saying anything. Turning, she made her way into the bedroom.

As she pulled back the bedsheets, she heard Colton leave the cabin. He was gone for several long moments, and when he returned, Maddie peeked through the doorway to see a black duffel bag slung over his shoulder, and a sleeping bag tucked under his arm. He dropped the bag onto the floor, and Maddie saw the words U.S. Marshal emblazoned in yellow along the side.

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