Chapter Twelve
Madison devoured the steak Simon had cooked for her before opening a pack of donuts and scarfing down a couple of those too. She washed up her dishes, grabbed a bottled water, and moved to lie on the couch.
The blanket draped along the back smelled musty and old, but Madison didn’t care. She’d washed her socks, along with her bloodied clothes in the shower, and they were now drying in front of the fire.
Pulling her feet up as high as she could get them, she covered them with the blanket and closed her eyes. She would just rest for a minute while Simon showered.
Madison ran, ignoring the branches that tore into her skin. She glanced down at the white nightgown she wore in a daze, hating the way it tangled around her legs. She noticed her feet were bare, as were her arms.
The cold night air whipped through her hair, stinging her face with its icy tendrils.
She could hear her heartbeat pounding in her ears to drown out her rapid breathing.
A high-pitched laugh echoed from behind her, ricocheting off the surrounding trees. “Madisonnnn?”
Madison had always considered herself to be strong. She’d seen things that would strike fear into the hearts of the bravest of men. But whatever chased her right then terrified her. And it was closing in.
Something reached out from the darkness, gripped her by the hair, and yanked her off her feet. The feel of a sharp object pressed against her throat.
“It’s time for you to die, Madison.”
Madison screamed, lashing out with her arms and legs. Yet the harder she fought, the less she could move.
“Wake up, Madison!”
Was that Simon’s voice in her head? Had he come to help her?
“Simon,” she cried, reaching for him. “Help me!”
His arms came around her and he pulled her to her feet. “I got you. You’re alright, Madison. I got you.”
Madison shuddered in relief, holding tightly to Simon as he rocked her back and forth.
His hands ran up and down her back in a soothing motion. “Easy…it was just a dream. You’re okay now.”
Burrowing in closer, Madison buried her face against his neck, the sound of that hideous laugh still slithering through her psyche.
“Shhhhh.” He continued to hold her, his mere presence a calming relief.
And then she noticed his scent. That masculine essence that she’d picked up on before. She hiccupped, stunned to realize she’d been crying.
He pulled her in closer, his voice barely a whisper. “Don’t do that. Dammit, you’re killing me.”
Madison stilled, her lips brushing against the skin of his neck. She slowly dragged her face upward, her stomach in knots and her heart beating wildly.
The corner of Simon’s mouth rested against her own. He didn’t move, only continued to hold her. “Madison…”
She could feel his warm breath, smell its sweetness. How the hell could his breath smell so damn good?
He slowly inched his face around until his lips were touching hers.
A groan escaped him…or was it her? She wasn’t sure.
His lips brushed against hers before he eased them over to her cheek and caught the tear that hovered there. “Damn me,” he whispered, slanting his mouth over hers.
Madison lost all thought the moment Simon’s lips took control of hers. Gone was the nightmare…the anxiety…the terror.
Butterflies took flight inside her stomach. His scent encircled her; his taste consumed her.
His hands lowered down her back to grip her bottom. He pulled her tighter against him, his erection pressing near the juncture of her thighs. And then he rolled his hips.
Madison moaned into his mouth, an overwhelming need stirring in the pit of her stomach. She wanted him—this vampire she detested.
Reality came crashing in with a vengeance. Madison broke off the kiss and turned her face to the side. “Stop.”
Simon stilled. “Madison…”
“Let me go,” she whispered, horrified by what she’d done.
His arms fell away, but he didn’t back up. Madison was left with little choice but to inch around him or stand there and beg him to kiss her again. She chose to flee.
She padded barefoot down the hall and into the bathroom before turning on the faucet of the sink and splashing cold water on her overheated face. She’d kissed Simon Le Blanc. “Shit.”
A knock sounded on the front door causing Madison’s nerves to scatter throughout her body. She quickly dried her face and left the bathroom.
Roman’s voice reached her ears. “Madison really needs to be at the compound.”
Madison rounded the corner. “Roman.”
“Listen,” Roman began, striding toward her. “You’ll be a hell of a lot safer at the compound than you are here. Svetlana isn’t going to stop searching for Simon. No matter how strong he is, he won’t be able to stop her from killing you. She’s his maker, which means that he’s powerless where she’s concerned.”
Madison glanced at Simon to find him staring back at her with red, glowing eyes. “Roman’s right, Madison. You need to return to the compound. It’s the safest place for you.”
“I need to return?” Madison repeated his words. “And what are you planning to do, give yourself over to her?”
Simon shrugged. “If that’s what it takes.”
For some reason, the thought of Simon in Svetlana’s clutches sickened Madison. “It’s an idiotic plan.”