Page 12 of Enticing Kane

She approached him, her expression serious but not fearful. “What now?” she asked, her voice echoing slightly in the cavernous space.

Kane took a deep breath, trying to push aside the thoughts that had been creeping into his mind. “We’ll rest here for a minute, then keep moving. We need to find another way out, but we can’t afford to rush. These caves are old and unstable—we have to be careful.”

Maggie nodded, but she didn’t move away. Instead, she looked at him, really looked at him, as if seeing him for the first time. “You saved my life back there,” she said quietly. “Thank you.”

Kane shrugged, trying to downplay the tension that was building between them. “It’s my job.”

“No,” Maggie insisted, her eyes locking onto his. “It’s more than that. You didn’t have to pull me out of the way—you could have just focused on yourself. But you didn’t. You’ve been looking out for me this entire time.”

Kane felt a lump forming in his throat, the weight of her words pressing down on him. He had always been the one to put others first, to protect those who couldn’t protect themselves. It was what he did, what he had been trained to do. But hearing Maggie acknowledge it, hearing the sincerity in her voice, made it feel different—more personal.

“I care about the people entrusted to my care,” Kane said, his voice rough. “And that includes you.”

Maggie smiled, a small, genuine smile that made something inside Kane twist in a way he wasn’t used to. “I’m glad you’re here,” she said simply.

They stood there in silence for a moment, the air between them charged with an emotion that neither of them seemed quite ready to acknowledge. Kane could feel the pull, the undeniable attraction that had been simmering beneath the surface since they first met. But he also knew that crossing that line would complicate everything—especially with Matt in the picture.

And yet, as Maggie took a step closer, her eyes searching his, Kane found himself unable to resist. It was as if all the barriers he had built around himself were crumbling in the face of her determination, her strength, her undeniable pull.

“Maggie…” he started, his voice trailing off as she reached out, her hand lightly touching his arm.

She didn’t say anything, but the look in her eyes said everything. There was no fear, no hesitation—just a quiet certainty that this was something they both wanted, something that had been building between them from the moment they were thrown together.

Kane’s resolve wavered, and for a moment, he let himself forget about the mission, about Matt, about all the reasons this was a bad idea. He let himself be just a man standing in a cave with a woman who made him feel things he hadn’t felt in a long time.

Slowly, he reached up, his hand cupping her cheek. Maggie’s breath hitched, but she didn’t pull away. Instead, she leaned into his touch, her eyes fluttering closed as she let out a soft sigh.

That was all the encouragement Kane needed.

He bent his head, his lips brushing against hers in a kiss that was gentle at first, almost hesitant, as if testing the waters. But when Maggie responded, her arms wrapping around his neck and pulling him closer, the kiss deepened, becoming more intense, more urgent.

Kane’s other hand slid around her waist, drawing her body against his. The feel of her, warm and solid in his arms, sent a shiver down his spine. He kissed her harder, his heart pounding in his chest, his mind shutting out everything but the sensation of her lips on his, the taste of her, the way she fit perfectly against him.

For a moment, the world outside ceased to exist. There was no cave, no danger, no mission—only Maggie, and the way she made him feel alive in a way he hadn’t in years.

When they finally broke apart, both of them were breathing hard, their foreheads resting against each other. Kane’s hand remained on her cheek, his thumb brushing lightly against her skin.

“Maggie,” he murmured, his voice thick with emotion. “I…”

But she shook her head, placing a finger against his lips. “Don’t,” she whispered. “We don’t have to say anything. Let’s just… let’s just be here, in this moment.”

Kane nodded, understanding what she meant. Words could complicate things, could make something beautiful into something difficult. So instead of speaking, he pulled her into his arms, holding her close as they stood together in the dark, hidden away from the world.

For the first time in a long time, Kane felt a sense of peace, of connection. And though he knew this moment couldn’t last, he was determined to hold onto it for as long as he could.

Chapter Six

Maggie

Maggie sat beside the small fire in the makeshift camp within the cave, her thoughts a tumultuous whirl of excitement and dread. The flickering flames cast long, dancing shadows on the rough stone walls, creating an eerie atmosphere in the otherwise silent night. It was as if the ghosts of people from long ago had risen from their graves and now danced on the walls. It had been hours since the rockfall had separated her and Kane from the rest of the group, but they were all together again now, huddled in the temporary safety of the hidden cave system.

Kane had been as good as his word. As soon as they rejoined the group, he had methodically organized the remaining supplies, leaving behind a cache of bare essentials—water, food, medical supplies, and a radio—so that if they needed to flee the dig site again, they could do so swiftly and with some measure of preparedness. Maggie had watched him with a mix of admiration and anxiety, recognizing the unspoken message in his actions: they were not out of danger yet.

She admired his thoroughness, even as the weight of her own responsibilities pressed down on her. The memory of the kiss they had shared lingered at the edges of her mind, a tantalizing distraction that she pushed away with difficulty. She could still feel the warmth of his lips, the strength in his embrace, the way he had held her as if she was something precious. Maggie found herself reaching up to touch her own lips as if she could ensure the imprint from the kiss still remained. But there was no time to dwell on that now. The dig site had to be their focus. The work they were doing—the artifacts they were uncovering—was too important to let anything, even their personal feelings, interfere.

The message had come earlier that morning: the dig site was once again secure. The danger, for now, had passed. As dawn broke over the desert, casting long shadows across the rugged terrain, the team prepared to return. There was a palpable sense of urgency among them, a recognition that they were operating under a ticking clock. Maggie felt it too, a gnawing anxiety that kept her from fully relaxing, even in the supposed safety of the cave.

Kane, ever the consummate soldier, insisted on a thorough check of the area before they departed. He moved with the quiet efficiency she had come to expect from him, his eyes scanning every shadow, every corner of the cave as if expecting an ambush at any moment. He was methodical, never missing a detail, and she found a strange comfort in his vigilance. When he finally returned to the group, his expression was serious but calm.

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