Page 39 of Obsessed

His eyes are less cold. There is some true regret in his expression. It helps draw me across the deck to sit near him at thebow.

"Just so you know," I say. "I might have come in here on a ruse but the moments when we were—" I swallow, unable to say it without it stirring up desire. "I felt a deep connection with you. I just wanted to saythat."

He sits back. "It was thenectar."

"No, it wasn't. I mean, yes, part of it. The physical part. Shit, it's potent stuff. But there were times when my head was clear and the ache between my legs would cool, and I'd still think about you walking through the bedroom door. You see yourself as someone incapable of being loved, but I think you're selling yourselfshort."

His blue eyes narrow. "Guess you'll say anything to keep that man in there fromharm."

I sit up straighter as if slapped. "I pour out my heart and you answer snidely. Fuck you. Maybe I'm wrong then. And yes, I'll do anything to keep Maddox from harm because that's what people do for people theylove."

His cement expression finally cracks. "So you do lovehim?"

"That's the part that sticks in your craw? Yes. I do. We've been partners for years, watching each other's backs, finishing each other's thoughts. That's what people do when they form connections to other humans. You should try it sometime." I hop up. He takes hold of my wrist before I can walk away. The perfect row of scars on his arm stands out under the brightsun.

"I envyhim."

I'm surprised by his words. I turn back tohim.

"I have money to buy anything, but James Maddox has the one thing Iwant."

I shake my head and pull my hand away. "You don't want me. You want the submissive little angel who is willing to spread her legs at the slightest touch. It's been a nice few months of fantasy, Kane. You've helped me see sides of myself that I never knew existed, but I don't want to feel this way anymore. I want to think straight again. I want all of me back. I want that girl back who first looked at you through that one way mirror. That's the realme."

He releases my hand just as footsteps come up from below deck. Maddox's long hair is wet and dripping down on a new clean shirt. His hands are still cuffed together. His green eyes flinch when he sees how close I'm standing to Kane. I step discretely back fromhim.

"Mr. Maddox, here are a few sandwiches. Come eat somelunch."

Maddox walks over and stares down suspiciously but also hungrily at thefood.

"It's fine. No more sedatives," Kane says. "Eat. Afterward, I'm going to let you two have some time to talk.Alone."

I look at Kane. He nods to let me know he'sserious.

Maddox grabs two sandwiches and sits down toeat.

37

Maddox

"No cameras in here."Oscar shuts the door. Ten and I are standing in a small bedroom, plainly furnished with a bed, a dresser and one porthole for naturallight

Finally free of the handcuffs, I crack and circle my shoulders. I do a quick sweep of the room for hidden cameras or bugs. The room is so sparsely decorated, the search is easy. I findnothing.

I stop and crack my shoulders again. "Why do I feel like I've just been fed my lastmeal?"

Ten smiles sadly at my morbid attempt athumor.

"Nice dress, by the way." I look pointedly at the sundress. "I've only seen you in a dress a few times. One of those was at Lieutenant Barton's funeral so that doesn't really count because I couldn't see more than yourknees."

She sighs with aggravation. "Yeah, well I do occasionally wear dresses and I can look pretty damn good in them. You just don't know that because you only think of me as your partner in jeans andsweatshirts."

"Not true,Ten."

She crosses her arms, seemingly feeling self-conscious after my totally unnecessary comment about the dress. I know damn well that Ten doesn't fall for stupid flattery. It's another thing I love about her. I don't even know why I said it except maybe to avoid the more serious stuff that needs to bediscussed.

Ten walks to the porthole. "You shouldn't have come, Maddox. Now we're both screwed. I was handling this on my own just fine." She spins back around to face me. Her pupils are dilated from thedrug.

"Were you? Because I'm looking at someone who is going to have to go through a hell of a lot of detox when she gets out of Freestone's clutches. Or maybe you don't want out. I mean planes, yachts and all the other perks heoffers."

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