Page 45 of The Captive
The baby would be better off without him.With Lana for a mother, the child would have everything it wanted and needed.Money, security, love, kindness.Deacon knew without a doubt that Lana would be strong for this baby, as strong as she’d been throughout this entire ordeal.An ordeal he was partly responsible for.
Guilt seared into him, nearly burning him alive.
“You…you’re the strongest woman I’ve ever met,” he choked out.
Lana stared at him in shock.She must have heard the raw note slicing his voice.He’dheard it.And he was just as shocked.
“What?”
Unable to stop himself, he touched her chin, tracing herdelicate jaw with one calloused finger.“You survived this, all of this, with no help from me.”Remorse hung from his words.“This entire time, you were strong, for yourself, for this baby.Jesus, Lana, I’m…I’min aweof you.”
Rather than shying away, she leaned into his touch, letting him caress her cheek.“You did help,” she said quietly.“You got me out.”
His chest ached with shame.“I got youintothis in the first place.”The ache was suddenly replaced with a jolt of determination.“But I’m going to fix it.We’re not in the clear yet, but I promise you, I’m going to take you back to your family.One of the guys mentioned your father is in Montana, so the first thing we need to do is—”
The feel of her hand on his thigh cut him short.When he met her eyes, he knew exactly what was on her mind.
“Lana…” He trailed off, nearly jumping as she dragged her hand closer to his groin.“Stop.”
“No.”Her hand stilled.“I know there’s a thousand things we need to do, and Iknowthat this isn’t one of them.”Her face collapsed abruptly, a look of torment and dismay entering her eyes.“But damn it, Deacon, I don’t want to stop.”
She slid closer, pressing her lips on the stubble coating his cheek.“I don’t want to think about anything right now.Not our next move, not the fact that we’re probably being hunted down as we speak.”Her voice shook.“I’m scared and confused, and my arm hurts, and I’m not thinking clearly, and right now, I just want you to kiss me.”
His breath hitched.
“Can you do that?”she asked, looking up at him with imploring blue eyes.“Can you please just kiss me?”
CHAPTER 12
Words kept streaming out of Lana’s mouth.Words she knew she shouldn’t say, questions she knew she shouldn’t ask, but as she sat there next to Deacon, with his big warm body pressed beside hers, she had no strength left.The attraction she’d felt toward this man, however inappropriate it might be, was something she couldn’t battle any longer.
This entire night had been too much to handle: fleeing the city, the fear spinning through her at the thought of losing her baby, telling Deacon the truth.She didn’t even have the energy to think about any of it right now.She was tired and sore, and so incredibly frightened her hands refused to stop shaking.
“I don’t want to think right now,” she whispered into his rough, stubble-covered jaw.“I just want to forget about reality.”
Deacon didn’t respond, but she saw his throat bob as he swallowed.
“That night at the hotel,” she continued, a desperate twinge to her voice.“It was like a fantasy, a dream.You made me feel something I’ve never felt before with a man.”
“What did you feel?”His voice came out husky.
“Happy.”She moved closer, resting her trembling hands on his broad shoulders.“I was happy that night.It was…it was exciting and passionate.I couldn’t even remember my own name afterward.”
He swallowed again, then said, “Me, too.”
“So let’s deal with this mess in the morning.”She twined her arms around his neck.“Right now, let’s just forget our names.”
She knew the exact moment the resolve in his hazel eyes crumbled.His handsome features softened, his head tilted toward her.Their lips were inches apart.Lana’s heart did a crazy lurch.She wanted this man.She might be insane for that, probably still in shock, most likely about to make another huge mistake.
But she still wanted him.
She bridged the distance between their lips and kissed him.It was supposed to be a soft kiss, an exploratory brushing of mouths, but what it ended up being was…pure passion.Deacon fused his mouth to hers, kissing her so deeply he stole the breath from her lungs.His tongue slid into her mouth, seeking hers, sending little bursts of heat to her core.
No stopping it.One second they were sitting side by side, kissing wildly, the next she was flat on her back, her torn sweater yanked up to her chin, with Deacon’s tongue on her breasts.His body was heavy on top of hers, the weight of him bringing both a thrill and a sense of security.
Pleasure cascaded through her body as he lavished attention on her breasts, which were full and achy beneath his lips.Not to mention extremely sensitive, thanks to thepregnancy.She moaned as he suckled one beaded nipple, the excitement rising inside her so strongly she lifted her hips so she could rub herself against him.The feel of his massive erection only fueled the excitement.
When Deacon latched his mouth onto her other breast, her hips bucked again and another desperate cry slipped from her lips.He instantly pulled back.“Am I hurting you?”he asked roughly.
