Page 16 of Stranded
“Quiet,” he growls, his tone making me jump.
Before I can process what’s happening, Maddox stands over the fallen men. With a swift, practiced motion, he drives the blade into each of their chests in turn. The silence of the woods is shattered by their gasps for life, which quickly fade into nothing. A chill runs down my spine, not from the cold but from the realization that Maddox killed them right here in front of me.
My body should be filled with terror, but an inexplicable heat rises within me. I’m drawn to the primal intensity in his eyes that promises danger and protection. My heart races, but not with fear. It’s a frenzied beat of desire and need.
He turns to me, his body silhouetted against the silvery sheen of the sunlight filtering through the trees. His eyes, so cold moments ago, now burn with a fire that matches mine. The knife falls to the ground, forgotten. He steps toward me. “Are you scared of me now, angel?”
“No,” I breathe out, my voice hoarse with the desire. “I’m not scared.”
The corner of his mouth quirks up in a half-smile. “Full of surprises, aren’t you, Ivy St. Clair?”
I don’t know why hearing him say my full name makes my stomach flip. Maybe because it makes it too real. This isn’t some alternate dimension up here in the Alaskan wilderness. It’s reality, and my sanity is slipping.
I swallow hard as he approaches me, blood still staining his hands.
“You went against my instructions not to walk into the woods.” He grabs my throat and squeezes hard, cutting off my oxygen. “Look what you made me do,” he growls, turning me to face the two lifeless bodies on the floor.
I grind my teeth. “I didn’t make you do anything. You could have knocked them out, and that’s the end of it.”I glare at him. “And you’ve been staying away from me for two days. I had to do something to get you out of that fucking cabin.”
He shakes his head. “Any man that touches what is mine will die. And you, Ivy, you're my most prized possession.”
I grab his hand and pry his fingers from my throat. “I’m not a possession. I’m a human being.”
“Is that so?” He challenges, pressing his body against mine, pinning me to the tree. His hand slides down my arm, eliciting a shiver that has nothing to do with the cold.“What makes you think you have any power, Ivy?” His voice is a low growl in my ear. I can hear the amusement. He’s daring me to defy him. So, I do.
“Because I’m not your property, Maddox. I’m my own person.” My voice is steady and my gaze unflinching. “You don’t get to control what I do.”
This seems to amuse him more as he leans closer, his breath fanning hot against my cheek. “But you like it when I take control, don’t you, angel?”
His words strike a chord. I can’t deny the searing heat that spreads through me at his words. Not when my body is betraying me, pushing closer to him of its own accord.
“That’s not the point...” I stutter out, my thoughts scattering under the intensity of his gaze.
The predatory glint in his eyes through the balaclava he's wearing makes me wet.
“Isn’t it?” And without giving me a chance to respond, he unzips his pants, sliding his erect cock free. With a rough tug, my leggings are down around my knees, and he’s lifting me, pressing my back against the tree, forcing me to wrap my legs around his waist.
I jerk in surprise, a gasp escaping my lips as I feel the head of his huge cock at my soaking wet entrance. “Maddox, I—”
“Shh,” he hushes me, pressing a finger to my lips. “Let’s see how much you like when I take control, Ivy St. Clair.” And then he’s pushing inside me, filling me. A moan rips from my throat. This is a warped reality, and I’m drowning in it.
It’s so much better than the gun, the feeling of his skin against mine as he drives in deep, fucking me like a wild animal against the tree.
As his rhythm intensifies, I find myself being swept away by the tide of pleasure.
“Maddox,” I gasp, my fingers digging into the muscled expanse of his shoulders. “Kiss me.” My voice comes out as a hoarse whisper, a plea amidst the wild rhythm of our bodies. His eyes meet mine, the blue of his irises dark with desire. I’m not asking.
His balaclava is still on, but he pulls it up enough that his lips are free and kisses me. It’s a kiss like no other I’ve ever experienced. Fierce and primal. It’s a claim and stamp of possession that leaves no room for doubt. I’m his completely.
And then he bites my lip hard enough to break the skin. The coppery taste of blood hits my tongue, making my body seize in an unexpected climax, the sensations so powerful it leaves me trembling in Maddox’s arms.
His lips leave mine for a moment, a low growl rumbling from his chest as he watches my face contort in bliss. “That’s it, my dirty little angel, come on my cock.” He moves his lips to my ear. “Did you like that, Ivy?” His voice is a rough whisper against my ear, the rhythmic echo of our coupling still resonating in the air. “Did you like that I killed for you?” His fingers trace lazy circles on my skin, a conversational intimacy stark against the savagery of his actions.
I swallow hard, my throat dry. “Yes,” I admit.
“I’d do it again in a heartbeat,” he says, and there’s no doubt in his voice. “For you, Ivy St. Clair, I’d paint the world red if it meant keeping you safe.” His words reverberate through me, a potent mix of possession and desire that bind me to him more than any chains ever could. He pauses for a moment, and I sense the hesitation.
“I was obsessed with you before you even arrived. Your boyfriend is lucky he’s a cheating bastard, or he might have been here and buried six feet under too.”