Page 110 of Every Last Breath

Cole adjusted his grip on her, locking her body to his. She grimaced, not hiding her annoyance. Giving her a wink, he smiled.

In the elevator, she struggled to stand. “This is embarrassing. And sexist. Put me down.”

“Your feet are bruised and bleeding. If this were an alternate universe and you were a dude, I’d still carry you. I’m not letting you walk. Once your feet are bandaged and you have shoes on, you can go back to being Xena, Warrior Princess. Until then, I’m carrying you. End of discussion.”

She had a backbone of steel and her independence was admirable. He just hoped she recognized that everybody needed someone to lean on from time to time.

The fiery rebellion that he loved so much set her eyes aflame. “I’m only interested in fighting Novak today. You win for now, Hercules.”

“Hercules? You see me as a mere demigod? I was thinking more along the lines of Superman.”

She chuckled. “You’re aiming high.”

“I sure am and have been ever since I met you.” He tilted his head and kissed her, soft and quick. She was safe in his arms. His heart swelled and filled. This was happiness. “I love you, Maddox.”

As he waited for her to say the words back, he could feel the coiled tension in her body. Her muscles had been tight since they found her, understandably. They had to track down Novak. This might be an inappropriate time to pour his heart out, but their lives could end in a haze of smallpox-M today. And if her job was always this level of crazy, then every moment had to be treated as now or never. But he tucked away his irritation and impatience, set on not pushing.

They still had heavy baggage, and the mission had to come first. The magnitude of her job pressed in on him as they headed toward the subterranean facility. To do her best, she had to leash certain emotions. When she was ready, in time, she’d say the words he longed to hear.

She combed her fingers through his hair, and her eyes were deep and vulnerable. “Last night, I didn’t mean it when I called you meat. You could never be that to me.”

“I know.” And he did. There was no need for her to tell him.

“I was trying to protect myself, but it was selfish and wrong to say it. There’s no justification for disrespecting you like that.” She brushed her mouth across his. “I may have grieved and mourned, but I never let you go.”

“And I hope you never will.”

Her lips parted, and they shared a breath. In the shallow space between their mouths, want and need and—without a doubt in his hopeless mind—love rippled. Those emotions flamed and spread through him the closer they drew before she caught his bottom lip, licked the top, sinking inside. He absorbed the tender friction, the sweet warmth. She wrapped her arms around his neck, her fingers diving into his hair, and flattened her breasts against his chest as they both tried to get closer, feeding off the blooming spark.

Arousal drizzled through him, every part of him coming alive with her soft, lean body pressed solid to him.

The elevator stopped, and the heavy doors opened.

They eased their mouths apart. He smiled at the longing that gleamed in her eyes.

“Let’s get moving. We’ve got work to do,” she said.

He planted a kiss on her nose. “Yes, ma’am.”

Cole carried her down the walkway, and she directed him to the female locker room. The entire team, including Cutter, Amanda, and Doc, intercepted them before they made it that far.

Once the flurry of exclaimed relief and questions slowed, Maddox held up a hand to silence them. “I’m fine. My feet look worse than they are.”

“Let me take a look at them,” Doc said.

“Thanks, but I just need a med kit and to get cleaned up so we can get back to work.”

Just like his warrior princess. She wouldn’t have it any other way.

Everyone parted like the Red Sea, and Cole pushed through the door of the locker room.

“You can put me on the bench by the shower.”

Gently, he set her down and cupped her cheek.

“They have the essentials in here,” she said. “But I need my canvas bag from my desk. It has a change of clothes and my running shoes.”

“I’ll be back in a minute.” He stood to leave, and she grabbed his hand.