Taken by Storm (Give & Take) - By Kelli Maine Page 0,49

head, his lips only an inch from hers. “Mads,” he breathed, “you belong to me.”

“I know,” she whispered back. “But I can’t have you.”

“Like hell you can’t.” He pressed his lips to hers, and hunger for him consumed her. She squeezed his hands, pressed her body against his and parted her lips, savoring every soft, wet inch of his mouth.

He tasted of lost memories, hope, anguish, home. He tasted so familiar, it brought tears to her eyes. Her MJ.

God, she’d missed the feel of his hands on her skin, his body pressed against hers, his ragged whispers against her flesh promising his love forever.

One moment being in the wrong place at the wrong time, and she’d let fate tear them apart? How could she ever walk away from him? How would she do it again?

Deepening their kiss even more, MJ let go of her hands and wrapped his arms around her waist. Picking her up, he headed toward the couch.

Maddie broke away from him. “No. I can’t,” she said, her breath heaving, and head spinning.

“Yes,” he insisted, gently biting her bottom lip.

“MJ…”

“Shh… It’s just you and me. Here. Now. Don’t think, just feel.” He lowered her onto her back on the couch and knelt between her knees. “I’m not giving you up without a fight. You can’t leave me this time unless you swim back.”

He leaned toward her and she braced her hands against his chest. Her resolve was weak. She couldn’t even collect her thoughts to utter a protest.

MJ took her hands and placed them on either side of her head. His eyes roamed from the top of her head down to her collarbone, then back up to her eyes. She saw the pain shoot through them and felt it echo in her chest.

“What did I do wrong?” he whispered. “What made you leave me?”

She felt the slow burn behind her eyes and couldn’t stop it. Tears gathered, blurring her vision. She blinked hard and his finger traced one down her cheek.

“Tell me,” he urged.

She closed her eyes, squeezing out even more tears, and he kissed her. It was gentle and patient. He loved her. She’d never questioned it, but his kiss conveyed just how much she meant to him. The feelings she’d held back for so long surfaced and overwhelmed her, coming out in a heaving sob against his lips.

“Mads?” He stroked her cheeks with his thumbs. “Talk to me.”

“I can’t.” She shifted underneath him and sniffled while she wiped her eyes. “Please. Not right now.” He wasn’t in any state of mind to hear the truth.

He slammed his hand into the back of the couch, making her flinch. “Then when?” he shouted. “You never said goodbye. You were just gone. You tore my fucking life apart, Maddie! And you can’t tell me why?”

He clenched his jaw and lowered his forehead against her chest. “Do you know how absolutely destroyed I was?” He looked up with a scornful smile on his face. “I still am. I can’t get over you. I can’t stop wanting you. It’s a fucking nightmare I live every single day. Then you come back with that fucking ring.”

He shot up onto his knees, grabbed his shirt and tore it over his head. Grabbing her hand, he pressed her fingernails into his chest. “Why don’t you rip me open and tear my heart out. That’s what you’re doing, so quit dragging it out and end me.”

Maddie had never seen the desperate, crazed look in his eyes. She did this to him. She’d caused him this pain he couldn’t hide from her anymore.

His arms dropped to his sides, his chin to his chest. “Do you know the complete fucking horror of watching the only person you ever trusted walk away from you?”

Maddie couldn’t stand it one more second. She had to take his pain away. Now was not the time to tell him why she left. She couldn’t tell him she loved him, and saying I’m sorry wouldn’t be good enough. So, she’d show him in the only way that mattered.

She got to her knees on the couch in front of him and took his face in her hands. “MJ,” she whispered, and waited until he brought his dark, distant eyes to hers before repeating his words back to him. “Here. Now. Don’t think, just feel.”

Maddie brushed her lips against his, testing his response. He took a deep, jerky breath, then pulled her to him, crushing his lips against hers. His tongue pushed into her mouth