Taken by Storm (Give & Take) - By Kelli Maine Page 0,53

“Maddie?”

The woman’s hands moved along the tree bark behind her like she was looking for a secret trapdoor to make her escape. “Don’t believe her,” she said again, and disappeared around the tree into the darkness.

MJ’s ankle throbbed but it wasn’t swollen. He could walk on it just fine, if a little slowly as he made his way back to the tree house and up the stairs. At least it was a distraction from his fear of heights.

A distraction from the mutterings of a stranger—who might have been a delusion conjured by an emotional breakdown—in the woods. God knew the past few days had taken their toll on his mental stability. Not that he was all that stable to begin with.

Why the hell would some lady in the woods on a remote island be here to warn him against Maddie?

Christ, he was losing his mind.

“What are you doing out here?” Maddie’s voice startled him. He jumped back with his hand to his chest.

“Jesus. Don’t do that.”

She laughed and rested her hand over his pressed against his heart. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you.”

Her hair was tousled from sleep, her lips were red and puffy from being kissed. “Why are you awake?” he asked, brushing thoughts of mistrust from his mind.

She wrapped her arms around herself. “I got cold.”

He knew she meant she woke because he wasn’t there. It was hot and muggy, there was no way she was actually cold.

“So why are you out here?” she asked.

He gestured behind him. “I thought I saw a woman in the woods with a flashlight.” He’d skip the embarrassing details of chasing a woman whom he was ninety-nine percent certain was imaginary, tripping and twisting his ankle.

She furrowed her brow, skeptical. “Who would be out here in the woods at…” she glanced at her wrist where she habitually wore her watch, but wasn’t wearing it. “At whatever time it is right now?” She gave him a playful smile. “You’re seeing things.”

He shrugged. “Probably.”

Maddie stepped past him and leaned against the railing gazing out into the trees. “A flashlight, huh?” She glanced over her shoulder at him. “Like a glowing orb of light?” She spun around. “Are you sure it wasn’t a ghost?” She launched at him, grabbing his hips to try to scare him.

Maddie had always been addicted to everything paranormal. She read books and watched TV shows about vampires, werewolves and ghosts. For the longest time when they were little, she was even convinced that there was a ghost living in the west wing of the Rocha Estate.

She probably still believed it. “No,” he said, pulling her in close, “it wasn’t a ghost.”

She kissed his chin and trailed her lips along his jaw, standing on tip toe to reach his ear. “Whoever it was, she’s gone now. Come back inside with me.”

At her sultry voice, a flame of lust licked low in his groin. He swept an arm behind her knees and scooped her up, parting her lips in a deep kiss. Whatever his subconscious was warning him against could wait until morning.

When Maddie opened her eyes to MJ’s mass of tussled hair and dark stubble on his jaw, she had to fight back bittersweet tears.

More than a year had passed, wasted, and still Maddie knew she couldn’t have a future with him.

She gazed at MJ’s beautiful, sleeping face again. This would be the very last time she lay next to him while he slept. The last time she’d be exactly where she belonged. Her life would always be off-kilter without him, but she didn’t have a choice. She couldn’t hurt him like her mother had hurt her all those years ago. Maddie knew first-hand that a wound that deep never completely healed. She would be the last person on Earth to inflict that upon MJ.

She’d sacrificed his love. There was no turning back now no matter how much it tortured her. After seeing MJ tear his shirt off last night and tell her how much she’d hurt him, she knew she’d keep Enzo’s secret until she died. Maddie would never hand over the huge amount of pain and hurt she held back from MJ. Not ever.

Maddie ran her fingers through his hair. He stretched and a smile sprawled across his lips before his eyes slowly opened. “Morning.”

She touched his sleep-puffy lips with her fingers, and he kissed them. “Morning,” she said.

Maddie knew he wouldn’t take her if she didn’t belong to him. No matter how much she wanted MJ to