There was nothing but truth in that kiss, and Maya allowed herself to melt into it. When she was in Thunder’s arms, it felt like she could do anything.
“But you're not playing bait,” Thunder said against her lips, and she froze. Her little bubble popped, leaving her feeling cold, angry, hurt, and exposed.
“What?” He’d just told her that he believed in her, that he did see her as strong, apologized and explained himself, now he was … what? Taking it all back?
“Not alone,” Thunder added.
“Alone?”
“Where you go, I go. I'm not letting you fall back into that man’s hands all by yourself. If you want to see if we can lure in Dr. Gardner, we will do it together. A team.”
“A team?” Maya liked the sound of that. For thirteen years, she’d faced everything by herself. Facing one of the monsters from her nightmares with this man by her side felt good, right.
“Me and you, babydoll, always.”
Need rolled through her, and Maya reached out to unzip his jeans without even thinking about it. Reaching beneath the denim, she pushed aside his boxers and freed his length. Lifting herself off his lap enough to shove her own jeans down her legs, she lined herself up and sank down, taking him deep in a single move. The sting of him slipping into her only intensified the pleasure when she began to roll her hips.
“Together, me and you,” she said as Thunder gripped her hips and began to thrust into her with the same frantic need she felt.
“Always.”
“Always,” she echoed as she held onto his shoulders and let him make her body sing, make him bring it to life, because that was exactly what it felt like he was doing. As his fingers found her bud, and he pushed her closer toward a precipice of pleasure, Maya felt like she was edging closer to finding herself again, figuring out who she was going forward.
And when she reached that edge and went flying over it into a world of ecstasy, Thunder was right there with her, catching her, holding her.
Maybe together they really could end this nightmare once and for all.
Chapter
Eighteen
March 10th
6:53 P.M.
“You know you can pull out at any time. Change your mind, and no one is going to think any less of you,” Thunder told Maya, trying to keep the thread of desperation out of his voice and failing miserably.
“Iwould think less of myself,” she countered. “I'm not pretending that I'm not scared, Thunder, because I am absolutely terrified. The thought of seeing that man again, of knowing what he’ll do to me if he gets a chance, makes me so scared that I want to run back into that little world I created for myself inside my mind and stay there. But I still want to do this.”
“Not going to let anything happen to you, babydoll,” he soothed, his need to reassure her stronger than his own fear.
There wasn't a single part of him that wanted to do this, but Maya was determined to assert control over her life again. His team thought it was a viable option to get their hands on Dr. Gardner, and he felt backed into a corner.
All everyone else could see was possibilities.
All he could see was how badly things had gone wrong every time they interacted with the crazed scientist. Rose had been snatched by her brother before they got to her and almost killed in a car crash. The lab had blown up with all of them, and Rose and Cassandra inside. Whitney was taken by her old handler before they could get to her. Indigo was used as bait and almost killed right when they had Dr. Gardner almost in their clutches.
Why should he believe this time was going to be any different?
Yet as he pulled his girl into his arms, tucked her close against his chest, and cocooned her in an embrace, Thunder knew he had to make sure this time was different.
If he didn't, he could lose Maya forever. Not just to Dr. Gardner but to her own terror. That little world she had created still had a strong hold on her, and he was guessing that it tugged at her more often than she admitted. So far, she was battling against that urge to retreat and hide inside her head, but if something went wrong, she could so easily slip away from him, too far away for him to be able to reach.
“I know, I trust you, and I believe in you,” she said as she snuggled closer, and his chest felt like it puffed out with pride.
Trust and belief weren't easy gifts for Maya to offer. Not when the entire foundation for her world had been so viciously and cruelly ripped out from underneath her at an age where she was supposed to be navigating the transition from childhood to adulthood.
That she could give them to him meant more than she would ever understand. Which was why he was so afraid. If he failed, then he would let Maya down. That was the last thing in the world he wanted to ever do.
