Position of Honor The Honor Series Book Two

Chapter 4

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Chapter 4

"I'm not her. I'm not my mother." The pain of how hard her youth was remains evident as Madison desperately tries to keep her composure. Matt can't help the irritation that she assumes he feels that way about her.  One look at Madison and he knew she was nothing like her mother.

Madison smoothes out her clothes and brushes at the dust on her pants. It's the same as always, no one seems to see her for who she is, but for one thing and one thing only. Once they get it, she's forgotten about and they move on. She's left alone like she has been her entire life.

Matt clamps down on his anger at the statement. It hadn't occurred to him that Madison is anything like Candace.  Does he have an interest in her that isn't entirely professional? Yes! Is he acting on it? No. Matt has tampered down his feelings and kept his personal feelings aside.

Watching the color slowly start to come back into her face, Matt sees her embarrassment about what happened in the past. Her tension over her own feelings of inadequacy are what's driving her not that he has expressed feelings negatively about her. Which is definitely not the case. Knowing this is her internal conflict frees Matt from any responsibility for her embarrassment of the past.

Madison sat on the couch, giving herself time to for the room to stop spinning. Matt quietly keeps his eyes on hers. Refusing to break the connection, he maintains eye contact until, under his scrutiny, she quickly looks away. There's more to her anxiety than just her mother's reputation.

Matt takes a seat next to her and gets comfortable before reaching out to touch her. His fingers tingle when he carefully turns her face to his. He barely touches her but the contact burns her skin. The heat warms Madison head to toe, causing a flush to come to her cheeks.

Cupping Madison's face with both hands, Matt waits patiently for her to look in his eyes. She doesn't make the connection and Matt almost lets her pull away. There's something about her, something that keeps him right where he is waiting for her to open up.

It's all Matt can do to not be a Neanderthal, and eagerly toss her over his shoulder and carry her up the stairs to make love to her. To hold her until she cries out that she belongs to him. It is too soon to act on any kind of primal need, tucking the thought away, Matt chastises himself. She doesn't even know him well enough for something like that. He knows what happens when an intimate relationship is rushed.

Madison needs care and patience now, not a physical attack of uncontrolled testosterone. Matt understood if he were to pursue her too fast, she'd shut down on him completely. Any chance he has of solving this case with her help would be destroyed. He's not going to think about sex again. He can't until the case is resolved.

Matt admits his attraction to Madison took him off guard. Normally he wouldn't allow his personal feelings to intrude this way on duty, but there is something different about her. There's an innocence and honesty in her words that match her actions. It's rare to see that in anyone.

The look in her eyes as she stared at him, the fear and innocence unraveled his senses. He doubts she even knows she is doing it. It's not like she is trying to get his attention away from the case, she just has it. Finding out who killed her father and closing the case has to come first.

It is Matt's job to search the house, not Madison's.  He will have to deal with the consequences of involving her if they find something. Above it all, it's his job to protect her. From what he could tell, it is possible she is in danger if the murderer is still out there. Separating the job and what he wants is blurring together too quickly.

"I know you aren't your mom, Madison. I don't expect you to be." Matt grits his teeth, battening down any bit of temper that has been set off because she believes otherwise.