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Chapter 18

Tiernan had ignored the feeling all afternoon, but it had persisted. Something was wrong. He thought maybe he should have listened to Madison, but her request to go home after their past few weeks of happiness had blindsided him. He had reacted on impulse, surrendering to the need to keep her at any cost. He hoped it hadn’t cost him the progress he’d made with her recently.

The feeling of wrongness swelled as he opened the door to the suite and found it deserted. No dinner waited on the table, and Madison was certainly not waiting with a warm smile—or even a recriminatory sneer. She must be pouting and had decided to give him the cold shoulder. He should just let her have her sulk and get over it. She’d be back by tomorrow. Still, it didn’t sit well with him to indulge her in these matters. She had to know who was in charge, and if he let her sleep away from him tonight, she would think it was she.

He radioed the guardhouse to find out if she had left the premises and raise