[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

the image. Her being craved the frantic mating, longed for the savage pleasure hovering
just beyond her reach. He intended to mark her, claim her, bind her to him body and
soul and her body was more than ready to surrender.
Trembling, eyes tightly closed, he held perfectly still and inhaled her scent.  We
can t do this. He ground out the words between clenched teeth.
 Why? The sensual cry in her voice brought his eyes open.  I want this, Quinn. I
need it.
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Cyndi Friberg
He unhooked her ankles and shook his head.  I m too damn close to the edge. I ll
define you and we both know it.
 I don t care!
 Yes you do. He held up his hand, refusing to hear her argument.  Definition is
forever. I won t force that on you. Without another word, he crawled off the bed,
gathered his scattered clothes and left.
Her reason applauded his selflessness while her body burned. She d never been so
relieved and yet so disappointed. Barely able to think past the ache, she curled up on
her side and let the tears flow. Her thoughts were too chaotic to sort and her emotions
were even worse. All she knew for sure was she hadn t wanted him to leave.
She spotted the overnight bag on a chair beside the closet and her mind latched on
to the possible goal. A flicker of hope gave her enough strength to move. She wiped her
tears on the back of her hand and eased her feet to the floor. She gasped then
whimpered, refusing to think about how badly Quinn must be aching. Her fingers
shook so hard, she could barely unzip the bag, but she quickly found the familiar case.
Suspecting the nasal spray wouldn t be enough to put out this fire, she grabbed the
cream and headed for the bathroom.
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Therian Prey
Chapter Five
Carissa greeted Erin with a hug the following morning when the healer arrived to
check on her progress. Carissa had been enjoying a hearty breakfast with the men, and
Erin insisted she finish the meal before they went to Carissa s bedroom for a quick
examination.
 Did you reach everyone on your list? Ian asked as he warmed Carissa s coffee.
 I postponed the two deliveries and told Luke and Amanda we had a family
emergency. She paused while she blew on her coffee.  They were both surprised by
the news, being that they didn t think we had any family other than each other.
 But did they believe you? Quinn asked, his jaw set, gaze intense on her face.
She was starting to recognize the nuances in his expressions. This wasn t
annoyance. He was worried about her safety.  Luke would rather be making out with
his girlfriend than working anyway, but Amanda asked a lot of questions. In the end,
I m pretty sure she believed me.
 Neither of them had heard from Ava?
She looked at Ian and shook her head.  There s no way Ava would endanger either
of them. Luke s in high school, and Amanda s a single mom. Amanda has keys to the
store, so she s going to put a sign in the front window for me.
 We should have thought about that, Erin mused.  The last thing we need is the
police snooping around.
The men nodded, neither of them looking pleased by their lack of foresight.
Though Carissa was glad to have headed off a potential problem, she couldn t help
feeling she was aiding the enemy. No, her situation was a whole lot more complicated
than Stockholm syndrome. She was in the process of redefining her concept of reality.
She took her dishes to the sink and thanked Ian for the meal, then led Erin to her
bedroom.
Erin glanced at the tousled bed and concern overshadowed her calm.  Didn t the
nasal spray work? she asked after discreetly closing the door.
 It worked for a while, but Quinn is just& 
 Did he pressure you into 
 No. She glanced away, embarrassed to admit how sexually aggressive she d been
toward the end.  If anything, I pressured him. He was afraid he d lose control and
define me, so we ended the night in separate beds.
 He wanted you that badly and just walked away?
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Cyndi Friberg
The disbelief in Erin s tone grated on Carissa s already frayed nerves. She d been
naked and begging, and still he walked away. He didn t deserve Erin s mistrust.  I
know you don t like Quinn, but he was a perfect gentleman last night.
Erin scoffed softly under her breath.  Therian males are never perfect gentlemen.
They re predators. They live by a code of honor, but they re territorial and possessive.
 Are you trying to frighten me? Carissa licked her lips, still unable to meet Erin s
knowing stare.
 Are you frightened?
The unexpected question finally freed Carissa from her awkwardness. Even after
the cream had extinguished the fire inside her body, her rebellious mind refused to
release the images. She lay in the cold, lonely bed and imagined what it would have
been like if Quinn had claimed her. He wouldn t have been gentle. He d have drawn
blood and held her down, dominating her as no other lover dared. But the aggressive
act hadn t been abusive or frightening. She d needed each possessive thrust and would
have reveled in his uninhibited passion. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]