inside him would
protect what was his, and Mary Ellen was his whether she would
accept it or not.
A split second later he threw his fist forward,
directly into the second man’s face. The crack of bone was a most
pleasing sound. Mary Ellen started to fall back with her captor.
Aidan reached forward, jerking her safely into his arms. Dear Lord,
if anything had happened to her… No, he couldn’t think on that now.
He pressed his face to her hair, breathing in her scent and trying
to calm the raging fury in his veins.
“Aidan?” Mary Ellen blinked up at him, confused.
He understood her bemusement. It had all happened
within a blink of an eye. No human could possibly understand what
had just taken place. He knew by the scent, both men were dead.
Their bodies broken by the pressure of his fists. He felt no guilt.
He merely wanted to kill them all over again. Grayson would have a
damn mess on his hands.
It was only when he cupped the sides of her face
that he realized his hands were trembling. “Are you well?”
“Yes, but…but…” She was pale, shaking in his arms.
Her mask had come off and lay upon the ground, while her hair
tumbled in silvery waves that curled down her back and over her
shoulders. The sleeve of her dress was torn. She looked like an
angel who’d been through hell. Twice in two days she’d been
attacked. It made no sense. Werewolf and now this? Something was
wrong. Aidan clenched his jaw so hard, he was surprised his molars
didn’t crack. Taking in a deep breath, he drew her close, holding
her against his chest, forcing himself to be gentle. For the first
time since he’d known her, she welcomed his touch, his attention.
When she wrapped her arms around his waist, he almost sighed at the
rightness of it all.
“You’re hurt,” he said softly.
“No, I’m fine. Merely surprised and confused, is
all.” She tried to turn to look at the men, but he held her close,
not allowing her to divulge her curiosity. The scene would only
disturb her, confuse her even more. She’d undoubtedly have
questions he wasn’t sure he could answer quite yet. But it didn’t
matter anymore…things had changed between them.
“You’re cold.” She tilted her head back and looked
into his eyes. “Always so cold.”
If only she knew why. If only she realized how well
she could warm him. No doubt she’d run screaming toward home…just
like his fiancé. He had to tell her…eventually and he would reap
the consequences then. But at the moment he would merely savor the
feel of the woman. “I’m sorry.”
She shook her head. “No…I…” She seemed flustered,
unsure and she’d always been so sure. He found her sudden
bemusement endearing and even better, intriguing. “Yes?”
She swallowed hard and dared to look into his eyes.
“Thank you, Aidan.”
She’d said his name. He wanted to hear it again, and
again.
“Of course.” How badly he wanted to taste her. How
badly he wanted to pull her close, feed from her, taste her, have
her completely, make her his. Only his. The beast within growled to
life, demanding he divulge. “We should return.”
Out here with him, she was barely safer than with
the men who had attacked her. His hand slid to her lower back and
he started to lead her toward the patio, desperate to protect her
from himself, when she pulled away.
“But…”
He paused, glancing back at her. “What is it?”
“I don’t understand.” She moved away and wrapped her
arms tightly around her chest. Not merely bemusement…there was
confusion and fear. Yes, fear. “You moved so quickly—”
“You were under duress. You’re confused.”
She frowned. “And your eyes, I could have sworn they
glowed.”
“The moonlight.”
She stepped closer to him, as if searching for the
truth in his gaze. Hell, if he didn’t want to admit it all, tell
the truth right at that moment. He was so damn tired of the
secrets.
“And your—”
He grasped her upper arms and jerked her
protect what was his, and Mary Ellen was his whether she would
accept it or not.
A split second later he threw his fist forward,
directly into the second man’s face. The crack of bone was a most
pleasing sound. Mary Ellen started to fall back with her captor.
Aidan reached forward, jerking her safely into his arms. Dear Lord,
if anything had happened to her… No, he couldn’t think on that now.
He pressed his face to her hair, breathing in her scent and trying
to calm the raging fury in his veins.
“Aidan?” Mary Ellen blinked up at him, confused.
He understood her bemusement. It had all happened
within a blink of an eye. No human could possibly understand what
had just taken place. He knew by the scent, both men were dead.
Their bodies broken by the pressure of his fists. He felt no guilt.
He merely wanted to kill them all over again. Grayson would have a
damn mess on his hands.
It was only when he cupped the sides of her face
that he realized his hands were trembling. “Are you well?”
“Yes, but…but…” She was pale, shaking in his arms.
Her mask had come off and lay upon the ground, while her hair
tumbled in silvery waves that curled down her back and over her
shoulders. The sleeve of her dress was torn. She looked like an
angel who’d been through hell. Twice in two days she’d been
attacked. It made no sense. Werewolf and now this? Something was
wrong. Aidan clenched his jaw so hard, he was surprised his molars
didn’t crack. Taking in a deep breath, he drew her close, holding
her against his chest, forcing himself to be gentle. For the first
time since he’d known her, she welcomed his touch, his attention.
When she wrapped her arms around his waist, he almost sighed at the
rightness of it all.
“You’re hurt,” he said softly.
“No, I’m fine. Merely surprised and confused, is
all.” She tried to turn to look at the men, but he held her close,
not allowing her to divulge her curiosity. The scene would only
disturb her, confuse her even more. She’d undoubtedly have
questions he wasn’t sure he could answer quite yet. But it didn’t
matter anymore…things had changed between them.
“You’re cold.” She tilted her head back and looked
into his eyes. “Always so cold.”
If only she knew why. If only she realized how well
she could warm him. No doubt she’d run screaming toward home…just
like his fiancé. He had to tell her…eventually and he would reap
the consequences then. But at the moment he would merely savor the
feel of the woman. “I’m sorry.”
She shook her head. “No…I…” She seemed flustered,
unsure and she’d always been so sure. He found her sudden
bemusement endearing and even better, intriguing. “Yes?”
She swallowed hard and dared to look into his eyes.
“Thank you, Aidan.”
She’d said his name. He wanted to hear it again, and
again.
“Of course.” How badly he wanted to taste her. How
badly he wanted to pull her close, feed from her, taste her, have
her completely, make her his. Only his. The beast within growled to
life, demanding he divulge. “We should return.”
Out here with him, she was barely safer than with
the men who had attacked her. His hand slid to her lower back and
he started to lead her toward the patio, desperate to protect her
from himself, when she pulled away.
“But…”
He paused, glancing back at her. “What is it?”
“I don’t understand.” She moved away and wrapped her
arms tightly around her chest. Not merely bemusement…there was
confusion and fear. Yes, fear. “You moved so quickly—”
“You were under duress. You’re confused.”
She frowned. “And your eyes, I could have sworn they
glowed.”
“The moonlight.”
She stepped closer to him, as if searching for the
truth in his gaze. Hell, if he didn’t want to admit it all, tell
the truth right at that moment. He was so damn tired of the
secrets.
“And your—”
He grasped her upper arms and jerked her
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