Berserker's Rage by Elle Boon

Our cook always makes enough to feed an army,” Felicity said, ushering them in and closing the door. “Mother, will you tell Maria we have two extra guests?”
    “Hello, Mrs. Evans. It’s good to see you again.” Hal raised his brow.
    “Mr. Aldridge, what a surprise to see you again.” She did not say it was pleasant.
    “We’ll be in the garden.” Felicity reached for his hand and squeezed.
    Impressed with the way she steamrolled over her mother, he ran his thumb over Felicity’s palm. The woman who he’d dubbed a drill sergeant narrowed her eyes, then turned and went back the way she’d come.
    “Please tell me you’re not having cucumber sandwiches?” Brax joked as they walked down the tiled hallway.
    “Nah, Maria is trying to fatten me back up. Since the…attack, I lost quite a bit of weight. Our cook seems to think it’s her job to put it back on.”
    Looking at the slim woman, Hal agreed she could stand to put on some pounds. He remembered the body he’d crouched over protecting. Even under all the stress he didn’t think she was the thin creature before him. No matter her size, she called to him. Hearing her voice, he felt a calmness, a sense of rightness settle over him. She was his. He wanted her safe and healthy, above all else.
    “How are you feeling?” He’d been dying to ask, but planned to wait until they were seated. His words caused her to stumble in the low heels she wore, giving him an excuse to reach out and hold her. Hal could feel the fragility beneath the thin silk of her shirt. Her ribs stuck out way too much for his liking, but her breasts were still more than a handful. He imagined palming them while he bent his head to suckle first one hard tip, and then the other.
    “Are you okay?” Her question brought him out of his erotic musings. Getting a boner, probably wasn’t the wisest thing to do when you meet the woman of your dreams for the first time.
    He held her chair out before answering, giving him a moment to get his mind and body under control. “Yes, I am just trying to reconcile the reality of you with who I’d…well I don’t want to say dreamt about, because that would come off sounding crazy.”
    When she smiled he noticed her whiter than white teeth, but he also focused on the tightness in her jaws. The thought that she was still in pain months after her ordeal had him seeing red, and he had to fight to control his anger.
    “This is all new to me as well.” She indicated her face. “There was a lot of structural damage,” she paused, “lord, I make it sound like I was a house. I guess you sort of know, since you saved me, but the surgeons had to rebuild pretty much everything. The only thing original is my eye color and my mouth. Oh, and my forehead. I think.”
    Her blush spread from her cheeks down her neck. He wanted to see her flush in the throes of passion, not embarrassment.
    “Felicity, your mother has said we have guests.” Mr. Evans came out the open door, a worried expression on his face.
    Hal got up to greet Felicity’s father. “It’s good to see you again, under much better circumstances, sir.”
    “I will owe you for the rest of my life for saving my girl. How have you been? Why didn’t you leave your information when you left?” Mr. Evans fired the questions at him one after the other.
    Hal looked back at the table, then at Mr. Evans.
    “Who did you bring with you?” Felicity’s father approached them.
    “Mr. Evans, you remember my captain, Brax McCay.” Brax got up, shaking his hand.
    “McCay, you have a great man here. Now, both of you sit down. Tell me where you disappeared to.” Mr. Evans authoritative voice amused Hal.
    “Dad, please.” Felicity drew their attention.
    The way she sat with her feet tucked beneath the chair, her long hair was perfectly done, Hal was beginning to rethink the smarts in coming to see her. Hell, who was he kidding? He came to claim her, after he wooed her. Maybe he should ask her out on a proper