and clamping his lips over hers.
That was all it took for nine months of training to kick in. Ava reacted on instinct.
Jared couldn’t contain his stunned gasp as her hand found his balls. He jerked his mouth from hers and froze.
One wrong move, and his testicles were porridge.
Ava held them in a death grip—a far cry from the hot, sexy touch he’d dreamed about. The heel of her other hand was wedged beneath his sternum. She need only snap her wrist to wind him.
The erection that had burgeoned to life at the taste of her sweet breath died a swift death, and Jared silently cursed his recklessness.
Bloody idiot. How stupid had he been, moving that fast? Ava wasn’t ready to trust a man. Any man. And especially not a man holding her captive against him.
But, Christ, kissing her undid him. It made him act crazy.
Calmly as possible, he freed her body from the prison of his arms and held his hands up for her to see. “I kind of got ahead of myself.” He kept his voice low and soothing, like he did with his injured patients.
The low part wasn’t hard. His throat was rough with emotion. The soothing part… Yeah, that was a bit tougher. Especially with his nuts on the line. But Gheeri had always responded to that tone. All of the cats had. Would Ava?
Her chest heaved unevenly, and her eyes were fixed on his face, her mouth set in a stern line. From the tightness in her jaw, he guessed her teeth were clenched together.
“One taste of you short-circuited my mind. I just wanted more. I’m sorry for not checking with you first.” Adrenaline pounded his system. Whether the rush was brought on by the wonder of kissing Ava or the shock of her reaction, he had no idea. All he knew was he had to work double as hard as usual to hold still.
The last thing he needed to do now was startle her.
“Av?”
No answer. Not that he really expected one.
“The idea of your hand on my balls has been a regularly featured fantasy for years, but the footpath outside a block of flats probably isn’t the best place to live out said fantasy.”
Her grip lessened not at all.
“Okay, I’m good with outside a block of flats. Hell, I’m good with you touching me anywhere. But maybe loosen your hold just a bit?”
Still no response.
Maybe humor would work. “Or, I don’t know, rub instead of squeeze?”
Ava released him abruptly, stepping back.
He breathed a silent sigh of relief.
“Don’t be a pig, Thurston.” She whirled away, giving him her back as she marched off.
“Wait.” He strode to catch up, keeping his tone light. “You had me by the balls, but I’m the pig?”
She pressed her lips together and didn’t answer.
“Quite some moves you’ve got there, Torres. You almost ended my ability to have children.”
“Shut up, Jared.” The words were choked.
“Av.” He dropped the lightness from his tone. “I’m joking. That’s all. Trying to defuse the situation.” Things had gotten both tense and intense, very fast, and if he had the ability, he’d kick his own ass for letting issues get so out of hand.
Ava just increased the speed and size of her paces.
She moved more quickly than Jared would have thought possible—just like Gheeri, when the leopard perceived danger in her surroundings. When she perceived him to be a danger.
The thought of Ava perceiving him as dangerous tore a hole through his chest.
“I just want to talk, that’s all. Clear the air between us.”
She shook her head in a silent no. Only she wasn’t that silent. A muffled sob echoed through the air.
Reality hit him like a slap across the face. She was crying. Tears streaked down her cheeks. Pain ripped through his gut. “Ava.”
“Leave me alone. Please.” She walked ahead of him.
“I can’t.” He kept pace. “I don’t want to.”
“I want you to. I need you to.”
“No. You need to stop running and talk to me. Tell me why you’re so upset.”
Again she shook her head, but this time her sob wasn’t
That was all it took for nine months of training to kick in. Ava reacted on instinct.
Jared couldn’t contain his stunned gasp as her hand found his balls. He jerked his mouth from hers and froze.
One wrong move, and his testicles were porridge.
Ava held them in a death grip—a far cry from the hot, sexy touch he’d dreamed about. The heel of her other hand was wedged beneath his sternum. She need only snap her wrist to wind him.
The erection that had burgeoned to life at the taste of her sweet breath died a swift death, and Jared silently cursed his recklessness.
Bloody idiot. How stupid had he been, moving that fast? Ava wasn’t ready to trust a man. Any man. And especially not a man holding her captive against him.
But, Christ, kissing her undid him. It made him act crazy.
Calmly as possible, he freed her body from the prison of his arms and held his hands up for her to see. “I kind of got ahead of myself.” He kept his voice low and soothing, like he did with his injured patients.
The low part wasn’t hard. His throat was rough with emotion. The soothing part… Yeah, that was a bit tougher. Especially with his nuts on the line. But Gheeri had always responded to that tone. All of the cats had. Would Ava?
Her chest heaved unevenly, and her eyes were fixed on his face, her mouth set in a stern line. From the tightness in her jaw, he guessed her teeth were clenched together.
“One taste of you short-circuited my mind. I just wanted more. I’m sorry for not checking with you first.” Adrenaline pounded his system. Whether the rush was brought on by the wonder of kissing Ava or the shock of her reaction, he had no idea. All he knew was he had to work double as hard as usual to hold still.
The last thing he needed to do now was startle her.
“Av?”
No answer. Not that he really expected one.
“The idea of your hand on my balls has been a regularly featured fantasy for years, but the footpath outside a block of flats probably isn’t the best place to live out said fantasy.”
Her grip lessened not at all.
“Okay, I’m good with outside a block of flats. Hell, I’m good with you touching me anywhere. But maybe loosen your hold just a bit?”
Still no response.
Maybe humor would work. “Or, I don’t know, rub instead of squeeze?”
Ava released him abruptly, stepping back.
He breathed a silent sigh of relief.
“Don’t be a pig, Thurston.” She whirled away, giving him her back as she marched off.
“Wait.” He strode to catch up, keeping his tone light. “You had me by the balls, but I’m the pig?”
She pressed her lips together and didn’t answer.
“Quite some moves you’ve got there, Torres. You almost ended my ability to have children.”
“Shut up, Jared.” The words were choked.
“Av.” He dropped the lightness from his tone. “I’m joking. That’s all. Trying to defuse the situation.” Things had gotten both tense and intense, very fast, and if he had the ability, he’d kick his own ass for letting issues get so out of hand.
Ava just increased the speed and size of her paces.
She moved more quickly than Jared would have thought possible—just like Gheeri, when the leopard perceived danger in her surroundings. When she perceived him to be a danger.
The thought of Ava perceiving him as dangerous tore a hole through his chest.
“I just want to talk, that’s all. Clear the air between us.”
She shook her head in a silent no. Only she wasn’t that silent. A muffled sob echoed through the air.
Reality hit him like a slap across the face. She was crying. Tears streaked down her cheeks. Pain ripped through his gut. “Ava.”
“Leave me alone. Please.” She walked ahead of him.
“I can’t.” He kept pace. “I don’t want to.”
“I want you to. I need you to.”
“No. You need to stop running and talk to me. Tell me why you’re so upset.”
Again she shook her head, but this time her sob wasn’t
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