bite
during battle or sex. You don’t mean you would, I mean—”
“Oh yeah, darlin’.” Glowing golden eyes met hers. “I will bite you. And you’ll like it.”
“No.” Cara tried to shove force into the words even as need scampered through her stomach and danced up her spine. “None of that’s going to happen, Talen.” A longing tingled inside her veins and called her a liar.
An arched eyebrow met her earnest gaze. “We’re married, Cara. Soon we’ll be mated. ‘No’ isn’t an option for you.”
“Bullshit.” Cara may not know the man very well, but he would never force himself on her.
“I should probably tell you now to watch your language.” Talen’s face settled into set lines, his eyes direct, his jaw firm.
“Fuck you.”
His teeth flashed and he stood to his full height. “Damn if you aren’t perfect.” He rubbed his chin, his gaze dropping to her breasts. “And don’t think for a second you won’t pay for your defiance.”
The rumble of his voice issuing the sexual threat soaked her panties. Plain and simple. She searched for another tact. “You promised you wouldn’t hurt me.”
Talen’s gaze traveled to her eyes, and his lips tipped in almost a grin. “I won’t.”
She slammed her hands on her hips and wondered if a decent sidekick could take out his knee. “I don’t want to be mated.”
“You will.”
Cara opened her mouth to respond just as he gave an annoyed snort and yanked his shirt over his head. Her gaze caught on a smooth, perfectly muscled chest before moving to the side. A bloody hole covered his upper arm. She gulped. Crimson wove through the outline of muscles. “You were shot,” she said slowly.
“Yeah, looks like it.” He shrugged. “I think one bullet hit me, but it went right through.” He poked at the round dark hole. “I should probably put something on this now, though.”
The room spun around her, and she grabbed the counter for support. “You sat through dinner with a bullet wound?”
Talen raised an eyebrow in surprise. “I said it went all the way through. It’s not a big deal, Cara.” He reached over and grabbed a kitchen towel to press against the wound. “Check under the sink for a first-aid kit, will you?”
Cara looked under the sink before darting into the bathroom to find a kit in the medicine cabinet. She concentrated on not throwing up as she wiped the wound clean, amazement pooling in her stomach as the bullet hole closed and pinkened into healthy flesh once she’d removed the clotted blood. She worked with plants for a reason. It didn’t help that Talen’s gaze heated on her as her hands touched his flesh. Then he emitted a low growl from his throat.
Cara cleared her own throat. He was the only access to her daughter, and she had to bide her time. She stepped back after taping the bandage to his large bicep and wiped a hand across her forehead. She studiously refused to look at his strong, very bare chest and moved so the table sat between them.
A flash of lightning caused her to jump. The storm outside broke with the fury of a long-ago battle, and Talen’s gaze remained hot and still on her within the tiny confines of the cabin.
“Stop staring at me,” she snapped, facing him squarely.She shivered as the storm outside brought an uncomfortable stillness to the small space.
“Stop running from me,” came his arrogant reply. He crossed his arms, his eyes darkly golden in the dusky light, his stance deceptively calm.
Cara stared at the intimidating warrior only a few feet from her. Arousal warmed through her like a fine wine. His long dark hair lay in thick, wet tendrils around a face carved from stone. His eyes sparked as wild as the land around them, his body forged from steel. He was every dark fantasy she’d ever had—she ached in undiscovered places. Her muscles clenched in the need to break something.
There was no way she’d give herself over to an arrogant, dominating alpha male she just met. A
during battle or sex. You don’t mean you would, I mean—”
“Oh yeah, darlin’.” Glowing golden eyes met hers. “I will bite you. And you’ll like it.”
“No.” Cara tried to shove force into the words even as need scampered through her stomach and danced up her spine. “None of that’s going to happen, Talen.” A longing tingled inside her veins and called her a liar.
An arched eyebrow met her earnest gaze. “We’re married, Cara. Soon we’ll be mated. ‘No’ isn’t an option for you.”
“Bullshit.” Cara may not know the man very well, but he would never force himself on her.
“I should probably tell you now to watch your language.” Talen’s face settled into set lines, his eyes direct, his jaw firm.
“Fuck you.”
His teeth flashed and he stood to his full height. “Damn if you aren’t perfect.” He rubbed his chin, his gaze dropping to her breasts. “And don’t think for a second you won’t pay for your defiance.”
The rumble of his voice issuing the sexual threat soaked her panties. Plain and simple. She searched for another tact. “You promised you wouldn’t hurt me.”
Talen’s gaze traveled to her eyes, and his lips tipped in almost a grin. “I won’t.”
She slammed her hands on her hips and wondered if a decent sidekick could take out his knee. “I don’t want to be mated.”
“You will.”
Cara opened her mouth to respond just as he gave an annoyed snort and yanked his shirt over his head. Her gaze caught on a smooth, perfectly muscled chest before moving to the side. A bloody hole covered his upper arm. She gulped. Crimson wove through the outline of muscles. “You were shot,” she said slowly.
“Yeah, looks like it.” He shrugged. “I think one bullet hit me, but it went right through.” He poked at the round dark hole. “I should probably put something on this now, though.”
The room spun around her, and she grabbed the counter for support. “You sat through dinner with a bullet wound?”
Talen raised an eyebrow in surprise. “I said it went all the way through. It’s not a big deal, Cara.” He reached over and grabbed a kitchen towel to press against the wound. “Check under the sink for a first-aid kit, will you?”
Cara looked under the sink before darting into the bathroom to find a kit in the medicine cabinet. She concentrated on not throwing up as she wiped the wound clean, amazement pooling in her stomach as the bullet hole closed and pinkened into healthy flesh once she’d removed the clotted blood. She worked with plants for a reason. It didn’t help that Talen’s gaze heated on her as her hands touched his flesh. Then he emitted a low growl from his throat.
Cara cleared her own throat. He was the only access to her daughter, and she had to bide her time. She stepped back after taping the bandage to his large bicep and wiped a hand across her forehead. She studiously refused to look at his strong, very bare chest and moved so the table sat between them.
A flash of lightning caused her to jump. The storm outside broke with the fury of a long-ago battle, and Talen’s gaze remained hot and still on her within the tiny confines of the cabin.
“Stop staring at me,” she snapped, facing him squarely.She shivered as the storm outside brought an uncomfortable stillness to the small space.
“Stop running from me,” came his arrogant reply. He crossed his arms, his eyes darkly golden in the dusky light, his stance deceptively calm.
Cara stared at the intimidating warrior only a few feet from her. Arousal warmed through her like a fine wine. His long dark hair lay in thick, wet tendrils around a face carved from stone. His eyes sparked as wild as the land around them, his body forged from steel. He was every dark fantasy she’d ever had—she ached in undiscovered places. Her muscles clenched in the need to break something.
There was no way she’d give herself over to an arrogant, dominating alpha male she just met. A
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