naked before an audience of strangers astounded her. The members of her colony considered modesty a most-important virtue—and Michael obviously had none.
“Sir?” Unwilling to get close enough to touch him again—or have him touch her as he’d already done—she thrust the robe toward him insistently. With any luck, he’d take the not-so-subtle encouragement to cover his nakedness.
Instead, he used her extended arm as a leash to snag her, and then haul her in close. Her mouth dropped open as he scooped her up against his body, against all that hot male flesh. Against her protests, he swung her in an exuberant circle. Her flying legs made the assistants duck out of the way.
Laughing aloud, he shouted, “Kayli, love, I can stand on my own!”
“Michael, please!” Blushing to the roots of her fair hair, Kayli braced against his inflexible shoulders and glanced at her assistants. They all stared back at her with indulgent if astounded humor.
This display amused them?
Lower, near his ear, Kayli insisted, “You must show some decorum.”
Michael brought his face close to hers and, in a low rumbling growl, he said, “I’d rather take you to bed.”
A flash of heat left her mute and unseeing. She shook her head to clear it. “What? No!”
He nuzzled her jawline. “Why not?”
He had to stop saying such outrageous, impossible things to her. “I’ve already told you,” she whispered in a rush. “It is forbidden for me.”
Leaning back to see her, he smiled and said, “Yeah, well, as the almighty chosen one, I’ll have to change that now, won’t I?”
Chosen one? Doing her utmost to gather her composure, she pushed him away. Instilling much gravity into her voice, she said, “ First , you must cover yourself. I insist.”
His smile spread with insidious good humor. “I think it’s adorable when you take charge.”
She had to ignore that. She was a warrior, a respected member of her colony; there was nothing adorable about her. “And,” she continued, unwilling to reply to his comment, “I need to orient you to our colony and the time period. I must show you your new surroundings, help you become acclimated to your new environment—”
“That’ll wait.” He hugged her tight again, and there was nothing she could do about it without engaging in actual combat. “Right now, I just want to celebrate with some good lovin’.”
Good lovin’?
Nonplussed, Kayli shoved back yet again, this time as far as she could, and stared at him. How was it that she continually found herself flattened against him?
She tried to ease the press of her lower body against his, but with one arm around her waist and the other scooped just below her bottom, he kept her snug to him, forcing her to feel every extraordinary inch of his maleness—and there were . . . several inches.
“Now don’t faint,” he teased. But he did ease his hold just a bit.
It didn’t help, not when her wiggling attempts to escape him only added new heat to his vibrant blue eyes and an intensity to his entire mien that bespoke male interest in the extreme.
Kayli sucked in needed oxygen. “You are very quick to be accustomed to time travel.”
“Nah.” He put his forehead to hers and stared into her eyes. His breath was warm, his look warmer. “I just figure I’m dreaming or hallucinating or something. Whatever it is, I want to make the most of it before I wake up.”
He still didn’t believe her?
Dismay all but flattened her. She’d already transported him. He was in her vessel. What more could she do to convince him? “Sir . . .”
Another voice intruded, this one so strident it had the power to snap the mood and gain everyone’s attention. “Kayli!”
Wincing in dread, Kayli stiff-armed Michael. “You must release me. Now. ”
Before she could free herself, the voice continued with icy censure. “How dare you behave this way? Kayli Raine, this is not how you were raised to represent me. This is not how you serve
“Sir?” Unwilling to get close enough to touch him again—or have him touch her as he’d already done—she thrust the robe toward him insistently. With any luck, he’d take the not-so-subtle encouragement to cover his nakedness.
Instead, he used her extended arm as a leash to snag her, and then haul her in close. Her mouth dropped open as he scooped her up against his body, against all that hot male flesh. Against her protests, he swung her in an exuberant circle. Her flying legs made the assistants duck out of the way.
Laughing aloud, he shouted, “Kayli, love, I can stand on my own!”
“Michael, please!” Blushing to the roots of her fair hair, Kayli braced against his inflexible shoulders and glanced at her assistants. They all stared back at her with indulgent if astounded humor.
This display amused them?
Lower, near his ear, Kayli insisted, “You must show some decorum.”
Michael brought his face close to hers and, in a low rumbling growl, he said, “I’d rather take you to bed.”
A flash of heat left her mute and unseeing. She shook her head to clear it. “What? No!”
He nuzzled her jawline. “Why not?”
He had to stop saying such outrageous, impossible things to her. “I’ve already told you,” she whispered in a rush. “It is forbidden for me.”
Leaning back to see her, he smiled and said, “Yeah, well, as the almighty chosen one, I’ll have to change that now, won’t I?”
Chosen one? Doing her utmost to gather her composure, she pushed him away. Instilling much gravity into her voice, she said, “ First , you must cover yourself. I insist.”
His smile spread with insidious good humor. “I think it’s adorable when you take charge.”
She had to ignore that. She was a warrior, a respected member of her colony; there was nothing adorable about her. “And,” she continued, unwilling to reply to his comment, “I need to orient you to our colony and the time period. I must show you your new surroundings, help you become acclimated to your new environment—”
“That’ll wait.” He hugged her tight again, and there was nothing she could do about it without engaging in actual combat. “Right now, I just want to celebrate with some good lovin’.”
Good lovin’?
Nonplussed, Kayli shoved back yet again, this time as far as she could, and stared at him. How was it that she continually found herself flattened against him?
She tried to ease the press of her lower body against his, but with one arm around her waist and the other scooped just below her bottom, he kept her snug to him, forcing her to feel every extraordinary inch of his maleness—and there were . . . several inches.
“Now don’t faint,” he teased. But he did ease his hold just a bit.
It didn’t help, not when her wiggling attempts to escape him only added new heat to his vibrant blue eyes and an intensity to his entire mien that bespoke male interest in the extreme.
Kayli sucked in needed oxygen. “You are very quick to be accustomed to time travel.”
“Nah.” He put his forehead to hers and stared into her eyes. His breath was warm, his look warmer. “I just figure I’m dreaming or hallucinating or something. Whatever it is, I want to make the most of it before I wake up.”
He still didn’t believe her?
Dismay all but flattened her. She’d already transported him. He was in her vessel. What more could she do to convince him? “Sir . . .”
Another voice intruded, this one so strident it had the power to snap the mood and gain everyone’s attention. “Kayli!”
Wincing in dread, Kayli stiff-armed Michael. “You must release me. Now. ”
Before she could free herself, the voice continued with icy censure. “How dare you behave this way? Kayli Raine, this is not how you were raised to represent me. This is not how you serve
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