Total pages in book: 113
Estimated words: 107209 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 536(@200wpm)___ 429(@250wpm)___ 357(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 107209 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 536(@200wpm)___ 429(@250wpm)___ 357(@300wpm)
“Vero?” she whispered. Had he been attacked? Glancing at his hands, she could see bloody knuckles. He’d definitely fought and hard. Shaking her head, she moved into the room. A scent immediately assailed her, filling her senses with full-blooded male. Fresh, wild, and foresty.
At the very least, she could help the guy take off his boots.
Grabbing his ankle, she tried to push him onto his back. “Vero,” she whispered. “Turn over.” When he didn’t comply, she moved up his body and nudged his shoulder. “Roll over so I can at least get your boots off.”
He turned his head to the side, his gaze cloudy. “Lyrica? Pax and I had it out but we’re good now. Are you in my bedroom?”
“Yes.” She prodded him again, wishing she’d tossed on a sweatshirt over her thin cami top.
He moved then, rolling over with a sudden, unrestrained strength that caught her completely off guard, somehow taking her with him in the fluid motion. For a heartbeat, she was on top of him, her hands pressed against the solid expanse of his chest, the unyielding muscle beneath his shirt like steel under her palms. Then, just as quickly, she was beneath him, pinned under the full weight of him—broad shoulders framing her view, the powerful lines of his body surrounding her. His chest was impossibly hard, his muscles tense and coiled like a predator poised to strike, and every inch of him radiated a heat that was both overwhelming and inescapable.
“Hey,” she protested as his wet clothes permeated her cami and yoga pants.
“Hey,” he breathed back, his hands tunneling through her thick hair.
Her mouth dried up. Even though he weighed a ton, somehow he kept from crushing her by positioning his elbows near her shoulders. As he breathed, she could actually feel his ripped abs move against her thin shirt. “This is a bad idea.”
“I know.” His voice deepened.
Her body shuddered in pure, feminine response. “I-I can’t do this. Can’t live this life.” It was too late to pretend that physical attraction didn’t pound between them. Heck. Even the emotional attraction turned her all girly. Even though his people were slowly moving into the modern world, they’d never get there all the way. As independent a woman as she was, she didn’t know how to change and had no intention of learning. Not even for somebody as intriguing as the Kurjan enforcer. Or was he a prince? Did it matter?
“True.” He turned on his side, taking her with him, and spooning his impossibly warm form around her. “But you need cover, and I’m gonna provide it.” His voice remained sleepy and slightly slurred. “I have an idea how but I’m not ready to convince you. Not tonight.”
Convince her? What in the world was he talking about? Her thoughts tumbled into a jumbled mess, and she tried to form coherent words. “Um. You’re kind of enveloping me,” she managed, though the protest lacked conviction.
And it wasn’t entirely true. He wasn’t just enveloping her—he was everywhere. The solid wall of his chest pressed against her back, the heat of his body sinking into her own, and his arms caged her with a strength that felt both unyielding and oddly comforting. The rough edges of him, the hard lines of muscle and strength, should have been intimidating, but instead, they left her feeling…safe. Too safe. He felt way too good surrounding her, and she hated herself a little for not wanting to move.
He didn’t move. “You remind me of somebody. She was perfect.”
She blinked, fighting the irrational urge to lean into the solid warmth of his protection, his strength a magnetic pull. Her mind raced, torn between curiosity and a hint of dread. Did he want to tell her about an ex-girlfriend? The thought was as bizarre as it was unsettling. Did the Kurjans even have ex-girlfriends? The idea seemed foreign, almost laughable. Yet here she was, asking anyway. “Who?” she whispered, not really wanting the answer.
Vero snuggled his nose into her neck. “Her name was Karma.”
What a beautiful name. A poker-hot and very unwelcome jealousy flowed through Lyrica’s veins. “That’s nice.”
“Yeah.” His lips brushed her nape. How had he moved her head to the side? Fire lashed through her, lighting her skin into need. “She was the closest female I ever had to a mother. I mean, she wasn’t my mother, but she acted maternal. She cared, you know?”
Lyrica’s head jerked. “Wait a minute. You find me matronly?”
His chuckle warmed her already electrified skin. “Not even close. Believe me. All I meant was that Karma seemed tough and was very soft. Perhaps too kind. At least, she was to me.”
Lyrica’s heart hurt for him. More than a little. “Yeah. There’s nothing like a mother’s love, or so I’ve heard. Wouldn’t know.”
He jerked against her and then flattened his humongous hand against her abdomen, drawing her closer against him, spooning her like they belonged together. Heat instantly engulfed her from both sides, and desire slammed hard into her core. “You never even met your mother? Not once?” He sounded almost sleepy against her skin.