Total pages in book: 114
Estimated words: 107670 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 538(@200wpm)___ 431(@250wpm)___ 359(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 107670 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 538(@200wpm)___ 431(@250wpm)___ 359(@300wpm)
She blinked. “Just one look?”
“Just one look. The possessiveness was a true shock. I wasn’t sure I’d ever be capable of that emotion. Not after losing my true mate. I wasn’t good at accepting the feeling, but I didn’t want to get rid of it either. It was, I don’t know, uplifting to know that I could feel it. It was uplifting to feel anything at all.”
Harley had assumed he’d grown to feel possessive. She hadn’t thought it had been an instant thing for him.
“The more I was around you, the more intense that emotion became. After a while, I stopped thinking I wanted you to be mine and started thinking of you as already belonging to me. I knew I’d one day have you. Knew I’d do what it took to make it happen. But I still wasn’t ready to accept that.” He slid his hand into her hair. “So I kept it to myself. I didn’t let you see it. I didn’t ask you to stay when Tess came for you, even though I didn’t want you to go. And even though I knew it was best for you to be away from your pride, I still didn’t want you away from me. So I kept watch over you, always knowing that one day I’d claim you. And I did.”
Harley melted into him as he kissed her, licking into her mouth. So many emotions flickered down the bond. Adoration. Possessiveness. Need. Respect. Protectiveness. All of it was wrapped up in what he felt for her. She moaned appreciatively as he rolled her onto her back and ground his cock against her clit. Then she moaned in complaint as her cell rang.
He sucked on her claiming mark. “Don’t answer it.”
Oh, she had no intention of doing so. But it just kept on ringing. Harley ignored it, arching into Jesse as his hand closed over her breast. Finally, her phone stopped ringing. She sighed, happy. And then his cell phone began to ring. “Oh, for fuck’s sake.” But he ignored it and began sucking hard on her nipple, grazing it with his teeth. He was just making his way to her other nipple when his phone finally shut the fuck up. And then her damn cell began to ring again.
Growling, Jesse grabbed it from the beside cabinet and gave it to her. “Answer it or they’ll harass us all night.”
Seeing that the caller was Shaya, she lost some of her anger. The female had been through a lot tonight. Harley answered in a monotone voice. “You have reached the Federal Bureau of Investigation tip line; this call will be recorded.”
Shaya gave a soft snort of amusement. “Your cousins are here.”
Harley sighed. “We’ll be there soon.” Ending the call, she asked, “Did you hear that?”
Jesse put her phone back on the cabinet. “I did.” He sucked her nipple into his mouth and gave it a sharp nip. “But we’re not leaving this bed until I’m done with you.” Jesse tilted her hips and drove deep inside her.
“How hard was it to track the extremists?” Jesse asked the margays later on. It turned out that they had arrived to assure Harley that the local group was now very much dead. They hadn’t been happy to hear she’d been caught up in a battle with harpy eagles and, in fact, seemed disappointed to have missed the opportunity to join in. Jesse had always thought Harley was quirky, but her cousins took it to a whole new level.
“Very difficult,” replied Indie, chewing gum. “They went underground.”
Eli arched a brow. “You’re sure they’re dead?”
“Unless they’re capable of reattaching their severed heads and digging their way out of a shallow grave, they’re quite dead,” said Indie with all the emotion of an answering machine.
Eli inclined his head. “Fair enough.”
“That should repulse me,” Shaya said to Harley. “I’m not sure why it doesn’t.”
Chin resting on his hand, Bracken leaned close to the quiet female, Shiloh, who seemed to be one of those people who spent most of their time focused on their phone. “Did you sever any heads?”
Shiloh looked at him, seeming surprised that he’d spoken to her. “Why?” Her flat tone matched her indifferent vibe. Jesse had never met anyone who had such a detached air about her . . . as if she simply had no interest whatsoever in the world around her.
Bracken shrugged. “Just curious.”
“Why?”
“Why not?”
“Curiosity can get you killed.”
“I’m not a cat. I’m a wolf.”
“We can’t all be special.” She went back to her phone, dismissing him. The enforcer actually smiled. Then again, he wasn’t a guy who was easily offended.
Shaya spoke to Piper, who was tapping her long, red-painted nails on the table. “Did Harley tell you she’s going to buy the club she was working at?”
“You are? Good.” Piper flicked back her dark, blue-highlighted hair. “It’s smart to branch out.”