Beast Untamed: Beasts of Bodmin Moor, Book 3 by Faye Avalon Read Free Book Online Page A

her breath. Awareness of him had been constant. The way his big hands had wrapped around the steering wheel, the way he controlled the vehicle with ease and utter confidence, and the way his scent had flooded her nostrils in the confined space.
    She realized he was standing perfectly still, and in the silence she could hear the soft sound of his breathing. He watched her with that assessing green gaze, making her chest squeeze with the effort to take in air.
    She felt her cheeks burn, her fingers tremble, and quickly reached for her bags. “I really can take them from here. Thanks for the lift.”
    Thankfully, he didn’t argue but handed her the bags. “Okay. See you around.” He tapped two fingers to his temple before swaggering off down the path and back to his car.
    Inside, Erin let out a relieved sigh, dropped the bags and petted her excited dog. “The man makes me nervous,” she told Willa. “In too many ways to count. I’m going to have to stay well out of his way in the future. Come on, girl, come on.” She picked up the bags and walked through to the kitchen. “I’ve got a yummy rawhide stick in here for you. Isn’t that lovely?”
    While Willa attended to her treat, Erin leaned back against the sink, watching the dog, but thinking of Nathan. It was perfectly normal for her to have such a reaction in his presence. He was imposing, intimidating and so damned arrogantly confident, she couldn’t imagine anyone not having a similar response. And he had apologized for his behavior last night. Sort of.
    Willa was already halfway through her rawhide stick, and Erin’s heart filled with love for her baby. Alongside that emotion came the image of Nathan’s fist thumping that wall, the sickening sound of his boot connecting with the plaster.
    Erin squeezed her eyes shut, wrapped her arms around herself as if to hold the memories, the agony of them, inside herself and not let them escape and become real again.
    She knelt on the floor, beckoning Willa over. The dog came, happily clenching the remainder of her treat in her mouth. She promptly rolled onto her back, legs in the air, and let Erin rub her belly. While she rubbed and cooed, Erin checked the wound on Willa’s rear leg. It was difficult to see now, especially beneath all that wonderful golden fur, and Erin thanked God for it. There hadn’t seemed to be any ill effects after the surgery, and the vet had been right. Willa had made a full recovery.
    Letting the rhythmic movement of stroking Willa soothe her, Erin renewed her vow. The one she had made two months ago. The night when she had packed a suitcase, grabbed Willa, and fled into the night.
    She wouldn’t let anyone hurt her baby again. If she had to pack up and run every five damn minutes, nobody would ever touch Willa again. And if they tried? God help them.

Chapter Four
    “Who’s the lucky lady you’re bringing to my wedding?”
    At Naomi’s question, Nathan looked up from where he was tearing down the last of the plasterboard wall in Tynan’s house.
    “I’m not bringing anyone,” Nathan said. “You take a female to a wedding and she’s going to start getting ideas.”
    Laughing, Naomi patted his cheek, ignoring the low warning growl from her soon-to-be husband, who was currently yanking at long-disconnected electric wires. “You’re such an old romantic.” All innocence, she batted her lashes. “But since you’re not bringing anyone, I’ve got a favor to ask.”
    Nathan didn’t especially like the sound of that. He had experience with Naomi’s favors, and they never came out in his best interests.
    “Will you take Erin? I really want her there, but I know she won’t come on her own.”
    “I’m part of the wedding party,” Nathan protested, a kind of panicked irritation trickling between his shoulder blades. “I’ve got duties, haven’t I? No time to babysit a woman who can’t get a date.”
    It wasn’t that he didn’t like the woman. In fact, she’d proved feisty and