Craving Her (Keeping Her Series Book 4) by Kelly Lucille Read Free Book Online Page A

what he would be
to her.  She had bought the stupid bed with Shawn in mind. 
    Maybe it was time she
told him that. 
    Even as the thought
solidified, it amped up her nerves until they were jumping under her skin.  So
many things could go wrong if she went down this road, but Miley was right, she
would always regret it if she did not at least try with Shawn.  And with her
nerves pressing just under her skin, she went looking for the one thing she
rarely wore.  A dress.  The only reason she had one little black dress was
because she read somewhere that they were essential to a woman’s wardrobe. 
Plus, when she tried it on, the short V-neck black dress made her boobs look
like they actually existed.  And, it was loose fitting so she could get her
guns and knives in place without worrying about bulges.  Besides, it looked
cute with her knee-high boots.  Those were not qualities even she could step
away from in clothes – even if it was a dress.  At the last minute, she decided
to forgo the weaponry.  Talk about feeling naked, but if Shawn was going to rip
her clothes off, and she certainly hoped that was what would happen.  She did
not want him to have to stop for weapon removal.  She did have a sweet little
Glock hidden in the car so she would not be completely exposed.  It just felt
like it.
    ***
    Most of the pack had
their homes wherever they ended up on the map, but when they were in Napa, they
stayed at the pack house at Lionsgate.  Shawn had purchased his house outside
of town, but close enough that he rarely stayed at Lionsgate, unless there was
danger to the pack.  It was set back in a twenty-acre parcel that embraced the
trees, and overlooked a private lake where he kept a fishing boat.  She had
never been there, but she had heard about it.  It was quiet and private.  When
she stopped the car and looked up at the many levels of the gabled roof
surrounded by tall trees, she could see why a hawk-shifter would particularly
like it.
    Stepping out of the car
and closing the door, she took in what she could of the lake cabin and slightly
wild flower beds.  She caught glimpses of moonlight on the water through the
trees and knew that the lake was close to the back porch.  She took a deep
breath to steady her nerves and turned to look right into raptor eyes shining
at her from the trees.
    “Hey, Shawn,” she said
mildly, her lion eyes, though nowhere nearly as good as his, still allowed her
to see the shape of his feathered form high in the trees.  And there was no
mistaking the glow of predator eyes in the dark. 
    He would have heard her
coming as soon as she turned onto his drive, if not before.  So it was
ridiculous to feel her heart pounding and her adrenaline surging because he was
watching her.
    The oversized hawk spread
his massive wings and swooped down and around the house.  With a hard release
of the breath she had been holding, Cleo headed for the front door, sure that
Shawn had a window open in the back for him to enter unseen.
    Sure enough, by the time
she stepped onto the front porch, the door opened and Shawn stood there in
hastily donned jeans and nothing else.  He was barefoot and he might have a few
inches on her, but still, this close they were eye to eye.  Hazel to blue, she
met his cold stare across the entry.
    “Why are you here Cleo?” he
asked, that voice of his enough to send shivers up her spine even when the look
behind it was less than welcoming.
    She ignored the wholly
unwelcoming vibes and forged ahead.  “You could invite me in.”
    He looked her over,
taking in her black dress that skimmed well above her knees over sleek, black
knee-high boots and shook his head.  “Not a good idea.”  The flash of raptor
that briefly flashed in his eyes was the only thing that gave her the courage
to step closer.  She stood right at his threshold, close enough that she could
feel the heat from his body through her thin dress.
    “You had to know I would
show up sooner or