FREED (Angels and Gargoyles Book 2) by Brenda L. Harper Read Free Book Online Page B

sitting with his legs crisscrossed in a way she never would have imagined such long legs could be folded.
    His movement, however, made it more difficult for Dylan to stay hidden without knocking over one or two of the boxes that provided their cover. Wyatt seemed to realize that because he slipped an arm around her, pulling her down onto her bottom beside him. He hesitated a moment, and then he tugged her tighter against him, practically dragging her into his lap. And then his hand slipped over the length of her back. She liked the feel of his palm moving over her spine, liked the way it made her breath catch in her throat, the way it made all her nerves come alive. She particularly liked the sense of pleasure that seemed to work its way through every pore, every muscle, every particle that made up her body and soul.
    She shifted, straddling his lap completely in the tightness of their hiding place. He shifted, too, pulling her hips hard against his. And then his fingers were in her hair, the danger suddenly forgotten as his lips touched hers.
    She knew this was wrong, knew there was some reason why this was really bad timing. But sparkles of ecstasy began to dance along her spine as he encouraged her to open to him, as he drew her so tight against him that she was beginning to forget she was an individual, an entity that didn’t require his presence to function.
    Their previous kiss had been new, exciting. This was as different from that as milk was different from water. Basically the same, but fundamentally different. And his hands hadn’t been part of the equation before. But now they seemed to be everywhere and nowhere all at once. It was as though they had a mind of their own and they were trying to memorize every curve, every inch of soft, aching skin.
    Her body had a mind of its own, too. Her hips wanted to shift, to slide and grind, her belly physically hurt with some unknowable need, and her hands wanted his skin beneath them, wanted to feel the muscles of his jaw working, the silkiness of his curls between her fingers. She was so aware of him it was as if his breath was hers, as if his heartbeat was timed exactly with her own. It was as if some essential part of each of them was drawn to the other, mingling, as though they were always meant to be one but were separated by some devastating accident.
    Images flew into her mind as his fingers found their way underneath the material of her t-shirt. Bodies moving together in the darkness of night. Naked women offering their bodies without shame, without self-respect. Young couples saying words to one another Dylan didn’t understand, but knew had something to do with a depth of emotion she had never truly known.
    What could be.
    And then Stiles’ voice was intruding, trying to get her attention.
    It’s over.
    It took her a few minutes to realize what it meant.
    Reluctantly, she pulled her lips from Wyatt’s. His hand came to her cheek, his fingers moving into her hair to tug her back to where she had been. His eyes searched hers, searched for something she was not sure he would find. He laid his forehead against hers, his breath coming in quick gasps as he tried to gain control of his raging emotions.
    “It’s over,” he said.
    “Yes,” she whispered.
    “We should go find the others.”
    He lifted her off of his lap and began to stand. But he hesitated a moment, his eyes on his hands where they were pressed against the floor. “Dylan, we probably shouldn’t—”
    He didn’t finish what he was about to say because a crash reverberated through the room.
    They were no longer alone.

Chapter 10
     
    Wyatt jumped to his feet, his samurai sword, which had been close at hand the whole time, again in his grip. He moved to the end of the box wall and peeked around the end. Dylan stood and moved up behind him, her hand on his shoulder, sending just enough of the memory of pleasure through her that she blushed.
    His sword in front of them and his free hand on her