Her Tiger To Take by Kat Simons Read Free Book Online Page B

natural, so electric that she
could only feel her need.
    She wanted him so much she didn’t care that
they were in a parking lot. She barely considered that they might
have an audience. She simply didn’t care. She wanted to unzip his
pants, push her own trousers out of the way, and take him right
there, standing against his truck.
    But the idea that there was a bed just a few
steps away struck her as much better. Could she resist him long
enough to get the door unlocked? If not, she’d pay for the repairs
from breaking the doorframe.
    When she pushed him back, intending to pull
him to the room, he surprised her by dropping his hold and taking a
step back to put space between them.
    “Goodnight,” he grunted, then hurried to the
driver’s side of the truck.
    She barely had time to close her door before
he backed out and skidded away, leaving her standing in the parking
lot staring after his taillights, her pulse pounding, her breathing
erratic, her body on fire.
    What the hell?
    She was inside the room before she realized
what had happened.
    She’d told him she meant it when she’d said
no sex yet. He probably thought she’d been pushing him away rather
than trying to steer him to her room.
    The realization made her laugh. A shaky,
breathy, self-deprecating laugh, but still a laugh. He’d respected
her wishes, despite the power of that kiss, despite her own lack of
willpower. He was abiding by the rules she set.
    Rules that would allow him to run for
her.
    Hope and fear warred equally in her gut as
she went to the bathroom to change for bed. He wanted her, and a
part of him was keeping the option of the Mate Run open. But there
was a lot left unsaid between them…especially about family, and why
he had given up on the Run. His family history was complicated. She
knew the stories, but there was something more there holding him
back.
    As she washed her face, she considered the
possibilities. Until they talked about it, though, she’d only be
guessing.
    He wanted her. That was a good start. He
liked her enough to respect the rules she’d put in place for their
“dating”, which encouraged her more. But the shadow hanging between
them worried her.
    She stripped off her trousers and blouse, and
then stared out the high bathroom window. She was too restless and
edgy to sleep. The motel backed up to the woods. She could use a
run. Her tiger needed to get out to release some of this excess
energy. She needed to clear her head, so full of lust and Nick’s
scent. Then she’d be able to think, to plan. To find a way to
overcome Nick’s resistance.
    Yes, a run would be just the thing.
     
    By noon the next day, when Nick hadn’t seen
or felt any sign of Tiana, he started to worry.
    At first, he’d been grateful. It had taken
every ounce of self-control left in him to walk away from her last
night—run away, more like. He wasn’t sure he had enough control
left to resist her anymore, and he’d been deathly afraid that if
she walked into his diner for breakfast, he’d drag her back to his
place and fuck her until the world ended, no matter what rules
she’d set.
    His body hadn’t stopped throbbing with need
since he’d driven away from her. Nothing helped, nothing stopped
the ache. She was so far under his skin now, he had to admit he’d
lost this fight.
    He liked her. He’d known he would. His
tiger had been telling him for six years she was his. Her letters,
her emails, assured him she was the kind of woman he’d fall for.
He’d gone home last night and re-read everything, confirming all
his worst fears. Their evening together had sealed the deal. She
was…
    She was worth running for.
    Which made his situation that much worse. The
more he wanted her, the more he liked her, the more desperate he
was to keep her away from him and the darkness lurking beneath the
surface.
    When he made it through the breakfast rush
without having to face her, he’d been relieved. He needed the
space, the time, to get his