Michel/Striker by Alexandra Ivy, Laura Wright Read Free Book Online Page A

Locke. I was—”
    “Furious,” she interrupted.
    “And thankful.”
    She blinked in confusion. “Thankful?”
    He grimaced. “It gave me the perfect excuse to fight my attraction to you.”
    There was a long pause as she studied his expression. What was she searching for?
    “And that was important?” she at last demanded.
    “Yes.”
    Her lips flattened with annoyance. “Because I’m connected to Locke or because I’m human?”
    Ah. If only it was so simple.
    “Neither. I wanted to fight my attraction because it was too powerful,” he bluntly admitted. “I didn’t like feeling that my emotions were spinning out of control.”
    She sucked in a sharp breath, an unexpected hurt darkening her eyes. “Is this some sort of sick game you’re playing with me?”
    “Hell no,” he instantly growled, lowering his head until he could brush his lips over her scarred cheek. “I’ll admit I’m a master at playing games, but this is all too serious.”
    She stiffened, her fingers curling around his wrists as she tried to pull away.
    “Michel, don’t,” she pleaded.
    He lifted his head. For an agonizing minute he thought she was rejecting his touch. Not that he didn’t deserve it. But damn, he was just now accepting how desperately he needed this female.
    It couldn’t be too late.
    Then he abruptly realized she was protesting his kiss against her scars.
    His brows drew together as he scowled down at her wary expression.
    “It wasn’t your fault that you survived.”
    “I know, it’s just…” She made another bid for freedom. “They’re ugly.”
    Michel lowered his head, once again pressing his lips to her cheek. “Not to me.”
    “Right,” she muttered.
    He nuzzled a path to the curve of her ear. “You don’t believe me?”
    She trembled. “No.”
    Michel knew how he wanted to convince her that he found her profoundly and utterly enchanting. Scars and all.
    But he forced himself to pull back. He wanted to make damned sure she understood that there was nothing that could make her anything less than beautiful to him.
    “Then let me show you,” he said, stepping back to pull off his boots before straightening to undo his zipper.
    “What are you doing?” She gave a small gasp as he shoved down his jeans and stepped out of them, revealing his preference for going commando. But even as her cheeks heated with a combination of embarrassment and unmistakable arousal, her gaze drifted down to take in the deep scars that ran along the outside of his thighs to mid-calf on each leg. She lifted her head in confusion. “What happened?”
    “I had a birth defect that left me lame when I was a cub,” he explained. “It wasn’t until human technology progressed enough to replace my joints that I was able to walk.”
    “Oh.” Her tension melted as her scientific curiosity kicked into gear. Bending down, she studied the thick scars that marred his dark skin. “I thought Pantera healed too fast to leave blemishes?”
    He gave a low growl, his cock hardening. Did she have any idea what X-rated fantasies she was inspiring as she bent toward him?
    If she didn’t, she was going to find out.
    Very, very soon.
    “My body tried to reject the metal alloy in the knee joint,” he said, his voice thickening with his growing need. “It kept me from healing for weeks.”
    She straightened, a flush touching her cheeks. Clearly she’d had enough Pantera blood to catch the scent of his arousal.
    Or maybe it was his fully erect cock that was giving him away.
    She took a step backward. Like that was going to ease the passion that was smoking between them.
    “What happens when you shift?”
    He stepped forward, not about to give her space.
    “My cat absorbs the new material. But the scars remain.” He held her gaze. “Do they offend you?”
    “Of course not.”
    “Why not?” He moved even closer, sucking in a deep breath of her feminine scent. The air heated with his cat’s hunger. “They’re a symbol of my