Savage Instinct by Celeste Anwar Read Free Book Online Page B

her
to make leaps in misjudgment.
     
    He looked dangerous in a purely sexual way that would just
get her into trouble.  She wasn’t open for invitations.  Better to leave his
suggestive words and looks alone and give that boy a wide birth.
     
    He could probably finagle her into doing whatever he wanted
if he tried long enough.  The knowledge disturbed her.  She didn’t like to
think she was a sucker for a pretty face, but she damned sure wasn’t immune to
it.
     
    “I have to get cleaned up and ready for bed, myself,” she
said, fighting the heat steaming her insides to mush like overcooked
vegetables.  The man oozed sex appeal.  Bastard.
     
    Be hard!  Be stern!  You don’t know this guy , she
said to herself.  He could be a rapist!
     
    She might not tell him no if he tried something.
     
    He looked like he wanted to try something.  Something
dirty.
     
    It could just be her imagination running wild.
     
    He looked like he’d be good in bed.  The kind of guy that would
bite and gnaw on her in all the right places, like a dog with a bone.
     
    No, she would tell him no if he asked or hinted again.  She
didn’t want or need a man in her life right now.  Least of all one that had a
wild, animalistic glint in his green eyes that made her pulse race and her cunt
quiver like an earthquake rumbled underfoot.
     
    Swallowing with an effort, she grabbed a blanket and pillow
for him and left him in the living without saying another word.  Retreating to
her bedroom with her purse and car keys, she closed the door firmly behind her
and leaned against the hollow core door, trying to catch her breath.
     
    Why was she so out of breath and shaky feeling?
     
    Sweat dampened her shirt, making her feel sticky and
uncomfortable.
     
    She was emotionally and physically drained.  The thought of
bathing after the ordeal of her day made her want to fall asleep on her feet.
     
    She straightened up and turned the lock on the door with
authority, satisfied when it clicked into place.
     
    After thinking it over a good minute, she decided that just
in case he was a maniac rapist waiting until she fell asleep or got naked in
the shower psycho style to make a move, she wedged herself on the other side of
her dresser and forced it in front of the door.  The clawed feet made a
terrible racket as they dragged across the laminate flooring.
     
    She winced but didn’t give a damn what he thought.  This
was her house, and if she wanted to barricade herself in her room, then that’s
what she’d do.  She wasn’t about to shower or sleep without an obstacle between
them.
     
    Just in case.
    ***
     
    Sleeping on a couch too short for him to spread out on made
Aiden’s neck and back ache.  Sunlight streamed through the blinds, making him
wonder why the builders faced her house to the East to meet the sun.
     
    “Ah!  It’s too damned bright in here,” he muttered to
himself, burying his head under a pillow.
     
    The damage was done, however.  He was awake, and he wasn’t
sure he could handle staying at Nydia’s place until his pack returned.  Maybe
he’d try calling them when she got up and brought her phone out with her.
     
    His stomach rumbled, trying to eat a hole through his back.
     
    Healing himself after the fight had taken a lot more energy
than he was used to, plus, he’d been interrupted in his hunt before he’d
managed to track down any game.
     
    It was a wonder he’d had the reserves to shift or heal at
all, but he supposed that was more instinct and adrenaline than anything else.
     
    Nydia was still asleep in her bedroom.  His ears twitched,
listening for movement.  He didn’t want her suspicions raised any more than
they already were at his ability to walk around without any pain.  Keeping up
the pretense was wearing his nerves thin.
     
    Walking into the kitchen, he opened the fridge and peered
inside for something to eat.  She had cheese sticks, which he unpeeled and
began munching on as he