Taming a Healer: 3 (Galactic Lust) by Kathleen Lash Read Free Book Online Page B

Nolan’s voice sounded deeper than normal.
    Gabriel shifted behind her when she moved. “Settle yourself,
Sadie, this instant.” His voice held dire warning and menace. He’d used that
very tone years ago. He’d shoved her away before explaining that although she’d
managed to arouse him, he’d never want a child .
    Whichever direction she moved, an unflinching body of a
hunter detained her. Exhausted, her knees buckled as the hunters pressed
closer, supporting her. Every inch of Gabriel’s sleekly muscled body pressed
against her back. Her stomach rolled and hands fisted as she felt the distinct
bulge of his erection. The nightmare returned full force, branding her once
again with utter shame and humiliation. She’d done it again. Aroused him. Anger
would follow!
     
    Gabriel held Sadie as her body stiffened. Her uncoordinated,
desperate movements allowed him to experience her fear. Mistakenly, he gave her
a foot of space. She pulled the knives from the sheaths at Nolan’s waist.
Probably the only being in the universe to disarm a hunter, she stood
motionless, unflinching, gulping air. Both he and Nolan stared at her in the
dim light. The speed in which she’d obtained the blades was remarkable. She’d
gained the weapons because neither of them remotely contemplated her doing
anything so rash.
    What disturbed him on a deeper level, was her stance. She
immediately turned sideways to hold them both at bay. She’d no reason to fear
either of them.
    Slowly, she walked backward toward the large area in the
cave with the hot springs where the fire burned, holding the combat knives with
intent. Once she’d reached the circle of light, Gabriel said, “See, healer,
it’s just Nolan and I. Nothing to fear. Give him the weapons.”
    “No.” She stared at Gabriel. In particular, she appeared
most afraid of him.
    A few hours prior, she’d tended him. What’d changed? “Your
problem lies with me?”
    “Yes.”
    “I’ll remain here, well away. Surrender the knives to
Nolan.”
    “No.”
    “You’ll hand them over now. You might get hurt if we have to
disarm you.”
    “ Shae-shondah,” Nolan said. He drew her attention.
“Please, you’re not rational and the only course of action would be to keep you
from harm. To do so, we’ll take the weapons. As Gabriel said, we don’t want you
to get hurt.”
    She threw one knife, the point landing in the sand a mere
half inch from Nolan’s boot. “As for this one,” she said, tossing and spinning
it before catching it in her hand, “I’ll keep it.”
    She glared at Gabriel. “I need distance. I need space. I
need time.”
    They watched her grab a torch from the fire before walking
toward the back of the cave. Every few feet, she glanced over her shoulder.
Gabriel said, “Perhaps the screaming animal pushed her beyond her endurance.”
    “Most of her people are dead. She knew what the beasts
attempted with the horse. They’d used her tribe members as bait. She’s been
through too much. How strange though. She disarmed me once she’d begun to
relax.”
    He replayed recent events in his mind. He’d grown aroused as
he held her close. Something similar had happened between them years before.
She’d made sexual advances, which he’d reacted to. What happened this eve
however, involved nothing sexual.
    He felt considerably better, more coherent after the
healing. Could it be he no longer realized how sick he was? Since when did a
woman’s fear transcend into desire for him?
    “Gabriel? What’s bothering you?”
    “I know what’s wrong with her.” He looked Nolan in the eyes.
“I got hard from her squirming against me. She could feel me.”
    “You’ve been very ill.”
    “I’ve wanted her for years.”
    “And she’s of age.”
    “I didn’t come here to fuck her.”
    “Of course not. She knows that. You once shared an unusual
relationship with her. Speak to her about what just happened.”
    Gabriel shoved his fingers into his hair, pushing