[English] BEAUTY DATES THE BEAST

Beauty Dates the Beast
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One of the clones gestured outside. “Getting his kit from the back of the truck.”

Beau grunted acknowledgment. “You bring your weapons?”

Wait. Huh? “Weapons?” I interrupted. “What are you guys doing?”

Beau said, “We’re setting up a sting. If that thing returns to this house, it won’t live for long.”

Well, ****. I did not need a bunch of cat shifters crawling around in the house. I needed them all to leave now, before they scented Sara. I cast an angry look at Beau. “You can’t do that. I don’t want weapons in my house. In fact, I don’t want a bunch of strangers in my house.”

Beau pulled me toward the far corner of the living room. The others averted their eyes, talking in low whispers.

“Let me take care of this, Bathsheba,” he said quietly. “I’m not going to allow some creature to stalk you, break into your house, and threaten your life. You are going to be safe. I’ve marked you with my claim, and you are going to accept that I’m looking out for you.” His words were low and even.

I opened my mouth to protest.

“The others won’t touch you. They’ll give you more respect than a normal human would get because I’ve claimed you.” When I started to protest again, he continued, “You are mine. I’ve already decided it. And if I have to mark you all over that delicious body of yours to prove it, I will.”

A blast of desire raced through me at that mental image and I swallowed hard, resisting the urge to fan myself.

The crooked smile curved his mouth again and he ran his thumb over my lower lip as if to remind me of his kisses. Then he walked toward his men. “We need to set up a defense. Bring the silver and the wolfsbane, and be careful with it. I want you to start upstairs.”

They left me there in the living room, stunned, my lips still feeling the electric heat from his touch. I wandered back to the kitchen, peeking in. The pantry door was wide open and there was no Sara anywhere. That was a good sign. Maybe she’d changed back and gone to the back bathroom to disguise her scent.

A hand touched my elbow.

I jerked away, stumbling back a few steps in fright.

A big, blond man stood there with a grave look on his face. He was enormous—at least a foot taller than Beau and broader. His hair was shaggy, his features large. One hand held a toolbox, and the other colossal mitt held up a bottle of water. “Drink this.”

I stared up at the giant in alarm. “Who … who are you?”

Irritation crossed the hard features, as if he was annoyed that he had to answer me. “Ramsey.”

“Okay.” Beau had mentioned Ramsey a few times. His best friend and fellow Alliance member. “No, thank you. I’m not thirsty.”

He reached out, grabbed my hand, and forced the water bottle into it. “Drink.”

Not exactly the most friendly man. I glared at him.

He glared back.

I drank.

Next, he handed me a silver bubble pack of pills. “Take these.”

I pushed them away. “I’m fine.”

Ignoring my protests, he nudged the pills at me again.

I took the pills from him and scowled when he continued to watch me, waiting for me to swallow them. “Your Mr. Russell is a bit high-handed.”

Ramsey grunted. Obviously not a man of many words.

I eyed the pills—clearly something to relax my nerves. God knows I could use it. Sara and I needed to get out of Fort Worth. Away from the shifters, away from everyone. We could pack the necessities tonight and be out of the city by morning, but not with all these shifters hanging around my house, trying to be helpful.

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“Take. The. Pills.” Ramsey loomed over me, his face hard and unsmiling. His arms crossed over his chest, and he stared pointedly at me.

I returned his glare. “I’m going to complain to your boss that you’re trying to drug me.”

Ramsey’s hard eyes glittered down into mine. “Who do you think told me to give them to you?”

Oh. Well, then. This was what I got for pretending to have a nervous breakdown to distract Beau. I could pack while medicated, I supposed. Even if I didn’t want to take the pills, I had no doubt that Ramsey would force me to take them, one way or another. Ignoring the hulking giant that hovered over me, I reluctantly swigged the pills down with water.

They tasted terrible, leaving a coating in my mouth. “Does everyone always do what Beau wants?” I asked, gesturing at the men who crawled all over my house. I could still hear Beau barking orders upstairs.

“Yes,” said Ramsey.

I snorted and began to clean up the glass from the two broken windows. I needed to check on my sister, but not with this overgrown behemoth looming over my shoulder. But soon I grew sleepy, sluggish. Things started to feel disconnected, and my head felt like it was spinning.

Beau suddenly appeared at my side and angled my face up, studying my expression. “How is she?”

I wanted to protest that he could ask me directly, but there was a fog settling on my brain. Ramsey showed up out of the corner of my eye, Sara standing behind him, her clothes changed and her hair wet—a quick shower?

“She took the pills,” Ramsey said in that low, gruff voice. “I’d give it a few hours.”

“For what?” I asked, finding it difficult to keep my eyes open.

“More than enough time,” Beau said, and then I was lifted into the air. The world spun dizzily, the thick scent of Beau was everywhere, and I realized I was cradled against his naked chest. He was so warm and delicious that I snuggled in and sighed with bliss. I could go to sleep right here. “Time enough for what?”

He pressed his lips to my forehead, and the world bobbed a little as he began to walk. “Time to get you home, Bathsheba. To my place.”

“We can’t,” I protested, trying to focus my eyes on my sister. Sara’s face was ashen with stress, her arms crossed over her chest. “We’re leaving.”

“Yes, we are,” Beau agreed.

We were talking about two different things—but I could no longer stay awake. My eyes sealed shut as I burrowed deeper in Beau’s arms and let the heavy sleep take over me.

Chapter Eight

When I woke up, the foul taste in my mouth had blossomed into a whole new kind of foul, and my head throbbed. I sat up, realizing that I was on someone’s couch. That explained the crick in my neck and the drool tracks down the side of my face. I wiped them away and frowned at my surroundings.

It looked like I was in some sort of rustic lodge. The couch was an ugly country plaid, and the walls were some sort of log planks.

The room itself was huge, the windows large, filling the room with sunlight. A braided rug decorated the floor, and I caught a glimpse of a spacious kitchen across the living room. This wasn’t just a log cabin—this was a log cabin on steroids.

Beau’s house? I vaguely remembered him saying he would take me home.

But where was Sara? Where was my sister?

The world came rushing back and I bolted through the rooms, looking for her. She was nowhere to be found. I opened a dozen doors, but I was the only one in the house. It hit me like a ton of bricks then.

I’d been drugged. That bastard Ramsey had given me something to knock me out. Stupid fool that I was, I’d thought it was something to make me relax. Nope. It was something to make me unconscious.

I ran my hands down my dress. My panty hose were intact and my hair was still a disgusting mess. I felt a little better.

Beau. “Time to get you home, Bathsheba. To my place.” Alarm returned as full memory did.

A monster had been in my house. Sara had panicked and changed, and a bunch of were-cougars had arrived to save the day. I put a hand to my forehead. Where was Beau? Why had I been left here alone?

Fear set in. Had he gone to exchange my sister with the wolves? Is that why I was here by myself? Worried, I went back through the house again, this time thoroughly searching each room.

The ceilings were arched and spacious, and there was a second floor with a master bedroom. A massive bed dominated the room, a fact not lost on me. There was also a jet tub in the bathroom, a lovely deck surrounding the house, and miles and miles of trees.

I stared at the gorgeous scenery in dismay. We were obviously no longer in Fort Worth. East Texas? Oklahoma? And where the heck was the driveway? I circled the deck twice to make sure I hadn’t missed anything, but there was no driveway leading from the cabin; just more woods and a footpath.

So how on earth was I supposed to escape? Being a city girl, I didn’t trust myself alone in the woods. I didn’t even know which direction to run to. I scanned the skies, where a wall of gray clouds brought a chill, icy breeze with them.

Still frowning, I went back inside. There was a TV in the big den and a library of DVDs nestled on a nearby shelf. The movie shelf was full of current releases, and the bookshelves were lined with both classic and popular books. Tolstoy sat next to Stephen King, Dean Koontz, and Dan Brown. Most of the books were action-adventure, with the occasional classic tossed in. I pulled out a pristine copy of The Great Gatsby and then put it back when I noticed a well-worn paperback next to it—An American Werewolf in London.

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The irony was not lost on me.

On the far side of the house, a door slammed. All my senses went on alert again, and I raced across the house to confront my kidnapper.

I heard the sound of easy whistling as I turned the corner and saw Beau’s broad back in the kitchen. A large box was on the island counter, and as he whistled, he pulled food supplies out of it.

“You’re awake,” he said, turning to look at me. “How are you feeling?”

“Where’s my sister?”

“Sara’s fine.” A faint frown crossed his face as he studied my wild expression. “Calm down. You’re safe, and so is she. You’re under my protection.”

“Your protection?” I sputtered. “You think you’re protecting me by slipping me a mickey and carrying me off into the wilderness Lodge of Love?”

There was a dark look on his face, and his eyebrows drew down over his eyes. “You’re right,” he said slowly. “I should have just tucked you into your bed and let whatever it was come back and kill you and your sister both.”

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“I had a plan,” I muttered. I couldn’t tell him that I’d been planning on disappearing from town before sunrise. “So why here? Why not a hotel? And why isn’t my sister here?”

“This is my home when I don’t have business in town. I like it here. It’s private.” His explanation was simple, but I sensed an underlying pride.

“And where are we, Mr. Privacy?”

He shook his head and returned to pulling things out of the box. A loaf of bread. A jar of peanut butter. A can of ham. “I can’t tell you that.”

I moved around the island to get in his line of vision again. “Why can’t you tell me that?”

He shrugged. “We don’t know what we’re dealing with.” His motions as he unpacked the groceries were calm, fluid. Everything he did, he did with effortless grace, and I calmed a bit just by watching him. “I don’t know how this thing knew which house was yours, or which taxi you were getting into the other night. Maybe it can read minds. If it can, I don’t want it knowing how to find you. So it’s better that you don’t know.” He picked up a package of Oreos. “Hungry?”

Unfortunately, this was starting to make sense. “No,” I said, and resisted the urge to wring my hands in frustration. “Did you have to drug me?”

He gave me a slow, melting smile. “I didn’t think you’d let me carry you through the woods quietly—not with the scare you’d just had.”

I blinked at that. “Did you carry me?”

He grinned and took a step toward me. I warily circled the other side of the island, keeping the counter between us. Beau chuckled. “I did. Carried you several miles.”

“Several miles—is that how far we are from town?”

He smiled and didn’t answer.

“You suck.” I crossed my arms over my chest. “So where is my sister?”

“Safe,” he said. “Don’t worry about anything else.”

Not worry? How could I not worry? They didn’t even know what I was worrying about. “Where is she?”

“With Ramsey,” he said, then repeated, “safe.”

That made me feel a little better. Ramsey was terrifying—if anyone could keep her safe, it was him. My arms, tight across my chest, eased a little. “And Savannah? Any luck finding her?”

Tension flashed briefly across his face. He pulled out a can of coffee and set it aside. “No word on her yet. We’ll find her.”

No Savannah meant that Beau still needed me for his heat. I wasn’t sure if that internal tremor I felt was worry or excitement. “How do I know this isn’t all an elaborate ploy to get me to sleep with you in the next few days?”

Beau leaned over the counter, and I couldn’t help but notice how broad his shoulders were. “Sweet Bathsheba,” he said, his voice low and playful, “no one said that I wasn’t going to try and seduce you.”

As Beau unpacked the small box of food—the rest would be coming tomorrow with Ramsey—I felt nervous and uncomfortable. So when he handed me a bottle of scented shampoo, I grabbed it and headed upstairs. Rooting around in Beau’s closets uncovered a few things—first, he was truly a bachelor. I found no extra linens besides two towels. Second, he clearly lived here—winter clothing hung in the closet along with summertime wear. I took a T-shirt and a pair of sweatpants, and hoped that when Ramsey came with Sara tomorrow they’d bring me some clothing.

The shower was a little slice of heaven. I hadn’t realized how sticky and unclean I felt until I peeled my clothing off and kicked it into the corner. I shampooed my hair twice and lingered in the shower, enjoying the hot water. Once out, I dressed in his borrowed clothing and bundled my dress, undergarments, and hose into a small stack. It reeked of blood and restaurants and a faint hint of Old Spice, and I suddenly wanted to just throw it away.

When my long, wet hair was combed out, I went downstairs looking for Beau.

He was sitting with a book on the couch. The thriller was open on his chest and his eyes were closed, his breathing even. He was asleep.

I felt a surge of grudging tenderness. While I’d been sleeping the drugs off—not at my choice, mind you—he’d been up all night, bringing me out here to the boonies to keep me safe and dragging in his people to keep an eye on my place. I still didn’t forgive him, but I felt grateful that he’d gone to so much effort on my behalf.

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Well, only a little grateful. I sat next to him on the couch and poked his arm. “Wake up, Beau. I need to know where Sara is.”

His arm shot out, grabbing hold of my wrist. Before I could utter the squeal building in my chest, he dragged me toward him. The book went flying and I flew across the couch as he pulled me onto his lap, my bottom resting on his thighs.

“You smell good enough to eat,” he said, and leaned in to nibble on my neck.

Delicious tingles shot through my body and I squirmed in his arms, trying to get away. “You’re trying to distract me into kissing you, aren’t you?”

“Is it working?”

“It is not,” I said. “Tell me about my sister.”

“She’s safe,” he said. “Don’t you trust me?”

I didn’t trust anyone. I stared at him for a long moment, then sighed. “All right, fine. I trust you. Now tell me about my sister.”

He chuckled and pulled me against him until my chest smacked against his. His chin nudged against my neck and then he bit my earlobe, and all thought about having a serious conversation flew right out of my head. My breath shivered and my hands touched his neck, his shoulders, trying to find a good spot to land. I could feel that wonderful heat radiating through his clothing.

His teeth tugged at my earlobe, sending my blood rushing through my body and shivers down my spine. My hands curled in his hair. Something low rumbled in his chest—almost like purring, and he brushed my wet hair aside to nip at my neck again. “My tasty little Bathsheba,” he murmured against my skin. “I’ve been wanting to do this for a while now.”

It was hard to think when he did that to me. His hand wrapped in my wet, heavy hair, exposing more of my neck, and my ni**les tightened in response, my pulse growing heavy. My hand threaded through his hair as he nuzzled the tender skin of my neck, the scrape of one day’s growth of his beard stubble on my skin harsh yet exciting. His other hand slid down my side, cupping my bottom through the sweatpants.

He was very, very good at distracting me, I thought as I curled my fingers in his hair. Almost too good. I jerked on his hair, pulling his face away from my neck. “Not so fast there, Casanova. I want an answer.”

He chuckled. “Can’t help myself. You just look so delicious sitting there in my clothing.”

Well, I certainly wasn’t averse to compliments—or to having him nibble on me—so I returned his smile. “You’re trying to distract me with kisses.”

“And here you said you weren’t susceptible,” he said, all teasing.

“Oh, I’m susceptible all right,” I said. “If you kiss me again, I won’t be able to think of anything else for the rest of the day.”

A pleased smile crossed his face. Perhaps I shouldn’t have told him that he scrambled my brains with his touch. Sara would shake her head at my awful flirting skills—

“Sara,” I blurted, knotting my fingers in Beau’s short hair again. “Where is my sister?”

“It’s taken care of,” he said in that now annoyingly confident voice. “Ramsey is my second-in-command. He’ll handle it while you’re here.”

“Sara is not an ‘it,’ she is a person and I need her. We have someplace we have to be.” Like a couple hundred miles from here.

“At work? I told Giselle you had a family emergency.”

I gave a moan of dismay and sank down on the arm of the couch. God, I hadn’t even thought about work. “You didn’t talk to Giselle.”

“I did. She said to tell you that she’d take care of everything.”

I moaned even louder. Knowing Giselle, that was a bad sign. Given that I’d ***ched Garth last night, and now I wasn’t there to hit the new string of dates she’d set up for me, she’d take care of things, all right. She’d start by telling everyone that Sara was a wolf, and we wouldn’t be able to get away before the wolf pack caught on.

I looked over at Beau, an idea sparking. “Will Ramsey do anything you want?”

He stiffened, as if I’d wounded his masculine pride. “Of course he will.”

“Good,” I said, thinking fast. “Tell him to kidnap Sara, too. She’s in danger. Those monsters might be after her.”

He paused, clearly thinking. “You’re asking me to organize her abduction.”

I threw one of the couch pillows at him. “You abducted me, you moron! What’s one more?”

He grinned. “Yours isn’t an abduction but a seduction. It’ll never hold up in a court of law.”

“Bull****,” I said. “Don’t change the topic. Now, are you going to call that mammoth that you call Ramsey?”

“You’re ferocious when it comes to your sister, you know that?”

“Sara’s the only person I care about.”

His eyes darkened. “The only person?” Before I could comment on his reaction, he said, “All right. I’ll do it in exchange for a favor from you.”

I gave him a wary look. “What sort of favor?” Spread your legs and act interested?

The smug grin returned. “You need to kiss me again.”

“Kiss you?” I sputtered. “Remember the part where I broke up with you? Not seeing each other means there’s no kissing.” My heart pounded in my chest. He did have the ***iest damn mouth. Even as I stared at it, his lips curved into a smile that I wanted to lick right off his face.

--- Gộp bài viết: 27/01/2016, Bài cũ từ: 27/01/2016 ---

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Beau closed his eyes. “I don’t think your motivations were solid. Kiss me and we’ll save Sara. Those are the rules.”

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“This isn’t a game,” I snapped. “This is Sara’s life.”

“Then I guess you’d better get started.” He didn’t move a muscle.

I waited a moment longer, exasperated by his stupid game. He remained motionless, his arms at his sides. I still smelled a trap.

I slid forward an inch or two on the couch.

A pleased rumble emitted from his chest and his mouth curved into a smile, his eyes still closed. “That’s it. Come closer.”

I slapped his chest lightly in irritation. “Don’t you mean, ‘Come into my web, said the spider to the fly’?”

“That would imply that I’m going to eat you,” he said, his words soft. “It’s your lips that are going to be moving.”

A tingle shot through me. I moved a little closer until I was near enough to kiss him. He was sprawled out and I couldn’t find a good angle to lean in, so I straddled his leg and slid forward a bit more.

He groaned and shifted slightly, his thigh pressing against the V of my legs. “I liked that.”

I poked him in the chest. “Hush. I’m concentrating.”

“Sorry,” he said in a tone of voice that was anything but.

I inched closer, moving a little bit further down his thigh, feeling surprisingly vulnerable. But he didn’t move a muscle, so I leaned in. My br**sts grazed his chest and I pulled back at the sensation.

He groaned, the confident smile fading. “Tease.”

I had to admit, I liked that reaction. So I leaned in again, making sure to brush up against his chest once more, and I kissed him.

At first, it was just a light press of my mouth to his. I expected him to take control, but to my surprise he remained still. Then the challenge hit me and I suddenly wanted to see him lose control. If this was a contest, I was determined to win.

I excelled at tug-of-war.

So I kissed his full and sensual lower lip first, giving it a light bite and then soothing it with the tip of my tongue. His breath rasped at that, sweet and hot against my mouth, and it made me bolder. I traced both lips with my own, then repeated the motion with my tongue, every so often dipping mine into the faint crease of his mouth. He still didn’t move, but his breath quickened against my own.

I slid my tongue into his mouth, searching for his. Beau tasted terrific—warm, musky, delicious. A soft noise of pleasure escaped my throat.

That sent him over the edge. Suddenly one hand was at the base of my skull, the other one grabbing my ass, and he pulled me against him, his tongue fiercely meeting my own. It was a dance, a flirtation of tongues. Taste, tangle, retreat. It went on for long moments, lips meeting with each tongue thrust, until I gasped for air and broke away.

He gave me a hot-eyed look, breathing hard. “You don’t kiss like a virgin.”

Irritated, I tried to shove him away. “That’s right,” I said sarcastically. “You’ve figured me out. I moonlight as a professional call girl.”

“That explains your weird hair yesterday,” he said, and winced when I slapped his shoulder.

“Very funny.” The hand in my hair had slid down my back, holding me against his chest. “Now please call Ramsey about Sara. I’m really worried about her.”

He leaned in and kissed the tip of my nose. “She’s already been moved.”

“What?”

He grinned, pleased as could be. “Ramsey took care of it last night while you were out. Sara is hiding out at a safe location, much like you and me. We decided to separate the two of you to determine which is the target.”

I knew who was chasing her, and why. She’d never be safe as long as I kept that a secret … but how could I tell Beau that the reason I knew the wolf pack was after Sara was that she was the runaway female they were demanding in exchange for Savannah?

I couldn’t. And I needed to hear her voice to know she was okay.

“Beau,” I said in a warning voice.

He shifted under me, prying something out of his back jeans pocket. “Here,” he said, handing me the phone. “Call Ramsey if you’d like.”

I flipped open the phone and paged through the address book—noting with irritation that a good many names were female, and Arabella’s name was still in his list—and hit dial when I saw Ramsey’s name.

“Yes?” he said, answering on the first ring. If I thought Beau’s voice was deep, Ramsey’s voice was the abyss. It definitely matched his Godzilla-sized body.

“This is Bathsheba. I need to talk to Sara.”

A moment later, Sara’s voice chirped into my ear, “Hello?”

“It’s me, Bath. Are you all right? Where are you?”

She paused for a moment. “Ramsey says it’s not safe for me to say. How are you? Are you okay?”

It was really starting to irritate me that Beau and his cronies could waltz into our lives, turn them upside down, and we were suddenly dancing to their tunes. I glanced at Beau, who was obviously listening in on the conversation, and I was positive Ramsey was doing the same. I couldn’t tell her that the wolves were after us. “I’m fine. And you? You’re … fine? You’re being careful?”

Sara sounded almost shy. “I’m good. No problems on this end. I’m being careful.”

I exhaled in relief, knowing what she was saying. “That’s good. That’s very good.”

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“It’s okay, Bath. I’m going to stay here with Ramsey and the rest of the Russell clan for a few days. It’s going to be fine.”

“Okay,” I said, as if our lives hadn’t all been torn to **** at the moment.

But her voice was even and steady, and didn’t have the vibrato of fear that I’d become so attuned to. Whatever was going on, she felt safe, and that made me relax.

“I have to go,” she said after a few minutes. “We’re picking teams for Xbox and I don’t want to be stuck with Jeremiah again. He sucks at Call of Duty—all thumbs. I’ll talk to you tomorrow. Love you.”

“Love you,” I said slowly, but she had already hung up. I felt a little stung. Wasn’t she even worried about any of this?

“She knows you’re safe with me,” Beau offered, almost as if he could read my mind. “And that she’s safe with Ramsey. He’d die before he’d let anything happen to her.”

“I know,” I said softly. “I just worry about her.”

His mouth quirked into a half smile. “You mother Sara, don’t you? For all that she’s maybe a year younger than you—”

“Two years,” I offered.

“—you still treat her like she’s a kid. You like being needed, and you like being the one to get her out of a scrape. But it’s all taken care of now, so you don’t know what to do with yourself.”

I rolled my eyes at his psychoanalysis. “That’s not true. I’m happy that she’s fine, but I’m still worried about her even if she’s not.”

“She’s as safe as can be with Ramsey. Don’t you worry about her one bit.”

Easier said than done.

He touched the underside of my chin. “You do know what this means, right?”

“What’s that?” I said warily.

“It means you and I can relax here and do whatever we want … which means you can make me pancakes.”

“Nice try.”

He didn’t seem deterred. Beau grinned and flipped over my hand, then began to press kisses at the soft flesh of my wrist, moving up my arm with each subsequent one. “You forget that I have the heat to worry about, Miss Bathsheba. I need my strength.”

“Well, I hope your hand is ready.”

He winked at me, slow and sultry. “I hope yours is, too.”

“That’s not what I meant. I can resist you, you know.” Though it was going to be difficult as hell if it was just me and him in a romantic cabin away from the world.

He chuckled. “But can I resist you? For two whole days? When you sit here on my lap and look good enough to eat?”

I shoved away from him. “Flatterer.”

He let me go, but I felt his eyes on me as I stood and paced across the room. “My sweet Bathsheba, didn’t anyone ever tell you that the more that the prey runs, the more the hunter desires it? A cat loves nothing more than a good chase.”

“So what am I supposed to do? Fall at your feet with my legs wide open? Would that make you run away?”

His eyes sparked with interest. “We could try it.”

I threw a couch cushion at his head.

Chapter Nine

Even though Beau was good company, I was unable to relax. Beau didn’t realize that Ramsey was the enemy, too, but because I knew it, I remained on edge. Beau puttered around the house whistling as he checked the windows and doors and did a few other things that I questioned. For one, he sprinkled each windowsill with holy water.

I offered to help him, but as soon as I tried to do anything, he’d growl for me to sit down and relax.

And then he’d disappear, off to take a shower.

Confused at his actions, bored with having nothing to do, I used his cell phone since the battery on mine was low and I didn’t have the charger. I called the office to check up on things and put out a few small “fires” that had arisen between badly scheduled dates and an au***.

Naturally, the girls in the office were curious about what was going on, and I didn’t have a whole lot to tell them.

One guessed, of course. “There’s a man, isn’t there?” Ryder said over the phone, a speculative hint in her sweet, perky voice.

“There’s no man,” I said, but my voice squeaked.

She laughed with delight. “Girl, it’s about time. I had money in the pool that you were heading for a nunnery.”

“Pool?” I echoed, not following her line of thought.

“Betting on when you’d get laid.”

My jaw dropped a little. “You guys have an office pool? On me?”

--- Gộp bài viết: 27/01/2016, Bài cũ từ: 27/01/2016 ---

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“We did.” She sounded disgruntled. “Sara just won it. She had you pegged for thirty.”

I couldn’t believe they were taking bets on when I’d have ***. What was even more incredible was that the closest bet was five years off … and from my own sister. Irritated, I made up some quick excuse and got off the phone, Ryder’s cheerful laugh ringing in my ears.

Beau strolled by just then, his mouth curved in a smile. He’d probably heard every word of the conversation. I scowled at him and flounced up from the couch, causing his book to fall onto the floor.

I bent to pick up the book, and when I turned around he had disappeared again. A minute later, I heard the shower start once more. I frowned, puzzled by his abrupt disappearance. That was odd.

Something like … me? And the heat due tomorrow?

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I blushed, thinking of how I’d bent over and how that had sent him running. I’d have to be more careful. With that in mind, I settled in on one end of the couch and flipped through Beau’s novel. A few minutes later, I froze when I heard a door open across the house. Careful not to make a sound, I shut the book and stood. From the other end of the house I could still hear the shower going.

Nervous, I edged to the kitchen, my first thought to head for the knives.

The intruder, however, was already in the kitchen.

It was a small brunette—petite and curvy, with short, curly hair and a huge rack. Freckles dotted her nose and she had the greenest eyes I’d ever seen. She was gorgeous, dressed in a low-cut top, tight jeans, and sandals. A heavy perfume wafted around her.

She looked at me with a hint of disgust, her nostrils flaring in a way that I’d learned to associate with shifters. Her lip curled. “Who are you?”

I stiffened at her rude tone. “Who the hell are you?”

She took a step toward me and her perfume became overpowering. I wanted to hold my nostrils shut. “I’m Arabella, and I live here.” She held out her hand, displaying her keys. “That’s why I have these.”

She lived here? All my bravado died as I stared at the keys.

But if she lived here … then … something wasn’t adding up.

Either she was lying to me, or Beau was. I didn’t like the ugly look on her face and decided to stick with the devil I knew. “That’s funny, because I could have sworn that I was living here with your boyfriend, not you.”

Arabella’s lip curled. “Men are cheating whores. I’m not surprised that he decided to get himself another piece of tail, though I am surprised he decided to slum it with a human.”

Nice. I crossed my arms over my chest. “Lovely to meet you, too.”

She ignored me and shoved past, stalking into the living room. I followed behind her, determined to keep up a cheerful demeanor, even if I had to resist the urge to punch something. She glanced at my clothing—Beau’s clothing—and her lip curled a little more. “I want you out of my house.”

“Much as I would love to humor you,” I said, moving to the far side of the couch to put space between us, “I’m afraid I can’t.”

For one, I didn’t even know where we were. For two, I wasn’t budging until I knew where my sister was.

That answer didn’t suit her. She snarled and stalked back to me, grabbing me by the arm. Her claws cut into my upper arm.

I jerked away as she dug into my flesh. “Hey! Back off!”

To my surprise, she did. A confused look crossed her face and she retracted her claws, then sniffed her fingertips, staring at me.

She must not like human stink. Too damn bad.

“Bathsheba is not going anywhere,” Beau said and I turned to see him standing in the doorway dripping with water, a towel low on his hips. The look on his face was utterly furious. “What are you doing here, Bella?”

She had a cute nickname? My dislike of her increased.

Arabella put her hands on her hips. “I live here, remember?”

“No,” Beau said calmly, pushing his wet hair back. “You lived here six months ago. Then you disappeared and left me a note telling me that we were through. I haven’t seen you since.”

If that was true, I felt a little better. I tried to hide the smile cracking my face.

Arabella sent me an arch look. “Well, I figured it was our weekend. With Savannah’s heat and all.” She shrugged. “People in town told me that you were forced to shack up with a human. I thought I’d come over and save you from the indignity.”

Well, wasn’t she just all sweetness and light.

“No indignity at all,” Beau said with a smile and moved to my side. “I like Bathsheba, human or not.”

They made it sound like I was diseased. Human cooties. “Gee, thanks,” I said and tried to slip away.

Beau’s arm went around my waist and he pulled me in front of him, anchoring me in his embrace. He pressed a kiss to my hair and I felt him inhale its scent. His thumb grazed underneath my borrowed T-shirt, brushing against my skin in an almost ticklish motion that made me want to shiver.

Arabella noticed all of this, her pretty face growing ugly with dislike. “You and I had an understanding, Beau—”

“No,” he said, interrupting her. “We had a relationship. Once. Now I have one with Bathsheba.”

Her hateful gaze fixed on me. “So you’re picking this lump of a human over me?”

I put my hands on my hips, ready to give her hell.

Beau’s arms tightened around me and he pressed a kiss against my neck, declaring his choice and silencing any protest I might have made.

Arabella was furious at that small gesture. She flung the keys against the wall. It sounded like a gunshot had gone off, and a massive chunk of log fell from the wall, a hole punched from the impact. Good God, she was strong.

“I want my things back,” she shouted.

“I gave them away to Savannah,” he said. “Six months ago, when you ran off with another man.”

Arabella’s eyes narrowed and her gaze refocused on me. “You can have him, you stupid human bitch,” she said. “He isn’t worth my time.” A slow smile curved her mouth and she gave Beau a triumphant look. “I hope you’re satisfied with your choice. She won’t make you as happy as I could.” Then she turned and stomped off. I stood there, frozen by her hatred, until the door slammed shut, reverberating through the house.

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“That’s funny. I don’t remember being happy in that relationship,” he said idly.

I tried to slide out of his arms, but he didn’t let me. “So what’s all that about ‘nasty little humans’?”

He kissed my neck, his lips moving against my skin as he responded. “The Alliance views humans as weak and diseased.”

And he was the leader of the Alliance. “Oh, really?”

“You have to admit that the weaker part is true.”

Weak? Diseased! I shoved his head away from me and pushed at his arms. “Let me go!”

It was like fighting with an iron cage. Beau wasn’t about to release me, and that got under my skin. “Let me explain,” he said, his voice patient.

I turned away. “I’m not interested—”

“You’re going to listen,” he said, and then I was off the ground. Damn, he lifted me like I was nothing. I looked at the gigantic hole in the wall that Arabella had created with her angry key throw and shivered. These shifters were strong.

He was right about humans being weaker, but it still made me furious.

Beau carried me across the room and deposited me on the couch. When I tried to get up he lay on top of me, grinning. His heavy weight was a peculiarly pleasant feeling.

“You ready to listen?” he asked.

“You’re smothering me.” My hands shoved against his chest.

His hair was still wet from the shower, and a warm drop slid onto my face. I could feel the heat of his hard, naked body pressed against mine, sending traitorous trickles of pleasure through me. “Bathsheba,” he began, leaning in. A rumbling began low in his throat.

Was he … purring? Why did I find that so charming?

He grinned at my silence. “Do you know that when you get angry, your little chin gets pointed?”

“I’m sure it’s one of those icky human things,” I began, but I lost all concentration when he swooped in and pressed a kiss on my chin. First one, and then another, making me all distracted. He pressed another kiss along my jawline, nibbling up to my ear.

And oh, that felt nice. His teeth played with my earlobe, gently, teasing the soft flesh in a way that I imagined he’d tease the rest of my body. Tickling, tasting, exploring. He bit at my earlobe and my breath exploded from my throat.

“Arabella and I have been through for six months. She left me for another man. I haven’t seen her since then, so I couldn’t get back the key.” He began to work his way down my throat again, kissing and nipping each inch of flesh, then licking at the sensitive spots. “I’d never pick her over you.”

I shoved at him again. “Great. You picked the cootie-riddled human over the bat****-crazy shifter. You’re a prince among men.”

He chuckled, and his tongue licked along my collarbone. “I think you’re delicious.”

“Not disease-riddled?”

“Not in the slightest,” he murmured against my neck, breath warm and ticklish against my skin.

I grew very aware of his body covering mine. Hard, hot, and still slightly damp from his shower. Very naked. His chest pressed against mine, heavy but not crushing. My br**sts were pressed against his chest, and I fought the urge to rub myself against him like a cat.

I was angry, I reminded myself.

When he nipped at my collarbone, though, a soft sound of pleasure escaped my throat and all my anger melted.

“That’s it, sweet Bathsheba,” he whispered against my skin. “Let me taste you.”

“No,” I protested, but it came out so breathy and soft that I didn’t believe it myself.

“No?” He leaned in, his nose brushing against mine in a playful motion, his mouth so close I could taste his breath.

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The desire to kiss him shot through me, and I closed the gap between us and sealed the kiss. His mouth immediately plundered mine in return, hot, demanding, delicious. His tongue swept into my mouth, met by my own, and the kiss grew so deep and hot that my brain started to lose focus. I heard a soft sound of pleasure and realized that it had come from me.

He responded with a growl that was ***y as hell, and I forgot about everything but the intense kiss.

His hand slid down my side as our lips parted and the kiss ended, but Beau didn’t stop. He began to nip down my jawline again, the stubble on his face rasping against my skin slightly. It hurt, but it was a fascinating kind of hurt, and I squirmed with pleasure when he lapped at my neck again.

His hand slid all the way down my sweats-covered thigh in a caress, and my leg followed the pleasing motion. I didn’t even realize what I was doing until my legs parted and Beau’s heavy body slid into the cradle it created. And then entirely new sensations blew my mind. Our bodies fit together like magic, and his hand coaxed my thigh up, and then I was wrapping my clothed legs around his naked waist.

It felt so good, and from the heavy purr in his throat, he liked it, too. I could feel the hot, heavy heat of his erection at the junction of my legs, and when he rocked against me, I gasped. The meaning there was obvious.

Beau stilled against me, and his gray eyes searched for mine. “Are you all right, Bathsheba?” He pressed small, light kisses to my mouth, as if trying to soothe me. His hips rocked against mine in another blatant move, and liquid fire poured through me, my entire body tingling.

That felt very nice. Even terribly exciting. I kissed him again in response.

“Sweet thing,” he breathed against my mouth, punctuating his words with tiny nips and licks. “I want to kiss your br**sts.”