Read Online A View to a Kill: (A Bird Shifter Novella) (King of Prey Book 2) by Mandy M. Roth - Free Book Online
Authors: Mandy M. Roth
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lower lip with her finger. “Not a monster, Sachin. And no, my memory of that night is still broken. I remember bits and pieces, but you’ve helped me connect the dots.” She exhaled and put her forehead to his chest. “You saved my life. You protected me.”
“I was too late to save your mother. I’m sorry. I should have been faster. I should have—”
“Shhh.” She put the tips of her fingers to his mouth. “You saved me. Why?”
He opened his mouth to answer her and was interrupted when someone cleared their throat. He sniffed the air and recognized the sheriff’s scent. Sachin locked gazes with Paige. “I’m sorry. This was not how I wanted things to end between you and your—” he almost said human but refrained “—sheriff. But trust me when I say it will end.”
“What?” Paige’s eyes widened as she glanced over the top of Sachin’s shoulder. She drew in a sharp breath and pushed at him, trying to get down. “Oh God. I… Bailey. This isn’t… Bailey.”
Sachin refused to let Paige down. He kept her pinned to the wall, already knowing the sheriff had seen them in the act of coupling. There was no shame in taking one’s mate. It mattered not that the sheriff had asked Paige to marry him. She was his and he would not share.
“Sachin, let me down.”
“He will not forgive you for this,” he whispered. “Let him walk away, Paige.”
“No. I have to talk to him. I have to make this right.” She covered her mouth with her hand. “I cheated on him. Why?” She smacked Sachin across the face.
Ignoring the sting, Sachin stared down at her. “You can blame me if you wish, but the truth is we were created for one another, Paige. Your body recognizes mine and craves mine as mine does yours.”
Paige looked past him. “Sachin, he’s gone. Bailey’s gone and I didn’t get to talk to him.”
Content, he set her down. She kicked him in the shin. Much to his surprise, it hurt. He blinked. “Paige?”
She kicked him again, this time in the knee and he staggered. He barely managed to get his cock back into his pants before Paige was trying to do it again. He caught her leg and held it gently.
“No more.”
“You,” she growled, “are an overbearing, bossy, know-it-all jerk!”
He grinned. “Thank you.”
A few rather well-placed slaps later and Paige seemed to be under control. She smoothed her hair back and cast him an uneasy look. “You should have let me talk to him.”
“And you shouldn’t have agreed to be with another man,” he said without remorse.
She baulked. “What? Was I supposed to wait around forever, hoping you’d show up, when you vanished without a trace?”
He hadn’t really thought of it like that, but even so, yes. He flashed a wicked smile at her, knowing it would set her temper off again. “Yes. You were.”
“Ooo.” She stomped on his foot. “You…you…horse’s ass!”
He snickered.
When she didn’t laugh but rather looked to be on the verge of tears, he sobered. “Paige.”
A lone tear fell down her cheek. “You stripped me of my innocence and you left me alone, thinking I’d done something wrong. That I’d somehow displeased you.” She ran a hand through her thick hair and stared upwards at the night sky. “Why, Sachin?”
He took hold of her arms and tried to coax her into wrapping them around his waist. She resisted. “ Ta’konima , you’ve never displeased me. You were too much for me. Too glorious to be with that I couldn’t hide it anymore.”
Confused, Paige looked at him, needing answers to old questions. “Couldn’t hide what?”
“What I am.”
“And what, exactly, are you?” she asked, her voice as shaky as her legs felt.
“More than a man, Paige, but I believe you know this to be true. I think,” he pressed his palm to her chest, “your heart told you so long ago.”
He was right, but that was beside the point. She needed to hear from his lips what he was. “Sachin, please.”
“Not now. Soon. I
“I was too late to save your mother. I’m sorry. I should have been faster. I should have—”
“Shhh.” She put the tips of her fingers to his mouth. “You saved me. Why?”
He opened his mouth to answer her and was interrupted when someone cleared their throat. He sniffed the air and recognized the sheriff’s scent. Sachin locked gazes with Paige. “I’m sorry. This was not how I wanted things to end between you and your—” he almost said human but refrained “—sheriff. But trust me when I say it will end.”
“What?” Paige’s eyes widened as she glanced over the top of Sachin’s shoulder. She drew in a sharp breath and pushed at him, trying to get down. “Oh God. I… Bailey. This isn’t… Bailey.”
Sachin refused to let Paige down. He kept her pinned to the wall, already knowing the sheriff had seen them in the act of coupling. There was no shame in taking one’s mate. It mattered not that the sheriff had asked Paige to marry him. She was his and he would not share.
“Sachin, let me down.”
“He will not forgive you for this,” he whispered. “Let him walk away, Paige.”
“No. I have to talk to him. I have to make this right.” She covered her mouth with her hand. “I cheated on him. Why?” She smacked Sachin across the face.
Ignoring the sting, Sachin stared down at her. “You can blame me if you wish, but the truth is we were created for one another, Paige. Your body recognizes mine and craves mine as mine does yours.”
Paige looked past him. “Sachin, he’s gone. Bailey’s gone and I didn’t get to talk to him.”
Content, he set her down. She kicked him in the shin. Much to his surprise, it hurt. He blinked. “Paige?”
She kicked him again, this time in the knee and he staggered. He barely managed to get his cock back into his pants before Paige was trying to do it again. He caught her leg and held it gently.
“No more.”
“You,” she growled, “are an overbearing, bossy, know-it-all jerk!”
He grinned. “Thank you.”
A few rather well-placed slaps later and Paige seemed to be under control. She smoothed her hair back and cast him an uneasy look. “You should have let me talk to him.”
“And you shouldn’t have agreed to be with another man,” he said without remorse.
She baulked. “What? Was I supposed to wait around forever, hoping you’d show up, when you vanished without a trace?”
He hadn’t really thought of it like that, but even so, yes. He flashed a wicked smile at her, knowing it would set her temper off again. “Yes. You were.”
“Ooo.” She stomped on his foot. “You…you…horse’s ass!”
He snickered.
When she didn’t laugh but rather looked to be on the verge of tears, he sobered. “Paige.”
A lone tear fell down her cheek. “You stripped me of my innocence and you left me alone, thinking I’d done something wrong. That I’d somehow displeased you.” She ran a hand through her thick hair and stared upwards at the night sky. “Why, Sachin?”
He took hold of her arms and tried to coax her into wrapping them around his waist. She resisted. “ Ta’konima , you’ve never displeased me. You were too much for me. Too glorious to be with that I couldn’t hide it anymore.”
Confused, Paige looked at him, needing answers to old questions. “Couldn’t hide what?”
“What I am.”
“And what, exactly, are you?” she asked, her voice as shaky as her legs felt.
“More than a man, Paige, but I believe you know this to be true. I think,” he pressed his palm to her chest, “your heart told you so long ago.”
He was right, but that was beside the point. She needed to hear from his lips what he was. “Sachin, please.”
“Not now. Soon. I
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