Read Online Checkmate by Annmarie McKenna - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Annmarie McKenna
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had left her lips swollen and wanting more. A kiss that hadn’t been a dream. The one that made her belly flip-flop like no other man had ever done.
Wait a minute. Suddenly she was thrust back into reality. Had he said…?
“What do you mean, our room?” She winced at the huskiness in her voice.
Eli shifted around again so she stared at the back of his head.
“I’m done staying away from you, Nikki-Raine. You’re mine.” This time he growled. Growled. That’s the only way she could describe it.
Her heart returned to pounding. At this rate she’d have a heart attack and die before they even made it home. She shook her head. His house, not home, his house.
An ache grew in her clit, stretching through her abdomen and licking down her legs. She couldn’t have been more shocked by his possessive declaration than if he had shouted, “I’m going to fuck you all night long when we get there.”
Nikki fought the urge to cover her ears from her own thoughts.
“Where are we going?” she asked again. She’d never been to his house before, not in all the years Derek and he had been friends. Nikki had always just believed it was due to his private nature.
“I told you, home.”
“Which is where, exactly?” she said between her teeth. Damn stubborn, mule-headed…pig. If he wanted to be sharp with her, she’d return the favor. She certainly hadn’t asked to be here.
“The ranch. We’re almost there.”
Yeah, that helped.
Her scent was driving him insane. Eli had to get out of the car before he did something stupid. Like jump in the back and sink his rock-hard cock into what he knew would be her hot, wet pussy. Either that or he’d shift right in front her. That would go over well. One minute a man, the next an animal. Talk about fainting.
Eli gritted his lengthening teeth and willed them back to human. He would not show her this in the confines of the car. He smiled. Or show up in her bed as a wolf after their first mating. Not like Caelan had done with his mate.
It didn’t help that she was being so damn feisty and argumentative. He loved sparring with her, always had, but he would not give in when it came to her life.
As a shifter, protecting his mate was his duty, an honor, and so far he’d done a piss-poor job of it.
Fuck.
He should have done more, hired someone to watch her while he was gone.
“Eli, I don’t want to put your family in any danger.”
Caelan snorted next to him.
“Take me to a hotel.”
Like hell. Put his mate in some no-good hotel? Never. “You do remember that Caelan and I own a security business, right?” he asked, mocking her. She knew damn well what he did for a living.
“Don’t patronize me, Eli. I’m talking about your parents, and isn’t Caelan’s wife expecting a baby soon? I thought they lived with you.”
“Cael and Tieran live there, yes, but Mom and Dad have their own place.”
“Trust me, Nikki,” Caelan added, “I will never let anything happen to my ma…wife.”
Eli glanced at his brother. Asshole had almost let the cat out of the bag. Again. Eli wasn’t ready for that discussion yet.
“You’ll be safer at the ranch where I can keep a better eye on you,” he muttered, still looking at his brother. He turned to her. Her face was a mixture of glaring daggers, fear and hunger. Hunger for him. Her nipples were hard and the succulent scent of her arousal permeated the car. Good thing Caelan was immune to anything but his own mate, or they’d both be panting right now. Every minute that went by made Eli more and more possessive of Nikki.
They stared at each other for long, heated seconds. Over the whistling of wind from the hole in the back window, he heard Nikki’s heart pounding. He saw the blood coursing through the vein along the smooth skin of her long, slender throat. She licked her lips, her gaze dropping to his mouth. Damn but she made it really hard to stay in the front seat and keep his hands off her.
The SUV slowed to make
Wait a minute. Suddenly she was thrust back into reality. Had he said…?
“What do you mean, our room?” She winced at the huskiness in her voice.
Eli shifted around again so she stared at the back of his head.
“I’m done staying away from you, Nikki-Raine. You’re mine.” This time he growled. Growled. That’s the only way she could describe it.
Her heart returned to pounding. At this rate she’d have a heart attack and die before they even made it home. She shook her head. His house, not home, his house.
An ache grew in her clit, stretching through her abdomen and licking down her legs. She couldn’t have been more shocked by his possessive declaration than if he had shouted, “I’m going to fuck you all night long when we get there.”
Nikki fought the urge to cover her ears from her own thoughts.
“Where are we going?” she asked again. She’d never been to his house before, not in all the years Derek and he had been friends. Nikki had always just believed it was due to his private nature.
“I told you, home.”
“Which is where, exactly?” she said between her teeth. Damn stubborn, mule-headed…pig. If he wanted to be sharp with her, she’d return the favor. She certainly hadn’t asked to be here.
“The ranch. We’re almost there.”
Yeah, that helped.
Her scent was driving him insane. Eli had to get out of the car before he did something stupid. Like jump in the back and sink his rock-hard cock into what he knew would be her hot, wet pussy. Either that or he’d shift right in front her. That would go over well. One minute a man, the next an animal. Talk about fainting.
Eli gritted his lengthening teeth and willed them back to human. He would not show her this in the confines of the car. He smiled. Or show up in her bed as a wolf after their first mating. Not like Caelan had done with his mate.
It didn’t help that she was being so damn feisty and argumentative. He loved sparring with her, always had, but he would not give in when it came to her life.
As a shifter, protecting his mate was his duty, an honor, and so far he’d done a piss-poor job of it.
Fuck.
He should have done more, hired someone to watch her while he was gone.
“Eli, I don’t want to put your family in any danger.”
Caelan snorted next to him.
“Take me to a hotel.”
Like hell. Put his mate in some no-good hotel? Never. “You do remember that Caelan and I own a security business, right?” he asked, mocking her. She knew damn well what he did for a living.
“Don’t patronize me, Eli. I’m talking about your parents, and isn’t Caelan’s wife expecting a baby soon? I thought they lived with you.”
“Cael and Tieran live there, yes, but Mom and Dad have their own place.”
“Trust me, Nikki,” Caelan added, “I will never let anything happen to my ma…wife.”
Eli glanced at his brother. Asshole had almost let the cat out of the bag. Again. Eli wasn’t ready for that discussion yet.
“You’ll be safer at the ranch where I can keep a better eye on you,” he muttered, still looking at his brother. He turned to her. Her face was a mixture of glaring daggers, fear and hunger. Hunger for him. Her nipples were hard and the succulent scent of her arousal permeated the car. Good thing Caelan was immune to anything but his own mate, or they’d both be panting right now. Every minute that went by made Eli more and more possessive of Nikki.
They stared at each other for long, heated seconds. Over the whistling of wind from the hole in the back window, he heard Nikki’s heart pounding. He saw the blood coursing through the vein along the smooth skin of her long, slender throat. She licked her lips, her gaze dropping to his mouth. Damn but she made it really hard to stay in the front seat and keep his hands off her.
The SUV slowed to make
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