Read Online Clawed: Wild Things, Book 3 by Beverly Rae - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Beverly Rae
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“Let’s get this straight, okay? This—” he glanced down at the rumpled sleeping bag, “—was great. I enjoyed the hell out of it. But it was just a fun time in the sack. A result of heightened emotions and easy opportunity.”
Her breath got caught somewhere between her lungs and her nose. She found it along with a hefty dose of incredulous shock. “Wait? Easy opportunity? As in ‘slam, bam and thank you, ma’am’?”
He couldn’t have shaken his head any harder. “What? No. That’s not what I meant.”
“I hope the hell not. Because I’m not, you know. Easy, that is.” Great. She’d finally gotten him to say more than four words, but now she wished he’d just shut up.
“Look, Conan, I’m not trying to start a romance here.” She wasn’t, was she? “I just thought it would be nice to know a little something about the man I just slept with. Like whether I helped him cheat on his wife. Unlike what you may be used to doing, I don’t hop into bed with every Tom, Dick and Beary.”
They froze, each wondering if she’d actually said what she’d said. Conan recovered first. “I didn’t think you did, and for the record, I don’t have kids or a ma—a wife.”
He didn’t have a wife. Thank God. Relief as well as joy did a little dance inside her.
“But don’t get any ideas, either.”
Chloe closed her eyes against his worried expression and regretted the moment the joy fled and the anger set in. Who the hell did this guy think he was, anyway? She took a deep breath to steady herself and opened her eyes, sending him the meanest look she could. She stabbed her index finger against the middle of his chest. His oh-so-much-like-granite chest, damn him. “Don’t flatter yourself. I’m not looking for a husband, and if and when I do, I won’t want a slug like you.” She hoped her mean look was as hard as the one he gave her.
“Good deal.” Conan got to his feet, standing as straight as his height allowed in the tent, and fisted his hands as though trying not to strike her.
“Yeah, good deal.” She stood, hands on hips, and glared at him.
Did he just growl at her?
“Hey, you two. The rain’s over.”
Nina’s voice broke through their confrontation and Chloe stepped back to let Conan pass. He threw back the tent flap and strode out of the tent. Unwilling to let him get the last word—er, growl—in, she hurried after him. Nina and Billy scurried backward, hands linked, mouths gaping at them.
“I thought they were getting along.” Nina shot Billy an exasperated look.
Billy, on the other hand, shrugged it off. “You can never tell with Conan.”
“I should’ve kicked you out in the rain.” Chloe wished she’d thought of a better comeback.
Almost to the edge of the forest, Conan whirled around to find Chloe on his heels. “What the hell do you want from me?”
She shoved her finger into his chest again, delighting in the way it made him snarl. “Haven’t you been listening? I don’t want anything from you.”
“Great.”
“Yeah, great.” Sudden awareness of his overwhelming physicality made her step back although she ached to touch him. Damn, but she didn’t really want him to leave. She’d handled trying to get information from him in the worst possible way, but she couldn’t do anything about it now. If only she could start over again. If she could, she’d stay cuddled next to him and keep her mouth closed.
The memory of how she felt snuggled in his arms swept through her, washing away most of the anger. “Look, Conan, maybe—”
“Billy, let’s get the hell out of here.” Sending her one last glower, Conan whirled around and stalked into the woods.
Chapter Five
“Hey, Conan, slow down, will ya?”
Conan ignored Billy’s request, his mind filled with a tumultuous squall of thoughts and questions. Why the hell had he gotten involved with Chloe?
He shook the odd word away. No, not involved. He wasn’t about to be involved with anyone, much less a
Her breath got caught somewhere between her lungs and her nose. She found it along with a hefty dose of incredulous shock. “Wait? Easy opportunity? As in ‘slam, bam and thank you, ma’am’?”
He couldn’t have shaken his head any harder. “What? No. That’s not what I meant.”
“I hope the hell not. Because I’m not, you know. Easy, that is.” Great. She’d finally gotten him to say more than four words, but now she wished he’d just shut up.
“Look, Conan, I’m not trying to start a romance here.” She wasn’t, was she? “I just thought it would be nice to know a little something about the man I just slept with. Like whether I helped him cheat on his wife. Unlike what you may be used to doing, I don’t hop into bed with every Tom, Dick and Beary.”
They froze, each wondering if she’d actually said what she’d said. Conan recovered first. “I didn’t think you did, and for the record, I don’t have kids or a ma—a wife.”
He didn’t have a wife. Thank God. Relief as well as joy did a little dance inside her.
“But don’t get any ideas, either.”
Chloe closed her eyes against his worried expression and regretted the moment the joy fled and the anger set in. Who the hell did this guy think he was, anyway? She took a deep breath to steady herself and opened her eyes, sending him the meanest look she could. She stabbed her index finger against the middle of his chest. His oh-so-much-like-granite chest, damn him. “Don’t flatter yourself. I’m not looking for a husband, and if and when I do, I won’t want a slug like you.” She hoped her mean look was as hard as the one he gave her.
“Good deal.” Conan got to his feet, standing as straight as his height allowed in the tent, and fisted his hands as though trying not to strike her.
“Yeah, good deal.” She stood, hands on hips, and glared at him.
Did he just growl at her?
“Hey, you two. The rain’s over.”
Nina’s voice broke through their confrontation and Chloe stepped back to let Conan pass. He threw back the tent flap and strode out of the tent. Unwilling to let him get the last word—er, growl—in, she hurried after him. Nina and Billy scurried backward, hands linked, mouths gaping at them.
“I thought they were getting along.” Nina shot Billy an exasperated look.
Billy, on the other hand, shrugged it off. “You can never tell with Conan.”
“I should’ve kicked you out in the rain.” Chloe wished she’d thought of a better comeback.
Almost to the edge of the forest, Conan whirled around to find Chloe on his heels. “What the hell do you want from me?”
She shoved her finger into his chest again, delighting in the way it made him snarl. “Haven’t you been listening? I don’t want anything from you.”
“Great.”
“Yeah, great.” Sudden awareness of his overwhelming physicality made her step back although she ached to touch him. Damn, but she didn’t really want him to leave. She’d handled trying to get information from him in the worst possible way, but she couldn’t do anything about it now. If only she could start over again. If she could, she’d stay cuddled next to him and keep her mouth closed.
The memory of how she felt snuggled in his arms swept through her, washing away most of the anger. “Look, Conan, maybe—”
“Billy, let’s get the hell out of here.” Sending her one last glower, Conan whirled around and stalked into the woods.
Chapter Five
“Hey, Conan, slow down, will ya?”
Conan ignored Billy’s request, his mind filled with a tumultuous squall of thoughts and questions. Why the hell had he gotten involved with Chloe?
He shook the odd word away. No, not involved. He wasn’t about to be involved with anyone, much less a
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