Read Online Colters' Lady: Colters’ Legacy, Book 2 by Maya Banks - Free Book Online
Authors: Maya Banks
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it was pleasant. No, not pleasant. That was too mild a word to describe the pleasure that hummed through her veins like sweet honey. It was warm and electric and it brought her to life—into the sun after so long in the cold.
To her surprise, he didn’t waste any time divesting her of her jeans. He unbuttoned the fly and helped her to her feet and then pushed the loose material over her hips until she stood in only her panties and the too-large flannel shirt hanging to her knees.
She stole a glance at Michael, her cheeks flaming, but he had discreetly looked away.
“Hold on to my shoulder,” Seth directed as he held the jeans open at her feet.
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Colters’ Lady
She braced herself, her fingers sliding over the well muscled cord of his neck until she gripped his shoulder. Then she stepped into the pants and allowed him to pull them up her body and fasten the waist.
They fit her well with only an inch or two to spare at the waist. Her hips were slimmer but they hadn’t always been. There’d been a time her curves were lusher and she was more rounded. Living on the streets made a person lean and efficient.
A sudden thought occurred to her. It was quick and painful and cut her to the core. How long would they want her to stay with them? A day? A week? How much harder would it be to go back to the life she’d forged for herself after having a few days in the sun?
Michael caught her gaze and must have seen the bleakness she felt. He crossed the room, his lips drawn. Seth had barely stepped back when suddenly Michael was there, so close she could feel the vibrations from his body. She could smell him. His warmth enveloped her and drew her closer.
He smoothed his hand over her hair, his fingers trailing through the strands and then resting at her nape. “What are you thinking?”
It didn’t occur to her to be anything but honest. “I was imagining how hard it will be to go back to my life after you…” She couldn’t bring herself to say anything more. Sometimes the truth was more painful for being spoken.
Michael cursed low and hard, and then he cupped her jaw in his palm and tilted her head up as his lips came down over hers. It was a shock to her senses. A jolt that rocked her spine and sent tingling awareness in waves over her body.
It wasn’t as sweet and gentle as Seth’s kiss. The aching awareness she felt with Seth was more like a bomb burst as Michael fed on her lips.
Oh God, what must Seth be thinking?
She pushed at Michael with her good hand, and he stepped back immediately. Her breaths coming in ragged bursts, she wavered and stepped to the side, distancing herself from Michael as she sought out Seth’s reaction.
He was there. By her side, his arm slipping around her waist in support. His lips pressed to the top of her head in a gesture of comfort—and reassurance?
She looked up, searching his gaze for any sign that he was angry, but she saw something else entirely.
She saw concern for her. And something that looked remarkably like acceptance.
Michael caught her hand and rubbed his thumb over the tops of her knuckles. “This is going to sound crazy to you, Lily, but we don’t want you to leave. We aren’t going to keep you a few days and then toss you out. I don’t expect you to believe it—yet—but I don’t want you to worry.” Seth squeezed her against him and murmured low in her ear, “We want you to stay, honey. Trust in that if nothing else.”
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41
Maya Banks
She took a deep breath and prepared herself to take the plunge. She was a little lightheaded, and at the same time a surge of…anticipation licked through her veins. For the first time in so very long, she felt alive—like she had something to live for.
There was a word for it, an emotion so alien to her that it took a moment to grasp. There, shining like a beacon at the end of a very long, very dark tunnel was…hope.
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Chapter
To her surprise, he didn’t waste any time divesting her of her jeans. He unbuttoned the fly and helped her to her feet and then pushed the loose material over her hips until she stood in only her panties and the too-large flannel shirt hanging to her knees.
She stole a glance at Michael, her cheeks flaming, but he had discreetly looked away.
“Hold on to my shoulder,” Seth directed as he held the jeans open at her feet.
40
www.samhainpublishing.com
Colters’ Lady
She braced herself, her fingers sliding over the well muscled cord of his neck until she gripped his shoulder. Then she stepped into the pants and allowed him to pull them up her body and fasten the waist.
They fit her well with only an inch or two to spare at the waist. Her hips were slimmer but they hadn’t always been. There’d been a time her curves were lusher and she was more rounded. Living on the streets made a person lean and efficient.
A sudden thought occurred to her. It was quick and painful and cut her to the core. How long would they want her to stay with them? A day? A week? How much harder would it be to go back to the life she’d forged for herself after having a few days in the sun?
Michael caught her gaze and must have seen the bleakness she felt. He crossed the room, his lips drawn. Seth had barely stepped back when suddenly Michael was there, so close she could feel the vibrations from his body. She could smell him. His warmth enveloped her and drew her closer.
He smoothed his hand over her hair, his fingers trailing through the strands and then resting at her nape. “What are you thinking?”
It didn’t occur to her to be anything but honest. “I was imagining how hard it will be to go back to my life after you…” She couldn’t bring herself to say anything more. Sometimes the truth was more painful for being spoken.
Michael cursed low and hard, and then he cupped her jaw in his palm and tilted her head up as his lips came down over hers. It was a shock to her senses. A jolt that rocked her spine and sent tingling awareness in waves over her body.
It wasn’t as sweet and gentle as Seth’s kiss. The aching awareness she felt with Seth was more like a bomb burst as Michael fed on her lips.
Oh God, what must Seth be thinking?
She pushed at Michael with her good hand, and he stepped back immediately. Her breaths coming in ragged bursts, she wavered and stepped to the side, distancing herself from Michael as she sought out Seth’s reaction.
He was there. By her side, his arm slipping around her waist in support. His lips pressed to the top of her head in a gesture of comfort—and reassurance?
She looked up, searching his gaze for any sign that he was angry, but she saw something else entirely.
She saw concern for her. And something that looked remarkably like acceptance.
Michael caught her hand and rubbed his thumb over the tops of her knuckles. “This is going to sound crazy to you, Lily, but we don’t want you to leave. We aren’t going to keep you a few days and then toss you out. I don’t expect you to believe it—yet—but I don’t want you to worry.” Seth squeezed her against him and murmured low in her ear, “We want you to stay, honey. Trust in that if nothing else.”
www.samhainpublishing.com
41
Maya Banks
She took a deep breath and prepared herself to take the plunge. She was a little lightheaded, and at the same time a surge of…anticipation licked through her veins. For the first time in so very long, she felt alive—like she had something to live for.
There was a word for it, an emotion so alien to her that it took a moment to grasp. There, shining like a beacon at the end of a very long, very dark tunnel was…hope.
42
www.samhainpublishing.com
Chapter
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