Read Online First Beast by Faye Avalon - Free Book Online

entered the front office, and Talia looked up from her desk, where she’d been busy working on her laptop. Her fingers froze above the keyboard and her eyes went wide. She seemed to quickly regain her composure and, after a nervous glance around the empty office, looked back to him.
    â€œIs there something I can help you with?”
    Her frosty, official tone did something fucking amazing to his hormones and left him wondering how the hell she could affect him so damn much. “I came to talk with you.”
    He frowned at the automatic instinct that made her reach for her notebook.
    She sat back, tiny lines appearing between her eyebrows. “What’s on your mind?”
    Many things, he thought. But the only thing right then was the way her blouse hugged her perfect breasts. Since he’d seen them firsthand, he knew what delight lay beneath the crisp white fabric. His palms itched to cover the plump flesh, to let his thumbs rub over her tight buds until she moaned with desire. For him.
    Fuck.
    With incredible effort, he got his thoughts back to focus on the task at hand. He walked toward her, pleased when her eyes widened again and her fingers tightened around the notebook. “Your marriage to Joshua.” He pulled out a nearby chair, turned it so he could straddle the seat and drape his arms over the back. “Why?”
    She tucked in her chin and frowned. “Excuse me?”
    â€œWhy did you marry him?”
    She huffed out an exasperated laugh. “Because I love him, of course. What sort of question is that?”
    He studied her for long moments. He had to give it to the woman—she was one cool customer. She had to know that now that he was pack leader, he could retract the permission given to his half-brother to marry her. That knowledge should at least have her kowtowing to him.
    â€œThis isn’t a game, sweetheart.”
    â€œReally? And yet here you are playing one. Why don’t you just come out and say what you actually want? You want to know if I intend to leak anything. Whether or not I’ll keep your secret.”
    â€œWill you?”
    She slammed down her notebook. “Of course I will. I’m married to Josh now, which makes me a part of this community, whether you like the idea or not.”
    â€œI don’t.”
    She jerked back a little. “Well, that’s too bad. Because I’m here to stay.”
    â€œAnd what happens when the next sighting occurs? Are you going to take that notebook and get witness statements? Write up a piece for your newspaper?”
    â€œI’ll report the facts.”
    The way she said it sent waves of unease rippling through Caleb. His worst fears about how their community would be negatively impacted by her inclusion seemed in danger of being realized at some point in the future.
    â€œLook. You obviously don’t trust me, so why don’t you just say so?”
    â€œI don’t trust you.”
    The admission came out so deep it was almost a growl, and she pushed back in her chair as if he’d delivered a physical blow. After several moments, during which he was distracted by the way those magnificent breasts rose and fell with each breath, she sat up, straightened her blouse and turned back to her laptop.
    â€œAt least we understand each other.”
    Caleb rose and moved behind her. He leaned down, placing one hand on the desk beside hers, stretching his other arm along the back of her chair, effectively trapping her. “Let’s get something straight, sweetheart.” Deliberately, he leaned closer until his mouth brushed her ear. “You don’t understand me.”
    He tried to ignore the way her scent flooded his nostrils, the way it permeated his senses and made him hard as a plank. “But make no mistake,” he drawled, close to losing the gist of the threat. “You cross me or my people and I’ll give you cause to understand me real good.”
    Had she seemed