Read Online First Beast by Faye Avalon - Free Book Online Page A

intimidated by him, or given him cause to soften his threat by trembling or shaking, he might have resisted the urge that had him pushing his nose into her hair. Closing his eyes, he inhaled deeply and allowed her unique scent to sweep through his veins. He slid his mouth along the shell of her ear, the long line of her neck.
    She jerked away, and turned to glare at him. “If you think you can come in here, to my workplace, and threaten me, then allow me to assure you that in my line of work, I’m pretty much immune to threats.”
    â€œIs that so?”
    â€œIt is. Now if you’re finished with the macho act, maybe you’d like to use the door and get back to whatever menace you’re planning next.”
    Caleb felt the punch of her stormy eyes right through to his groin. He’d hoped to intimidate, to put her off balance. But damn it, she’d sideswiped him.
    He straightened up, determined not to be knocked off center by a female. Except those damn eyes wouldn’t let him go. Maybe long months in the jungle had made him soft. To hell with that.
    â€œYou want to watch that smart mouth of yours. It could get you into a lot of trouble around here, around me.”
    â€œYou mean with your Neanderthal attitude? I’ve already had a gutful of that, so your particular brand of intimidation doesn’t exactly have me shaking in my shoes. The Principals put me and Joshua through hell until they gave permission for us to marry. The damned Spanish Inquisition couldn’t have been as thorough.”
    â€œPermission would not have been given had I been leader. It should never have been granted.”
    â€œOh, I get that. I’ve not exactly had the greatest initiation into your community and it certainly hasn’t made me feel like I belong here.”
    At her words, Caleb felt the chill trickle through him. If she didn’t feel welcome, if she didn’t feel she belonged, she might be even more inclined to turn against them at some point. “What did you want, a party?”
    â€œConsidering only a handful of Joshua’s friends were granted permission to attend the wedding ceremony, maybe that would be a good idea.” Her smile was pure saccharine.
    He ignored the hitch of temper gripping his chest. “If you want the welcome mat, maybe you ought to start acting like a wife and prove you’re serious about being part of this community.”
    She stood abruptly, almost knocking the chair onto its side. “Don’t you think I’ve done that? So far I’ve done everything that’s been asked of me. Committee meetings, women’s groups, children’s study class…but nothing I do makes these people accept me.”
    He narrowed his eyes. “ These people?”
    She thumped her hands on curvaceous hips. “You’re being pedantic. You know what I’m trying to say. Every time I carry out my duties as Josh’s wife, I’m met with stony cold disapproval or, even worse, I’m simply ignored.”
    â€œYou can’t blame people for being wary of outsiders.”
    â€œSee? I’m an outsider. It feels like that’s what I’ll always be.”
    Her knowledge of that simple fact made her even more dangerous. Caleb knew he had to do something to rectify matters regarding her integration into the community, but first he needed to smooth over her fears—at least temporarily, until he could decide what needed to be done to douse the unstable fuse that was his brother’s wife.
    â€œMaybe there’s something you could do as a show of good faith,” he said conversationally.
    â€œWhat?”
    â€œGive up this job.”
    She glared at him. “That’s not going to happen. Why is everyone so hell bent that I give up my job, anyway? Josh is the only one who doesn’t have a problem with it, and he’s my husband.”
    â€œThe community has an innate suspicion of reporters. It comes from