outside.” Laurel sat up, letting the clothing she’d been holding like a shield go, baring her breasts. She could feel her blush and resisted the urge to snatch her dress back up and cover herself again. Slowly, she added, “I’m not sure why I feel this way with you when I never have with anyone else, but I think I want what you want.”
His gaze was riveted on her chest for a moment, and then he gave her a direct look from piercing gray eyes. “You’d better more than think you want to give yourself to a man like me, Laurel. I’m an outlaw, a man without much except a reputation for violence and a price on his head.”
48
www.samhainpublishing.com
Lawless
She liked the sound of her given name as he said it in that soft, musical drawl. “I know who you are to the world. The trouble is, I think there’s a lot more there. Please also remember, if it wasn’t for the notorious Cal Riker, I doubt I’d still be alive.”
“Your gratitude doesn’t have to take this form, girl.” There was a husky note in his voice.
“This isn’t about gratitude. I was just pointing out you aren’t what you seem and even without Gabe’s cryptic little remarks, I was beginning to cotton on to that all on my own.”
“I thought I was despicable.” The ghost of a smile haunted his mouth.
“You were when you were carrying me off like some heathen. I was mad when I said that.”
“Yeah, well, maybe you should stay mad before we both make a big mistake.”
She gave him a level look. “I should be. I should be horrified you watched me in the stream. I should be ashamed of myself sitting here offering what we both know I am willing to give you. But somehow I’m not and that says a lot to me.”
He swore softly under his breath, the words inaudible but the implied emotion clear.
The tension in his lean body was visible. “If I don’t walk out of here right now, I’m not going to leave.”
Laurel smiled, feeling an unfamiliar anticipation coil in the pit of her stomach. Her nipples tingled slightly, as if he had already touched her. “That’s fine. Seems to me I invited you to stay.”
www.samhainpublishing.com 49
Emma Wildes
Chapter Six
She was an angel, her damp, curling hair framing her lovely face, her blush belied by the voluptuous beauty of her naked breasts, the pink tips high and tight. Those enormous blue eyes looked at him in expectation, and the trust implied by her invitation humbled him.
Cal knew he wasn’t worthy to touch her hand, much less what he wanted to do, but he had the feeling that even though he had carefully honed his ability to control his reaction to almost any situation, this slender girl had him beat.
Damn him to hell, he should leave her alone. She was innocent. He was anything but.
Still, he knew there was just no way he could force himself to walk out that door.
Part of it, of course, was that fateful kiss. Maybe if he hadn’t ever touched her, tasted her, he wouldn’t feel this gnawing hunger. At the moment, he was pretty dead certain he was harder than he’d ever been in his life, his cock at full attention in his pants, straining against the confinement.
He took a step toward the bed and knew he was lost. Laurel watched him, the color in her cheeks deepening as he started to unbutton his shirt. He told her in a low, rough voice, “You win, sweetheart. I couldn’t leave to save my life.”
The frightening truth was maybe he was right about that. How he felt about her wasn’t healthy, not for someone like him who lived on the run, who didn’t need anything someone else could use as leverage against him.
“I’m glad.”
The breathless tone of her response sent blood he didn’t think he had left south to his already throbbing shaft. He shrugged off his shirt, the cool air welcome on his heated skin, and sat down to remove his boots. His gun belt went next, and he almost didn’t have the presence of mind to set it by the side of the bed within easy
His gaze was riveted on her chest for a moment, and then he gave her a direct look from piercing gray eyes. “You’d better more than think you want to give yourself to a man like me, Laurel. I’m an outlaw, a man without much except a reputation for violence and a price on his head.”
48
www.samhainpublishing.com
Lawless
She liked the sound of her given name as he said it in that soft, musical drawl. “I know who you are to the world. The trouble is, I think there’s a lot more there. Please also remember, if it wasn’t for the notorious Cal Riker, I doubt I’d still be alive.”
“Your gratitude doesn’t have to take this form, girl.” There was a husky note in his voice.
“This isn’t about gratitude. I was just pointing out you aren’t what you seem and even without Gabe’s cryptic little remarks, I was beginning to cotton on to that all on my own.”
“I thought I was despicable.” The ghost of a smile haunted his mouth.
“You were when you were carrying me off like some heathen. I was mad when I said that.”
“Yeah, well, maybe you should stay mad before we both make a big mistake.”
She gave him a level look. “I should be. I should be horrified you watched me in the stream. I should be ashamed of myself sitting here offering what we both know I am willing to give you. But somehow I’m not and that says a lot to me.”
He swore softly under his breath, the words inaudible but the implied emotion clear.
The tension in his lean body was visible. “If I don’t walk out of here right now, I’m not going to leave.”
Laurel smiled, feeling an unfamiliar anticipation coil in the pit of her stomach. Her nipples tingled slightly, as if he had already touched her. “That’s fine. Seems to me I invited you to stay.”
www.samhainpublishing.com 49
Emma Wildes
Chapter Six
She was an angel, her damp, curling hair framing her lovely face, her blush belied by the voluptuous beauty of her naked breasts, the pink tips high and tight. Those enormous blue eyes looked at him in expectation, and the trust implied by her invitation humbled him.
Cal knew he wasn’t worthy to touch her hand, much less what he wanted to do, but he had the feeling that even though he had carefully honed his ability to control his reaction to almost any situation, this slender girl had him beat.
Damn him to hell, he should leave her alone. She was innocent. He was anything but.
Still, he knew there was just no way he could force himself to walk out that door.
Part of it, of course, was that fateful kiss. Maybe if he hadn’t ever touched her, tasted her, he wouldn’t feel this gnawing hunger. At the moment, he was pretty dead certain he was harder than he’d ever been in his life, his cock at full attention in his pants, straining against the confinement.
He took a step toward the bed and knew he was lost. Laurel watched him, the color in her cheeks deepening as he started to unbutton his shirt. He told her in a low, rough voice, “You win, sweetheart. I couldn’t leave to save my life.”
The frightening truth was maybe he was right about that. How he felt about her wasn’t healthy, not for someone like him who lived on the run, who didn’t need anything someone else could use as leverage against him.
“I’m glad.”
The breathless tone of her response sent blood he didn’t think he had left south to his already throbbing shaft. He shrugged off his shirt, the cool air welcome on his heated skin, and sat down to remove his boots. His gun belt went next, and he almost didn’t have the presence of mind to set it by the side of the bed within easy
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