Read Online Mating Fever by Celeste Anwar - Free Book Online Page A

rising tide, trying to keep calm.
     
    The man between her legs stiffened, twisting
against her thighs. He released her abruptly as something came
crashing through the night with the force of a barreling semi. The
hands holding her arms and legs disappeared, ripped away.
     
    Jessica gasped at the bruising wrench, the
sudden freedom. She scrambled upright, pushing her dress down,
peering into the shadows. She couldn’t see anything. She felt like
her eyes were closed, like this was a nightmare come horribly to
life. Jessica continued scrabbling back, until cool stone pressed
against her back. She kicked her feet out, waved her hands in case
anyone came near.
     
    In the dark, the men snarled and growled like
pit bulls at a dog fight. Jessica didn’t know if she was more
scared or relieved. Had some guard dog come to defend her? Feet
scuffled on the worn path, grunts echoed meaty strikes.
     
    “It’s because you are pups I don’ kill you
for this,” a voice growled in the dark to the accompaniment of
heavy thuds.
     
    Jessica’s bones nearly melted from her body
at the velvet drawl she’d recognize anywhere. Gabriel. Somehow,
he’d come for her, known she was in trouble.
     
    Jessica huddled on the ground, not daring to
move lest she distract him. She wanted to help, but she couldn’t
see a damn thing and she was too scared she’d injure him if she
entered the fray.
     
    Something liquid splashed against the ground
next to her feet, and the coppery scent of blood filled the air as
the beatings continued, interspersed with painful groans and
shouts.
     
    Finally, after what seemed like an hour of
unbearable tension, someone touched her shoulder. Jessica startled,
looking up to see the faint, star framed silhouette of a man above
her.
     
    “Chere ?”
Gabriel asked.
     
    “Gabriel!” Jessica breathed in relief,
getting to her feet. She hugged him fiercely and felt her thin
dress soak through with sweat or blood or both--she couldn’t tell.
He ran his hands against her back in soothing circles.
     
    “Did they hurt you?” he murmured against her
hair.
     
    “No. Nothing I can’t handle.” She pulled
back, wishing she could see him. “Thank you, Gabriel. I don’t know
what I would’ve done without you.”
     
    He stifled a groan and slumped heavily
against her.
     
    “Oh my god. You’re hurt. Gabriel, where is
it? Where are you hurt?” His silence unnerved her. Jessica felt
around his body, but she couldn’t find anything that could have
weakened him so much--unless it was something internal. The thought
galvanized her. “We have to get you to a hospital.”
     
    “No,” he said and pushed away from her.
     
    “Yes.”
     
    “No,” he said emphatically. “You can ... take
me ... home.”
     
    He sounded like he was just before passing
out. She couldn’t blame him. He’d run off three men nearly as big
as he was, and from the sound of them, they’d been insane. She
didn’t have time to be impressed. They had to leave before the
thugs had a chance to come back. “I’ll take you home. But first we
have to catch a cab or something.”
     
    “My car is out front,” he said, and leaned
into her for support.
     
    Jessica stood under his arm and they hobbled
their way to his car--an old Camaro, its color indistinguishable in
the faded dark.
     
    She followed his directions, and he fell
asleep as she drove up the long Ponchartrain Expressway. A wooded
area came into view, and she stopped at the first house as he’d
instructed: a sprawling two story Victorian with a gazebo and porch
swing on one end, interconnected with the porch curving around the
house. The area was lit by two security lights on either side,
giving some semblance of safety.
     
    Jessica didn’t stop to admire the house,
pulling the Camaro onto the lawn along a roughened patch of dirt
until she neared the front entrance. She stopped the car and
switched it off, giving Gabriel a concerned glance before she got
up and went around