Read Online Pursued by Evangeline Anderson - Free Book Online Page A

good.”
    Merrick remembered the fear in her eyes when he’d tried to undress her and suddenly understood. “All right,” he said at last, blowing out a breath. “Okay. I believe you.”
    “Thank you.” When she looked up, her eyes were shiny with unshed tears. “That means a lot to me. And thank you for coming to save me, even if you were mad.”
    “I was more than mad—I was fucking enraged,” Merrick admitted in a low voice. “I didn’t like the idea of you with another man. The idea of him touching you…taking you…”
    “He doesn’t,” she said quickly. “I mean we don’t…we’ve never…” She trailed off, blushing but Merrick understood what she was saying.
    “What, never?” he demanded. “In the whole time you’ve been together?”
    “No.” Elise shook her head firmly. “I know it sounds old-fashioned but, well, we’re waiting. Waiting until we’re married to…to consummate our relationship.”
    She didn’t sound very excited about the idea—more like it was a distasteful duty she was going to have to perform sometime in the future. Merrick frowned. Now everything made sense—the reason he hadn’t smelled another male on her was because she hadn’t been with another male. At least, not in the past year. Even his sensitive nose couldn’t pick up anything earlier than that.
    Then the implications really began to sink in and his heart leapt in his chest. Unclaimed! She’s unclaimed—not bonded to him at all. Without some kind of physical contact, her engagement was an empty promise, at least in Merrick’s mind. Suddenly he understood her fiancé’s possessive posturing. He didn’t have a hold on Elise—not really. His claim to her was unfounded, ungrounded and most importantly unconsummated.
    “So you’re not really his at all,” he said, putting his thoughts into words. “You don’t really belong to him.”
    Elise bristled. “I don’t belong to any man. I’m my own person, thank you very much.”
    “Sorry,” Merrick growled. “It’s just in the Kindred world, we’re very possessive of our mates. When you find the female you want to spend the rest of your life with, you do everything you can to bind her to you.”
    She frowned. “What do you mean everything?”
    “Touching, tasting, scent marking…we’re pretty fucking tactile,” he said candidly. “I don’t understand how that idiot fiancé of yours could have such a beautiful woman and not mark you in some way.”
    “Mark me? How?” Her cheeks were getting pink and her breathing had speeded up some, Merrick noted.
    “Kindred males have scent glands we use to mark our females,” he explained. “Around our mouths and groins. When we find the right female, we want to rub against her, to touch her everywhere and mark her with our scent. That warns off other males—lets them know the female is spoken for.” He shook his head. “That was why I was so surprised when that little bastard popped up claiming to be your fiancé—I didn’t smell another male on you, even a human male—so I didn’t see how it was possible. Now I understand, if he’s never taken you…”
    “Never,” she said at once, shaking her head.
    “Then he’s never marked you.” Merrick let his voice drop to a low, possessive growl. “And if he’s never marked you, then you’re fair game, as far as I’m concerned.”
    “Merrick!” She bit her lip. “Don’t talk that way.”
    He raised an eyebrow at her. “What way? You know how I feel about you, Elise—why else would I come back for you? It’s fucking natural for me to want to mark you, to touch you, to taste you…”
    “T-taste me?” Her eyes were wide and her breathing was erratic. “You mean kiss me?”
    “Sure.” Merrick nodded. “But not on your mouth.”
    “Where, then?” she whispered.
    “You know where, baby.” Merrick stroked one of her thighs gently, loving the feel of her bare skin beneath the silky red dress. “Here,” he murmured. “Wanna