Read Online Raven (Kindred #1) by Scarlett Finn - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Scarlett Finn
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perpendicular to her body, between her legs, and made no apology for squashing her left leg between his ass and the back of the couch or his presumption. He slipped off her shoe and touched her injured ankle.
The contact made her recoil. Without invitation, he strengthened his grip around her heel and tested her range of movement with his opposite hand. His thumb pushed into the delicate bones beneath her skin to move her ankle as he wanted it to move.
He was so sure, so unapologetic, so entitled. Such a show of brutish control proved his power; he could contort her any way he chose to and all she could do was comply. Yet, by assessing her injury, he was demonstrating some level of care about her wellbeing.
Each time they came into contact, she learned a little more about who he was. She might not have specifics, but his deeds spoke for him. He had never hurt her, despite his superior strength. Had never put her down, despite the hints of class behind his gruff exterior. He had a mission to protect her and tonight he’d proved he was a man of his word.
The firm hold of his rough fingers rasped her smooth skin and her gratitude bloomed. Her feminine awareness was awakening too. Raven had saved her life and then taken her on an exhilarating ride through the city streets. Adrenaline, endorphins, hormones, they were all chemical and they were combining in her head, slinking down her spine, through her organs to tickle her enlivened skin.
It was dark, but she could see the line of his jaw and how his hair was mussed suggesting he never did more than finger comb it. The musky scent of him made her pelvis grow heavy and the whisper of butterflies in her stomach began to gain speed and mass.
He was touching her, exploring her injury, and didn’t reveal any signs he was as raw as she felt. With every second of contact, she grew more sensitive to his actions and her hips began to squirm.
Fearing he would sense her interest or that she might do something embarrassing like whimper, she sighed. “Stop it,” she said, tugging her foot away from him.
He caught her limb, pulled it back, and laid it on his lap. “You’ll have to elevate it and ice it,” he said. “Nothing’s broken, but it will probably swell, so take it easy for a few days.”
“I have to go to work. I can’t just sit on my ass doing nothing.”
With his focus still on her leg, he addressed it rather than her. His frown made her speculate. Was he pissed that he was here tending to her? Or was he a man with more on his mind than he was letting on?
“Grant will understand,” he said. “You haven’t taken a fucking sick day for three years.”
By now, she was getting used to him knowing everything about her and her life. Other, more relevant, questions plagued her, like why he had come to her aid and how he got into CI. She wanted to know if he knew Kahlil and what he and Grant were doing having a clandestine meeting, but at the same time, she didn’t want to betray Grant.
“I’m not taking a sick day,” she said, sitting up without removing her legs from around him. Taking time off might help her sore ankle, but sitting in her apartment alone would only exasperate her confusion and there would be no answers here after Raven left her. “I need to know, Raven, why were you at CI tonight? How did you know that I needed help?”
Still inspecting her leg, he sounded tired when he replied. “Both have the same answer… I’m watching.”
“You’re still watching me? You said you were going away.”
He circled her foot in his grip. There was no reason for him to be examining her still, except if he needed the distraction from establishing eye contact. “How’d you get mixed up with those guys?” he mumbled.
“Kahlil and his men?”
His whole demeanor changed. He grew tense, and his awareness became acute as his eyes slid up to hers in time with the whisper of his hands skimming up her shin. If she’d been vulnerable to him before, now
The contact made her recoil. Without invitation, he strengthened his grip around her heel and tested her range of movement with his opposite hand. His thumb pushed into the delicate bones beneath her skin to move her ankle as he wanted it to move.
He was so sure, so unapologetic, so entitled. Such a show of brutish control proved his power; he could contort her any way he chose to and all she could do was comply. Yet, by assessing her injury, he was demonstrating some level of care about her wellbeing.
Each time they came into contact, she learned a little more about who he was. She might not have specifics, but his deeds spoke for him. He had never hurt her, despite his superior strength. Had never put her down, despite the hints of class behind his gruff exterior. He had a mission to protect her and tonight he’d proved he was a man of his word.
The firm hold of his rough fingers rasped her smooth skin and her gratitude bloomed. Her feminine awareness was awakening too. Raven had saved her life and then taken her on an exhilarating ride through the city streets. Adrenaline, endorphins, hormones, they were all chemical and they were combining in her head, slinking down her spine, through her organs to tickle her enlivened skin.
It was dark, but she could see the line of his jaw and how his hair was mussed suggesting he never did more than finger comb it. The musky scent of him made her pelvis grow heavy and the whisper of butterflies in her stomach began to gain speed and mass.
He was touching her, exploring her injury, and didn’t reveal any signs he was as raw as she felt. With every second of contact, she grew more sensitive to his actions and her hips began to squirm.
Fearing he would sense her interest or that she might do something embarrassing like whimper, she sighed. “Stop it,” she said, tugging her foot away from him.
He caught her limb, pulled it back, and laid it on his lap. “You’ll have to elevate it and ice it,” he said. “Nothing’s broken, but it will probably swell, so take it easy for a few days.”
“I have to go to work. I can’t just sit on my ass doing nothing.”
With his focus still on her leg, he addressed it rather than her. His frown made her speculate. Was he pissed that he was here tending to her? Or was he a man with more on his mind than he was letting on?
“Grant will understand,” he said. “You haven’t taken a fucking sick day for three years.”
By now, she was getting used to him knowing everything about her and her life. Other, more relevant, questions plagued her, like why he had come to her aid and how he got into CI. She wanted to know if he knew Kahlil and what he and Grant were doing having a clandestine meeting, but at the same time, she didn’t want to betray Grant.
“I’m not taking a sick day,” she said, sitting up without removing her legs from around him. Taking time off might help her sore ankle, but sitting in her apartment alone would only exasperate her confusion and there would be no answers here after Raven left her. “I need to know, Raven, why were you at CI tonight? How did you know that I needed help?”
Still inspecting her leg, he sounded tired when he replied. “Both have the same answer… I’m watching.”
“You’re still watching me? You said you were going away.”
He circled her foot in his grip. There was no reason for him to be examining her still, except if he needed the distraction from establishing eye contact. “How’d you get mixed up with those guys?” he mumbled.
“Kahlil and his men?”
His whole demeanor changed. He grew tense, and his awareness became acute as his eyes slid up to hers in time with the whisper of his hands skimming up her shin. If she’d been vulnerable to him before, now
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