Read Online Romancing the Alpha: An Action-Adventure Romance Boxed Set by Anna Hackett, Anna Lowe, Leigh James, Ember Casey, Zoe York, Ruby Lionsdrake, Zara Keane, Sadie Haller, Lyn Brittan, Lydia Rowan - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Anna Hackett, Anna Lowe, Leigh James, Ember Casey, Zoe York, Ruby Lionsdrake, Zara Keane, Sadie Haller, Lyn Brittan, Lydia Rowan
Tags: Romance, Contemporary Romance, Romantic Comedy, romantic suspense, science fiction romance, Erotic Romance, Action-Adventure Romance
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over, she didn’t know what she wanted to happen next.
He reached for the taps and her heart leaped into her throat.
— —
Cade could feel her presence as he turned off the water and grabbed the towel. He hadn’t meant to throw down that gauntlet. But having her hands on him, and then the way she watched him touch himself—it had all been too much.
He’d needed her.
And because of the…rules, for lack of a better word…they’d established, he’d needed to walk away.
He’d hoped she’d follow.
Hoped she’d watch.
Hell, he’d have died and gone to heaven if she’d joined him, but that wasn’t the filthy promise he’d poured into her mind before he got the hell away from her.
Next time.
He dried his hair, then his chest. Arms, then legs. Each time the cotton swung over his sensitive cock, he twitched. Her shadowy form didn’t help matters. Finally he turned, towel still in hand, but he didn’t bother to wrap it around his body.
“Mel,” he said, her name cracking as his voice dropped when he saw her face.
She looked stricken. Not the reaction he’d been hoping for.
“Jesus,” he whispered, hastily wrapping the towel around his waist. Nope, that wasn’t enough of a barrier. He gingerly filled the bathroom doorway. “Let me just grab some clothes…”
“No,” she said, holding up her hand. “I just…”
“What?”
“I need a minute.” She closed her eyes, and he slipped past her.
He pulled a t-shirt on first, then boxer briefs under his towel. Given what she’d just seen, that was probably covered up enough. He turned around and found her still standing in the same spot, her eyes still closed. Swearing under his breath, he stalked across the room and yanked her dress-thing from her bag and carefully scrunched it up around the neck hole, then slid it over her head.
She pressed her palms against his forearms after it fell over her small frame, and he pulled her against his chest.
Whatever the hell was going on, it was as much a surprise to her as it was to him. And it wasn’t sexy in the least.
— SEVEN —
Mel couldn’t stop shaking inside.
And she didn’t want Cade to ever let her go.
She didn’t understand the first point, but the second was rapidly becoming crystal clear.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered, her voice hitching between the words.
“You got nothing to be sorry for, beautiful.”
“That was really hot.” She needed him to know this wasn’t about seeing him masturbate. She’d liked that part.
“Not if it freaked you out, it wasn’t.” His voice was taut, angry, but he was holding her close. Gently so. He wasn’t upset with her. Which meant…
“Don’t be mad at yourself,” she said, a bit louder now. “No. No, no, no. I’m just being…something. It’s not about sex.”
“Okay.” He said it like a filler word, to mollify her. Not like he believed her, which made sense. She’d watched him jerk off then freaked out.
“Can we lie down? Together?”
“Of course.” He was really good at that calm, soothing voice thing.
But it had to be an act. She’d followed him back to the room for one thing and this wasn’t it. She’d made him think he’d done something wrong, and he hadn’t. He was upset, and he knew how to cover that up.
She’d ruined everything.
And she still didn’t want to let him go.
She laced her fingers through his as he tugged her toward the bed. He folded back the blankets and twisted her around, settling her on the bed. She held on when he moved to pull away. “No…” she whispered, and he climbed over her so she wouldn’t have to let go. As soon as he’d settled in the middle of the bed, she crawled into his side. She could feel the tears, almost at the surface, but they wouldn’t fall.
Mel didn’t cry. Ever. She got panicky and nervous, worried and fearful, but she didn’t cry.
She’d spent her twentieth year doing that, with good reason. A few years around that for some stupider reasons.
And
He reached for the taps and her heart leaped into her throat.
— —
Cade could feel her presence as he turned off the water and grabbed the towel. He hadn’t meant to throw down that gauntlet. But having her hands on him, and then the way she watched him touch himself—it had all been too much.
He’d needed her.
And because of the…rules, for lack of a better word…they’d established, he’d needed to walk away.
He’d hoped she’d follow.
Hoped she’d watch.
Hell, he’d have died and gone to heaven if she’d joined him, but that wasn’t the filthy promise he’d poured into her mind before he got the hell away from her.
Next time.
He dried his hair, then his chest. Arms, then legs. Each time the cotton swung over his sensitive cock, he twitched. Her shadowy form didn’t help matters. Finally he turned, towel still in hand, but he didn’t bother to wrap it around his body.
“Mel,” he said, her name cracking as his voice dropped when he saw her face.
She looked stricken. Not the reaction he’d been hoping for.
“Jesus,” he whispered, hastily wrapping the towel around his waist. Nope, that wasn’t enough of a barrier. He gingerly filled the bathroom doorway. “Let me just grab some clothes…”
“No,” she said, holding up her hand. “I just…”
“What?”
“I need a minute.” She closed her eyes, and he slipped past her.
He pulled a t-shirt on first, then boxer briefs under his towel. Given what she’d just seen, that was probably covered up enough. He turned around and found her still standing in the same spot, her eyes still closed. Swearing under his breath, he stalked across the room and yanked her dress-thing from her bag and carefully scrunched it up around the neck hole, then slid it over her head.
She pressed her palms against his forearms after it fell over her small frame, and he pulled her against his chest.
Whatever the hell was going on, it was as much a surprise to her as it was to him. And it wasn’t sexy in the least.
— SEVEN —
Mel couldn’t stop shaking inside.
And she didn’t want Cade to ever let her go.
She didn’t understand the first point, but the second was rapidly becoming crystal clear.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered, her voice hitching between the words.
“You got nothing to be sorry for, beautiful.”
“That was really hot.” She needed him to know this wasn’t about seeing him masturbate. She’d liked that part.
“Not if it freaked you out, it wasn’t.” His voice was taut, angry, but he was holding her close. Gently so. He wasn’t upset with her. Which meant…
“Don’t be mad at yourself,” she said, a bit louder now. “No. No, no, no. I’m just being…something. It’s not about sex.”
“Okay.” He said it like a filler word, to mollify her. Not like he believed her, which made sense. She’d watched him jerk off then freaked out.
“Can we lie down? Together?”
“Of course.” He was really good at that calm, soothing voice thing.
But it had to be an act. She’d followed him back to the room for one thing and this wasn’t it. She’d made him think he’d done something wrong, and he hadn’t. He was upset, and he knew how to cover that up.
She’d ruined everything.
And she still didn’t want to let him go.
She laced her fingers through his as he tugged her toward the bed. He folded back the blankets and twisted her around, settling her on the bed. She held on when he moved to pull away. “No…” she whispered, and he climbed over her so she wouldn’t have to let go. As soon as he’d settled in the middle of the bed, she crawled into his side. She could feel the tears, almost at the surface, but they wouldn’t fall.
Mel didn’t cry. Ever. She got panicky and nervous, worried and fearful, but she didn’t cry.
She’d spent her twentieth year doing that, with good reason. A few years around that for some stupider reasons.
And
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