Read Online Shameless Desire (The Outlawed Realm) by Tina Donahue - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Tina Donahue
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frowned. “You could get hurt. I have a fucking gun to protect us.”
He rammed the side of his body against the door, rattling the wood and glass.
Damn. Before he burst through the window or morphed back into a man and opened the stupid thing himself, Gwen got it for him.
He dashed into the small backyard, rimmed with vegetation, heavy with menacing shadows. Tree branches dipped to the ground under the pelting rain. Small pools of water and fallen leaves dotted the thick grass.
He halted in the middle of the yard and glanced back, his eyes silvery in the dingy light, intelligence burning in them along with something human…yearning, affection. As though he needed her to be safe, it was important to him.
Gwen leaned against the jamb, clutching it for support. Rarely had she been precious to anyone, especially those who should have protected her.
She’d never spoken to her father. He refused to acknowledge her existence, while her mother had too many problems of her own to deal with a child. If not for Staci, Gwen wouldn’t have known what family was supposed to be. Kuma’s concern reminded her of what she’d missed. It touched something deep within her, so long denied, urging Gwen to go to him, to cradle him close.
Before she could, he bounded away into the darkness.
That had been ten endless minutes ago. As she had earlier, Staci grabbed Gwen’s wrist now, keeping her from reaching for the doorknob.
“Oh God, please,” she said, “don’t go out there.”
“I have to.” Gwen yanked free. “What if he’s hurt? I can help him.”
“You’re a nurse, not a vet.”
A what? “Hey.” She glared at her cousin. “He’s still a man—a decent, brave, honorable man, got it?”
“I don’t get any of this,” Staci hollered, gesturing wildly. “We should call 911. They’ll know what to do.” She headed for the wall phone.
Gwen slapped Staci’s hand away from the receiver. “Uh-uh. No way are you calling the cops.”
“Why not?”
“Are you serious?” Gwen swung her hand in the direction of her bedroom. “You saw what Kuma turned into in there. How long do you think he’d last if someone outside saw what he did—what he’d become? They’d take him down like a fucking rabid dog.”
Staci pressed her fists to her chest, her pose reminiscent of a little girl scared shitless. “We can’t just let this continue. It’s nuts.”
And the guy in the alley hitting Gwen with a tranquilizer dart wasn’t? If not for Kuma, she’d have been raped, dead or worse by now. “He rescued me tonight, Staci. He didn’t have to do that. I’m not going to let anyone harm him.”
“Maybe someone already has.”
Gwen got in Staci’s face and bared her teeth at the girl. “Don’t say that. Don’t even think it. Where’s my gun?” She curled her upper lip at Staci’s empty hands. “Did you leave it in my bedroom?”
“Don’t worry. It’s on the nightstand.”
“Fucking lot of good it’ll do us there. Go get it.”
“So you can leave and get yourself killed?” Staci backed away and crossed her arms beneath her breasts. She tapped her foot against the floor. “I don’t think so.”
Gwen lifted her chin to the ceiling and sighed. “I’m not going to get killed.”
“You’re not going out there either. If you haven’t yet noticed, you’re naked.”
She’d forgotten about that. “Get my clothes.”
Staci pushed out her lower lip.
“Please,” Gwen added. “Someone has to let him back in when he returns. Do you want that to be you?”
“And disappoint him?” She arched one blonde brow. “I saw how he kept staring at you.”
Heat rushed to Gwen’s face and throat. “You’re crazy.”
“Maybe, but I’m not blind. I do remember what a guy looks like when he’s interested.”
Gwen wasn’t about to debate the point. She would have changed the subject, but it was already too late. Staci’s fight had gone, her sigh seeming to deflate her. Her shoulders sagged as though
He rammed the side of his body against the door, rattling the wood and glass.
Damn. Before he burst through the window or morphed back into a man and opened the stupid thing himself, Gwen got it for him.
He dashed into the small backyard, rimmed with vegetation, heavy with menacing shadows. Tree branches dipped to the ground under the pelting rain. Small pools of water and fallen leaves dotted the thick grass.
He halted in the middle of the yard and glanced back, his eyes silvery in the dingy light, intelligence burning in them along with something human…yearning, affection. As though he needed her to be safe, it was important to him.
Gwen leaned against the jamb, clutching it for support. Rarely had she been precious to anyone, especially those who should have protected her.
She’d never spoken to her father. He refused to acknowledge her existence, while her mother had too many problems of her own to deal with a child. If not for Staci, Gwen wouldn’t have known what family was supposed to be. Kuma’s concern reminded her of what she’d missed. It touched something deep within her, so long denied, urging Gwen to go to him, to cradle him close.
Before she could, he bounded away into the darkness.
That had been ten endless minutes ago. As she had earlier, Staci grabbed Gwen’s wrist now, keeping her from reaching for the doorknob.
“Oh God, please,” she said, “don’t go out there.”
“I have to.” Gwen yanked free. “What if he’s hurt? I can help him.”
“You’re a nurse, not a vet.”
A what? “Hey.” She glared at her cousin. “He’s still a man—a decent, brave, honorable man, got it?”
“I don’t get any of this,” Staci hollered, gesturing wildly. “We should call 911. They’ll know what to do.” She headed for the wall phone.
Gwen slapped Staci’s hand away from the receiver. “Uh-uh. No way are you calling the cops.”
“Why not?”
“Are you serious?” Gwen swung her hand in the direction of her bedroom. “You saw what Kuma turned into in there. How long do you think he’d last if someone outside saw what he did—what he’d become? They’d take him down like a fucking rabid dog.”
Staci pressed her fists to her chest, her pose reminiscent of a little girl scared shitless. “We can’t just let this continue. It’s nuts.”
And the guy in the alley hitting Gwen with a tranquilizer dart wasn’t? If not for Kuma, she’d have been raped, dead or worse by now. “He rescued me tonight, Staci. He didn’t have to do that. I’m not going to let anyone harm him.”
“Maybe someone already has.”
Gwen got in Staci’s face and bared her teeth at the girl. “Don’t say that. Don’t even think it. Where’s my gun?” She curled her upper lip at Staci’s empty hands. “Did you leave it in my bedroom?”
“Don’t worry. It’s on the nightstand.”
“Fucking lot of good it’ll do us there. Go get it.”
“So you can leave and get yourself killed?” Staci backed away and crossed her arms beneath her breasts. She tapped her foot against the floor. “I don’t think so.”
Gwen lifted her chin to the ceiling and sighed. “I’m not going to get killed.”
“You’re not going out there either. If you haven’t yet noticed, you’re naked.”
She’d forgotten about that. “Get my clothes.”
Staci pushed out her lower lip.
“Please,” Gwen added. “Someone has to let him back in when he returns. Do you want that to be you?”
“And disappoint him?” She arched one blonde brow. “I saw how he kept staring at you.”
Heat rushed to Gwen’s face and throat. “You’re crazy.”
“Maybe, but I’m not blind. I do remember what a guy looks like when he’s interested.”
Gwen wasn’t about to debate the point. She would have changed the subject, but it was already too late. Staci’s fight had gone, her sigh seeming to deflate her. Her shoulders sagged as though
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