Page 41 (1/2)

He stood in the center of the floor while she closed and locked the door Stood there, hardly daring to breathe, as she removed his shirt, unbuckled his belt, unfastened his trousers, then cli a deep breath, he heeled off his boots, pulled off his socks, stepped out of his trousers, and left them all in a heap on the floor

"Are you sure about this?" he asked gruffly

"Very sure," she said

Wearing only his briefs, he slid in beside her "You knohere this is likely to end, don’t you?"

"I hope so" She wrapped her arms around him

"What has you so worried? You don’t think Nadiya will co about this whole ht?"

"No But I’ve never been this worried about anyone before"

She was close, too close He could feel the heat of her body war of her heart And overall, the scent of her blood calling to him

He muttered an oath as his honor faded away, overcoer He groaned her name as he captured her oas on the floor on top of his trousers He crushed her close,at the velvet sainst his chest He rained kisses over her forehead, her cheeks, along the length of her neck, and then, unable to restrain himself, he closed his eyes and drank It was the first ti, but she didn’t protest, only s pierced her flesh

When he lifted his head, she serly, careful not to take toowith pleasure, she fell back on the bed

"You look like the cat that ate the canary," Zack observed

She looked up at hirowled low in his throat

"Oh, I’m scared now," she said with mock terror

"You should be"

"Oh?" She propped herself up on one elbow, her fingers drawing figure eights on his chest "Why is that?"

"Because everything about you tees of his six-pack abs "Aren’t you supposed to findmarried, after all It would be awful if you didn’t wantis, I don’t kno er I can keep my hands off you"

"Then touch er All I could think of when I was Nadiya’s prisoner was that Imade love to you"

"DaDairl! Your father and mother are down the hall"

"I’ll be very quiet," she whispered

"Yeah? Well, I can’ther in his arasped for breath "When I take you the first ti on your finger" He kissed the tip of her nose, then slipped his aro to sleep It’s alhtness in his skin thatthe strength froratefully into oblivion

Kaitlyn heaved a sigh of exasperation as Zack’s eyes closed and he surrendered to the dawn Stubborn ive in How did heon her side, she studied his profile Now that she had cooled off and she was thinking with her head instead of her horht This wasn’t the time or the place When they made love the first time, she wanted it to be in their own home, not under her father’s roof Not with her parents just down the hall

She would have suggested they go to the hotel in town, but she wasn’t foolish enough to go traipsing off into the night when Zack and her father had detected the presence of another va nearby

She rested her head on Zack’s shoulder, her fingers splayed over his chest, and prayed that the trouble with Nadiya would be over soon

Chapter 37

Kaitlyn’s yearning for a quick end to the conflict between her father and Nadiya waned as her father prepared to go to the Fortress toman, never defeated in battle But Nadiya and Lucien were not to be trusted In a fair fight, Kaitlyn was certain her father would eht fair

Her father spoke briefly to Zack, then strode toward her He was, she thought, the personification of a warrior about to go to battle If he orried about the outco or his expression