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He’d have to twist the rules His job--his way

"Just who’s paying Ryan to be Carol’s bodyguard?" Darien asked Lelandi as he paced across the master bedroom down the hall Carol heard a hint of wry humor in his tone as she pulled off her clothes in the private bathroouestrooood that she could make out every word--ured most olves tuned out conversations they didn’t want to listen to But she wasn’t able to do that yet, especially when the conversation was about her Thatexchanges that she wasn’tto pay for his services, but it’s our place to do so since the red in our territory most likely was from my old pack So my responsibility, which uard," Darien grouched Now he sounded annoyed "What is it with McKinley anyway? He’s acting mayor of Green Valley, now full-ti our town"

"He’s got a thing for Carol Surely you see that as well as anyone here does"

Darien growled

"What if he’s the right one for her? Imore than brotherly affection for her To her, yet he’d protect her with his life But Ryan… well, you saw the way he danced with her And before that, the way he caet to see it, but Silva said they shared some kiss outside by the house You kno she is She’s an alpha She needs so of character like she is Ryan would ood match"

"We have plenty of pack ood match An alpha olf doesn’t have to have an alpha ht need a man that she can boss around" The floor creaked soht, so McKinley comes here to fortify our forces, but it irritates the hell out ofthis because you wish it"

No er

Carol started the shower and turned on so At least the shower and roans

Carol climbed into the shower and closed her eyes as the hot water sluiced over her skin Was Lelandi right in thinking Ryan was truly interested in her? The sexual interest was there, that was for sure Every tiot close to him, her blood sizzled Her heart pounded at an increased tempo

But it wasn’t just her response to hiered her hormones to skip around in an excited frenzy The way he observed her--although she had to reure her out--and the way his gaze filled with admiration at times, lust at others, she knew she hadon

Even if they weren’t a match, she was deteruard, that her psychic abilities were real She shouldn’t have cared if he believed her or not She iined that more than half of the world’s population didn’t have faith in such things But she did care that he believed That he knew she had been honest with hirabbed the container of liquid body soap and squeezed some into her hand Then she slid the pearl-like soap over her shoulders, breasts, and stomach

A distinctive thu in a heavy spray out of the showerhead Darien dropping a boot on his bedrooh She listened intently but didn’t hear anything further except for the continued strea out of the showerhead and the e rhythm of drumbeats, flutes, and pipe whistles Had to have been Darien or Lelandi ination

She ran shah her hair and over her face, the scent of peaches filling her nostrils with the sweet, refreshing fragrance Her fingers swept the silky soap down her ar happened so quickly that it was a blur The rings of the shower curtain slid aside The cooler air froarlic the intruder had eaten perht before a painful jab penetrated her arm Her eyes andinstantly to wash away the stinging but further blurring her vision A heavy hand clamped over her h her blood, and she felt as if she were slipping into nothingness The hot water still ran over her, her eyes burning, and whispered words penetrating the darkness as soht The smell of man and woods, of sweat and fear clouded her senses

"Asleep Let’s get her out of here before we get caught," the nize his harsh and concerned voice Her last thought was to wonder where her bodyguard hen she needed hi Ryan to sleep in the sunroom on the other side of the house If he’d even returned from Green Valley to watch over her yet But she’d heard Lelandi arguing with Darien once they’d returned home from the tavern Heard that Darien hadn’t wanted Ryan in the same room with her That it would stir up the other bachelor e Ryan to want Carol for a le" style="display:block" data-ad-client="ca-pub-7451196230453695" data-ad-slot="9930101810" data-ad-format="auto" data-full-width-responsive="true"></ins>