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  A tingle dived down her spine and the soft cotton shirt felt rough against her sensitive nipples. Even without hormones commanding her responses, she found Quinn dangerously attractive. It would be so easy to tune out the world and pick up where they’d left off in his truck. His kiss had been like nothing she’d ever experienced before. She’d been desperate and wild, yet he’d held himself back, refusing to take advantage of her vulnerability. He’d been noble and selfless, so why were the others so suspicious of him? Either the others had misjudged him…or she had. And they had known him for years while she had only met him a couple of days ago. Damn it. How was she supposed to make sense of this jumble?

  “What’s an abolitionist?” She was being a coward, postponing the inevitable, but she wasn’t ready to surrender another sliver of her humanity. Her Therian nature would control her soon enough. “I presume you weren’t talking about the ‘let’s end slavery’ kind.”

  His sigh stirred the hair above her ear and tension rolled down his body, easing him away from her back. His arms still circled her waist, but the embrace was looser now, far less intimate. “They’re a group of religious zealots who ‘rescue’ Therian females. They believe we’re the descendants of demons who either manifest as animals or have sex with animals. I’m not sure how they learned that our females are born latent, but they’ve made it their purpose in life to whisk them away and sterilize them before their ‘demonic’ natures can be activated.”

  Revulsion gripped her belly as she thought of all the girls who had been robbed of the miraculous potential of creating new life. They would never feel a baby move within their bodies or stand in awe of their babies’ first steps. Then a personal possibility slashed through the general horror. “Was the man who helped my mother run away from Osric one of these abolitionists?”

  “It’s more than likely.” He turned her around, his hands settling lightly on her hips. “What do you remember about him?”

  “Not much. I was still a child when she threw him out for the last time.”

  “For the last time?”

  “They had a sort of love-hate relationship. I think his name was Gabe or Greg or something like that. He seemed like a knight in shining armor at first, but he became really possessive, really fast. Mom would run him off when he started acting like a jerk. But he always managed to show up when we were in trouble, so she’d take him back, at least for a while.”

  “He was probably monitoring her.”

  “Yeah, don’t they call that stalking?”

  His features revealed nothing, as if he didn’t want to influence her in any way. “What made her end it for good?”

  She searched her memory, trying to recall every detail, every emotion. “I was so young. Most of it made little sense at the time, but the scene has replayed in my dreams for years.”

  “Don’t try to analyze it, just tell me what they said.”

  “Mom refused to fight in front of us, but the apartment was small and we were curious little girls.” She rushed on, wanting to share the facts before his bias tainted her memories. “They’d been arguing for weeks, but that last night was different. Mom was more than just angry. She seemed more focused, stronger somehow. She told him she’d met the conditions of their contract and we, Ava and me, had never been part of the deal.”

  “Sounds like standard Abolitionist tactics. Females are considered redeemed once it becomes physically impossible for them to pass on their animal nature. And with no contact with other Therians, most become too weak to shift.”

  She absorbed the implications, allowing her adult mind to reshape her childhood memories. “You honestly think my mother agreed to have a hysterectomy in exchange for this man’s assistance?” Before he could respond, she widened her new perspective. “That means he wanted Ava and me to be sterilized too.”

  “She was protecting you.” Emotion thickened his voice, but as usual, she couldn’t decipher his expression. “She might have been a bit misguided, but every move she made was meant to protect you two.” He shifted his hands to her shoulders as his gaze began to smolder.

  Memories surged to the surface, supporting his conclusion. “I always wondered why Mom stopped running. We never stayed in one place for more than a couple of months while Ava and I were kids. Then we reached Breckenridge, and Mom just stopped. She bought a house and opened a business as if the danger had passed.”

  He slipped his right hand inside her sleeve and stroked her arm. His touch was light, his fingers warm, and her senses came alive at his command. “If she’d had the surgery, she would have destroyed what Osric wanted as well as satisfying the Abolitionists, at least temporarily. The danger hadn’t passed, but she bought you enough time to grow up and become less vulnerable.”

  “It all makes a sick sort of sense.” She looked into his eyes and felt awareness arc between them. The nasal mist might have slowed her body’s cycle, but he was still a ruggedly handsome man. And she was a woman who hadn’t had sex in a very long time. “If their primary interest is latent females, why didn’t they come after Ava and me?”

  “They might have lost track of you or it could have been curiosity. You had no interaction with the Therian nation. Perhaps they wanted to see how long you could go on believing you were human. Or someone could have been protecting you. All we know for sure is as soon as Osric made his move it obviously set the abolitionists back in motion.”

  “They meant to take out you and Ian so they could ‘rescue’ me?”

  “That would be my guess. There’s no way one of Osric’s men would have taken a shot that close to you.”

  He pushed her hair behind her back and pressed a kiss against the side of her neck, obviously losing interest in conversation. Another tingle skittered down her spine and her nipples gathered against the shirt. Perhaps her heat wasn’t as banked as she thought. No. That was a copout, a convenient excuse. She was an adult faced with an adult decision.—trust her instincts and spend the night in Quinn’s arms, or listen to gossip and send him away.

  Her body was in full support of a passionate romp, but her mind was torturing her with uncertainty. “Why did I react so differently to Ian than I do to you?”

  His eyes narrowed to glistening slits. “How did you react to Ian?”

  “He didn’t touch me. I told you that already.”

  “That’s not what I asked.” His thumbs dipped and swept the bend of her elbows as his gaze searched hers.

  “The cravings returned right before you crashed through the window.” He grinned, utterly unrepentant for his brash actions. “Ian realized what was happening, but his scent made me…combative.”

  The corners of his mouth twitched with a smile he couldn’t quite conceal. “It usually takes a full joining to trigger the process, but apparently our bodies have already started to sync.”

  “Which means?” She licked her lips, her body rapidly winning the tug-of-war with her mind. “I’ll never want another man as long as I live?”

  A sexy smile parted his lips and his teeth gleamed in the dimness. “We don’t need to be in sync for that. You just need to spend the night in my bed.”

  She shoved against his chest in mock outrage. “You are such an arrogant jerk!”

  He swept her into his arms and carried her back to bed. “Guilty as charged.” Rather than toss her onto the mattress as she expected, he carefully set her down on the edge of the bed. His warm hands framed her face and his dark gaze bore into hers. “I want you so badly my toenails ache, but I will not hurt you. If anything we do causes you discomfort, tell me immediately.”

  His concern was unexpected and sweet coming from someone so massive and fierce. “I haven’t decided if I’m going to let you do this.” Heat cascaded from her head to her toes in a slow, melting rush.

  He chuckled, drawing her back to her feet. “That sounds like a challenge.” Her heart fluttered wildly in her chest. He didn’t seem angry, but his expressions were so intense, it was sometimes hard to tell. His gaze s
wept up and down her body, as if he were deciding how best to begin. Without saying a word, he bent and tugged off his boots then sent his shirt sailing across the room. He unfastened his jeans, letting the well-worn denim ride low on his lean hips. Then he grasped the neckline of her t-shirt and ripped it open, baring her breasts as he slipped the ruined shirt down her arms.

  “Was that necessary?” She tried to scold him, but her breathless tone ruined the effect.

  “I didn’t want to hurt your shoulder.” His half smirk flashed again then his fingers traced the upper curve of her breast. “Does this hurt?” he whispered as his fingers spread soothing warmth across her skin.

  “I ache, but not where you’re touching.”

  “Is that so?” His hand descended along her torso, drawing tingles deeper into her body. He circled her navel then traced the lacy edge of her panties. “Take them off. I want you naked.”

  “But you’re still dressed.” She tugged on a belt loop to illustrate her displeasure.

  “And I’m going to stay that way until I’m sure you’re ready for this.”

  Emboldened by his care, she wiggled out of her panties and stepped into his arms. She was naked and breathless with anticipation. How could he doubt her desire for him? “I’m ready,” she whispered against his chest as her hands explored his back. He felt every bit as remarkable as he looked, hot and hard and…savage!

  With an overt show of strength, he lifted her and she wrapped her legs around his waist. Her sex pressed against his rock-hard abs, creating the most delightful friction. She gasped and arched, rolling her hips into the unexpected sensations.

  One of his hands clasped her bare behind while the other curved around the nape of her neck. She felt wild and wanton, sexy as she’d always wanted to be sexy. But she’d never been this daring before. He drew her mouth to his with a soft growl. The kiss started out slow and tender, as it had in the truck. But each soft slide of his lips and warm thrust of his tongue released a new spark into her abdomen. She raised her right hand to his hair and rubbed against him, increasing their contact skin to skin.

  She slid her hand along the side of his face, letting the stubble on his jaw tease her fingertips. He went right on kissing her, his hand occasionally stroking her arm. She followed his lead and ran her hand up his arm, amazed by the heat of his skin. “Are you always this hot?”

  He drew her hand to his chest and pressed it over his heart. “Only when I’m with you.”

  His mouth settled over hers, guiding her lips apart. She pushed her hand back into his hair, enjoying the short, silky strands against her fingers. The kiss was soft and patient, his tongue brushing her lips without delving between. She responded, encouraging him to continue as the hunger inside her built. Their breaths mixed and their tastes melded as she slid her tongue against his, venturing into his mouth. He groaned and deepened the kiss, curling his tongue around hers.

  With another throaty growl, he put one knee on the bed and lowered her to her back, then stretched out along her side and continued their intoxicating kisses. Her nipples tightened, needing attention as badly as the rest of her body. He cupped her breast a second after the thought formed within her mind. Was it just the next logical destination, or had he sensed what she was thinking? She arched into the light caress, wanting the firm suction of his mouth yet unwilling to separate their lips.

  She explored his arms and his chest, reveling in each discovery. His skin was warm, the dark hair surprisingly soft. She needed to feel him against her, over her, pressing her down into the mattress. The emptiness inside her expanded, intensifying the ache. A strangled cry escaped her throat and she pulled him toward her, urging him on top of her.

  He knelt between her thighs and carefully drew her hands above her head. “Don’t move.” The directive was sharp and commanding. Gold suddenly sparked within his dark eyes and his features blurred for a second before coming back into focus.

  A sudden spike in her arousal dragged a groan from her throat. She wrapped her legs around his hips and rubbed her pelvis against him. Fire surged through her veins and her primal nature heaved, clawing its way toward the surface.

  Through a lust-induced fog, she saw herself pinned beneath him. His hips pumped furiously as his teeth sank into her shoulder. But she wasn’t repulsed or frightened by the image. Her being craved the frantic mating, longed for the savage pleasure hovering just beyond her reach. He intended to mark her, claim her, bind her to him body and soul—and her body was more than ready to surrender.

  Trembling, eyes tightly closed, he held perfectly still and inhaled her scent. “We can’t do this.” He ground out the words between clenched teeth.

  “Why?” The sensual cry in her voice brought his eyes open. “I want this, Quinn. I need it.”

  He unhooked her ankles and shook his head. “I’m too damn close to the edge. I’ll define you and we both know it.”

  “I don’t care!”

  “Yes you do.” He held up his hand, refusing to hear her argument. “Definition is forever. I won’t force that on you.” Without another word, he crawled off the bed, gathered his scattered clothes and left.

  Her reason applauded his selflessness while her body burned. She’d never been so relieved and yet so disappointed. Barely able to think past the ache, she curled up on her side and let the tears flow. Her thoughts were too chaotic to sort and her emotions were even worse. All she knew for sure was she hadn’t wanted him to leave.

  She spotted the overnight bag on a chair beside the closet and her mind latched on to the possible goal. A flicker of hope gave her enough strength to move. She wiped her tears on the back of her hand and eased her feet to the floor. She gasped then whimpered, refusing to think about how badly Quinn must be aching. Her fingers shook so hard, she could barely unzip the bag, but she quickly found the familiar case. Suspecting the nasal spray wouldn’t be enough to put out this fire, she grabbed the cream and headed for the bathroom.

  Chapter Five

  Carissa greeted Erin with a hug the following morning when the healer arrived to check on her progress. Carissa had been enjoying a hearty breakfast with the men, and Erin insisted she finish the meal before they went to Carissa’s bedroom for a quick examination.

  “Did you reach everyone on your list?” Ian asked as he warmed Carissa’s coffee.

  “I postponed the two deliveries and told Luke and Amanda we had a family emergency.” She paused while she blew on her coffee. “They were both surprised by the news, being that they didn’t think we had any family other than each other.”

  “But did they believe you?” Quinn asked, his jaw set, gaze intense on her face.

  She was starting to recognize the nuances in his expressions. This wasn’t annoyance. He was worried about her safety. “Luke would rather be making out with his girlfriend than working anyway, but Amanda asked a lot of questions. In the end, I’m pretty sure she believed me.”

  “Neither of them had heard from Ava?”

  She looked at Ian and shook her head. “There’s no way Ava would endanger either of them. Luke’s in high school, and Amanda’s a single mom. Amanda has keys to the store, so she’s going to put a sign in the front window for me.”

  “We should have thought about that,” Erin mused. “The last thing we need is the police snooping around.”

  The men nodded, neither of them looking pleased by their lack of foresight.

  Though Carissa was glad to have headed off a potential problem, she couldn’t help feeling she was aiding the enemy. No, her situation was a whole lot more complicated than Stockholm syndrome. She was in the process of redefining her concept of reality.

  She took her dishes to the sink and thanked Ian for the meal, then led Erin to her bedroom.

  Erin glanced at the tousled bed and concern overshadowed her calm. “Didn’t the nasal spray work?” she asked after discreetly closing the door.

  “It worked for a while, but Quinn is just…”

  “Did he pressure y
ou into—”

  “No.” She glanced away, embarrassed to admit how sexually aggressive she’d been toward the end. “If anything, I pressured him. He was afraid he’d lose control and define me, so we ended the night in separate beds.”

  “He wanted you that badly and just walked away?”

  The disbelief in Erin’s tone grated on Carissa’s already frayed nerves. She’d been naked and begging, and still he walked away. He didn’t deserve Erin’s mistrust. “I know you don’t like Quinn, but he was a perfect gentleman last night.”

  Erin scoffed softly under her breath. “Therian males are never perfect gentlemen. They’re predators. They live by a code of honor, but they’re territorial and possessive.”

  “Are you trying to frighten me?” Carissa licked her lips, still unable to meet Erin’s knowing stare.

  “Are you frightened?”

  The unexpected question finally freed Carissa from her awkwardness. Even after the cream had extinguished the fire inside her body, her rebellious mind refused to release the images. She lay in the cold, lonely bed and imagined what it would have been like if Quinn had claimed her. He wouldn’t have been gentle. He’d have drawn blood and held her down, dominating her as no other lover dared. But the aggressive act hadn’t been abusive or frightening. She’d needed each possessive thrust and would have reveled in his uninhibited passion.

  “I’m beginning to sense things in myself that would have horrified me a week ago. I suspect I can be just as savage as any Therian male.”

  Erin smiled. “Good. You’ll need to be if you’re going to keep up with someone like Quinn.”

  “He swears he doesn’t use his ability anymore.” She sat on the edge of the bed, trying to ignore the faint woody scent threading through her own. “Why do you still dislike him?”

  “If you could make any man alive so wild with lust that he would do anything you wanted, could you resist the temptation to use the ability?”

  She was relatively sure Quinn hadn’t used his power on her, but she had no way of knowing whether or not he’d used it on anyone else. “Nothing comes without a cost. Something made him stop, and I don’t think it had anything to do with the council’s dictates.”