13
MEILING’Seyes opened, and she was instantly on alert, her hand sliding under her pillow to retrieve her gun. Gedeon had found her. She knew it was him. She kept her breathing slow and even as she assessed the situation. Her go bag was within reach. She just had to get out of bed and make it to one of the exits before he was on her.
“I don’t want to kill you, Gedeon, but you know I will.”
“No, you won’t, Lotus. You might shoot me, but you wouldn’t kill me.”
She wouldn’t. He was right. She would wound him to give herself time to run. “I’m leaving. Just back off and let me go.”
“You put me to a lot of trouble to find you. We still have the Hawkins case to finish.”
He was closer. She should have been able to pinpoint his exact location, but she couldn’t. That worried her. “Gedeon, I’m not playing games with you. I don’t want togo back with you. I’m here alone because I choose to be alone. I’m asking you as politely as possible to leave me alone.”
“We’re shifters, Meiling. We’re not human. We have to follow the rules of our society. You’re very aware of that, or you wouldn’t be hiding out alone on this little island.”
He was definitely closer. He might be speaking softly, but her body reacted to his. Her skin was sensitive, her nerve endings coming to life. She tried to will Whisper to stay quiet and not react to Slayer’s close proximity. She wasn’t certain it was possible, not with the way she was reacting to Gedeon’s nearness.
“This is my choice, Gedeon. I’m not ready to commit to some stranger in my life because I have a leopard. After how I behaved at the club the other night, I realized I couldn’t control what was happening when she was rising, so I took myself out of the situation. All I’m asking is for you to respect my decision.”
“You left without talking it over with me because you were afraid, Meiling,” Gedeon challenged.
His hand clamped on her wrist, controlling the gun even as he swiftly used that arm to roll her onto her belly. Then he was on her, using his weight to pin her down. He was a big man and trying to buck him off didn’t work. A number of her moves didn’t work. He removed the gun from nerveless fingers while his legs wrapped hers in an unbreakable lock.
“Settle down, Lotus. You’re only going to tire yourself out if you keep fighting. Lie still and let’s talk this out.”
His warm breath was in her ear. Her entire body shuddered in reaction. She closed her eyes, trying not to breathe him in. Even if she talked him into leaving, the scent of him would be in her lungs. In this room. Everywhere she turned. She’d never get him out. She lay quietly under him, waiting for his next move.
“That’s my girl.” He pushed her hair to the side and hislips brushed across the nape of her neck. Instantly, her sex clenched in reaction.
“Don’t, Gedeon.” She began to struggle. It was self-preservation. If she had to, she’d fight him until there was nothing left of either of them.
“Stop, Meiling.” He whispered against her ear again, using his weight to subdue her. “Do you feel him? I can feel him. His joy. He’s never known joy. Never. His life has been pure hell until you came. You brought peace. Calm. But not joy for him. You did that for me.”
She went still. What was he saying? She couldn’t hear him out. Gedeon was seducing her with words, not his body. She couldn’t have that. Sometimes he terrified her. She was just too vulnerable to him.
“I hadn’t known such a thing as joy existed until you came into my life. Slayer certainly never experienced joy.”
As he whispered to her, one hand began to push her racer-back crop top up to her neck. He kissed her nape again. “He feels her. He knows she’s the one he’s been looking for all these years. So many females and none of them were his.”
Meiling froze. She twisted her fists into the sheets. “No, Gedeon. He can’t have her. You know it won’t work. If Slayer claims Whisper, then you’re stuck with me. I won’t have that. I’m not going to accept a man into my life who made it very clear from the beginning he didn’t want me. Absolutely not.”
She tried to push off the bed. To buck again to throw his much heavier body off her. He simply grew all the heavier, distributing even more of his weight on her. Gedeon didn’t fight with her. He lay over the top of her, whispering softly. His voice, like smooth velvet, caressing her skin and inside her mind. He never once changed that low, soft tempo.
“Settle, Lotus. We’ll work all that out. Give this to him. Feel him. Let yourself feel his elation. When you’ve neverhad such things in your life, you don’t take them for granted.” He brushed more kisses along her nape and then leaned down to start kissing at the base of her spine. “You never take the woman who gave you and your leopard the ability to live life, a real life—you never take her for granted.”
Gedeon kissed his way up her bare spine. Meiling had a beautiful back. She might be slight, a delicate little flower, but she was all woman, her form wholly feminine. He pressed kisses along her shoulder, feeling the power of his leopard running beneath his frame. Meiling’s temperature rose. His did. Their skin grew hot to the touch. Slayer waited, showing more control than Gedeon knew the leopard was capable of. He could feel the large cat vibrating in anticipation.
Then the little female flooded Meiling’s body with hormones. Her body was hot under his. Slayer roared his triumph and pushed hard against Gedeon, determined to claim his mate. Gedeon fought him back.
You will not harm Meiling.
Never.
Gedeon heard the vow in the leopard’s voice. There was near worship there.
She’s frightened. Meiling may fight you, he cautioned the cat.
He was reluctant to let Slayer have his freedom when he hadn’t secured Meiling’s consent. Her female was rising close to the surface. Gedeon felt her presence. She might be newly awakened and in her first life cycle, but she was strong. She might not know what she was doing yet, but she was ready to protect her partner if need be.
