There was nothing inherently provocative about the garment. It was plain off-white, with neither lace nor beading nor cut-outs. It fell to a modest mid-thigh and boasted unadorned spaghetti straps.
But onher…
His mouth went bone dry as he stared at his mate. His pulse pounded in his cock when his gaze dropped, taking in her bare shoulders, her sinfully shaped thighs and calves. Even her delicate ankles, adorned with their red tattoos, and tiny feet were appealing.
His eyes moved back up slowly, savoring every inch of her, until they settled once more on her face. Her cheeks were flushed, her long, long hair was wet, and her eyes glittered under a fringe of dark lashes.
I bet if I licked her skin, I’d still taste water,he thought, muscles tensing.Bet she’d taste like fuckin’ sugar on my tongue.
“You said we were going to talk,” she announced, voice pitched high. “Are you going to do that, or are you just going to stare at me all night?”
Gods, how was it possible to be both annoyed and turned on by her sass at the same time?
“C’mere,” he grunted.
Her expression screwed up with distaste. “No, thanks.”
“Princess, you can either come sit next to me while I make this phone call, or you can stand there and get cold while I do it. I don’t really give a shit.”
Liar,his beast growled.You care. You care so much that it feels like you’re coming out of your skin. You care so much that you want to drag her over and sink your cock into her so deep, she’ll never be rid of the feel of you.
Like she could hear his raging instincts, Atria’s arms tightened around the small bundle of soiled clothes she clutched to her chest. Her toes curled against the speckled carpet when she archly replied, “I’ll stand here.”
Goosebumps were already appearing on her arms and legs, but Kaz forced himself to shrug. What did he care if she got a little cold, or that her bruises painted a grotesque picture against her warm brown skin? Why did it matter to him that her head probably hurt, and she might not have cleaned her scrapes properly, or that she’d scrubbed his scent off of her skin? His responsibility began and ended at life threatening shit, not fussing over her comfort.
Liar.
“Fine.” Setting the envelope back in his bag, he dug in his pocket for his cell phone. “You’re gonna feel pretty foolish after I make this call,” he warned her, thumb already pressed against the print scanner.
“You think you’re the first man to try and make me feel stupid?” She arched a heavy brow. “Go ahead, orc.”
A growl rumbled deep in his throat, but he ruthlessly pushed it back down.I will not ask. I will not ask. I will not—
“Who made you feel stupid?”
Atria cocked her hip and rolled her eyes in one exaggerated movement. “Just make the phone call!”
I’ll get a name,he thought darkly as he pulled up his brother’s contact.Eventually.
Whatever else she was, Atria Le Roy was now officially under his protection. Her enemies were his enemies. Her slights werehisslights. That meant it was his job to hunt down anyone who did her wrong, whether she wanted him to or not. That was what he was best at, after all.
ChapterThirteen
Pressingthe pad of his gloved thumb onto the contact labeledBlue Brother,he quickly set it to speaker phone and waited for him to pick up.
It was far past a reasonable time to call anyone, but Kaz knew that didn’t matter. His brother would pick up his call, day or night.
It took two rings.
“Kaz?”
His eyes were leveled on his mate, so he caught the moment she jolted with surprise. Lips curling in a satisfied smile, he answered, “Teddy.”
His brother’s voice was lowered to a whisper when he said, “Hold on, Margot’s sleeping. Give me a second.” Then, after some rustling and what sounded like the click of a door, he demanded, “What’s wrong? I got a ping that you’d crossed the border.”
“I had an emergency,” he explained, eyes roving over Atria’s rapidly paling face. He felt justified in being a tiny bit smug. “Got word that someone put a bounty out for one Atria Le Roy and couldn’t wait for back-up. I’m currently sitting in a motel a hundred miles south of Denver with a witch who refuses to believe I’m trying to help her. I think you might know her.”
His brother was quiet for a beat, no doubt digesting all the things Kaz could not say. Theodore would immediately understand that it was strange for him to run to a stranger’s rescue, but his brother was smart enough to know that if he didn’t explain it right away, it was probably because he didn’t want to — or couldn’t.
