Angry.
Beautiful.
Mine.
A fierce growl, louder and more insistent, scraped the insides of my ears, hollowing them out only to fill them back up with a pure sound of wholly male arousal, and I found myself rising on my toes as my hips swayed toward him. My panties grew slick with need. Electric desire pulsed through my clit and speared through my core and captured my breath. At thelowgrowl andbrokenmoan and thesoftchant of my name, every sensitive place in my body thrummed at once, like fingers strumming a chord. Then the rush of untamed pleasure twisted so sharply it hurt.
I need, need, need…
Another soft hum inched up my throat, my hand reaching closer to touch his back.
It was the whip scars that woke me up. Hot water had reddened his ruined, textured back, and the cruel lines that gouged his skin with such hatred startled me to consciousness.
My mind snapped out of the animalistic state into which I’d heedlessly fallen.
Shock cracked through every nerve ending in a blinding jolt.
I blinked, stumbling away.
Hellsgate, I need to get the fuck out of here!
As the rough, virile sounds of his building release crashed through the bathroom, I jittered on the spot, glancing wildly about. I couldn’t let him find me standing right behind him, staring like a godsdamned voyeur.
What to do?!
Make a dash for it?
Pretend I’d accidentally stumbled in here?
Holy Skalki!
Graysen angled his head toward the door, cutting off my retreat.
The noise of falling water striking flesh and stone, his half-growl and ragged breath, more animal than man, concealed my movements as I scurried to the vanity and eased open a drawer.
I panic-rummaged through it, desperate for anything that could explain why I was here, because Graysen could never know the power he held over me. The sound rumbling from his throat had enthralled me, and with chilling certainty I knew he’d held me spellbound. I’d have given him anything he’d asked of me.
I froze, fingers wrapped around a small, round tub.
A terrifying thought crashed through my mind.
Did he…?
Had Graysen heldswayover me as a Tamer?
He’d demanded obedience with a growl.
He’d called, and I’d come.
27
Graysen
Rivulets of water ran around my fingertips where they pressed against the cool wall. Nelle’s scent hung heavily in the air, and I frowned, wondering if it had seeped in here beneath the bathroom door, or if my fucked-up overactive imagination was simply messing with me.
I exhaled hard and tipped my head back, roughly scrubbing my face as streams of water struck off my forehead. Loosening a sated sigh, I stepped closer to the recess in the dark stone wall, stilling when I took in Nelle’s favorite strawberry soap imprinted with its leafy design.
Unfortunately, my gaze continued onward to skim over Nelle’s fragrant shampoo and conditioner, and all the other girly shit she owned.
