Page 33 of Tempting the Tiger

CHAPTER SIX

Grace’s cell phone rang again, but she refused to answer it. Instead, she let it ring and go to voice mail. In a matter of seconds, it rang again. The pattern repeated for almost ten times before it stopped. Fortunately, she had not had to stay at the Wolf’s Den very long after she had stormed out of the dining hall. She had caught a ride into town with a grocery store delivery service. The driver had been a woman and hadn’t asked any questions when she’d found Grace trying to sneak into the woods.She’d taken one look at her tear-stained face and said a few choice words about men in general and shifters in particular.

Grace had returned home, heartbroken and angry. Oh, so angry. At herself, the universe, and like the delivery woman, men in general and one shifter in particular.

“Good,” she fumed out loud when the ringing of the phone stopped. She’d holed herself in the back of the bakery, making one cherry pie after another. “Maybe he got the hint.”

The thought deeply depressed her as another ten minutes passed and then another. Her phone lay silent on the countertop. Not that she was going to answer it, but he could have kept calling if only to find out if she was okay. “Well, that will teach me not to let a smooth-talking tiger get the better of me.”

“I do not believe the tiger did get the better of you.”

Grace screamed as the deep voice came from the shadows. The tea towel in her hands flew upwards as she stumbled backward. “Who, who the hell are you?” she demanded as the shadow turned into the larger than life shape of a man. A huge man. A man she had never seen before.

“I am Tarek.” The man was made from shadows, Grace thought as she stared at her uninvited visitor. He was tall, probably taller than Keair. And big just like Keair. But, where Keair had a more lean muscle mass, this man’s build suggested he lifted semis on a regular basis.

How had he gotten inside? The bakery was closed today and Grace had been certain she had locked the back door behind her. She hastily looked around for some kind of weapon. Was he part of The Group that had been seen around town more and more frequently? The one that had kidnapped Sally? “Look, I don’t know why you are here, but the shop is closed. You need to leave.”

“I am Tarek, and I am here for you.”

Crap, crap, crap, Grace thought. What could she do? Spying the butter flavored spray she used to coat her cookie sheets, she lunged for it. Maybe she could squirt it in his eyes and get away.

Her escape plan was thwarted before it even began. She found herself wrapped in two large arms that were, she hazily thought for a moment, almost comforting. Almost comforting, she thought, before she passed out.

Tarek cursed as the felt the woman become limp, her body a dead weight in his arms. Keair would kill him for scaring his mate.

Grace returned to consciousness slowly, her body cocooned in such softness that it took everything in her to open her eyes. She had felt this way before, she knew but she couldn’t remember when. Or why. She took a deep breath and instantly knew where she was.

In Keair’s bed. The pillow that she hugged to her body was soaked with his scent. Wild and sexy. Her eyes flew open when she remembered what had happened.

“Good, you are finally awake.”

Grace’s gaze landed on Keair. He was sprawled in a large overstuffed chair at the side of the bed, one elbow braced on the arm, his chin resting on his closed fist. His long legs were draped over the other arm, his feet bare. The dark strands of his hair were out of place as if he had been running his fingers through them.

“What happened?” Even though she remembered clearly what had happened in her shop, she asked the question to stall for time, because she did not remember what happened after she fainted.

“You fainted.” His two-word answer confirmed her recollection.

“Right. After someone came into my shop uninvited.” She narrowed her eyes at Keair. “I wonder what made him think that was a good idea.”

Keair ignored her jab. “Why did you pass out, Grace?”

Grace sat up, pushing the hair from her eyes. “I don’t know. Probably because that man scared me to death. Who was he anyway?”

“Mmm,” was the only response Keair made. He continued to look at her and she felt her indignation rise to the surface.

“What, you don’t believe me?” She straightened the comforter he’d covered her with, smoothing it across her thighs. She was laying in his bed dressed in one of his t-shirts. The collar slipped from one of her shoulders, indicating he had stripped her of all her clothing.

“Not really. I would hazard a guess that you didn’t eat anything at the baby shower and that was why you collapsed.”

Grace just continued to look at him, making her face blank. She hadn’t eaten anything at the party because she’d been busy making sure all the desserts she’d provided had arrived safe and sound. And then, she’d spent more time with Sally and Emily, but he didn’t know that. In fact, he didn’t have a right to know anything. The anger she’d felt towards him before her stranger danger episode rose to the surface. She threw back the cover she had so carefully straightened and scooted her way to the edge of the bed, determined to leave then and now.

Before she could make the maneuver, strong arms caged her in and her balance on the side of the bed was so precarious that she fell back, his big body following to loom over hers. How the hell had he moved so fast?

Oh, right. He was a shifter.

“Just where do you think you are going, my sweet?”

The endearment set her teeth on edge and her hands came up, pushing against his chest. He was dressed in a white t-shirt that molded itself to the array of muscles that formed his incredible chest. His lower half was covered by a pair of gray sweatpants with an elastic drawstring at the waist. She licked her lips thinking of pulling that string and watching the material fall away to reveal his long, hard cock. Instantly, her pussy creamed thinking about it—and how it had felt pumping in and out of her body the night before.