Megans Mark (Breeds 6)

What have you seen'!"

She inhaled roughly, staring back at him with a remnant of fear as he asked that question. What had she done? What had she seen? Why had she run back to the safety of her home, her family, and hid within the desert she so loved, when she really wanted nothing more than to live the life she knew she had been destined to live?

Because she was scared. She had learned in the crowded setting of the Law Enforcement Academy that

—working within a team, dealing with the various emotions, dark, often agonizing emotions, fractured her attention to the point where concentration was impossible.

She had passed the courses with honors. But when it came to training maneuvers, she had often endangered the team as well as herself. And yet that had nothing to do with the Council.

"I haven't done anything, or seen anything that the Council would be interested in. " Her fists clenched at her sides as she assured him just how wrong he was. "I'm here because it is home. I want to make a difference here. "

"There's no battle here. " His eyes were deceptively gentle: she could see the cool. calm calculation that rested beneath the purity of the amber color. "There is no fire here, Megan. " He moved closer, his body brushing against hers until she retreated against the cool wall behind her. "There is no excitement, nothing to stimulate your very agile mind and body. You hunger for justice. For adventure and excitement. You hunger and yet you steer clear of the banquet waiting beyond your own borders. Why?"

"Maybe I'm scared?" She arched her brow mockingly as she felt her mouth go dry with nervousness. He was too close, too intent on learning secrets that she revealed to no one. "Broken Butte is safe—"

The rumbled growl of warning that sounded from his chest stopped her words as nothing else could have.

"Have I ever mentioned that lies have a scent?" he asked her, his voice soft as he pressed closer. "Such a shame to mar the smell of sweet, aroused female with the rancid tint of a lie. Don't piss me off, Megan. "

He flashed those incisors as though she should be frightened of them. She wasn't frightened of his bite; it was his touch that threw her off guard, that destroyed her equilibrium. That was what she feared. And it made her angry at herself and at him.

"Don't piss you off?" She pushed against his chest as she wiggled past him, stomping to the main cave as he followed her slowly. "No, Braden. " She turned on him warningly, pointing her finger at him imperiously.

"Don't piss me off, and don't poke your nose where it doesn't belong. Concern yourself with the problem at hand and leave me the hell alone. "

Now she remembered why she didn't want a damned Feline Breed on her heels every damned minute of the day.

Arrogance was as much a part of them as the steel-hard muscles and exceptional, savage beauty.

And let's not forget the strength. Before she could do more than gasp he had gripped her upper arm, turning her and pushing her against the wall again, his larger body holding her in place as his erection pressed against her lower stomach.

Arousal swamped her. It ripped through her; not just her senses, but every cell of her body seemed to open up, begging, pleading for his touch.

Damn, she didn't need that. She could feel her womb clenching. And he didn't miss a second of it.

His nostrils flared, his eyes darkening as he held her wrists in one hand, high above her head.

"Do you mind?" She struggled against his grip.

"I don't mind a bit," he murmured, lowering his head to her already abused ear as his teeth raked over it.

Okay, she was screwed, and not in a good way.

She shuddered at the caress. That just felt way too good. Good enough that she couldn't still the hard exhalation of breath that nearly turned into a whimper of greedy need. Talk about a banquet. A smorgasbord of hard, tight male flesh. And if the erection pressing into her stomach was any indication, he was built like a damned tank and loaded.

Her hands strained against his grip as she arched against him, knowing she should be struggling to be free of the sensations that flooded her at his touch. But she wasn't. She was straining closer to the power, the heat of him, needing more. She forced back the need, panting for air as the blood raced through her body.

"Why are you doing this?" She tried to shake her head, but her eyelids only fluttered in pleasure as he drew her earlobe between his lips and caressed it.

"Be still. " He growled, pressing his cock tighter against her belly.

"You're not being fair," she protested, her nails biting into his shoulders as she fought the attraction pulling her to him. She couldn't afford to let herself feel this, to need this. "You know this can't go anywhere. "

"Who said I'm trying to go anywhere?' Amusement and pure male lust thickened his voice. "But if you don't stop rubbing that hot little body against me, then I'm going to fuck you here, in the middle of this damned cave. Now stay still. "

His other hand locked on her hip as he eased back, his head lowering to allow his lips to graze her neck.

Damn, it had just been too long since she'd been with a man. That had to be all it was, because if it wasn't, then she was in more trouble than she could have ever imagined.