Page 25 of Alpha Chained

Quit it, you ass!

“Okay,” she says uncertainly. I’m sure she’s still trying to make sense of this new reality, trying to reconcile the brutal fighter with the man who’s trying to protect her now.

The silence stretches between us again. When she finally speaks again, there’s a note of tentative understanding in her voice.

“So…this was your way of protecting me? Taking me as your prize?”

“It’s the only way I could think of,” I admit. “Parker would have sold you off otherwise. And believe me, there are worse fates than being here with me.”

She seems to be absorbing this information slowly, piecing together the puzzle of my motives and actions.

“You don’t know me,” she says finally, but there’s less accusation in her tone now.

“No,” I agree softly. “But maybe we can change that.”

Why the fuck did I just say that?

“I…um…well….” she fumbles for words. I lean away from her and peel my shirt over my head.

“Get undressed,” I tell her.

“Wait! You said that—” she splutters.

“If they come in here and find us having a pleasant little chat, Parker’s going to know something’s up.” I unbutton my fly, thankful that the damned erection I’d been sporting seems to have subsided again.

“But you can’t just… You can’t….” Her voice trails off as I stand and shuck out of my jeans. “I…you… Oh, shit,” she says, looking away quickly. Even in the low light, there’s no hiding the fact that I’m naked. I move to the side of the bed and sink onto it.

“Come here and lie with me.” I pat the mattress beside me. “I won’t bite.” I grin when she keeps staring at me.

She hesitates, then cautiously, she clambers onto the bed, favoring her right arm as she crawls up beside me.

“Off.” I brush the strap that’s holding her dress up…barely. It’s straining over her lush-as-fuck tits. “It’s not doing a good job of covering anything up anyway.”

“Fine!” she huffs, awkwardly squirming as she tugs the thing up her body and over her head. “But don’t think this means I’m letting anything funny happen here.”

Again, I want to laugh at how naive she is. Because if I truly wanted something to happen, it would.

Thank God I’m just not wired that way.

“Of course not,” I say instead, waiting as she wriggles down to lie on the bed at my side. As much as she may think that all her attempts to cover up are helping things, they’re not. She keeps bumping and brushing against me, and I’m more aware of her sweet curves than I ever would have been if she’d simply stripped off in front of me.

Finally, she stops moving, lying stiff as a board, staring up at the ceiling.

“You’re going to have to get closer than that,” I tell her.

“Oh, hell no!” She shakes her head against the downy pillow. I have to admit, this is the most comfort I’ve experienced since my nightmare life began here, and I like it. What I also like is having her this close.

It’s for show, asshole!

“If Parker walks in now and sees you acting like an ironing board, he’s going to send us straight back to our cells.” I slide a hand behind my head, enjoying the soft mattress beneath me. I could definitely get used to this. “Do you want to go back to your cell?”

“No,” she says quickly.

“Then move closer. I told you; I won’t bite.” Though right now, I can imagine sinking my teeth into her soft skin…and not because I want to eat her.

Not in that way, at any rate.

For fuck’s sake, Riot!

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