Page 8 of The Tiger King's Christmas Bride

Chapter Three

“What the?” Violet screamed in silence as pain unlike any she’d ever felt exploded from her neck and pulsed throughout her body.

She heard the strange man whispering and telling her each step of what he was doing, but she couldn’t speak, couldn’t move.

She felt bruised and damaged and different all at once. And yet, she felt safe too. As if being there, with him, was exactly where she should be.

Slowly, as the pain receded, Violet blinked her eyes until they opened. When they did, she came face to face with the most handsome man she had ever seen.

“Who are you?” she whispered and her voice sounded unbearably hoarse to her own ears.

Wincing, she tried to sit up, but big, warm, strong hands held her still.

“You’re awake. Thank the gods! Easy now, slowly,” he said and helped her to sit up.

The deep, gravelly voice was comforting and something inside of her warmed at the tone. She tried to focus on the gorgeous stranger, but it was difficult.

His dark head bent and she felt him take her hand, dropping a hard, quick kiss on it before bending his head to the crux of her neck as he helped her sit up. She was too weak, not to mention stunned, to move on her own.

But still, Violet had to admit she probably should have said something. After all she didn’t go around hugging strange men. Then again, truth be told, she didn’t exactly mind his gentle embrace as he pulled her into the warmth of his body.

His very naked body, she realized as his arms contracted around her. She patted him with her hands, not sure of how to respond. A yelp sounded from her lips as his nose pressed against her earlobe.

Wait. What was he doing? Was he licking her?She shivered as his mouth closed around her neck in a kiss she hadn’t been expecting, and if she were being honest, she didn’t exactly mind. Tiny little electrical impulses seemed to dance along her skin from the brief touch of his mouth on her neck. It sizzled through her veins and headed straight to her core.

“Um. Who are you?” she asked and pushed against his enormous, and holy cow, completely ripped chest, needing distance to regain her composure and figure out what the heck she was doing with this stranger.

“It’s been over two hours. I was so worried,” he said and she could practically feel his relief as if it were her own.

Strange, but even stranger was her desire to soothe and comfort him. Violet shook her head and tucked her hair behind her ear, trying to make sense of everything she was feeling. He must have felt her confusion because he moved back and gave her some space which she should’ve appreciated but much to her consternation, Violet found herself missing his nearness.

She moved to stand too quickly and sat back down heavily on the sofa.

“Whoa, easy, little one,” he said and she could almost see his frown despite her closed eyes.

She felt as if the whole room was spinning around her and yet, and yet, she felt surprisingly good. Like better-than-ever good.

“Here, hold on to me,” he murmured with that same concern lacing his hypnotic voice, “that’s it give yourself a moment.”

She felt herself gripping his forearms and for some reason the contact steadied her. His deep voice penetrated the haze that was clouding her mind, and slowly, ever so slowly she felt herself relaxing. Blinking deliberately, she looked up to find herself pinned by his compelling teal colored gaze.

They were not quite green and not quite blue, more like caught somewhere in between. Like pictures of the Mediterranean Sea that she’d seen once upon a time on the internet. Even more fascinating was the way his strange seafoam eyes seemed to glow in the dimness of the room.

Like magic, she thought and had to stop herself from reaching out a hand to trace a line from his thick, perfectly arched eyebrows down his chiseled face to the hint of shadow that graced his chin. Violet shook off the impulse and looked down at her disheveled clothing.

“There was an accident,” she said, suddenly recalling the wreck even if what happened afterwards was still a bit fuzzy.

Oh no!She must’ve totaled her poor car. Violet expelled a breath and touched her forehead gingerly. She recalled hitting her head against the dashboard and the enormous pine tree her car had smashed into.

“Do you remember what happened?”

“I think I swerved to avoid hitting an animal. It was small and dark, a bear cub, I think, I am not sure,” she answered.

“I see.”

“I must have hit my head harder than I thought because I swear I saw a tiger afterwards in my rearview mirror. Crazy right?” she laughed, but he didn’t seem to think it was funny.

No duh. Probably thought she was nuts. She cleared her throat, but he interrupted her before she could speak.

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