Page 37 of TBR: Dead But Well Read

“Yes, it appears so. Stand in front of me for a moment.” Saul’s voice was low and firm. It wasn’t a request.

I stood, more confused over my willingness to obey him than the fact I’d been hop-scotching my way through the different planes. “Do you have some type of magic that makes people do what you say? Like an alpha werewolf command?”

Saul’s rich laughter warmed my body from head to toe. “You have a lot of experience with werewolves?”

“No, I’ve just read a lot about them. In… In research books.” I sounded defensive even to my own ears.

“I see.” Saul’s chest rumbled with another laugh as he turned me so that I faced away from him. “To answer your question, no, I do not have the power to control another being’s mind or will.”

His fingers gripped the hem of my shirt, gently lifting it over my head and leaving me completely bare in front of him.

“There is something about my species that attracts females. But it is not something that we control, at least not any more than a human male might use his looks to attract a mate.” As he spoke, Saul’s fingers trailed down my spine and each rib.

“Have you done that to me?” I whispered, the words so soft I didn’t think he could hear them.

“Not until you refused to tell me the truth. When we made our wager, I will admit to trying to seduce you to prove my point.” His fingers prodded a tender place along my shoulder blade, causing me to wince.

Saul froze, and hoping to distract him, I blurted out a question I never would have asked if I hadn’t been flustered. “You only did it to prove a point?”

Why did that hurt my feelings? This was an erotic one-night stand, and he hadn’t promised me anything more.

His hot breath brushed over my skin, stopping directly over the tender flesh. “No.”

The skin beneath his mouth grew hot as energy poured into my skin, rushing through every cell in my body.

When he finished with my back, he spoke, his voice low. “Turn around, pet.”

My legs wobbled as I slowly faced him, and I struggled with the urge to cover myself. I’d been a goody two shoes my whole life. This time, I wanted to do what I was never brave enough to do while I was living.

His hands held my hips and his thumbs absently brushed the sensitive skin of my stomach. His eyes traveled over every inch of my skin, caressing me in a way that was nearly more intimate than being touched.

Saul wanted me.

Very slowly, he began the same process as he’d done on my back. Prodding and exploring, although avoiding my breasts. Each time he found a tender spot, Saul would lean in and kiss it, sending a fresh wave of his potent energy into me.

“You’re healing me.” My eyes closed as his mouth moved to heal a bruise just over my breast.

“Why did you give so much of your energy away? You should have healed yourself first.” The harshness of his words was a stark contrast to the tenderness of his touch.

You should have healed yourself first.

“How did you know I healed someone else?” I asked, opening my eyes to study his face.

By the time I’d started healing Rhodes, the reapers had vanished. There was no way he could have known. Unless…

“I watched you,” Saul admitted, kissing a slow path between my breasts that had nothing to do with healing injuries.

A chill ran through me. How long had he stayed? What exactly had he seen?

“Calm yourself, pet. When things became intimate with the second collector, I left.” He brushed his lips across the swell of my breast, making it harder to focus.

I should be upset that he’d been lurking about like some creepy voyeur, shouldn’t I? So why was I feeling all hot and bothered just imagining him there… imagining all four men in the same room?

“But I wanted to stay.”

I barely heard the words, and for a moment, I thought I might have imagined them.

“You wanted to stay and… watch?” The last word came out as a groan thanks to his tongue flicking across my nipple.

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