Page 16 of The Bodyguard and the Alpha
Past the enormous thighs. Past the enormous cock that bulged out of his boxers, visible through his ruined pants. Gulp. My eyes skittered past, onto the eight-pack of his abdomen, the arms decorated by manacles with broken chains, then up to broad shoulders and chest. He’d tossed his ruined shirt aside, baring acres of silvery skin. I resisted the urge to lick my lips.
My gaze travelled all the way up to his face. Large fangs protruding past his upper lip. Flared nostrils in a hawk-like nose. And eyes bluer than the Mediterranean. Eyes with no humanity in them at all.
“Bastien?”
His head tilted to one side, dark brows drawing down, like he was listening, but not understanding. The low rumble continued in his chest. I peered past his bulk to see two bodiesslumped on the floor near the open door. “What do you reckon we get out of this joint before someone raises the alarm?”
Slowly, Bastien nodded.
Carefully, I stood, letting him see what I was doing. I didn’t believe he was going to hurt me, but he was still growling, and I didn’t know what it meant. I let out a slow breath when he didn’t react. So far so good. I stepped away from the body at my feet. But I couldn’t go far. My manacles were still attached to the wall.
Stick-guy chose that moment to let out a groan. Damn. I hadn’t pulled his chain tight enough. In my defence, it wasn’t easy to do with my hands manacled behind my back.
Bastienmoved. I inhaled in shock. He was so fast his large body blurred, scooping Stick-guy up off the floor in one fluid move and throwing him against the wall. The chain I’d wrapped around his neck snapped and the rumble in Bastien’s chest morphed into a vicious snarl. He stalked forward, intent on the man slumped on the ground.
I didn’t feel sorry for the guy. He’d taken us prisoner, enjoyed hurting us and threatened me with rape. But I’d heard his head crack against the wall. He was no threat to us anymore. And we needed to get out of here.
My heart hammering, I took a chance. Slipping in between Bastien and his target, I gave Bastien my back. If I hadn’t read the situation right, I was in a lot of trouble. But Bastien had shown me no aggression. His Alpha side might be in the driver’s seat right now, but his anger was all directed at the man who’d threatened me. So I was pretty sure that he wasn’t going to hurt me. Still, my voice came out wobbly when I wiggled my hands. “Can you help me with these?”
The growl stopped. My skin prickled with the knowledge that a lethal predator was behind me. Everything in my training screamed at me that I’d made a mistake. Hot breath ruffled my hair. I forced my muscles to stay relaxed. I held my hands loosely, palms open. I dropped my head. My body language screamed ‘I’m not a threat.’
Large hands landed on my shoulders, and I startled, heat sizzling through me. My teeth bit through my lip as I held in my instincts to fight. The hands moved down my arms, lightly touching, leaving trails of fire in their wake.Why did his touch feel so good?My heart thundered in my chest.Then, pressure on my wrists, pulling my arms together. And … snap. My arms fell to my sides.
I turned in place, the smile on my face faltering when I came up against a hard wall of muscle. Ohgods. He wasrightthere. All those muscles. Close enough to lick. No. What the fuck was I thinking? My teeth gouged my lower lip again. I needed to get my fucking head back in the game. Blood welled and the pain helped clear the fog of lust that was clouding my brain, confusing my body.
Until the Beast lowered his head towards mine, his eyes trapping my gaze. And his black tongue swiped at my lip, lapping up the drops of blood. A wave of heat travelled over my body and I swayed on my feet. I wanted to lean into him. To have those strong arms wrapped around me. Protecting me. Keeping me safe. It was making my head spin.Hewas making my head spin.
We’d jumped right past normal and we were now in the realm of fantasy. Bastien had finally shifted. We’d been in dangerous situations before and he’d always remained in his human form. He’d always been sensible about letting his security team do their job. He letmedo my job. I didn’t have the rule book for this situation. I liked rules. Rules made thingsclear. Our jobs had clear rules. I had no manual for what to do now.
So, in the absence of guidelines, I retreated to the safety of what I knew. The protocols I’d always followed. I was the bodyguard, not him. It was my job to keep him alive. Sure, things were going to be a little different now that he’d shifted, but I could adapt.
Bastien made a hungry noise in his throat and leaned forward. It broke the trance he’d put me into. I stepped back.
He followed me.
I needed to get control of the situation. Now. This was the President. And he was my boss. We had to get out of here. And I needed my magic.
“Stop,” I said, holding up my hand, the manacle dangling like an ugly oversized bracelet. Bastien scowled. “Mr President, we need to move. Anyone else here will have heard the noise—” I was momentarily distracted as Beast smirked at me, one corner of his mouth ticking up in a half smile. I held up my hands, the spelled manacles still encircling my wrists “—and I still don’t have my magic so we need to get outta here before reinforcements arrive.”
Bastien made no move to leave. Instead, he reached for one of my hands. He tried to fit a finger between my wrist and the metal of the manacle. It was tight. My skin had been rubbed raw by the metal, and his action forced the metal tighter against the already damaged surface. I pulled in a sharp breath. He stopped instantly.
“Do it,” I urged. “Rip the damned thing off me.”
He looked down at my wrist, at his finger. He had only managed to get it under the manacle as far as the first knuckleand already the metal was cutting into my skin. Slowly, he moved his finger. Pulling itoutfrom under the manacle. No. Dammit. I needed these cuffs off. I shoved my hand in his face. “I don’t care if it hurts. Do it.”
But the big jerk just shook his head at me. Carefully, slowly, he took the hand that I’d thrust into his face, his big hand dwarfing mine, and pulled it down to his side. Then, still holding my hand, he turned towards the door that led to freedom. I sighed. I wanted the cuffs off, but he was right. If he couldn’t pull the cuffs off, it would take time to free my hands. Time we didn’t have. If we could just get out of here before any more Humans First guards showed up, we’d be good.
Chapter 16
Bastien
I smelled blood. Not just the blood of the men I’d killed.Herblood.
My mate had hurt herself. She should never hurt. Never bleed. It was wrong. I didn’t know much, but the urge to protect her, even from herself, drummed an insistent beat in my chest. We had to get away from this place, from the man who’d tried to harm her. We weren’t safe here. Then, once we were safe, I would make her mine. I would worship at her feet, feasting on her cunt until her screams of pleasure turned hoarse, until her skin glowed with a sheen of sweat. Until she begged to be filled with my cock. With my cum. Begged me to take her andbreedher. I would fuck her then I would bite her. My fangs ached at the prospect. We would stay in my den until my seed took. With my mark on her neck and my baby in her belly no-one would doubt my claim on her. No-one would dare to look at her perfect tits. Or her ass. She was mine. And soon she would know it.
First, I needed to tend to her wound. The dark red drops on her perfect lips looked so sweet. I leaned down towards her. She stilled. There was no fear in her scent. Pride filled me. Shewas so fucking brave. And then my tongue touched her lip. Her pupils dilated as my tongue lapped at the liquid. My cock jerked. I could take her now. She was receptive.
Without looking away from my mate, I extended my senses. Somewhere down the hallway there was a commotion. Someone had realised that there was a problem. But I still had time.
