Page 55 of Shielded Heart 1
What was it that made fangs so damn sexy?
It’s not the fangs, it’shim.
The door closed softly behind her. She glanced over her shoulder to see an unbroken section of wall between two more fish tanks, displaying not even the slightest hint of an opening.
She faced Arcanthus again. There would be no escaping him.
And I don’t want to.
He descended the steps at a leisurely pace, his tail swaying behind him, his glowing eyes locked on her.
“How was it? The bath?” He raked his gaze down her body, all the way to her toes, and ran it slowly back up.
“It was…wonderful,” she replied breathlessly. “I’ve never seen anything like it.”
“You look exquisite, little terran.” His eyes, gleaming with desire, finally met hers again. “And Kiloq got to see you in that dress first. It should’ve beenme.” His lips pulled back with that last word, baring his fangs.
The hints of jealousy and possessiveness in his tone sent a thrill through her. She blushed and shifted on her feet, squeezing her thighs together. Her earlier arousal hadn’t quite subsided.
He lifted an arm and gestured to the nearby couches. “Please. Sit. I want you to be comfortable.”
Samantha slowly walked toward him, self-consciously clasping her hands in front of her stomach. When she neared the end of the closest couch, she turned and sat down upon it, keeping her eyes on him throughout. Her skirt parted, revealing her pale thigh; she tugged the material back over it and pinned it in place with a hand.
She was caught by surprise when Arcanthus strolled over and eased down on the cushion beside her. Sam wasn’t sure why the move caught her off guard. Arcanthus wasn’t the sort of person who would’ve seated himself on the couch across from hers, and sheknewthat.
He stretched an arm along the backrest behind her shoulders. His tail slipped between her body and the backrest, curled around her hips, and draped across her thighs, forcing her to lift her hands. Not sure of what to do, she settled her palms atop it. The skin of his tail was as firm, warm, and smooth as that of his chest.
“What is this place?” she asked. That was a safe subject, right?
Arcanthus slid a little closer, pressing his thigh against hers. “This is my workshop. I spend most of my time in here.”
“Where you…forge identities?”
“Where I put my considerabletalentsto use.”
Those words deflated her. She knew he was talking about what he could do for her, about what he wanted to do toher, but she couldn’t ignore the darker implication of what he’d said. Of course he’d had other women here. A man like Arcanthus could’ve had almost anyone he wanted, and he’d likely slept with many females. She wasn’t naïve enough to believe he hadn’t.
Her chest constricted with disappointment and jealousy. Would she be just another name on his list of trophies? An exotic lay to brag about after he was done?
She stared down at his tail. “Did…did you choose the others the way you chose me?”
Arcanthus stiffened, and his tail twitched. “No, Samantha.”
He curled his finger beneath her chin and turned her face toward him, forcing her eyes to meet his. There was a new intensity in his gaze. “Nothingabout you—or how you’ve come to be here—is like anything I’ve ever done. You are the first I sought out personally. The first I’ve taken anywhere. The first I’ve fought for. You’re also the first to know my true name and the first to have slept in my bed. And you will be theonly.”
Her stomach fluttered, but she furrowed her brow. “Why? Why me?”
Arcanthus stroked her jaw with his thumb and leaned his face closer, his lips nearly touching her ear. “Because one look at you was all it took to know that you’re mine.”
Samantha stilled. Her breath quickened, her heart raced, and ice crept through her veins. Her vision dimmed.
You are mine,James growled in her head.You exist only for my pleasure.
She could feel James’s breath, hot against her face, could feel his rough hands around her throat as he pounded his cock into her again and again, could feel the burning, tearing pain of his assault.
“Samantha!”
Sam’s eyes snapped open; she hadn’t realized she’d closed them. Arcanthus was kneeling in front of her, his hands cupping her cheeks, his torso between her legs. She searched his face for something to focus on as despair threatened to overwhelm her.
