Page 16 of Catch a King (Five Kings 1)

“Move, in here?”

“Yes, darlin’, move in here because unless you are incredibly dumb, which I seriously doubt, in the eyes of the Dragon’s Ruin, you now belong to me. That means you sleep with me, eat with me and don’t make a fucking move unless I say so, got it?”

“But…”

“Got it!” His tone is ominous and as his eyes flash angrily, my heart sinks. “I got it.”

“Good, then leave me to figure out where the fuck we go from here and grab some sleep.”

“What about you?”

I look at the narrow bed and he laughs softly. “Don’t worry, I’m good in the chair, but just so you know, one night only. Tomorrow we have to come to some kind of arrangement because even I can’t sleep sitting up.”

He turns out the light and growls, “Now go to sleep safe in the knowledge I’m not interested.”

I say nothing and just draw the covers over my head and lie on my side, facing the window. I bring my knees to my chest and try to stop the tears from falling because I get the message loud and clear. I’m not worth it. He didn’t need to drive the point home because it was there in his eyes. I’m a problem he didn’t want or need and is probably regretting his decision already.

However, if he knew who I really was and why I’m here, I doubt he would be so protective then.

Chapter 13

Sawyer

I’m in hell. What the fuck possessed me to ride in and rescue the woman who looks so good in my bed, I’m having a hard time thinking of anything else. The moment I claimed her will be forever imprinted on my memory. The way she felt under my hand, shivered against me and tasted like pure fucking heaven. Just imagining those curves under my hand and mouth makes me instantly hard and those lips that tasted so good would look even better wrapped around my cock.

Her eyes were frightened but I could tell her body loved every minute of our encounter and if I wasn’t such a freaking saint, I should have nailed her the moment I threw her on my bed.

Now she’s wearing my fucking t-shirt and sleeping between my sheets, and all I can do is sit like a loser in the chair in the corner of the room, wondering where the fuck we go from here.

I know she’s upset; I saw it in her eyes, the way her lower lip trembled and her eyes shone like diamonds in the night sky for all the wrong reasons. She is damaged and not just because of us - the Dragons. It’s more than that, which is why she probably hides behind her sass and fuck off attitude. Then there was that look she gave Axel. What the fuck was that all about? Something about this stinks to high heaven and if I take anything from this woman, it’s gonna be answers.

I suppose I must fall asleep because my eyes snap open and I reach for my gun when I hear crying. My eyes adjust to the darkness and I see Millie sitting upright, staring at the wall with a look of pure terror.

“What is it?”

I jump to my feet and look around but she says nothing and I see her shoulders shaking violently as the tears fall like rivers down her face.

“What is it?” I repeat my question but she just stares and as I approach, I can tell she’s asleep. Whatever she’s seeing in her nightmare is scaring the shit out of her as she shivers and stares as if seeing the souls of the damned.

Taking care not to scare her, I sit on the bed and take her hand and say calmly, “It’s ok, darlin’, I’ve got you.”

She says nothing and just continues to stare into the shadows and I gently rub her wrist and say a little louder, “What’s up, tell me and I’ll chase it away?”

“I’m sorry.” Her voice is weak and afraid and sounds nothing like the usual sharp-edged retort she throws my way.

“For what?”

“I let you down.”

“How?”

I am hanging onto her every word because she may just give me the information I need without knowing. Then she wrenches her hand from mine and covers her face and sobs as if her heart is breaking.

What the fuck? I’m well out of my comfort zone with this and don’t have a clue what to do but because I hate to see a woman cry, I shrug off my jacket and jeans and slip under those sheets with her, pulling her against me and down onto my chest, all the time stroking her hair and whispering soft words of comfort.

“Please don’t leave me, Mason.”

My body stiffens as she sobs in my arms and her arms wrap around me and hold me tight. Feeling awkward as fuck, I’m guessing she thinks I’m her boyfriend. Mason, I think she said and for some reason, I hate the fucker before I even know his story. I continue to stroke her hair as she sighs and presses her body into mine, clinging onto me and so help me god, I’m feeling the purest torture right now because she smells so good, tastes so good and feels like a fucking angel.

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