Page 89 of Riley & Kane: Complete Set

“No, I thought ofyou.I thought of…” He seemed to be searching for an explanation. “Warmth. Hope. But there was no face for my dream until you arrived. Now yours is the only face I will ever see.” Before Morgan could process those words—or the fluttering they created inside her—Rixen plucked her from the chair, holding her against his chest. “I will burn the books. I will only study you from nowon.”

“You don’t have to do that,” she said, wrapping her legs around his waist, inhaling the intoxicating scent of soap and male from his neck. “But I won’t stopyou.”

His rusty laugh sent a smile breaking across her face. But soon his mirth turned into a low moan of need. “I can’t hold you like this much longer, my gift.” His hands dropped to her backside and abused it with rough hands. “Not without filling your pussy withcome.”

Morgan’s core constricted so hard, she saw stars. “Do it.Please.”

“No, we will be late to my brother’s house. And I need to be sure you’re not pleasing your daddy at the cost of your own pain.” Their mouths tangled in a damp, hungry kiss, Morgan reeling over the lust generated inside her by that title.Daddy. “Later I will have time to prepare you with my mouth and ease into your cunt so slow, you will not feel any pain when the beast comes out toplay.”

I want to play with him now.She almost screeched the words but forced herself to stay silent as Rixen let her slide slowly down his body, their sexes dragging over one another. His expression was one of regret as he stepped away and continued to prepare her breakfast. “You did not notice your present on thetable?”

Frowning, Morgan scanned the surface of the beautiful antique tabletop. And when her gaze landed on the Nikon FM10, her jaw dropped. “Wait.Thisis yourcamera?”

He hesitated to answer while flipping the stove burner back on. “Possession is nine tenths of thelaw.”

“Rixen.”

“A tourist did not fare so well with the alligators,” he said on a sigh. “That was his camera. Now it’syours.”

Morgan pursed her lips. “I should be more conflicted about this.” She picked up the camera and turned it on, checking the settings. There was an unused roll of film inside and she immediately lifted the viewfinder to her eyes and…possibilities exploded in every corner of the room. Rixen. God, she could photograph him all day. From his granite face to his mammoth body to the gentleness in his eyes when he watched her sometimes. Like he was doing now. Breathless, she lowered the camera. “It’s a great camera. Mine is newer, but it’s lacking something. Character, maybe? You would feel the pictures writing themselves on the film with thiscamera.”

Rixen’s expression was unreadable. “You love it. Takingpictures.”

“Yeah. I do.I…”

He set down a plate of eggs and butter-slathered toast in front of her. “Youwhat?”

Morgan bought herself some time to answer by biting into the bread—andoh my god.It was the most delicious bread she’d ever tasted. “Mmmm. Um.” She swallowed. “I do love photography. But I love the leisure of it. Does that make sense? I’m kind of dreading it becoming a job. Will I still love it if I’m forced or on a deadline? I don’t know.” She took another bite and fell back in her chair. “Did you make this breadyourself?”

Rixen grunted an absent confirmation and sat down across from her, rubbing a thumb along his bottom lip. “It sounds like you weren’t looking forward too much tocollege.”

“Weren’t? As in, past tense.” She stopped chewing and set the hunk of bread down. “That’s one way to remind me I’m being held against mywill.”

“Your legs wrapped around my hips of their own free will just a moment ago.” Morgan couldn’t respond. Not with his hot eyes tracking over her and leaving fire in their wake. “Tell me what you would do with your future. If the decision was yoursalone.”

Her entire life had been mapped out by overzealous parents. She’d never actually taken the time to prod her own aspirations without factoring in their wishes. “I…would travel. I would find a place and learn its secrets through the lens of my camera. And I’d just be on my own schedule. No one to impress. No timeconstraints.”

This admission seemed to please Rixen. Greatly. A smile played around the corners of his powerful mouth as he stood and pushed the plate of bread closer to her. “It makes me happy to see you eat food I prepared. Please keepgoing.”

Morgan watched Rixen move about the kitchen, his tight, thick butt muscles moving underneath the worn denim of his jeans. God, he really was extraordinary. The original man. Built to fight off dinosaurs and fend for his kin. Before she knew it, Morgan had picked up the camera and started taking snaps of him at the kitchen sink, his forearms flexing as he washed a pan. It took a few minutes for him to notice what she was doing. His double take was comical. He pressed a finger to his broad chest as if to say,who?Me?

She sighed. “You really don’t realize how unique you are, doyou?”

His confused expression made her chest hurt. Words rose in Morgan’s throat. Reassurances of his appeal, despite his ferocious size. She also had a few names to call the women who’d been mean to him in town—wherever the hell this place’s version of “town” was. But before she could speak, she remembered how easily he’d nixed her college plans, as if they didn’t matter. As if the only thing that mattered now was being his live-in bootycall.

Hisgift.

“Every subject is unique in its own way,” she said in a rush, lowering hercamera.

When he dropped his head in disappointment and went back to straightening the kitchen Morgan wished with all her might she could take itback.

Chapter Six

Rixen

Rixen couldn’t stemthe flow of pride in his chest as he guided Morgan through the bayou. Sure, no humans were around to witness them walking to his brother’s house, but every time she tucked into his side or gripped his hand, he wanted to pound his chest with satisfaction.Mine.It didn’t matter that she reacted out of fear to every rustle in the bushes or chirp in the trees, she was seeking comfort from him. And that was astart.

Justa start, it seemed. Morgan might have let Rixen own her body in the dark last night, might have agreed to be his in her sweet, breathy voice, but she was back to being hesitant this morning. Could he blame her, though? He might have spent every day of his adult life waiting for Morgan, but she clearly hadn’t done the same for him. That was hard to accept when he needed her so fucking badly, but he would accept the challenge. There was no other option, because letting her go would be tantamount to death, now that he’d spent time in her presence, tasted her skin and mouth. Witnessed herspirit.

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